hydranger

Did you cut it back hard to the ground in the spring? or it may have got frosted in late spring, you wouldn't have had any flowers this year.

There are various reasons it could have happened.

Although hydrangeas like shade it is possible to give them too much. Assuming it is mature and has usually flowered then you haven't stuck a large plant next to it blocking out sun have you? Too much shade leads to nice leaves but no flowers.

As Doctorbob says it could have been frosted in spring. This is particularly true if it has an eastern aspect. The morning sun shining on frost leads to a too quick thawing and the buds are killed.

Doctorbob also asks if you cut it back hard in spring. If you did you have probably removed the buds.

The buds for next year's crop of hydrangea flowers are formed this year on all cultivars of bigleaf hydrangeas. Therefore, anything that destroys or removes these flower buds from the time they are formed until they open can keep your bigleaf hydrangeas from flowering.

Too much fertiliser, particularly high nitrogen fertilizer, will result in beautiful leaves but few, if any, flowers. Bigleaf hydrangeas can tolerate very high levels of fertilizer without showing signs of fertilizer burn so be careful and practice moderation. Too much water and soils dry can both cause a lack of flowers.

John

Yes good detail John, the best Hydrangeas I ever grew many years ago were next to a generator house with three engines with silencer boxes in the ground made up with limestone blocks under the shade of Ilex oaks. The roots of the shrubs fed on a mixture of limestone and carbon. The blooms were as big as a mans head and every colour you could think of.

You have grown them with a real mixture of chemicals coming at them doctorbob. No wonder you got a mix of colours.