Use and Care Manual

Planting Hydrangea Macrophylla
Endless Summer® Hydrangeas is a collection of Hydrangea macrophylla perennial shrubs
that have the unique ability to re-bloom throughout the spring and summer months, giving
more color and visual appeal to your garden for a longer period of time. Endless Summer
hydrangea are known to bloom 10 to 12 weeks longer than average Hydrangea
macrophylla plants and show well in colder climates since they are able to bloom on the
current season’s new growth. Here are some basic guidelines to follow that will teach you
how to grow hydrangeas:
Site Selection
When determining where to plant your Endless Summer hydrangea macrophylla, take a
walk through your yard and make note of existing garden plants, spacing availability,
areas that need splashes of color and amount of sun. Especially in northern climates,
the location where you plant these hydrangeas is hugely important for bloom
production. The farther north you are – Zones 4-5a – the more sun your hydrangeas
can handle. We recommend planting your hydrangea macrophylla in a location that
allows for full morning sun with dappled shade in the afternoon. The further south you
live, the less tolerant the hydrangea macrophylla is to the intense sun. Allow for 2-3
hours of morning sun with afternoon dappled or part shade.
Soil Preparation
Other than climate, soil is the most important aspect of growing the plants that is
naturally occurring. Making sure that your soil is properly prepared will hugely affect
your overall plant health and bloom production. To begin, you have to determine what
type of soil you have. Ask your local nursery for a soil test kit. Another home test is
called the “Jar Test”. Dig down 4” and remove ¼ cup of your soil. Place that soil, along
with 2 cups of water and a couple drops of dishwashing detergent, in a clear jar or
plastic bottle. Shake the jar for approximately one minute and then let the contents
settle for approximately 24 hours. The bottom layer to settle out is sand, with the next
layer silt and the top layer (which may look like yellow-brown, red or tan water) being
clay.
• Sand: Sandy soil is determined if your jar is over half sand.
• Silt: If you have very little clay and over half silt, you have heavy silt.
• Clay: If you have ¼ clay and a good amount of silt, you have clay soil.
• Loam: Loam soil will be 2/5 sand, 2/5 silt and a narrow layer of clay.
Once you’ve determined what type of soil you have, you can more effectively prepare
the soil for your hydrangea macrophylla. The ideal soil type for these plants is loam. If
you have a heavy clay soil, add gypsum to the soil to break up the clay and allow for
drainage. A good rule of thumb is to apply 5 – 15 pounds of gypsum per 100 square