8 Ways to Get More Hydrangea Flowers Blooming on Your Shrubs This Year

Sometimes less is more, but when it comes to hydrangea flowers in your garden, more is definitely more. Multiply the number of bold, bright blooms on your woody hydrangea shrubs by making sure your plants have the right amount of sunlight and soil, a fertilizer designed to increase bloom quantity, and a pruning and deadheading routine that keeps them flowering all season long.

Venelin Dimitrov, the product manager at Burpee, Amy Enfield, a horticulturist at ScottsMiracle-Gro, and David Becker of The Farm at Green Village share their best suggestions for encourage your hydrangeas to bloom big—and then bloom again (and again).

Supply the Right Amount of Water

Along with planting them in the right place, properly watering your hydrangeas is essential to bigger and better blooms. "Hydrangeas should be watered deeply several times per week to encourage deep root growth," says Enfield. "Water should be applied at the base of the plant to keep the leaves and flowers dry. It is also best to water in the morning to help reduce wilting during the heat of day."

Keep Soil Moist

If you aren't keeping the soil around your hydrangeas moist between waterings, you're making a big mistake. "All hydrangea types grow best with consistent moisture, but bigleaf and smooth hydrangeas require more water than other varieties," Enfield says. "Adding mulch around your hydrangeas will help keep the soil moist and cool."

If you aren't sure whether your soil is moist enough, Dimitrov says you can check by sticking your finger directly into the soil. "The soil should be damp at about one inch below the surface," he says.

Provide Sun and Shade

Since too much sunlight can cause hydrangeas to wilt, Enfield says to refrain from planting them in areas that don't provide a shaded afternoon respite. "Avoid planting your hydrangea where it gets hot, direct full afternoon sun," she says. "While the plant may survive, the constant stress of the full, hot sun will reduce flowering."

Prune Carefully

Hydrangeas bloom on either new wood—which is the current season's growth—or old wood, which means they set their buds at the end of the previous summer. If you prune an old wood hydrangea, including bigleaf, oakleaf, mountain, or climbing varieties, in the fall, winter, or spring, you're likely cutting off the buds the plant has set for the upcoming summer—and lowering the number of flowers you'll get. "Buy a variety that will get to the size you are looking for," says Becker. "[And then] try not to prune hydrangeas that bloom on old wood." This way, you won't need to sacrifice any flowers to keep your plant the right size for its spot.

Choose a Repeat Bloomer

Some hydrangea cultivars, like the Endless Summer variety, are repeat bloomers: They bloom on old wood in the spring, and on new growth later in the summer. "If you need to prune it at all, you want to do it right after the first shot of flowers start to fade," says Becker. "This way, there is still enough time for some new growth and new flowers."

Plant New Hydrangeas in Fall

According to Dimitrov, planting your hydrangeas in the fall will ensure they grow better blooms the following year. "We call the fall the 'second summer' because it's a great time to plant hardier varieties because of the cool temperatures," he says. "Planting hydrangeas in September gives them more time to establish roots before blooming next year in June."

Use the Correct Fertilizer

A little fertilizer goes a long way when you're trying to score bigger hydrangea blooms. Becker recommends a "bloom booster" fertilizer with a high level of phosphate, like osmocote (14-14-14).

However, Enfield warns that too much of the wrong fertilizer might get in the way of your blooms. "Additional plant food can be used throughout the growing season, but keep in mind that adding too much nitrogen to the soil in spring may reduce flowering," she says.

Deadhead After Flowers Die

Experts recommend removing spent flowers from your hydrangeas when they start to fade to make way for new, fuller blooms—a process known as deadheading. "If you plant your hydrangeas in the right location and give them ample space to grow, the only trimming you should ever have to do is to remove the deadwood and dried blooms," Enfield explains.

If you do this early enough, you may encourage the plant to set a second flush of blooms. "The hydrangeas that flower on the new wood will sometimes flower again, if you remove the old flowers early enough to promote new growth to produce new flowers," says Becker.