Is late fall a good time to plant hydrangeas?

Thanks

Gary

New to the north country

Autumn is generally a good time to plant just about anything (shrubs, trees,
etc.) except crops of course. Late fall planting depends a great deal on
your climate -- you don't mention where you are so it's kind of difficult to
be specific in recommendations obviously. Generally speaking, you can get
away with planting shrubs, trees and the like well into November.

The object of fall/spring planting is to take advantage of cooler weather
and rain (as opposed to scorchers and dryness). In many ways, autumn is a
preferred new planting period since the ground is typically much warmer than
spring time ground -- this allows for greater root development. The lack of
weather extremes help the plants better establish in the garden.

Many gardeners will overwinter plants, in their pots even, in the ground
while others will temporarily transplant them in a bed used for just this
purpose. There are also many things you can do to extend the benefits of
autumn for your plants such as using stone, gravel mulch, planting in front
of a stone/concrete wall, and laying heavy applications of mulch. The use
of stone/concrete products will keep soil and areas warmer -- they absorb
heat throughout the day and then release it throughout the night, creating a
microclime (this is especially effective if the area is shielded from the
wind).

Hope this helps!

James