Why do hydrangeas have small inflorescences

Hydrangea is a magnificent plant, presented in the form of small shrubs from 1 to 3 meters in height and in the form of small trees or vines. They are deciduous, evergreen with large inflorescences in the form of lush caps, it all depends on which variety is chosen. Hydrangea has a huge palette of colors and shades. Their petals can be colored white, blue, pink, lilac and red and have different shades. The most common flowers are white. Inflorescences are always large in size, they are paniculate, spherical or corymbose. Sometimes they suddenly become smaller, and gardeners wonder: why hydrangeas have small inflorescences.

Hydrangea is able to delight with long flowering, which begins in spring and ends in late autumn. Most varieties begin flowering in July. In order for the hydrangea to grow correctly, develop and its flowering is abundant, colorful and long, it must be well taken care of, following all the rules. The most important thing in growing this plant is watering, as the plant does not like dry soils. Therefore, during the season it is necessary to constantly moisturize it.

It is interesting to know that in order to retain moisture in the ground as long as possible, experienced gardeners use a hydrogel.

Not all hydrangea varieties tolerate frost well, so you need to protect them in time with the help of shelters. If you do this incorrectly, then the plant will not please with its flowering.

The main reasons why flowers with small inflorescences grow

Even experienced gardeners face problems during the cultivation of hydrangeas. Sometimes, with seemingly good care, the flowering is still of poor quality. Why do small inflorescences appear?

In fact, there are many reasons, including very commonplace ones:

• If you systematically carry out incorrect pruning, then this leads to the fact that there are either no flowers at all, or very few of them.
• Poor root development affects flower formation. As a rule, this occurs at a young age and it takes up to 5 years for the roots of the plant to get stronger and you can enjoy flowering.
• An improperly chosen planting site becomes a common cause of poor flowering.
• If moisture stagnates in the soil, or it is overdried, then the plant will not be able to delight with its beautiful flowers, on the contrary, it will begin to wither and die.

For good flowering, it is necessary to create the best conditions for the adaptation of a young seedling. A high alkali content causes not only poor flowering, but also death. In order to avoid this, it is necessary to regulate the level of acid in the soil.

Poor flowering can be caused by diseases and harmful insects. The plant is very resistant to them. But if you do not follow the agrotechnical rules, then the plants can get sick with chlorosis, powdery mildew, they will be attacked by aphids and spider mites.

Another way to deprive yourself of the pleasure of watching the bloom is to artificially stimulate the bloom.

If you choose the wrong variety and plant a plant that loves warmth in a region with long cold winters, then small inflorescences will be unambiguous.

No need to wait for flowering for 3 years after planting in the garden. There are few varieties that bloom in the first year of life.

It is important to know that in a home-grown hydrangea, the inflorescences will be smaller than those that grow near the house.

Small inflorescences of hydrangea: how to prevent them from appearing

An analysis of the main aspects that relate to care will help to understand the reason for small flowers. This will help you make decisions about correcting your actions.

Hydrangea will always delight you with abundant flowering of bright and large flowers, if you cut the plant correctly and at the right time, water in large quantities, apply the necessary fertilizers and do it on time, choose varieties, focusing on the climatic conditions of your region.

Pruning hydrangea

When the hydrangea has faded, you need to start pruning. By doing this at the right time and by following the rules, beautiful large flowers can bloom lushly. If this procedure is not carried out correctly, then scanty and small inflorescences will appear, if at all.

Pruning is selected taking into account the plant variety, to make it easier to understand, hydrangea is divided into 2 groups. Pruning Hydrangeas should not take place as soon as the flowering is over, as new shoots can begin to grow and they will most likely freeze in the winter cold.

IN first group includes large-leaved, serrate, oakleaf and petiolate types of hydrangeas, as well as Macrophyll. They have the same properties regarding the laying of the kidneys. In all these species, flower buds are laid on last year's shoots. Therefore, all varieties belonging to them are pruned very modestly in the fall. During this period, it is necessary to remove all branches that are damaged, weakened and old. It is also necessary to remove the inflorescences of the last year. Only strong healthy flower buds are retained.

Spring is the perfect time to start pruning. During this period, it is necessary to remove all branches that were damaged during frost and froze. You can identify them by the bark, which will look dry and have a shade of yellow-green or brown-yellow. All varieties belonging to the petiolate species are not pruned during the first three years. This is due to their very leisurely growth.

It is important to know that the large-leaved hydrangea of ​​the Endless Summer variety can bloom well on the shoots of the past and this year. It can be safely cut, since deep pruning is not terrible for it.

NS second group include treelike and paniculate species. Pruning of all varieties related to them is carried out in early spring. During this period, all shoots of the last year are removed, leaving only two buds. Within a short time, they will be replaced by new, strong shoots, which will be covered with bright, large-sized inflorescences.

Watering the plant

Hydrangea bushes will not develop if not watered. The soil should always be moistened, so it should be watered regularly, abundantly and correctly.

If it's cool outside, you can do it once a week. If it is hot and there is no rain, then watering is carried out at least once every three days. In the first three years of growth, young bushes need more frequent watering than in adulthood. They often require daily watering during dry periods.

When the plant is grown on heavy clay soils, they do not need frequent watering, and if on sandy or sandy loam, then vice versa.

The water used for irrigation should not be hard. It can be rainwater, filtered or settled in a barrel for 5 days. One bush consumes from one to one and a half buckets.

How the feeding should take place so that small inflorescences do not appear

Fertilization must be done correctly and at the right time. If there are not enough nutrients in the soil or too much, it will harm the plant. It may not develop properly and may not bloom as expected. For example, by adding too much nitrogenous fertilizers, an active release of new shoots will begin.They will not have time to become stiff by winter and will die during frosts along with flower buds.

You cannot feed the plants with nitrogen-based fertilizers when the flower stalks begin to ripen.
Such dressings are applied in the spring before the growing season begins. Next, fertilizers are applied based on potassium and phosphorus. And when preparing the plant for winter, you need to feed the soil with compost or rotted manure. Top dressing is carried out three times a season.

Sapling selection

When choosing a plant, it is important to consider the climate of your region. Having picked the right variety, you can count on the successful cultivation of hydrangeas. Most of the species prefer to grow in the south of the country and are intolerant of cold winters and short summers in the North or Northwest.
Pay attention to local varieties. In this case, you can get not only lush foliage, but also enjoy gorgeous flowers.

How to properly care for a plant at home in winter

For a room hydrangea, you will need additional care for the period of cold weather:

• It is necessary to maintain the temperature at +17 degrees;
• Provide good lighting with lamps;
• Water every time the soil dries up. As a rule, three times a week;
• Root shoots should be removed as well as growing lateral shoots;
• Use a weak potassium solution monthly to water the plant. This will protect the roots from rotting.

Why do hydrangeas have small inflorescences? The plant needs rejuvenation

Hydrangea is a perennial plant and in order for it to demonstrate all its beauty for many years, it is necessary to carry out the rejuvenation procedures correctly.

In addition to the fact that shoots are removed during pruning, flowers must be removed, but taking into account some nuances:

• A flower that was released in the first year of life is removed, since the buds take up a large amount of strength that the root system needs in order to strengthen well.
• In all other periods, the removal of flowers is not required, only those that have faded and died off.
• The panicles are cut off when they begin to bloom. This will help the plant to release new shoots before the first frosts begin.

Often novice gardeners wonder how the removal of the first flowers will affect flowering, and whether it should be done.

Most experienced gardeners insist that after removing the first flowers, the growth of flowers will begin much more actively and better. They recommend shooting 1/3 of the colors that appear first.

Outcome

In order that you are no longer tormented by the question associated with poor-quality flowering of small inflorescences, follow the rules that were described above. A beautiful lush flowering will turn out only by spending some time on these beauties, and this already depends only on the owner on the site.