Question:

Why don’t my hydrangea bloom? I get lots of leaves but almost no flowers. Also, I want them to be blue instead of pink. What should I do?

Answer:

(Read this first than go to our "Tips & Info Page" for a downloadable Hydrangea Care Guide.)

The type of hydrangea you are talking about are hydrangea macrophylla, which bloom in large mophead or lacecap shapes ranging from light pink to deep violet. The majority of these hydrangea set their buds in fall for the following summer. Our Ohio winters can dry these buds out and kill them, especially in March when there is brighter sun, cold winds and no protective covering of snow. Also, do not cut back these hydrangea in fall, since that obviously removes the buds.

It’s always a good idea to wrap your hydrangea with burlap, but leave the top open for adequate moisture, light and air. Spraying the upper portion of the stems with the anti-dessicant Wilt-Pruf® helps, too. After the holidays we cut the limbs off our Christmas trees and stuff them amongst the hydrangea stems; this helps with insulation and cuts down on wind damage.

As for flower color, it’s a matter of pH. Pink flowers occur in a ‘sweeter’, or more alkaline soil. If you want really pink flowers, add a 1/2 cup of horticultural lime to the base of the hydrangea and gently work into the soil. Water well.

Getting blue flowers is a bit more of a process, but not very hard. Blue flowers need a more ‘sour’, or acidic soil. To lower the pH, work in a 1/2 cup of garden sulphur around the base of the hydrangea in fall. It’s important that any pH changes be done in fall, not spring. This is because the plant is so busy feeding in spring that to alter the pH during this period of high stimulation can be detrimental.

In spring, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of aluminum sulfate to the base of the plant; work gently into the soil and water well. The aluminum sulfate is what turns the flower head blue, but it needs an acidic environment in which to do so. However, too much of this product can be toxic to plants, so be careful of the amounts you use. Note-- if you feed your blue hydrangea, make sure there is little or no phosphorous in the fertilizer. Phosphorous and aluminum sulfate are incompatible, and the phosphorous will always render the aluminum sulfate useless.

Question:

My annuals always look leggy and fried by late August. There’s still a couple of months left of good weather, so what can I do to make them look better?

Answer:

Tough love! Hack your annuals back right after the 4th of July. I know you’re probably thinking I’m nuts since that’s when annuals are finally settling in and looking their best, but that’s exactly why it’s the perfect time to cut back. They’ll come back bigger and better than ever, showing healthier foliage and stronger bloom, especially in late summer when most plants are exhausted.

Question:

How do I get the deer to stop eating my hosta?

Answer:

Several options-- get a gun, get a dog, use deer repellants or plant something else. That’s it in a nutshell!

There are some really good deer repellants on the market that we carry, and we have a number of hard-working shade plants that are fabulous substitutes for hosta. Try variegated Solomon’s Seal, fringed bleeding heart, yellow waxbells, astilbe, hellebores, rodgersia.

Question:

I never seem to have luck with roses surviving the winter. Should I just forget about having them in my garden?

Answer:

(Read this first than go to our "Tips & Info Page" for a downloadable Rose Care Guide.)

No! Do not give up on roses! They add so much to the garden; they are such jewels. It’s important to pick out the right rose for your situation. Try a modern shrub rose; they have great repeat bloom and excellent disease-resistance. Also, make sure your soil is heavily amended with an organic-rich matter like leaf humus or well-rotted manures. Finally, plant the crown of the rose at least 2” under the soil. That’s probably why yours have died. We also cover the base of our roses in winter with at least 12” of leaf humus to protect them.