When I was a child we had hydrangeas and they were big bushes that rebloomed every year. I went to the norfolk botanical gardens and purchased a hydrangea and it was fine - we had a cold winter and I protected it but it completely disappeared to the point it I thought it was dead. But then ...it peeked out and got to be about the same size as it did the first year.
last winter it did the same thing (even though it never got very cold) - completely disappeared - now it is peeking out again and looks like it will be fine but I am unclear why it keeps disappearing each winter.
Are there different types of hydrangeas - ones that regrow from the beginning each year and ones that are permanent bushes?
How is this thing going to get any size on it if it restarts each year?
stupid question
I hesitate to respond to people whose hydrangeas experience die back, because I live in an area where that does not happen. I suspect that your plants are victims of die back. Since traditional hydrangeas bloom on old wood, they will not bloom if the stems die back each year. Fortunately, there are now hydrangeas that bloom on new wood. Technically, they are called remontants. People call them rebloomers because in areas where there is no die back, they bloom on old wood and new wood. You may wish to consider 'David Ramsey', 'Penny Mack', or 'Endless Summer'. They are all remontants. Hope this helps.
never heard of die back but never grew hydrangeas myself before- this doesn't look like a disease - it looks like winter.......I will look up die back - thanks for your comment - it gives me a place to start.
ah I see - it has something to do with the variety......I have no idea what it is......have to be more careful in the future.
Rox,
this variety is the only one that would fit that description to me
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/48866/index.html
Al
alas mine is blue
roxroe, By "die-back" I simply mean that harsh winters can cause the stems die - they do not produce new growth the following spring. Even though Hydrangeas in the winter never look better than a "bundle of sticks", you should see new growth buds along the stems in Spring. Many people lose Hydrangeas in the Fall when they fail to continue to water them. Then, when they fail to come back in the Spring with new growth, people often think it's because of the winter kill. It could be either in your zone. Check with other gardeners in your immediate area. Hope I haven't confused you. 'Annabelle' is a longtime favorite of Hydrangea growers.
thanks for the info - I had no idea they required so much water. We had a very dry year last year and I didn't water it that much......mostly because I don't remember my parents ever watering theirs.....
Mine die back every year too, but I am in zone 8b..I bought mine at Home Depot and they are Dwarfs but I don't remember any more about them..This year they started to bloom...got a few flower buds but never anything more..they are in part shade..
Any help is appreciated:
More fertilizer ?
More light ?
More Water?
My Mariesii Variegata died back this winter. It's bounced back, but I've yet to see a bloom on it in the last three years, except for one tiny sort of mutant bloom last summer. I've been thinking they are getting too much sun where I have them, and I assumed the dieback was due to winter. But I'll make extra efforts to check moisture levels the rest of this season and keep my fingers crossed for next year. If no luck then, I'm moving them to a new spot. I may even do that this fall anyway.
It's so disappointing, though, to never see the lovely blooms..
Hi:
I live on Lake Erie just west south west of Buffalo. The photos are of my Endless Summer (3 years old) and Nikko Blue (5 years old) Hydrangas. I let the shrubs fill with leaves in the fall. You can see that the Nikko Blue has gone pastel. I fertilize in the spring, cut off the flower stems after blooming, keep them from drying out, but other than that I don't do anything special.
This is Nikko Blue.
I don't know if I can help, but feel free to ask any questions.
Lisa
Endless Summer
I wen't to Home Depot and read the tag on my non-bloomers..Seems they don't freeze until they are in Minus -30 degree weather..We are far from that here ( Zone 8b) so the Die Back must be a lack of water.. I didn't know Die Back could result from a water problem..
Starting now, they'll get supplamental water, fertilizer and a year's trial before I move them..
Thank You for the information..
You know, the other thing that's happened to my Mariesii Variegata's is that the variegation has pretty much gone away. It's starting to come back on some outside leaves--a couple on each plant. I had sort of forgotten that it was supposed to be variegated until this thread.
Anyone know what could cause that?