Hi, Folks,
My hydrangea has only three blooms this year. I have fertilized and loved it. Shouldn't it have more blooms? It is healthy looking otherwise.
My daughter, Mimi, has several hydrangeas and none of hers have ever bloomed.
We both live here in Nashville, TN. Other people have blooming hydrangeas around here.
Advice will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Gardening 101A. My hydrangea is Nikko Blue. We have trouble around here getting these to blue. I use Holly Tone for acid lovers when I can get it. I had trouble getting it this year so I used Vigero Acid and ended up with three pink blooms.
My daughter has three types of hydrangeas. I do not know which now. We did have a late frost that did damage to some plants. We may have trimed last fall but won't this fall. Thanks!
Terranova in Nashville
This message was edited Jul 14, 2006 2:31 PM
My hydrangea and my daughter's
hey terranova, in nashville could a late frost have killed the new blooms? do you know what type hydrangea you have? some bloom on old wood, some on new...and now some on both so pruning may be a factor. just my opinion, others more experienced will join in soon. - jon
I'm betting on the pruning being the problem. No need to prune hydrangeas at all unless they are getting overgrown for their spot. Then you are safest pruning right after flowering. I never prune mine except in the early spring when I remove the spent flowers from last year. Then I remove only the flower, none of the stem. If an old hydrangea need rejuvenating, just take out 1/3 of the old stems all the way to the ground. You'll get new growth. Early spring is a fine time to do this. You'll lose some blooms on some hydrangeas, but you'll invigorate the shrub and get lots of new growth.
I agree with pruning being the problem. Hydrangeas don't need pruning unless you have some unsightly stems. You probably would have noticed late frost damage - it makes the foliage wither. Do be careful in fertilizing - Hydrangeas don't really need much, and that should normally be done in early spring. I do take cuttings from mature Hydrangeas when I deadhead, but I take cuttings from stems that do not affect the natural shape of the plant - a viewer should not easily be able to tell cuttings have been taken. I'm no expert but I have spent quite a bit of time studying them and experimenting with them. Good gardening.
!/4 cup Aluminum Sulfate with a gallon of water around the plant has worked well to turn the plant blue, done early in the Spring.
The greenhouse I go to says a couple of things about Hydrangeas, one, they are nutrient suckers (I use Osmocote in April & July in my zone) and that they all do better in part shade, instead of full sun. Less drooping too!