You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!
Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.
Login
If you don't have an account yet, visit the registration page to sign up.
are they in the same location? looks to me like its getting too much sun. I had to transplant one to another part of the yard because it wasn't blooming. The ones in partial shade bloomed and did great.
I had the same problem. I ordered 6 different colored ones they never did do any thing. They just sat there , they didn`t die but they didn`t grow. I finaly moved them to another location. They all died but one, I have a pretty bush but no blooms . I decided they just dont like my soil ,also I cut them back wrong. Can someone tell me the proper way to cut them back ?
mincey1
I found that not cutting them is the answer. You may cut out some of the old wood stalks from the previous year but don't get too clip happy. To get blue blooms you add lime to them. To get pink ones you add peat moss. Part shade is a must. I have some now about 5ft tall that I haven't cut in a couple of years and they are blooming decent with huge blooms. But only the ones in partial shade.
If you are growing big leaf hydrangea in warmer climates partial shade is essential. Morning sun is great but afternoon sun can be too much. Hydrangeas need a lot of water and will wilt in the afternoon if the day is too hot. They perk up again in the evening.
I leave 2 one gallon plastic bottles with drip holes in the bottom under my one hydrangea that seems to get too much sun. It really helps with the afternoon wilting.
If you're not sure if your soil is acid/neutral/alkaline see what color blooms you get and then adjust to what you desire. If you get purple or mixed blooms your soil is probably closer to neutral.
If you need to prune mopheads do so right after blooming or by August so they have time to set the buds for next season. If you prune in fall or spring you will lose all the blooms that year. When you deadhead in the fall or spring just remove the bloom and not much of the stem.
Even if you have Endless Summer of one of the others that bloom on new wood you will not get early blooms if you prune in fall or spring.
I envy those of you in warmer zones. I have to winter protect my mopheads to assure blooms.
This is a picture of Red Sensation in early June of this year.