easier than explaining.

Here is a link that might be useful: prune, ph, ect

If you're talking about aluminum sulfate, I wouldn't use 5 cups. I'd use 2 cups each, and yes mix it into the soil when you plant and water well.

I don't prune my hydrangeas until late spring. I want to make sure I don't prune off any live canes, just the dead ones. I hope you got the kind that bloom on new wood, otherwise they might not bloom without winter protection.

Deanna

I sprinkled it on the surface, generously, around each of mine. It seemed to work fine for me. The ones that I sprinkled with aluminum sulfate are blue this year, but another one that I seemed to have missed is definitely pink.

Lisa

Mine bloomed blue for the longest time, then started blooming in pink, purple & blue last year. Pretty, but I missed the blue. I'm not big on fertilizing, but during early spring, I just sprinkled down some coffee grounds and watered with left over coffee. It's just starting to bloom, and so far, the lower flowers that are just opening are blue. Time will tell though...

I normally only remove the spent blooms and leave it alone until the spring, only removing branches that are visibly dead.

I guess I'll experiment. I'll plant one with the alum. sulfate in the soil (2 Cups) and the another one I'll plant normal and then spread the alum. sulfate on top and water it in and I'll have to decide about the 3rd. It is a pretty pink but my husband wants it blue.