hydrangea not blooming (flowers, tree, hydrangeas, spring)

[swbtoo]

We have a huge hydrangea next to the garage. It gets good morning sun and some afternoon sun. The rest of the time it's shaded. We moved in late last year and thought perhaps we missed the blooming time and thought we'd see it this year, but it didn't happen. I fed it a few times this year, hoping to encourage it. Maybe I didn't water as often as it needs? It looks very healthy.

It lost some growth during the early spring freeze we had in NC this year, and I cut those branches back. It has filled out beautifully, though.

What does it need to make it bloom?

We had a beautiful bush where we used to live (up north) and I never had to fuss with it much at all. It bloomed every year.

[ellie]

You shouldn't cut it back except immediately after it blooms. It blooms on the past season's branches. Leave it alone. That's probably why your old one did so well.

[Padgett2]

Well Ellie, that's a maybe. Some will bloom on new growth, but you are right, most don't.

I suspect that the buds were killed by the cold and that's all for this year. For some reason, my whites have not done at all well this year. The blues are doing OK, but not spectactular. It's been such a weird year, I think they were just as uncertain about whether spring was here as I was.

Don't cut them back any more until you see if they need the old wood for bloom nest year.

[swbtoo]

I only cut the freeze damage, and then spared as much of the branch as I could. Most of it was unaffected by the freeze, as I covered as much as was possible every night.

Thanks for the responses. We'll see what next year brings.

[ellie]

It's the tips of the old branches that produce the blooms. If you cut them, you probably won't get many.

[Torrie]

Unless you have the new variety your blooms come from old wood. It is most likely that you lost the blooms in the early frost. You never want to trim back your plant in the Spring or even early spring as that is where your blooms are. I think I would have cut the freeze damage too. If you ever get the chance or have a spot for one, try the Endless Summer Hydrangea, it blooms on new wood. I have two and love them. So this year even though I got burnt from the late frost I still have blooms.

Another trick for you, let the blooms dry out on the plant, don't cut them until early to late fall. Spray paint them with a cranberry color and let dry. Go back over them lightly with glitter spray. Group them in a bunch and place them in holiday arrangements or tuck them into your tree to fill gaps. It's also just as pretty to do them in a blue tone with silver glitter.

Merry Christmas!

[swbtoo]

Torrie, that sounds pretty. I used to love to dry my hydrangea blooms (before I started leaning toward feng sheui (pardon the spelling). According to that philosophy, dried flowers represent death, and one should have only live flowers in the house (or silk). I've never been able to get that out of my head, though I do think dried flower arrangements and wreaths, etc. are beautiful.

My hydrangeas in NH were forced to be deep blue! Loved them.

[Torrie]

Mine are blue too. I have to treat the soil where I live to make them blue. I like it when they turn a blue/pinky purple.

[missyM]

You lucky blue hydrangea ladies. I treated mine too, gave them a fall dose, a winter dose and an early spring dose. They froze more than normal and got one little pink bloom this summer.

[lpdsag]

These plants love acid fertilizer. It will make the blooms bluer. Only cut back part of the branch so that you can have blooms the next season. The new type hydrangia, endless summer, will bloom on new wood but most of the others do not. I love mine but I had no blooms this year. The freeze was so hard I had to cut the thing back to the ground. The plant is over 5 feet in diameter. I believe it has sprouted off 2 new plants. How hard is it to divide hydrangeas for transplanting, and when should I do it?