What can be done to promote blooming of hydrangea bushes?
We have one large plant that is about 7 years old that has not bloomed in the last four years. We have two 2-year-old plants that also have not bloomed. A. Most of the pink (in high pH soils) and blue (in acid soils) flowering hydrangeas bloom on old wood. In our cold winters the plants usually die to the ground. They send up beautiful flowers each spring but never bloom. “Endless Summer” was the answer to this problem. This pink or blue hydrangea blooms on old and new wood. Gardeners throughout the Great Lakes saw poor flowering on this plant last summer. The cool spring resulted in a delay in blooming for many plants this year. White blooming hydrangeas bloom on new wood. Avoid excess nitrogen fertilization on these and other flowering shrubs. High levels of nitrogen promote leaf growth and discourage flowering. And be patient with newer plantings. Young shrubs often spend their first few years setting down roots before resuming their blooming habits. Q. We have a big field near our
