Hydrangea paniculata Switch 'Ophelia'

Planting advice for Hydrangea Switch Ophelia:

• Grow in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade with shelter from cold drying winds.
• Dig a planting hole 3 x wider than the roots of the shrub you're planting and mix some well-rotted compost or manure with the soil from the hole and use this to re-fill once the shrub is in place.
• Before planting soak container-grown shrubs thoroughly and allow to drain.
• Remove the plant from its pot and tease out a few of the roots.
• Add Mycorrhizal fungi to the roots when planting to help plants establish quicker.
• Place your shrub in the hole at the same level at the pot and refill the hole with the earth removed (backfilling).
• Firm in the soil with your heel, avoiding the root ball and water well.
• Mulch around the base of the plant with a collar, compost, gravel, bark etc.
• If you're planting into pots, use the best compost you can buy and add some sand or grit for drainage and to weigh the pot down.

Aftercare advice for your Hydrangea:

• Water regularly and apply a general-purpose feed every two weeks during the growing period.

Pruning Advice for Hydrangea Ophelia:

• Prune hard in early spring to encourage flowering.  Cut back the previous season's shoots to within a few buds of the permanent, woody framework of the plant.