Hydrangea

[Grandadwasthatyou]

Can anybody tell me please why there is so much greenery on my hydrangea ( which I bought last year full of blooms) and hardly any flowers?
The 3 blooms which are there are just about hidden by all the leaves!

Did you prune it? If so, when and what did you cut?

I have got to be honest and admit I really can't remember when or how I pruned it. I do remember watching a YouTube tutorial and following that!

It's a really healthy looking plant, but if it was pruned hard or at the wrong time it might be using all its energy on its leaves.

I've noticed quite a lot of hydrangeas short of blooms this year - I think at least in part is that they got going in the very early wam in April and then badly frosted which took out their growing tips so they had to start over.

One of my Hydrangeas has a lot less blooms than usual and far more greenery. It was damaged by frost earlier in the year and I wonder if that could be the reason.

My other one is closer to the house and more sheltered and doesn't seem to have suffered.

I love the colour of yours.

Frost in May. Mine's the same this year.

This is how mine looked when I pruned it, I completely buggered it up and it had to have a very hard prune the following year. The flowers grow on old wood I think.

I’m putting tomato feed on mine quite regularly in the hope of more flowers.

They are tricksy bastards.

Mine had lovely lilac blooms last year.

This year it’s got one blue one hiding at the bottom.

I have a lace version and after lots of googling always leave the dead heads on until after the last frost in May as apparently they protect the buds. Mine has been fine last year. I have hacked it back fully on two occasions after flowering but then it doesn't flower until the following year.
Perhaps you pruned at the wrong time? I only prune mine once a year.

Mine's the same...think i pruned it all wrong

Are you feeding it too much?

I've optimistically bought the beautiful unusually large flowered or something new from GC's recently and each time, after beginning well they've eventually turned out to be rubbish.

The only successful ones I have were here and happy 16 years ago when we moved here and have remained good! I blame the plant breeders, they go for fireworks (unusual looks and shapes etc.). which seems to weaken the plants.

They seem to need some shade (but not too much) The same with sun Of course watering at the right time with rainwater. I like the dried ones so I pick them , that doesn't affect the next year's growth either (i'm talking about the traditional ones of course).

Mine have been beautiful for the last 8 years. This year, next to nothing. I've done nothing different to what I always do. Maybe its just a bad year for the hydrangea ☹

Mine didn’t bloom at all the second year I had it. I kept feeding it, then read on here that was the worst thing I could have done! Neglect seems to be the way forward with my hydrangea as blooming really well this year

I’ve got one that has loads of blooms and one that only has a couple , both treated exactly the same just in different parts of the garden . My sister has loads and hers aren’t that good this year so I’m going for weather being the issue .

It's not been a great year for hydrangeas, that very late frost hurt them a lot
My gardeners said a lot of people have lost them this year (we are in the NE) and mine looked like they were done for but have recovered albeit with less flowers than usual. The most sheltered one has done the best.

I made sure I gave mine plenty of water during the dry spell, even the ones that had been in the ground for a couple of years. I never prune either.

@Saidtoomuch

I made sure I gave mine plenty of water during the dry spell, even the ones that had been in the ground for a couple of years. I never prune either.

Don't they get massive if you dont prune ?

So many helpful answers thank you. I am a novice gardener so have to check online tutorials. I'm glad though that it doesn't seem as if it's just my lack of care. Mother Nature seems to have a bit to blame this year.