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dayscapes_z7a_md

Hydrangea paniculata 'Bombshell' is no bust

dayscapes_z7a_md
10 years ago

Here are some Hydrangea paniculata 'Bombshells' that I came across at Lowes recently. They really looked great.

Comments (41)

  • mzdee
    10 years ago

    Gotta say they sure do look great. My Lowes doesn't have anything that looks that good. They have lots of Endless Summer in so so condition. Nothing that makes me wanna buy at full price. Although I did get a brestenburg hydrangea at Aldis a few weeks back. It is in full bloom and doing really well. It was beautiful, healthy and best of all 9.99 :)

  • dayscapes_z7a_md
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I purchased several of these last year on end-of-season clearance. I wanted something smaller to replace my 'Limelights' which were growing too big for their space despite heavy pruning.

    I planted my 'Bombshells' this spring despite some mixed reviews on their performance. I am glad I did. They have great branching and flower panicles are beginning to form on each branch. Looks like it will be loaded with blooms in no time. Here is a pic of one of my 'Bombshells' and a close up of the panicles beginning to form.

  • kvenkat
    10 years ago

    Mine is in a big pot and is going on its third year. The foliage is bushy and looks really good. Pannicles not yet forming but soon, I hope. Will post a pic when it blooms.

  • macgyver2009
    10 years ago

    My bombshell seems to be a bust this year. It went into the ground last year and bloomed beautifully all season. This year, nothing. It has grown well, but no flowers. My Limelight, Pink Diamond and Pinky Winky are loaded with buds, but nothing on Bombshell. Anyone else having a similar experience? The nursery where I bought it stopped carrying Bombshell because other customers complained about it not blooming. Maybe it's an issue in the northern states.

  • luis_pr
    10 years ago

    Oh, oh. That is not a good thing. Especially because they advertised that Bombshell blooms earlier than other paniculatas.

    Although I do not have one, I wonder what's up with that plant? What could be going on at the time that it is supposed to be developing the flower buds in May-June that results in late bloomage or no bloomage? Hmmm. Anything special that you can remember from those two months (weather-wise, rain-wise, fertilizer-wise, lack of water-wise, windy-wise, cloudy-wise)? How much different is its location? I assume it has not had water problems, is not in more shade than the others? Have you used any unique/unusual/rare products on it?

  • hc mcdole
    10 years ago

    Maybe it needs more sun? One of mine is in partial shade and half of the plant that is in lots of sun is blooming fairly well while the rest of the plant has no buds to speak of (so far).

  • macgyver2009
    10 years ago

    My Bombshell is in a full sun position, sun until 5:00 p.m. We have had adequate rain this year. The plant looks good, nice and full with lots of new growth, just no blooms. We did have some late freezes this spring, but that shouldn't have hurt it. Like I said, all of my other paniculatas are full of buds. I'll give it another year and see what happens.

  • luis_pr
    10 years ago

    How much fertilizer do you apply to it and how often?

  • macgyver2009
    10 years ago

    Luis,

    I haven't applied any fertilizer. I haven't needed to fertilize any of my paniculatas, but maybe that is the problem. What would you recommend?

  • luis_pr
    10 years ago

    Well, what I had in mind is that maybe it was getting too much fertilizer. When they get too much nitrogen, they tend to produce nice lush leaves and little or no blooms.

    I normally give them a cup of cottonseed meal, compost or composted manure, whichever I have handy in the Spring. A single application will do the whole year. Sometimes, I may add some liquid fish or liquid seaweed. Coffee grounds too but I stop fertilizing by the end of June so the fertilizers will not make the plant stay in 'growth mode" in the Fall.

    Some years, I have failed to fertilize too and have not noticed any problems. It concerns me that a tough plant such as a paniculata would not be blooming though. At least not without something obvious going on that would account for the problem (say deer eating the flower buds, lack of rain that would make the plant abort the flower buds, etc.)

    I hope yours is just late for some reason!

    This post was edited by luis_pr on Sun, Jul 7, 13 at 13:52

  • luis_pr
    10 years ago

    I inquired about the blooming problem to Ball Horticultural and they replied that they now recommend not pruning Bombshell.

    I am now trying to get clarification on exactly when should it not be pruned. I assume pruning it in the Spring is a problem because it develops flower buds "too early". I will post again when I get an update.

    Luis

  • gumneck 7A Virginia
    10 years ago

    My bomshell has nice green growth but no buds and no blooms. I bought it at a Lowes end of season clearance last year and it was blooming. It's planted near yarrow.

  • dayscapes_z7a_md
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Here's a more recent pic of mine with blooms opening wider. I remember reading something about not pruning in the spring too(as Luis had mentioned). Maybe there is something to that.

  • macgyver2009
    10 years ago

    I didn't prune mine, just snipped off the old flowers. It is a charming shrub when it is blooming. Mine looks just like gumneck's this year. Sure wish it looked like yours. We'll see what next year brings. It did develop nicely in structure this year. We did have some late freezes this year and maybe it just needed a year to get settled into it's outside space.

  • luis_pr
    10 years ago

    I got an unexpected answer. Bally Horticultural really meant do not prune the plant, as in no pruning period. "We are seeing, that, depending on where you are living, that the plant responds to no pruning for best bloom." I would assume that deadheading is not considered pruning but after that odd comment, who knows if they do not want us to deadhead either... Maybe they just do not know precisely what is the problem and figure 'no pruning period' should be the answer to all inquiries....

    I hope you guys get some bloomage even it starts late.

    I was touching base with someone who had problems with her 2 y/o Limelight in Z5a. This year, the shrub did not bloom. I told her to wait until mid July because that was the latest bloom date that I could find in all places I looked and she lucked out because the flower buds opened and started their broccoli stage over the weekend. So maybe some of the Bombshells out there will do the same too.

  • Ruth_MI
    10 years ago

    OT, but in reply to the comment above about LImelights...they don't bloom here until the end of July. Some of mine are just starting to bud, and some (in almost full sun) have been budding a week or two. Zone 5/6.

  • hammybee
    10 years ago

    I have 14 Bombshells. This year I did not prune some, lightly pruned others and hard pruned the rest. The ones left unpruned have flowered the best to the point that the shrub opens in the middle and it flops under the weight of the flowers.

    Those that were lightly pruned have a dusting of flowers. The hard pruned ones are lush with so sign of buds.

    We had a cold spring and early summer so we'll see how the season goes from here.

  • dayscapes_z7a_md
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    That's a nice experiment that you conducted....definitely seems to support a link between pruning and flowering. I didn't prune mine and have had a a nice bloom as well. Because of its compact size and heavy branching, I don't really see a need to prune this hydrangea.

  • Ruth_MI
    10 years ago

    By the way, luis_pr, it was really helpful that you contacted Ball and then reported in. I've seen these on clearance recently and was interested in learning more before I decided whether to devote any garden space to one. Thanks!

  • kvenkat
    10 years ago

    Here is my nearly 3 year old plant. Has a little rust on it but otherwise okay.

  • dayscapes_z7a_md
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Kvenkat...looks like it is blooming nicely. Do you prune it at all or just let it grow? I'm still curious to hear more about the potential impact of pruning on flowering.

  • judyannz7
    10 years ago

    I too purchased Bombshell on clearance at Lowes late last summer, needing something to hold soil in a deep shade garden. Well, it has done beautifully, but no blooms, and here at the end of July, I sure expected blooms. Now I realize that while it does thrive otherwise in the full shade garden, there is no evidence of bloom coming this year. I didn't prune either. The garden is right at the edge of the fescue lawn, so benefits from lawn fertilizer over-broadcast. Therefore, I haven't fertilized it specifically.

    Seems to me it just needs some light through the canopy to bloom. I'll take what I can get to grow there!

  • dayscapes_z7a_md
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Judyann....Paniculata type hydrangeas like "Bombshell" require a good amount of sun to put on the best flowering show. In deep shade the flowering really suffers no matter what the label says. A macrophylla can handle substancially more shade but even still benefits from some morning sun.

  • judyannz7
    10 years ago

    Thank you Days. Good to know. I'm from a part of the state where hydrangeas were an oddity, but they seem happy here (with the exception of this one not blooming)!

  • kvenkat
    10 years ago

    Dayscapes, no I have not pruned at all. Have not seen any need to do it as of yet.

  • janet400
    10 years ago

    I am renovating the entranceway to our neighborhood and am interested in planting bombshells. One side gets only morning sun until 12:30, and the other side gets afternoon sun. Will they bloom with 4.5 to 6 hours of sun? Also, I have read that they only grow 2 1/2-3 feet wide and tall. Have you found this to be true? The space cannot take five foot plants. Thanks for the help.

  • Ruth_MI
    10 years ago

    Janet,

    You might want to read this link before you buy those bombshells. There have been issues with them not blooming.

    Here is a link that might be useful: bombshell bloom issues

  • dayscapes_z7a_md
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Even though I ended up having pretty good luck with my Bombshells this summer, I will say that they don't give nearly the same impact as Limelights. The Bombshell flowers are looser and smaller and can get a little lost. Little Lime may be a better option if you need to go smaller but still want to maintain the impact.

  • luis_pr
    10 years ago

    Interesting description. For some reason, you just remineded me of how Crape Myrtles look this time of the year! The CM flowers are not smaller but fewer, of course, and they can get a little lost if you do not stop to look slowly.

  • laurabrown1952
    8 years ago

    I purchased bombshells on sale at lowes. This will be year 3 with no bloom to speak of. Beautiful bushy foliage with 1 small floret on one of them and the other has 2 little blooms. Very disappointed. Getting ready to rip them out.

  • mzdee
    8 years ago

    Maybe you should move it. If it is lush and trying to bloom it may just need a new home and some fertilizer.

  • luis_pr
    8 years ago

    Wow, that is a "sad picture" for what is normally a nice looking shrub in advertising pictures. Of course, it may still bloom more this year since July is just starting. If you decide to try a new fert, try one with a high P in its nPk ratio. But if it does not improve, 3 years is a lot of time to wait.


  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    8 years ago

    My first year with Bombshell (2013) I was unimpressed (and stated so in the thread linked to above). Last year the plant grew beautifully and did produce a nice bloom. This year, it has easily doubled in size and there are more blooms and buds than I can count!! And it's in a pretty small container and would be much happier in one a couple of sizes larger :-) (I just purchased a new pot but will wait until our heat wave breaks before I repot).

    This is a paniculata that seems to require a couple of years before it comes into its own but once it does, it puts on a splendid show. I don't fertilize much - just a sprinkling of Osmocote early in the season and that's it. I'd suggest more patience, a bit of fert and a location that receives a fair amount of sun :-)


  • annukka
    8 years ago

    Thanks for the update, gardengal. Did you prune/pinch yours?

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    8 years ago

    Nope. But then it's small and compact enough not to require much in the way of pruning. It is going to get a bit of a trim soon, as our heat wave played a number on it (my fault - not as on top of the watering as I should have been) and I need to remove scorched blossoms and leaves :-( But it is already pushing out some new flower buds! Once this little guy gets going, there's no stopping it!! It produced way more flowers than my two other full size paniculatas.

  • llanddewibrefi123
    8 years ago

    I too have bought Bombshell simply because of the colour, it is in full bloom although it collapsed during a heavy rainfall. what I am upset about is the way it is turning pink, I had no idea this would happen. Can anyone tell me if I can get it back to white I personally don't have coloured flowers in my garden. thank you

  • luis_pr
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    No, a color change suggests that the bloom is mature and spent. After several weeks, a white paniculata hydrangea bloom begins a progression of color changes that ends in a brown bloom, similar to the color changes observed in roses.

    If you lived in a southern location, you could try deadheading the bloom after it begins to change and see if you get new bloomage. Some paniculatas do that in the South but I have not seen anyone confirming that VS "reblooms" for them.

    Reblooming white mopheads (H. macrophylla) will produce new blooms if you deadhead the spent blooms but, I am not sure if they can grow in your zone/location because you do not have this information displayed. Normally, they have winter hardiness issues when planted in very cold zones.

    An experiment that just occurred to me: you might be able to lengthen the amount of time that it stays white if the shrub is relocated to a spot in brights full shade with no direct sunlight. Maybe. Just maybe that may lengthen the whites. The reason I say this is because of my Little Lime.

    Paniculatas Limelight and Little Lime have blooms that start green then turn white, a shade of pink and eventually end brown. My LL is located in bright, full shade so it never gets direct sun. As a result, I have noticed that the blooms stay green for a very, very long time.

    If Limelight is exposed to full sun conditions, the blooms turn white faster. But my LL did not get a-n-y whites the last two years (or maybe they appeared near the end of the Fall and I did not notice).

    My LL blooms went from green directly to a shade of pink. This year it seems to be going in the "same trajectory". The blooms opened in late June and, as of today, they remain green.

    So, I wonder if -maybe- VS blooms may stay white longer if not exposed to direct sunlight. You could try that and see what happens. Or maybe someone who already has VS in bright but full shade can chime in with their observations of how long it stays white under those conditions..

  • tranny
    8 years ago

    I bought 2 bombshells on clearance at Lowe's 3 yrs ago in the fall. They did not bloom the first summer but bloomed good last summer.

  • tranny
    7 years ago

    I bought bombshells 2 falls ago on clearance the first summer no blooms , last summer many blooms. This summer only 3 florets forming on one of the 2. Should I keep them ?

  • GreenLarry
    7 years ago

    Looks great!