Fall Is the Perfect Time to Plant Hydrangeas—Here's How to Care for Yours

Spring may be the traditional planting season for hydrangea and other plants—but don't overlook fall! In fact, now may be the perfect time to add a new hydrangea plant or two to your garden for a bloom bounty next season.

Even though hydrangeas are one of the most popular garden plants around, there are plenty of under-the-radar pro secrets to help them thrive. Try these tips to help you choose and care for the next hydrangea in your garden.

Hydrangeas thrive best when they're planted in fall.

Spring may seem like the ideal time to plant your hydrangeas, but adding them in early fall gives your new plant time to settle into your garden and establish its roots before springtime—so you might get more blooms than you would if you plant it in spring. It's also a lot easier on the plant, as it's getting ready for its winter dormant phase and won't be as stressed with the transition to your garden.

Hydrangeas still need sunlight.

Hydrangeas may have a reputation for being a shade plant, but ideally, they need still need some sunshine to really thrive. "They are not shade plants," Ballato says. "They can be shade tolerant but too little sun translates into fewer flowers. Who needs that?"

Plant your hydrangea in a spot that gets four to six hours of sunlight per day for optimal growth and plenty of blooms.

Hydrangea blooms change color throughout the season.

"Most hydrangea blooms go through color changes as they age, even if they’re not affected by soil pH," Tamony says. Make sure you love the mature bloom color as much as the new flowers."

So before you invest in a new hydrangea plant, do a little research on the variety to see how the blooms change color as the season wears on, to make sure that you like all the colors they turn. (Bonus: You can give your whole garden a "makeover" for fall if you plant late-season companion plants that coordinate well with the fall blossom colors on your hydrangea.)

You may have a hard time changing your hydrangea's colors.

You may have heard that changing the pH of your soil can give your hydrangea plant a new hue—but it's not just a matter of adding aluminum sulfate for bluer flowers or garden lime for pink. For instance, some popular varieties and colors—such as Limelight hydrangeas and white hydrangeas—won't change color no matter what you put in the soil, Tamony says.

If you do want to change your hydrangea color, follow the directions on the packet, and don't overdo it—as soil that's too acidic or alkaline won't be ideal for your plant. For a more successful color change, Tamony recommends planting the hydrangea in a pot, where it's easier to control the soil pH (and it won't affect any other plants around it).

Knowing your hydrangea varietal is essential.

General hydrangea care advice can help you ensure most hydrangea do well in your garden, but Ballato insists that knowing your varietal is the "keys to the kingdom" when it comes to hydrangea. You can then fine tune your care—including watering and feeding preferences—to their individual needs.

You shouldn't "over love" your hydrangea.

Obviously, you want to protect your hydrangea investment by meeting its needs for water, fertilizer, and soil, but this isn't a plant that needs a lot of TLC. And too much of a good thing can be detrimental to your plant (and specifically, your blossoms). "Too much water and fertilizer can create a full plant with lush leaves and not as many blooms," says Tamony. "A good rule of thumb when it comes to fertilizing is to feed them with a well-balanced fertilizer in early spring."