I think they're dead..sorry..

You can normally wait until the end of May in the northern states over here and then consider stems that have not leafed out as 'dead stem's. You could do something similar in Canada but maybe a few weeks later... but the color should not be brown in May. You can also scratch the cambium layer under those leaf buds very carefully to see if you notice any "green".

I find leaves to be a pain and have switched to using mulch for winter protection instead. I tried hay, which worked fine but ended with hay everywhere sometimes after windy days. Mulch will also spread a little but not as much.

Is this a mophead or lacecap?

Darn. So much effort spent too. But I'm not giving up. When you use mulch instead of leaves, should I fill the chicken wire cylinder with mulch? Any type of mulch better than another?

Luis, this one is called Forever Pink. Would that be Mophead or Lacecap? I have 2 different types in different areas of the property that bloom on old and new wood and they are in the same shape sadly.

Patti, I’m in GTA as well, and winter protected a few of mine. Uncovered in April, which was probably too soon, mine are goners. Our weather has been tough. It’s a shame, but I look at it as a chance to try something new.

If I knew it was that difficult to get these to bloom properly I would never bought these types. Of course they look great in the greenhouse so you think you have a chance if you have a half of a green thumb. I will try again this fall - one filled with mulch and the others flattened with cardboard. If that still doesn't work, I am going to dig them up and get rid of them. I don't need more greenery out there. I have lots of hostas for that!

#1 I tried my shed (one winter 7 pots)..#2 surrounded the inground ones with leaf filled garbage bags..then covered with leaves..#3 my husband built a square "tube" out of cedar..I sat it down over the planted hydrangea then covered with leaves..I had some "limited" success with these attempts but it was disappointing for the effort..last fall I still had one in a pot so I put it in the shed..I did nothing for the others..I will never buy another mac unless I move to a warmer climate..

Patti, I have always wondered how well the cardboard method fares compared to the other methods. Put some bricks on the cardboard so it does not fly away and maybe add mulch under the cardboard for more protection (leave it there after winter is over). Post your results in 2020.

Yes, I sure will. One more try and then they're out of there. Going to only plant new growth bloom types like the ones I have by my garage. What types only bloom on new wood?

Paniculata hydrangeas are the best for cold climates, the bloom on new growth so reliably bloom year after year. Thus, I strongly recommend paniculatas.

If you are set on the mophead type blooms of Macs you can try endless summer or bloomstruck as they are marketed as blooming on both new and old wood. However, I will warn you that the new wood blooming is spotty at best so I would still winter protect if you want a chance of getting blooms.

Thank you. I will definitely seek out Paniculata varieties if these don't overwinter well again. I do have an endless summer but it's in the same boat as the other two - dead old wood buds. And you are right - I only got a couple sparse blooms on the new wood last summer. Not as impressive as when I bought it. It was an endless summer of disappointment and I'm heading into another one this year.

I too struggle with protecting macs (Nikko blue) in the Hudson Valley. It's very difficult to cover the tips of mine with leaves, which is where the flower buds will be, so I'm now wondering if I should cut the shrubs way back after blooming so they are a size that can be completely covered in winter. Or maybe selectively shorten half of the stems so I can enjoy the fall blossoms on the rest? Anyone try this?

Did you chop/crush up the leaves? If not, what might have happened was there was too much air in between the leaves and it didn't actually insulate the plant. I ended up using hay this past winter with great success. Pain in the ass to clean up though.

Hi, Billy. No I just stuffed the leaves in whole. Maybe that's why they didn't work well? Sounds like a lot of people comment that using hay/straw is too messy. So were your old wood buds greenish when you uncovered yours?

OK, my guess is the leaves weren't crushed up enough to really insulate the plant. There was probably a lot of air pockets in between the leaves. Hay/straw is a much better insulator in my opinion because it get really get into every nook and cranny leaving very little air. Yea it was a little messy cleaning it up but wasn't hard. Just have to take your time and go very slow. I actually used a shop vac on reverse to blow out the hard to get hay, actually worked like a charm.

When I removed the hay on one of my Macros, I actually had baby stems all over the shrub. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5670024/winter-protection-results.

Billy, I just read your posting on the copied link above. Such a great resource. Thank you.

You're welcome. Not sure if you are interested in trying another variety but figured I'd toss this out there if you really want those blue flowers.. The Nantucket Blues are supposedly better performers for us folks up North. It's a rebloomer type that blooms multiple times during the growing season and blooms on old wood as well as new. The biggest benefit of this type is if the shrub suffers from winter dieback, you'll still get blooms on new wood.

I got three waves of blooms from the shrub last growing season! When I bought it in the end of May, it already had a bunch of blooms on it. Got a second wave in end of June/early July and then a final one in mid August. Currently right now the shrub is covered in baby blooms. Very impressed with it's performance so far.

http://www.gardendebut.com/plant/NANTUCKET-BLUE-HYDRANGEA

The USDA Zone 4 Hardiness, that's for the roots, not the blooms. You still want to winter protect it for maximum blooms.