nikko blue is too big and doesnt bloom much

13 years ago

Its been about 8 years now since I planted my nikko blues. I want to get rid of them because they are too big,they are covering my front windows and all I get is mostly foliage. I only prune in the spring and only the dead looking branches,the rest I leave. Anyway Im tired of them...I want some of the new versions like endless summer and ones that are known for blooming better and are easier to care for. The things are huge.I guess I have to cut them down and dig them up. I hope the roots aren't too deep. Has anyone ever tackled this task before.

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Comments (4)

luis_pr
13 years ago
You could prune the NB stems in thirds (one third of all stems a year) if you wanted to. But if you want to replace them, yes, some of the roots may be big after 8 years of growth. And I would not be surprised if you have baby NBs from "leftover" roots either. Consider giving them away to a gardening club in your city. Some of them have sales in the Fall to generate funds.
Tim Wood
13 years ago
Very typical of Nikko and most Hydrangea marcophylla. The flower buds which form in late summer and autumn are killed by frosts in fall or spring and you end up with lots of leaves and no blooms. Endless Summer and Let's Dance hydrangeas might give you better luck as the flower buds are formed in the fall and more are produced in spring and summer so they flower even if the buds are damaged in winter or early spring. Hydrangea arboresens is another option as they make their flower buds in the spring. Annabells is the most common but now there is Incrediball (larger flowers and stronger stems) and Invincibelle Spirit ( pink flowers). Hydrangea paniculata (PEE GEE) is also reliable. Little Lime Hydrangea would be a good choice as it is much smaller than typical. Limelight, Quick Fire, Pink Diamond, Pinky Winky are all good hardy, reliable varieties but they get quite tall 6-10'.
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Indeed Hanabi! "... also a 'bit too much' in the context of the garden."... I'd rather have a saucer-size than a dinnerplate one, that is not sustainable! I did notice the smaller foliage size on the axillary branches from the old canes & matching, muffin-size blossoms! A nurseryman did suggest prunning a few of old & new canes that seem weaker, to make bundling up, for winter cover-up more manageable & control size of bush. Not only do I have to winter protect, I also have to 'sun-screen' her up, from our Midwest summer ... since losing the dappled shade provided by a tree taken down in '05. I gave her an arbor topped with landscaping sun-shading-fab (looked hideous), planted a Sweet Autumn Clem on the wrong side (E - the only spot available) that now, is turning into a monster, in spite of regular hair-cut! Relocating an 18y/o Nik may kill her - can't afford to, starting new is not the same - so I'll try a cutting or also dig up SA Clem & sink her in a super large planter to be set on the W leg of arbor (may tame her down a bit) ... all these, for a, perhapa mere $12.50 florist Nikko Blue on Mom's Day in 1990!!! Â;) Many thanks again for the 'Nikko-Wisdom' shared Hanabi ... what would you do in my garden clogs? TIA for your thoughts! â:)
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YG, ".... the label does come from the grower but since they put the Lowes name on their label (Brent, my cultivars were named "Assorted Hydrangeas"), I consider Lowes or HD responsible." I'm pretty sure that big boxes send to growers PREPRINTED labels with their names, prices and barcodes. At the time of the order neither buyer nor vendor knows what will be 'ready' at the time of scheduled shipment. Generic tag 'Various/Assorted Hydrangea' surely suit both of them. If grower also attach small plastic ID tag you are lucky to know what is it, but don't put much fate in it as it might be a label that just become handy. Good example, I was at HD when they were unloading shipment of nicely grown hydrangeas. All plants were ABSOLUTELY identical, about 15-18" tall, full, luscious and loaded by nice pink flowers. All were carrying the same infamous 'Assorted hydrangea' label attached to the pots. To my surprise, when I start picking the plant I like the most, I found that there were 3(!) different kinds of name tags in that shipment: 'Masja', 'Princess Beatrix' and 'Hamburg'. I'm pretty sure that there were not 3 different hydrangeas (and especially not Masja that at 18" will be close to maturity), but rather one of the last two cultivars and grower just hang on a plants any tags that were available with pink hydrangea pictures. It was OK for me to buy such plant as I could afford space for 4-6' hydrangea, but will be very upsetting for someone else who would unsuspectedly bought 6' tall 'Hamburg' labeled as a 2-3' 'Masja'.
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Hello, Kate. You actually have two different questions. Where to plant and which variety to plant. I saw an ES and a NB somewhat close on a trip to Mass several years ago. The NB was planted close to a wall while the ES was planted near other trees/shrubs. Both shrubs had similar height/width but the ES was older (NB was > 3 years old). I am not sure how old the bldg was; it was one of several in a retirement community. The blooms were similar but I liked the shade of blue of the NB more. It seemed more vibrant. NB also seemed to have more blooms than the ES. Several people have written posts regarding lack of blooms with ES, mostly those in Zones 4 and 5. Winter protection is now auggested with ES in the coldest zones (4 and maybe 5). On the other hand, I read where ES has increased mildew resistance than NB. Should you decide based on that? No. I suggest you get both if you want to compare and see for yourself as there are many variables that can affect what I saw in Mass and what you will see in Kansas. Only by planting them side by side you get the necessary conditions to compare them correctly. Other good blues worth checking are Blaumaise, Blue Bird & Blue Deckle, Miranda and Nighingale (all lacecaps) or you can check Blue Prince, Enziandom, Hamburg, Gen. Vicomtesse de Vibraye and Marechal Foch (all mopheads). The location of the new plant should be treated as a separate question. If you can determine that the NB's old location can be a problem because you will not be able to water it correctly then select another location regardless of which variety you end up selecting. While you now have more shade in the old location, you need to make sure that the old moisture problem will not cause problems again. The other place near the birch tree where you already have some hydrangeas sounds ok too. Lastly, some people have had experiences that make them label NB as hardier or tougher. You could try searching for some of these posts by keying on nikko blue or something like that; probably pay special attention to posts of people with the same type (or similar) of weather as you do. Luis
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"I’m not sure why it’s called blue if the ph is what determines the color." All bigleaf hydrangeas would prefer to be grown in acidic soil conditions. And it is the aluminum in the soil that makes the flowers blue. Less than properly acidic soil conditions (too high a pH) tie up aluminum and make it unavailable to the plant and then the flowers tend towards the purply pink colors rather than a true blue. And even in properly acidic soils, if there is not sufficient aluminum available, the flowers will not be blue. Some bigleaf hydrangeas have flower pigmentation that makes them less amenable to color changes due to pH. I would consider Nikko Blue one of those in that it will tend mostly to blues (often a rather pale, washed out blue). It is seldom ever a true pink, even in alkaline soils, but more of a muddy pink color. "As expected there are as many opinions as their (sic) are gardeners. " The info I provided on fertilizers is not just my opinon :-) It is science based and easily researched! If you understand plant morphology and how they process and use nutrients, it becomes very clear how so-called "special' ferts - like transplant fert or bloom boosters - do not work efficiently in the manner in which they are intended. Or better than any general all-purpose fertilizer. They are really just a marketing gimmick intended to sell more fertilizers
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Mary Forsyth
2 years ago
can the blooms be saved by covering the hydrangeas for the winter?
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years ago
"can the blooms be saved by covering the hydrangeas for the winter?"

Depending on location, may not be just as simple as 'covering' the hydrangea. Successful winter protection generally involves a bit more then mere covering :-) There have been many, many discussions on this forum over the years on methods of winter protection and here is a link that will connect you to many of them: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/hydra/query/winter-protection/nqrw

I can't tell you which works best, as there is no need for this in my climate. But I do suggest winter protection for anyone living in zone 6 or below but zone 7's may benefit as well, as it is often the wide fluctuations in spring temperatures that cause the most bud damage. I'd also recommend this for new wood bloomers as well, as the less dieback from cold weather involved, the more vigorous the new growth will be and the greater the chances for flowering.

This protection only involves Hydrangea macrophylla cultivars (and closely related serratas), as the other commonly grown species are more cold tolerant and bloom reliably on new growth.

nikko blue is too big and doesnt bloom much

Comments (4)

luis_pr

Tim Wood

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Mary Forsyth

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

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