Gardener's 'guaranteed' fix for hydrangeas that produce no blooms at all

Hydrangeas are a firm favourite among British gardeners, loved for their magnificent blooms.

They're expected to sport luscious flowers and vibrant green foliage well into autumn. Yet, one green-fingered Brit found their hydrangea wasn't performing as hoped.

Puzzled, they reached out to the 'Hydrangea in the UK' group for some wisdom, posting: "Can anyone offer advice on what I did wrong and how to maybe correct it for next year?

READ MORE:

"Healthy shrub, but all leaf and no blooms. Last year it managed one bloom." Group members were quick to point the finger at pruning practices.

Diana Mumford advised: "Don't prune it. Just leave it alone until spring, then feed." Lena Chapman added: "The type you have here needs to flower on last year's growth. It looks like you pruned back hard last year and this is this year's growth. So you need to do nothing until next spring. I have cut as late as May to avoid the last frost."

"Then you cut down one or two buds on the twigs. That is it, nothing more special than that." Mandy Louise explained: "Pruning too hard and/or at the wrong time is the usual reason for no flowers."

"The best fix is to just let it grow and it should have flowers this year, or maybe next." Susan Jennings promised: "The main reason for the plant not blooming is incorrect pruning. I guarantee if you leave it alone flowers will appear next year."

Pruning is often the culprit behind a lack of blossoms on hydrangeas, reports . If you prune from autumn to late spring, you might be cutting off the growth on the old wood that would have turned into flowers.

If you're unsure or struggling with pruning your hydrangea, it's best to leave it alone and not prune at all. You can always leave a hydrangea unpruned and see how it fares in the summer.