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I think I goofed!

16 years ago

I bought a beautiful Nikko Blue hydrangea last year(summer). It was a good size one with many beautiful blooms. After our first hard freeze, usually end of November or first part of December, I cut it back to the ground. Now, after reading some of these posts, I assume I shouldn't have done that. One post said not to cut it back in August, which I didn't, but I sure did after the first freeze. So far this summer the hydrangea has grown nicely but no blooms. Is this the reason for no blooms? Should I just leave it totally alone this winter? Thank you. Vicki p. s. Could I still have some blooms this year or should it have bloomed by now?

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Comments (3)

ego45
16 years ago
"One post said not to cut it back in August,..."

Not to cut it back PAST August. Period.

Yes, just leave it alone. It will bloom for you next year.
luis_pr
16 years ago
I suggest not cutting them earlier, George. Here in Texas, our flower buds can develop in August; I learned that the hard way when I gave a friend of mine permission to cut my hydrangea blooms in May and she got them in mid August. Wiped me out. Next May, I had almost no flowers. So for people in the lower southern states, I recommend no pruning/cutting starting in August.

However, I noticed that you live in Texas too so, what flower buds you failed to prune/cut, the weather may have killed. I live near D/FW Airport and, last fall, we had a warm spell followed by a several days of freezing temperatures and ice. As a result, I got only 3 blooms this year with growth coming back mostly from the crown. First time that has happened. My Nikko Blue had two blooms and an unnamed hydrangea had one. A real wimpy year, hu?

Luis
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Carol, what did I do wrong?
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ego45
16 years ago
Luis, you are right, 100% agree. Timing for pruning is a zonal thing and 'one date fits all' doesn't work in this case.
Thank you for correcting me.

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