when and how to move it?

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hydrangea

The hydrangea or hydrangea is a flowering shrub of the Hydrangeaceae family. Native to Asia, it is a plant easy to grow and hardy. This family of hydrangeaceae has various varieties, some with ball-shaped flowers, others in panicles, not to mention the climbing hydrangeas.

The flowers can be white, purple, blue, pink, etc. and this color depends not only on the plant varietybut alsosoil acidity. Thus, if your soil is rather acidic, you will enjoy a rather blue bloom, while if your soil is neutral or calcareous, you will enjoy a pink or red bloom.

If your hydrangea finds on your land all the conditions necessary for its development, whether in terms of exposure, soil quality, watering, it will reward you with a long and generous flowering which will run from June to October and will light up your garden.

Is the hydrangea easy to move?

Whether in a pot or in the ground, the hydrangea is a plant that can be easily moved, as its branching roots lie just above the soil surface. But to ensure the success of the transplant, it is necessary, beforehand, to ask the questions below, and then to follow the procedure described later in the article.

When should you transplant it?

When you want to move a hydrangea, the ideal period is between the end of the flowering period and the start of the cold spell. This time range is explained by the fact that, on the one hand, it is imperative to wait until the vegetative rest of the shrub and, on the other hand, the ground is, in principle, not yet frozen. .

Given these factors, the preferred months are therefore october and november, because the hydrangea has then lost its leaves and the temperatures are generally still mild. Nevertheless, keep an eye on the weather and if a period of frost is announced, postpone the operation to a week when the temperatures will be milder.

Which new location to choose?

To allow your hydrangea to continue to develop well, it is necessary to choose the location carefully where you will reinstall it. For the most part, hydrangeas appreciate a location in partial shade. It can be in the shade of a tall tree, as long as the shade isn’t too opaque, or against a wall in a space where it will get morning or late afternoon sun.

You should know that a hydrangea that is installed in a location that is too shady or too sunny, that is to say due west or due south, blooms little or does not bloom at all.

What land to offer him?

It is important to take into account that the hydrangea likes loose, moist, humus-rich soilwhose pH is between 5 and 6. In other words, it likes acid soils.

However, it can be satisfied with different growing conditions, but, in this case or in case of doubt about the nature of the soil and to ensure optimal flowering, you can amend the soil. Thus, when transplanting your hydrangea, you can add a mixture of heather soil and potting soil to the hole you have prepared, with a little peat added. If your land is clayey, add sand, which will loosen the soil.

How to proceed ?

For move your hydrangeayou can do the following:

  1. Before uprooting your hydrangea, start by preparing the new location. To do this, dig a hole one size larger than the root ball. The larger the hole, the more easily the root system will be able to anchor itself in the ground since the latter will be loosened.
  2. If necessary, prepare the different soil mixtures required depending on soil amendment requirements.
  3. Once everything is ready to welcome your hydrangea, you can move on to the next step which consists of removing the root ball :
  • Using a spade, dig a small trench all around the foot, at a distance of about 25 cm from that. Dig deep enough to remove as much of the root ball as possible, especially if it is an old plant. It is inevitable to cut surface roots during this operation.
  • Lever to extract the clod. However, be careful to act delicately so as not to break the root ball and damage as few roots as possible.
  1. If the plant is of an imposing size, put it on a tarp so you can move it. By doing so, you will preserve the roots while keeping the root ball as much as possible.
  2. It is then time to plant your hydrangea by positioning it in the middle of the hole previously prepared. If the root ball of the hydrangea is 2 to 3 cm below ground level and the collar is level with the ground, it means that your hole is the ideal depth. Otherwise, you have to take back the spade!
  3. Once your hydrangea is in place, you can fill the hole with the soil mixture that you have prepared by packing the soil well as you go and making sure not to leave any gaps.
  4. Then proceed to generous watering preferably with rainwater. Throughout the year following the transplant, be careful never to deprive your hydrangea of ​​water.
  5. Finally, mulch the foot to maintain sufficient humidity.


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