[GrannieAnnie]

Are there any hydrangea experts here?

My friend has one that 2 years ago had loads of lovely flowers on it.  Last year just 2 flowers adn this year only one.  But it is a lovely healthy looking bush, plenty of green growth and lots of new shoots.  Does anyone know why they stop flowering?  Thanks

[Phoenix]

Mine r the same this yr, did she prune the bush after it flowered heavily? if so that will reduce the flowering for a few seasons as its gotta get its strength back if u know wot i mean lol try mulching and feeding (i just water them with miracle grow) hope this helps

[GrannieAnnie]

Hi Phoenix, thanks for that advice.  I'll tell her what you said.  I don't know about the pruning, but maybe she did.  As to mulching, its in a big pot at the moment, but the plant is bigger, so she probably couldn't get under it to mulch it anyway!!!!  I'll also ask her what she feeds it on, and tell her not to prune too hard in future!!!

Good luck for tomorrow, hope the new job goes well for you!!

[Leedsniner]

I have a hydrangea which has never flowered in the 4 years that we have had it. Has anyone any idea why?

[mumofstig]

Hydrangeas are quite hungry plants and seem to do well in quite shady places where they do not dry out. It's easy for them to dry out if they are in pots, specially if they have been allowed to get quite big. I find that pruning results in smaller heads of flowers, not necessarily less flowers. Feeding them well with tomato food in the spring and summer, werks fer me 

[viettaclark]

I've got a big pink flowered bush in the front garden which gets bashed all the time from people going past, seldom gets dead-headed and is never fed or watered. Yet every year there's a fantastic show of huge blooms. When I'm asked how I do it I look coy.......
In the back garden there's a blue flowered stump of a bush that I feed, water and mulch and I got 1 flower this year!
C'est la vie!

[sunshineband]

If you leave the old flowers on over the winter it protects the new buds growing further round the stem. Just cut the old heads off around March, down to just above the fat green bud, bit of a feed and away you go 

[DavidT]

If you leave the old flowers on over the winter it protects the new buds growing further round the stem. Just cut the old heads off around March, down to just above the fat green bud, bit of a feed and away you go 

Sorry, but I am going to contadict you. Leaving the old flowers on is an old wives tale. They protect nothing. You can quite happily prune the plants back by half without affecting flowering. Also, as has been said, feeding with tomato feed will also encourage flowering.

[sunshineband]

Hmmm... maybe  I am an old wife 

[mumofstig]

Me too...don't worry about it eh     

[sunshineband]

Nah -- old wives is good 

[DavidT]

The simple answer is, prove me wrong.

[sunshineband]

What are you saying David?

Oooh MoS, David thinks we're not old wives after all 

Fanks 

[mumofstig]

I'm not sure that's quite what he means Sunny.................................

[DavidT]

What are you saying David?

Oooh MoS, David thinks we're not old wives after all 

Fanks 

What are we classing as old?