Big leaf hydrangeas not blooming
ksmetamaid
6 years ago
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ksmetamaid
6 years agoRelated Discussions
oak leaf hydrangeas are not blooming
Comments (6)If they grow in dense shade, they will bloom poorly. If they get too much fertilizer, they will stay nice & green but will not bloom so, make sure that you do not over do fertilizer applications. Note: fertilizer drift from the lawn can cause this problem; lawn fertilizer has a lot of nitrogen. There is low priced soil kit that can be bought to determine if your soil has too much nitrogen but I have not seen it for sale everywhere, only in selected nurseries. A single fertilizer application in June (for the whole year) is enough if you live in the northern half of the country... twice a year if you live in the southern half (fertilize in May/June and again in July). The only exception is for potted plants. And you can add weak fertilizers during the growing season as long as you quit around July-August; this prevents the plant from forcing new growth just as winter arrives and kills all tender new growth. Make sure that the plant does not get too little moisture or it will abort flower buds. It is drought tolerant but only up to a point. If your winter months are dry and the ground does not freeze, water every two weeks or so. Consistently moist soil should be the goal. For example: no dry periods, followed by wet periods, by dry, etc. If you water too much, the plant can also develop root rot. Root rot prevents the top growth from getting enough water and the plant behaves as if you had not given it enough water. If root rot progresses, the plant leaves may brown out and the whole shrub could die. Pests can also eat the flower buds: squirrels, deer, rabbits are hydrangoholics. Oakleafs are hardy to Zone 5 so it would be rare for the weather to be a causal agent if you live in Zones 7-8. Pruning at the wrong time can also cause this problem. Oakleafs begin flower bud production for Spring 2012 in July-August 2011. If you prune now then you would be cutting off next year's blooms. Similarly, if LAST YEAR you pruned on or after July, you may have cut off this year's blooms. The solution is to prune after the plant blooms but before the start of July. Luis...See MoreAre big leaf hydrangeas late this year?
Comments (1)A week after Christmas we had a warm spell and my hydrangeas broke dormancy . I hoped the swelling buds might be leaves, not flowers. The cold got those, then in March we got another warm spell and they broke dormancy again, followed by more freezing temps. I have about 100 hydrangeas, mostly big leaf, and I have 3 blossoms, and no hope for any more. The cold didn't effect them as much as the unseasonal warm spells....See Morebest Home for Big Leaf Hydrangea
Comments (2)I do wonder . Especially given how hosta have grown from three stems in less than 2 years. However they seem to need the same site conditions? And right now the hydrangea are struggling so bad I just want to get them growing -. Period....See MoreBig Daddy Hydrangea dieback and no blooms
Comments (24)Hey all. Popping in here to give an update and ask another related question. First, an update. Based on gardengal's suggestion, I got a soil test and found the ph level is 7.8, which I have learned is very high for hydrangea health. I purchased some soil acidifier and applied it to both plants, along with some iron tone and some peat moss. This was done in 2 months ago. Today, I went out to give everything a closer look, as well as prune out the dead stems. I have mostly new growth coming straight from the crown, which means most of the shrub died all the way back. However, I have a couple of stems that survived and are sprouting leaves. I also have one or two monster stems, the size of which I have not gotten before. Usually the stems are little whispy fellas about the size of a pencil, or maybe your pinkie. These big ones are about the size of your thumb. Also, the leaves are as large as I have seen them, at least in a while. They aren't as big as they need to be, but at least they aren't the little runts I have been getting. However, I noticed some of the leaves started to show signs of chlorosis again. See the pics below. Is it too soon (2 months later) to see a results from my soil acidifier/irontone application, or should I apply more, or apply something else?...See Moreksmetamaid
6 years agoksmetamaid
6 years ago
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