Growing and caring for your ‘Endless Summer’ Hydrangea can be easy. Flower color is dependent upon the soil type: pink in alkaline soils and blue in acidic soils. There are techniques you should follow to keep the color that you desire.

Overwintering and Spring Care
Encourage flowering with a fertilizer low in nitrogen and high in phosphorous. Stop fertilizing by mid-August so the plant can get acclimated for winter. When you cover your perennial gardens in late fall, cover your Endless Summer Hydrangea with a few inches of mulch as well. Remember to remove the extra mulch around the base in Spring. New growth will come from the base of the plant as well as any old branches that survived the winter. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t immediately see buds, growth comes slowly until late spring as the temperature warms up. Once new growth begins, you may prune back branch tips that are dead.

Bloom Color
The color of your ‘Endless Summer’ Hydrangea bloom will be dependent upon the soil pH. For pink blooms, your soil needs to be more alkaline. Aim for a pH of about 6 - 6.2. If your soil is more acid, you may raise the pH by adding lime (grounded) to your soil. For blue blooms, your soil needs to be more acid. Aim for a pH of around 5.2 - 5.5. If your soil is more alkaline, you may add Aluminum Sulfate or another acidifier to increase the acidity. See our Garden Sulfur listed on page 6 of this newsletter. Remember that altering the pH of your soil is not an exact science. Follow the instructions on the package of the additives that you choose and take notes on how your blooms are responding according to your application. You may also amend your soil with large amounts of organic matter like peat moss (sandier soils) or composted leaves (heavier soils) to help acidify the soil as they break down. If you are having trouble with the pH after amending the soil, it may be a good idea to check the pH of your water. It will be harder to change the pH of the soil if you are watering with hard water. Hard water includes larger amounts of calcium carbonate and therefore reduces the acidity of the soil.

Pruning
‘Endless Summer’ Hydrangeas bloom on old and new wood and set flower buds throughout the season, so it will still bloom if left unpruned or pruned at the wrong time (generally spring is the best time to prune). Encourage your plant to produce more flowers by cutting blooms for arrangements. The blooms also make great dried flowers, like all hydrangeas, and hold their color well.