Hydrangea Hero Wanted

Hey everyone so I got this from an online garden store, arrived today, it’s Hydrangea macrophylla Amethyst - Large Flowered XL
As you can see it’s very leggy with only life at the top, not quite what I was expecting. Should I cut this right down? please can someone advise me what I should do? There doesn’t seem to be any new growth apart from the top.
I live in the midlands UK

 

Hi

photo was not what I was expecting it’s very leggy.

with macrophylla you only prune a little as just under the old flowers above fresh shoots just as the new green buds show as they flower on wood/growth that was produced last year , if you cut that you will have no flowers this year.

if you are un happy with your purchase tell the supplier what you were expecting to have ..

If planing to keep , plant and keep well watered this year .and NO pruning .

May I ask how much you paid for it

Spruce

 

Spruce is right, definitely don't cut it back or you'll lose this year's flowers. I'd just plant it, water it well and leave it alone. Macrophyllas are tougher than they look and it should fill out over the summer once it settles in. If it still looks leggy by autumn you could take a couple of the longest stems back to a strong pair of buds then.

 

Hi Joao and Spruce thank you for responding, I have contacted them with photos to see what they say. Should hear today. It was originally £30 I paid £20 in the sale from Gardening Express, but I’m confused because it states on the description the following,

Supplied as powerful well established plants in approx 5 litre containers, these are larger plants, and great value for a specimen of this size and age. Cut to near ground level over winter each year, and they will then throw up masses of strong new stems and big blooms each summer.

So thinking I can just cut to the floor each year was a reason that sold it to me, so appears I should NOT do that? Or can I after this years flowers?

 

Hi @xxxDawnxxx

I don't have hydrangeas but I don't think I have heard people cutting them to ground level before. A Google search suggests that the particular hydrangea flowers on old wood, and pruning should be kept to a minimum - as @Spruce has explained.

Gardening Express is terrible in my opinion. I wouldn't trust them at all. I have ordered twice from them, the first time the plants were OK, the second time (during a sale) the plant I had ordered was terrible. These days I pretend they don't exist.

 

Looking online, it's generally described as a compact shrub, so I'm not sure what's happened with this one.
I agree with @Joao and @Spruce , if you do keep it, plant it and let it settle over the Summer.
It appears that the majority of it has been cut to the ground previously, hopefully there will be members on the forum who grow this particular variety, mine are just bog standard mopheads, pruned in Spring.

I'll be interested to hear what Gardening Express have to say. I don't think they have a great reputation generally.

 

What you have received @xxxDawnxxx is not as described, a big disappointment for you. Macrophyllas are not pruned by reducing to the ground each year as they flower on old wood. If you are unable to get a refund, which is certainly justified due to the incorrect description, you can either leave it as it is to get flowers this year from the remaining tall stems, or reduce the whole plant to the same height to encourage fresh new growth for flowers next year and a more balanced plant.

 

I think it's ok for £20. If it's indeed in 5 l, it appears to be a mature shrub, not just a twig; check the roots taking out of the pot. In a correct conditions it will grow fast.

 

When I have tried to complain to Gardening Express in the past I never even received a reply - I hope their customer service has improved.

 

Unfortunately these type of site use a lot of cut and paste on their websites and my guess is they used most of a description for a paniculata hydrangea which you can cut to the ground each year.

 

Hi Dawn

ihad a feeling it was Gardening Express . I have used before and you can find a bargain but can be hit and miss as I had a plant turn up in a pot with just clear plastic wrapped round it , but I have had bargain agapanthus and clematis , but I only ever order February march while the plants are dormant

the variety you have ( I had a google ) looks really nice and it’s meant to be a compact variety .

Give it a summer of growing it willlook great and xtra TLC , just water no feed let those roots get away into the soil I would also add a cane for more stability.

personally I feel sorry for it and would have to keep it lol

ps I had a look at there site and the pruning information is wrong

Spruce

 

There customer service has been okay to be fair this is their reply…


I can see this Hydrangea has arrived as expected and is in a really healthy condition.

Over the winter periods, we cut parts of the Hydrangea right down to encourage fresh new growth come the late spring and summer time. As we progress through spring, you will start to see fresh new growth from the cut down parts of this plant.

We would advise to leave the tall leggy stems as these will help encourage the best amount of growth for the cut back stems.

If you cut these back early enough in winter once we start getting colder weather, you can cut the whole plant back equally ready for fresh growth in the spring/summer time.

thank you everyone for your responses that site certainly has confused me I’ve taken it out the pot but the lower half where the roots are I’ve had to try and cut off, its that matted with roots I can’t completely remove. Will this matter if around a quarter is still left attached and I plant it? I know not ideal but I really can’t remove it I feel I want to make a prize specimen of this plant.

 

Hi dawn

and they still give u the wrong information for pruning which is for the paniculata type .

if you think you are going to damage if you try and cut more off , I think you mean the bottom of the pot and the roots have grown through , I personally would leave on .

plant away let us have a look in July august ..

Spruce

 

Hi @Spruce yes that’s correct it’s like the roots have knitted the base of the pot to the plant. There is no way to remove at all. I’ll do as you say and leave on. I’ve cut the sides off so that’s free at least.

Thank you for your helpful advice. I sure will post in July/August hopefully it’s not gonna be a disappointment think we are all invested now

 

I agree with @Spruce , that advice seems wrong to me also (to put it politely).

I would also plant it with as much of the rootball as you possibly can, so personally I would leave it as it is. It's surprising how tough hydrangeas can be, so get it in the ground, and keep a close eye on the watering.
I would also consider breaking the edge of some of the rootball so that it triggers more fibrous root growth. Looking forward to an update in a few weeks time .