My hydrangea stopped flowering and I do not see any buds set for next year. Should I give up?
Answer
Hydrangias are fairly reliable bloomers once they are established. When they stop blooming, the cause is usually due to pruning practices. Sometimes trees grow over the site where the hydrangia is planted creating too much shade to support blooming.
Hydrangias that bloom on last year growth should be lightly pruned in early spring to remove spent flowers, just below to the first buds. Dead or damaged shoots should be cut back to good tissue. The plant can be shaped after bloom, but not cut down to the ground.
Hydrangeas that bloom on new growth should be pruned in early spring to the first buds below the flower head from last year. On established plants, one third to one fourth of the older shots can be cut back to the gound to promote replacement growth. These are usuall the Hydragea macrophylla species or cultivars.
Sometimes a difficult winter will result in no bloms for a year, but continue to follow the correct pruning practices to recover the blooming.