This is super helpful! I was looking for more comparisons, pictures, and discussion of quick fire fab, limelight prime, and little lime punch. Your video is so helpful as I decide what to put in my garden- thanks!
Glad it helped. The Quick Fire Fab is a nice, early bloomer with great color. Limelight Prime is a good improvement on the traditional Limelight (especially the color). Little Lime Punch gets soooo red. They're all great -- for us in the North, the Quick Fire Fab extends the season by weeks compared to the Limelight family.
Loved your thorough tour of the beautiful hydrangeas. Such an inspiration to a fellow hydrangea lover. This is why my garden has now been overtaken with hydrangeas.
I just found your channel, and I have really enjoyed looking at all the hydrangea varieties. I have a variety in my yard, 24 plants in total with different bloom times. I also have a Tardiva standard, but I never see them mentioned. The lacyness is stunning! I live down state. Thank you for your video.
Panicle hydrangeas generally do best with at least 4 hours of sun. However, if you have a spot with good indirect/dappled sun, they tend to hold up... just fewer flowers and weaker branches. The arborescens varieties (Annabelle, Incrediball, Invincibelle) tend to do well with a bit less sunlight. Otherwise, there are several macrophylla (Big Leaf/Endless Summer/Let's Dance) varieties that do very well with less light (they usually love morning sun). It's best to ask at your local garden center to find out what varieties do best near you.
Hey - quick question! I purchased several limelight primes and planted them at 3ft intervals (spec sheet recommends 3-4 feet for hedge), but have no idea how long it will take for them to fill in. Since they are new, there is very little info on them, and nurseries are probably the best source of info since you probably got them a year before anyone else. Also, approx. how many years till they reach mature height (~5ft)? Can I expect them to fill in and reach 4ft high by end of next year?
A lot depends on the conditions - size when planted, food, water, sun, pests, and weather - in some situations they’ll never reach the size on the tag… especially if they’re not getting enough water, nutrients, or light. You’ll notice a big difference after their first year in the ground. It will take a few years to reach full size, but I usually feel like it’s the third year when they look established (even if they’re not full size yet). Many of the plants shown in the grow bags in the video were just fist-sized plants 14 months ago, and they are about 3 ft across now… so they grow quite quickly.
My 2 Bobos are 5' x 4-5' ! PW support confirmed tag was correct and they're Bobo. Seeing others, including nursery channels, say the same for theirs planted. Much larger (double) than stated on the tag and, sadly, too big for the space I planted them in. Buyer be aware. 😔
Wow, you must have the ideal conditions for them. We’ve never seen them get that big here. It’s not ideal, but you could try a hard prune while they’re dormant; that may tame them.
@lauracollins5298 Of course they do but seriously.... Woody plant tags list the approx 10 year size. These doubled plant tag size within 3 years even with cutting way back in late winter. I'm sure others looking for a small hydrangea would appreciate knowing this could happening in case space would not accommodate that.
Just purchased two hydrangeas, BoBo & Wee Bit Grumpy. Is it best to plant them in morning sun full 6 hrs., or the afternoon sun/shade 6 hrs., I’m in zone 5-6.
They should work out with either option. Sometimes macrophyllas (Wee Bit Grumpy) are temperamental if they have been in a shadier spot and are moved to a sunnier spot (they'll recover over time as long as they stay watered)... so you might see wilting in that one. Often just leaving the hydrangea in the spot you'll be planting while it's still in the nursery pot for a day or two, it will give you an idea if will struggle in the sun/heat.
That Bobo is beautiful. I wish mine were doing half that good. Planted two Bobos late summer/early fall last year. Both did well after I planted them ... even better than the Limelight that I planted at the same time. This spring I thought I had lost both of them because they looked dead even after the Limelight was all budded out. Finally half of each of the Bobos budded and the other half is dead. Finally cut out the dead today in hopes that they will perk up and get fuller. As of today they are very sad looking. I put root tone in the holes when I planted them. Wondering what I did wrong that would cause half of them to die. Any answers would help so I don't make the same mistake again.
When half a shrub or tree dies like that in our area, it’s often due to grubs eating the roots - or some other root damage. Check with your local nursery and ask them if they have any idea what might be happening.
We use a time-release fertilizer for flowering shrubs - a 14-14-14 works well. We first when leaves first emerge and apply every 30 days, but not after August.
Limelights usually hold up quite well after they’re in the ground for a year or two - we rarely see them flop… especially if they’re in full sun. You might want to try one of the shorter varieties - Limelight Prime, Little Quickfire, Firelight Tidbit.
