How to Get More Blooms From Your Hydrangea

Big, beautiful hydrangea flowers effortlessly attract attention. Hydrangeas are some of the showiest blooms, standing out as a focal point in the garden, a vase, or a wedding bouquet. Plus, the shrubs are relatively easy to grow and are hardy across most of the country. To get the most flowers from your hydrangeas, make sure your plants get the correct amounts of water and fertilizer. The key is knowing the type of hydrangeas you’re growing.

   The three most popular hydrangea varieties are panicle, smooth, and bigleaf. Each type has slightly different care requirements. With some know-how and planning, you’ll be able to properly prepare your specific hydrangea variety for optimal blooms.

How Often to Water Hydrangeas
All hydrangeas love water. Their name comes from the Greek hydra meaning “water,” and angeon meaning “vessel.” But how much water do hydrangeas need? You’ll know by looking at the leaves. Hydrangea leaves droop when the plant is too dry, telling you they need water. The leaves also go limp in the midday heat, so wait until evening to see if they recover before you water them. When planting your hydrangea in the ground, it’s best to water it at least three times a week to establish a strong root system. Be sure to keep the soil moist but not soggy.

How to Fertilize Hydrangeas
Fertilizing hydrangeas can be a tricky task. Most hydrangeas don’t need much, but woody plant authority Michael Dirr, a retired University of Georgia horticulture professor, says the best fertilizer for hydrangeas is an all-purpose plant food applied in late winter or early spring. Be careful when applying hydrangea fertilizer: If you give your plants too much, you might get more leaves than blooms. Too much nitrogen also produces long stems that might not set flower buds.

Panicle Hydrangea
Producing huge, cone-shaped hydrangea flower clusters, panicles (Hydrangea paniculata) generally have white blooms, but the flowers of several varieties will blush to pink as they age. Some of the most popular varieties of this type of hydrangea include ‘Limelight’ (flowers have a greenish tinge) and ‘Vanilla Strawberry’ (beloved for its pink and white two-tone flowers).

Blooms will begin appearing in July, continuing into the fall. The plants do best in full sun and well-drained soil and are hardy in Zones 3-8. A panicle hydrangea might suit you if you want big hydrangea flowers and plants that grow up to 10 feet tall.

How to Get More Panicle Hydrangea Flowers:
Plant panicle hydrangeas in all-day sun or afternoon sun.
Water them during a drought, especially if you notice wilting.
Add plenty of organic matter (such as compost) around the plant.
Limit any drastic pruning to early spring, just before new growth emerges.

Smooth Hydrangea
Named for the texture of their large leaves, smooth hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens) are better known for their enormous, spherical, white flower heads. The best-known variety, ‘Annabelle’ (sometimes called Snowball Bush), was discovered by a horticulture professor in the 1960s and traced to Anna, Illinois. ‘Annabelle’ hydrangea shows off big blooms that are initially pure white but gradually fade to green. Invincibelle Spirit is a newer variety that blooms pink instead of the typical white.

Native to areas of North America, smooth hydrangea begins blooming in late June and continues to bloom intermittently throughout the summer. It grows in sunny or partly shady conditions in Zones 4-9.

How to Get More Smooth Hydrangea Flowers:
Plant smooth hydrangeas in full sun if the soil stays moist. (Partial shade is better in spots that dry out from time to time.)
Water them during times of drought, especially during the heat of summer.
Amend the soil with organic matter (such as compost).
Prune stems back in early spring, just before new growth emerges.

Bigleaf Hydrangea
The bigleaf group of hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) and its cousins, the oakleaf hydrangea (H. quercifolia), climbing hydrangea (H. anomala ssp. petiolaris), and serrate hydrangea (H. serrata), can present the biggest challenge when it comes to getting more flowers. These hydrangea flowers primarily bloom on the previous year’s stems (sometimes called “last year’s wood”). If you prune the stems one year, you are likely cutting off the following year’s flowers. It’s OK to remove any dead stems in spring. If you want to prune for shape, do it by early August because the following year’s flower buds are set when temperatures drop.