DIYer Shares How To Set Your Hydrangeas Up for Big Spring and Summer Blooms
Along with the spring sunshine and the weather warming up comes the long-awaited return of our favorite flowers. Some classics like tulips are already out in full bloom, while others are slowly but surely right around the corner. Case in point: hydrangeas.
Their fluffy, colorful blooms are always a telltale sign that the warmer months have arrived. Until then, if you already have hydrangeas in your yard or front lawn, there are things you should do now to ensure those showstopping hydrangea blooms come back. Even if you're expecting them to return in their full glory, there are still several common reasons they might not bloom.
Fortunately, one DIYer is sharing her expertise so that you can set your hydrangeas up for blooming success. In a TikTok video, she breaks down how exactly she gets her snowball hydrangeas-which, just like they sound, are known for their large, snowball-like blooms-to "come back HUGE every year," she says.
How To Prep Snowball Hydrangeas to Thrive in Summer
@thishouse5000 snowball hydrangea season is upon us! it's time to prep listing all the steps here for easy reference: • leave the dead heads on throughout fall and winter to protect the woody stems from frost • in early April remove the dead heads and any skinny stems you want to be left with short sturdy stalks • cut about 5 nodes up from the ground just above a node • fertilize with "flowering shrub feed" • water all throughout growing season they need a lot of hydration • in June you'll have buds and July you'll have dinner plate size blooms #gardening#hydrangeas#gardeningtips
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"Snowball hydrangea season is upon us!" DIYer Elena (@thishouse5000) writes in a TikTok video about snowball hydrangeas. In her video, she shares these tips that she swears by to keep them coming back every year:
- Remove the dead heads and skinny stems starting in early April
Cut about five nodes above the ground, just above the node - Fertilize with Miaracle-Gro "flowering shrub feed"
- Water "A LOT" throughout growing season (daily once it's June and July), especially because not watering them enough is a common reason why they might not bloom
- Expect to see tiny buds and leaves starting in May and June
- By July, they'll blossom into "dinner-plate-size blooms"
Related: These 6 Flowers Are Perfect to Start Planting in April for Your Backyard Cut Flower Garden
More Snowball Hydrangea Care Tips
Elena also recommends planting them in early May and says to "make sure you use a lot of new top soil underneath for nutrients when you plant them."
You'll also want to make sure you know what hardiness zone you're in before you get to prepping. In Elena's case, her tips come from her experience in zone 6.
Regardless, commenters were thrilled to learn ways to bring those hallmark gorgeous hydrangea blooms to life. "Saving these tips!" one said, while another wrote, "This is so helpful."
That said, make sure to prep now so it won't be long before you have thriving hydrangeas of your own set to make your home look so dreamy for summer.
Related: 10 Flowers to Plant in Spring
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This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 10:15 AM.