Pepper46
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Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2010 10:53 pm
Location: Clovis, CA

Wilted flowers

I just planted 2 hydrangeas in bloom next to the house on south facing wall. A couple of days later I notice that 2 of the 3 blooms on one plant is wilted. The ground appears wet, but I gave it a drink anyway and the blooms recovered. This was yesterday. Today it has been raining for the past few hours, and I notice those same 2 blooms are wilted again. This can't be from lack of water! Any suggestions?

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Kisal
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Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:04 am
Location: Oregon

My guess is that they're just suffering a little transplant shock. Perhaps Luis will be along soon, though. He knows a lot more than I do about hydrangeas. :)

luis_pr
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Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2009 8:31 am
Location: Hurst, TX USA Zone 7b/8a

Hello, pepper46. I can think of maybe three possible causes and will list them in order of severity.

1) Lack of moisture; hydrangea not yet established. The first season for a newly planted hydrangea is always full of days when the leaves wilt. This is very common on large-leafed plants. Newly planted hydrangeas will suffer from these until they are established (about one year or two) in your garden. It occurs when the plant looses moisture through the leaves faster than it can absorb moisture through the roots. But wilting is not bad; some people view it as a defensive mechanism because it reduces the leaf surface area that is in contact with the sun thereby causing the plant leaves to loose less moisture.

A new small shrub should get 1 gallon of water when it is almost dry or dry. When your new shrub wilts, you need to test your soil for moisture and take appropriate action as follows. If the wilting episode looks extreme, apply 1/2 gallon of water and "ask questions later". If the episode looks like previous ones, insert a finger into the soil to a depth of 4". If it feels almost dry or dry then apply 1/2 gallon of water. If the soil feels moist or wet then do nothing. You will notice that hydrangeas will recover on their own as the sun goes down or by the next morning. If the plant remains wilted by next morning, apply 1/2 gallon of water. Note: if your soil is sandy, add 50% more water.

My newly planted hydrangeas started this way too. They often had wilting episodes on hot or windy days. They still wilt when the summer temperatures approach or exceed 100 degrees.

2) Another reason why a plant would have this issue is if the roots are root bound. In those cases, you need to extract the plant and make vertical cuts every 1-2" along the sides and about every 1" on the bottom. The shrub should then be dunked in water to make sure the root ball absorbs water. Then replant the hydrangea. But, I doubt this is the case here because it often happens when the roots get quite large. Your shrub would have had to be sitting on the nursery unsold for over one or maybe even two years to develop this problem if it happened just days after you planted them.

3) The third possibility is root rot. When the roots do not function as they should due to this fungal infection, they cannot provide nutrients and water to the plant above ground. The symptoms of root rot are identical to those of lack of enough water. Root rot can be controlled at the beginning but it can kill plants if allowed to get out of control. Actions that you take to help the plant recover: control watering problems; use mulch so you do not have to water often; do not plant in windy locations; add compost to clay soils; plant in locations where water does not collect into poodles; apply fungicides to fight off Phytophthora root rot (active ingredient is either fosetyl-Al; propamocarb; or thiophanate-methyl + etridiazole). Note: there are no fungicides that will work on another type of root rot called mushroom root rot. If you have the time, consult your local Agric Extension Service Office to determine what type of root rot a plant has. The only practical way that a home owner has to determine if a plant has root rot is to extract the plant and look at the roots. If they look healthy then do not worry. If they do not look healthy or smell bad because they are rotting then evaluate how much damage has been done and decide to destroy the plant or try to save it.

Hydrangea basics:

Location - in the southern half of the country, hydrangeas need shade in the afternoon. Here in Texas, the leaves will fry if allowed to get sun after 11am-12pm during the summer months. In the northern half, you have more leeway. As you get closer to the Canadian border, you can even plant them in full sun (6-8 hours of sun). If planted under trees, make sure the trees will not compete with the hydrangea for food and moisture. Usually this means trees with lots of surface roots. Apply 3-4" of any type of mulch up to the drip line (or 1’ away from the crown in the case of the new plants).

Water - they prefer constant soil moisture (or about as constant as we all can practically do). Use the finger method to determine when to water and apply 1 gallon of water when the soil is almost dry or dry (50% more if your soil is sandy).

Fertilizing - a 1/2 cup of cottonseed meal, manure or compost in May and early July is all they need for the whole year. Add some coffee grounds during the growing season as you see fit but stop all fertilizing by the end of July.

Soil acidity - hydrangeas prefer soils that are acidic but will tolerate some alkalinity. Your gardening neighbors and local nurseries can probably tell you if your soil is acidic or alkaline. A soil pH kit can also be purchased for low cost to determine if your soil is acidic or alkaline (they not accurate but close enough). Amend by adding gardening/soil Sulphur, green sand, iron-chelated liquid compounds (available at most nurseries) if your soil is alkaline. I do that once a year in Spring. At times, in the summer, I may have to repeat it again.

Luis

Pepper46
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Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2010 10:53 pm
Location: Clovis, CA

Thank you Luis. This is very good information.

For some strange reason only 2 of the 3 blooms were wilted and the leaves were fine. Now that we had rain all day yesterday and most of the night too, the flowers have recouped. I did put peat moss in the planting hole, and I will add more soil amendments once I start planting more in those beds.

We are about to undergo a major remodel of our backyard - tearing out existing patio and replacing and enlarging with stamped concrete. This will also require a rework of the sprinkler system and drains. In the front we are removing our existing porch and sidewalk and replacing with stamped concrete, adding cultured stone to the front facade, and painting the entire exterior. I'm expecting this will take 2-4 weeks to complete. Then I get to begin the fun part of selecting and planting the flower beds!



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