How Do I Make My Hydrangeas Bloom Again

If your hydrangea is not blooming, try answering these questions:

1. Did I clip my hydrangea back drastically in the fall, winter, or bound?

2. Did my hydrangea leaf out early on in the spring, during a warm spell and so get frozen back in a late spring freeze?

If the reply is "yes" or "perchance," then try to remember if the about of the new growth came from the ground rather than the erstwhile stems. This is illustrated in the motion picture at right taken by hydrangea adept Michael Dirr.

New growth that comes only from the basis is a bad sign that the hydrangea volition not bloom this year.

Three Common Reasons Mophead Hydrangeas Fail to Bloom:

1. A tardily spring freeze arrives and ruins the developing bloom buds. The freeze may exist light and even go unnoticed until one realizes that the blooms are not forming. Or it may kill all the emerging leaves, likewise. Every bit a result, most of the new growth comes from the roots (equally in the moving picture above). When this occurs, y'all know you have a problem.

Most flower buds develop on the old stems. In one case these stems are damaged in a late freeze, new flowers will not appear until the following twelvemonth and only and then if it is a milder spring. (This is the rule for the vast bulk of mopheads [macrophyllas] only there are infrequent hydrangeas that will flower despite this damage)

Go to Winter Protection for data on covering your hydrangea for wintertime protection

2. Improper pruning. If y'all accept pruned your hydrangea this yr, you may want to bank check out the section on Pruning Hydrangeas to come across if this could exist the problem.

iii. Planted in wrong zone. If yous have had the bad luck to plant a hydrangea that has not bloomed after the first twelvemonth you planted information technology, y'all may finally take to concede that this particular diversity is non cold hardy in your area. Another variety may succeed famously. 'Countless Summer and 'Blushing Bride' are two wonderful hydrangeas that volition blossom well-nigh anywhere. If your hydrangea has never bloomed, don't give upward promise. Come across What Type Hydrangeas Tin I Grow?

I have found that oft the hydrangea that is non cold hardy was received as a gift or bought wrapped in foil. The foil is a sign that this hydrangea is directly out of a greenhouse and may not accommodate well to your location. Some "gift type" hydrangeas are perfectly hardy, depending on where you live. But i volition probably have better success growing hydrangeas if they are purchased them from a local nursery. Most local nurseries endeavour to stock hydrangeas that are known to practice well in the surface area. It also helps to ask the nurseryman (information technology pays to shop where there is an skillful!) if this particular hydrangea is temperamental in common cold climates.

Go to Winter Protection for data on covering your hydrangea for winter protection

The Big Hydrangea That Wouldn't Bloom

Equally some of you may know from experience, one of the big mysteries we encounter with our hydrangeas is "Why won't they bloom?" Some hydrangeas are faithful bloomers, just some just bloom a little or won't blossom at all.

I received the following electronic mail from a company to this site who was gracious plenty to let me know her story. At that place is fifty-fifty a fiddling romance involved. Hither is the story of Amy-Beth and David [don't miss the great video link after the story]:

"Dear Mrs. King,

Even though you and I have never met nor corresponded, I wanted to express a heartfelt thank you for the plethora of information you provided me via your Hydrangea website.

When I met the love of my life he had this enormous green plant side by side to his house. When I asked him what information technology was he said "Information technology'south supposed to be a hydrangea, but information technology never blooms. Every year information technology grows larger and larger..." (he has lived in what is now our dwelling house for over 17 years)".. and once in awhile it gets a few flowers."

I did not know much about hydrangeas at all, only one day I spotted one and realized something was very wrong with ours. It had beautiful blueish flowers on it, and more just a few. And then, I spent some fourth dimension last twelvemonth researching and came across your website which provided me all the knowledge I needed.

I explained to my dear David that the trouble with the Hydrangea was not that it was as well former, only that he was cutting information technology down to the ground every twelvemonth in Nov. He tried to explain to me that if he didn't cut information technology, we would stop upwardly with ugly brownish sticks side by side to the house all wintertime long. I shared your website with him and pleaded with him to let me try, just this year to non cut back the Hydrangea. He reluctantly agreed, and every mean solar day he would mention how ugly the brown sticks and messy dead leaves were looking.

We weathered a terribly snowy winter and never covered the hydrangeaa. I was worried that the bad wintertime might hateful that I might not see the flowers as I had hoped.

March came and some new greenish growth started blooming at the base of the found. "See" David would say, "i told you the sticks were dead. Now can I cutting them down? they look horrible!". I stood my ground and resoundingly said "No, wait until May". April came and some new leaves started to pop out of the sides of the big ugly sticks. "Well, can I at least cut off the top of the sticks?" David would plead. I would just await at him and say, "Await until May." Then May came... At first nosotros saw little clusters of light-green [the beginning blooms], with each passing 24-hour interval they grew larger. David and I would check each day to run into how many more blooms popped, showtime one, the side by side day x, so l, so we couldn't count anymore....And well, it is a Very Large masterpiece - 15 feet wide by 6 anxiety tall, we are estimating well over yard flowers.

And nosotros owe yous all the cheers, because you lot took the time to brand a website and share with the world that I am function of that you shouldn't cut a Hydrangea anytime after July 31.

At present, I am heading back to your website to read about the best mode to cutting them for a pretty vase on my desk at work.

Accept care,

Amy-Beth and David"

And here is the proof. The pic at the beginning of this article was her shrub earlier. Now yous can meet the hydrangea absolutely covered in blooms!