Hello, I just bought this hydrangea yesterday and at the greenhouse I was asking one of the ladies why it was so yellow and spotty. She said it is just shock from being transported from a greenhouse in BC. I am not sure if this Is true or if she was just trying to make a sale, what do you guys think?
Compared to the different hydrangeas it didn't look healthy to me but I bought it anyways.
Also, I have it planted a foot away from my house... is this too close?
Thanks!
This type of problem can surface for 1-2 weeks on shaded greenhouse plants that are planted outside without a wait period of getting accustomed to more sunlight. But this should only last 1-2 weeks and the leaves should then turn green. This could be considered a form of transplant shock.
If only the leaves in direct contact with the sun turn all yellow-ish or white-ish, the shrub may need more shade. In this case, the leaves in direct contact with the sun turn all yellowish while the shaded ones remain green.
However, if you notice yellowing that includes the leaf veins and persists for a l-o-n-g time, it may be best to also check to see if the soil is defficient in nitrogen. There are soil testing kits that check for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium levels and, while not giving you accurate readings, they might give you an idea of low or high levels of nitrogen.
Some hydrangea macrophyllas will develop a yellow tint when the leaves originally leaf out but they turn dark green afterwards. Some varieties are known and prized for keeping the yellowish tint longer. Think: Lemon Wave, Golden Sunlight and Sun Goddess. Invincibelle is not one of those though.
Luis
This message was edited Jun 8, 2014 5:20 PM
Awesome, thank you for your reply. I will just be patient! Where I planted it it gets sun for about 6 hours in the morning.
Sometimes a shot of fertilizer will green them up in no time. There are some yellow leaf varieties that Luis mentioned which add interest to the garden. Little Honey is an oakleaf and Lemon Daddy is a standout macrophylla for two more names.
Here is Lemon Daddy from last year (second year in the ground and actually had a couple of blooms - the woman at the nursery said she never saw one bloom in her 15 years of the nursery trade). And Little Honey.
Oh wow those are gorgeous! I will have to look them up and see if they're hardy to zone 3! Lol
