This is "Miranda" a serrata hydrangea. I'm guessing it's either getting too much water or too much sun. The water is partly my fault and partly mother nature. We've had about three straight days of rain. And I was watering quite a bit before that. It was looking perfectly healthy before all this rain started.
Can anyone tell what is wrong with it? We've had so little sun lately, I didn't think it could be too much sun. Will it recover - can I do anything to help it?
Looks like a little frost burn or sun burn to me. Not to worry, the serratas in our nursery got burned in half over Easter.
But what is left is still happy and getting ready to bloom down here. We cut the burned stuff off and let them do their thing.
Most Hydrangea macrophylla are toast however, have to be cut to the ground and wait for next year. 'All Summer Beauty' is the only one that looks good.
Back a little off on watering.
Wolfgang
https://www.gardensoyvey.com/
It could be slight damage from that cold weather a few weeks ago--sometimes the damage takes a little while to show up. Or I suppose it could be a little too much water. Doesn't look too bad though whatever it is so I wouldn't worry too much, just be careful on the water, make sure the soil dries out a bit before you water it again and it should be fine.
Wolfgang,
That is good news - thanks for the tips! Sounds like it's going to survive. I will water less and hope the rain will come to an end soon, temporarily, before we have to build an ark!
Thanks, ecrane - for advice. I'm new with hydrangeas and inexperienced. I'm really hoping to get one to do well. We'll see. Definitely backing off the watering.
when did you plant it?
Len123 - I planted it about 2 weeks ago. It was after the heavy freeze we had. It looked perfectly healthy before I planted it and for about the first week. It was getting quite a bit of sun, so I thought maybe that was part of it. It's still looking about the same right now. At least the leaves are not turning brown (yet?). None have fallen off, and otherwise it looks pretty healthy.
I'm new at hydrangeas also. I put in 6 about a week ago. started wilting 2 hrs in the ground. But a friend I have in the city says that they do that and will be just fine. About half my leaves fell off or I cut them off and are holding their own now, except for 1 it's an aspera mauvette. The leaves are about all gone. I think they should call them "the panic plant"! I'd never planted anything that started to die 2 hrs. in the ground! Usually they give you a few days or weeks anyway. The day after I planted them we got 30mph winds all day. didn't seem to faze them, still looked the same. at least yours lasted a week!ha!
I think your leaves are probably just a little sunburn, mine looked worse so I just clipped them off. Maybe hydrangeas just have a little transition and settling in period. I notice the place where I bought mine said they heavily pruned them before shipping. I bet they actually need even more pruning.I would guess it must be a water-to-roots-to-leaf-to-sun
balancing act or something?
Len123 - Yes, I'm new to hydrangeas, too. I think you are right, they do seem to need just the right location and just the right amount of water (and sun). Hmmmmm. I really want to grow these, I hope I can pass the "hydrangea test".
I hope your hydrangea will do well for you. Where do you have yours planted? Is it partly shaded? What kind of hydrangea is a aspera mauvette?
Yes, partly shaded, under trees east of sheds, east of wellhouse. some get more sun than others, doesn't seem to matter, except for the aspera. I ordered through hydrangeas
plus dot com. I think it is a new one for '07. suppose to get 10'. I have it planted in barnyard under a very large elm tree. I can't seem to find a whole lot of info on web. someone said it was similiar to an H. Villosa?? I don't really know why I ordered that particular one, or any certain ones for that matter cause I don't see a whole lot of difference between them besides mophead or lacecap. ha. it has peeling bark that i saw on arkansas univ website. it's really pretty ugly right now. peeling bark, tall hairy vine-looking stems with 5-6 little bitty tiny leaves that I noticed were dying. Looks like a weed grafted onto a shrub. I hate that when a catalog only shows the flower and blows it up x1000 and never show the plant from a distance or when it's not in bloom! good thing I planted it in the barnyard.hopefully it's an ugly duck that grows into a swan.ha!
Len123,
Sounds like they are in a really good spot. I hope they do really well for you. Maybe you can post some pictures later when they get some growth? I hope I get that far with mine. Blooms would be nice, I don't know if you get those the first year or not.
