The colorful and poofy sepals of hydrangeas are hard to miss, and they become the instant stars of any garden—or at least they should be.
If you’ve had a flop of a crop this year, these gorgeous plants may not have lived up to their potential. This can be frustrating for gardeners, and difficult to troubleshoot.
Several reasons could cause a less-than-spectacular blooming period for your hydrangeas—some of which are (unfortunately) completely out of your control. But there are also a few factors you might be able to adjust for next year that will maximize your chances of getting pretty flower heads.
A few gardening experts offered their thoughts and tips for achieving your best plants yet.
Meet the Expert
- Tammy Sons is a horticulturist and owner of TN Nursery.
- Joe Dogherty is a third-generation landscaper with 35 years of experience.
- Zahid Adnan is a master gardener and founder of The Plant Bible.
Why Your Hydrangeas May Have Done Poorly
First, it’s helpful to know if any major events or weather conditions occurred this year that could’ve ruined your plants.
Tammy Sons is a horticulturist and owner of TN Nursery, and the business grows more than 30,000 species and cultivars of hydrangea plants annually. She points out that hydrangeas could struggle because of extreme drought.
“Most homeowners have no irrigation systems, and softwoods like hydrangeas have taken the biggest hit,” she says. Depending on where you live, your garden could’ve been subject to severe weather patterns that led to your hydrangeas’ sad blooming period.
What about factors that you can control? Joe Dogherty, a third-generation landscaper with 35 years of experience, notes there are a handful of other problems that could arise.
He points to overwatering, poor nutrients, incorrect soil pH, and pruning at the wrong time as the biggest issues home gardeners face. Luckily, all of those things can be adjusted.
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How to Plan for Healthier Crop Next Year
Sons says the best thing you can do is plan early so your spring and summer hydrangea crops do well.
The first measure? Get a good irrigation or sprinkler system in place.
“Avoid planting anything in drought-prone areas where they will get excessive heat, like full sun,” she adds, noting to “plant in filtered sun areas” instead.
On the flip side, don’t overdo your watering, either. Dogherty says these plants certainly need moisture, but if you worry too much and start watering a little too frequently, root rot can occur.
He also notes that hydrangeas are heavy feeders, so now is a good time to start researching good fertilizers for your plants.
He lightly applies a 10-10-10 fertilizer once a month from spring through summer and ensures that the soil pH stays between 5 and 6, adding aluminum sulfate if it starts to lean more alkaline.
How to Solve Hydrangea Blooming Issues
Perhaps your plants look perfectly healthy and you’ve followed care requirements to a T, but the blooms just didn’t show up.
According to Zahid Adnan, gardener and founder of The Plant Bible, there are a few special measures you can take around the blooming season that will boost the likelihood of a better flowering period.
Sharpen Your Pruning Skills
Start by figuring out what variety of hydrangea you have, as pruning requirements vary. Then, you’ll want to figure out if they’re blooming on old wood, new wood, or both, says Adnan, adding that old wood blooms should be pruned after flowering.
There’s also a right time to prune and deadhead your hydrangeas. Dogherty avoids
“pruning hydrangeas after August, as buds for next year’s blooms form in fall” but it’s okay to start pruning when spring and summer arrive.
Be Mindful of Water Levels
Water can also affect your blooms, and as you’ve learned from the experts, it’s important to get the balance right between enough moisture to make hydrangeas happy without waterlogging them.
Water when the top few inches of soil are dry and add mulch around the base, as this can help retain moisture and control the temperature—especially when the weather fluctuates.
Focus on Soil Health and Fertilizer
The soil you’ve planted your hydrangeas in should offer the plant enough nutrients and sit at a relatively acidic pH. You can tweak this with different solutions if it’s not where you need it to be. Adnan also says rich soil is important, too. Adding a little compost can help on that front.
For beautiful blooms, it can also be useful to apply a slow-release fertilizer. Adnan says to choose one that’s made for flowering shrubs and start adding it to the soil in early spring.
Keep a Watchful Eye on Pests and Diseases
Lastly, be aware of any pests or diseases that are creeping into your crop. They can work quickly and you’ll have a sad bunch of hydrangeas before you know it. If you notice issues, take action quickly. Adnan recommends spacing out your hydrangea shrubs, too, to avoid overcrowding and fungal diseases.
Other Helpful Hydrangea Tips
There are a few other tips to have in the back of your mind when it comes to caring for your crop for the coming season and every year after.
- Look out for inclement weather: It’s worth keeping an eye on the forecast so you can predict any potential weather fronts or severely cold or hot weather. Adnan says you can then take protective measures. He also says it’s worth considering covering your hydrangeas in late fall so frost and snow don’t damage them throughout the winter.
- Add a little mulch: On the note of winter, Adnan says it’s smart to shovel mulch around your hydrangea bushes to “insulate the roots and protect them from freeze-thaw cycles.”
- Create a year-round care plan: Adnan also points out that the blooming season isn’t the only time to care for your hydrangeas. Instead, make a care plan that focuses on each season and what your hydrangeas need then. You’ll want to keep them watered and monitored all year long.
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