We have a hydrangea that
flowered great the first year but has nothing but leaves, no flowers, this
year. What's the problem?
This is a common problem
with flowering shrubs. We purchase them in bloom and enjoy the flowers the
first season. The next year the plant focuses its energy on developing roots
instead of flowers.
This
is good for the establishment and longevity of the plant but discouraging for
the gardener.
Some
plants like the big leaf hydrangeas bloom on old wood. If these plants die back
or are pruned back to the ground over winter, they will not flower.
Repeat
blooming big leaf hydrangeas like Endless Summer are supposed to flower on old
and new growth. So if the plant dies back to the ground, it is supposed to form
flowers on the new growth. These have been a disappointment for most gardeners.
I
have found that keeping the soil moist, not wet, spring through summer and
fertilizing once in spring with Milorganite will help promote flowering.
Milorganite is a low-nitrogen, slow-release fertilizer that promotes slow,
steady growth and does not interfere with flowering.
In
addition, research has found that as the microorganisms release the nutrients
in the Milorganite, they also make some of the phosphorous and potassium bound
to the soil available to the plants. This along with the phosphorous in the
Milorganite encourages flowering.
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