How to Make Hydrangeas Bloom Easily

When you see hydrangeas bloom, they look beautiful. Now, you may have them in your yard and you want to make them bloom. Sometimes, there is a problem where Hydrangeas do not bloom. So, before it happens, is better for you to do some tips below to make your Hydrangeas bloom.

Give Hydrangeas Enough Sunlight

Hydrangeas need sunlight to be able to bloom. So, you have to make sure that they get enough sunlight. However, even though they require sunlight, a direct afternoon sun is not recommended to give.

Different species of Hydrangeas need different sun levels as you are able to see in the list below.

• H. paniculata and H. quercifolia need full sun to partial shade.
• H. macrophylla and H. aborescens need partial shade. You can put them in an area with morning sun and afternoon shade. If you cannot avoid full sun to your Hydrangea, make sure that you keep the soil moist consistently.
• H. anomala needs partial shade to full shade.

Read also about Ruby slippers oakleaf hydrangea.

Give Your Hydrangeas Water Often

Hydrangeas can grow well in a moist soil. However, make sure that it is not wet water. If your Hydrangea is a different variety which needs different instruction, you can soak the soil around the hydrangea regularly. You will feel that the soil is loose and wet to your finger all the time. If you put hydrangeas under the full sun, they will need much more water than hydrangeas which are put in partial shades.

If you find that the leaves are drooping, it means that your hydrangea plant needs water. If the soil is clayey soil, it will not drain well so that it can leave stagnant water around the roots of your plants. If you let it happen, it can lead to rot. If you find that a 1 ft x 1 ft test hole which is filled with water does not drain in 15 minutes, you are able to try changing the soil with peat moss, compost, or the other soil which is the same. Alternatively, you are able to build a raised planting bed which is filled with loamy soil. If clayey soil can’t be helped, you are able to reduce the frequency and portion of watering.

Prune Your Hydrangeas at the Right Time of Year

When you prune your Hydrangeas, make sure that you do not prune away the flower buds. It is because there are a lot of hydrangeas forming flower buds on old wood in late summer or fall and you may not realize it. If you prune the leafless winter sticks, you will lose the flowers which will bloom next year.

Old wood hydrangeas form buds on old stems. So, you have to keep at least a few stems around during winter. If you want to prune healthy stems back, you can do that only in late summer, soon after flowers fade and strong shoots form. You can remove them no more than the top 1/3.

New wood hydrangeas flower on new growth, so you are able to prune these again in late winter or early spring. It is done to remove weak stems and revitalize the plant. For more details you can read  about pruning hydrangea here.

Protect Your Hydrangeas from Winter

When winter comes, the temperature and humidity will change. So, you have to protect old wood hydrangeas in the winter to save flower buds. H. macrophylla and H. quercifolia can lose their buds to winter damage. H. macrophylla is hardy to -10°F (-23°C) or -20°F (-29°C) with enough shelter or winter protection. H. quercifolia will lose most or all of its buds below -10°F (-23°C). You are able to build a chicken wire enclosure around the hydrangeas to protect them from harsh winters. You have to fill it loosely with shredded leaves to a depth of 10 – 12″ or about 12 to 30 cm.

Protect Your Hydrangeas Against Spring Frost

You are able to throw on an insulating cover for late frosts. It will be disappointing if the last frost destroys your flowers after you protect your hydrangea all winter. If you find that the temperature drops after you have taken off the winter cage, you are able to cover the plant with burlap, cloth or heavy paper. Make sure that you do not use plastic because it can damage the plant.

It only applies to H. macrophylla and H. quercifolia. Other species of hydrangeas have the ability to survive and flower. However, if the most extreme winter condition happens, the other species of hydrangeas may also need extra protection.

Give Sun Protection Later in the Season for Prolonging Blooms

Flowers can be protected by the partial shade after blooms appear. Some varieties of hydrangeas have much longer-lasting blooms in partial shade and then they will fade slowly to purple or green instead of a quick brown fade in full sun. As explained earlier that Hydrangeas need enough sunlight. However, in the afternoon, the sun may shine very brightly so you can use a patio umbrella or sun shade when the flowers appear to protect them.

Don’t Give Them Too Much Fertilizer

If you find that the blooms are poor, you are able to reduce fertilizer. If you see that your hydrangea plant has a wonderful green explosion with hardly blossoms, it may mean that there is too much nitrogen to the soil that you have added.

There are a lot of cases that if you do not add fertilizer at all even it can give you better results. If the soil that you use for planting hydrangea is poor or you find that the plants have problems, slow–release fertilizer can be used a couple times during the growing season. However, if the blooms are growing and you find that the central leaves start to yellow, you are able to give some fast-acting fertilizer.

Well, those are some tips that you can follow to make your hydrangeas bloom. Hopefully, these tips can help you to bloom your hydrangeas and you can see your beautiful hydrangeas blooms soon.