I have a beautiful blue hydrangea bush, never had one, and we live in zone 5 SE Colorado, hot summers and can be cold winters, no shade to speak of in my yard and windy a lot of the time. Where should I try to plant this and what should I do to the soil where I plant it? Also I have a Gizmo rose bush, has white centers with scarlet single petals. Again, where would the best place be to plant it and what kind of soil amendment, etc should I use? I have only had one rose bush which was given to me last year and it was great then and started out great this year then SOMETHING happened and it is truly struggling. No bugs to be found, watering as much as it seems to need, just isn't doing anything. SOOOOOO, I don't want to ruin these two plants without at least first trying with your expert advice folks. Please help.

Hi Ladeuce:
Did your plants come with tags? They usually have instructions about what light and soil conditions you should plant in. I believe most roses need sun and hydrangea do best in dappled shade but there are all kinds of varieties of both and they will vary from specimen to specimen.
Also, google the names of the plant and you should find some information on the internet.
Folks here can help you too.
Jm

Ladeuce, your blue bloom producing hydrangea is undoubtedly a "macrophylla"...bigleaf hydrangea.
The blue you see now has come from how the greenhouse has given the soil that plant has been brought along in to be of a pH that is of degree that keeps the soil on the acidic side.
If you do not maintain such acidity, the flower will resort to pink.

There are chemicals available at garden centers that contribute to the color of the bloom.
Aluminum sulfate....or garden sulfur..soil conditioners will eventually give the blue to your NIKKO.
LIME will maintain the pink color by reverting the soil's pH to above neutral..alkaline.

Both chemical introductions though are ongoing treatments, soil cannot be changed overnight although, garden sulfur is the quickest.
But do read the label of any chemical you use.

Your macophylla is a plant that blooms on OLD wood...ergo, it must be protected through your zone 4 winter...and that can be a daunting task.

It should be given a place protected from the hot sun and drying winds. The soil should be kept moist and given some woodsy effect...lots of humus and leaf mold. Their moistness should be kept in mind...not wet, or soggy, just moist.
The drainage then must be very good.

Mulching the plant is a given...

Some cultivars of macs produce bloom on old as well as NEW wood. But I don't believe this is the case for your 'blue'. It is strictly an old wood blooming variety.

I'll let someone more familiar with your rose help you out.....but roses all, should be given as much sun as you can give it. A southern or western exposure should do well by it.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Jeannie11,

If your plants are struggling, you may want to concider having a soil test done...it's very easy and fairly inexpensive. Contact your local extension office for more information. Some nurseries are offering this service as well, so ask around.

You can never go wrong by adding compost to your soil...both of these plants would benefit from the addition of compost. Hydrangeas prefer shade in the hottest part of the day, so if you can plant it on the north side of your house, it would at least get some relief from the sun from the shade of the house.

Roses, as a general rule, are heavy feeders and need compost rich soil and lots of water to grow and bloom well. They also prefer 6+ hours of sun a day. I would topdress the area with compost, water it well (if you are not getting natural rain), and see if it perks up. Then fertilize with something that is specific to roses. If you go with something organic, you are lest likely to burn the plants as you would with synthetic fertilizers. Both plants need 1-2" of water a week to bloom well.

Since Roses and Hydrangeas have somewhat different soil requirements, pH mostly, you need a good, reliable soil test before planting them. Contact your local office of the Colorado State University USDA Cooperative Extension Service, http://www.ext.colostate.edu/cedirectory/allcounties2.cfm about having soil test done before tryin to amend your soil with anything other than organic matter.
Your Hydrangea macrophyllla is really only hardy to zone 6, in zone 5 they will winter kill. Mine very often will not blossom unless we have large, continuous snow cover from early December until mid March.

I'll try to see if my Extension Service has soil testing available. My hydrangea is called Endless Summber zoned 4-9, with partial shade. I don't have any north side planting areas available, best I can do is east/northeast, it boasts it is the only hydrangea that blooms all summer. I sure hope so. The rose bush says sunny location with good drainage, that's all. When you all say use compost what EXACTLY do you use if you don't have any home brewed stuff? I only remember seeing potting mix, garden soil and one other thing at our local stores. Not sure what Walmart has but it is in the next town and the nursery is closed now.

Endless Summer blooms on new wood, so you should have no problem growing it in your climate. I have it and love it. I also just got Forever & Ever which has double blooms. Anyway, your East/Northeast location should be OK providing it gets some relief from the later afternoon sun. You may have to water it every other day this summer to keep it from wilting. It should be fine next year, after it has become established though...an inch or two of water a week should be fine then.

If you don't have your own compost, you can buy it by the bag or bulk from landscaping companies and sometimes your local landfill or local highway department may have a compost pile. You can get it by the bucketfull or the truckload full. If you have to buy it commercially, look for bags that talk about organic humus, soil conditioner, manure, that sort of thing. Worst case scenario, you can get a bag of garden soil which is usually a mix of topsoil and compost with a little fertilizer.

Hi! We have the most beautiful hydrangea in bloom right now. The huge flowers are a very deep pink almost rose. They are planted in clay soil in partial shade (out of the wind) in front of our window. You can see them in one of our photos in the garden contest. www.rogersgardens.com Click on CA Friendly Garden Contest, click on vote, our photos are under the name "Dinnyes". These were last years. This year's are much larger and deeper color. I tried aluminum sulfate one year and they came out a lavender ~ not blue! Plant your rose with at least a half of cup of epsom salts mixed in with the roots and a large iron nail that will rust. These really help! Then pray! Blessings! Jayna

Thank you all for your advice, I am amending the soil with compost bought at the local Duckwalls, hope it works. I hope my hydragea makes it this year, I'll be adding the epsom salts too and I will try to find that large iron nail too! I need all the help I can get and give to my plants! My rose bush gets planted tomorrow too if time allows.

I had read that for shrubs that are "iffy" zones. Such as five for me in the upper midwest the best place to put them is in the west.Like west of your house. Now I suppose it would be differnt for something which can't take the west sun? Perhaps a little blocking of another tree in the west of this zone five shrub.?

Please make sure to use the nail and epsom salts with the rose bush! i do not know what they would do with the hydrangea!
Blessings! Jayna

For many years people were advised to put nails in the garden to "add" iron, but the rust on nails (provided you use nails made of steel and not aluminum) is not the iron plants need or can use, so about the only thing rusty nails might do is increase your risk of exposure to the tetanis toxoid.
Don't put nails out in the garden.

Hi Kimm! An elderly Dutch gardener in MI told me this many years ago. He had the most beautiful roses. I followed his advice and have had beautiful roses, too. Where did you get your advice? I do not use poisons ~ only epsom salts, nails, and steer manure. What do you use (or sell?)
Blessings all! Jayna

I learned that about nails in 8th grade chemistry, but that has been in the information from all of the Ag Schools now for 50 years.
What I use is compost and organic matter, shredded leaves mostly because they are very readily available around here and free, no cost except my labor which leaves me with more money to buy more plants with. As a general rule there is no reason to apply Epsom Salts unless a good, reliables soil test shows a deficiency in soil Magnesium levels.
I sell nothing.

The epsom salts and nails are not only helping my roses ~ but also my neighbor Lynn's who I turned on to "Double Delight" roses a year or two back. Hers is blooming ALL the time.
Our roses bloom much of the year not only a few months as they do in cold MI. (Does winter ever kill them there as it does in Northern MN? )

Thanks everyone who took a peek! I am the winner because our front yard is beautiful and I have a tan!
Blessings everyone! Jayna