If you’re looking for a vibrant pop of color to add to your small garden, Summer Crush bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Bailmacfive’) is a winner. Best planted in fall or early spring, its compact size (a rounded 18-to-36 inches) makes it ideal for smaller spaces or containers. It can just as easily be worked into larger landscapes.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Prized for its intense, deep coloration, Summer crush bigleaf hydrangea is a compact, deciduous shrub boasting a profusion of rounded flower heads densely packed with big raspberry red or neon purple florets. Blooming on both old and new growth, this reblooming hydrangea flowers consistently and provides gorgeous flowers all summer long, as flower buds are produced not only in the fall but also in spring and summer. The flowers are borne on strong, upright stems above the handsome foliage of dark green glossy leaves.
Exceptionally cold hardy, with great disease resistance, especially to wilt, Summer Crush is great for smaller spaces in the garden and is the perfect size for patio containers.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
As with other mophead or French hydrangeas, Summer Crush requires morning sun and afternoon shade. If you’re in a warmer zone (8-9), limit the amount of morning sun to just a couple of hours. At the far north end of its range (Zone 4 or 5a), this hydrangea can handle as much as six hours of sun.
Pay attention to sun patterns on your intended planting location for a few days before selecting the best spot in your garden for a Summer Crush. If you can’t quite commit, or don’t have a spot with ideal sun exposure, consider potting your hydrangea instead.
Temperature And Humidity
Hydrangeas will burn up in a hot climate unless they have some protection from the afternoon sun. The farther South you live, the more shade you should provide.
The blooms are carried at the ends of the branches, both on new shoots that develop from the base of the plant in spring, and on side shoots that come from older stems that have overwintered. Late freezes can kill off the first bloom if stems aren’t adequately protected. In warmer climates, you will see two waves of blooming, one in early summer and one in late summer.
Watering
Newly planted hydrangeas must be watered regularly until established, but even established hydrangeas need watering during dry weather. If the soil feels dry, give the hydrangeas a good soak. They prefer a heavy watering once a week or so, compared to a light sprinkling daily. More frequent watering may be necessary during dry or hot weather.
Soil should ideally stay moist, but not wet. Water at the base of the plant in the morning so the hydrangea has a chance to soak up the moisture before the heat of the day. A layer of mulch will help conserve moisture.
Soil
Plant in moist but well-drained fertile soil and use organic mulches in spring to feed the plant and conserve moisture. Summer Crush prefers loamy soil, but you can amend clay with organic matter to improve drainage or add peat and compost to sandy soils to retain moisture. Try growing hydrangeas in containers if you have very heavy or poor soil, using high-quality potting mix that contains organic matter.
Summer Crush’s color will vary according to the acidity of your soil. Soils with a pH close to neutral or alkaline (above 6.0) results in pink blooms (or raspberry red, in the case of Summer Crush). For purple or blue blooms, you need acidic soil. To make your soil more alkaline, use garden lime according to package directions. To make it more acidic, use aluminum sulfate.
Fertilizing
Using a fertilizer blended for hydrangeas will give the best results, and is especially important if you are growing your plants in containers. Choose a slow-release, bloom-boosting, granular fertilizer that is high in phosphorus. Apply in early spring according to label directions once you see new green growth starting to appear. Apply a second time in June or July to promote a second wave of blooms. Over-fertilizing can reduce blooming.
Pruning
Summer Crush hydrangea need very little pruning. Remove stems that you’re certain didn’t survive the winter once green growth has appeared. Deadheading after the first flush of blooms in spring or early summer can encourage a second round of flowers later in summer. Then leave those late summer blooms in place until the following spring. Otherwise, you may accidentally remove next spring’s flower buds.
Propagation
Summer Crush hydrangea is propagated by softwood cuttings in early summer, or by hardwood cuttings in winter.
Potting And Repotting
Summer Crush’s compact size makes it ideal for planting in containers. The pot you choose should be a few inches wider than the nursery container and include drainage holes. If you want to keep the pot for several seasons, a container at least 15-18 inches wide is best. Fill the container partway with fresh potting mix that includes a slow-release fertilizer (alternatively, you can fertilize with granules after planting). Place the hydrangea in the container so it is about an inch below the top. Fill in around the plant with potting mix until it is level with the hydrangea’s soil line. Then water well.
Summer Crush should last a few seasons in a larger pot, but once roots begin to emerge through the drainage holes and it becomes harder to keep the plant watered, repot it with fresh potting mix in a larger container.
Overwintering
Adding a few inches of mulch, leaves, or straw should provide ample protection for hydrangeas where frosts occur in the South. To protect from hard frosts, pile leaves or straw up to 12 inches high. Leave the dried blooms on the stems until early spring, as pruning in fall or winter could mean you see fewer flowers the following year. Wait until all danger of frost has passed before removing excess mulch so you don’t lose new buds.
For container plants, simply move them into a cool space such as a garage or basement for winter. Water lightly throughout winter since the plant will not receive rainfall.
Pests and Diseases
Common Pests & Plant Diseases
The Summer Crush Hydrangea rarely suffers from any pests or diseases, and this easy-care plant doesn’t need anything special to fill your garden with months of wonderful color. Aphids and other insects can be sprayed off with a strong stream of water or treated with insecticidal soap.
Summer Crush can be infected with anthracnose, which begins as round, brown leaf spots with a red or purple ring. Anthracnose can spread into larger brown patches. Remove affected leaves and dispose of them. Spray foliage with a fungicide and repeat as necessary.
Common Problems
Summer Crush is an Endless Summer hydrangea bred for good disease resistance. Problems with this plant most frequently occur from incorrect watering or pruning.
- Brown Leaves
If the tips of your hydrangea turn brown, this means the plant is not receiving adequate moisture. Fading leaves with brown leaf margins are another indication that you need to water more frequently, especially during dry, hot weather. Browning leaves can also be an indication your hydrangea was planted in too much sun, especially in Zone 8 or 9. A couple of hours of morning sun is best in a hotter climate.
- Wilting Plant
If your plant is wilting in the heat, make sure to give it a really good soak in the mornings so it has time to absorb the water before the afternoon. Check the soil first to make sure it isn’t already moist. Sometimes hydrangeas will wilt in the heat even when adequately watered, then recover once the temperature cools. Also, add mulch under the plant if the soil is bare.
- Spotty Or Brown Flowers
Too much sun can fry the flowers just like it can scorch the leaves. Also, be careful not to wet hydrangea flowers when watering, especially on a sunny day.
- No Blooms
Endless Summer hydrangeas sometimes take a year or two to fully establish and bloom well. Late frosts can kill the flower buds on old wood in spring, while heat or drought can damage flower buds on new growth. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers that can interfere with flowering and keep a close eye on soil moisture. And of course, be careful not to remove buds when pruning.
III. Uses and Benefits
Summer crush bigleaf hydrangea is perfect from foundation plantings to container plantings. Massed or as an accent plant. Excellent cut flowers too!
