Hydrangea - some living some not..is it me?

Sunflower

Hello all,

I hope everybody is enjoying their garden at the moment, I know I am!
So my latest query is on hydrangea. I stuck a couple of blue mopheads in last year before we really got stuck into the garden this year, and they are doing great, one is especially big with a lot of blooms. So about three weeks ago I bought two Hortensia white ones and planted them, both in bloom but not too large either. However, they don't seem to be doing great, the petals are going brown and the leaves also are becoming discoloured and tatty looking. Any ideas what I can do? I got some farmyard mulch and put loads on and I've been watering them well every evening (when we don't have rain). But they don't seem to be taking it. Given how good the others are doing I'm at a loss....

Thanks all,
Sunflower Very Happy

Sive · Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 6:36 pm Post subject:

My own experience with hydrangeas is that they can take a little while to settle in...and maybe planting them in full flower adds to the stress of the change? I'm not an expert, but I'd say they will be fine next year.

Sunflower · Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 7:59 pm Post subject:

Hi Sive,
Thanks for the quick reply, I was thinking that they might just be settling in too. Mind you I was told by the garden centre that they were best planted while in full flower, have you heard about that??
I really like them, something very old fashioned about them I think!!

Thanks again
Sunflower

Liparis · Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:20 pm Post subject:

You might be drowning the roots. All this rain and watering? If the ground is wet right down below the roots then leave them alone, a good mulch of farmyard manure will stop too much moisture being lost by evaporation. You really have to make those roots work and get down to the water, you could be drowning the young root growth as it's trying to grow.
Bill.

Sive · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 10:40 am Post subject:

I'm not very experienced ,Sunflower, but I planted a lovely hydrangea with russet-coloured leaves...it had been living very happily in a pot in my previous garden, and I popped it into the ground here two years ago, and it sulked. I was so happy to see it putting on lots of fresh growth this year.
And another hydrangea given to me as a house-warming present did absolutely nothing for 18 months, but looks as if it is finally growing now.
So, I'm assuming they just take a while to settle in!
As for watering, you will soon get used to judging if a hydrangea is thirsty...the leaves become limp, and after a drink recover quickly.

verge · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 10:58 am Post subject:

Sive · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:46 am Post subject:

Hi Verge, No, believe it or not, russet is the actual colour of the leaves....and I don't know the name off hand, but will look in my books to see if I can find it. I really loved it when I grew it in a pot, and that's why I decided to plant it into my new garden here, and was feeling very guilty when I could see it wasn't thriving. Thank goodness it seems finally to have settled, as once it is healthy I hope to take cuttings.
Off to my books......

Sunflower · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 1:04 pm Post subject:

Thanks guys for all the advice, with the watering thing though, sometimes after I water the ground is soaked but the space near the roots dries out very quickly. I actually think that I took too many rocks and stones out when we were clearing the soil, but the manure should help it along. It's funny though because the other ones were just plonked in last year with no love, the total opposite of the new ones, and they are doing great...we shall see how my white ones come along!

Thanks again folks Very Happy

Sunflower · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 1:09 pm Post subject:

Verge, sorry meant to reply in last post. I planted two and one is under a large tree and the other has a good bit of space, and while both are struggling a bit, it's the one with loads of room that is doing the worst. Though when I planted I cleared a large space for both and put loads of compost in with it. Mind you, it had small roots. about 5inches or so. I'm going to see how they get on over the next few weeks.

Thanks again!

Sive · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 1:09 pm Post subject:

Me again, Verge. I've just had an interesting half hour trying to add a photo to my post,carefully reading instructions, will try again.
In the meantime, I had a close look at the afore-mentioned hydrangea and maybe bronze would be a better description of the leaves. When the leaves are young they are a deep bronze with green veins, really beautiful and as the leaves get older they become a more greeny-bronze. The flower is a reddish-pink.
I can't find such a plant in any of my books, and I suspect the original label has been lost in the house-move.