Hydrangeas are popular garden plants because of their large clusters of flowers and multiple colorful varieties. Encouraging these woody shrubs to bloom can be challenging, but with a little attention and care, they can become striking additions to your garden with the flowers lasting from late spring to early fall. Experienced and new gardeners alike come to Studley’s for hydrangeas in New Hampshire and tips for encouraging them to bloom.
Hydrangea Care and Growing Basics
The trick to getting any flowering plant to bloom is to start with the basics: sunlight, water, and soil. All hydrangea varieties like a combination of sun and shade. Ideally, they should receive at least four hours of sun in the morning followed by shade in the afternoon to protect the leaves from burning. As for water, hydrangeas like moist but well-draining soil. These shrubs will not tolerate wet feet (standing water around the roots). They have shallow roots that dry out quickly, so we recommend soaking the roots two to three times a week. The preferred soil pH depends on the variety of the hydrangea, and whether the soil is more acidic or alkaline can even affect the color of the flowers.
Troubleshooting the Blooms
If your hydrangea plants fail to bloom, a few common causes are usually the culprits. Start with these questions:
How old is the plant?
If you are growing smooth or panicle hydrangeas, the plant needs at least two years to establish a root system. Mulch around the roots and keep the plant well-watered. The blooms will appear in time. Climbing or oakleaf hydrangeas need at least five years to mature enough to flower.
Did you cut the plant back?
Be careful not to cut off the flower buds when pruning. If you have a bigleaf, mountain, climbing, or oakleaf hydrangea, pruning can easily remove the flower buds. Avoid pruning to leave the buds intact and let the flowers bloom. Although bigleaf and mountain varieties are reblooming hydrangeas, the plants often need to reach a certain height to set new wood buds. Pruning smooth or panicle hydrangeas is usually safe, as long as you wait until winter or early spring.
How much light does the plant get?
We often think of hydrangeas as a shade plant, but they flower best when they receive at least four hours of sun, preferably in the morning. Panicle hydrangeas are the most sun tolerant variety and can even take full sun in this area because of New Hampshire’s comparatively cold climate.
Changing the Flower Color
All hydrangea flowers change color as they age, but some varieties change color in a predictable or controllable way. Some bigleaf and mountain hydrangeas react to the pH level of the soil, acidic soil turning the flowers blue and alkaline turning them pink. In general, changing the flowers from pink to blue is easier than blue to pink, but both require making the right chemical application at the right time.
Visit the garden center at Studley’s for striking hydrangeas to add to your New Hampshire garden! Use the Plant Finder tool on our website or ask our experts to find the varieties that will thrive in your yard.
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