On Tue, 21 Jul 2009, Bob Hobden wrote

"Kate Brown" wrote
Bob Hobden wrote

"Kate Brown" wrote ...
Bob Hobden wrote

"Mike E" wrote ...
I have seen this question in another place but I was wondering what the
answer was because I am curious as its happened to my mother too. the
question is as follows

I have two lovely hydrangeas in my garden, which are about 30 years
old.
We prune them at the right time, and every year they produce lots of
blossoms. We haven't done anything different this year but......
I don't know what has happened to them this year though, because there
is
not one blossom on them, and it looks as through there won't be any.
Is
it
possible for them to have a rest year??


It was a colder winter than normal last year. Do you leave the old
flower
heads on to protect the plant during the worst of the winter weather and
prune them off when you see the buds lower down the stems break?


We did that, but ours are not the glories they were last year either.
See
he
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/lh/pho...JkQ?feat=direc
tlink

There's some chlorosis, which I presume a feed of sequestered iron would
help. But the flowers are a bit miserable, sparse and not well
developed,
and the leaves have been attacked by something that leaves lots of small
holes. I caught a harlequin larva on one, but I don't suppose that's the
problem, is it?


As you guessed from the leaves, lack of all the minerals needed is the
problem, certainly get a dose of sequestered iron into it now and again
later in the year with some other feed between and it should be Ok next
season.

Are you by any chance the Kate Brown I know? Does the "Shahee Tandoori"
ring
any bells?


Alas, I don't think so, though I'm extremely fond of Indian food. Would
Glyndebourne ring a bell with you?


Shame.
Glyndebourne, certainly not, I dislike opera.

Your loss... Taking opera on tour, however, requires regular visits
to late opening Tandoori outfits, in order to restore well-being after
long get-ins or get-outs.

--
Kate B

PS 'elvira' is spamtrapped - please reply to 'elviraspam' at cockaigne dot org dot uk if you
want to reply personally