Try high phosphorus fertilizer In mid-spring (after last frost) and a pile of leaves over it in the winter.

I was having the same trouble and fertilized last year and this year. Last year I had some flowers and this year I have tons-almost every branch!!

I am zone 5 in Iowa. Is this a good year for hydrangea or is it mostly because of my fertilizing?

Fertilizing and above average rainfall has probably helped. Not to mention a lack of 100% sunny days (hydrangeas prefer bright shade or at least not beating sun) and instead mostly muggy days. Also, as each year passes, most ES and the like gets a little more established underground, which also helps.

I'll add that the last two seasons most of my ES originals were pretty much killed back. They proceed to make a bunch of thick 3' tall canes with large blooms on them. A part of me would rather have the large blooms than a bunch of small ones. Two of them are foot across!

The problem may be that it gets somewhat filtered sun. I have found endless summer needs direct sun , at least 6 hours a day, to bloom consistently in zone 5.

My ES performed like yours. After a few years, I didn't water it during a bad drought and it died. I don't miss it. I think ES is very over rated.

I don't think its necessarily overrated, it is just a little picky. Everyone's individual microclimates, soil, and care will, sometimes, greatly affect the blooms and growth of ES.

Probably too cold in zone 5. But you didn't prune off the "dead sticks," did you? If so, that's the reason.

"But you didn't prune off the "dead sticks," did you? If so, that's the reason."

I am confused by this statement ;-) If the stems/sticks are dead, removing them has no effect on the current bloom status. Hydrangea macrophyllas regularly experience branch or stem dieback, even in rather mild winter areas and in colder climates without winter protection, it is not at all uncommon for them to dieback to the ground or root system in a tough winter, leaving only a collection of "dead sticks" :-) Once you see new growth emerging from the crown but no buds forming on the bare stems, it is perfectly safe (and even recommended) to remove the bare stems/dead wood, as they can harbor insect or disease issues and detract from the look of the plant. But make sure you wait long enough to determine no buds forming and that the stems are truly dead wood.

I just meant that many people *think* the sticks look dead and cut them back in, say, early May when they see growth emerging from the crown--when actually if they wait long enough, those sticks are going to leaf out and produce this year's blossoms. That's why I put "dead sticks" in quotes.

I waited till quite late in spring to be sure "dead sticks" were not sprouting anything till I cut them back. New growth is lush and tall. Plants were not fertilized at all, except a bit of compost yearly. I am in zone 5a, leaning towards 5b of late, and we are on a windy exposed hillside with clay/limestone soil and the water is very hard, so it's kind of harsh. The regular macrophyllas NEVER EVER bloom for me - I get leaves, that's it. I was so hopeful about the "Endless Summer" line. I gave a tour of my gardens to the local garden club last week, and quizzed them all about the variety, everyone reported similar results even though many of them are about 200' lower elevation in the valley downhill from me. I am tending to agree with the posters who think they are just kind of finicky. I will not remove it - NEVER SAY DIE :-) - but I am not too optimistic, will try early high phosphate fertilizer though to see if it helps. Thanks, everyone.

I'm in zone 6; my ES (very well established) did not bloom last summer, and looks like no sign of buds this year. We had 2 very hard winters, but still, I thought the whole deal about ES was that it was supposed to bloom on new wood as well as old. Very disappointed. I'm going to tear mine out and replace with Twist and Shout - I have a few of these, and they are all blooming beautifully! (Its true I did not fertilize or cover ES, but I didn't fertilize or cover Twist and Shout, either! I think its just a better plant).

In zone 5b all 3 of my 2 year old endless summers are blooming well I think. But twist n shout has only few blooms. I have not used any fertilizers till now only the occasional coffee grounds. All my hydrangea blooms are pink.

That's also illegal, but I don't think the Plant Police are coming to arrest you anytime soon. :P

very interesting! I am amazed that this works and gives you the flowers when the mother plant doesn't. Do you suppose the mother plant just gets too cold during the winter where as these new cuttings are protected? Just a week ago I decided to try to make another plant from the original by scraping off a little around a stem and then placing that part of the stem under dirt with the rest of it sticking out. If by next spring it has roots I hope to cut it off and plant it. I wonder if it will bloom heavily like yours is. Mine won't be completely protected like yours but I will cover it as best I can with styrofoam coolers. Your plant is beautiful! My original endless summer had quite a few summers with little to no blooms. Last year I started fertilizing at the same time as adding the aluminum sulfate to make the color blue. I finally had a few blooms last summer and this summer the plant is full of them!

Ha Ha regarding plant police... I propagate a lot of patented plants for my own use. I don't think it's illegal unless I sell them. I work at a greenhouse so I am always able to get snips of all the newest plants to grow on for my yard. Call me cheap. LOL

Cheap's the way to go! I've taken "cuttings" from big box stores. But that's not stealing IMO. :P

I'm glad the cuttings thing worked out, but what you did would probably work with any mac so why not do it with one of the better cultivars?

ES is popular because of its supposed remontant abilities, not because it has exceptional blooms.

kidhorn2, good point!

I've used ES simply because I have one on my property. However, seeing as how I work at a greenhouse/nursery, I have access to all the latest hydrangea macrophylla hybrids. Maybe I need to take a walk through the tree and shrub lot with my pruners and snag a few cutting of the better hybrids!

You sir are lucky! From what I've seen, seems like enough plants get dinged during transport from the growers that there would be enough broken stems to make new plants from!

So what's new and exciting at your nursery this season, hydrangea-wise?