We ship to most of the contiguous 48 states. But there are some states along the west coast that we are prohibited from shipping plants to by agricultural regulations and/or quarantines imposed by these western states.

The states we DO NOT SHIP TO are: AZ, CA, ID, NV, OR, UT, WA, AK or HI.

At present we do not ship internationally.

We ship plants nine (9) months of the year, from September 1st to June 1st. We do NOT ship during the hot summer months of June, July & August.

Here's a table of our current shipping & handling charges which is subject to change at any time>

Greater Than	And Less Than	Shipping Price
$0.01	$40.01	$15.00
$40.00	$50.01	$16.00
$50.00	$60.01	$17.00
$60.00	$70.01	$18.00
$70.00	$100.01	$22.00
$100.00	$150.01	$30.00
$150.00	$200.01	$40.00
$200.00	$800.01	$60.00

During the checkout process on our website you have the option to request a month and day when you would like for us to ship your order. We will try to comply with the understanding that during our busiest seasons in spring and fall orders may be delayed by a week or so. Weather can also impact shipping. If you do not request a specific day and month, the default is ASAP. That is, HERE IT COMES!

We do not ship bareroot plants. Your plant is removed from the hard plastic nursery container it was grown in, and the rootball is enclosed in a plastic bag with a tag identifying the plant (inluding a short description). It is packed in a suitable cardboard box stuffed with recycled newspaper to keep it secure. By request we can leave the plant in the hard plastic nursery container although this will add weight to the shipment and may incur additional expense.

Currently we ship via UPS ground service. They will not deliver to a PO Box. Therefore, we must have a street address. Orders going the farthest from Palmetto, GA are shipped on Monday in order to ensure arrival the same week. Orders going nearer are shipped on either Monday, Tuesday or even Wednesday depending on the shipping load for that week.

Our standard size container for mail order plants is a "trade" gallon which holds 2.94 quarts, or .73 gallon, or 94 fl. oz., or 2.78 liters.

Some are grown in 1 gallon containers (4.03 quarts, 1.01 gallon, 129 fl. oz. or 3.81 liters).

All these measurements refer to the volume of the container available to the rootball. Height and width will vary depending on the species and variety of plant. You can see a photo of the size of some of the containers on our Size page.

Perhaps. It depends on the species, variety and season. With mail order being over half of our business, we target growing plants in our standard size for ease of shipping. However, some are grown to a larger size. We rarely have any plants larger than 15 gallon. These larger sizes are generally not shippable. Please contact us for current availability. See our "sizes" page here

No.

It varies, of course, by the species and the variety.

For the Hydrangea arborescens, Hydrangea macrophylla and Hydrangea serrata about 10-12" tall and 6-8" wide.

For Hydrangea quercifolia and Hydrangea aspera, about 12-18" tall and 8-10" wide.

For Hydrangea involucrata, about 8-10" tall and 6-8" wide.

For Hydrangea paniculata, about 12-18" tall and 6-8" wide.

The hydrangea vines are about 10-12" long.

Fall. Due to our propagation schedule most cuttings are rooted one spring and ready for sale autumn of the NEXT year.

We normally begin rooting cuttings in April and continue with propagation through the end of August. Depending on the speed and vigor of the particular variety those rooted cuttings will be ready for sale the following spring through fall. So, at a minimum they are 1 year old, more likely 16-18 months old.

It depends on where you live. For gardeners in hardiness zones 7 and warmer, fall is the best time to plant most shrubs including hydrangeas. In these areas the ground never freezes, and we can plant on any nice day right through the winter if need be. In the colder zones, 6 and lower, plant in spring once the danger of frost is past.

Again this depends on where you garden. As a general rule, all species of Hydrangea except H. paniculata appreciate some shade from intense summer sun. This is more true the hotter the climate. Eastern exposure is usually ideal, sun until mid-day then partial shade in the afternoon. In cooler areas many hydrangeas that would suffer in the south are fine in more sun.
Hydrangea paniculata is the exception to the rule; it thrives in full sun to light shade.

Hydrangea macrophylla can fail to bloom for a number of reasons: improper pruning; a late winter freeze that nips the buds (same effect as untimely pruning); excessive nitrogen fertilizer (great stem and leaf growth, no flower buds); non-hardy (often florist) varieties planted in the garden; lack of adequate sun (this is rarely a problem). See our catalog for more information.

Possibly. But understand we are not a "hothouse grower" that manipulates the bloom time of our hydrangeas by regulating the temperature and lighting in order to have blooming hydrangeas for special events (Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, weddings, etc.) That is a different segment of the plant industry. We grow plants for garden use that bloom according to seasonal response. For us, in the Piedmont of Georgia, most hydrangeas bloom naturally in June - July, varying year to year according the particular weather of that year. We also don't wrap the nursery container they're grown in with colored foil.

First you must determine which species of hydrangea you have as the pruning methods are different for certain species.

Pruning is always a matter of concern for gardeners and in the case of H. macrophylla too little is preferable to too much.  The best way to prune is to thin older plants (4+ years) by cutting out a portion (say, one-third) of the old woody canes to the base and any dead wood in late winter before the new buds begin to swell.  Do not prune by shortening stems, except to remove old flowerheads, as you are likely to cut off your flowerbuds.  We think it is best to leave the dried heads of old blooms on the plant until winter's end to help protect new flowerbuds.  When danger of late frost is past, carefully deadhead old blooms by cutting off above the first pair of new buds.  A young plant may be cut back in June/July to enhance it's structure or fullness and this should not harm next year's bloom. Likewise, if you need to rejuvenate an overgrown, tired, or non-blooming older H. macrophylla, you should do this corrective pruning, shaping and thinning smack in the middle of mid-summer for the same reason:  your shrub will have the maximum time to produce new branches and harden off before the first fall freezes. 

Likewise, do not prune oakleaf in fall or at the end of winter since they also bloom on old wood. 

You can prune the PG types (Hyd. paniculata varieties) & the native (Hyd. arborescens Annabelle etc) at the end of winter if you wish, because they bloom on new growth.

Yes. The native species (arborescens & quercifolia) are favored not surprisingly. But hungry deer will chew on any hydrangeas. Heavily fertilized plants in lush growth are tempting to deer particularly if forage in the surrounding habitat is sparse due to drought or otherwise.

As with any plant good soil is most important so anything you do to build tilth, real soil, is best. This means compost, organic matter. Otherwise, slow release fertilizers are best. There are many fine ones available. At the bottom of the list are the quick dump 10-10-10's etc.

Here are the Hardiness ratings from various texts:

Hydrangea arborescens zone 4 to 9 (some references say 3 to 9)
Hydrangea aspera zone 7 to 9
Hydrangea involucrata zone (6)7 to 9
Hydrangea macrophylla zone 6 to 9
Hydrangea paniculata zone 3 to 8
Hydrangea quercifolia zone 5 to 9
Hydrangea serrata zone 5 to 8 (now generally listed as a subspecies of H. macrophylla)
Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris zone 4 to 7.


The colorful blooming mopheads or lacecaps are either H. macrophylla (or the subspecies H. serrata).  The serratas will generally work one zone colder than the macrophyllas but none of this is absolute. It depends on the siting and care given the plant.

What is your zone? Visit the National Arboretums Zone Map at


http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html

Powdery mildew (Erysiphe polygoni) can be a problem during times when day temperatures are warm, nights are cool and high humidity (Spring & Fall). Good air circulation will help prevent the onset. While disfiguring the foliage, it is not fatal.

There are various fungal diseases that can spot both the flowers and the leaves. The most likely culprits are fungal leaf spot (Cercospora hydrangeae) in late summer & fall if the season is rainy or anthracnose (Colletrichum gloeosporioides) on H. macrophylla during hot, wet weather. Neither are normally fatal but cleaning away the diseased leaves after they drop for winter will help keep the problem from recurring the following year.

Root rot (Phytophthora nicotiana) is common on oakleaf hydrangeas grown in a container. It is caused by excessive moisture in the growing mix. The same problem can occur on oakleafs planted in a constantly wet spot in the garden.

Good information about these diseases is on Auburn University's web site at: http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-1212/

The two most common pests attacking hydrangeas are spider mites and aphids. Reams of information is available on the web about these pests. Good culture in the garden will do a lot to avoid heavy infestation, but pesticides are available for control as well should you choose. We are cautious about using them since most are not selective about the insect they kill and can disrupt the complex life cycle of beneficial insects.

This is largely determined by where you garden (i.e., how cold does it get during winter's worst?) For an established hydrangea growing in one of the hardiness zones listed for it, it should not need any protection during the dormant winter period. The challenge comes at the end of winter or early spring once the plant has emerged from dormancy (buds are opening). Freezes or frosts once this has happened can harm the plant and/or prevent flowering. As the phrase goes "nipped in the bud". Protecting the buds from frost & freezing with some type of covering will help, but is also a challenge if the plant is large.

The native species, H. arborescens & H. quercifolia, are not as likely to be caught in such a state and are better able to shrug off a mild freeze.

Color of bloom on H. macrophylla & H. serrata is determined by the available aluminum in the soil where the plant is grown. In most soil there is adequate aluminum but whether it can be absorbed by hydrangea roots is a function of how acidic or alkaline the soil is. In acidic soil (lower pH) the aluminum is chemically available to the roots, resulting in blue or purple coloration. In alkaline soil (higher pH) the aluminum is chemically bonded in a way so as to prevent its uptake, resulting in pink or red coloration. To increase the chance for blue flowers it is usually suggested to apply aluminum sulfate (according the bag's instructions). To increase the chance for pink flowers, apply dolomitic lime. However, be aware that the soil in your garden is the product of nature and is not easily changed by a bit of this or a dash of that.

White blooms will be essentially white with a cool, blue tinge in acidic soil or a flush, pink color in sweet soil.

We grow many selections of H. paniculata but do not stake and train them in tree form. Most peegee hydrangeas can be pruned and trained this way over time.