my hydrangea has not flowered this year or last..two years ago i removed the top third compost and replaced with new compost...what is wrong?

solaara wrote:
my hydrangea has not flowered this year or last..two years ago i
removed the top third compost and replaced with new compost...what is
wrong?

Please note that I know nothing about hydrangeas (other than I have three in
the back garden), but the change of soil (why did you find it necessary to
do so?) could be the issue. Some plants like to be starved of nutrients to
produce flowers, otherwise all the extra energy is pushed into producing new
growth.

Sarah

Please note that this message was posted by someone who has gleaned all her
gardening knowledge from /Gardener's World/ and should be checked with a
reputable source before implementing any advice or suggestions given herein.


--
In memory of MS MVP Alex Nichol: http://www.dts-l.org/

[quote=Miss Perspicacia Tick]solaara wrote:
my hydrangea has not flowered this year or last..two years ago i
removed the top third compost and replaced with new compost...what is
wrong?

Please note that I know nothing about hydrangeas (other than I have three in
the back garden), but the change of soil (why did you find it necessary to
do so?) could be the issue. Some plants like to be starved of nutrients to
produce flowers, otherwise all the extra energy is pushed into producing new
growth.

Sarah

Please note that this message was posted by someone who has gleaned all her
gardening knowledge from /Gardener's World/ and should be checked with a
reputable source before implementing any advice or suggestions given herein
--
In memory of MS MVP Alex Nichol: QUOTE]i thought that might be the case....better luck next year then?.....................................

On Mon, 16 May 2005 19:08:40 +0000, solaara
wrote:


my hydrangea has not flowered this year or last..two years ago i removed
the top third compost and replaced with new compost...what is wrong?

Do you prune it regularly? If so, that's your problem. They flower on
last year's old wood, so if you cut it hard back each spring, for
example, there's no old wood left for flowering. The suggested method
which keeps it tidy but still allows plenty of flower is to remove
about a third of the oldest growth each year from the base, so
allowing new growth to come up from below.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

On 17/5/05 6:54, in article ,
"Miss Perspicacia Tick" wrote:

solaara wrote:
my hydrangea has not flowered this year or last..two years ago i
removed the top third compost and replaced with new compost...what is
wrong?

Please note that I know nothing about hydrangeas (other than I have three in
the back garden), but the change of soil (why did you find it necessary to
do so?) could be the issue. Some plants like to be starved of nutrients to
produce flowers, otherwise all the extra energy is pushed into producing new
growth.

Sarah

Please note that this message was posted by someone who has gleaned all her
gardening knowledge from /Gardener's World/ and should be checked with a
reputable source before implementing any advice or suggestions given herein.


I haven't seen the original post but if Solaara cut her hydrangea back that
might account for it. Most (not all) hydrangeas flower on last year's
growth. To tidy up a hydrangea, you should only cut a few stems out each
year if you want it to flower. Or, if you really do need to cut it back
hard for some reason, accept you probably won't get flowers that year.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

[quote=Chris Hogg]On Mon, 16 May 2005 19:08:40 +0000, solaara
wrote:


my hydrangea has not flowered this year or last..two years ago i removed
the top third compost and replaced with new compost...what is wrong?

I agree with the prunning being the probable source. Avoid prunning it right back this year and you should have flowers next year (if it rains on My the 1st)

Sacha wrote:
On 17/5/05 6:54, in article
, "Miss Perspicacia
Tick" wrote:

solaara wrote:
my hydrangea has not flowered this year or last..two years ago i
removed the top third compost and replaced with new compost...what
is wrong?

Please note that I know nothing about hydrangeas (other than I have
three in the back garden), but the change of soil (why did you find
it necessary to do so?) could be the issue. Some plants like to be
starved of nutrients to produce flowers, otherwise all the extra
energy is pushed into producing new growth.

Sarah

Please note that this message was posted by someone who has gleaned
all her gardening knowledge from /Gardener's World/ and should be
checked with a reputable source before implementing any advice or
suggestions given herein.


I haven't seen the original post but if Solaara cut her hydrangea
back that might account for it. Most (not all) hydrangeas flower on
last year's growth. To tidy up a hydrangea, you should only cut a
few stems out each year if you want it to flower. Or, if you really
do need to cut it back hard for some reason, accept you probably
won't get flowers that year.

That's a point, Sacha, I'd not thought of that. I bow to your superior
knowledge... ;o)

--
In memory of MS MVP Alex Nichol: http://www.dts-l.org/

[quote=JohnOGroats][quote=Chris Hogg]On Mon, 16 May 2005 19:08:40 +0000, solaara
wrote:


my hydrangea has not flowered this year or last..two years ago i removed
the top third compost and replaced with new compost...what is wrong?

I agree with the prunning being the probable source. Avoid prunning it right back this year and you should have flowers next year (if it rains on My the 1st)


I confess i am guilty of pruning........i will do it properly next year...my thanks to all who posted.... solaara

On 18/5/05 8:11 pm, in article , "Miss
Perspicacia Tick" wrote:

Sacha wrote:
On 17/5/05 6:54, in article
, "Miss Perspicacia
Tick" wrote:

solaara wrote:
my hydrangea has not flowered this year or last..two years ago i
removed the top third compost and replaced with new compost...what
is wrong?

Please note that I know nothing about hydrangeas (other than I have
three in the back garden), but the change of soil (why did you find
it necessary to do so?) could be the issue.
snip
I haven't seen the original post but if Solaara cut her hydrangea
back that might account for it. Most (not all) hydrangeas flower on
last year's growth. To tidy up a hydrangea, you should only cut a
few stems out each year if you want it to flower. Or, if you really
do need to cut it back hard for some reason, accept you probably
won't get flowers that year.

That's a point, Sacha, I'd not thought of that. I bow to your superior
knowledge... ;o)

Nice of you but unnecessary! Like everyone else, I learn by my errors and
the knowledge of others. ;-)
--

Sacha
(remove the weeds for email)

Sacha wrote:
On 18/5/05 8:11 pm, in article
, "Miss Perspicacia Tick"
wrote:

Sacha wrote:
On 17/5/05 6:54, in article
, "Miss Perspicacia
Tick" wrote:

solaara wrote:
my hydrangea has not flowered this year or last..two years ago i
removed the top third compost and replaced with new compost...what
is wrong?

Please note that I know nothing about hydrangeas (other than I have
three in the back garden), but the change of soil (why did you find
it necessary to do so?) could be the issue.
snip
I haven't seen the original post but if Solaara cut her hydrangea
back that might account for it. Most (not all) hydrangeas flower on
last year's growth. To tidy up a hydrangea, you should only cut a
few stems out each year if you want it to flower. Or, if you really
do need to cut it back hard for some reason, accept you probably
won't get flowers that year.

That's a point, Sacha, I'd not thought of that. I bow to your
superior knowledge... ;o)

Nice of you but unnecessary! Like everyone else, I learn by my
errors and the knowledge of others. ;-)

You run a nursery, therefore, in my mind, you *HAVE* to know more than me.
My kitchen windowsill has been dubbed 'Death Row' (I was forcing some toms
and a couple of cucumbers for planting out in my small (lean-to) greenhouse
(which is unheated) and they have, despite my best efforts, died on me -
again! Think I'll take that as a hint and give up. My father produces
trailing 'cherries' by the barrowful (literally - he has them in an old
wheelbarrow) - I'll stick to 'nicking' them from him...

My one achievement this spring was to divvy up a £2.99 osteospernum (sp?)
into four plants - and, so far, they're all doing fine (shouldn't have said
that - I'll go outside later and find them all dead...). I like doing that,
it appeals to the frugal in me (I'm of Yorkshire and Scottish stock). I then
thought I could sell the others for £1.50 and make a 100% profit, which
would enable me to buy another plant, divvy it up and sell the results which
would enable me to buy /two/ plants and... well, you get the idea... ;o)

--
In memory of MS MVP Alex Nichol: http://www.dts-l.org/

In message , Miss Perspicacia
Tick writes
My one achievement this spring was to divvy up a £2.99 osteospernum (sp?)
into four plants - and, so far, they're all doing fine (shouldn't have said
that - I'll go outside later and find them all dead...). I like doing that,
it appeals to the frugal in me (I'm of Yorkshire and Scottish stock). I then
thought I could sell the others for £1.50 and make a 100% profit, which
would enable me to buy another plant, divvy it up and sell the results which
would enable me to buy /two/ plants and... well, you get the idea... ;o)

My husband is Scottish and I am Yorkshire and according to him Yorkshire
is just Scottish with the charity taken away. I am not tight - just
careful :-))
There is far more pleasure in saving a plant from the reject basket than
paying full price for the same plant.
--
Sue Begg
Remove my clothes to reply

Do not mess in the affairs of dragons - for
you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

On 19/5/05 11:01, in article ,
"Miss Perspicacia Tick" wrote:

Sacha wrote:
On 18/5/05 8:11 pm, in article
snip

That's a point, Sacha, I'd not thought of that. I bow to your
superior knowledge... ;o)

Nice of you but unnecessary! Like everyone else, I learn by my
errors and the knowledge of others. ;-)

You run a nursery, therefore, in my mind, you *HAVE* to know more than me.

My husband and step son run the nursery and I help out here and there,
learning as I go, too. But they're experts. I came here originally as a
customer who knew a fair bit about plants and gardens - I thought - until I
learned how much I didn't/don't know! In fact, as longer term urglers here
know, our marriage is all David Poole's 'fault' - he sent me here in the
first place!

My kitchen windowsill has been dubbed 'Death Row' (I was forcing some toms
and a couple of cucumbers for planting out in my small (lean-to) greenhouse
(which is unheated) and they have, despite my best efforts, died on me -
again! Think I'll take that as a hint and give up. My father produces
trailing 'cherries' by the barrowful (literally - he has them in an old
wheelbarrow) - I'll stick to 'nicking' them from him...

We grow Tumbler in hanging baskets and it works very well. They don't
usually make it from the greenhouse to the kitchen, though!

My one achievement this spring was to divvy up a £2.99 osteospernum (sp?)
into four plants - and, so far, they're all doing fine (shouldn't have said
that - I'll go outside later and find them all dead...). I like doing that,
it appeals to the frugal in me (I'm of Yorkshire and Scottish stock). I then
thought I could sell the others for £1.50 and make a 100% profit, which
would enable me to buy another plant, divvy it up and sell the results which
would enable me to buy /two/ plants and... well, you get the idea... ;o)

How do you think most nurseries started? ;-) When my husband came here in
1981 the nursery was growing lettuces, tomatoes and cucumbers which his
family had done for three generations back in Essex. Because the garden
here was planted originally by a once-famous garden writer and plantsman,
Edward Hyams, there were some very interesting things in it and people
started asking Ray for them. So, along with growing pinks for cutting and
sending away and the toms and cus etc., Ray started propagating some of the
things from the garden. 24 years later........... ;-)
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

In message , Janet Baraclough
writes

There is far more pleasure in saving a plant from the reject basket than
paying full price for the same plant.

A fanatical propagator and plant-swapper gave me a fridge magnet
which says "To get the full value of joy, you must have someone to
divide it with " :-)

Janet

That is so true. And plants swapped or divided ( Or dare I say cuttings
stolen on a day out ) tend to have memories attached to them which makes
them even more valuable
--
Sue Begg
Remove my clothes to reply

Do not mess in the affairs of dragons - for
you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!