When do limelight hydrangeas "leaf out"?
Sarah TB
2 years ago
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littlebug zone 5 Missouri
2 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
2 years agoRelated Discussions
hydrangeas leafing out
Comments (8)Although this is a very old thread and I'm not sure of its relevance, I would never attempt to distinguish Nikko Blue from Endless Summer based on the photo above. And I'm not sure size has much to do with it with regards to the photo. Endless Summer The Original only gets to be about half the size of a mature Nikko - 4'x5' (maybe) compared to 6'x10'. A mature Nikko Blue is a massive hydrangea. In my climate, Nikko is a pretty reliable rebloomer. It was part of the parentage of Endless Summer for this reason....See Moreoakleaf hydrangea only leafing out at bottom
Comments (5)Sounds like the shrub had a pretty rough winter and the stems dried out but the roots are generating new stems so all is still fine. Even though oakleaf hydrangeas are winter hardy to your zone, this can happen if environmental factors work just right. Completely dead stems can now be pruned off to ground level. Partly dried out ones can be pruned from the top downwards in small increments; stop when you get to green or to the bottom. Wildly fluctuating temperatures, fertilizing too much or fertilizing in/after July can have detrimental results as these things will keep the plant in growth mode when the plant should instead be going dormant. Not much you can do if Mother Nature keeps the temps going up and down but you could winter protect the shrubs in order to prevent the stems from dieing. I prefer to stop fertilizing by June, maintain 3-4" of mulch at all times and water the shrubs before a big drop in temperatures. If your winter is dry, this can also promote the death of stems. Watering during winter (provided your soil has not frozen) once a week or once every two weeks is the only solution to that. I had a late start to winter more than 5 years ago when the highs stayed in the 70s thru December. Then winter suddenly arrived and with a vengance; temperatures dropped below freezing for a week. It did kill some of the stems but the majority survived. The problem was that almost all of those stems that survived had their flower buds killed. So I got only a handful of blooms....See MoreHave your oak leaf hydrangeas leafed out yet?
Comments (5)Ah the hopefulness of a gardener with a dead shrub. I'm doing the same thing with a leafless Cotinus Golden Spirit while one on the other side of the yard is fully clothed in leaves now. Tonight I bent the main branches and they were still flexible so I declared there was still hope. Yes, all Oakleaf hydrangeas here, even a 5 inch cutting in a pot, are fully leafed out now. And I'm well north of you. So sorry :(...See MoreMy Limelight Hydrangea Tree
Comments (31)Well, I can only speak from my experience. As you can see from my pictures, I did a really hard prune. I am shocked by how beautifully it has grown back and prolifically bloomed. I don’t think removing them will hurt the appearance of the trees. If you want them to maintain a tree structure I would recommend cutting those suckers off either late fall or early spring. Most people say to prune in early spring but it can also be done in fall. Basically, the suckers are taking energy away from the development of the main tree trunk. Removing them will let the energy go into producing the tree, branches and flowers. Also, downward branches, weak/thin branches and crossways branches should be removed. Hope this helps! debra...See Moregardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years agodjacob Z6a SE WI
2 years agoRose Beginner(MA - 6A)
2 years ago
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