Tardiva Hydrangea
A Beginner’s Guide to Growing Tardiva Hydrangea
The Tardiva Hydrangea is becoming more and more popular in North America due to its beautiful blooms and hardiness. The flowers of this plant can easily grow to six inches long, which first appear during the summer and into the fall months. Therefore, if you want a great plant that adds a visual effect when most other plants are done blooming, the Tardiva Hydrangea would be an excellent consideration.
One of the primary benefits of a Tardiva Hydrangea is that it requires very little maintenance. Then with the beautiful blooms of white or cream that last a long time and the gorgeous green foliage, this makes a wonderful addition to any landscaping. You would also find that unlike other plants, the Tardiva Hydrangea is extremely tolerant of many things to include sloping terrain, wind, pollution, and even deer.
After purchasing a young Tardiva Hydrangea, prepare a hole twice the size of the plant’s root ball and deep enough to cover the roots and up a few inches on the main stem. Next, the plant would be removed from the container, the roots carefully separated, and the plant placed into the hole. For the best appearance, be sure the best side of the Tardiva Hydrangea faces outward. The original soil would be put back in the hole and if needed, additional soil added so the entire hole is filled and a slight mound created.
The Tardiva Hydrangea is also popular because it grows in so many geographic locations to include zones of 3 to 8. For the healthiest plant, make sure it receives both partial shade and full sunlight during the day, that soil pH level ranges from 4.5 to 7.5, and that the soil is kept slightly moist, but not drenched. Interestingly, this plant grows well in all soil types to include those containing some clay or sand. Because of this, the Tardiva Hydrangea is a great choice for people living near the ocean or in mountain regions.
The Tardiva Hydrangea should be fertilized once a year at maturity. You can purchase an inexpensive testing kit to determine nutrient levels so adjustments could be made, if needed. An all-purpose fertilizer is best and while fertilizer with a higher nitrogen level would encourage leafy growth, it would decrease blooms. Therefore, use a well-balanced fertilizer only during the early part of the growing season.
As mentioned, the Tardiva Hydrangea grows best when provided with partial shade and direct sunlight although most experts recommend this plant not be in direct sunlight for more than six hours a day. For this reason, consider putting the Tardiva Hydrangea on the south or west side of the home. Of course, with this plant being so tolerant, if it gets more than six hours of sunlight, it would likely be okay.
One of the best methods for watering the Tardiva Hydrangea is by creating what is called a water ring. With this, compacted soil is made into a mound around the outside of the hole where the plant is set in the ground. This way, water would be directed to the outside edge so new roots would have a better chance of growing as they reach out trying to find needed moisture. To avoid root rot, never soak the soil but keep it slightly moist.