How to Grow and Care for Peegee Hydrangea

Peegee Hydrangea Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing pee gee hydrangeas:

• Plant in well-draining soil with full sun or partial shade exposure.
• Prune old wood in early spring, before new growth appears.
• Keep peegee hydrangeas consistently moist through regular waterings, up to two or three times weekly.

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Light

Peegee hydrangeas prefer full sun, with at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily, but they can also grow in partial shade. While some flowering shrubs and flowers will put on less of a show in the shade, you should still get abundant blooms on the peegee hydrangea.

Soil

It doesn’t get much more easygoing than the peegee hydrangea when it comes to soil. As long as the soil is moist, well-draining, and rich in nutrients, the peegee hydrangea will thrive.

Water

With a name that incorporates the word “hydros,” it’s no surprise hydrangeas need lots of water. You should water the peegee hydrangea at least two to three times per week, and even more during the hottest seasons of the year. If your hydrangea is wilting, chances are it is due to a lack of water.

Temperature and Humidity

Peegee hydrangeas do best in temperatures between 32 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Because they’re summer flowers, hydrangeas do well in humidity—the extra moisture is a boost for these thirsty shrubs.

Fertilizer

Because peegee hydrangeas aren’t picky about their soil, you shouldn’t need to fertilize them more than seasonally. Use a basic tree and shrub fertilizer just as the growing season starts in spring. And, while fertilizer can change the acidity levels in soil which can impact the color of hydrangea blooms, this doesn’t apply to the white blossoms of the peegee hydrangea.

Pruning

Peegee hydrangeas bloom on new wood, so you need to prune them annually to boost flower production. Prune them in early spring just before new leaves begin to appear. Trim back old wood and dead stems, and don’t be afraid of a heavy hand. Peegee hydrangeas thrive when pruned back significantly. You can also lightly prune throughout the growing season to maintain the shape of the shrub.

Propagating Peegee Hydrangea

Hydrangeas are easy to grow from stem cuttings, so you can have a yard full of peegee hydrangeas in just a season. Plus, it’ll save you $25 to $50 a plant compared to picking up hydrangeas at the nursery. Here’s how you’ll propagate peegee hydrangea.

1. Make sure you have a pair of sanitized, sharp pruning scissors.
2. Take a cutting from a healthy branch that does not have any blooms forming. Cut approximately two inches below a leaf node. Aim for a cutting that is 6 to 8 inches long.
3. Remove all but the top leaves, ideally leaving two to four leaves.
4. Dip the stem in rooting powder and plant the stem in seed starting mix. You can also put it into a vase of water.
5. Keep the soil moist and, within a month, your cutting should begin to form roots. Once new growth begins on your cutting, you can transplant it into your garden.

Planting and Transplanting Peegee Hydrangea

The best time to plant peegee hydrangea is in early spring or fall, before or after the bloom season and when the weather is less extreme. Peegee hydrangea is easy to plant and transplant. Make sure you have spacing of 4 to 6 feet between plants, then dig a hole that is twice the size of the root ball. Once you’ve planted the hydrangea, give it a good shower, then keep it moist to help it acclimate. A layer of mulch will also help keep the moisture in.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases 

Not only are hydrangeas hardy when it comes to the weather, but they’re also a strong plant that isn’t impacted significantly by pests and plant diseases. There are, of course, a few diseases that will impact hydrangeas, but, generally, these aren’t a huge concern. Those include cercospora leaf spot, botrytis blight, root rot, and powdery mildew. Aphids, weevils, and spider mites can also impact peegee hydrangea, though those are often minor issues.

How to Get Peegee Hydrangea to Bloom

Hydrangeas are beloved for the dramatic show they put on with their big, beautiful blossoms. With the peegee hydrangea, you don’t have the guessing game of whether you’ll get pink, blue, or purple blossoms, but you will have a reliable snow white show every summer.

Bloom Months

Peegee hydrangeas generally bloom from midsummer, around mid-July, through early fall, into September.

What do Peegee Hydrangea’s Flowers Look and Smell Like?

The blooms of the peegee hydrangea are abundant and white, with hundreds of small flowers making up the lush blossoms. As the blooms age, they’ll get a distinct pink or purple tint to their edges before eventually drying out and turning brown—a look that many people love to use in their fall floral arrangements. They do not have a distinct smell.

How to Encourage More Blooms

Pruning your peegee hydrangea before the spring season is the best way to encourage maximum blooms. Because they bloom on new wood, the more opportunities there are for new growth, the more blooms you’ll get. However, deadheading throughout the season is only going to help keep your plant tidy. Unlike some flowers, hydrangeas generally do not bloom again after deadheading.

Common Problems with Peegee Hydrangea

Common problems that impact peegee hydrangeas include underwatering, poor drainage, and leaf scorch. With underwatering, you’ll see the leaves begin to turn yellow with brown, crispy edges. To remedy this, increase deep watering sessions to three times weekly. Poor drainage can actually cause overwatering, which will lead to limp, yellow leaves. While hydrangeas love sun, too much harsh direct sunlight can lead to leaf scorch, which turns leaves crispy and discolored.