Old hydrangea dying

[peatmoss]

When we bought our house 6 yrs ago 2 purple/blue hydrangeas were a large part of the the garden. They bloomed beautifully until last summer, when they stopped. Last year, both produced large leaves without blossoms, even though I used azalea fertilizer. But the main problem is that the 1 plant is not getting as many leaves as the other this year, and I was able to easily pull out some dried stems by the roots. Please, help I would like to save the one plant and get blossoms from the both.

Thank you,
Marguerite

[opabinia51]

Did you use a salt based fertilizer?


Saltbased fertilizers are really bad because they can build up in the soil and break down soil structure. Thus making the plant weak and less able to cope with disease. You may try fertilizing your plant with an organic fertilizer like liquid seaweed fertilizer or an organic equivalent of Hydrangea ferilzer.
I was having similar problems last year with my Red Currant plant and all I did was add mulched up leaves, coffee ground and Horse and Chicken manure to it and this year, the plant has grown by about 3 feet in both girth and height and is as healthy as it has ever been.
Oh and I also fertilzed it with both liquid fish and liquid seaweed fertilizer.
Good Luck!

[peatmoss]

I used an azalea fertilizer because they too enjoy an acidic soil.

Thank I will try what you suggested.

Marguerite

[The Helpful Gardener]

Peatmoss, Opa is a soil scientist by trade and I think he's onto something there. I think the issue might be the fertilization which can trigger massive foliar growth at the expense of flowers. Organic fertilizers won't EVER do that; the assays are too low (yet because of the healthy flora and fauna they develop in the soil they are much better utilized by the plant) Mother has a plan in place and it doesn't include salt based fertilizers...

The Helpful Gardener

[opabinia51]

organic soil ammendments to decrease the pH of your soil (increase the acidity) would be pine needles (though, I have read that the needles don't actually increase the acidity, the jury is still out on that one) and Oak leaf mulch.

Making Oak leaf mulch is really simple: Just bag up a bunch of Oak Leaves (I personally like Quercus gariana, Garry Oak), spread them on your lawn or driveway and fun over them one or more times with your mower. Voila!!! Spread them over the soil around the Hydrangeas and there you go.

You may want to try saving some of the Oak leaf mulch and making a leaf mulch tea from it and fertilizing your Hydrangeas with that. (Once a week, I would dilute the tea 4 parts to one) Also, stir the tea at least once a day while it is brewing (for about a week or even better, three).

But, definately ammend the soil like I described in my previous posting.

Good Luck!!

[opabinia51]

I just read on the garden web that a guy uses woody organic matter to decrease the pH in his soil. He says that the woody matter "makes the soil more fungally rather than bacterially"... ........ Obviously he means that the wood encourages fungal growth.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Sure does work, but you need to keep in mind the decrease in available nitrogen as the wood gets gobbled by microbes that use it ...

HG

[Guest]

Since you do fertilize, has some site condition changed so gradually over the past 6 or 2 years that you might not have noticed it was affecting the hydrangea? Knowing at least the region you are in would be helpful for making suggestions. Where is the bed located?

Did a growing tree send roots into the bed? Was a tree removed or planted? Did you prune the bushes differently the last two seasons, maybe incorrectly? Install a sprinkler system in or near the bed or do any landscape work that impacted the plants? Could a garden chemical have been used in the immediate area either on your property or or by a neighbor where drift could have reached the plants? Did you use round-up in an area you thought was well enough away from the plants? Or a late cold spell right around leafing out? Then again, this plant can look badly fast and stay that way without adequate water.

If nothing comes to mind, with the plants correctly sited/amply watered and you have used the blue powdered, water soluble, sodium based fertilizer over a growing season for 6 seasons then you could well have damaged plant roots. For the future, when a plant is not doing well don't grab fertilizer and feed it as a first remedy.

Have you had a soil test done? Your local extension office can walk you through the process. A report suggesting ammendments needed or build up present = A savings of time and funds.

If you don't have ample amounts of manures and compost readily available for improvement, until you do, Holly tone is an organic fertilizer that could be rotated with the seaweed and fish fertilizer as a foliar feed. Just be aware, if you have never used fish fertilizer, it has quite an odor. Use it in the cool of the morning. However, don't let the odor prevent its use - it's a super product.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Good call on the Hollytone. Those Tone fertilizers are not popular because they can be a little smelly, but it smells like success to me...

Scott

[peatmoss]

I actually stopped fertilizing for a while, and watered for 1 hour every day. The dying plant is full of beautiful leaves; no blossoms but I am happy that it is full of leaves. Before there were mainly "sticks". My second plant has one blue/purple blossom.

To answer someone's question, I live in Northern New Jersey.

After researching, I found out I may be pruning too late and not watering enough.

I need to know when to prune; or should I just leave it alone this year? I don't forsee any more blossoms, but I am very excited about the single one I have.

Thank you to everyone who responded. I've kept copies of your advise and will try it next year.

Peatmoss

[The Helpful Gardener]

Here's all the info you need...

Hydrangea Care article.

Scott

[peatmoss]

thank you X2

peatmoss

[The Helpful Gardener]

It's what we do...

HG