Q.How To Get Hydrangeas Back On Track To Bloom; Confused About Old Wood Vs New Wood
Have only been at this property for a short time…when I arrived end of last year, the Hydrangea bush was beautiful with all the blooms. After a hard winter in Northeast Ohio, I pruned in early Spring, and the photos attached shows how healthy the bush grew, BUT 2 blooms.I obviously did something wrong or didn’t do something I needed to do. I read a number of articles talking about the hydrangeas growing from the OLD WOOD…or NEW WOOD. IF I understand what I read correctly, my Hydrangeas should be coming back on the old wood. I did prune, but perhaps I didn’t do it soon enough or was much as I should have. However, it appears that the plant came back on what would be considered new wood???….is this why it didn’t bloom despite looking so healthy?? It’s now Sept 2, 2025, so confused about where to go from here. Any assistance would be appreciated. I moved from Florida for the last 2 decades where we tried to have Hydrangeas in pots but they definitely didn’t like the heat even in the shade.
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
The foliage does look healthy. Make sure you don't overfertilize, that will prevent blooms, too. The best thing to do is not to prune it, till you see when it blooms. I believe you have a macrophylla type and they DO bloom on old wood. That means if it needs shaping, you can do it immediately after flowering. That is because they form the next year's flower buds in the summer. So, if you prune anytime after summer, you are cutting off the next year's blooms. That is what is called blooming on old wood.
The panicle hydrangeas bloom on new wood or new growth so they can be pruned in spring before the new growth starts.
Yours could be an Endless Summer hydrangea and it blooms on both old and new wood! So if yours blooms in the spring, then again in the summer, it likely is Endless Summer. Those really don't need pruning, just shape it up if needed after the first bloom cycle.
These articles should help:
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/hydrangea/
https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/pruning-hydrangeas-best-bloom
