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Did I Buy a Broken Hydrangea?


I planted a 3 gallon mophead in early March. When planted it had healthy leaf growth on the “stick” stems. By parting the leaves you could see 2 or 3 bare stems. There was no signs that the bare stick stems had been pruned. It very much looked like the plant shown on the link below (plant second from the right).

http://s3.amazonaws.com/bonanz...6/2781/Misc_2513.jpg

The plant is now slightly larger than the plant shown in the photo below, but with no bloom growth. There wasn’t even a hint of a bloom.

http://hydrangeasblue.files.wo...ride.jpg?w=570&h=427

None the less, I have babied the plant. It gets the water it needs, fertilized three times with a water/Miracle Grow mix since planting it, never pruned it, and it only gets the morning sun. When the weather turned brutally hot in July and the sun started to burn the leaves, I placed a old card table over the plant and draped it with a old flimsy bed sheet to protect it. Once the sun passed over the house and the plant was in the shade, the sheet came off. You wouldn't believe the number of calls I received from neighbors asking if I was having a yard sale when they noticed the drape table {lol}.

Many articles online state it should have bloomed, or at least shown signs of a bloom trying to start. I got nothing!

Has anyone had a hydrangea that didn’t bloom the first year, but did bloom the second or did I buy a “broken” plant. Thanks. ~P

It may be the fertilizer you gave it.
Do a google search on how to care for hydrangea.
I have never fertilized mine and they do fine.

I planted 6 hydrangeas at the same time. The first year they didn't bloom, but then I expected that. The year after, they did bloom. I have never fertilized them and when i first planted them, I did water them every day. Now, they get whatever nature provides, unless it is really hot outside.
I agree with Karen, do a google search on their care to set your mind at ease.

probably too much fertilizer and the wrong formula.... ours get one feeding just about the time the leaves bust out in spring.... I use a bloom booster with the numbers 5--20--10..... too much in the first number , the nitrogen, will get you lots of nice leaves at the expense of blooms..... also make sure the lawn feeding isn't getting on it!! *more high nitrogen!!.....

now, where are you?.... too warm a winter and the plant might not have had a good enough chill to make it go into full dormancy.. and that can inhibit blooming, too....

My hair stylist planted her mophead in a spot that's too sunny in the p.m. Instead of relocating it, she props a pretty golf umbrella over it to provide needed shade. Gives a whimsical touch to a practical need.

Upstate South Carolina (Zone 7). Red soil with clay content. pH levels are with the limits for the hydrangea. Nitrogen is almost always too low in red soil with a clay content and has to be added when higher levels of nitrogen is needed and we haven’t done than. Costly lesson that “too much” fertilizer is not a good thing when I killed $60 in plants trying to accelerate their growth. I burned those plants to a crisp almost over night! I leaned so much about our soil when I researched the soil and our town’s water supply when investigating the possibility of using grey water.


Toots, I believe you might have hit the nail on the head when you stated

quote:

too warm a winter and the plant might not have had a good enough chill to make it go into full dormancy

The hydrangea has never been exposed to low temperatures. I remembered a farmer, who's field I pass daily, was planting his corn when I planted the hydrangea. Never even thought of that. Thanks ladies.

When I bought an Endless Summer 5 years ago, it didn't bloom the first year either. The next year I had a few blooms and finally the third year it had lots of blooms. Sometimes I think that the hybrids are not as hardy as the plain jane ones. I know the blooms are fancier on the hybrids but for me I don't know if they are worth it--my $15 grocery store hydrangea that I just put in the ground has many enormous blooms.