I need some gardening advice. We have two large hydrangea bushes growing in the back yard (each is about 4 or 5 feet tall), and I was so excited when we moved in because I think hydrangeas are so pretty. So when they bloomed I was rather disappointed. A month or so ago one of the bushes got three bunches of flowers. These flowers turned out beautifully, but the one bush only got three and the other bush didn’t bloom at all. They are large, beautiful bushes that have very pretty foliage and seem to be thriving, so I wonder why they weren’t covered in flowers like so many others I’ve seen around town. I wondered if maybe the previous tenants didn’t trim them or something last season, and that was why they didn’t bloom more? If that’s the case, I’d like to know what I should do now so they will bloom better next year. I went online looking for suggestions, but some things said to trim the new growth, others said to trim the whole bush down a certain amount, and yet others advised only trimming the old, woody branches. So, I don’t know what to do. I’ve asked a few people, but I’m not sure if they really knew – one lady had some pretty hydrangeas growing in her yard so I asked her advice, and she said that sometimes they just have a year (or a few years) that they are dormant and you don’t do anything and they will eventually bloom again – I’m not patient enough for that, so I hope that’s not the best answer. Someone else said they may not bloom for the first few years, but my bushes are quite large, so I don’t think that’s it. So, does anyone know what I should do, if anything, to get them to bloom more next year? Thanks!
Oh, and does anyone have any good suggestions for something that will stop mushrooms from growing in the lawn? Recently these little white mushrooms started popping up in the grass in the back yard, and they grow really fast – if I go out in the morning and pick all that I can see to get rid of them, there will be more in the afternoon. I am worried about the possibility of Isaac eating them. Does anyone happen to know of some good household remedy, preferably something that’s not poisonous for the kids, that I can put down on the grass that will keep the mushrooms from growing in the first place?
1 comment:
Ok, I have a degree in horticulture, so I will see if I can be of use to you. Different varieties of hydrangeas are dealt with differently. So there is not one easy answer. You could start by calling your local extension office and seeing if someone can identify it for you. (This is usually run through the county) Or asking/looking at a local nursery to find out the variety and thus figure out how to care for it. It may just be as easy as putting down more fertilizer for it.
As for the mushrooms, it is complicated, this website has some good info, http://www.weekendgardener.net/plant-diseases/mushrooms-090809.htm
or you can also ask at your extension office for suggestions.
I hope that gets you started, you can email me and I can help beyond that.
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