My climbing hydrangea is 7 years old and has never bloomed. I live in zone 6, the little branch roots have never attached to the

Question

arbor, it continues to climb. It comes back every spring nice and green, however, when I came home from vacation a couple of weeks ago the ends of most leaves are brown. This happens every summer to some extent and it has never bloomed. I have tried fertilizing in the spring; do the little branch roots need to attach to something to bloom, because they are not at all attached to the wood arbor.

Answer 1

They do take several seasons to establish but 7 years? You say yours is climbing but not attaching to the wood arbor. As long as it is climbing it’s OK. They won’t bloom if they are running along the ground. Are you pruning in late summer or winter? If so, you may be cutting off the next year’s blooms. They bloom in late spring and summer and start forming new buds about a month later.

Here are more things to check for:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/climbing-hydrangea/climbing-hydrangea-wont-bloom.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/climbing-hydrangea/climbing-hydrangea-pruning.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/climbing-hydrangea/growing-climbing-hydrangeas.htm