pruning time
My blue hydrangea (not the continuously blooming variety) has very few flowers every year since I got it. I tried trimming it back after flowering time, and not doing any trimming, with the same results. It gets plenty of sun and the foliage is very healthy. I envy neighbors who have bushes full of flowers. What can I try and what is the proper way/time to cut it back? I am in Jefferson Twp in NE NJ.Thanks!
Hi,
Thanks for writing. The best time to prune the type of hydrangea you have is right after it finishes blooming.
To encourage more blooms, be sure it's growing in moist, well-drained soil that's rich in organic matter. Topdressing the soil with an inch or two of compost every year helps a lot, as does spreading a layer of mulch over the soil around the plant.
Hydrangeas can be heavy feeders, so if your soil isn't particularly rich, fertilizing the plants (with a general-purpose garden fertilizer) in early summer can be helpful.
---Justin, Senior Garden Editor, BHG.com
