why aren’t my hydrangeas blooming?
cpannetti
4 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (13)
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
4 years agocallirhoe123
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Why aren't they blooming?
Comments (9)Steve, When was the last time you re-potted? Ideally, you should re-pot every six months as the soil gets worn, nutrients are used up and the pH may be affected. Have you fertilized? Plants get hungry like we do. Re-pot and remove all brown, yellow and off-green leaves. Their chlorophyll factories have shut down and are no longer of any use to your plant. This yellowing is a natural occurrence as leaves age and die off. Your violet will be much smaller but your center leaves look good. Re-pot in a smaller pot, one-third the size of your plant, (yes, your pot will be very small). Since it appears you only have one violet, get a small bag of AV soil and a small bag of perlite. Mix the perlite to about a one-third ratio to the soil. Do not fertilize for a while as the soil usually has fertilizer in it. It will say on the bag. Put your plant where it will get better light, not sun, than it has been getting. You should begin to see bloom after a re-pot and a light adjustment. It sounds like a hassle but it really isn't! Good luck! Linda...See MorePlants in Bloom, Why aren't hummers feeding?
Comments (5)There is that, swct! I live about 250-300 yards from railroad tracks, and the brush there is full of the invasive L. Japonica. As a matter of fact coming home this evening I noticed some in a lot about 100 yards from my house in an overgrown roadside border, while sitting at a red light. I wondered if I could dig some up and put it in a pot on my deck, and never thought that is what they were feeding on instead of my containers and feeders! Hunh, Go figure!...See MoreMy hydrangeas aren't making it in my yard :( Help!
Comments (4)Jen, I have planted a fast growing tree and that's why not all of the hydrangeas need to be moved. The bed is mulched heavily and I have soaker hoses permanently placed in the bed that I water at least every other day for a minimum of one hour. They are burnt to a crisp and have no blooms... :( I've treid everything I can think of and have just finally decided maybe they're just in the wrong spot... And yellow girl, first I have to say how much I appreciate all of your help that you have offered me in the past. I'm unsure of the pot idea because I have no place that I can put the pots where they wouldn't be in too much sun. I also don't have any basement garage space to spare. Would they do ok under a covered porch against the foundation in my zone? And what size pot would you put those in? Holly, thanks for the report of your potted hydrangeas. One of the things I'd like to try to avoid is high maintenance and so right now I limit the amount of pots I have. So your insight was helpful in reminding me not to become too overzealous about potting up the hydrangeas without thinking about their maintenance. Frankly, I think I just imagined a garden that I can't have. And I'm going to need to rethink it. Somewhat discouraging, but I'm thrilled that I've get to keep at least some of my hydrangeas....See MoreWhy aren't my Hydrangeas turning pink??
Comments (2)Hmm. I have noticed some hydrangeas here will also skip the pinks (or other intermediate colors) and go directly to greenish-pinkish or even brown too. Some paniculatas (not your type of hydrangea) such as Vanilla Strawberry for example, will not achieve pinks (let alone its famous magenta) here on year 1; it goes from white to green with pink splotches. I am waiting to see in future years that improves as it gets "older". Other older paniculatas have had this issue so I am now trying earlier blooming ones to see if they get pinks earlier in the summer. Another example of this problem happens to me regularly with Little Limelight. In its current location, it only gets bright shade so it stays green and does not transition to white. Instead of turning white after a few weeks, it remains green and at the end of the growing season, it turns green-pinkish. Funny though. It turns out that I prefer seeing the green blooms all the time now. So with limited sun, Little Lime bypasses white and goes green-pink. I assume lack of enough sunlight is the cause since LL is in bright shade (actually, the shrub is located just a few inches from getting sunlight!) and in a protected location where it gets sufficient moisture. So, over here, I 'blame' this issue on very high summer temperatures, insufficient sunlight and-or drying winds. If the blooms turn brown and there is no fungal issues, I assume there is a problem with winds drying the plant too much or soil moisture issues doing the same. If the plant skips a color but the sepals do not turn brown, I assume the plant needs more sunlight. In SD, your temps are not as bad so I would check the other conditions: a location that is protected from winds but still provides morning sun thru 11am (more or less) and provides evenly moist soil conditions at all times (or obviously, as best as you can). Dry-wet-dry-wet-dry issues will make the plant first abort the blooms in the summer and they will turn brown. If the moisture problem becomes more pronounced then the leaves will also be affected and show symptoms. I do not know what fungicide you used or if it may have interfered with the bloomage but insecticides/fungicides can do all sorts of things. However, I think if the fungicide had affected your blooms, it would have affected the leaves too.... but these look just fine in you picture. Some hydrangeas improve bloomage after 3 years so give it a try for that long and replace it if it still does not perform well....See Morecpannetti
4 years agohyed
4 years agoUser
4 years agohyed
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoUser
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agocpannetti
4 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
4 years agoBilly (Zone6 Mass)
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoluis_pr
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoTim Wood
4 years ago
Related Stories
GARDENING GUIDESWhat’s in a Name? See 6 Wildflowers That Aren’t ‘Weeds’ at All
Dispel the stereotypes of weeds and try these wildlife-supporting native wildflowers in your garden
Full StoryGARDENING AND LANDSCAPINGHave a Ball With Hydrangeas
Even if you don't tinker with the hue by changing the soil, hydrangeas have an entertaining range of uses in all kinds of landscapes
Full StoryFLOWERS AND PLANTSHydrangea Arborescens Illuminates Garden Borders and Paths
This long-blooming eastern North American native shrub finds a home in landscapes around the world
Full StoryFLOWERS AND PLANTSSpectacular Blooms Distinguish the Common Lilac Bush
Don’t let the name fool you. There’s nothing ordinary about the blooms this centuries-long favorite produces
Full StoryNATIVE PLANTSGreat Native Plant: Grow Wild Quinine for Its Unique Clusters of Blooms
Get connoisseur cred and unique blooms with this uncommon plant. Bonus assets: It’s low maintenance and drought tolerant
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESGreat Design Plant: Oakleaf Hydrangea
Consider this full, flowering shrub for year-round beauty in the garden as you plan your fall plantings
Full StoryTREES6 Unsung Spring-Blooming Trees
Billowy blooms and rare fragrances will make you wonder how these flowering trees could ever have been underused in landscapes
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESWhen Is the Right Time to Prune Your Hydrangeas?
The type of hydrangea you have determines when it’s time to trim
Full StoryFALL GARDENINGPlant Freesias for Sweet-Smelling Blooms in Spring
These colorful flowers lend a cheerful touch to garden beds
Full StoryCOLORRooms Bloom with Daffodil Colors
Spread sunshine throughout your home's interior design with the yellow and green colors of this flower-power palette
Full Story
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)