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Top Questions About Hydrangea Plants

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Questions About Hydrangea Plants

  • Answered by
    GKH_Susan on
    February 26, 2022
    Certified Expert
    A.

    The flower buds will be on the ends of the stems (terminal buds) or on separate flower stalks. They are plumper than leaf buds, which are more pointed. If you have a bigleaf hydrangea, it forms flower buds on the previous season's growth (old wood), so do not cut those off or you will lose your blooms. Prune those after flowering. Here is a good guide. If you don't know the type of hydrangea you have, it's best not to prune. Wait to see when the shrub blooms, spring vs summer, which will tell you when to prune.

    https://hgic.clemson.edu/pruning-hydrangeas/

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  • Answered by
    GKH_Susan on
    March 8, 2022
    Certified Expert
  • Answered by
    GKH_Susan on
    March 25, 2022
    Certified Expert
    A.

    It looks like you get a few blooms. Make sure you aren't overfertilizing. Too much nitrogen will bring a lot of foliage but reduced blooms. In fact, most hydrangeas do well without any fertilizer. It looks like they may get a lot of shade. Hydrangeas do best with morning sun and moist soil. They may not be getting much rain under the eaves.

    It is the bigleaf hydrangea, and you are right, it blooms on previous summer's bud development. You can see buds on the early stems so you do not want to prune till after it blooms. Your type just has one big show. Unless you have the variety that blooms on old and new wood, they won't rebloom the same summer.

    So lack of blooms is not a pruning issue if you are not pruning, so here are some more ideas:

    https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/hydrangea/hydrangea-not-blooming.htm

    https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/hydrangea/do-hydrangeas-rebloom.htm

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  • Answered by
    luis_pr on
    March 25, 2022
    A.

    In a cold zone like yours, a hydrangea that blooms on old wood can fail to bloom if winter injuries kill the stems; in spring, the stems do not leaf out and all new growth consists of new stems that originate from the crown or base. Here in Texas with milder winters, a variation of that occurs: cold in late frost kills the flower buds inside the ends of the stems but the stem is not killed or is not completely killed. Winter protection of the stems ends is then required to protect the stem ends from cold and late frosts. A remontant macrophylla cultivar may be more bloom reliable although a different type of hydrangea may be both more winter hardy and more bloom reliable: hydrangea paniculatas and-or Annabelle-like hydrangeas as both of those usually bloom on new wood, which is normally not affected by winter cold.

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  • Answered by
    GKH_Susan on
    April 28, 2022
    Certified Expert
    A.

    It may be from transplant shock and a bit too much water and/or fertilizer. Hold off on fertilizing again for a year; hydrangeas don't need much.

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  • Answered by
    GKH_Susan on
    May 6, 2022
    Certified Expert
    A.

    They should be fine. However, if your hydrangeas bloom on last year's growth, you may have cut some blooms off. This year, take note when they bloom and also compare the height, bloom color and shape, and leaves with photos below of the different kinds of hydrangeas. Once you know what you have, you can prune easily, if needed. When in doubt, it's best not to prune at all, except for dead wood like you were doing.

    https://hgic.clemson.edu/pruning-hydrangeas/

    https://extension.umd.edu/resource/guide-pruning-hydrangeas

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  • Answered by
    BushDoctor on
    May 5, 2022
    Certified Expert
    A.

    Unfortunately, this isn't simple. Mainly, pruning and bloom time will be determined by which of the five types of hydrangea that you have. This will, also, determine if it flowers on new or old wood.

    https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/hydrangea

    https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/hydrangea/when-do-hydrangeas-bloom.htm

    https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/hydrangea/prune-hydrangea-bushes-hydrangea-pruning-instructions.htm

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