Red Hydrangea

https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/202208/medium-953319-e4227f6d-55d0-4712-9254-7766beffb842.jpeg%3C/span%3E https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/202208/medium-30927-11e33676-66d9-4a6a-b7d3-b172d201add6.jpeg%3C/span%3E

I’m afraid I totally neglect mine, leaving the heads on to protect from frost and sloshing a bucket of kitchen floor washing water over them when I remember
It would be nice to know what I should be doing ??

Next years blooms may be sacrificed if you prune this year. If you are attempting to completely reshape the bush it might be worth it, otherwise I normally only prune about one third a year usually in the spring.
I would most certainly pot on in good quality compost, preferably loam. If you have a blue variety you need an ericacious compost and to keep the acidity up.

In my experience hydrangeas love water and sun.

I have never dealt with red hydrangeas but there will be lots of information on line.

Gosh Maw - your hydrangeas are magnificent !

Mine are about 35 years old and planted out in the garden .
They came from another house so I'm not sure of their true age .
I had to move them about two years ago as they were frying in the hot sun .
I noticed that the garden had definitely warmed up .

I don't really do anything fancy with them - just water .
We have used a colourant to enhance their blueness before ..

I wish I hadn’t seen that ? it’s been an awful year for mine.
One actually bloody died.

Mine is the same colour as Maw's and was in a huge container but, after 10 years of huge flowers each summer, it was getting decidedly pot bound and so, last autumn I emptied it, gave it a good pruning back and potted it into an even bigger container. I've got loads of healthy growth this summer but not one single flower. I'm hoping for a better performance next year.

we bought a blue hydrangea last year and this first year for flowers it is red, am disappointed.
sorry, I have nothing useful to add about them though, our other pink ones have to thrive on their own which they seem to do.

I love really blue hydrangeas .
You can add dilute vinegar to the soil to turn it acidic , but don't splash it on the leaves . It will damage them .
Or buy some colourant on line for about £6 .

We used to call it blueing powder .
Reminds me of the blue bags in the wash !