Hi,

I have two Nikko Blue Hydrangeas that I planted last year. One had a bloom on it when I planted it; the other did not. This summer, neither one of them bloomed and I believe it's because their buds were killed off during the winter. What is the best way to winterize these plants so they will bloom next summer? (They are on the south-facing side of my house in the front yard.) Thanks!

Hydrangeas fail to bloom for only a handful of reasons. Improper pruning is the number one reason why they do not bloom. They should be pruned after bloom. Big leaf hydrangeas bloom from buds set the previous summer on summer wood. (The fatal mistake is to prune off all the old wood in the spring and remove all the flower buds!)

Hydrangeas bloom best in sites where they receive about 3-4 hours of sunlight. Morning sun is best.

Winter dieback -- Hydrangeas branches often die back partway, sometimes to the ground, depending upon how harsh the winter. If this has happened to your hydrangea the dieback has, in effect, pruned off the previous summer's buds and that is why the hydrangea cannot produce flowers. Also late frosts can damage flower buds. You can protect the shrub by placing a burlap screen around the shrub.

Do not overfertilize. The shrub will put out a lot of foliar growth at the expense of flowering. You may want to consider planting one the hydrangeas that produce flowers on new and old growth such as the 'Endless Summer' variety.

You may also be dealing with a maturity factor. They may not be mature enough to bloom.

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