I have a friend who recentley planted 3 hydrangeas.......2 blue and 1 pink. I don't know what she has been doing to them but I stopped by today to look at them again and they seem to be hovering too closely to the ground. Also the blooms are looking pretty messed up too. I think she may be "overwatering" them and told her to hold off for a couple of days and see what happens. I think she used Miracle-Gro on them as well........Are you supposed to pour miracle gro on them? I think it would burn them but that is why I need some advice. Thanks!
Hydrangeas
I used to live near New Richmond, Ohio, just up the river from you and know that it can get very hot during the summer. Newly planted hydrangeas will need time to get established. There's a lot of missing information here to be able to give any meaningful advice.
1. What size pot were they in?
Small pots don't have much room for roots, need to be watered more often and can lead to plant stress. All things that the newly planted hydrangea has to deal with in addition to transplant shock.
2. Had the roots filled the pot or was there soil without roots growing
into it?
If the roots were tightly packed into the pot, the hydrangea has been in the pot for a long time and not in the best of health. If your friend didn't loosen some of the outter roots and extend them out into the new soil, the plants will have a harder time getting established.
3. What kind of light do they get?
Hydrangea macrophylla need shade in hot areas. Morning sun is fine. Filtered sunlight is best. Those big leaves lose a lot of water and will wilt if it gets too hot or too dry. My hydrangeas get morning sun and there are days when even that is too much for them. They are ideally suited for growing under the high canopies of big tall trees.
4. What kind of soil does she have?
If the soil is heavy clay, then she may be overwatering. Newly transplanted hyrangeas will need extra water until they get established, though. Even then, because of their large leaves, hydrangeas do need more water than small leafed plants. I have very sandy loam. When I first transplanted my hydrangeas, I watered them every day. On very hot days, they still get watered every day to keep them from wilting. How often she waters depends on the type of soil she has.
5. How long ago did she transplant the hydrangeas?
Waiting a month or two before fertilizing is best. Fertilizing right after transplanting is not recommended because the nitrogen in the fertilizer encourages top growth at a time when the plant is least able to do so. The plant needs time to establish its root system before pressing it to develop top growth.
Miracle Grow can be used as a foliar spray. I don't think pouring it over the plant would hurt. Although, I wouldn't put it on the leaves on a hot day. That could cause burning especially if your friend is a little heavy handed with the amount of Miracle Grow she uses.
If the flowers are very large, they should be removed when transplanting. The flowers transpire even more water than the large leaves do. The main reason for the plants looking haggard may be that she left the flowers on and the plants are struggling. If she hasn't already done so, have her remove all the flowers to give the plants a chance to recover and to establish themselves. There is always next year.
One thing you didn't mention, but you may want to tell your friend. Hydrangea macrophylla are either blue or pink depending on the pH of the soil. If her soil is alkaline, all the hydrangeas will turn pink. In acid, the hydrangeas will be blue. To keep the hydrangeas blue in alkaline soil she needs to apply Aluminum sulfate. If the plants are very close together, the Aluminum sulfate will affect the pink hydrangea. If the blue ones don't get enough Aluminum sulfate, you can get different shades of blue, pink and lavender ( the in between shade) on them. She has to be careful in applying the Aluminum sulfate. It's best to apply it in several doses as it can burn the hydrangeas and in large quantities can build up to toxic levels in the soil. Toxic it to other plants.