5 Secret tricks to get more blooms from your hydrangeas this summer
Hydrangeas are beloved for their vibrant blooms, but maximizing their flowering potential requires strategic care. Whether you’re growing reblooming varieties or traditional types, these five expert-approved methods ensure a longer, more abundant display of color throughout the summer. From selecting the right plants to mastering soil chemistry, here’s how to unlock your hydrangeas’ full potential.
Choosing The Right Hydrangea Variety For Continuous Blooms
Reblooming hydrangeas are the key to extending your flowering season. Unlike traditional varieties that bloom once, these plants produce new flowers repeatedly after initial blooms fade. Popular options include:
Understanding Reblooming Hydrangeas
Reblooming hydrangeas like Summer Crush and Pop Star bloom from early summer until frost, producing vibrant pink, purple, or blue flowers depending on soil pH. These varieties thrive in partial sun to full shade and require minimal pruning, making them ideal for low-maintenance gardens.
Coastal-Friendly Varieties
For coastal climates, Tardiva and Vanilla Strawberry hydrangeas excel. These plants tolerate salt spray and windy conditions while delivering large, conical blooms that persist through summer.
Optimizing Planting And Growing Conditions
Proper placement and soil management are critical for maximizing blooms. Hydrangeas need specific conditions to thrive, and even small adjustments can significantly impact flowering.
Strategic Sun Exposure
Most hydrangeas prefer partial sun to full shade, but some varieties like Let’s Dance Sky View tolerate full sun if watered consistently. Morning sun with afternoon shade is ideal for reblooming types, as it prevents scorching while encouraging bud formation.
Plant in well-draining soil rich in organic matter. Hydrangeas need consistent moisture but detest waterlogged roots. Water deeply once or twice weekly, depending on rainfall, to maintain soil moisture without oversaturation.
Fertilizing For Maximum Flower Production
Feeding your hydrangeas at the right time with the right nutrients ensures robust growth and abundant blooms.
Timing And Type Of Fertilizer
Apply a slow-release, balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) in early spring when new growth begins. Avoid over-fertilizing, as excessive nitrogen promotes foliage over flowers. For reblooming varieties, a second feeding in mid-summer can encourage additional blooms.
Micronutrient Supplements
If blooms are sparse, consider adding iron or magnesium supplements to address deficiencies. These micronutrients enhance color intensity and overall plant health.
Pruning Techniques To Encourage Continuous Blooms
Pruning is a delicate art when it comes to hydrangeas. Over-pruning can reduce blooms, while strategic trimming maximizes flowering.
Avoiding Summer Pruning
Never prune during the summer unless removing dead wood. Reblooming hydrangeas produce new buds on current season’s growth, and cutting them off eliminates potential blooms. Trim only in late winter or early spring, focusing on removing dead branches.
Protecting Buds From Frost
In frost-prone areas, cover plants with bed sheets or frost cloth on cold nights to safeguard tender buds. This ensures early blooms aren’t damaged by late frosts.
Managing Soil pH For Color Control
Soil pH directly affects flower color in bigleaf hydrangeas. Mastering this chemistry allows you to tailor blooms to your desired palette.
Adjusting pH For Blue Or Pink Blooms
Blue blooms: Maintain acidic soil (pH 5.5–6.0) with aluminum sulfate or peat moss.
Pink blooms: Keep soil neutral to alkaline (pH 6.5–7.5) using lime.
Test soil annually and adjust gradually. Sudden pH changes stress plants, reducing blooms. Apply amendments in spring and monitor results over the growing season.
Preserving Blooms For Year-Round Enjoyment
While fresh blooms are fleeting, proper drying techniques allow you to enjoy hydrangeas indoors long after summer ends.
Drying Fresh Blooms
Wait 6–8 weeks after blooming until flowers develop a papery texture. Cut stems at a 45-degree angle, remove leaves, and dry upside down in a cool, dark area.
Enhancing Dried Blooms
Spray dried flowers with floral spray paint to restore vibrancy. Use them in wreaths, arrangements, or as decorative accents.
By implementing these strategies—selecting reblooming varieties, optimizing growing conditions, strategic fertilizing, mindful pruning, and pH management—you can transform your hydrangeas into summer-long flowering powerhouses. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a novice, these techniques ensure a dazzling display of color that lasts from early summer until frost.
Allan is a lifelong gardening enthusiast who still gets excited when the first seedlings pop up in spring. With a deep love for nature and a hands-in-the-soil approach, he shares practical tips, plant discoveries, and clever tricks picked up over years of digging, planting, and observing. Whether you’re a new gardener or have a shed full of tools, Allan writes like a neighbor who’s always happy to swap cuttings and stories over the fence.
You can find more about Allan’s work on Malt or connect with him on LinkedIn.
