A newly planted bush may bloom the first year if it set flower buds while it was confined to a pot, and then not bloom again for a year or two as it settles into the soil in its new location. Instead it is busy growing new roots and branches, instead of flower buds.
Hydrangeas in their first or second year of being planted often will not give out blooms. This is because they are focusing the majority of their energy on growing a good root system to keep them strong and healthy in their new location. This is a good thing!
Hydrangeas bloom seasonally and typically start to bud around mid-summer or late summer. However, a newly planted hydrangea may take 2-3 years to bloom.
Put the pot in a spot that is away from any direct sunlight and keep the soil slightly damp. In two to four weeks, a root system should begin to develop. You can transplant the cutting so that it can have the winter to establish a strong root system.
Hydrangeas need regular water to thrive. Too little water can result in stunted growth and failure to develop flower buds. A drought in the previous growing season can also affect flowering the following year. Plants need consistent moisture, about 2 inches of water per week.
If hydrangeas are fed more nitrogen than potassium, they may skip flowering and grow more foliage instead, and leaves that are larger. If you aren't sure whether nitrogen is causing the issue or not, test your soil.
As rapid growers—averaging about 2 feet of growth per year—larger varieties of hydrangeas can reach up to 15 feet tall. Applicable in growing zones 3 to 9, hydrangeas are a low maintenance plant that will return year after year with proper care.
When Do Hydrangeas Bloom? Hydrangeas are woody flowering shrubs grown for their beautiful blossoms. As to when hydrangeas bloom, the simple answer is that a usually a hydrangea flowers from mid-spring through the late summer or early fall.
Late-Blooming Hydrangeas
The buds form in the spring and early summer and immediately open into blooms by late summer and through the fall. You will often hear that these hydrangeas bloom on “new wood” because they grow new wood and buds and bloom all in the same year.
After transplanting, pay careful attention to the next two summers. Hydrangeas need plenty of water during these hot months. If the leaves wilt, but the soil seems moist enough, mist leaves. Fertilize hydrangeas twice each year with Espoma's Holly-tone, once in early spring and a half feeding in fall.
Miracle-Gro Performance Organics Blooms Nutrition
This is an all-purpose blossom booster that's suitable for use on a wide variety of perennial and annual blooming plants, including hydrangeas.
For the first two years after planting and during any drought, be sure hydrangeas get plenty of water. If possible, water in the morning to prepare hydrangeas for the heat of the day and to avoid disease.
Coffee grounds add extra acidity to the soil around hydrangeas. On a chemical level, this increased acidity makes it easier for the plant to absorb naturally occurring aluminum in the dirt. The effect is pretty blue clusters of flowers.
If you don't prune hydrangeas then they can eventually resemble a tangled mass of woody stems, and the flowers will become smaller and less showy.
The hydrangea blooming season depends upon the type and cultivar as well as your planting zone. Most new growth hydrangeas put on buds in early summer to bloom in the following spring, summer and early fall seasons. In hot climates, hydrangeas may stop blooming in the heat of summer, but will rebloom in the fall.
These are starter hydrangeas and should be protected for a few seasons. Our 2 year old size is grown in a one gallon container for one growing season. The root ball is generally 6" square and the foliage 8-18" in height (but sometimes as tall as 24").
Hydrangeas are long-lived shrubs, sometimes living for up to 50 years if properly cared for. They enjoy morning sun but afternoon shade, and they need frequent watering during the growing season. Prune them in the fall after the blooms fade so they can grow on strong stems the following summer.
Hydrangeas need more water than most garden plants and will begin to wilt quickly without it. To ensure that Hydrangeas thrive, water deeply two to three times a week in the summer. Be sure to water in the morning or evening so that water does not evaporate as quickly as it would during the heat of the day.
The most common reason Hydrangeas get woody is weather-related. During periods of harsh winter weather, stems can become damaged. These stems die, leaving you with unsightly bare sticks in the spring and summer—a far cry from the lush shrub that you had imagined for your landscape.
Use a fertilizer low in phosphorous (the middle number in the content analysis) such as 12‐4‐8 to encourage production of blue flowers. For other types of hydrangeas, use a general purpose fertilizer, at recommended rates on the package. Incorporate dry fertilizer into top 2” – 3” of soil and water thoroughly.
Hydrangeas grow best in full sun (more than 6 hours sun) to part sun (4-6 hours sun). With that being said, all hydrangeas can handle some shade, but the timing and type of shade are important to consider. They can be in full shade during the hottest part of the day, as long as they are getting some morning sun.