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jukxc3

Hydrangea

jukxc3
12 years ago

I bought a hydrangea plant about 3 weeks ago from Loews Garden Center. Within a week of the purchase, all of the stems drooped to the ground. Since then, I have read every website for proper care of the plant. I have done everything from adjusting the sun to shade ratio, water at least once a day, and litely mist the flower heads twice a day. I haven't planted it yet in my garden b/c I'm not sure if it is a lost cause. The flowers were beautiful and looked healthy up until 2 days ago when they started to look a little wilted. I don't know if I'm overwatering since when I feel the soil, it is dry in the morning. When I water it, it looks like it gets flooded. If it is root-rot, is it fixable or should I start looking for another plant? Please help!

Comment (1)

  • luis_pr
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If it is root rot, it will recover only if it is just starting and you control the soil moisture. If it has developed the fungal infection past the point of no return, there is nothing that can be useful. I have read of people who use hydrogen peroxide to remove some root rot but it is usually in small plants.

    I am assuming that the root ball has not dried out and is startiung to repel water when you add some. In such a case, it would help to dunk the plant in a bucket of water for 30 minutes or one hr (some people remove it when the stop seeing air bubbles coming from the soil).

    The information given next applies to potted plants but is mostly for hydrangeas already planted in the ground, which I suggest you do because potted plants need more frequent waterings and these waterings may be frustrating you.

    Hydrangeas normally wilt and droop. Especially when summer temperatures start to arrive. And even more so during their first and-or second year.

    This wilting is very common on all large leafed plants and occurs when the plant looses moisture thru the leaves faster than it can absorb moisture thru the roots. To minimize this problem, you can add plenty of mulch (3 to 4 inches up to the drip line) and place the shrub where it gets afternoon shade starting at around 11am-12pm. It helps too if the location is not a windy one.

    When the shrub wilts, insert a finger into the soil to a depth of 4". Apply 1/2 gallon of water if it feels dry or almost dry. If the soil feels moist, do nothing and let the plant recover on its own by next morning (if it does not recover, give it 1/2 gallon of water). If the soil feels wet, take appropriate action to correct whatever is causing the wet soil.

    To control the frequent waterings when planted on the ground, give it water when it needs water and not just because it looks wilted. For that, use the finger method daily every morning for 1-2 weeks. Whenever you water, make a note on a wall calendar. After two weeks, observe how often you had to water (every 2, 3, etc days). Then set the sprinkler to give the shrub 1 gallon of water on that same frequency (every 2/3/etc days). When local temperatures change by 10-15 degrees and stay there, use the finger method again to determine if you need to change your waterings.

    When you plant your potted shrub, there may be roots circling. If so, make vertical cuts every two inches around. At the same, inspect the roots and do something strange... smell them. When roots start to rot, they may have a nasty bad stinky odor. Cut the dead stinky roots; apply some hydrogen peroxide where you did the cut if you easily can; otherwise just move on with the planting chores. When done, clean the pruner with 10%-bleach 90%-water solution.

    Do not fertilize the shrub until next year. The potting soil mix already contains round fertilizer pellets. Next year, add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of compost, composted manure or cottonseed meal. Apply the organic fertilizer in June if you live in the northern half of the country or in early May a-n-d June if you live in the southern half. Coffee grounds are optional thru the growing season but stop all fertilizers around July.

    Does that help you, jukxc3?
    Luis