Anyone not water their hydrangeas?

[Louloubels]

I'm wondering if anyone gets away with not watering their hydrangeas over the summer?

I have to be away from home for a few weeks. I have always heard they are thirsty plants, so water mine lots. I'm worried they will suffer while I'm away? TIA

I never water anything that's in the ground unless it's newly planted. Only pots get water.

Is it in a planter? Or in the ground? How old is it?

I assumed they had hydra in the name because they needed lots of water. Saying that we only water those planted last year and those in pots, unless its extremely dry.

My ground has never been dry blow the surface, this year. I only usually water mine when it's been hot and dry for more than a couple of weeks.

I assumed they had hydra in the name because they needed lots of water.

No, the name is from the shape of the seeds being like a water vessel.

I regularly water my hydrangeas in pots but not the ones out in the garden, unless they are newly planted. I have two in pots which I water every day when it’s hot, or every two or three days in our normal dreary summer! I only water the two long established ones in the garden in a rare heatwave when they do look a bit wilted after a couple of weeks.

In our last house we had two, well established Hydrangea and they needed watering in summer (one moreso) otherwise they would wilt.
I think they are a tough plant but certainly ours appreciated a regular soaking.

In our new house we only have one and that is establishing nicely. Have watered it this last week as we have had 2-weeks hot & dry.

No, we have two, one North facing and one south, and they both grow like weeds!

They've been there a long time, though.

“Water”…
😂
not something I do with anything in the ground, bar during a drought.
In my defence it’s not something that has been needed since August ‘22!

No have never watered the hydrangea - it's well-established. I water everything in pots, my tree fern and my new lawn.

I don’t think about watering mine unless they look wilted which one very occasionally does. It is in a protected spot so gets less rain than the other one.

I’ve never watered the two I have in the ground, not in over 30 years.

Never watered mine and they flower like mad. It's never even occurred to me water them, we get plenty of rain!

I’ve got over 40 hydrangeas. 15 or so in massive pots that are watered twice a day in the summer, the ones in the ground are watered twice a week, there’s a couple that are not on the automatic watering system and it’s noticeable that they’re not as good as the ones that are watered. We are on pretty poor soil though - limestone brash that dries out fast.
Just give them a good soak before you go and hope for the best OP.

Mine is not in full sun, but it is in a slightly raised bed so it does need watering occasionally in prolonged dry weather, otherwise it starts to sag a bit.

There’s advantages to being on clay

It really depends on your soil and garden orientation. We have a south facing garden, with dry soil that's surrounded by very mature, large trees, some several hundred years old. If we don't water regularly then very little survives, so we have an irrigation system in place.

I’ve to water mine but it is planted near a wall where the bed is dry. I didn’t think before planting it. I even had to water it today after it rained as I noticed the leaves were wilting.

I have one in a pot and one in the ground, both wilt if it’s hot and need watering.

Do any of you feed yours for better flowers?

I water my potted hydrangea, but thinking about it I've never watered the hydrangea that's out the front in the ground! It's probably also a much nicer plant too

Many thanks for all the replies - much appreciated. They have been in the ground for a few years now, so I will give them a solid soak before I leave. Thank you !