Do you want to plant a hydrangea tree? is it possible? Learn about everything from planting to pruning in this in-depth guide.
Hydrangeas make excellent garden plants because of their flowers in different shades. However, if you want to teach these plants to grow tall, then read on to learn how to grow a hydrangea tree!
What is a hydrangea tree?
A hydrangea tree is nothing more than a hydrangea flower that has been trained to grow taller and look like a small tree. There isn’t a “hydrangea tree” that you can buy and plant directly in your yard, but you can definitely train this shrub to become a tree.
Learn How to Grow Hydrangea Tree?
1. Choose the right variety
As we all know, hydrangea is a small shrub, generally not more than 60-120 cm in height. However, some strains can reach impressive heights, and the plants can easily look like small trees if you train them!
Here are some of the best hydrangeas to grow as trees:
- Quick Fire: 6-8 feet tall
- Tardiva: 8-12 feet tall
- Pinky winky: 6-8 feet tall
- Little Lime: 4-6 feet tall
- Vanilla Strawberry: 7-10 feet tall
- Pee Gee: 10-20 feet tall
- Oakleaf: 4-6 feet tall
- Limelight: 6-8 feet tall
- Snowball: 3-5 feet tall
2. Make sure they get the right amount of sunlight
Sunlight is to plants what food is to us. If the plants don’t get enough light, they won’t grow big and strong.
If you want to grow hydrangeas as trees, it’s important to choose a location that gets 5-6 hours of direct morning sun and bright, dappled light for the rest of the day. This ensures that the plants get enough light, which is crucial for their growth.
3. Pruning really matters!
4. Support in the early stages of growth
As a hydrangea grows larger, it may need additional support to keep it from bending or snapping. Use stakes or trellis for support from the start, and make sure the hydrangea is firmly anchored to the support structure.
Place the support close to the main stem/stem of the plant and secure with twine. Make sure no tight knots form. Also, the support poles/stakes should protrude at least 10 to 15 cm from the plant roots to the ground to ensure a secure footing.
The support also protects the plants from strong winds. Keep supporting until the plant has developed a thicker and stronger main trunk.
5. Feed to stimulate growth
To promote growth, use a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to 1/4 strength and add to the growing medium every 15 days.
The trick is to use a lower intensity and fertilize more often to encourage plant growth.
You can also fertilize with a slow-release fertilizer in early or mid-spring and once in mid-summer to promote healthy growth and flowering.
