Hydrangea Novice!

[selfraising]

Hi
I have been given a potted blue hydrangea as a gift but have never had one before. When can I plant it outside and is there any growing advice people could offer me?

[jemma_charlie]

I was told that rusty nails help to keep them blue! mine has loads pushed into the soil around it and had really blue flowers in the summer and in he autumn they went a deep purple.
Not sure if the nails do anything or if it is a myth though!!

Apparently they are pretty shade tollerent, i dont think you should plant it out yet my rooted cuttings from last year will go out in mid april ish

[Alice]

Hello Selfraising, Hydrangeas are hardy to about - 5 degrees so will be fine in a sheltered area of your garden. If you don't know where it has been before you got it then harden it off before planting out. In the autumn don't prune it. Leave the dead flower heads on to shelter the emerging buds for next year. Once the new leaves start to appear prune by removing the dead flowers and cutting back any died back branches.
To keep the colour blue the hydrangea needs to be in acid soil (add peat) with added aluminium. They do tend to wander a bit towards purple.
Hope your hydrangea does well for you.

[Sweepster]

I bought one (well, a tiny stump in a moss-covered pot) last year because it was reduced from a tenner to £1... I don't even like them

I guess the rusty nails thing must be about increasing the acidity of the soil, as it that which is responsible for blue flowers I think - in more alkaline soil the flowers will be pink. Got mine in a shady spot.

I'd plant it out now, perhaps hardening it off a little first?

[selfraising]

Hi Guys thanks for all the advice. My friend told me that in the 'olden days' people used to put old pennies in the soil with the plant, which I presume is the same idea as the rusty nails. Wondering if its something to do with iron content.

Alice, will ericaceous compost do the trick?

Sweepster, I have to say that I'm not overly keen on them but as it was a gift, I don't feel I have much choice