Should You Stake Your Hydrangeas?

Not all hydrangeas were created equal. While some can grow big, bushy blooms without ever flopping over, others require stakes in order to stand tall. Staking your hydrangeas allows you to keep your flowers clean, perfectly round, and ready for cutting (or drying), and it's easy to do with soft fabric or jute ties.

Decide if your hydrangea needs staking—and then study up on the proper tools and techniques—with these expert tips from Amy Enfield, a horticulturist at ScottsMiracle-Gro, and Venelin Dimitrov, a product manager at Burpee.

Should You Stake Your Hydrangea?

According to our experts, certain types of hydrangeas are more likely to require staking. "Hydrangeas that produce large flowerheads, like the Annabelle hydrangea, appreciate some added support to keep their flower stems upright," Enfield explains. "Staking helps keep the plants tidy, the branches from bending under the weight of the flowers, and keeps the flowers in full display in your garden." Additionally, Dimitrov says stakes will help support larger flower varieties such as mop-head or lace-cap hydrangeas.

If you're not sure whether your plant would benefit from the extra support, pay attention to its posture after a heavy rain, says Enfield. "Large flowers and heavy rain can make for floppy hydrangeas," she says. "So, if the flowers cause the stems to bend to the ground under the weight of the rain, it's a good idea to stake your plants."

Tools for Staking Hydrangeas

In order to properly stake your hydrangeas, you'll need the right materials: simple stakes and soft ties. "You can utilize bamboo stakes and a soft tie, such as fabric tape or strips of old pantyhose—black is less conspicuous in the garden than nude," Dimitrov says. If the hydrangea is growing near a fence, Enfield says, you can skip the stakes and can use jute twine to gently tie it to the structure for support.

How to Arrange the Stakes

Use as many stakes as it takes to support your plant, says Enfield, but make sure they are properly secured in the soil. "Stakes should go 6 to 12 inches into the ground so that the stems don't pull them out under their weight," she says. "Closer to the plant is better"—since you don't want the weight of the bloom to pull the stem forward and put pressure on the tie, which could cut into the stem—"but be careful not to damage the root system," she says.

If you want to hide the stake, place the support in the center of the plant; the stake should be about a foot shorter than the tallest stem. Use the ties to pull each stem up individually towards the center, says Enfield, placing plant ties under leaves to prevent them from sliding up. "Use a figure-eight loop that is twisted around the stake," she says. But don't make your knots too tight: "The stem should be able to move so it can continue to grow," says Enfield.

Support Blooms for Future Bouquets

If you like to use your homegrown hydrangeas for bouquets, Dimitrov recommends staking your most dramatic and eye-catching blooms to stop them from bending onto the ground and getting crushed. "If you plan on cutting large flowers for at-home arrangements or bouquets, you will want to stake them to preserve their shape," he explains. "The bigger the blooming flowers, the more likely they are to droop."