Garden

[Lilysmom]

@Irish1210  I see that firelight hydrangea is hardy to zone three so it can take pretty tough conditions.  It also likes full sun and blooms on new wood.  You could try top dressing it with compost.  Is it in a location that gets good sun?  

Merritt's Supreme is also zone 3 but likes filtered sun.  

I have a gardener friend who has a hydrangea that had a lot of dead canes cut short at the base.  This year, with special care, she removed the dead stuff.  That hydrangea bloomed like crazy.  It is one of the hard ones to flower imo, Nikko Blue.

Good luck!

LM

[Irish1210]

@Lilysmom   Both types are in a filtered sun area, so that may be part of the problem.  

Did your gardener friend remove the dead stuff in the fall, spring, or doesn't it matter?

Thanks for your help!!

[Lilysmom]

@Irish1210 , she did it in the Spring and enjoyed beautiful blooms all summer.  I moved one this Fall and, after seeing her success, I did the same, gave it a big compost boost and hope to enjoy success next Spring.

I know at least one experienced gardener who claims compost is better than fertilizer.

LM

[Irish1210]

@Lilysmom  So you don't think the timing of the move is the key, but moreso the compost?

[Lilysmom]

@Irish1210 , I am in zone 5.  I am done moving shrubs for this year.  Here is my plan for the moves I have scheduled in the Spring.  

I will do a root prune now and leave the shrub for winter.  See here for what root pruning means and why it is done now ...

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/root-pruning-trees-shrubs.htm

I have the holes already dug where I plan to move the shrubs.  In the Spring, I will move the shrubs when dormant.  This is the time to remove excess dead canes (you might want to mark them now for easy ID in Spring).  I will add compost and keep watered as they settle in to their new home.

HTH.  LM

[Mom2Dogs]

---

@JustJazzmom wrote:

Trim down & move now. You want it transplanted before the ground freezes.  Be sure to keep watering it until the ground freezes. 

---

@JustJazzmom   My friend is taking my bush tomorrow...I know she should not fertilize now but is there anything except for the watering, that you suggested,  that she should do to the plant to help ensure a living plant in the spring?

[JustJazzmom]

@Mom2Dogs  If you had fertilized this year, then it should be fine. The important thing is planting it at the proper depth & spreading out the roots & of course watering deeply.