Why do my hrdrangaes not get many flowers on them?

Question

My hydrangaes are very healthy but they have very few flowers.

Answer 1

Hydrangeas are very sensitive to weather....especially in the spring.  If you live where it gets cold in the winter, your hydrangeas may have had the flower buds frost bitten in the spring.  Did you have a cold snap after your plants began to bud out? My hydrangeas are good some years and terrible other years.  This year has been a very good year for me because we had a smooth transition from winter to spring ( no cold snaps in early spring). Last year I didn't even have a single flower because we had temperatures in the lower 20's and it killed all the flower buds.

Now if you don't live where it gets cold they may not be receiving enough sun. They don't take a lot of sun (less than 4-6 hours is sufficient) but they do need at least some good light during the day.  

If they get plenty of light then next spring give them a shot of fertilizer with alot of phosphorus like superphosphate or bonemeal.  If you fertilize with a product that has a high nitrogen content you will get all leaves and no flowers. Just remember to use a fertilizer with a high phosphorus content and a lower nitrogen content if you fertilize.

Lastly if you prune your hydrangeas that may be your problem. Some hydrangeas bloom on new wood and some on old wood. I would not recommend pruning until your plants have sprouted in the spring time so you can see which canes are dead and which are living.

Hope this helps....Good Luck!