About 5 years ago my daughter had a serious operation and one of her
friends bought her a hydrangea. As she was not living in her flat at
the time, she asked me to look after it and I planted it in our garden.
We already have an ancient hydrangea in the front garden, so I was
confident that it would be OK. It survived a couple of years and then
died quite suddenly in the spring of last year. I was very upset and a
couple of weeks ago I bought and potted up a replacement for my
daughter. On Friday, we noticed a small plant (definitely a hydrangea)
growing in the place where the 'dead' plant had been. I am very happy
about this but wonder if anyone can give any advice as to how best to
keep it going. Many thanks in advance.
--
June Hughes

"June Hughes" wrote in message:
> snip <
> On Friday, we noticed a small plant (definitely a hydrangea) growing in
> the place where the 'dead' plant had been. I am very happy about this but
> wonder if anyone can give any advice as to how best to keep it going. Many
> thanks in advance.
> ----

I wouldn't do anything to it until the autumn, after it has
dropped its leaves. Then very gently dig down around the plant,
saving as many young roots as possible, remove and pot up.
You might find that the young plant is growing from part of the
original hydrangea's root left in the ground. If that's the case,
cut the little hydrangea away with the young roots.

MikeCT

In message <wThlg.4070$OT.2737 [at] newsfe6-win.ntli.net>, MikeCT
<mikect [at] virgin.net> writes
>
>"June Hughes" wrote in message:
>> snip <
>> On Friday, we noticed a small plant (definitely a hydrangea) growing in
>> the place where the 'dead' plant had been. I am very happy about this but
>> wonder if anyone can give any advice as to how best to keep it going. Many
>> thanks in advance.
>> ----
>
>I wouldn't do anything to it until the autumn, after it has
>dropped its leaves. Then very gently dig down around the plant,
>saving as many young roots as possible, remove and pot up.
>You might find that the young plant is growing from part of the
>original hydrangea's root left in the ground. If that's the case,
>cut the little hydrangea away with the young roots.
>
Great Mike, thanks. I am very anxious not to do anything to upset it.
--
June Hughes

On 18/6/06 22:05, in article LLs$mJAbAclEFwC8 [at] theacct.demon.co.uk, "June
Hughes" <junehughes [at] theacct.demon.co.uk> wrote:

> In message <wThlg.4070$OT.2737 [at] newsfe6-win.ntli.net>, MikeCT
> <mikect [at] virgin.net> writes
>>
>> "June Hughes" wrote in message:
>>> snip <
>>> On Friday, we noticed a small plant (definitely a hydrangea) growing in
>>> the place where the 'dead' plant had been.<snip>
>> You might find that the young plant is growing from part of the
>> original hydrangea's root left in the ground. If that's the case,
>> cut the little hydrangea away with the young roots.
>>
> Great Mike, thanks. I am very anxious not to do anything to upset it.

It sounds incredibly obvious, I know, but keep it watered in the meantime!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)

In message <C0BB9155.32138%sacha [at] privacy.net>, Sacha <sacha [at] privacy.net>
writes
>On 18/6/06 22:05, in article LLs$mJAbAclEFwC8 [at] theacct.demon.co.uk, "June
>Hughes" <junehughes [at] theacct.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>> In message <wThlg.4070$OT.2737 [at] newsfe6-win.ntli.net>, MikeCT
>> <mikect [at] virgin.net> writes
>>>
>>> "June Hughes" wrote in message:
>>>> snip <
>>>> On Friday, we noticed a small plant (definitely a hydrangea) growing in
>>>> the place where the 'dead' plant had been.<snip>
>>> You might find that the young plant is growing from part of the
>>> original hydrangea's root left in the ground. If that's the case,
>>> cut the little hydrangea away with the young roots.
>>>
>> Great Mike, thanks. I am very anxious not to do anything to upset it.
>
>It sounds incredibly obvious, I know, but keep it watered in the meantime!

Thanks Sacha. I am doing that. (believe it or not, at times I have no
common sense to speak of but watering it has been of the essence these
last few days :) However, the ground where it is situated is very heavy
clay and the compost I used at the time (can't remember what it was)
seems to have disappeared into the North London clay. I suspect that
may have been the problem in the first place. Perhaps you or Ray may
have a tip or two on that subject. Clay is a huge problem here,
although roses seem to thrive in it.
--
June Hughes

On 18/6/06 23:46, in article w6Rh6eCsedlEFwX8 [at] theacct.demon.co.uk, "June
Hughes" <junehughes [at] theacct.demon.co.uk> wrote:

> In message <C0BB9155.32138%sacha [at] privacy.net>, Sacha <sacha [at] privacy.net>
> writes
<snip>
>>
>> It sounds incredibly obvious, I know, but keep it watered in the meantime!
>
> Thanks Sacha. I am doing that. (believe it or not, at times I have no
> common sense to speak of but watering it has been of the essence these
> last few days :) However, the ground where it is situated is very heavy
> clay and the compost I used at the time (can't remember what it was)
> seems to have disappeared into the North London clay. I suspect that
> may have been the problem in the first place. Perhaps you or Ray may
> have a tip or two on that subject. Clay is a huge problem here,
> although roses seem to thrive in it.

I doubt there's anything we could tell you about dealing with clay that you
don't know and that hasn't been on here umpteen times - e.g. the digging in
of organic matter etc.
I do remember reading absolutely years ago that roses do indeed thrive on
clay though why they do, I have no idea. And apparently, they used always
to do well in London in the days of awful smog etc. Apparently the
pollution killed off the ills that roses are prone to! I know that down
here in the warm west country, they get just about every darned thing that's
going, which may be one of the reasons we don't have a rose garden!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)

In message <C0BC08AA.321C4%sacha [at] privacy.net>, Sacha <sacha [at] privacy.net>
writes
>On 18/6/06 23:46, in article w6Rh6eCsedlEFwX8 [at] theacct.demon.co.uk, "June
>Hughes" <junehughes [at] theacct.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>> In message <C0BB9155.32138%sacha [at] privacy.net>, Sacha <sacha [at] privacy.net>
>> writes
><snip>
>>>
>>> It sounds incredibly obvious, I know, but keep it watered in the meantime!
>>
>> Thanks Sacha. I am doing that. (believe it or not, at times I have no
>> common sense to speak of but watering it has been of the essence these
>> last few days :) However, the ground where it is situated is very heavy
>> clay and the compost I used at the time (can't remember what it was)
>> seems to have disappeared into the North London clay. I suspect that
>> may have been the problem in the first place. Perhaps you or Ray may
>> have a tip or two on that subject. Clay is a huge problem here,
>> although roses seem to thrive in it.
>
>I doubt there's anything we could tell you about dealing with clay that you
>don't know and that hasn't been on here umpteen times - e.g. the digging in
>of organic matter etc.
>I do remember reading absolutely years ago that roses do indeed thrive on
>clay though why they do, I have no idea. And apparently, they used always
>to do well in London in the days of awful smog etc. Apparently the
>pollution killed off the ills that roses are prone to! I know that down
>here in the warm west country, they get just about every darned thing that's
>going, which may be one of the reasons we don't have a rose garden!

Ah well, I suppose you can't have everything. You are very lucky living
where you do. The plant seems to be OK this morning. Digging is
impossible just now - all around it is just cracked, hard mud. It is
very strange however much we do to the soil, for example organic matter,
like you said, or digging sand into it, it always seems to revert to
type and the sand magically disappears. Even copious amounts of topsoil
disappear. Perhaps after twenty-odd years here, we should consider
moving.
--
June Hughes

"June Hughes" <junehughes [at] theacct.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:06Zg64RMjZlEFw3t [at] theacct.demon.co.uk...
> About 5 years ago my daughter had a serious operation and one of her
> friends bought her a hydrangea. As she was not living in her flat at the
> time, she asked me to look after it and I planted it in our garden. We
> already have an ancient hydrangea in the front garden, so I was confident
> that it would be OK. It survived a couple of years and then died quite
> suddenly in the spring of last year. I was very upset and a couple of
> weeks ago I bought and potted up a replacement for my daughter. On Friday,
> we noticed a small plant (definitely a hydrangea) growing in the place
> where the 'dead' plant had been. I am very happy about this but wonder if
> anyone can give any advice as to how best to keep it going. Many thanks in
> advance.
> --
> June Hughes

It's a very difficult call. It obviously is unhappy in the location/soil
and the new growth may give up in to the hostile conditions before autumn.
Assuming that it was a small potted hydrangea then it would not be
impossible to dig the whole thing up now and give it a better location or a
large pot.