Filigree in appearance, plate hydrangeas trump with mostly two-tone flowers throughout the summer. Here you can explore compact answers to previously unanswered questions about the correct handling of these enchantingly beautiful flowering shrubs.

The plate hydrangea usually flowers in two colors

Table of Contents

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  1. Plant the plate hydrangea correctly
  2. care tips
  3. Which location is suitable?
  4. The right planting distance
  5. What soil does the plant need?
  6. What is the best planting time?
  7. When is flowering time?
  8. Cut the plate hydrangea correctly
  9. Water the plate hydrangea
  10. Fertilize plate hydrangea properly
  11. hibernate
  12. Propagating plate hydrangea
  13. How do I plant correctly?
  14. Hydrangea in a pot
  15. How does a plate hydrangea keep its blue colour?
  16. The most beautiful varieties

    17. Plant the plate hydrangea correctly

    Before you start preparing the soil, place the root ball in a container with lime-free water. In the meantime, use the rake to thoroughly loosen the soil to remove stones and roots. The more finely crumbly the clod, the quicker the shallow roots gain a foothold at the site. This is how it goes on:

    • The planting pit has twice the volume of the root ball
    • Enrich half of the excavation with rhododendron soil and compost
    • Unpot the plate hydrangea and plant as deep as in the container
    • Water and spread a layer of mulch 3-5 centimeters high

    Hydrangeas love to be mulched with fern leaves, fallen leaves, grass clippings, or coniferous compost. In this way, the soil stays moist longer and receives an additional portion of valuable nutrients.

    care tips

    With the following care program you spur a plate hydrangea to lavish blooms and vigorous growth.

    • If the substrate dries, pour it with lime-free water
    • Water in the mornings and evenings during hot summer days
    • From March fertilize with acidic compost, natural fertilizer or special hydrangea fertilizer
    • Stop fertilizing from the end of August/beginning of September
    • In winter, pile up with leaves and brushwood, protect the buds with jute or a felt hood

    In early spring, thin out the shrub thoroughly and remove any 5-year-old branches to rejuvenate. Cut off the withered flower heads.
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    Which location is suitable?

    Choose a location with semi-shady light conditions, in a location that is as sheltered as possible from the wind. The plate hydrangea finds ideal conditions under the leaf canopy of tall deciduous plants. In sunny locations, make sure you have an adequate water supply.
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    The right planting distance

    If the planting distance corresponds to half the growth width, you can't go wrong. This applies to group cultivation. If the plate hydrangea acts as a decorative enclosure in a hedge, note the required distance from the neighbor. If you stick to this rule of thumb, there will be no trouble: growth height in centimeters minus 130 gives the limit distance.

    What soil does the plant need?

    The perfect soil for hydrangeas is nutrient-rich, fresh and moist, humus and has an acidic pH of 4.0 to 5.5. Choose a commercially available rhododendron soil as the pot substrate and optimize it with compost and lava granules.(13.99€)

    What is the best planting time?

    Planting time for the plate hydrangea is twice a year: in spring from April to May and in autumn from the end of August to the beginning of October. The only time hydrangeas should not be planted is during hot, dry summer days and when the soil is frozen.

    When is flowering time?

    Look forward to a summer flowering period from June to October with your plate hydrangea. In mild weather, flowering lasts until November.

    Cut the plate hydrangea correctly

    Since a plate hydrangea flowers in the previous year, caution is called for when pruning. How to do it right:

    • In March/April, only cut off the withered flower heads
    • Cut no deeper than the next strong bud
    • Thin out the entire bush

    The pruning of the new variety 'Endless Summer Twist-n-Shout' is more flexible. Since this plate hydrangea flowers on last year's and this year's wood, it exceptionally tolerates a more extensive topiary in spring.
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    Water the plate hydrangea

    Anyone who waters their plate hydrangea too seldom will feel their displeasure when they shed flowers and leaves indignantly. The ornamental tree will show itself to you when watered like this:

    • Water regularly and thoroughly without causing waterlogging
    • Use soft rainwater or decalcified tap water
    • Do not water the flowering shrub from above

    Check the substrate in beds and tubs daily with a thumb test. If the surface of the earth has dried, it is poured. In summer this may be required twice a day, early in the morning and in the evening.

    Fertilize plate hydrangea properly

    Fertilize a plate hydrangea every 14 days from March to September with acidic needle or leaf compost to which you add horn shavings (€32.93). The nutrient supply with special hydrangea long-term fertilizers is less time-consuming. A single dose in March is enough to cover the energy needs for the entire season.

    hibernate

    Although a plate hydrangea is hardy, you can play it safe with these precautions when wintering in the bed:

    • Before the first frost, pile up a thick layer of leaf soil and cover with needle brushwood
    • Protect the branches with reed mats, jute ribbons or a felt hood

    Ideally, you should carry the hydrangea in a bucket to a bright, cool winter quarters. Temperatures should be around 5 degrees Celsius here.

    Propagating plate hydrangea

    The propagation of plate hydrangeas has the best prospects if you use one of the following methods:

    • Division of the rootstock in spring or autumn during sap dormancy
    • Cut cuttings during the summer, place in poor soil and take care of them until next year
    • Pull the sinker to the ground, bury the middle part and let it root

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    How do I plant correctly?

    Transplanting a plate hydrangea is possible in spring or autumn. The ornamental shrub should be in its sap rest so that the stress does not affect it too much. A week or two before the appointment, snip off the roots all around and water repeatedly to allow a lush fine root system to develop. Here’s how to do it professionally on the day of transplanting:

    • Loosen the root ball and lift it out of the ground
    • Retain the previous planting depth at the new location
    • Water generously and mulch with leaf compost

    Hydrangea in a pot

    Thanks to its graceful stature, the potted hydrangea creates a picturesque picture on the balcony. If you choose a container with a volume of at least 20 liters, the shrub likes to spread its roots here. Drainage above the water outlet is essential. Use inorganic material for this, such as potsherds or expanded clay.(19.73€) We recommend compost-based bog bed soil as a substrate, enriched with a handful of lava granules for optimum permeability.

    How does a plate hydrangea keep its blue colour?

    The blue color of a plate hydrangea is a result of gardening artistry, as Mother Nature did not intend this tone for hydrangeas. In order to ensure the blue coloring for the entire flowering period, a low pH of the substrate of 4.0 to a maximum of 5.0 is required. This is how it works in the bed and bucket alike:

    • Use a special preparation with a blue tint as fertilizer, such as Norax hydrangea fertilizer with a deep blue tint
    • Supplement an organic fertilizer with 20-60 grams of alum from the pharmacy from March to July

    The most beautiful varieties

    • Blue tit: light blue plate flowers with a diameter of 10 cm from June to September; Growth height 100-130 cm
    • Lanarth White: bicolor hydrangea beauty with white and pink flowers; Growth height 90-120 cm
    • Pheasant: Spectacular plate hydrangea with crimson flowers and a broad, bushy habit: growth height 100-130 cm
    • Mariesii Perfecta: the graceful variety impresses with delicate pink flowers; Growth height 100-130 cm

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Vegetable garden