For first time my mophead hydrangeas did not bloom -2022
I have had two large mopheads for decades here in Northern Virginia. They never fail to produce beautiful blooms in the summer but neither of them bloomed this year. I know not to prune them until the new green growth starts and then I prune off the dead parts. They live in opposite corners of a garden . I have not done anything differently this year than in the past and am devastated that they did not bloom. Lots of lush foliage but no flowers. What could be wrong? Thanks
My guess, climate change. I have not had anything fail to bloom, but I have had plants bloom at different times than normal.
I also have to water more. I rarely watered my 40 year old rhapsiolepsis indica. Usually, it literally can live on rain. But after three years of drought and less than normal winter rainfall, the center of the hedge started to dry out. I did catch it in time and it took a couple of years for the spot to fill in. But since then, I water the hedge now when it hasn't rained for awhile about once a week.
The other thing is if you have lots of lush foliage. What has changed? Did you fertilize, when and with what kind of fertilizer? If you fertilize at the wrong time or use too much nitrogen, you will get more growth and less bloom. Has the environment changed? Have other plants grown around the hydrangeas and blocked some of the light?
I also have to water more. I rarely watered my 40 year old rhapsiolepsis indica. Usually, it literally can live on rain. But after three years of drought and less than normal winter rainfall, the center of the hedge started to dry out. I did catch it in time and it took a couple of years for the spot to fill in. But since then, I water the hedge now when it hasn't rained for awhile about once a week.
The other thing is if you have lots of lush foliage. What has changed? Did you fertilize, when and with what kind of fertilizer? If you fertilize at the wrong time or use too much nitrogen, you will get more growth and less bloom. Has the environment changed? Have other plants grown around the hydrangeas and blocked some of the light?
Thanks for the reply. Sorry about your rhapsiolepsis indica. Glad they come back.
Great questions you asked! I have never had to fertilize them and they have bloomed faithfully since 1995 when I removed them from my Mom's yard when she passed. We have acidic soil and they love it. No other plants are blocking their sunlight which is morning and evening. No environmental changes other than the global ones. We did have a lot of extremely cold days last winter with ice but that has happened before. They get watered only when they droop in daytime heat and don't recover and that has not happened this year . They leafed out normally but no blooms ever appeared....not even one. I miss them.
Great questions you asked! I have never had to fertilize them and they have bloomed faithfully since 1995 when I removed them from my Mom's yard when she passed. We have acidic soil and they love it. No other plants are blocking their sunlight which is morning and evening. No environmental changes other than the global ones. We did have a lot of extremely cold days last winter with ice but that has happened before. They get watered only when they droop in daytime heat and don't recover and that has not happened this year . They leafed out normally but no blooms ever appeared....not even one. I miss them.
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applestar
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Only likely reasons (aside from improper pruning) that I can think of are abnormal temperature swings that zapped the flower buds and pests eating them.
Generally speaking, pest damage tend not to result in 100% loss, so the weather seems more likely. I think all of us are experiencing extreme winter (temperature, freezing and frost) and extreme summer conditions, unseasonable weather conditions, too much or too little rain, etc.
The weird weather pattens have also resulted in unusual pests showing up or normal pests showing up at unusual time of the season.
I think I’m also seeing unusual feeding patterns by not only the familiar garden pests and marauders, but rarely seen wildlife as well.
Generally speaking, pest damage tend not to result in 100% loss, so the weather seems more likely. I think all of us are experiencing extreme winter (temperature, freezing and frost) and extreme summer conditions, unseasonable weather conditions, too much or too little rain, etc.
The weird weather pattens have also resulted in unusual pests showing up or normal pests showing up at unusual time of the season.
I think I’m also seeing unusual feeding patterns by not only the familiar garden pests and marauders, but rarely seen wildlife as well.
First let me just say I am diligent about when and how I prune them. I have even schooled others on how and when to do that. I have a very green thumb so I know it was nothing I did or didn't do....sniffle!
Overall the weather was not that unusual and when growing season began all was normal. They leafed out beautifully but no flower buds ever appeared and I checked them often and carefully. For some reason pests don't bother them at all EXCEPT recently when some beloved 4 legged pests (does) decided to munch on the leaves but since its way past budding/blooming time it didn't affect this year's blooms. I was surprised they ate the leaves to tell the truth. I guess I will never know what happened to my beauties and just hope they bloom next season.
Overall the weather was not that unusual and when growing season began all was normal. They leafed out beautifully but no flower buds ever appeared and I checked them often and carefully. For some reason pests don't bother them at all EXCEPT recently when some beloved 4 legged pests (does) decided to munch on the leaves but since its way past budding/blooming time it didn't affect this year's blooms. I was surprised they ate the leaves to tell the truth. I guess I will never know what happened to my beauties and just hope they bloom next season.
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applestar
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I understood that you weren’t cutting the flower buds off — that’s why I put that in parenthesis, but I could have worded my post better. 
So if deer thought they might enjoy the leaves now, they might have nibbled on the floral buds during the winter, for example. Or unseasonably warm spring might have caused sudden mass hatching of slugs and snails, for example.
(I had pests that normally don’t arrive until the hottest July-August weeks show up in June here….
)
I hope they bloom next year and give you an extra show since they didn’t have to expend energy for blooming this year. Pay extra attention through fall and winter for possible explanation, if you can.
It would be interesting and helpful to find out what happened.
So if deer thought they might enjoy the leaves now, they might have nibbled on the floral buds during the winter, for example. Or unseasonably warm spring might have caused sudden mass hatching of slugs and snails, for example.
(I had pests that normally don’t arrive until the hottest July-August weeks show up in June here….
)I hope they bloom next year and give you an extra show since they didn’t have to expend energy for blooming this year. Pay extra attention through fall and winter for possible explanation, if you can.
It would be interesting and helpful to find out what happened.
Not to worry about any wording in your reply. During the winter I saw no indication that deer or any 'one' else had nibbled. They don't usually touch those bushes and they only ate from the smaller one that is on the yard side of the garden while the other larger one is closer to the house
next to the front sidewalk so they don't come up there.
All I can hope is that all will be well next year and I will keep a special eye on them this winter. Thanks for your replies and fingers crossed.
next to the front sidewalk so they don't come up there.
All I can hope is that all will be well next year and I will keep a special eye on them this winter. Thanks for your replies and fingers crossed.