There ’s no denying it , hydrangeas are seemingly providential .
Their middle - get blossoms ( technically an inflorescence ) follow in a scope of colours , from mysterious purpleness to promising pink , and glacial blueness to pale lavender . There are also sort with white or green efflorescence .
Their display is so glorious that you might find it particularly upsetting when they fail to send out their distinct flowers .
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Do n’t get me wrong , I love myspireastoo , for example . But after they stay bloom - less thanks to a pruning mishap one yr , I did n’t feel the same sense of release that I did when my ‘ You and Me Together ’ hydrangea sit simple for a season .
Let ’s face it : hydrangea can be fussy about temperature , lightsome , and wet , and some work is required on the part of the nurseryman to help them to be as beautiful as they possibly can .
But once you recognize what ’s conk out on , most issues are easy to call .
As discussed in ourguide to develop hydrangeas , these bush lessen loosely into five categories : climb ( H. petiolaris),smooth ( H. arborescens),panicle aka peegee ( H. paniculata),oakleaf ( H. quercifolia ) , and bigleaf ( H. macrophylla ) .
Bigleaf , also know as French hydrangea ( though this mintage in the beginning comes from Japan ) , is the species that gardeners experience problem with most often when it comes to a deficiency of blossoms .
Many bigleaf and oakleaf cultivar only flower on old Grant Wood , that which was produced in the previous summer or earlier . New wood , on the other hand , is that which emerges in the current growing season .
This blooming habit can have an impact on whether or not a plant life will place out peak . If something happens to the old woodwind as it ’s sending out the bud that will finally flex into flower , you wo n’t get a floral display that year .
But it is n’t just works that bloom on old woodwind instrument that can fail to bloom . Up ahead , we ’ll discuss seven of the most coarse emergence you may lead across and how to take on them .
Ready to startle in ?
7 Reasons Why Hydrangeas May Fail to Bloom
1 . Hungry Deer
2 . Excess Nitrogen
3 . Harsh Winters
4 . Not Enough Water
5 . PruningProblems
6 . Too Much Shade
7 . Too Much Sun
According to information provided by theNew Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at Rutgers University , which works with experts to value the deer margin of various plants , all groupings of hydrangeas , from bigleaf to climbing , are “ occasionally hard damaged ” by deer .
That mean these plant are “ often preferred ” by deer looking for something to eat . So what does this have to do with the fact that you ’re not seeing the flowers you want to see ?
The common headache is that the deer might feed the buds on the old wood during the fall , winter , or spring . If you have a industrial plant that only blooms on honest-to-god wood and that happens , you wo n’t have blossoms the next summer .
If your plant has a few blossom here and there that look perfectly hefty , but overall the number of bloom is reduced , it ’s potential that cervid nibble some but not all of the bud .
cervid are notorious for just browsing a few branches here and there before moving on to another plant .
So how do you identify deer damage versus price due to other types of pests ? Assuming you do n’t see the brute themselves , look for their tell - tale feeding habits .
Deer pull the leafage off a plant , so you ’ll see evidence of shoot down , like ragged bound on leave of absence and pluck stems .
They also incline to rust vernal light-green forest , bud , and parting , and avoid the petioles ( the stems of the leaves ) and brown wood .
The solution is , of course , to keep marauding ungulates out of your garden . Fencing work well , andour guide to deer fencinghas you covered if you need some helper construct your barrier .
you could also wrap plant in burlap , which has the added benefit of protecting them from utmost cold , another culprit that may ensue in bankruptcy to bloom .
get a line more about this below in the plane section on harsh wintertime .
Any flowering plant that is given too much nitrogen fertiliser may put too much energy into produce its foliage , at the expense of its flower .
Nitrogen is one of theprimary nutrient that plants need to survive . They apply it to form new leave and support existing foliage .
Phosphorus , another one of the necessary independent nutrients , is utilized by plants to make newfangled roots , seeds , yield , and flowers .
If hydrangeas are fed more nitrogen than K , they may hop flowering and turn more foliage or else , and leaves that are larger .
If you are n’t sure whether N is causing the issue or not , test your filth .
I call back everyone should do this once a year regardless of whether or not they ’re seeing problems , but a soil run will differentiate you for sure if nitrogen is get your blossom woes .
Miracle - Gro Water Soluble Bloom Booster Flower Food
The root is to use a ho-hum - release plant food with a high amount of phosphorus than nitrogen .
Look for a mathematical product that is label for use to encourage efflorescence , like Miracle - Gro Water Soluble Bloom Booster Flower Food , usable via Home Depot .
With bigleaf cultivars that only bloom on sometime woodwind instrument , a harsh winter can do the plant not to flower the following year .
This mintage is usually moth-eaten stout to Zone 6 , though there are a few exception . If you have a particularly filthy wintertime , you might need to allow some protective covering .
That ’s because the bud that will turn into flowers mannequin on sometime wood pop out in the free fall , but if there is a frigid winter , it can kill those educate buds . Anything below 5 ° F can be a problem .
Even though oakleaf hydrangea also forms blooms on old woods , these are more cold intrepid and do n’t usually suffer from this issuance .
To protect plant in the winter , twine them in several layers of gunny and batten the material in berth with some twine . you may leave them under book binding for the entire winter or just protect them during cold snaps .
Remove the burlap once depleted tune temperatures are consistently 15 ° degree Fahrenheit or higher .
All types of hydrangeas like a good amount of moisture , with systematically moist territory . If yours is consistently drying out , your plants might not bloom .
Plants in the bigleaf species might demand to be irrigate every other daytime if you live in a spicy and dry climate .
These plants want about two inches of water per week , so if you are n’t getting enough rain , you ’ll call for to provide supplementary irrigation .
Arain gaugecan help you image out how much moisture your plants are receiving from Mother Nature so that you’re able to supplement with the balance .
Other mintage are n’t so fickle , but keep an eye on them to ensure they have enough weewee .
If the leaves start to sag and wilt , especially in the heat of the day , this is a sign that they are n’t receiving the measure of weewee that they want .
5. Pruning Problems
Pruning is one of the most rough-cut contributors to a deficiency of blossoms . If you prune any sentence from autumn to tardy spring , you might be trend off the growing on the erstwhile woodwind that would have ferment into bloom .
So when precisely should you prune to avoid this problem ? Do it in the summer , after the flowers have faded but before the fall hits . That give a humble window for cut your plant back if you want a sporty display in the spring .
There ’s one elision to this : you should prune off bushed limb in the spring , back to the peak of live growth . drained Sir Henry Wood is dry , snaps when you bend it , and wo n’t have any visible new growth .
you could also deadhead flowersafter they have fade , or just allow them on the plant life . If you decide to deadhead , snip the peak heads off above the first set of leaves .
If all of this seems too intimidating , do n’t prune your bigleaf or oakleaf plants at all !
Also keep in nous that you are n’t the only one who might be lop at the incorrect time . As I mention above , deer might nibble on that brisk increment , fundamentally pruning it for you .
There are also cultivars out there that bloom on both old and new wood , such those in the Let ’s Dance ® , Endless Summer ® , and Seaside Serenade ® series . You wo n’t have to occupy about this problem if you implant these .
Everlasting ® ‘ rotation ’
Everlasting ® ‘ gyration ’ is another such selection that grows best in Zones 5 - 9 .
Plants areavailable from Burpee .
Hydrangeas grow well in partial shade , but too much of it and they wo n’t flower .
While these plant traditionally develop wild in the understory of forests , they still receive some dappled Dominicus in their natural habitat . If yours is planted in a spot where it is n’t receiving enough Dominicus , you wo n’t see blossoms .
This is often a problem when a gardener plants their hydrangea under some trees that are n’t fully matured . As those tree diagram grow and make full out , they stuff more and more sun from reaching the primer coat .
It ’s easy to fail to point out this problem evolve because it happens so bit by bit . Then , one year when your plant does n’t send out those endearing prime , you dead understand that its location has vex shadier over time .
That is n’t the only office that can reduce the amount of Inner Light your industrial plant get . You might also have had a particularly nebulose spring .
If your hydrangea was bloom well in the years prior and stopped this twelvemonth , tally the amount of sunlight that ’s reaching it . you may even habituate a meter to help you get an precise picture .
Active Air 3 - Way Meter
This participating Air 3 - style Meterfrom Arbico Organicsmeasures moisture , light , and territory pH , so you’re able to see what ’s going on with your planting domain .
If you planted your hydrangea within the last year or two , double - stay to make certain it is receiving about three hours of Dominicus , sooner in the dawning , with protection from the afternoon rays .
Panicle types in peculiar postulate a fair amount of sun to bloom . They can even handle full sun in many clime . Oakleafs may do well in deeper shade in some geographical zone .
On the other hand , too much sun can also be a problem . A works that is hit with more Lord’s Day than it like becomes punctuate , and a stressed industrial plant may decide to hop flower to keep up get-up-and-go .
H. paniculatacanhandle full sunshine , butH. macrophyllaneeds part shade to thrive , specially in hot regions like zone 8 and 9 . In cooler realm , like zone 5 - 7 , they can be in full sun .
Again , as with too much shade , you may use a meterto determine how much unhorse your plants receive . Also , check on them in the afternoon to see if they are looking wilted .
If you see leaf scorching , this is a sure sign that your plant is n’t in the right spot . Look for yellowing and browning on the edges and tips of the folio .
Bring Back Those Beautiful Blossoms
If you just planted a new plant life and you are n’t find bloom in the first yr or two , do n’t worry .
New plant incline to focus energy on establishing roots and developing healthy leafage before they seek to multiply , or in other words , make bloom .
If that ’s the case , just give your plant life some prison term and ensure that you ’re providing the food and body of water they take to corroborate their exertion . But if an established hydrangea suddenly stops blooming , this list should help you get things back on cut .
And for more info aboutgrowing hydrangeasin your garden , check out these template next :
© demand the Experts , LLC . ALL right RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Originally published March 29th , 2021 . Last updated May 1st , 2025 . Product photos via Arbico Organics , Burpee , and Home Depot . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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Kristine Lofgren
