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Green growth in January in western NY

18 years ago

The recent unseasonably warm weather has caused my hydrangeas to think that it is spring. It was 60 here yesterday, when it should have been in the 20's or lower. Big uh-oh??? As I look at the growth buds, some are just swollen, other clearly have little green leaves. The temperature is due to drop again, so will all chance for having flowers be lost for 2006?

~Bunnycat

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Comments (2)

yellowgirl
18 years ago
uh oh is right!! I have kind of the same problem here. We were in the 70s last week, hit the 30s this past weekend but today it is 80. Roller coaster weather is the worst kind for hydrangeas. (and many other plants for that matter)
I can just cover mine on the cold nights but I don't believe that remedy is good enough for your climate. I take it that you did not perform any kind of winter covering/protection on your plants, if you can see the green buds. I know that there is good info on this forum regarding winter protection however I don't remember seeing any posts about whether or not it is too late to start now. Maybe another northern grower will chime in with their opinions/experiences. In my garden, even partly opened buds, if protected on the cold nights, will stay exactly in that stage as if 'on pause' until the weather gets warm enough for them to continue the process of opening. Maybe, if yours have not gone too far in the process, they will harden off again. At least I hope so. Good luck.....yg
mxk3 z5b_MI
18 years ago
What kind of hydrangeas do you have? If Annabelle-types, Pee-Gee-types, or Endless Summer, doesn't matter - flower on new wood. I'm not sure if the flower buds will be toast on the other varieties (macrophylla and oakleaf). Guess I'll find out the hard way about the oakleafs, this year, been having warms temps. over here, too.
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