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Hydrangea Tips
Jul
We wait for months to see our our hydrangeas covered with captivating flowers. But hydrangeas that flop when they flower are a bit disappointing. There are three main things that can cause the flop and, thankfully, there are ways to prevent it so future flowers will be perfectly on display.
#1 Reason – Pruning
PROBLEM: Cut back too far
Hydrangeas* that are pruned too hard will overcompensate during the growing season. They’ll put out an abundance of weaker new growth, which can get weighed down by blooms (especially when there’s heavy rain or wind).
SOLUTION: Lighter pruning
Only cut your new wood flowering hydrangeas* back by 1/3 of their height and width in late fall through early spring. Trim out any spindly inner branches. too. See how it’s done in these two example videos on how to prune panicle or smooth hydrangeas.
*This only applies to smooth and panicle hydrangeas. Bigleaf, oakleaf, mountain, and hybrid hydrangeas don’t need pruning.
#2 Reason – Fertilizer
PROBLEM: Over fertilization
Fertilizing too often or in higher quantities than the packaging recommends can cause issues. This boost may cause the plant to rapidly produce an excess of new growth.
SOLUTION: Adjusted applications
Hydrangeas benefit from a granular fertilizer formulated for flowering shrubs, like a rose fertilizer. If necessary, you can apply it once in spring and potentially again in early summer. Here are some tips.
#3 Reason – Sun Exposure
PROBLEM: Too little sun
A hydrangea getting less than four hours of sun exposure may stretch out to reach the light or simply produce less vigorous growth due to the lack of energy.
SOLUTION: Transplant
A hydrangea needs a minimum of four hours of direct sunlight (or all day dappled light) on its foliage. If it doesn’t get that, move it to a location where it will. Spring and fall are great transplanting times.
What to do in the meantime:
1 – Stake your hydrangeas upright. This will allow that flexible new growth to harden upright over the following months.
OR
2 – Cut off all the flowers. Removing that weight will help the stems pop back up and harden upright. Use the flowers in an arrangement or dry them for decor!
