Hydrangea Buds Are Drying Up Instead Of Flowering.

Question

The buds on my hydrangea bushes are turning brown and shriveling up instead of flowering. There is another hydrangea bush next to it that has flowered normally, so it seems unlikely that this is just due to insufficient water. Is there any other reason why the buds would dry up like this?

Answer 1

Hydrangea flower buds will turn brown if they have experienced winter damage (not applicable on a hydrangea that produces buds this late, like most hydrangea paniculatas), plants that are getting a spider mite infestation, fertilizer or too much sulfur burn (water prior to fertilizing a plant whose soil is dry; do not apply excessive amounts of acidifying amendments) or when the plant is under heat stress. Heat stress can take one of these forms: very high temperatures, hot drying summer winds, too much sunlight, not getting water or not getting enough water). A recently transplanted/planted paniculata that lacks enough water can also abort the flower buds because the root system is young or was disturbed by transplanting and is stressed in the summer.