Hydrangea

Eileen107

Last year all of my hydrangea macrophylla flowered beautifully. This year three of them only have a couple of bud heads with the rest of the plant just (very healthy) leaves. The plants are 3 years old. Does anyone know why this would happen?

Posy

Well, they enjoy moist soil. Where I live we have had drought and heat last summer and a very dry winter and spring. My hydrangea are looking rather sorry for themselves and if you have had the same conditions, this could be the reason, I think.

Lyn

You didn’t prune too much ? They flower on wood grown last year. 

Posy

I need an expert on this! I prune quite hard in early spring and they flower like mad.

Purplerain

I am not an expert, but Lyn is correct in that Hydrangea Macrophylla (the pom pom types) flower on last years wood. Pruning is done in Spring by cutting back the stems that flowered last year. Leaving the dried flowers on the branches is a good way to know which ones to cut back.

Hydrangea Paniculata flowers on new growth and can safely be fully pruned in Spring.

They grow well here and my Macrophyllas only have tiny buds at the moment, but they will grow as Summer gets into full swing.