Going in circles with planting.. to much CONFLICTING info... hydrangea questoins

[tinkster]

I am really trying guys to do all my own leg work as to what is what and where it likes but the info is so conflicting.... especially on hydrangeas... I have quiet a few as I love them...

The first question is my climbing ones.. the first year I put them on the chain link fence.. then I read they needed something to grow UP.. so I moved them this year to the Iron Trellis garden but they are pretty much total shade . Some say they wont grow there others say full sun

I also have one varigated, one lady in red and two blue endless summer I believe.  THe information is quiet contridicting.. FULL sun to part shade.. I have one planted in about 3 hours of evening sunshine and its doing okay but its wilted every evening and I dont water really good it dont bounce back. 

ANybody know where these REALLY do the best?  I would love to get the "IDEAL" spot this fall especially for the climbers since they are so slow to grow and get established and I have wasted two years again if I need to move them and start all over .

Thanks in advance for any help.

Tinkster

[Monica]

I have the same question Tink.  I have bought a few hydrangeas this year and they say full sun to part shade.  I have planted them in sun but I'm not real sure if I should have.  Hopefully someone will know the answer.  Directions can be so confusing, they can do good in full sun if planted north or need shade if planted in the south.  Sometimes I just want to pull my hair out trying to figure it all out  .  I just try it somewhere and if it don't like it there then I move it until I find its perfect spot.

[Kittyzee]

My climbing hydrangea is on the north side of the house and is the shade of the porch of the house.  It gets bright light, but not direct hot sun and blooms well.  When I first planted it, it wilted easily by the end of the day in the hot summer.  Now that it's established well with a large root system, it doesn't seem affected by dry conditions.  This is the first year that I ever had problems with japanese bean beatles bothering it but they took to it bigtime.  I sprayed the beatles and cut the dead stuff off of it and it recovered well.  This thing is huge, put it somewhere where you won't have to worry about it taking over.  It's very easy to train, cuz it just GOES! 

[Joyce]

Morning sun, with afternoon shade,  is ideal for hydrangeas, ESPECIALLY if they do not get regular water.

They can grow in full sun, but they will need LOTS of water, like with an inground automatic sprinkler system.

Give those climbing hydrangeas a lot of compost, and they will recover faster.

[Teresa]

Down here, the heat makes them wilt even if they've been watered during the day.  Joyce is right, morning sun and afternoon shade is great.  But most of them are pretty tolerant of a wide range of conditions.  I have them in full sun, part sun and complete shade and all do well.  The ones in complete shade wilt also . . . I'm convinced it's more the heat than anything else.   They are usually perky again by the following morning whether you water them or not.  I have some mopheads that are blooming now and they have the summer's blooms turning purple right next to the pretty new blue blooms.

[LeeAnne151]

Around here, they will live in full sun but show a lot of damage from lack of water in summer. They do much better in morning sun.

Their leaves are so big that they wilt during severe heat but it is normal for them to do this during the day and be perky at night as long as the soil is moist.

[Jerry]

Same here Teresa.  Unless they get the ideal spot.  Can't do!