I want a beautiful yard and garden so bad I can’t stand it, but I think I am doing several things wrong, but I want to “fix” them now if need be. I planted 3 hydrangeas this summer, 1 Merits Supreme, and 2 Dooley’s. I planted them in front of my brand new deck, which gets full afternoon and evening sun. I noticed after planting they looked wilted (especially the Dooley’s) so I increased the watering and by sunset they would perk right up. I read on another website that hydrangeas cannot take evening sun whatsoever. We have had a 3 week drought here in southern WV so I have been afraid to move them. This week we had 3 good soaking rain days and I think I may transplant them if need be tomorrow. Can someone help me with this? They look great right now, no wilting, or burning, but I have watered them every other day with a soaker hose (to the tune of a $129.00 water bill) for the past 3 weeks. The Merit’s Supreme did not wilt at all, so this one may be ok where it is. Do they need to be moved to the back of my house where they will receive the morning sun only and what would be a good choice to plant in their spots? Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Have serious question about transplanting my Hydrangeas
Whether they can take afternoon sun or not depends on your climate--in hot summer climates they are definitely happier with morning sun only but in cooler summer climates they can handle afternoon sun. If they were really unhappy with the amount of sun they had, I would expect they'd be looking a little crispy around the edges, so if they're looking nice and green then you might be able to leave them where they are. Of course if they are in afternoon sun they're going to need more water than if they're somewhere else though, so that might be a consideration for you even if they're not getting crispy from the sun. Since this was their first year in the ground they won't need quite as much water in subsequent years, but they're still far from drought tolerant so if you want to cut down a little on water use putting them in the morning sun location would help at least a little.
Wilting is the plants response to high temperatures and/or windy conditions. It usually happens in the summer months. It occurs more often when first planted or when transplanting because the root system has been cut to fit the shrub in a pot. The plant then looses moisture through the leaves faster than it can absorb through the roots and it wilts to protect itself. Hydrangeas should be able to recover on their own by the next morning so do not water unless (1) the episode looks extreme or (2) the soil feels almost dry or dry when you insert a finger to a depth of 4". As ecrane said, wilting happens less often once the plants become established in your garden but they will usually happen every summer. All I need here in Texas is 100 degree days for hydrangea wilting to be a common occurrence. Adding 3-4" of any type of acidic mulch will help maintain the soil moist and lengthen the times between waterings. Mulch about 6" past the drip line.
Frequent watering produces very large water bills and makes the hydrangea roots be in wet soil conditions for large periods of time. This is precisely what you want to do if you want the roots to develop root rot. So do not panic at the sight and never water just because a plant is wilted. If it looks extremely wilted then immediately water but otherwise just check it.... Test the soil with a finger and immediately water if the soil is dry or almost dry. When the soil is moist, you will notice the plants recovering by themselves between sun down and the next morning.
If you decide to move the plants, research crape myrtle, spirea, salvia, daylilies and roses for those spots.
Thanks to you both. I live in southern WV, we have heavy thick yellow clay soil, which becomes mushy when wet and almost like cement when dry. I do amend the soil when I plant something with composted cow manure and miracle grow tree and shrub soil mixed ½ and ½., and follow with at least 3-4" of mulch. Our summers are very hot and sometimes very dry. The past two months we have had mostly 80-87 degree days. I think I am most definitely going to move them, most likely tomorrow, and I did buy some magic carpet roses to put in their place, and as a matter of fact I already have at least one of all the other plants you mentioned luis_pr. I have a very small pink diamond planted to the back of my house so I think I will also move that to the front because from what I have read they can take full sun. Thanks so much!