How to Plant Hydrangeas in Containers

want to try a little twist with your shrubs have you ever thought about planting in a decorative pot it is a fantastic way to add pops of color to your front step or patio or even adding a little movable color in the garden I'm Ryan from endless summer hydrangeas first edition shrubs and trees and easy elegance roses and welcome to garden gap [Music] you probably filled baskets and pots with annuals for a colorful displays but maybe never thought of putting a shrub in there well they're not just for annuals anymore shrubs are a fantastic way to fill a pot and they give you lots of color and texture for a longer period of time so let's start by talking about why you might want to add shrubs to a pot and then we'll get to planting okay so why a shrub in a pot there are a few good reasons maybe you don't have the space for one more darn plant either your gardens already full or you live in a space that doesn't even have a garden but no dirt no problem this is a super fun way to garden either without more landscaping space or if you don't have a garden at all be it's your first year with that specific plant and you're not quite sure where it'll do best or you want to see if the color scheme works as your seasonal plants start to fill in put the shrub in a pot and place it in the garden where you might plant it in the future and just give it a season and see if you like it if you do plant it later in the fall and if you don't don't worry about it then you don't have to worry about transplant shock later when you move it to a different part of the garden if you're gonna keep the plant in the container because you're not quite sure where it's gonna end up I'll tell you how to overwinter later on in the video you also might want to add some long-lasting color or texture to your front step patio deck or even next to your pool if you are so lucky as to have one shrubs are intended to give you that long lasting blooms and fabulous foliage all season so putting a shrub in a pot will keep delivering all the way through fall even in areas where you obviously wouldn't plant since it's a hard surface they're just easier to maintain than a pothole of annuals typically less water less deadheading and must maintenance instant gratification plans take a while to grow in and with shrubs that could be a year or two or even longer so putting it in a pot for that first year or two can give it some added height that you wouldn't naturally have in the garden so potted up in an established area or on both your front door and bam you're all set finally the plant might not be naturally Hardy in your region but you want to give it a go I live in zone 4 Minnesota so I have major zone and be on a regular basis so I love to get a crape myrtle or a gardenia and put it in a pot it wouldn't survive naturally with our winter outside so this way I get to enjoy them as an annual without the hassle of digging it up at the end of the season and leaving a hole in the ground starting to see why shrubs and pots is a cool thing to try okay good now let's get to planting I get a lot of questions on how big the pot should be and honestly my answer is that it really depends it depends do you want to keep the pot in just for one here or is it gonna be multiple years do you want to accent the shrub with annuals or just leave it alone those things play a really big factor but in any case you need the pot to be at least larger than the pot that your shrub came in and if you want to accent with those annuals or other perennials or if you want to keep the shrub in a pot for multiple years get at least a 15 or 18 inch pot so that you're not having to move it every year most importantly make sure that that pot has multiple drainage holes in the bottom if there aren't any already be sure to drill them before you start planting so the soil doesn't get waterlogged and rot the roots get yourself too bagged potting mix and not garden soil this generally is gonna have the right mix of materials to ensure a proper drainage and usually we'll have that slow-release fertilizer so they can keep the plant going fill in the pot with enough soil so that when you set your shrub in there the soil line from the shrub will be a couple of inches below the top of the pot and then fill in all of the sides so the soil lines match you want to keep that couple of inches at the top open so when you water it won't spill over and make a mess and you do want to keep all that great soil in the pot to keep the plant healthy and protect the roots so they don't dry out that first day when you plant it you want to make sure it's well watered so give it a really good soak until the water fills them to the top of the pot let it drain through and soak it one more time you want to keep a fairly close eye on your pots because they do tend to dry out more frequently than when you plant shrubs on the ground so just check a daily by sticking your finger in the soil and if it's dry soak it if it's still moist it's okay to go another day and that's it you're done planting if you want to keep the shrub in a deco pot for more than one year it's totally doable in most climate just check our website for individual variety hardiness remember my gardenia in Minnesota comment but if it'll work just bring it into you an unheated garage for the winter and give it a bout of snowballs worth of water each month if you live in a more temperate climate you can probably get away with leaving the pot outside in a protected area so that it doesn't get hurt with temperature fluctuations in the winter if you're gonna do this and keep the plant in a pot for multiple years you might need to add fertilizer in subsequent years but again check our individual websites for the varieties fertilizing needs before applying so my challenge to you is this just give it a try the actual planting process is super easy and the benefits are really beautiful and fun so try a shrub in a pot this year and click through our other videos to get some ideas on companion plants to go alongside our shrubs thank you so much for watching and don't forget to Like comment and subscribe from all of us at garden gab happy planting [Music]

Channel: Endless Summer® Hydrangeas

Views: 474,366

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Id: pvKcieDfDcE

Length: 5min 25sec (325 seconds)

Published: Thu May 21 2020