I have a var hydrangea that is in a 9 inch pot ... the temps have gotten pretty cold here this last week and is going to get colder this next week .. like below freezing .. when i looked at it today it looked like some of the leaves were a lil limp from the freeze .. ive just put it in my shed for now .. should i just leave it there ??? for the winter and water it once in a while or should it be ok left out for the winter .. they do lose there leaves right ??.. or would it be ok planted in the ground even though the nights are freezeing .. it is only about 9 inches tall .. i never did get it in the ground when i first got it late spring .. I dont want to lose it at all .. thanks for any help .. Marion
Hydrangeas are deciduous = they lose their leaves in the fall Because potted plants are prone to severe frost mainly because they are not insulated by the earth below they require overwintering in your garage. Yes! Do water it on occasion over the winter months, but do not fertilize until the spring - a 6-8-6 fertilizer, or a slow-realease fertilizer "Osmocote" would do well. The Hydrangea is a tough plant in the ground, in the pot, it will fair well if you do as I instruct. Good Luck!
Thank You .. thats what i thought .. i didnt want to lose it to frost .. i knew it lost it's leaves as i grew up with one but it was large and it took up half the front yard... lol .. used to live in Van .. east end by the PNE .. but this is my first and it is variegated .. so pretty .. im gonna get it in the ground this spring .. just wasnt sure were i wanted to put it .. we just bought this house last Dec .. so just trying to figure out what we wanted to to do with the large front yard.. thanks again for the help .. Marion
you can just sink the pot for the winter and then, come spring, dig it up and unpot it and plant it properly. burying the whole thing will protect the roots from the cold and you won't have to worry about watering it since it'll be out in the yard with everything else. i would make extra holes in the bottom of the current container, though, to provide extra drainage.
I had thought about that .. but the prob is i planted in a houseplant pot that has the bottom for holding some water .. so if i did that it might end up with to much water and i dont want to kill it .. gonna get my garden straightend out for next year .. thanks for the advice .. Marion
