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milkie_gw

Hydrangeas not growing.

Milkie
9 years ago

I have 4 Cityline Vienna Hydrangeas that this year did not do so well and I wasn't sure they would make it through the summer. The leaves were a very light green ( almost white) and they had very few blooms and the blooms were very small compared to past years. The flowers get full sun and are kept moist all summer. I also have a hardwood mulch around them. In the winter I use rose cones to protect them as I have had a winter where it killed off the new buds. I live in zone 6. I do fertilize them a couple of times during the growing season with a soluble fertilizer. I wish I had taken some pictures to show. I still can if it would help.
Any idea what could cause this? I really like these Hydrangeas and would hate to lose them. They are 4 years old. Thanks for any help.

Comments (6)

  • luis_pr
    9 years ago

    Well, that sounds odd on leaves in Zone 6 during the summer, Milkie. So yes, maybe a few pictures would help.

    In places where the sun is strong in the summer months, the leaves can turn yellow or white-ish. I had this happen to me when the protection that the hydrangea had from the sun came crashing down in a bad storm. After a few weeks, the leaves in direct contact with the sun turned all yellowish. But they can turn whiteish too. If you are noticing that leaves shaded by other leaves are fine and this happened in the summer, then I would suspect too much sun.

    The other thing I would check for is a powdery mildew infestation. The leaves can be covered by a white fuzzy substance. This usually suggests a lot of moisture in the area, something that makes the fungi quite happy to be there.

    Luis

    PS - Just wondering, have you checked your soil pH recently?

    This post was edited by luis_pr on Sun, Sep 7, 14 at 13:27

  • Milkie
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi Luis, thanks for answering. Michigan has been pretty cool this summer compared to past years. So I don't think it's the sun. And I see no signs of powdery mildew. I have enclosed a couple of pictures. Also notice the brown spots on the leaves. This is also new this year. As for testing the soil, no I haven't. I never have tested soil. If it looks to me to need amending when I'm planting something I do it at that time. Like too much clay.


  • luis_pr
    9 years ago

    Oh my goodness. The leaves are suffering from iron chlorosis. The soil must be alkaline (a soil pH reading higher than 7.0) and this makes the leaf veins remain dark green and the rest of the leaves turn light green, then yellow and eventually whiteish like that if not attended. A soil pH kit available in many local nurseries can help you determine if the soil is acidic (soil pH reading below 7.0), neutral (soil pH reading of 7.0, alkaline (soil pH reading above 7.0).

    Amend the soil using any one of these amendments: liquid iron-chelated compounds; aluminum sulfate; iron sulfate; greensand; garden sulphur. The liquids do their magic faster than the others. But the liquids have to be applied more often and the others last longer (read the label as this varies). Since your case looks so extreme, I would use liquids and then make a habit to use the others on a regular basis per the label directions. In concert with the soil pH kit, you should be able to apply and tweak things in order to make the soil more acidic. Hydrangeas prefer acidic soils and will tolerate some alkalinity but this plant is way past that.

    2) The spots are common hydrangea leaf spots. Overhead watering and high humidity feed the fungi that causes this problem. See the link below. Give it 1g of water early in the mornings by watering the soil and not the leaves. Then clean any plant debris under the shrub; throw away spent blooms and dry leaves (in the Fall) into the trash; replace the mulch in bad infestations. The fungicides listed in the link do not cure the plant but suppress the fungus somewhat. However, yearly outbreaks should occur. Cercospora does not usually kill the plant but it looks awful, especially at the end of the growing season, when the plant's leaves are about to dry out. So you need to determine if a fungicide is needed after all (they can be expensive). I have a couple of hydrangeas with this issue but the nearby one has not gotten it (I try to pick up the blooms and dried out leaves in December to prevent the spread).

    Here is a link that might be useful: ACES Diseases of Hydrangeas

  • User
    9 years ago

    Milky,
    If I were you, and I really wanted to keep these plants, I mean really wanted to keep them. I would buy BIG pots for them now, especially now, buy some potting soil, and I would dig them up and wash the roots off real good so there is no soil on them, then I would plant them in the potting soil in the pot. Put them in the shade for a week after transferring them to a pot, and water them keeping the soil nice and moist.
    That is money, for the pots and soil, but if you want to keep them, that is what I would do.
    It is VERY difficult to change the PH of the soil from alkaline to acid and keep it at that level that the plant will grow and look wonderful for you.
    Do you have a shed or garage? You could keep them in that.
    Personally, I wouldn't bother with all that. But, that's me.
    Or, you could try to keep the PH of the soil on the acidic side as advised in the previous post.
    Sorry about your plants.
    I grow what grows in my soil, its alot easier.

  • Milkie
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks luis, I will look into what you had to say about chlorosis.
    I'll look for a soil tester this weekend also.

  • Milkie
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank butterfly, I'm considering moving the plants to another part of the yard where everything is growing great. But I like the location they're at now. I'm giveing some thought to what luis has said. It all may be more trouble than it's worth to save them. I really can't figure out what happened. These plants grew great the past 3 years and this year terrible. Thank you for your input.

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