Questions on Care

11 years ago

We just moved to a house that has three large white bushes in full bloom. Do I need to do anything to them to keep them blooming....does cutting them off help them to rebloom or do they just bloom once? Since it is June and they are in full bloom do they need a slow release fertilizer? Since they are white and blooming can I still change their color to blue or pink or is that only before they bloom? We have in ground sprinklers so they get three ten minute waterings a week. Thanks for your help as I have never had them at any other home I have lived at...but do love them!

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Comments (3)

October_Gardens
11 years ago
White hydrangeas may develop a pink or blue tinge after the blooms age, but they are otherwise genetically de-pigmented and will not be a color.

If you think it might be a rebloomer then cut some of them off after they're spent and see if it reblooms.

The water regimen sounds fine.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
11 years ago
I'm going to disagree on a number of counts. White flowered hydrangeas will always be white - you cannot alter the color to pink or blue. Old flowers on white blooming varieties may fade to a pinkish color, pronouncedly so with the paniculatas and oakleafs, but never to blue.

Only a few varieties of macrophylla are considered remontant or reblooming. Blooming on both old and new growth is not really the same as remontant, which is really a spontaneous rebloom regardless of the age of the flowering stem. Deadheading or removing spent flower stems does not necessarily encourage reblooming.

One of the most frequent issues I see as a horticultural consultant/garden coach is the improper watering techniques employed by most inground sprinkler systems. A few minutes of spray a couple/three times a week - even daily - is NOT satisfying the water requirements of any tree or shrub. Every resource will tell you to water deeply (read: slowly) but infrequently to encourage a deeper, stronger root system and healthier, more drought tolerant plants. Once a week for 30 minutes would be a far better approach. You want the water to penetrate down 10-16 inches, which it will never be able to do with a 10 minute application. And with above ground sprinkler heads, you are losing about 30% of the water you are attempting to apply anyway, so your 10 minutes is more like 7 minutes :-)
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hydrangeasnohio
11 years ago
Gardengal speaks the truth on how to properly water and develop a deep root system. I bet they are Annabelle Hydrangeas would be my best guess. If so the blooms will turn green and hang on for a long time. I have seen Annabelles shoot off a couple extra blooms later in the season, but it is rare. I enjoy mine even in the green stage and wouldnt prune them. Do they look like this?