Hydrangeas arguably always look their best when they have bigger and more fuller blooms.
Although these plants are very good at getting on with things without needing a green-fingered hand, there is a way to give your hydrangeas a boost when they need it.
Taking to the Gardening Hints and Tips Facebook page, one woman asked how hydrangea blooms can be made bigger.
Melanie Trafford wrote: “Is there a trick to getting hydrangeas to bloom and get bigger?
“Last year ours barely did anything and I’m thinking of ripping them out and putting something else there. Seeing if there’s hope for them first.”
While many group members suggested Melanie prune the plant, one gardener suggested a different tip that worked for them.
Debbie Hobbs wrote: “They love fertiliser. I used this on my hydrangeas last year and it bloomed so much bigger all summer long.”
In agreement with the gardening enthusiast, Jason VanderMey, a gardening expert for West Coast Gardens explained that fertiliser is the answer to growing “amazing” and “bigger” blooms.
He said: “The more you fertilise your hydrangea, the bigger it will grow. Nutrients also help your beautiful perennial grow large, dark leaves that will look amazing next to their flowers.
“I use a slow-release fertiliser, to keep them fed all of the time, as well as a compost mulch once a year.”
The expert also noted that pruning hydrangeas is the right way to guarantee you get the best blooms. Jason explained: “You can run into a lot of problems when pruning your hydrangeas, but a few easy rules will get you going.
“Many species of hydrangea don’t need much pruning if they are planted in a spot with adequate room for growth.
“Macrophylla hydrangeas can be pruned (slightly, don’t cut off more than a third of the plant) right after the blooms are finished.
“It’s best to just prune when you need to shape the bush or to cut out old brittle and dried stems. This type of hydrangea grows its blooms on the ‘old wood’.”
This means it needs to keep almost all its growth every year because that is where the new stems and flowers emerge from.
The expert continued: “If you have arborescens (such as Annabelle or Invicibelle) then they need to be pruned right down to the ground every Autumn, leaving only a few inches of stems showing.
“This type of hydrangea is very large and grows vigorously, so it needs to be cut back every year to grow new stems. The blooms on arborescens grow on ‘new wood’, which is why it won’t harm your plant to cut it right to the ground at the end of the season.”
