Hydrangea macrophylla

Am I right in thinking that...

After the Hydrangea has finished blooming, it is habitual to leave the "mophead" flowers to protect the plant during winter

New buds will emerge on the stems that have flowered that year, to flower next year once the plant has been pruned?

New stems will emerge from the crown as well, beginning in the flowering season and into the autumn, which will bear flowers next summer (hence the saying that H. macrophylla flowers "on old wood?)

 

Yes, I think you've got that right Simon. Well, that's what I do with mine.

 

Thanks. Here is the crux of my confusion:


If I grow a H. from seed, does it fail to flower in its first year?

If it flowers in 2010, where will 2011's flowers appear?

From buds on the stems that flowered in 2010?

Or from new stems arising from the crown?

Or both?

 

Simon, if you grow a hydrangea from seed it will NOT flower in its first year. Of that I am certain.

I think the answer to the other questions is "both".
But do check - I'm not an expert.

Oh ! Can you use a bigger font - my eyes are dim :wink:

 

Sorry about that font. It just appeared like that.

I keep reading H. macrophylla advice saying not to do this, or to do that, to the flower stems, because it will have such-and-such effect on the new buds.

Then I read that the flowers grow on seperate stems.

So I am not sure what is true and what is not. Perhaps the "old wood" are stems branches of the existing flowering stems?

 

Sorry Simon. No expert here. In my last garden I had many mophead hydrangeas. All I ever did was leave the dead flower heads on over winter, prune them off in the spring along with any dead or dying stems. And maybe cut the odd stem back to nearly ground level. They flowered profusely, couldn't have put another flower on the shrub. So I really don't think it matters.

 

Well, I'm not sure whether this is the place to post about H. macrophylla, as the current subject is winter protection, but I just want to say how happy I am!

I managed to purchase three plants I've been dreaming of: bicolour hidrangeas

H. Bavaria, H. Tivoli, and H. Camilla.

If anyone is experienced with these, I will readily take some input: shade, half-shade or full sun? Do their colours vary with pH? I will probably have to protect them for the winter, which I never do with my older shrubs...

And, oh, I can't wait to see them in full bloom!