the 2 gal plants now will become 3 gal plants next spring...if you can find a blooming 2 gal plants now, I'd take it vs 3 gal next yr...you can overwinter the plant in the same plastic pots now and put the plant in the ground next spring...Annabelles are very hardy, you will have no problem to overwinter this plant even in the same plastic pot...this way, you can move the plant around and see which spot will fit for it...the one gallon Incrediball twigs I have this spring are now on avg 18 inches tall and 15 inches wide, the majority had formed flower buds - a very large white cluster - but I pinched all the buds off - the plants grow very vigourously after the pinching, and mutliple side branches are developing now...I'd not be surprised to find 2 gal pots with blooms available in the mkt in the coming weeks...my plants have the flower buds quite nicely developed 2-3 weeks ago..i'd bet I would have big white globe of blooms by now had I not pinched them off..

Yes, both sooner and romence gardens have 2 gal. I've read your previous posts about keeping them in pots. Would the 2 gal. be required to overwinter in the pot you think? I have what I think would be the "perfect spot": pretty well protected, rich soil, 6 hours of morning sun.

Also, I want the plants to grow fast but I'd also like to see what they can do. Should I pinch the buds next year? Or, rather, will you pinch the buds when yours are 3 y.o.?

Thanks for the response.

I'd get her now, as well - Annabelles are even hardier than the H. paniculata group. I have overwintered in a pot outdoors, however sunk in a hole I prep'd for another 'wish list' plant.

I asked a plant nursery friend, they lay their unsold hardies on their sides in semi-circle, pot ends together & dump wood chip mulch over.

I leave blooms (for Winter interests) & clip them, early Spring - my A was a baby in '08, she grew to 4'10" & loaded this season. No experience w/ Incrediball tho.

Good luck & enjoy her this season!!!

veryzer: I would do what ditas did...dig a hole, sink the pot in there, cover the pot with some mulch (not so much that will smoulder the plant...all my incrediballs are from Sooner, they are very good with shipping/packagings...as for pinching, I would not bother with 2 yr, 3 yr old plants...the reason why I did with mine is because how pathetic these guys looked in April when I received them - single twig - about 5 inches tall - with a pair or two of leaves..good luck..

Hi veryzer - I forgot to mention to check if the plant is not too tightly, root bound ... might be a good idea to repot in a larger one & add good new soil mix.

I recently acquired a Lime Light that I intend to overwinter in a pot, in a hole, while awaiting an ideal site to be vacated by another plant. I thought to repot, into a much larger container, to allow roots to develop thru this season. In the process I found the poor plant so root bound ... I'm glad I decided to repot.

FWIW

I'm hearing some negative things about Incrediball. It seems the stems aren't as strong as claimed and the blooms flop on the ground.

G'morn' - Incrediball may need the same, 'flopping-prevention-intervention' as we have done for our Annabelles then, huh?

Do this new amazing, lady in the block, green up, just as quickly as Annabelle?

TIA! Â;)

Thanks for all your advice. I read the breeder (Tim Wood, right?) addressing concerns about it flopping. According to him, though it may flop as a youngster, as the plant matures it will develop stems that are plenty thick enough to support the blooms. Of course, that's according to the breeder, and it wouldn't be the first time someone has overhyped his own product. I just ordered two so here's to hoping.

based on my I-Bs, the stems are fairly tender at the beginning, they do get woody pretty quickly...since I pinch my buds when the cluster was around 1 inch in diameter, I can't tell you if they flop after a big rainstorm or not...for the stems that are fairly old, say 8 weeks or more, they are thick, more some than some the Annabelles I have seen...and these stems are getting hard and woody already...so my bet is all those people getting that IBs in the one gallon pots are now have blooms and they realize the blooms are flopping like most Annabelles would, thus the disappointment...I do think this plant will not give the 12 inch size blooms or the very sturdy blooms the first season...so I am watching what's coming for these in 2010...I usually reserve judgement on these new plants till they have been in my garden for at least two winters...will do the same for IBs here...the general negatives I heard on these new hyrangeas are - ES (wilting, not blooming the next yr, what's wrong)..Blushing bride (boy, what with that leggy growth behavior, floppy everywhere)...Twist-n-shout (will it even rebloom, Penny-Mac the parent was a bust)...Cityline series (very vivid colors, too deep purple, dont overwinter well in Penn, Jersey or areas further north)..Forever-n-Ever (powdery mildew galore, most PM prone of all rebloomers I have had)...you get the drift, there is always something negative about a new release...

Here is a picture of mine. I think it was a 3 gallon pot, well rooted. Not at all floppy.

excellent pic..looks like my IBs as well.. except i pinch all my flowerbuds off...you will have some real big clusters with those green, ready to open buds..