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lorislines

Why are my plants so small?

lorislines
15 years ago

I have 3 blue endless summer and 3 nikko blue hydrangeas. Every year they bloom a few (3 or 4) large blue flowers, however the plants themselves stay very small. I have seen homes where the hydrangeas are large bushes and wonder why I can't achieve this. Are there certain varieties that grow large or should I be doing something special to promote greater growth with my plants? Thanks for any help you can give.

Comments (2)

  • luis_pr
    15 years ago

    How tall are they now? Hold old are they now? Were they in the house when you moved in or did you plant them? Are the other hydrangeas that you are comparing against also ES's and NB's? Check the basics; from the info given, it is hard to tell if the amount of growth is lacking or not.

    How much sun do they get? The more sun they get, the more they thrive. In states closer to the northeast, they can take more than 4 hours (full sun) and the heat of spring should stimulate growth.

    Hydrangeas do not need much fertilizing because they do not respond with growth spurts like roses. But you should give them some, like a cup of manure or cottonseed meal for a newly planted small shrub, in June. From Spring until the end of August, you can also apply liquid seaweed, coffee grounds and stuff like that. In the northern states, it is a good idea to stop fertilizing when August-September start so the plants go dormant and do not remain in growth mode.

    These two varieties grow about 3-5' for ES and 6-10' for NB. That, however, is the size at maturity (10 years). Other hydrangeas like paniculatas and oakleafs can get larger than that. I obviously do not know what variety of hydrangeas are being grown in the other homes.

    Are you having growth problems with other plants located in the same area? Have you ever done a soil test there? Just things to think about.

  • lorislines
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thank you for your help, Luis. My plants were new in pots and planted by me two years ago. We built a new home and possibly the soil is not the greatest. We have a lot of clay. They do get quite a bit of sun and my peonies, boxwoods, lavender all seem to be thriving. The hydrangeas range in height from 16 inches to about 24 inches or so. They almost look funny with these great big flowers on little plants. One of my endless summer was planted last year and is quite a bit larger and fuller than the rest, however it has no blooms. I'll try some of your suggestions and I truly appreciate your input.