How To Care For Hydrangea Blooms. How can I tell if my hydrangea blooms on old or new wood. Add an extra layer of mulch leaves or pine straw up to 6 to 8 inches high to provide tender buds protection from drastic temperature changes cold nights and high winter winds McEnaney says.
Hydrangeas that flower on old wood produce blooms on stems that grew last year which also grew flower buds in the previous year. Dont prune away stems that will bloom. Hydrangea flowering season is also affected by pruning or the lack thereof.
In fact if hydrangeas are given too much high-nitrogen fertilizer they might grow full and lush but with fewer flowers.
You can prune in the Spring. Along with planting them in the right place properly watering your hydrangeas is essential to bigger and better blooms. Hydrangeasbeloved by home gardeners for their versatility and low-maintenance growing conditionsare also a popular bloom for dried arrangements that admirers can display for years. Hard pruning of smooth hydrangea in the late winter to early spring will reduce the number of flowers but increase their size and delay hydrangea bloom.