After being given some input by the staff at a good local organic gardening/feed store, I am going to put them in some Rabbit Hill "Big Pot" :) We'll see how they do!

That sounds like a plan, and the direction I would have recommended too after looking up the product. Rabbit Hill - "soiless mix formulated to provide proper conditions of aeration, drainage, and water retention". Aeration and drainage are especially important in containers and more so in warm climates.

Those are quite small plants, and will need some TLC to get off to a good start. Newly out of the shipping box, they should be in shade for a few days, protected from wind too. They have likely been fertilized by the grower, I wouldn't add more, you want root development at this point which will lead to sturdier top growth later on...no point in fertilizing and pushing top growth at this young stage and at this time of year.

Hopefully by this evening, you've removed the plastic...that was for shipping protection only and will not benefit your plants.

If you could go back to your page and edit...add your city, state so it shows in your header (as mine Z8 WA coast) - there is a Texas grower posting regularly here with some experience who could answer your local questions quite easily. Will pick up faster on your future posts if he sees you are a newly gardening neighbor.

morz8:

Glad to hear I made a good decision :) Yeah, the grower did ship it with a 9-month time-release fertilization (it looked like small clear balls), so I did not add any, and won't, until Springtime. The plastic has been removed, and everybody has been potted. They are all sitting out on the north-facing front porch, which is covered and protected from the sun and wind, while they recover from the trip. Got a good watering last night, and another this morning... they are being added to the watering regimen now :)

I don't see where I can add city or state in my profile, unfortunately... it just has a box for zipcode, which is filled out.

Thanks!

Also, I just read at Hydrangeas plus that the Masjas do not bloom on new wood. What does that mean -- that bloom locations are set for life? I'm a bit confused about that :)

Most hydrangea macrophylla including your Masja bloom on growth produced the previous year (old wood). There are a few new introductions and other types hydrangea that will produce blooms on the current years growth (new wood).

That is of more importance in more severe winter areas than your own where buds can be killed in winter or a late Spring hard freeze, but it also directs time of pruning.

Your masja shrubs (when older, they are too young now) will set their flower buds for the coming spring in late summer. Any Fall, Winter pruning you do will be just deadheading spent flowers, and in Spring cutting back to the first pair of fat emerging buds. If when they are larger you were to prune them back harder during those times, you would be removing the flower buds for your current years display.

Ah that makes sense. Thanks!

Hi Ivysmom,
How are the Masjas doing? I just received one (bought again on ebay but different seller).

Not as full as the ones you received but definitely better than the last ones I ordered on Ebay. I posted the pic on a new post titled New Hydrangeas.

I hope you and yours are well.

Mike