I would be more inclined to say the cane damage was due to the harsh winter rather than chemical overspray. If chemicals killed the canes they more than likely would have killed the roots as well. Yours look better than mine do right now and yes they will fully come back.

SCG

Your Hydrangeas are not dead; just treated harshly by the winter. Mine look EXACTLY the same and there are no chemical sprays in or near my garden. They will come back from the growth from the roots. Cut back the top canes and hope for a milder winter next time.

Linda

THANK you Linda and SCG! I certainly can accept natural causes.

Repeat post.

This post was edited by whitelacey on Sun, Apr 27, 14 at 12:27

Barry,

Just curious: how come green-thumbed father didn't know this? Are you lucky enough in your neck of the woods to never see winter-kill? Here in Ohio it happens all the time.

Your Hydrangeas will probably not bloom as much this year. They look like the variety 'Endless Summer' which blooms on both old and new wood. This year it will be blooming on new wood only.

Linda

THANK you Linda and SCG! I certainly can accept natural causes.

Linda,

Location is the answer to both your Q's... My dad lives in Md and I moved to SC... so he assumed my plants shouldn't have had any problems since we are so far south and none of his had any problems. I am completely clueless to horticulture in general but want to learn and was wanting to be sure I didn't do anything wrong MYSELF to cause them not to come back.

Winter kill-thats how most of mine look too!

This nursery near Atlanta reports 80% of their gallons macs died back to the ground. Some of mine showing growth from low on the canes & below ground, but slow going in this delayed Spring. Haven't cut back the canes, since a few deer nibbles show live pith. Trusting they'll eventually grow from the roots, if not from above...

Here is a link that might be useful: Mac losses

In the future, try piling leaves on top of the plant before the first freeze of the season. It won't completely prevent cane death, but in most cases you'll a few blooms where you otherwise wouldn't get any.

Give the stems another month to produce. Some of them still look beige/brownish in color. Some of the buds might've gotten nipped, but many stems still appear to be alive. Don't give up on them until about June.