Merritt’s Hydrangeas ‘Bloom 
Hydrangea Culture 
We are Hydrangea Specialists, growing no other Flowers 
or plants. We do not force Hydrangeas into flower, but 
concentrate all of our efforts to produce better Hydrangeas 
for you to bloom. We ship rooted cuttings and small plants, 
in season in all varieties, for growing, and dormant Hydrangeas 
in the Fall and early Spring for forcing. We force some of 
every variety, each year, for a culture check, and they can be 
seen at our Greenhouses during the early Spring months. 
First, make sure of the varieties that grow best for you 
and that sell best in your locality. We offer twenty-three va- 
rieties this season. You will say, “Too many’’, and we agree; 
but each variety has its champion in one section of the country 
or another. Try a few novelties each year to see how they 
act under your conditions, but stick to the proven varieties 
until you have found a better one. If in doubt, as to the 
variety, please specify your selection early, mid-season or 
late, and we will give our very best judgement from our past 
experience, giving you the best varieties for your locality. 
If you grow your own Hydrangeas, do not make the com- 
mon mistake of rooting all of the blind shoots that appear. 
Remember that “Like begets Like’’, and if this practice is 
followed, it will eventually lead to disaster, and one day you 
will find a complete crop of blind Hydrangeas. Rather than 
that, keep varieties separate and select the very best flowering 
plants and get your cuttings from these by sacrificing the 
flower tips. It will pay dividends. If you purchase your 
cuttings, order early so that we might be better prepared to 
serve you. No order is too large for any variety, if we are 
advised in time, for we have ample stock of Quality Hydran- 
geas in all varieties. The Best Hydrangeas come from the 
earliest cuttings. Cuttings, with us, are shipped in the early 
Spring and until the first of July, for single flowering plants. 
Two inch and three inch plants are offered at all seasons and 
from these sizes, the larger and stronger plants are grown. 
Use Virgin Soil, without food, for the first potting from the 
sand. If food is used the cuttings are easily ruined at this 
tender stage of growth. As soon as they are ready to be 
shifted to threes, then use your proper soil mixture. With 
us, it is Light Virgin Soil, (not spent Greenhouse soil). If 
soil is heavy, add one barrow of coarse sand to three barrows 
of loam. Add one barrow of well rotted cow manure to the 
four barrows of soil. One four inch pot full of bone meal to 
each barrow of soil and a three inch pot full of good fertilizer 
to each of soil. We find Vigero an ideal addition. We use 
this soil mixture in each potting, after two inch and find that 
if they are kept repotted, as necessary, no other food is needed. 
The soil should have a Ph of about 5.5. Most soils, however, 
that produce good carnations, cyclamen or poinsettias will 
usually grow Hydrangeas. 
Color: Usually Hydrangeas flower pink. However, if 
your soil is full of iron, and they flower blue, try adding Lime 
to offset this condition. If blue is desired, add a three inch 
pot full of Aluminum Sulphate to each barrow of soil and if 
this does not change them to the desired shade, apply it in a 
liquid form during their forcing period, making certain that 
the soil is never allowed to dry until the chemical is com- 
pletely exhausted. 
General Culture: Keep small plants in a cool airy 
house, and as soon as danger of frost is over in the Spring, 
take them out into the beds for the Summer, repotting them 
to a larger size, as needed. Give them plenty of space and 
make certain the beds have good drainage. Be sure they 




get sufficient water to keep them growing well. We usually 
repot them when they are taken from the houses and again 
about the first of August. If you grow your plants in the 
fields, then the first. of September is the accepted time for 
potting. 
Top the late flowering varieties about the twentieth of 
June, and the earliest flowering kinds about the tenth of July. 
When topping, leave sufficient foliage in fact, leave as much 
as possible for the plants to breathe well. If not too tall, we 
prefer soft pinching, for you will get several more good flower- 
ing shoots than if they are topped too low. Hydrangeas should 
be gone over during early August and all weak shoots stripped 
from them. This will allow the stronger shoots to make 
better flowers and more sure to bloom. 
Hold back on water, during September and October. This 
will encourage dormancy. They will harden and buds set 
better, as the weather gets cooler. Try to have them in shape 
to be taken in to protected places before the first frost hits 
them. Don’t be fooled. The first frost is excellent if it is 
mild and plants are in the proper shape, but we cannot control 
this frost and it is usually disastrous. Don’t wait for the 
first frost. You might ruin your entire crop. Rather, take 
them into a cool Greenhouse, darkened a little, after the buds 
are well set and keep them just above freezing until late 
December. Do not allow them to freeze, nor to get too warm. 
Thirty-five degrees, if it could be controlled, would be ideal 
while in storage. 
Watch watering during the dormant period. Too little 
will cause buds to shrivel and be lost. Too much will en- 
courage growth in crowded conditions, and perhaps dampen 
off the buds. Water at this period, properly controlled, is 
most important. 
The plants should be defoliated by the first of December 
and they should be started in a cool house about the twentieth | 
of December at a night temperature of fifty degrees. Give 
them plenty of space on the benches, as soon as growth starts, 
or about the tenth of January, and at that time increase the 
temperature gradually to sixty degrees nights. Be sure the 
plants get good ventilation each day. A stuffy atmosphere 
will cause ruin and weak plants, while plenty of good fresh 
air will make strong plants. If plants are wanted for Mother’s 
Day, they should be started about the first of February and 
the same general procedure should be followed. Hydrangeas 
should be syringed every day the sun shines, but no water on 
the foliage on cloudy days. This should prevent red spider, 
but, if it should show up, be on the alert and use some good 
spray material. We like Selocide; however, it should be 
watched to see that sufficient quantity is used to kill properly, 
but not enough to injure the plants. Do not use it after the 
flowers start to open. Be sure they are good and clean, and 
it will not be necessary. Use sulphur, if it becomes necessary, 
for mildew. 
Try to keep your Hydrangeas coming along nicely, so that 
buds definitely show about six weeks before the time wanted 
for sale. If they do, in this section of the country, they will 
bloom easily and in plenty of time to give them a lower 
temperature with plenty of air to harden them, before sending 
them to your customers. In cooler climates, seven weeks 
should be allowed after buds are seen. 
Always remember, the best Hydrangeas come from the 
earliest cuttings. 
JosepH S. Merritr 
