- 1). Observe your hydrangeas for a day or two during the summer to ensure that the plant gets six to eight hours of sunlight. If the plant does not get six to eight hours of daily sunlight due to shading from other plants or structures, such as garden arches, prune surrounding plants back, or move structures to give the hydrangea plant direct access to the sun.
- 2). Transplant the hydrangea if you cannot remove the plants or structures that are shading the hydrangea. Wait until the early winter right after the plant loses all of its leaves. Dig around the base of the plant to uncover the entire root ball, and pull straight up on the plant to prevent damage to the roots as you remove it from the hole. Dig a hole in the new location large enough to accommodate the hydrangea root ball, replant the hydrangea and water the hydrangea until the ground is wet.
- 3). Avoid pruning hydrangea plants during the summer growing season. If you prune during the growing season, you may be cutting off buds that form in the summer months, preventing the plant from blossoming the following year.
- 4). Dig up a few soil samples around the hydrangea plant, mix them and have the samples tested at a lab near you. Alternately, purchase a soil testing kit at a home improvement or gardening store and follow the instructions to test your soil for nitrogen. If your soil tests high for nitrogen, avoid fertilizing the hydrangea, or any plants surrounding the hydrangea, until the nitrogen in the soil tests below normal.
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