Need help identifying hydrangea issue

8 years ago

I noticed my hydrangeas never flowered this year. I wasn't really concerned, since the plant itself looked green and healthy and I had just moved in the prior year. However, in the last two weeks, I have noticed yellowing and wilting leaves/spotting, followed by full stalks dying off. I've taken a couple pictures showing the interior main stalk area, as well as a picture of the plant. Any ideas? Thanks, in advance.

Featured Answer

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

8 years ago

Hydrangeas are shrubs, not herbaceous perennials. And with the type of hydrangea illustrated in the photo - Hydrangea macrophylla - you do NOT want to be cutting back to the ground (or to any low set of buds) as that will effectively remove much (if not all) of the potential for next year's flowers.

The vast majority of Hydrangea macrophyllas, aka bigleaf hydrangeas, bloom on growth that was produced the previous season. Latent flower buds are produced at the terminal ends of branches in later summer and early fall - they are present NOW and cutting back hard will remove them. The exceptions are some newer introductions that will also bloom on current season's growth as well, although that feature is usually iffy at best, except under nearly ideal growing conditions.

Lack of flowering on these types of hydrangeas is nearly always due to cold damage to the flower buds and/or improper pruning techniques. Pruning should be kept to a minimum.......generally just deadheading old flowers immediately under the flowerhead or the removal of deadwood in spring after the plant has fully leafed out. Anything more than this will removal the shrub's ability to flower in the coming season. And if you are growing this plant in a zone lower than 7, winter protection for the shrub is highly recommended to avoid cold damage to the latent flower buds and subsequent lack of flowering next season.

As to issues with this specific plant, it looks to be in pretty good shape in the OP photos. But depending on where you are located, it is very late in the season for these shrubs and they are starting to shut down and enter dormancy - yellowing, drying and spotting of leaves at this time of year is to be expected :-))

FWIW, there is a dedicated Hydrangea forum here at Garden Web, where you can post to get detailed and experienced info on growing these plants. Siting of the plants can be critical to maintaining good health (avoiding too much midday sun, for example, and reflected heat). The rock mulch would not be my first choice for these shrubs for several reasons.

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Comments (8)

tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
8 years ago
What is under those stones? May be a root issue.

tj
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
8 years ago
where are you ... did you cut it down last fall or this spring ...

excessive green without flowering.. might be a fert issue ... too much or wrong kind ...

i hope there is no plastic under the stone ...

otherwise... your description of yellowing leaves.. in october.. is consistent with it going dormant for winter ... depending where you are ...

first pic.. you see those buds withing 3 inches of the ground.. thats where i would cut it down to in about a month.. in my MI .... after a few hard frosts or a freeze ... after it is dormant ....

welcome to the forums ..... its a perennial ... and there is a perennial forum for general plant care ...

ken
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User
Original Author
8 years ago
tj - Not sure exactly what you're asking, but we have a drip sprinkler system and a breathable weed barrier. As far as a root issue, how would I know (pull back all the stones? Wait and see?)?

ken - We are in the Knoxville, TN area (not sure of our zone ... sorry). Yes, we did cut it back last year after a completely unexpected hard frost. My parents are in MI and my dad told me the same thing last year about cutting it back, so I used his reference on how far to cut it back at that point.

I thank you both for your comments! :)
User
Original Author
8 years ago
gardengal - Thank you very much for all the valuable information! That is extremely helpful. Rocks are not my first choice either, but that's how it was landscaped when we moved in and we have just left it as is ... guess we should consider changing it. I will check out that forum and go from there. Thanks again!
kimmq
8 years ago
Knoxville, Tenn. tells us far more than the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone (7a for the Knoxville area) ever will. But that Plant Hardiness Zone is handy for learning which plants will probably survive a normal winter in that area.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years ago
"Knoxville, Tenn. tells us far more than the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone (7a for the Knoxville area) ever will. But that Plant Hardiness Zone is handy for learning which plants will probably survive a normal winter in that area."

Not at all sure what this has to do with the price of beans!!
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
8 years ago
boy im having a bad GW week.. lol .. i got about halfway thru my post.. and i thought to myself... odds are gal will pop in and ID it as not my kind of H ...

oh well .. lol ..

i guess you have your answer why they didnt bloom ...

ken