Hydrangeas can be pruned in March and April.Although it is not essential for container plants to be pruned after planting, a light pruning to remove any broken branches during shipment and improve shape will help the looks of your new planting.Mulch plants with well-rotted organic matter after planting.Water well to settle soil around the root ball. Backfill the hole with soil, making sure the top of the root ball is visible and slightly higher than the soil around it.Place fertilizer packets into the bottom of the hole (if purchased).

Adjust the plant height so the root crown is slightly higher than the ground.Rotate the plant to the proper position.With shovel or knife trim bottom 2' off of the root ball for plants in plastic containers.Slide plant from pot by tapping on the bottom of the pot.Dig a hole no deeper than the depth of the container and 6' or more wider on the sides.Completely saturate all container plants by putting in a larger container of water until stops bubbling, then remove the plant from the container.Make sure they are sheltered from frosty winds, which will damage blossoms.

This hydrangea can be planted in urban conditions.

Pick a spot that has dappled sunlight or morning sun and afternoon shade.

Hydrangeas can be planted March-November.

Improve poor soil areas by digging in plenty of well-decayed manure or compost a few month ahead of planting.

These shrubs need damp soil high in organic matter.

Used as a mulch, it dries out too easily and then becomes hydrophobic (repels water).Planting & Care for Hydrangea Plants/Shrubs PS - Peat moss can be used to acidify the garden soil but it is best used as a soil amendment at planting time rather than as a mulch later on. This will improve in future years as the roots grow and get larger. Remember that, due to transplant shock, the roots may not be able to absorb all the water that the leaves need. If you notice that the leaves are turning brown from the edges inwards, they need more water. If your soil is already acidic, neutral or barely alkaline, you may not need to amend at all. If your soil is alkaline, amend the soil with garden Sulphur in Spring and anytime that you notice iron chlorosis in the leaves. Only in sandy soils would it be necessary to fertilize regularly. Fertilizers are optional as they can feed off the decomposing mulch and existing minerals in the soil. A single fertilizer application will suffice for the whole year. Just keep QF well mulched, keep the soil moist as evenly as possible (no periods of dry/wet/dry/etc) and do not fertilize until next Spring.

You can deadhead the spent blooms now, later or leave them so Mother Nature will let them Fall sometime next year (that is what I typically do). But this first summer, so this summer only, they will be 'off' blooming compared to future summers as the wholesaler prepared them to bloom earlier than normal so plant nurseries could offer them for sale already blooming. The blooms begin white, then they turn pinkish, the sepals then turn upside down and then they brown. Its blooms should be getting spent by now. QF is an early bloomer as far as paniculatas go. Start watering on the root ball -the base where all stems come out of- and move/water outwards up to the drip line or further. When watering, aim to get the soil moist down to a depth of 8' after you have watered.

They may need 1.5-2 gallons of water per plant in the Summer (varies based on soil type temps, weather, etc). Remember to increase the amt of water in the Summer reduce it in the Fall reduce it further as it goes dormant stop watering if the soil freezes restart watering when you see leaf out. Give them water early in the mornings if the soil feels dry when you insert a finger into the soil to a depth of 4'. Paniculatas like Quickfire and Little Quickfire can handle the sun in many location in the northern half of the country but not in hot and dry places in the South. TLC can be anything like more water or less sun. But on 'year number one', the struggle so give them TLC. As the root system gets larger, they can absorb more water and can handle summer better than in previous years. Their root system has been cut to fit into the plastic pots so they suffer from transplant shock. Hydrangeas planted during the summer or any time this year are not used to being outside. The plant looks just fine for a new shrub.

Little quickfire hydrangea