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biannual flowering hydrangeas

monster

By Monster

United Kingdom Gb

why? Have I planted the wrong ones? Is it the soil conditions?




Answers

 

welcome to GoY monster.
are you sure they are Hydrangea. I have never heard of any other than the shrub forms. someone will probably be able to help.

27 Jul, 2009

 

If you're sure they're hydrangea, when do you prune them? Do you cut them back after they flower, and not when they don't?

27 Jul, 2009

 

No, I only prune in the spring to take off dead heads after frost is over.

27 Jul, 2009

 

Hydrangeas are not biennial, they usually flower every year, and I wondered whether you were pruning them at the wrong time, but you're not. It may be that this year, because of the heatwave, they suffered a bit from drought and have decided conditions are not right to flower, but I don't know how long you've had the plants and how many years they've either flowered or not flowered?

27 Jul, 2009

 

I had one first planted about 5 years ago which didn't flower the next year but did the following one. It was at this stage that I realised that I shouldn't cut off the dead heads till after frosts were over so assumed that this was the problem. When it failed to flower the next year I planted another beside it to give flowers alternate years. That was last year and this year neither is flowering and no sign of any buds so not just late. The first has not flowered for two years now and the second has missed just this year. I have never heard of biannual hydrangeas either so I am begining to take it personally!

27 Jul, 2009

 

Weird - there's something going on, but I'm not sure what. I'd try feeding them regularly next year with something like Miracle Gro general purpose to see if that works. As you haven't mentioned any other problems, I assume the plants are otherwise healthy. You could also topdress the base of the plants with sulphate of potash around April time - this encourages flowering.

27 Jul, 2009

 

Thanks, I'll try that. The flower bed is under a forsythia hedge so it may just be rather sucked dry of nutrients.

27 Jul, 2009

 

And water, presumably - when it's not raining all the *!!* time

27 Jul, 2009

 

Hmmm. Perhaps I'll just learn to love bindweed. It doesn't seem to mind what you do to it!

27 Jul, 2009

 

Given their postion, I think they might not be getting enough moisture to initiate the forming of flower buds. I would suggest giving them a good general feed and mulch of well rotted garden compost next spring and make sure they don't go short of water and see if that helps

27 Jul, 2009

 

Thanks, I'll definitely give that a go.

28 Jul, 2009

How do I say thanks?

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