Winter protection results

16 years ago

So after years of never getting around to winter protection, I decided to do it last year and so far I am impressed with the results.

I have five hydrangeas, two Horben, one glowing embers, one "Easter unidendified hydrangea, and another no ID (I think Pia) hydrangea. I decided to cover the smallest two with rose cones after wrapping them with evergreen branches and pouring dirt over them. I put glowing embers under an inverted 5 gallon pot with evergreen branches and some old potting soil and bark nugests mounded over the base. The largest two were "tipped" by grabbing a handful of branches in December bending them to the ground and putting a rock or a brick over the branches to keep them flat. (I divided each into quandrants and put an appropriate amount of something heavy to weigh them down. I then added bark nuggests, dirt, evergreen branches and later snow over the mound. Halfway through the winter, the mound starting to shrink so I went to HD and bought whatever mulch I could pry from the frozen stack and left it in the car to thaw on a warm day (the family thought I was insane).

So far the majority of the hydrangeas look like the branches are still alive and the buds are too! I wil update more progress as I uncover them slowly over the next few weeks and will post pics too once blooming (fingers crossed) starts.

I combined all the great advice on here over the years and did whatever worked for me for each plant.

thanks everyone!

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Comments (3)

hydrangeasnohio
16 years ago
Sound like you did a good job protecting them. I am in a zone 5b and I am going to wait till April 15th and check the 10 day forecast before I uncover my Hydrangeas. I have had some people tell me to wait till the end of May to uncover mine!!! This is my 5th year winter protecting 7 Hydrangeas and it is getting old...LOL... There are just to many great options out there now with the new hydrangeas to keep this up forever. My biggest problem with it all is how bad it looks in your beds in the Spring when your ready to go outside and enjoy your Spring blooming plants/bulbs. Plus it makes Spring cleanup seem to go on forever. I guess I am getting so bitter about it after seeing how good all of my other hydrangeas are doing that do not require winter protection. The Forever and Ever Series, Let's Dance, and Blushing Bride live up to the hype!!! The regular Endless Summer is the only rebloomer that has gave me mixed results year to year. Along with all the Paniculata Hydrangea that bloom on new wood!! The Quick Fire is AWESOME!!! Blooms for me atleast 60 days before any other paniculata. I bet yours will be beautiful this year especially the Glowing Embers. It will hook you to winter protect them for many more years. But if you by a rebloomer and see a care free hydrangea next to it bloom just as well it might make you think about changing some things out of your garden. Like it has made me feel!!
bradarmi
Original Author
16 years ago
I can sympathize since I feel the same way about roses. I like to plant the hardy roses and hydrangeas in the front yard and the more fussy plants in the back - or at least out of sight so no one notices the covers. I am still going to wait another month or so to uncover them as well since nature can be so unpredictable. For me its the challenge - but I try not to go over board with these kinds of plants since they can take over your life (I also raise orchids too). I was actually thinking the other day what plants I will keep up with and which ones will have to fend for themselves once we start having kids.
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ditas
16 years ago
I have posted these album before but FWIW here it is again.

I was so excited when I stumbled into this site in 2005 & learned about, why my then 16y/o Nikko Blue, flowered only 5x at the most, in all those years & all pink to boot. I became an apostle of Hayseedman ... the rest is now history! I wasn't young then but took the challenge & each year since, added a few more marginally tender bloomers.

I have 11 I seriously protect & 5 just lightly cover up & can do w/o. Only 2 are in the front foundation that I try to decorate w/ fake garlands around the cage. However I'm getting much older & I'm w/ hydrangeasnohio I will just stick with the least fussy ones like the 8 others I don't have to do a thing to but prune!

I enjoyed the challenge & delighted with the results ... my Paniculatas are simply wonderful!

FWIW ...

Here is a link that might be useful: Overwintering Hydrangeas