Prepare your hydrangea for winter now to ‘before thekeep them blooming next year

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine on best time to prune hydrangeas

November is now here which means gardeners only have a few weeks before the first frost to properly prepare their gardens for winter, and that includes their hydrangeas. 

If the soil completely freezes, then both the branches and flowering buds of hydrangeas can completely dry out as the roots have no access to water, which means the plant will unlikely flower next year or can even die off in the cold weather. 

Luckily, horticulturist and hydrangea expert Lorraine Ballato has explained the best preparation methods gardeners can implement now to ensure their hydrangea have the next chance to make it through winter. 

To begin, Lorraine explained that you may wish to replant your hydrangea into a more protected spot, but warned that plants will need at least six weeks to reestablish their roots before the first begins. 

You can also use another flower to plant near your hydrangeas in order to give it a protective coverage. 

In a blog post, Lorraine wrote: “If you can plant something with winter persistent foliage like an azalea, rhododendron, or conifer that will shield your hydrangea, do it now. Just watch out for future root competition for water.

You will also need to clean up all the fallen leaf foliage around the base of the plant, which Lorraine explained will prevent fungal spores from “overwintering” and infecting your plant in the springtime. 

Lorraine wrote: “This is also a great time to add some mulch to keep moisture in and prevent the plant from heaving during warm spells you’re likely to have.”

Mulching, the gardening method of using material such as compost, staw or bark to cover the top of the soil, will help retain moisture and can also act as a layer of protection during harsher weather conditions. 

However, Lorraine explained the most effective way to protect hydrangeas over the wintertime is to use a shrub cover which can not only insulate a plant during the colder weather but also “safely shield the plants from ice and snow.” 

She wrote: “The objective of shrub covers is to make your plant think it lives in a warmer zone. You do this by shielding it from freezing and fluctuating temps that can blast the flower buds.”

It is important to wait until all the leaves have fallen off your hydrangea plant before covering them, as it means the flower is now fully dormant and hibernating for winter. 

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You should also know if your hydrangea is a new wood or old wood hydrangea, as old wood hydrangea may thrive better in winter and need less preparation while new wood hydrangeas will need to be covered. 

The most popular shrub covers for hydrangeas are DIY A-Frames from discarded wood pallets which will keep most of the ice or snow off the plant. 

Lorraine wrote: “For colder areas the A-frame makes a great base to drape a tarp or insulating cover. If you do that, make sure you secure the tarp or cover against the weather with string or a bungee cord.”

Another shrub cover is an unframed drape which can usually be bought online at any gardening retailer, which Lorraine explained is “held by the stems of the plant. It’s usually tethered at the base.” 

Lorraine added it is important to begin covering your hydrangeas as soon as the hydrangeas become dormant, but you should buy a shrub cover as soon as you are able to. 

She wrote: “Don’t wait for the last minute when time is short to get things organized for installation. There’s no way to tell when suppliers will run out and how much time you have to get yourself set up for this task. 

“You can be ready to spring into action more quickly when you have your covers all planned out and ready to go. Plus it is more pleasant to work outside before the temps really plunge.”

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