"Mary Beth" wrote in message
news:T%Cng.93444$IZ2.88886@dukeread07...

"fanbball" wrote in message
ups.com...
i too grow hydrangeas but my trouble is not with them wilting but with
them changing colors from year to year. does anyone know what that's
all about?

Are they fading to white?
Not sure exactly what it is, but there is some sort of supplement/nutrient
you can add to the soil. I better keep an eye on this thread, as I'll want
to do the same, (make sure they stay blue), for next year.
If no one answers, and I'm sure plenty will g, you can look it up here
or in Google, as I know they've been topics before. Just didn't have my
hydrangea in, so wasn't paying attention.
There are a few other flowers that do this, such as the peony, they tend
to lose their original colors, after many years.
If anyone does answer, please let me know about the peonies, also, if you
can.

Good luck with yours
MaryBeth/

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Rhododendrons, and Hydrangeas (Queens of the late-flowering shrubs), are
similar but are not the same. but their treatment is the same and they are
sometimes traditionally referred to as Azaleas. They are of the heather
family and will fail miserably in alkaline soil. . They may do reasonably
well in neutral soil but need an acid home if they are to flourish, and they
do better in partial shade.
Their's much more but the above is a guide and don't thank me. they are
straight out of a worthy book , - which by law I cannot mention. So bags
of peat well mixed in when planting is the answer.
I have found that if you clip hard in winter they won't flower the next year
so leave then alone if you don't want to prune them smaller, wait until the
new flowers are budding , - this month), then nip off the brown, dead ,
last-years mop scruffy remains, - or just leave them , they do no harm.
Doug.
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