Vocal Voices

About 4 years ago we planted a hydrangea in the back garden and the following year 2 hydrangeas in the front garden. This year they are green but haven't flowered at all. They have never been what I would call abundant, but now they are pathetic. I blame M for cutting them back too much. Any ideas?

I think the pruning could be the reason.

Agree regarding the pruning ..... also, it's our experience that the one (pink) hydrangea we have seems to thrive on lots of watering. We had a very good, vigorous display last summer when it was abundantly wet, but not so good this year .....

Hydrangeas flower on 2nd year wood so the pruning definitely will be to blame for a lot of it. If you have to prune it then only prune 1/3 this year, 1/3 the next and the other 1/3 the year after; that way you should have enough 2nd year / older wood to flower.

Also, when I was at Hampton Court Flower Show this year, I commented to a hydrangea stall owner that one of mine that I bought two or three years ago wasn't flowering and he said that from April onwards to once a week feed with Tomarite as that encourages flowering. I've got quite a few hydrangeas in my garden and four aren't flowering at all, whereas the others are doing OK or very well. Needless to say I'll be stocking up on lots of Tomarite for next year

Tomorite seems to be recommended for so many things I think we should all just put it on everything and hope for the best
We have just one hydrangea, a small variety, pretty pale pink, in the front garden which is always dry, so I do water it a lot.

Looks like there is a time if year as well. I put a seeweed one on mine at the rental about December January so err...June July your time. They then got a weekly watering as we were trying to put in some jasmine in between the hydrangers, during a drought and the old 2 hydrangers that have never really done anything just flowered like mad, even the new one did really well.

Thanks everyone for the good advice. I have told m to step away from the pruning shears for the foreseeable future - and we will be stocking up on Tomarite!

Off topic slightly, but you can turn a pink hydrangea blue - if you should so wish - by burying a rusty nail under it My mum used to do it