When to Plant Hydrangeas: How to Time It Right

Find out when to plant hydrangeas to get your plants off to a strong start.

Knowing when to plant hydrangeas will help you successfully grow these shrubs in your garden. Hydrangeas grow in most areas of the U.S., provide a stunning display of color, make excellent cut flowers, and bloom for weeks or months. And there are all sorts of varieties to choose from , thanks to plant breeding efforts. This guide explains the best time to plant hydrangeas and provides step-by-step instructions for planting these shrubs properly.

Planting Hydrangeas in the Fall

Fall is the optimum time to plant many shrubs and trees , and hydrangeas are no different. Transplanting is often a shock to the plant. Its roots are disturbed and damaged, and the daily care and feeding the hydrangea received at the nursery ends. It’s a one-two punch that can cause significant setbacks for the plant.

To minimize the shock, plant hydrangeas in autumn when the weather has cooled, the soil is less likely to dry out from the sun and heat, and conditions are less harsh for the newly planted shrub.

Planting in the fall means less water loss from the leaves while the roots are still establishing. New roots can form and take hold, fine root hairs can grow, and the plant can focus on settling in, not on trying to put out new growth and flowers while low on water and energy. However, planting in the fall doesn’t work if it isn’t timed correctly.

Best Time to Plant Hydrangeas in the Fall

For planting hydrangeas in fall to be beneficial, the plants must be in the ground with time to start new root growth. If planted too late, such as in locations with early, cold winters, the plants go dormant, and the ground freezes before new root growth occurs.

How long is long enough? Four weeks before your first frost is a good time to plant new hydrangeas. For most of us, the nights are starting to cool, the daytime temps are more moderate, and the days are getting shorter. Fall-planted hydrangeas seem to take off in spring; they don’t have to spend time establishing their roots before growing new vegetation.

Related: Do Hydrangeas Need Full Sun? Get the Light Right with These Expert Tips

How to Plant Hydrangeas in Fall

When planting hydrangeas in the fall, follow these steps:

1. Dig a hole the same depth as the root ball of the hydrangea, and twice its diameter.
2. After removing the plant from its nursery container, snip or prune girdling roots and rough up the surface of the root ball with your fingers. This will loosen it from the pot shape and encourage new outward growth.
3. Place the root ball in the hole so the plant sits at the same soil level as it was in the pot.
4. Back fill with soil removed from the hole, gently tamping down as you go.
5. Water well to help the soil settle around the roots. Newly transplanted shrubs need weekly watering, even in cool fall weather, so continue watering until the ground freezes.
6. Mulch newly planted hydrangeas well. The extra blanket of mulch helps ensure healthy root growth and keeps the soil moist and protected.

Related: The 7 Best Shovels of 2024 for Your Next Outdoor Project

When Is It Too Late to Plant Hydrangeas in the Fall?

It’s best to plant hydrangeas in the ground six weeks before the ground freezes, which can be several weeks or longer after your first fall frost. In some areas, the ground never freezes in winter.

If the calendar has gotten away from you, put the plants in the ground anyway. They’ll be better off in the ground than in a plastic pot exposed to the cold, even if they don’t have enough time to establish. If the ground hasn’t frozen yet, plop them in somewhere. Since they won’t have time to produce much new root growth, moving them in spring will be easy if you decide on a different location.

Tips

Trying a hydrangea variety that isn’t quite hardy in your USDA Zone —a hydrangea rated for Zones 5-9 in your Zone 4 location, for example—is fine, but don’t plant it in the fall. Its survival will be touch and go, and it’ll be better off with an entire growing season to become established before trying to survive the winter. Plant it in spring.

Planting Hydrangeas in the Spring

Spring is the season of planting and renewal. While fall is optimal, hydrangeas can be successfully planted in spring. Leafed-out, containerized hydrangea nursery stock should be planted after the last frost in spring . Dormant, bare-root hydrangeas are a different story. They need to be planted as soon as they arrive at your doorstep and the ground is workable.

The benefits of spring planting include warming soil temperatures, abundant (usually) soil moisture, a long growing season allowing plenty of time to get established before the winter dormancy, and a happy cooperation with Mother Nature’s normal schedule of new growth in spring. However, you’ll need to watch out for dry spells and the onset of hot weather. A new hydrangea planted in spring needs frequent watering and might suffer more in the hot sun than more established plants.

Mulching helps moderate soil temperatures and moisture levels as spring turns to the heat of summer, and weekly or more frequent watering as needed combats the challenges of dry weather and crispy soil. Check the soil under the mulch with your finger. If it’s dry and warm instead of damp and cool, it’s time to water your new hydrangea.

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