Merritt’s Hydrangeas “Bloom 
‘Hydrangea Culture 
.We. are Hydrangea Specialists, growing no other 
Flowers | ‘or “plants. Wedo not force Hydrangeas into 
flower, but concentraté 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 thirty- 
four varieties 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 judgment from our past ex- 
perience, giving you the best varieties for your locality. 
If you grow your own Hydrangeas, do not make the 
common 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 of any variety, if we 
are advised in time, for we have ample stock of Quality 
Hydrangeas 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 Vigoro 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 6.0. Most soils, however, that pro- 
duce good carnations, cyclamen or poinsettias will usu- 
ally 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 completely 
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 toa 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 flowering 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 encourage growth in crowded conditions, and per- 
haps dampen off the buds. Water at this period, prop- 
erly 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 temper- 
ature 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 temper- 
ature gradually to sixty degrees nights. Be sure the 
plants get good ventilation each day. A stuffy atmos- 
phere 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 Rotocide; 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 sul- 
phur, 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. MERRITT 
