Forever & Ever® Hydrangea

General Care Information:
Hydrangeas have a moderate to high water requirement. Plants flag (wilt) when temperatures rise and the soil becomes dry. Newly planted Hydrangeas may need water every couple days during the first growing season to keep the plants form wilting. Once established Hydrangeas require at least 1" of water per week during the growing season. Placing the plant in a lightly shaded area and mulching the roots will help reduce the water needs for your plants. Water occasionally throughout the fall and winter, especially before a hard freeze. A 3-4" layer of organic mulch is recommended year round to reduce weeds, conserve moisture, and protect the roots during the cold weather.

Pruning:
Little pruning is required other than removing spent flowers or to trim to desired size in early spring. Unlike other Hydrangeas, Forever and Ever can be pruned at any time during the season without compromising the blooms for the season. There are certain instances when pruning can be helpful. 1) Remove all dead stems from the plant each year. 2) After plant is at least 5 years old, 1/3 of the oldest stems can be pruned down to the ground each year. This type of pruning will help revitalize the plant. Once all the old stems are removed, then shape the rest of the plant as desired.

Fertilizer:
Fertilize in spring using fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, following package directions.

Cut Flowers:
When you cut blooms for arrangements in June or July, you can cut them with long stems on Forever & Ever Hydrangeas. If you leave the dried blooms on the plant over the winter, prune them off in early spring. When pruning dried blooms, remove the flower head above the first set of buds on the stem. Doing this will give you more flowers during the first bloom of spring.

Bloom Color
Forever & Ever Hydrangeas produce beautiful pink or blue blooms depending on soil pH. Alkaline soils will produce pink blooms, whereas acidic soil will result in blue blooms. To determine whether your soil is alkaline or acidic, ask your garden center professional or State Extention Agent how to obtain a soil test. If the pH is just right you may have both pink and blue flowers on the plant at the same time.

Change from Pink to Blue: Add aluminum sulfate according to package directions, to lower the soil pH. Your soil will produce blue flowers at a pH level of about 5.2 – 5.5.

Change from Blue to Pink: Add dolomitic lime according to package directions, to raise the soil pH. Your soil will produce pink flowers at a pH level of about 6.0 – 6.2.

Planting Instructions: View as PDF (PDF, 369KB)