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Watering Hydrangea -Endless Summer

ncgardner
17 years ago

I have about 15 Endless Summer Hydrangea and each evening the flowers look wilted. The foliage is fine but all the blooms and buds look stressed. I have been watering them daily but I'm not sure this is the best thing for them. I read that too much water can keep hydr. from blooming as well the following year.

Has anyone had experience with this? They are in full sun but the card on them states they can go in full sun. Wonder if this is the problem??? I realize you don't think of Hydra. as being a full sun plant. I even went back and read it again. I'm in the Raleigh area and summer heat isn't even here yet. I hate to have to move all of them and redesign the whole yard. HELP.

Comments (5)

  • luis_pr
    17 years ago

    Hello, ncgardner. Hydrangeas can tolerate full sun if you live in the northern states. As you begin to move into warmer climates, some varieties will tolerate full sun and others will balk. When you reach the southern states like Texas and Florida, it becomes a no-no for all varieties. The recommendation from the Endless Summer Website (see the link below) is for Part Shade.

    Newly planted and/or transplanted hydrangeas need more moisture during their first year because their root systems have not been established in their new surroundings. I suppose something similar could be said of hydrangeas planted in windy locations.

    I can only assume that your plant label came from a nursery in the northern states where full sun is ok for them. Of the various types of hydrangeas, Pee Gees (H. paniculata Pee Gee) and Oakleafs tolerate full sun best (assuming you keep the soil moist).

    A word of caution. Please be careful with all this daily watering. You may be adding to much water into the soil and hydrangeas like moist soil, not wet soil. You can confirm that water is needed if the soil feels dry when you insert your finger into the ground to a depth of 2-3 inches. Too much water can create root rot or make it easier to get fungal diseases.

    I suggest you make the following test to tell if the plants are getting too much sun.... Water the plant in the morning and do not water again until the next morning (or unless you notice extreme wilting). Next, see how the plant is doing (a) late in the afternoon, (b) about 2 hours after the sun has gone down and (c) in the next morning.

    If it appears to be wilting in the afternoon but recovers by morning, it is ok but you will need to monitor the soil humidity. If the plant is still wilting in the morning, then it is getting too much sun. If at any time during that test you notice extreme wilting, discontinue the test and add water (if needed) because it is getting too much sun.

    Just checking.... I assume you have plenty of mulch? I have 3 inches of mulch extending 6-12 inches past the dripline on my Macrophyllas and my Oakleaf.

    In case you decide to move the plants, choose an area that gets less than 6 hours of sun (the definiton of "full sun" is 6 hours of sun or more). I shoot for 3-4 hrs of sun here in Texas (dappled sun is best). The more sun you get (within reason), the more/better bloomage you get but, no hydrangea will thrive in full shade. Also, do not plant them directly under trees because the tree roots may be attracted to the moist area and may steal some of the water.

    For more information on hydrangeas, go to this link:
    http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/index.html

    I hope that helps. Good luck, Luis

    Here is a link that might be useful: Endless Summer Care

  • merrelljoyce
    7 years ago

    I planted 2 hydrangeas last summer. They get morning sun and afternoon shade. We have watered them every day because when we don't the leaves wilt. We've had hardly any blooms but the leaves look good. They have grown some and have "bushed out". I have sprayed the leaves for bugs with a mixture of Ivory soap water and a drop or two of chili oil. My husband sometimes adds Miracle Grow. What else should we do?? Pennsylvania

  • luis_pr
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    If these are ES (H. macrophylla) mopheads or lacecaps, they may need winter protection for the Spring bloomage; and more water, less fert and possibly deer protection in the Summer.

    They also need fertilizing only once, like after your average date of last frost + 2 more weeks. Some versions of MG have a high nitrogen content and if applied often enough, they make hydrangeas bloom less or not at all so plan on applying ferts in Spring like so: 1/2 to 1 cup of organic compost, composted manure or cottonseed meal; or a general purpose, slow-release chemical fert like Osmocote (NPK 10-10-10) in Spring. Then thru June you can sprinkle coffee grounds,, liqui8d seaweed or liquid fish. Then that is it; no more on or after July so the plant goes dormant at its proper time.

    That being said, a lot of people have posted that even the above steps result in no blooms in very cold zones with ES. Meaning that they have not gotten blooms from new wood.

    If you take the above precautions and keep the soil as evenly moist as possible to prevent dryness and wilting and they still not bloom after waiting the customary 1-3 years, I would then replace them. Note that there could be a moisture issue that kills the new wood flower buds if wilting occurs often so, make sure you water about 1.5 gallons of water per watering and do not allow the soil to get completely dry.

  • janemonsen
    6 years ago

    We have 12 hydrangea in our backyard. Half and half shade and sun. Three years in a row we didn't have any blooms. We put it it down to cold Canadian winters. Then I read an article to keep adding coffee grounds to the base of the plants. Wow does this work. Our yard is a profusion of flowers and colour. I saved and added the grounds throughout the winter and summer and will continue to do so. I do have a question about watering. When the blooms separate does this mean they are heat stressed or need water?

    Toronto




  • luis_pr
    6 years ago

    Hmmm, "separate"... ??? not sure what do you mean. If the blooms turn brown, the leaves turn brown from the edges inwards, if many leaves turn yellow, all that can suggest heat stress and-or lack of moisture. If they flop then that just means that they weigh a lot for the stems to hold upright.