I have six hydrangeas. All but one (Annabelle) have orange spots on their leaves. Does anyone know what this is and what I should do? Thanks.
Spots on leaves of hydrangea
Can you post a picture? It might be rust but hydrangeas aren't the first plant that comes to mind when I think of things that tend to get rust a lot so maybe it's something different.
Here's a photo of the leaves of my hydrangea. Looks like some sort of fire blight to me but I've never seen it on a hydrangea before. Suggestions?
sawpalm,
I have a similar problem when my hydrangeas get too much sun...Annabelle is more resistantt to sun exposure than others macrophyllas.
I think it could be one of a number of different leaf spot fungal diseases, most of the time they happen when water hits the soil and then splashes back up onto the leaves. This can happen with rain, or also if you use overhead watering. And watering in the evening rather than the morning can make things worse too because then the leaves don't dry out very fast which creates a good breeding ground for fungus (although humid rainy weather can do it too even if you typically water in the morning). Most of the time things like this are unsightly but not fatal, so all I would do is fix your watering (if you're splashing a lot or watering in the evening) then this fall/winter when the leaves fall off make sure to gather them all up and throw them away.
Just saw this thread and thought I'd post this link to help you http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-1212/ANR-1212.pdf Looks like Cercospora leaf spot which will usually show up in late summer, early fall. Rarely kills the plant but can definitely make the foliage ugly :(
Thank you, rcn48, for this helpful link, which has proven to me that I do have Cercospora leaf spot on several of my big leaf hydrangeas. The article suggested that once introduced, this disease is likely to reappear each year. I have recently moved my hydrangeas to a different spot in my garden. Do you think that if I am very thorough in removing the fallen leaves this fall, that I can avoid further recurrences?
I would definitely remove the leaves when they fall. The other thing you should do is be really careful on when and how you water. You can't control when Mother Nature waters for you and rain can splash the spores back up onto the leaves too, but at least if you're careful with your own watering that gives you the best chance to avoid it. Make sure you always water in the morning rather than the evening so the leaves don't stay wet for a long time, and try using drip irrigation instead of overhead watering since that avoids splashing anything back up on the leaves. Or if drip isn't an option, water by hand but be really careful to water around the base of the plant with minimal splashing.
Thank you, ecrane, for the good advice. I have a little problem in that my lawn sprinklers will (starting late next spring when I turn them on again!) splash up on my newly-moved hydrangeas--but I'm going to be careful only to turn the system on in the early morning, and go out with a hair-dryer in hand afterwards. . . LOL. . . but I do understand the problem. The link suggested some fungicides to use, though I really don't want to get into this if possible.
Thanks for the response.
I'm having good luck so far with pouring chamomile tea around the base of the plants that seem to get fungus. It seems to be working so far, but I've not tried it during the hottest part of the summer.
Does this look like Cercospora leaf spot? The edges of the leaves are burgundy like they are burned and then have spots up into the leaf. This is my daughter's plant. I don't know what kind of hydrangea this is because mine has lighter green and bigger leaves. Hers are dark green ad smaller and more compact.
Texasgrower, What you see on your daughter's hydrangea is powdery mildew, a very common fungus. If you scroll down through the link provided below you'll see a photo a powdery mildew infected plant. I have a terrible time with this fungus on deciduous azaleas. Spraying at bud break in the spring and regularly thereafter is the only way to control it. It won't kill the plant but it can get pretty ugly and sometimes when severe and not treated will cause premature leaf drop. I've been there.
http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/faqs/hydrangeafaq2.html
thanks snapple. I will let her know.