nikko blue is too big and doesnt bloom much

13 years ago

Its been about 8 years now since I planted my nikko blues. I want to get rid of them because they are too big,they are covering my front windows and all I get is mostly foliage. I only prune in the spring and only the dead looking branches,the rest I leave. Anyway Im tired of them...I want some of the new versions like endless summer and ones that are known for blooming better and are easier to care for. The things are huge.I guess I have to cut them down and dig them up. I hope the roots aren't too deep. Has anyone ever tackled this task before.

Comments (4)

luis_pr
13 years ago
You could prune the NB stems in thirds (one third of all stems a year) if you wanted to. But if you want to replace them, yes, some of the roots may be big after 8 years of growth. And I would not be surprised if you have baby NBs from "leftover" roots either. Consider giving them away to a gardening club in your city. Some of them have sales in the Fall to generate funds.
Tim Wood
13 years ago
Very typical of Nikko and most Hydrangea marcophylla. The flower buds which form in late summer and autumn are killed by frosts in fall or spring and you end up with lots of leaves and no blooms. Endless Summer and Let's Dance hydrangeas might give you better luck as the flower buds are formed in the fall and more are produced in spring and summer so they flower even if the buds are damaged in winter or early spring. Hydrangea arboresens is another option as they make their flower buds in the spring. Annabells is the most common but now there is Incrediball (larger flowers and stronger stems) and Invincibelle Spirit ( pink flowers). Hydrangea paniculata (PEE GEE) is also reliable. Little Lime Hydrangea would be a good choice as it is much smaller than typical. Limelight, Quick Fire, Pink Diamond, Pinky Winky are all good hardy, reliable varieties but they get quite tall 6-10'.
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Mary Forsyth
2 years ago
can the blooms be saved by covering the hydrangeas for the winter?
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years ago
"can the blooms be saved by covering the hydrangeas for the winter?"

Depending on location, may not be just as simple as 'covering' the hydrangea. Successful winter protection generally involves a bit more then mere covering :-) There have been many, many discussions on this forum over the years on methods of winter protection and here is a link that will connect you to many of them: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/hydra/query/winter-protection/nqrw

I can't tell you which works best, as there is no need for this in my climate. But I do suggest winter protection for anyone living in zone 6 or below but zone 7's may benefit as well, as it is often the wide fluctuations in spring temperatures that cause the most bud damage. I'd also recommend this for new wood bloomers as well, as the less dieback from cold weather involved, the more vigorous the new growth will be and the greater the chances for flowering.

This protection only involves Hydrangea macrophylla cultivars (and closely related serratas), as the other commonly grown species are more cold tolerant and bloom reliably on new growth.