Climbing hydrangea won't bloom
bmiller
18 years ago
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andrea_san_diego
18 years agoRelated Discussions
have hydrangea that won't bloom. help please!
Comments (10)I have a Nikko Blue that blooms most summers. Last spring, I got a piece of advice from a local gardener that I think made a difference. I used to prune off whatever looked dead in April. He said to wait until June 1, because in our climate you can't tell what's dead until then. I followed his advice and had a Nikko full of blooms last summer. It gets morning sun. I just blow yard leaves over it to protect it in the fall. Yes, I KNOW that isn't really winter protection, but it's what I'm willing to do. I also have many other hydrangeas that will bloom, so if this one doesn't it isn't too upsetting. It does seem to be a diva. Other advice from my local gardener: Do not disturb the plants at all until May 1, then remove winter protection, dead leaves at the base and old flower heads. Once a week, feed with half strength Miracid until blooms start. Prune in June. Some of the old wood wakes up late. Do not remove dead flower heads in the fall. This helps the plant harden and protect itself for winter. When it's a good year for the fruit crops in your area, it's also a good year for hydrangeas. I'd follow this guy's advice for a year. Don't move the plant again. It's an added stress that might be hurting. If next summer, the fruit crops are good and you still don't have blooms, yank it and replace with something more reasonable. Just my 2cents. Now I'll step back and let the arguing begin :)...See MoreMy PeeGee Hydrangea won't bloom
Comments (7)jclay your hydrangeas are beautiful! I imagine you are both right, I need to use some compost. Luis, I had another hydrangea that someone gave me as a gift. It was pink, I planted it and it took 10 years for that one to bloom again. Now it's growing slowly but has lots of blooms. So perhaps my yard needs a major work-over! I am in zone 7a. Last winter had a couple of 20 degree days but not that many, and I don't remember any hard frosts in the spring. I don't believe deer are eating the blooms, the plant really looks great, other than no blooms, and I have never seen any buds. This shrub gets full sun from about 8am to 4 pm. I haven't tested my soil, but I am pretty sure I added absolutely nothing when I planted it. As a matter of fact, a few years after planting, I had to add more top soil because the roots were starting to show. That was about 6 years ago. I live in northern virginia, so I believe our soil is fairly acidic. Thanks so much for your help! Can anyone tell me how to add a pic to my post?...See MoreWhy won't my hydrangeas bloom?
Comments (5)Hydrangeas sold at grocery stores - like Trader Joe's - are manipulated into bloom at an early age and often, out of season. Once they have finished up with the flowers and buds they come with, they are done for that season.....and maybe even for a couple of seasons. They need time to establish in the garden and put on some maturity before they can be expected to flower again and to produce flowers of typical size. In zone 9/10, winterkill of buds is not an issue but the previous comments about pruning times are relevant. If you want a hydrangea expected to produce flowers consistantly and of "normal" size, purchase a plant intended for the landcape from a nursery or garden center. Grocery store hydrangeas, aka florist's hydrangeas, are intended as blooming houseplants or gift plants, although they can usually be transitioned into the garden well.....given time :-)...See MoreHydrangeas that won't bloom. An unknown variety
Comments (8)I would check the levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to see if they are high or low. High nitrogen levels indicate that one may be over-fertilizing; and too much N makes the plant concentrate of growth at the expense of blooms. Six hours of sun is great. You can go as low as 1-2 or plant in indirectly lighted areas... kind of like a full shade location that has bright (as opposed to dense shade). Bright shade locations are places where the sunlight hits inches away so it is bright. Or places where surfaces like cement walls or driveways bounce light -hopefully not too much- towards the hydrangea's location, making the area bright. Miracid does not acidify the soil as amendments like iron-chelated compounds or aluminum sulfate but it contains nitrogen in various percentages depending on the package so ck the NPK Ratio to make sure you are not adding a lot of N. For example, the Miracid box in the link below has 30% nitrogen (NPK Ratio is 30-10-10). If you add this often then nitrogen can slowly build up to high levels. A soil test can accurately tell you (a cheapo soil test will not be as accurate but may give a hint if things are high). If using chemical fertilizers, you can use a general purpose, slow-release fertilizer with a NPK Ratio of about 10-10-10 in the Spring. http://www.sears.com/the-scotts-co-1-g-p-acid-lv-plant-food/p-SPM2697788902?hlSellerId=22023&sid=IDx20110310x00001i&kpid=SPM11935403316&kispla=SPM11935403316&gclid=CLOS1qqFuM0CFRY7gQodInoJZg A 1/2 to full cup of organic compost, composted manure or cottonseed meal in Spring should be all you need provided you soil has no mineral deficiencies. You can also add minor weak fertilizers like liquid seaweed, liquid fish or coffee grounds during the growing season but stop at the end of June, so the plant will go dormant at its proper time in the Fall. The ones mentioned above have a lot of "minor" elements (Calcium, Magnesium, etc) that the plants always need....See Moreego45
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