Hi Kim, I’m so sorry your Limelights aren’t blooming. It has indeed been a brutal Summer! If the deer are not eating them this year, I’m unsure what exactly could be causing the lack of blooms. When did you prune them this year? Sometimes if pruning too late in the Spring season, you can accidentally end up removing the flower buds. Are they younger plants, in other words planted in the last year or two? Sometimes it takes Limelights a few years to get established and then they will take off with flowers blooming. It’s good they are getting full sun. It’s usually not a good idea to fertilize this late in the season — however — adding a slow-release organic fertilizer like Holly Tone is ok because it will slowly improve the soil and nourish the plants. Another possibility is too much nitrogen in the soil, perhaps from grass fertilizer nearby, which results in lots of green leaves but no (or little) flowers. Keep an eye out for deer, as they can easily chew off the flower buds too. I hope this helps!

Hi Frances, I hope — as you say — that with the stump grinding it will help your Little Lime. These hydrangeas love acidic soil, so my suggestion is to plant your Little Lime as normal, and add a slow-release fertilizer like Espoma Holly-tone, which is for acid-loving plants. Sprinkle it around the drip line of your Little Lime — where water naturally drips off the plants after it rains — and it will soak into the soil over time. That should be all you need to do! I hope this helps! Please keep me posted!

Hi Laura,

Thank you for your response and advice. We are certainly looking into getting the stump removed. However, the arborists we’ve spoke to mentioned that they are only able to do stump grinding up to 8″ below grade and with a 12″ diameter from the stump, rather than full removal. I will try to remove as much roots as I can but hopefully the stump grinding and some of the root grinding/removal will help my little lime. I will also try to plant it as far as possible.

I plan to amend the soil around that area, would you know if hydrangeas do best in neutral or acidic soil?

Thanks again for all your advice and help!

Thanks for your feedback on my Little Lime Guide, Frances! I appreciate it! If it was me, and I wasn’t planning on keeping the stump visible for any decorative, rustic purposes — I’d pay to have the stump removed, which would include the roots below ground. It’s worth it long-term, because then when you plant your Little Limes, you don’t have to worry about anything. The Little Limes can just grow and get established and enjoy their permanent home dressing up your front lawn! I can’t say for sure if the juniper roots would hinder the root development of the Little Limes, but I don’t think they’d help. So that’s just my opinion and what I would do. I hope this helps you!

I did have a question regarding the location of planting them. I have quite a bit of room closer to our front porch as there was a previously cut-down juniper tree/shrub and the stump was left and is still on the ground. Could I plant these little lime hydrangeas right in front or beside the stump? Do little lime hydrangeas have shallow roots? I want to ensure that the stump and root system doesnt hinder the growth of the hydrangeas. Thank you so much.

I’m so happy that this guide is helpful, Theresa! And yes, you can reach out with any questions!

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I agree with you Desiree: these are young plants and will definitely become stronger with age. Definitely repeat the pruning process in the Spring. If — as the season progresses — there are one or two super-floppy stems you don’t like, definitely remove those flowerheads, and you’ll see those stems bounce right back up. Please keep me posted next Spring/Summer!