Wondering what to do with hydrangeas in a heatwave? If you want them to survive the heat, you’ll need to know how to protect the thirsty plants. It’s a question I’ve been asking myself lately, too.
All four of my mum’s pink hydrangeas are looking beautiful right now, and I’m hoping they’ll survive this week’s heatwave. She’s growing her hydrangeas in pots and in her garden border, and I’m hoping the hot weather won’t get the best of them this July.
Luckily, there are a few ways to protect hydrangeas in a heatwave – so I checked in with the experts to find out how.
What you'll need
This bark mulch conserves soil moisture and enriches the soil at the same time.
These plant umbrellas are ideal for shielding smaller hydrangeas from the sun.
You can still use a watering can if your area is affected by a hosepipe ban this summer.
1. Keep the soil moist
As I mentioned before, hydrangeas are thirsty plants – that’s why they’re great shrubs for damp gardens with moist soil – and it's a no-brainer that hydration is especially important during a heatwave.
'Hydrangeas are water-loving plants, so in a heatwave they’re the first to show stress,' says Julian Palphramand, head of plants at British Garden Centres. 'Water deeply at the base early in the morning or late in the evening, getting moisture well down into the soil, and repeat every day or two.'
You could even order a soil moisture sensor from Amazon to keep a closer eye on things.
'Potted hydrangeas can dry out so fast, you might need to water them twice a day in a real heat spell,' Julian adds.
2. Mulch
Thankfully, there are ways to use the watering can a little bit less than you usually would at this time of the year – and mulching is one of the most popular methods.
‘Throughout summer it’s important to keep the soil consistently moist,' says Chris Bonnett, founder of GardeningExpress.co.uk. 'Place mulch around the roots to help retain moisture and provide them with protection during harsh sunny periods.'
Mulching has a number of other benefits, too, from suppressing weeds to enriching the soil with nutrients (RocketGro Peat Free Magic Mulch is Amazon’s Choice).
3. Shade plants where possible
Did you know that there are ways to shade plants without moving them?
That's great news if your hydrangea is planted in a garden border – and it's even easier to protect potted plants in hot weather.
'If you can, give them a bit of shade from the strongest sun using a shade cloth, umbrella or garden structure, and move pots into dappled shade,' says Julian from British Garden Centres.
You can buy Seedzbox plant shade netting from Amazon for more of a custom setup, or go for these ultra-sweet plant umbrellas to protect smaller plants.
So, hydrangeas can survive a heatwave – you'll just need to keep them as cool and hydrated as you can.
