Gardens
Hydrangea Care | My Hydrangea Doesn’t Bloom
Have you been struggling with a hydrangea that doesn’t bloom? Here are four common reasons why, and how to coax them back to color.
By Wayne Mezitt|Sep 21 2015|
Coffee By Design | Portland, Maine
Photo Credit : Katherine KeenanPhoto Credit : Brenda Darroch
Reasons Hydrangeas Don’t Bloom | Hydrangea Care & Advice
1. The plant is located in an area that doesn’t receive sufficient sunlight. 2. It may be planted too deep in the ground. 3. Last year’s flower buds are missing (cut off), or damaged by cold or fluctuating temperatures. 4. It’s a “florist” type that’s not sufficiently climate-hardy to produce flowers outdoors. To properly care for your hydrangea, make sure it gets at least six hours of sunlight per day all summer. In the fall, don’t cut back the top growth. Protect the branches from the winter and early-spring sun, which can damage buds owing to sharp temperature fluctuations. Make sure you provide sufficient moisture so that the plant grows vigorously and doesn’t wilt. Ask the experts at your local garden center to recommend varieties that have proven to be reliable performers in your area. Additional information on hydrangea care is also available on The American Hydrangea Society’s Web site: americanhydrangeasociety.orgSEE MORE: Hydrangea Care | Planting Tips and Maintenance The Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival
I have a healthy, blooming hydrangea, but my problem is that when it blooms, all of the blooms are too heavy for the stalks and the whole thing droops to the ground. I’ve tried cutting it back, to little avail. Beyond extensive staking, how can I get this to both bloom as heavily as it does AND stay upright?
When the Hydrangea blooms, and then the blooms lose their color and appear dead, do you cut the heads off? If you do deadhead them, will they bloom again the same season or not until the next season?
Hi Barbara, It’s okay to deadhead the flowers on your hydrangea after they turn brown. Buds formed this season will bloom the following year.
Had the particular bush for over 8 years bloomed the first few years and we have never seen another flower, I do remember breaking off a few flowers for mother, but still bloomed the flowing year. Haven’t seen a flower now in 5 years please help.
I recently bought a couple mini hydrangeas and asked about hydrangeas not blooming and was told in spring use Hollytone fertilizer, the one in the red package.
Can the plant be separated into two plants and if so when should you do it ?
Hi Teri,
We don’t have any information on separating hydrangeas at this time, but you should be able to find that answer by searching on Google. Good luck!
Hi Joseph,
I have had really nice luck putting a little fence around the hydrangea. You know those cheap little metal fences, usually green in color? I wrapped one around the base of the plant. The plant is very full supported nicely by the fencing. You do not see the fencing because the blooms still bend downward. It took about 5 minutes to do.
I live in Austin, Texas. Can I grow hydrangea? I have a plant in a pot. Can it grow in a pot and bloom? Thanks.
Does limelight hydrangea hold its unique color?
I have one in Maine ..it blooms every year . I was told some years ago that if you cut a flower in the fall when the blooms are at their peak. Either white or turning the following year you will have 3 blooms at that cut. I never have counted them but it grows at a very productive rate every year.