Forum home› Plants

Hydrangea Petiolaris - can I plant it now?

RBMancRBManc Posts: 14
in Plants
Hello, 

I have just received two Hydrangea Petiolaris in 2L pots. They look very healthy with lots of buds and the main stem is around 60cm.

They are to be planted next to a North facing wall which is almost full shade. One is to go in quite a rich soil but the other is going in lighter soil which I will bulk up a bit before planting in. They were in the sale (£9.99 down from £22) so I couldn't resist buying them... 

I have had a read online and can see that it isn't really recommended to plant them in now but I did wonder if I could still plant them and maybe give them a mulch? I'm sort of worried that the area is a bit of a frost pocket - I can't say that I have ever noticed any frost damage issues with the other plants there so I might be worrying for no reason.

If not, will they be okay out on my patio (which is south facing) for the winter? Can I leave them in the 2L pot or put them in a bigger pot?

Thank you :) 
«1

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Billericay, EssexPosts: 9,873
    They're hardy down to -10C to -15C so frost isn't a problem.
    If you want to plant them out now that should be fine, and that's what I'd probably do.

    If you want to delay until Spring, that's fine too.
    No need to repot as they won't start growing again until Spring arrives.

    Some info from the RHS-
    https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/8948/i-hydrangea-petiolaris-i/details
    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Central Norfolk UKPosts: 82,281
    edited November 2022
    When you do plant them, just don’t plant them too close to the wall plant them two feet away and lean them back to the wall. 

    Walls act like a sponge sucking moisture out of the soil, plus there’s the rain shadow effect. 

    Planting them away from the wall will help to prevent the roots drying out. They can be thirsty plants. 
    😊 
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • bédébédé Surrey Hills, acid greensand.Posts: 1,376
    edited November 2022
    I'm not disagreeing with Dove, but my experience is quite different.  

    Mine was moved as a cut-down biggish plant from a South to a North wall, very close to the wall, in winter,  and never watered once since planting.  Certainly nothing in drought-2022.

    It's a lovely plant.  But ...

    It now covers a large area.  It needs cutting back from around windows about twice each year.  The roots can damage wood, paint and plastic.   I am about to reduce it drastically to avoid this task in preparation for my older age. I know it will leave difficult to remove traces.

    Don't be too hasty.  £9.99 x2 might cost you a lot more over its life.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • FairygirlFairygirl west central ScotlandPosts: 49,160
    One of my favourite climbers. They grow well here even in sunny sites, simply because they get plenty of moisture. The flowers are beautiful. There's a nice one near me which I admire every year when I go past it.  :)
    They're excellent for shady sites though   [and can be useful for nesting birds too ] where it can often be tricky to find a nice climber to cover a big area. Parthenocissus are the other useful types for a large area.

    I hope your wall is a fair old size though @RBManc - they cover a huge expanse once they're established and get going. Easy enough to trim back from around windows/doors etc though. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....


  • bédébédé Surrey Hills, acid greensand.Posts: 1,376
    edited November 2022

    Pete.8 said:
    They're hardy down to -10C to -15C  
    Pete, I'm not picking on you, but RHS and other authorities use temperatures as a range.  Do they mean hardy down to -15º, or not?

    On a house wall, my petolaris  had new growth slightly tipped in late spring 2021, but so was beech and ivy.  Otherwise it is rock hardy.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Central Norfolk UKPosts: 82,281
    The adventitious roots may leave marks on the surface if and when you remove the plant from the wall. I wouldn’t call it damage … it’s only superficial. They don’t penetrate the wall, just stick the plant to the surface so it doesn’t need a trellis or other support. 

    And the plus side of that is that the plant helps prevent weather damage, and can help to insulate the building. 

    Most plants have pros and cons. If you like the plant you choose to put up with the cons 😊 
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 730
    They state a range of temperatures because it's not a straightforward answer. Once established they are a very hardy species and the one covering the front of our house for the last 45 years (planted long before I was born) has never shown any signs of damage from the cold to the best of my knowledge but a younger one might not be so hardy.

    I would plant it now, as dove suggests, if your soil is nice and free draining. If you have heavy soil then it might be better planted when the soil is beginning to warm again and it's new root growth can take off. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl west central ScotlandPosts: 49,160
    They're bone hardy in the UK - even further north than I am.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....


  • RBMancRBManc Posts: 14
    Thank you for all the responses :)

    I think I am going to go for it and get them planted in now - I'll give them a bit of a mulch and they should be okay. I'm going to plant one quite close to the wall as it's always nice and damp but the other I will put further away as it's a bit drier - the two will be put at separate ends of the wall so about 30ft apart and I'm hoping they can meet in the middle eventually. 

    The area I'm growing it over isn't actually very big - it's big enough, just not huge - but I really like the look of the plant and I found it quite difficult to find a climber for full shade that I actually liked. Once spring and summer roll around I am never out of the garden so I plan to just stay on top of it when it becomes established enough to be a pain.

    The reason I am growing it is because our neighbour at the back has a slightly odd relative who takes to looking over our wall every time he comes round - for some reason it just irks me so want to block it off a bit. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl west central ScotlandPosts: 49,160
    One would easily fill that distance  :)
    You may find it becomes quite hard work maintaining two in the space you have if they both thrive.
    Perhaps the nosey neighbour's relative could help you  ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....


Sign In or Register to comment.