How do I get Blue hydrengias to bloom ?

Question

Hygrengias DO NOT bloom at all
.Bloomed first season .
Lovely foliage ..no Blloms 3rd year .
Yes , I fertilize them in the spring .

Answer 1

As a rule, when a flowering plant doesn't bloom, it's getting too much fertilizer - especially nitrogen (the first number of the three on a fertilizer container). If you make it too "happy," it will have no reason to attempt to reproduce, which is what flowers are for. I'd suggest that if you plan to fertilize it, use a fertilizer with a high middle number; if you've already been doing that, refrain from fertilizing it this coming spring. Also, be sure to keep lawn fertilizer away from the area of your flowering plants; it can prevent hydrangeas and many others from blooming consistently.

Answer 2

Oy! What a potpourri of answers! I was distrubed by the range of advice, some of it contrary to what I thought I knew, so I went right to the source: The American Horticultural Society's Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, a massive work. To summarize:

Hydrangeas are sun-loving but will tolerate part shade. If your shrub is in either of those conditions, leave it there. If it continues to bloom in blue, do nothing. If blossoms turn pink, acidify the soil by mulching with pine needles. Prune by removing dead flowerheads in spring.

Now, about the bloom problem: stop watering, stop fertilizing! The writer who mentioned fertility promoting foliage growth at the expense of flowers was right. Once your shrub is established (i.e. after the first growing season) it needs no further fertility or water. Fertilizing encourages rapid growth which can lead to failure to withstand stress, insects or disease. (This applies to all shrubs and trees). To suppress weeds and retain soil moisture, mulch with pine needles to a foot or so beyond the drip line.

There. That should produce a lovely display of blooms next year!

Answer 3

OK. Disregard the idiots that TRIED to answer this question. There are two possibilities as to why your Hydrengias aren't blooming. The first is if you have them in a sunny location. Hydrangias are shade plants, so never plant them anywhere where they'll get more than partial sun. They cannot take direct sunlight. The second possibility is that they do not have enough phosphorus. Buy fertilizer that has phosphorus in it, don't expose your Hydrangias to direct sunlight, and you'll be good to go.

Answer 4

We use Miracle Grow for acid loving plants. We also found watering from the city water supply actually deters or reduces blooming, and watering from overhead is another deterrent. Pure water and the use of a soaker hose brought our blue Hydrangeas back to life from just taking up space to producing big blooms

Answer 5

I agree about the phosphorus answer... definitely true. As a side note, to keep your hydrangeas blooming BLUE, you have to have a high copper content in your soil. If you find your flowers are pink, or any color not blue enough for you, you'll have to add copper via another source (not pennies!!). Make sure you get chelated copper, as the charge of elemental copper will (long story short) prevent uptake by the root hairs.

Happy gardening!!

Answer 6

I am not exactly sure, but it may possibly be that you did not prune them back enough during the winter season. This winter prune them hard and next summer you should enjoy beautiful blooms. If you prune them now you may still get some blooms soon, depending on where you live. Also, mulch them well for water retention, and they prefer moist soil.

Answer 7

perhaps move them to a different area of your yard.They may not be getting the right amount of sunshine.