Hydrangea
 

This has nothing to do with quilting at all. My neighbor is moving and offered my some of his gorgeous hydrangea bushes. Can I move them to my house now in full bloom? If so, do I cut them back? I want them soooo badly.

yes, the hydrangeas will move very well. Just don't put them in a super hot spot and keep them watered. No, you probably don't need to cut them back unless you need to do so because they'd otherwise be too big to move. Even the cuttings will quickly root.

Take care.

Hydrangeas were the only flowery plant that survived and thrived in my front yard beside weeds! I would only trim them if they are too big to move! Enjoy!

Make sure you water them immediately after planting, then daily for a week. As needed after that. That's pretty much how I used to transplant everything, and nothing ever died. The very best time to water is early in the morning before the sun comes up. Watering at night can promote fungal diseases, especially if the foliage gets wet and doesn't have time to dry before dark.

The general rule is to take about 1/3 of the top off when you move shrubs. Make sure you keep them well watered.

I have two hydrangeas in the front flower bed that faces east, so they get morning sun and then afternoon shade. They refuse to bloom. I water them and every couple of months some Miracle Grow. What am I doing wrong??

Mine took about 5 years to bloom and my newest plant is about 3 years old and no blooms yet.

I cannot answer the question about cutting back, but can offer a tip on moving plants. Dig the hole or future home of the bush before you dig it up. Fill the hole to the top with water and let it all drain into the surrounding soil. Fill the hole again with water and let drain away, then transplant the hydrangea bushes. I've used this method to transplant shrubs, grapevines, etc. for over 30 years, and they benefited. I bought some beautiful lacecap hydrangeas in pots and set them out 3 years ago. Immediately the leaves began to look like eyelet, still don't know if the attackers were slugs or whatever. A friend from the Extension service told me to feed them on a regular basis with epsom salts dissolved in water, and to spread coffee grounds and crushed eggshells around them. So, for three years I've been baking eggshells and coffee grounds in the oven, then crushing and scattering around the plants in a strip about 3' X 15'. Every plant in that strip is healthy now even though I did slack off on the epsom salts.

My neighbor couldn't get her two hydrangeas to grow. She lives right next door and these were in her front bed. She offered them to me. I said of course! I planted them both, one on the east facing , sand as she had, one on the south facing side. They went gangbusters in my yard, and I haven't a clue why. I don't water it . It gets rain water, that's it. The south facing one is much bigger because wAter puddles on that side. Your bush might look sad when you transplant it, but that's just shock. Give her a big drink every day for a week if it's thirsty weather, like here. If she doesn't perk up this year, she should next year.

Have the holes dug and ready before you dig them up and pop them right in as soon as you dig them up. Water very well. They are a plant that need a lot of water if you live in a hot dry area like we do here. I was raised in NE Texas and my DM always had them and I love them but they are very hard to get them to do well here. Good luck with yours.