Here is my non-blooming Hydrangia. Probably my fault I pruned them hard in the spring when it started to leaf out. I will not touch it again to see if it will flower next year! Any advice?
No Flowers!
Which hydrangea is it? There are few that will bloom on new wood, but many bloom on old wood so if you pruned in the spring you most likely pruned all the buds off. Late frosts can sometimes kill the buds too, so if you leave it alone and still don't get blooms next year that's another possibility.
It's a nice looking plant. If you want to prune your hydrangea, do it after it blooms. I do it here the last part of July and into the first week of August when I deadhead, if I want to root a few cuttings. As a general rule, they need very little pruning, unless you don't like the position of a specific stem. Unless the plant is a remontant (so-called re-bloomer), you are removing the flower buds when you prune in spring. Even if it is a remontant, you are removing some of the flower buds, because remontants simply flower on both old and new wood. I would just keep the plant watered properly, and enjoy the flowers next year. By the way, it has a good, full shape, so you did some good. Happy gardening.
I am having the same problem- 5 of my hydrangea are big fat and beautiful, but no blooms. I transplanted all of them to new spots last fall, and did not do any pruning. They are all in pretty much shade, maybe they need some sun?
If they're in total shade you may want to get them a bit more sun, but they can take a fair amount of shade. I had one that was planted where it got no direct sun, and it didn't bloom for me until I moved it a few feet farther out in the bed (it was under a tree) where it got some filtered sunlight, then it bloomed fine.
The other possibility is that during the time when it would have normally been using energy to make flower buds, it was growing new roots instead to make up for ones that were lost in transplanting and didn't have energy left for flowers. So unless it's in complete shade, you might want to give it another year before transplanting again.
Thanx- I think I will give them one more year, I really like where they are. I have azaelas planted with them and they are blooming fine along with some impatiens. So your root theory might be right on!
Hi, below is part of an article my partner Diane wrote mainly for our Memphis, TN clients. Zone 7b. I think it explains it all.
Wolfgang
To download the full article including native hydrangeas please visit:
http://www.gardensoyvey.com/downloads.html
or
http://homepage.mac.com/wooffi1/FileSharing1.html
The ‘FRENCH HYDRANGEAS’ (HYDRANGEA MACROPHYLLA), those big showy blue and pink snowballs, are sooo desireable and soooo often dissappointing. These girls are easily fooled by a few lucious spring days every February and March, and then comes our inevitable cold snaps to burn their tender buds. I have counted only 5 of the twenty years I have studied my garden and the gardens of others, that they have bloomed. Yes there are some exceptions... but I want blooms.
Fret not The ‘JAPANESE MOUNTAIN HYDRANGEAS’
(HYDRANGEA SERRATTA) are hale and hardy. Bud hardy yet very feminine. High maintenance? Not these ladies. In 10 years they have bloomed every year for everyone I have planted. They remain dormant longer and avoid late frosts. Generally they are somewhat smaller than the H. macrophylla.
They are blue, purple, pink and white, mophead and lacecap and even like containers. Some of the desireable varieties available include, ‘Blue Billow’-irridescent blue lacecap, ‘Blue Deckle’-light blue, ‘Purple Tiers’-yep! purple., ‘Vetchii’-white lacecap with a halo of blue to pink. Also ‘Pretty Maiden’-pink lacecap. These hydrangeas are an excellent choice for our area and I will list sources below.
Like their ‘French’ cousins they like good drainage, good soil and water and fertilizer. But you dont have to hover over them. Just plant them well to begin with and water 1’’ a week. Give them acidity, (sulpher) for better blue’s and alkalinity, (lime) for more pinks. Don’t trim them. Just cut yourself some boquet’s. Do yourself a favor...grow some of these HYDRANGEA SERRATA. You don’t have 15 years to waste.
Now I know! I pruned this spring thinking I was taking out dead wood. With no blooms this year, I have nothing to deadhead, and will just keep them watered. My four are all luscious and beautifully shaped. I've seen scrawny ones in the neighborhood loaded with blooms, while I waited and waited. Oh, me. Suzanne
What zone are you in? If you're in zone 5 or 6 and didn't protect the plant over the winter you probably were cutting out dead wood, or even if the branches still had some life in them, the flower buds will tend to freeze off if you don't have the plant protected. If you're in zone 7 though I'd skip the pruning next year and you should get your blooms.
I'm in 7a. And, thanks to all of you, I won't prune next spring even though you know how scraggly they look almost forever! Suzanne