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Got a big established Hydrangea at least 20 years old. This year it hasn't flowered so well and the leaves are a bit discoloured, it's ok, got lots of flowers but not as large blooms as usual, it's just not so good......but the reason I'm asking a question about it is the fact that it is covered....literally covered in flies! Never ever in the last 20 years have we experienced this....it's horrible every time we walk pass it clouds of flies are around us...any ideas why please? Works appreciate any thoughts on this please, Linda




Answers

 

Something has died and is decomposing in the vicinity of your Hydrangea - it certainly isn't the plant itself. Check around for the carcass of a dead rodent, rabbit or bird...

26 Jul, 2017

 

Sounds like your hydrangea needs some attention. Remember (as name implies) hydrangeas love their water. Never let the ground dry out around them. Your bush may also benefit from some fertilizer. You can pick some up at the local garden center or hardware store. A couple inches of compost over the root zone is also a good idea. It will improve the health & vigor of your shrub.

26 Jul, 2017

 

Wave the flies away then look to see if there's anything crawled in there and died. If not, inspect the stems, backs of leaves and woody parts - you may have a case of hydrangea scale, so you're looking for white, fluffy deposits or egg masses. Otherwise, some varieties of Hydrangea do indeed attract flies if they produce non sterile flowers, they're attracted by a particular scent in the nectar, but this isn't usually a problem with the mophead types.

26 Jul, 2017

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