- a beautiful, but capricious flower that does not always live up to the expectations of gardeners, and does not always bloom in response to careful care. What is the reason for this phenomenon, why does indoor or garden hydrangea refuse to bloom, and what should be done to correct the situation? There are many answers to these questions, let's look at them together.
The right choice when purchasing
When purchasing a room or garden hydrangea You should pay attention to whether there are buds on the stems. If the answer is yes, then the sellers watered the hydrangea with flowering stimulants, forcing it to bloom to give it a “marketable appearance.” Young plant It has already spent a lot of effort on the formation of buds, and after transplantation it may not bloom for two years, or may not take root in the new place at all. What to do in this case? Transplant the bush into another pot or open ground along with a lump of earth so that it can better adapt to the new place. And after the adaptation period, start feeding him mineral fertilizers.
To answer the question: why doesn’t hydrangea bloom, you need to know what type of plant you are buying. Some types of hydrangea cannot bloom at a young age, or bloom poorly, because they have not yet accumulated enough useful substances for beautiful and lush flowering. After all, the inflorescences of most hydrangeas are large, and the bush spends a lot of effort on them.
Types of hydrangeas such as garden large-leaved, tree-like and paniculate hydrangeas do not bloom immediately. The first 1-2 years after planting are spent developing the root system, then the above-ground part is strengthened; if both stages are successful, the plant will begin to bloom only in the third year.
And one more thing - for planting in open ground, choose zoned varieties of hydrangea. If the summer in your area is too short, the flower buds will not have time to form and there will be no flowering.
Effect of pruning on flowering
Improper pruning is another factor that has a significant impact on the flowering of garden or indoor hydrangea. In order not to wonder why the hydrangea does not bloom, it is necessary to prune it correctly. Moreover, the concept of “correct” is individual for each type of hydrangea.
So, in spring and autumn, only faded inflorescences are cut off so that they do not break under the weight of snow. If the hydrangea did not bloom in the summer, then there is no need to prune it at all.
In the spring, paniculate hydrangea is pruned before the buds open; if you miss the time of pruning, the development of the plant will be so arrested that it will not bloom this season. When pruning, weak and small shoots are removed, as well as shoots that froze in severe frosts. Annual shoots are pruned so that 3-4 pairs of buds remain.
Hydrangea large-leaved blooms only on last year’s shoots, or more precisely, on young branches that grew on last year’s shoots. And if you remove last year’s shoots when pruning, there will be no flowering. Trimming large leaf hydrangea is carried out only to remove damaged stems and last year's inflorescences.
Ground cover hydrangea blooms on young shoots this year. Its pruning consists of shortening too long young branches, due to which the bush becomes more branched and blooms more abundantly.
From this we can conclude: in order for a hydrangea to bloom, its pruning is carried out taking into account its species characteristics, otherwise you may never see it bloom at all. We must not forget that hydrangea, which grows in wildlife, blooms without any pruning, so at home you shouldn’t get too carried away with this operation.
Proper wintering
To protect hydrangea from severe frosts, in the fall they begin to prepare it for winter. In areas with a warm climate, it will be enough to cut off the inflorescences and wrap the bush with agrofibre, but where the winter temperature drops below 25 degrees, it is necessary to make a more reliable shelter.
Old inflorescences are cut off, the branches are bent to the ground and covered with peat, earth or sawdust. To do this, the bush is fenced with boards to create a box - the branches are placed in it. To avoid bending them too much, dry grass or leaves are first placed on the ground and branches are placed on this cushion. The box is also boarded up on top, and after heavy snowfall it is additionally insulated with snow.
In the spring, with the onset of warmth, the entire structure is removed, and the plant is rejuvenated by pruning. In the event of spring frosts, which are so frequent in Russia, the bush must be covered with agrofibre - if the flower buds that have just begun to develop freeze, the plant will not bloom this year.
The whims of a home flower
Sometimes indoor hydrangea does not bloom, growing in favorable conditions. What is the reason, and what to do in this case? Let's start from afar - in the fall, indoor hydrangea can completely shed its leaves and retire. At this time, it is taken out into a dark, cool room, watering is reduced, carried out only so that the roots do not dry out and with the beginning of spring the plant begins to grow and bloom again.
At the end of winter, indoor hydrangea is taken out into a bright and warm room, and they begin to water and feed well. At the same time, you should not place the flower pot in direct sunlight - hydrangea prefers coolness and diffused light. If the room temperature is too high, they try to create special conditions- move it away from the window and heating devices, often ventilate the room without exposing the flower to drafts. Hydrangea does not like sudden changes in temperature; this feature also needs to be taken into account.
Soon new shoots will begin to grow from the roots, on which inflorescences will form. If there are too many shoots, some of them are removed, leaving 3-4 of the strongest and largest ones. The remaining stems are fed with mineral fertilizers. Good fertilizer for hydrangea is coffee, which is scattered over the surface of the soil in a pot.
Every 3-4 years, the hydrangea is transplanted to a new place; for this, a soil mixture with an acidic reaction is made from peat, pine needles, leaf and turf soil. You can use ready-made soil for azaleas by adding some pine needles to it.
One of the beautiful flowers that decorate the garden is hydrangea. But despite easy care, some gardeners wonder why paniculate hydrangea does not bloom.
To help hydrangea bloom and prolong flowering, you need to find out what is the reason for the lack of flowering.
Agrotechnical conditions for hydrangea growth
Hydrangea paniculata is a shrub, up to 3 meters high, with upright spreading branches. Small flowers are collected in large pyramidal inflorescences, 20-30 cm long. Flowering is abundant from June to October (depending on the variety). The color of the inflorescences varies from white to pink, lilac, and blue. Some varieties can change the colors of the inflorescences with changing weather conditions.
The main conditions for the successful development, growth and flowering of a plant are:
It is possible to make a large-leaved variety of paniculata hydrangea bloom or accelerate growth only if you follow the recommendations for planting and proper, high-quality care.
Reasons for lack of flowering
This type of hydrangea reacts sharply to insufficient (improper) care, which is noticeable when the plant’s foliage grows excessively, the flower becomes very small in size, while it becomes sparser, less lush, and the color of the inflorescences becomes faded.
The main reasons for the lack of flowers in paniculate hydrangea are the following.
Improper watering
For successful growth and flowering, the plant needs regular watering. In hot weather, water should be 2 times a week, in dry, cool weather - 1 time a week.
Watering is carried out with clean, settled water at the root, at least 10 liters of water for each hydrangea bush.
Note! It is important to monitor the root system and drying of the earthen coma. Excess moisture has a detrimental effect on flowering.
Fertilizer application
If fertilizers of inappropriate compositions are not applied in a timely manner, the plant experiences severe stress, which negatively affects external condition hydrangeas. It is necessary to apply fertilizing according to the schedule recommended by experienced gardeners:
- During landing, in early spring and before flowering begins, mineral (containing phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, zinc) and nitrogen-containing fertilizers are applied weekly at the root. You can mulch the root zone organic fertilizers(household plant waste, mown grass, sunflower tops, etc.).
- In the summer (during budding or beginning of flowering), apply once every 7-10 days. potassium-phosphorus fertilizers, the application of nitrogen fertilizing is stopped.
- IN autumn period(after flowering) apply phosphorus fertilizers to strengthen and better winter hardiness of the buds. You can add rotted cow dung.
Hydrangea will grow, bloom and decorate the garden with its color only on fertile, loose, well-moistened and fertilized soil. If the acidity of the soil is insufficient, you can add a little wood ash (experienced gardeners They recommend grapevine ash, fruit trees: cherry, peach, apple).
Wrong landing site
Planting hydrangea paniculata in a shaded place or under the scorching rays of the sun in a draft is fraught with dropping leaves, lack of flowers, or flowering with very small sparse inflorescences.
Planting hydrangea
The best place to plant hydrangea is an area in partial shade or with diffused sunlight, protected from drafts, sharp gusts of wind, with fertile soil and sufficient water supply. Planting in lowlands with constant stagnation of water contributes to rotting of the root system, its underdevelopment, lack of growth and flowering.
Paniculata hydrangea planted in the shade of fruit trees will not bloom, even if you increase watering and fertilizing.
Incorrect autumn pruning
If pruned incorrectly when forming the crown, the shrub stops blooming. Proper pruning consists of shortening weak and thin shoots. Only dry branches and shoots that grow inside the crown and thicken the bush can be completely pruned.
Trimming the top shoots, on which buds form in the fall, is strictly prohibited, because from these buds in the spring buds will awaken, which will open into a luxurious flower.
Insufficient shelter in winter
Despite the fact that paniculata hydrangea is the most frost-resistant variety, when growing this species in northern regions Russia needs shelter for shoots in winter.
Shelter is carried out after autumn pruning with the onset of cold weather, when all the inflorescences have already faded. The hydrangea flower bush is tilted to the ground, covered with agrofibre (lutrasil) and covered with peat or earth. You can use fallen dry leaves and spruce needles.
Important! Under no circumstances should you use plastic film for covering to prevent the greenhouse effect and rotting of the root system of the shrub.
Branches of an adult bush (over 5 years old) should be bent to the ground with extreme caution so as not to break them.
The cover should be removed in the spring, when the threat of frost has completely passed. You should not trim branches that seem dry at first glance, as they sufficient watering buds may appear on them, which over time will turn into a luxurious flower.
Adaptation after landing
After planting a hydrangea bush, it is important to pay due attention to the development of the plant. During the first time after planting, it is necessary to frequently water only the planted bush in order to speed up the process of rooting and development. Also add fertilizing and growth stimulants. The first time after planting, the leaf may become more faded and lighter. But as the hydrangea's growth takes root, the leaf will become brighter and stronger.
You should also refrain from purchasing and planting hydrangeas grown in greenhouse conditions. Since in this case it was carried out drip irrigation, was introduced into the soil a large number of fertilizers and growth stimulants, which will negatively affect flowering in the years following planting.
Planting hydrangea
Poor development of the root system
Hydrangea blooms in the second year after planting, when it is sufficiently formed root system. Young bushes, overfed with fertilizers, weak underdeveloped roots are the reason for the lack of flowering.
If you do not make the above mistakes, this will help the plant to overwinter and delight its owner with lush flowers.
Lack of flowering for several years is another problem that novice gardeners face. The main reasons for this problem are abnormal development (underdevelopment) of the root system, excessive feeding, excessive watering, and severe freezing of shoots.
Reasons for late flowering
If paniculata hydrangea begins to bloom late, then the reasons may be:
- ¾ Planting the plant in unsuitable, infertile soil with high acidity, heavy, loamy, sandy soil.
- ¾ Lack of nutrients. The lack of fertilizing and fertilizers manifests itself in the form of late flowering of the bush, regardless of the variety and early ripening.
- ¾ Excess moisture.
- ¾ Damage to fungal infections (powdery mildew, late blight),
- ¾ Pest damage: weevils, aphids, spider mites.
On a note! You can speed up flowering using fertilizers. It is recommended to apply complex fertilizers that are suitable for the composition and variety of the plant. Positively proven fertilizers are: Agricola, Kristalon (Fertika), Pokon, Green Boom, Flower Paradise.
At home, you can make hydrangea bloom earlier in the following ways:
- ü Reduce the amount of watering, and then increase sharply. Such changes will provoke an artificial onset of flowering.
- ü Lightly prune the youngest shoots to speed up the growing season and make the hydrangea bloom earlier.
- ü Thoroughly loosen the soil, mulch it with organic matter, feed it with yogurt (stir 3 liters of fresh yogurt in 10 liters of water and water the roots generously).
To avoid frequently asked questions what to do when hydrangea paniculata does not bloom (blooms late), it is important to strictly observe agrotechnological measures that contribute to the rapid development of the root system, timely and abundant flowering.
Variety selection
When choosing a type of paniculata hydrangea for planting, it is important to pay Special attention variety, compliance of the plant climatic zone, planting and care requirements.
A variety bred for cultivation in the southern regions of Russia, when planted in the northern regions, will either bloom late or not bloom at all.
Proper and proper care helps to grow healthy plant, and the accelerated growth of the root system contributes to abundant and lush flowering, regardless of the variety and color of hydrangea.
Tree hydrangea
This type of plant is the most unpretentious. This is what inexperienced gardeners begin to grow. Tree hydrangea can be various colors. Usually in nature there are flowers of white and dark pink shades. Annabelle is a variety of this plant species. It is familiar to everyone, and its bushes reach a 2-meter mark. Annabelle has large and fluffy inflorescences.
Paniculata hydrangea
You can also find it in nature. This plant tolerates cold well. Usually it can be found in squares and parks. Hydrangea bushes can reach 1.5 meters in height. The flowers of this plant species can be red, cream or lemon in color.
Indoor hydrangea
This type of plant is considered the most capricious. It is unique, it is so capable of changing its color. This happens when the acidity of the earth changes. This type of hydrangea is intended for indoor growing. The colors can be very diverse.
climbing hydrangea
This type of plant can be grown near arches. Its bushes reach 2 meters in length and can stretch along the entire arch without support. But the plant is not able to tolerate cold climates.
The plant does not bloom
Many novice gardeners often wonder why hydrangea does not bloom, but only produces foliage? If this happens, then first of all it is necessary to identify the cause.
Firstly, the reason for the plant not flowering may be improper pruning of the bush in the spring.
Secondly, there could be insufficient soil nutrition. Gardeners, due to their ignorance, could poorly water the soil and poorly illuminate the areas where the plant grows.
Thirdly, the root system may not have fully developed.
Fourthly, the buyer may notice that the plant bloomed perfectly in the store, but upon arrival home it quickly withered. In this case, most likely the seller used flowering stimulants. Because of these drugs, the plant may not bloom for many years. In this case, we recommend using a plant growth activator to feed the flower.
And finally, hydrangea may not bloom due to freezing in winter.
A flower may not bloom due to the wrong soil. It is very important to find your soil acidity, because for different plants she belongs. Another reason for hydrangea non-flowering is considered incorrect transplant. The gardener, due to his inexperience, transplanted the plant into a cramped container or, conversely, into one that was too wide. When replanting, the gardener may have slightly damaged the roots.
Gardeners often wonder why paniculate hydrangea does not bloom, but only produces foliage. This can happen due to poor nutrition. That is, if the plant is overfed with a large amount of nitrogen fertilizers. Many plant varieties require rest in order to gain strength before flowering in the spring. Some plants try to be placed on sunny side, and some - in the shade.
The reason for the lack of flowering in hydrangea may be dry air. If the air temperature is too high, then spraying the plant will help it stay fresh for a short time. Hydrangea may not bloom or set buds if it is affected by pests. At first, the plant may bloom, but if there is a strong spread of pests, it will lose its buds.
Due to improper pruning, hydrangea may not bloom. Improper watering process also negatively affects the flowering of the plant. For successful flowering of panicle hydrangea, fertile soil is required. The plant loves a clay structure, but does not like sandy ones. When planting hydrangeas, if the soil is not acidic, you will need to add sawdust and pine greens. The plant needs moist soil.
Hydrangea is very beautiful and unpretentious flower. Its lace caps decorate any garden, bringing special tenderness and comfort to the area. You can plant hydrangea bushes in flower beds, along a fence, or use them as a hedge. And although hydrangea has a fairly unpretentious nature, not all gardeners can achieve its flowering.
In order for a flower to be beautiful and give lush color, it must be properly cared for, properly watered, pruned and fertilized. Why doesn't hydrangea bloom, but only produce foliage? Let's look at the possible reasons.
Why doesn't hydrangea bloom, but only produce foliage?
- Weak root system - it will be like this if it is not properly cared for or if the seedling is less than two years old. Some varieties (and there are about 70 of them in total) do not bloom at all in the first 6 years after planting.
- The planting site is chosen incorrectly - hydrangea loves slight partial shade or diffused natural light. Perhaps the flower will grow and bloom normally in the sun, but in most cases straight Sun rays turn out to be disastrous for him. It is also not recommended to plant bushes under tree crowns, near a roof slope or a house.
- Something is wrong with watering - in hot and dry weather it should be done at least twice a week, rain or settled water will do. One-time watering of a bush should take a bucket and a half of water, no less.
- Poor soil characteristics - hydrangea will bloom only if the soil in which it grows is loose, fertilized and well-moistened. For most varieties, it should be slightly acidic - with alkaline and neutral ones there will be much less chance of waiting for flowering (measure the acidity of the soil and change it if necessary - this can be done by watering with a sulfuric acid solution).
- Improper fertilization - applying nitrogen fertilizers stimulates foliage growth, and fertilizing with potassium and phosphorus affects the abundance of flowering. Nitrogenous compounds need to be applied, but only in spring and summer, the bushes need other feeding, otherwise they will not bloom.
- Excessive pruning of bushes - if you cut off all the branches for the winter, the plant will next year will not bloom. Autumn pruning involves removing dry twigs that have no leaves, thin and weak shoots, branches growing towards the stem - leave the rest
- The buds are frozen or the branches break off - to prevent this from happening, place stones or bricks under the branches, another option is to close the plant for the winter.
It is impossible to say for sure why your hydrangea bush is not blooming, so check all the possible factors mentioned above. Something must definitely help!
Luxury hats blooming hydrangea can often be seen in our gardens. Homemade hydrangeas are also grown. Sometimes the owner of a bush, expecting wild flowering from the plant, discovers that it does not come, and only leaves grow. Let's try to figure out what the reason is and how to correct the situation.
Why doesn't garden hydrangea bloom?
We plant garden hydrangea so that it delights us with its luxurious clusters of inflorescences
If garden hydrangea does not bloom, then among the main reasons may be the following:
- landing place,
- freezing of flower buds,
- unsuccessful pruning,
- incorrect soil composition,
- lack of moisture,
- incorrectly selected fertilizers.
Landing place
Hydrangeas prefer to receive morning or evening sunlight, but not less than 6 hours.
Freezing of flower buds
Large-leaved hydrangea blooms on last year's shoots, and its flower buds are formed in the fall. If the buds freeze late in autumn or early in spring, then it is useless to wait for them to bloom.
Incorrect pruning
Different types of hydrangeas require different pruning.
For the same reason, flowering may not occur if the hydrangea is pruned incorrectly in the fall or spring.
They begin to prune and shape hydrangeas only from the third year of life. Before this, pruning of the bush should not be carried out.
Incorrect soil composition
If a hydrangea bush is planted in incorrectly prepared soil, it may also not bloom. The thing is that hydrangeas need acidic soil(4.5–5 pH). If the composition is alkaline, the plant will not only not bloom, but will wither and die.
To acidify the soil for hydrangea, you can add citric acid in a proportion of 1.5–2 tbsp. without a pot for 10 l. water. Or you can do it simpler: collect rotted pine litter in a coniferous forest and sprinkle it under a hydrangea bush.
You can acidify the soil for hydrangea using citric acid.
Lack of moisture
Hydrangea is one of those plants that requires abundant watering. Hydrangea bushes need to be watered at least twice a week, or even more often, especially if the weather is hot. To retain moisture, it is better to mulch the soil around the bush.
Insufficient feeding
A hungry hydrangea may also refuse to bloom.
For hydrangeas to bloom, you need to feed them well.
Methods for solving the problem
The very first condition is to determine what type of hydrangea grows in your place. Many features of care will depend on this. There are several main varieties of the plant: paniculate, tree-like and large-leaved.
Photo gallery: types of hydrangeas
Hydrangea paniculata has elongated inflorescences. reminiscent of a panicle 
Tree hydrangea is the most hardy and unpretentious 
Large-leaved hydrangea can change the color of inflorescences
Landing place
It is better to plant hydrangea not in a sunny place, but in light shade, on the eastern or western side of the site, so that the bush is protected from the midday sun by shade.
Freezing of the kidneys
To prevent this from happening, large-leaved hydrangea must be covered for the winter.. To do this, you can first wrap the bush with lutrasil or spunbond, and cover it with dry leaves on top, having first built a wire frame around the bush. Some varieties of this species must be dug up for the winter and stored in the basement.
A wire frame will help to reliably cover large-leaved hydrangea from frost
The other two species - tree and paniculate hydrangeas - are quite frost-resistant, they can do without shelter; mulching with peat and fallen leaves will be enough.
Tree trunk circle tree hydrangea It is enough to mulch with pine needles or fallen leaves for the winter
Trimming
In large-leaved hydrangea, pruning is recommended to be done in the spring, and only dry inflorescences need to be trimmed, because flower buds are located at the ends of last year's shoots.
Large-leaved hydrangea should be pruned carefully, removing only last year's dried inflorescences.
Tree and paniculate hydrangeas need to be pruned more heavily, because... it blooms on the shoots current year. This can be done in autumn and early spring. The pruning scheme is as follows: each shoot of this year is cut off by 2–4 buds if the branch is growing strongly, and by 1/3 if the shoot is weak.
These species will also benefit from proper thinning of the bush; it promotes flowering intensity. Frozen shoots can be cut back to old wood. Shoots growing inside the bush are also removed.
Tree-like and paniculata hydrangea need to be cut short enough
Video: how to prune hydrangeas correctly
Feeding
Typically, hydrangeas are fertilized three times during the season. In order for hydrangea to bloom, complex fertilizers are applied at the very beginning of growth or fertilizers are combined with organic matter. To obtain abundant flowering, phosphorus and potassium are needed. You can use superphosphate or any other complex fertilizer containing these ingredients. Dosage - 1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water.
During the budding period, hydrangeas require potassium-phosphorus feeding
Why does indoor hydrangea not bloom?
In enclosed spaces, winter gardens, large-leaved hydrangeas are most often grown in greenhouses.
Home hydrangea loves a bright place and moist air
If your home hydrangea also refuses to bloom, there may be several reasons:
- plant age,
- lack of lighting,
- problems with soil composition or moisture,
- sudden change in temperature.
The lump of earth should be moist, and the plant itself should be periodically sprayed with a spray bottle if the air in the room is dry. It is advisable that the water be well settled.
A sharp drop in room temperature can cause the buds to fall off.