Proven Winners® Fairytrail Fresco™ Cascade Hydrangea

1. Planting: For optimal blooms and healthy foliage, this hydrangea thrives with at least 4 hours of light each day. You can plant it any time the soil temperature exceeds 45°F, ensuring a strong start to its bloom-filled journey. To achieve your desired bloom color, adjust the soil chemistry: use acidic soils for blue blooms and more neutral soils for pink blooms. It’s best to provide morning shade, particularly in late winter and early spring, to reduce the risk of frost damage to the flower buds, which develop and emerge earlier than those of other plants.

2. Watering: Hydrangeas thrive on moisture. Be sure to water them deeply 2 to 3 times a week, especially during hot, dry spells, to maintain evenly moist soil. Cascade hydrangeas are more resistant to wilting compared to bigleaf hydrangeas; however, they cannot tolerate soggy conditions for any length of time.

3. Pruning: Cascade Hydrangeas require little to no pruning. If needed, you can lightly trim them after flowering to maintain their shape. Avoid any pruning except for dead wood removal, as cutting them back at any time can harm blooms for the current and next seasons. Although they rebloom on new wood, the best display comes from treating them as if they only bloom on old wood.

4. Fertilizer: A slow-release fertilizer applied in early spring helps this hydrangea thrive all season long.