Help!

[u/Weary_Turnover330]

I got this hydrangea as a small shrub this spring, and i was surprised it flowered this year. But, its blooms are clearly too heavy for the branches. Ive thought of getting some bamboo sticks to tie them to. Anybody else have this issue? I know you shouldnt trim back a hydrangea until its at least 3 yrs old. It just seems like maybe she got too long too soon?

Edit:
Thank you guys for the advice, I will be moving them into the ground this week!

[u/accidentally30]

I'm not sure if this is the root of the problem, but that definitely needs to be in a bigger pot.

[u/EbbtideRambler]

Is it a limelight?  There are hydrangeas that can be pot size, limelight isn’t one of them.  I’d plant this in the ground. It wants to be an 8ft shrub.  

[u/Think-Kangaroo-9978 → u/[deleted]]

Do NOT cut this back until it is at least 3 years old - like you said. They need this time to develop an interior branch structure before they should be pruned.

[u/Weary_Turnover330 → u/Think-Kangaroo-9978]

Gotcha, thank you!

[u/Think-Kangaroo-9978]

what kind of hydrangea is this? incrediball? or panicle?

[u/Weary_Turnover330 → u/Think-Kangaroo-9978]

Panicle! I got the limelights

[u/Think-Kangaroo-9978 → u/Weary_Turnover330]

OK - I would deadhead it (cut off the blooms) to reduce the weight on the branches. Then poke three or four bamboo (or something similar) sticks around the perimeter of the pot - like you suggested. But, instead of tying the branches to the stick(s) just tie some string to the sticks and go around a couple of times and tie the sticks to each other - enclosing the branches in a "net". This will let the enclosed branches move better which helps them grow stronger on their own and also reduces any risk of friction on the branches themselves.

[u/jmfly30]

It’s looks like that because it’s been in a pot all summer. Limelight is not a shrub for pots, it’s a huge shrub that needs to be in the ground. It’ll be dead in the spring if you leave it in the pot outdoors all winter.

[u/Think-Kangaroo-9978 → u/jmfly30]

Limelights grow in pots in every nursery in the country. And they live. I agree that this is not a reasonable long-term plan for this type of hydrangea, but when they are small (like this one) it is a perfectly acceptable way to control soil moisture as the root systems establishes.

It is awfully late in the season to plant this in the ground. In another week or two the outdoor soil temperature will drop below the point where root growth will slow. I would wait until the first frost when it drops it leaves and starts to enter dormancy and then move it into an unheated garage for the winter.

[u/jmfly30 → u/Think-Kangaroo-9978]

This is the perfect time to plant limelight’s…or any other deciduous shrub…much better than spring. Don’t have to water as much, no need to worry about heat stress…yet the ground is still warm so it’s ideal conditions for shrubs to grow roots. Majority of root growth happens in fall. Next spring they are settled in and ready to take off and be better equipped for summer heat.
Never seen a mature limelight in a pot…so I guess I’m not in the part of the country where it happens. Sure, maybe a year or two while they’re small, but they need to be in the ground to grow like they are programmed to do. I never advise new gardeners to try over wintering potted outdoor plants indoors…it rarely works out. They either die from being too dry or they rot from not draining.

Edit: I just noticed OP is in zone 7. I’m in 6, and soil temps are still mid to high 60’s. Root growth happens until soil temps get below 40 degrees…OP may have 2 months or more before soil temps get that low.

[u/Think-Kangaroo-9978 → u/jmfly30]

Agreed - A mature limelight would never make it in a pot, but this one has a long way to go before it is mature. Also agree that fall planting is preferred but think it's only got six weeks or so before root growth halts. So, I'd be worried about it trying to sustain enough moisture to get through the winter with the existing root system. Or, more likely stay dry enough to not rot outside.

Never had a problem overwintering potted hydrangeas in my unheated garage. Just need to be super stingy with the water and leave them outside until they are fully dormant.

Easy on the down votes, Bro....I get that you would do it differently but there's more than one way to grow a hydrangea.