| I purchased 8 Nikko Blues from Monrovia many yrs ago. I love the color. Only problem I have though is that as soon as the flowers bloom, they appear too heavy for the branches. The flower heads are dropping all over the pavement every year so that you can't see their gorgeous color. Can I fix this? Am I doing something wrong? |
| Flowers can be heavy enough to pull the branches down if they get wet - be sure to water the soil, not the plant, so you'll keep water off the flowers. If that's not the cause of the drooping, it could be that the stems are spindly due to over-fertilization (which encourages fast growth), too little sunlight, or inadequate pruning. Nikko Blue develops flowers on new shoots which develop on old wood. If you're not pruning your hydrangeas back each winter, you should. Pruning them will produce denser growth and lots of flowering stems. These stems should be short and sturdy enough to hold the blooms upright. Hope this information provides a little insight and helps you determine just why your hydrangeas are drooping when in full bloom. Best wishes with your garden! |
