Re: All Summer Beauty

In a message dated 1/16/03 3:49:27 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
Cersgarden@aol.com writes:


> But as I understand and this is only what I have read in the catalogs not by 
> 
> experience, this blooms on new wood.  New wood is what you have.  

Ceres,

You get some new wood, new shoots that start midsummer.  By the time the 
shoots form flowers buds and would be swelling to open, they are zapped by 
frost.  The old wood from the year before will usually not survive, sometimes 
it does but not the flower buds.  The new wood does not immediately shoot up, 
it is slow to come on and  when it is high enough to begin the flowering 
process, we are well into September.  I have also thought that this plant as 
well as other might do a better job here if watered copiously during this 
second flush of growth.  The second growth would be occurring about the time 
there is a lack of rain (July and August) which might slow the growth.  
Hydrangea need a lot of water to look good.  An example is 'Annabelle,' H. 
arborescens.  This one will bloom on new wood and sometimes on old wood when 
it rains enough to mature the buds.  Without enough water it will produce 
small unattractive flowers.  In a rainy spring and early summer there will be 
huge and showy flowers.  I have seen Annabelle lying on the ground flat from 
lack of water.  H. quercifolia will usually not bloom at all, also blooming 
on new wood as the flowers come very late in short season areas.  All make 
fine shrubs, the flowers are variable and except H. paniculata are not 
totally reliable. H. paniculata manages a good show no matter what the 
weather.  H. paniculata can grow into a good sized tree here.

Claire Peplowski
NYS z4

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