Here's How Often You Should Water Your Hydrangeas For Optimal Growth

Hydrangeas are a classic garden flower with colorful large blooms that are loved both for their stunning appearance and long-lasting nature; however, one thing that hydrangeas are also well-known for is being difficult to care for. While there are some tips and tricks for successfully growing these flowers — like planting them in the optimal spot, correctly caring for the dormant bushes in winter, and adding alum powder to cut hydrangeas and keep them flourishing for longer — a lot of caring for hydrangeas properly comes down to knowing how much and how often to water them. This is important because hydrangeas need lots of water to produce their wide leaves and large puffball flowers. However, the major problem with hydrangeas is that too much water is also bad for them and can lead to fungal diseases.

So, what is the trick to giving your hydrangeas just the right amount of water for optimal growth? As it turns out, it comes down to measurements and frequency. You should be watering your hydrangeas three times a week and giving them about an inch of water over the course of those three waterings. However, as this is just a general rule — you will need to adjust your watering schedule and water more often if your hydrangeas are newly planted or if the weather is particularly hot and dry.

Because hydrangeas can be finicky with water, it is crucial to watch them for signs of over and underwatering and adjust your routine accordingly. If you are watering three times a week but the leaves of your hydrangea bushes start to look droopy, go ahead and check the top one inch of soil with your finger. If the soil is dry, that's a sure sign that your hydrangea bush needs more water. On the other hand, if the leaves of your hydrangea are brown around the edges and the soil around the plant is wet, you are probably giving them too much water.

Another thing to keep in mind when watering is, because hydrangeas are susceptible to mildew and fungal diseases, you should always pour the water directly into the soil around the plant instead of watering it from above and getting the flowers and leaves wet. This will help prevent water from collecting in the flower balls and causing the humid conditions perfect for plant fungal diseases. It's also a good idea to try and water your hydrangeas in the morning instead of in the afternoon or early evening. This is important because morning watering allows the leaves and flowers of the plant (if you get water on them accidentally) to dry out, which also helps prevent fungal diseases.