Hydrangea Help!?

[vfem]

I have 2 Hydrangea bushes I planted last year... they lost all their blooms within a month but it was late in the summer when I planted.

I have one that was purple and one that was blue.

I was told in the spring to cut them back to 2" knubs basically above the soil. I have them planted where they only get full sun until about 11am-noon after that they are in the shade all day. However, I have no blooms and no signs of blooms.

I was told they do not bloom on dead wood that's why I should cut them back. What did I do wrong!? Too much sun, not enough sun? I just don't understand?!

 

[blue skys]

I'm intimidated by hydrangea's. I hear different things from each person I talk to about them - so I have no idea. I hope someone can shed some light on the reason they aren't growing.

 

[Southern Gardener]

vfem, I have two huge hydrangeas and I made the mistake one year of cutting them down to the ground and didn't get blooms - now I NEVER cut them back to nubs! I do any pruning after they flower in late summer because mine set their buds on old wood. Mine are on the east side of my house and get a lot (too much in the hot summer) sun.

Are yours in deep shade? Sounds like they need a little more sun. I definitely would not cut them back!

 

[vfem]

Well POO! I just found what kind they were... apparently Mophead and Lacecap hydrangeas NEVER get pruned unless its July RIGHT after they flower and only a little bit of pruning.

My bushes have grown back great, and the green leaves are full and I found out I have one of each of those kinds and I wasn't supposed to cut them back.

(Dang gurney's has like 2 paragraphs on hydrangeas and they generically tell you to cut them ALL back to nubs... ALL kinds. Idiots!)

Anyways.... my neighbors told me the same thing, and their's look awesome (front yard same amount of sun)...well they have the Annabell version which you can do that with.

http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/pruning.html

So I suppose I will have to wait until next year for blooms, and that is not a guarentee I will get any. All this waiting for purple and blue flowers to cover my bushes would have been so nice surrounded by red calla lilies and yellow coneflowers and black eyed susans. Oh well, maybe next year.

 

[Bamachicken]

It does depend on the type. Mine are the prettiest this year they have every been. I going to shape up after they quit blooming. My DH put miracle grow on them and they took off this year. Also we put ash out of the wood burning stove.

I really love hydrangeas. I have been working on getting these to look this good for 5 years. I can't believe the difference the ash and miracle grow made.

 

[vfem]

Ooooooooooh..... they are sooooooooooo pretty!!! I'm dying here!!!

I am sooooooooooooo going to move some ash from our fire pit out back onto my bushes now that I know that. I have one bush on each side of the porch and I am yet to see any blooms. Yours are gorgeous though.