Troubleshoot and prevent issues such as hydrangea leaf problems, no flowers, or poor growth with these tips.
But there are a few common hydrangea problems that can spoil the show.
By preventing or remedying the following mistakes, you’ll be rewarded withplenty of stunning hydrangea flowers.
Credit:Dana Gallagher
Dana Gallagher
1.
Morning hours are best because late afternoon sun can be very hot.
The panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) can handle full sun as long as it gets adequate moisture.
If your hydrangea is getting too much sun, its leaves will wilt and/or may appear scorched.
Flowers often fade quickly and turn brown.
The best solution is to transplant your hydrangea to a spot that gets a bit more shade.
To minimize stress on your plant,
2.
The other side of the coin as far as light is concerned is not getting enough.
No hydrangea will bloom to its full potential in full shade.
Four hours of morning sun or all-day dappled shade is best for shade-loving types such as the bigleaf hydrangea.
In the spring or fall, move your plant to a spot where it will get more sun.
Hydrangeas need a consistent supply of water, but they can have too much of a good thing.
If your hydrangeas are constantly wet, roots can rot and the entire plant may die.
This can usually be avoided if you plant insoil that has good drainage.
When watering, aim for the soil beneath the hydrangea rather than the leaves.
A more common issue is lack of water.
Hydrangeas that are grown in more sun than they like will often flag on hot days.
And they’ll look tired with drooping flowers that often dont attain full size.
Hydrangeas do best if they are watered whenever the top inch of soil is dry.
Poorly draining soil can cause some serious problems for hydrangeas.
The result is a dieback of roots and the development of root rot.
If your soil has poor drainage, considergrowing hydrangeas in a pot.
Use a general purpose potting soil and be sure the container has good drainage holes.
Give your hydrangeas room to develop to their full size.
Not keeping up with weeds.
While hydrangeas appreciate occasional feeding, its important not to overdo it with the fertilizer.
Too much nitrogen, in particular, will encourage lots of leafy growth but few flowers.
A fast release fertilizer can burn plants if it comes in contact with leaves or roots.
A slow-release fertilizer orapplying compostare better choicesthey will feed the plant gradually over the entire season.
Dont apply fertilizer in late summer because this can encourage new growth that may be prone to winter damage.
Pruning at the wrong time.
Some hydrangeas bloom only on older wood, so cutting back those stems often results in fewer flowers.
Many of the newer bigleaf hydrangea varieties such as Endless Summer bloom on both old and new wood.
These rebloomers flower no matter when you prune them.
Smooth and panicle hydrangeas bloom on new wood.
Dead flowers can be trimmed off at any time.
Letting diseases and pests go unchecked.
Wash your plants off in the morning so leaves dry by evening.
Fungal leaf spots andpowdery mildeware among the most common hydrangea diseases.
Use an approved fungicide if necessary.
Trying to change flower color.
Not all hydrangeas have flowers that can change colors based on soil pH.
For morepink hydrangea flowers, add garden lime to raise the pH.
Attempts to change their color will simply lead to frustration.
Hydrangeas are not difficult to grow, but they do have their preferences.
Satisfy these and you’re sure to be pleased with the results.
