I purchased a dormant Pistachio Hydrangea from a nursery that was just a baby (4 inch pot). After transplanting it into a larger pot with a mix of compost/peat moss, the plant started showing great signs of healthy, new growth and almost doubled in size. After about a month, suddenly the plant started struggling...all the growth is now wilted and appears to be dying. The soil is still moist and I have not made any changes to the plants location, soil, etc. It gets partial sun/partial shade and has been in almost the same spot since I transplanted it.
I have a pink mophead and blue lacecap and they both are doing quite well.
Has anyone experienced a sudden wilt of their foliage on immature plants and if so, is there anything that can be done to recuse this plant?
Sorry I don't have any pics at this time..but can take some if needed.
Shauna
Pistachio Hydrangea
Is it always wilted? If it is constantly wilted, it has developed root rot. The soil has been retaining water too long and has not drained well. It may or may not recover in that case. Watering only when the soil feels almost dry to the touch may help but it hard to determine how far along the rotting has gone.
If it recovers and becomes wilted again, that may due to a common problem with hydrangeas and other large leaf shrubs. If the plant looses moisture through the leaves faster than it can absorb moisture through the roots, the plants uses wilting as a defense mechanism. As soon as the consitions which triggered the problem go away, the problem is corrected and the leaves look fine. For example, summer hot and windy days can trigger this reaction from hydrangeas but they recover at night if left alone AND if the soil is moist.
Because summers are so hot here in Texas, I see wilting episodes during the worst of summer. With temperatures sometimes hitting the 90s in May, I will be on the lookout for wilting episodes. When you see one, immediately check the plants right a way by inserting a finger into the soil to a depth of 4". Then determine if the soil feels wet, moist or dry. If the soil feels dry or almost dry, give them about 1/2 gallon of water immediately (for a newly purchased shrub; more if it is an older plant). If the soil is either wet or moist, I check them again in the morning. They usually recover by themselves a few hours into the night.
Windy days can also cause the leaves to loose moisture faster than the roots can absorb it so consider watering the night before wind advisories are in effect for your area. Maintaining 3-4" of mulch at all times of the year will also help.
This message was edited Apr 19, 2013 9:29 PM
So, I removed it out out the pot and tried to clean all the dirt off the roots. Then I rinsed/soaked the root system off in an anti-fungal solution and re-planted it in a new pot with a dry mix of perlite, compost and peat moss.
Hopefully that will save the plant. But since the purchase was recent, I contacted the nursery I bought it from and they are sending me a replacement.