How can I nurture my hydrangea plants so that they flower?
What should I add to my hydrangeas plant to make it flower? The foliage is healthy and lush but no flowers or sign of flowers to come . This has me baffled .
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You might be pruning it in the wrong way. Some Hydrangea need to be pruned in early spring and others never need pruning. You need to know the variety so you can find out which type you have. Other than that it might need more sun or fertilizer for acid loving plants like Holly Tone.
Might possibly be related to your planting zone seasonal conditions. Was your winter spring temperatures quite cold —it’s possible these conditions may have destroyed your blossoms for this season. A different cultivar might be suggested.
Please refer to the links below. I hope this helps.
In summer, branches produce new buds for the next spring. These buds stay dormant all winter and bloom in spring. If winter temperatures got too cold, or if there is a spring cold snap that kills the buds, non-reblooming Hydrangea macrophylla will not produce flowers that year.
There are hundreds of bigleaf hydrangea cultivars in
the trade, however, aside from flower type and color, the principal cultivar selection criteria is cold hardiness. Bigleaf hydrangea is rated as a zone 6 to 9 species; however, the shoot system (leaves, stems, and buds) of many cultivars are not hardy in zone 6 (areas west of Roanoke, Virginia), where average minimum tempera- tures for zone 6 are zero to minus10 F. In general, tem- peratures below zero F will kill flower buds as well as well as stems, but new stems may be regenerated from roots the following spring provided that the low winter temperatures did not kill the root system. Flower buds, but not necessarily stems, can be killed in thee range of zero to 10 F.
http://blogs.lt.vt.edu/mastergardener/how-to-choose- a-big-leaf-hydrangea-for-your-garden/
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=share&v=ypbg4Ypg1w4
Fertilizing hydrangeas too often makes them spend most of their energy on producing big, healthy leaves and not flowers. Either fertilize once in spring and once in mid-summer, or use a time-released fertilizer once in the spring only. More than that can stunt blooming.Hydrangeas in their first or second year of being planted often will not give out blooms. This is because they are focusing the majority of their energy on growing a good root system to keep them strong and healthy in their new location. This is a good thing! Be patient with your hydrangeas and give them a year or two before you expect them to bloom.
Hydrangeas don’t require pruning, but in some cases it can promote blooming and give you a better display. However, incorrect pruning of hydrangeas is the most common cause of blooming problems because if you prune at the wrong time you can easily end up removing the early buds before they mature (more on correct pruning times here).
Hydrangea varieties fall into three different pruning categories: old growth (Hydrangea macrophylla), new growth (Hydrangea arborescens and Hydrangea paniculata), and Endless Summer series hydrangeas. Endless Summer and old growth hydrangeas should be pruned as soon as the flowers begin to fade. New growth plants should be pruned back in late winter or early spring. Find out which type of hydrangea you have and prune accordingly. If you are unsure of what type of hydrangea you have, skip pruning altogether and see if that helps it to bloom.
Sometimes hydrangeas are vulnerable to wind during the coldest months and need to be insulated over winter. You can protect them with a chicken-wire cage or stakes supporting a burlap wrap. Add fallen leaves or straw in between the plant and the wrap or cage for insulation.
If your hydrangea is getting too much shade, that may be why it isn’t blooming. Hydrangeas want partial shade, but they also need about 4 hours of dappled sun per day. Try transplanting to a sunnier spot if your hydrangea is in the dark all day.
Hydrangeas also need a lot of moisture, especially in the first one or two years. Plant them in soil that does not dry out completely, or else water daily in the summer.
Last, but not least, make sure you are picking hydrangea varieties that are appropriate for your zone. Just because one hydrangea does not work for you doesn’t mean that there isn’t another variety that will thrive in your climate.