I recently bought a 5 gallon hydrangea (lacecap) that was listed as sun/part-shade tolerant. I planted it in a spot that gets a fair amount of sun and it has been drooping in the middle of the day even after I give it plenty of water.
I am wondering if I should transplant it or try to give the plant some time to 'adapt' to the location I put it in; do plants adapt to their light exposure?
This is the first year I've planted a hydrangea, and I put it in a corner of our yard, (near the junction of two fences), and after a few weeks, it got really limpy, with or without water. I save rainwater around here in Kansas to water all my plants, inside or outdoors, in a drier spell, which out here in summer is 3-4 days !! :) Small baby pools or other larger bins. Then I dip my watering cans in and drain them all out. Also the ones on the front porch that are under the awning.
(Yeah, yeah I know all about skeeter spawning grounds but trust me the water is gone with a day or so.) Anyway, I thought all was gone, when I saw it wilted up and just a real nasty piece of work. Finally made it over there to pull it out, and looked under all the wilted dried out flowers/leaves......
AHA !!! I luckily lo and behold, it has obviously gotten into it's own. IT's coming up like gangbusters! Don't know if I'll get any blooms on it but next year it will certainly be gorgeous! IWY, I'd wait it out, water when needed, and when it starts to wilt and dry out, (just about ALL of it did this with mine!), keep it there, and keep watering. The new sprigs that are coming out were really small but growing to full size every day! I was quite thrilled.
Moving here to Kansas, and getting used to all the variety of things I can grow, but more importantly, not expecting them to just keep on doing great, like my hydrangea, and letting *it* takes its time to acclimate to my new yard, soil and placement, is well worth it.
If yours comes back, please let me know! :)
Best wishes, MaryBeth
i too grow hydrangeas but my trouble is not with them wilting but with them changing colors from year to year. does anyone know what that's all about?
i too grow hydrangeas but my trouble is not with them wilting but with them changing colors from year to year. does anyone know what that's all about?
Are they fading to white? Not sure exactly what it is, but there is some sort of supplement/nutrient you can add to the soil. I better keep an eye on this thread, as I'll want to do the same, (make sure they stay blue), for next year. If no one answers, and I'm sure plenty will , you can look it up here or in Google, as I know they've been topics before. Just didn't have my hydrangea in, so wasn't paying attention. There are a few other flowers that do this, such as the peony, they tend to lose their original colors, after many years. If anyone does answer, please let me know about the peonies, also, if you can. :)
Good luck with yours:) MaryBeth
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Rhododendrons, and Hydrangeas (Queens of the late-flowering shrubs), are similar but are not the same. but their treatment is the same and they are sometimes traditionally referred to as Azaleas. They are of the heather family and will fail miserably in alkaline soil. . They may do reasonably well in neutral soil but need an acid home if they are to flourish, and they do better in partial shade. Their's much more but the above is a guide and don't thank me. they are straight out of a worthy book , - which by law I cannot mention. So bags of peat well mixed in when planting is the answer. I have found that if you clip hard in winter they won't flower the next year so leave then alone if you don't want to prune them smaller, wait until the new flowers are budding , - this month), then nip off the brown, dead , last-years mop scruffy remains, - or just leave them , they do no harm. Doug.
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It will help to transplant it. In my opinion, the sooner you transplant it the better. Soak it immediately after transplanting, and soak it again the next day. My hydrangea gets morning sun and it wilts easily, but recovers quickly after a good drink. Your new transplant will greatly benefit from a compost mulch. It took a few years for my plant to become established, now it is too big--almost 5 feet high 5 foot across! It is blooming right now, some flowers are pink, others are blue.
pH
Hydrangas do best with in a spot that receives shade/filtered-sun from late-morning to early afternoon (10AM-3PM) -- near the base of a decent size shade tree is perfect. Also a nice layer of mulch/regular watering serves them well because they tend to be pretty thirsty.
To the other poster: PH of the soil largely determines the color of blooms. High PH (alkaline) produces pink, low PH (acidic) gives blue flowers.
Patrick
Hi Doug, You better get you money back on that book.
Rhododendrons are kings of the early flowering shrubs of the Ericaceae Family (so-called heather family). They are in the Dilleniidae Subclass and the Ericales Order which includes heaths, heathers, mountain laurel, and pieris.
Hydrangeas are mid-season bloomers of the Hydrangeaceae Family (hydrangea family). They are in the Rosidae Subclass and the Rosales Order which includes cannabis and roses.
The only thing they have in common is that they both have flowers and produce seeds with two cotyledon leaves, dicots.
Rhododendrons and other Ericaceae are called acid loving plants since they are usually found growing in acidic soils, though some members of the family have adapted quite well to alkaline soils. That is the reason that rhododendrons in Europe are grafted onto root stocks of rhododendrons that are tolerant of a wide range of pH's. However they are all sensative to soils containing aluminum and subject to aluminum toxicity.
Hydrangeas are unique in that they have the ability to accumulate aluminum. In acidic soils when aluminum is more available, it is taken up by hydrangeas. Most hydrangeas have white flowers but some are affected by the aluminum and produce flowers that are more blue in acidic soils, flowers that are pink or purple in alkaline soils, and are cream colored in neutral soils.
Some people mistakenly think that aluminum sulfate that is added to the soil to make hydrangeas blue will help rhododendrons. It will help them for a while by acidifying the soil, but will eventually kill the rhododendrons which are killed by excess aluminum ions in the soil.
Hi Sonia,
The hydra in hydrangea comes from the fact that they like water. When newly planted the roots haven't adapted to being transplanted and the plant has trouble taking up enough water in the heat of the day. This should be a temporary condition and the plant should grow out of it if there is enough phosphorus in the soil which is necessary for proper root development.
Hydrangeas are unique in that they have the ability to accumulate aluminum. In acidic soils when aluminum is more available, it is taken up by hydrangeas. Most hydrangeas have white flowers but some are affected by the aluminum and produce flowers that are more blue in acidic soils, flowers that are pink or purple in alkaline soils, and are cream colored in neutral soils.
Really? Different colors on the same plant? Very nice to know, thanks! And funny thing......mine did start to grow after I mulched it.
One of these days I'm gonna grow that big green thumb. With a lot of help from ppl like ya'll here. :) Nice group!
MaryBeth
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More recent botanical opinion places both Ericaceae and Hydrangeaceae in the asterid clade, the Ericaceae in Ericales, and the Hydrangeaceae in Cornales (with dogwoods, etc).
Marbef
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Sonja, I find that goodsized (LARGE) potted plants ALWAYS have issues after they are set in ground.
You can drench the rootball, but have no idea where the water goes.... actually the rootball of a potted plant is used to its confines, and will stay within the confines of the potting medium for several weeks
Water WON"T stay within the confines of the potting medium, so there is always a period of "transplant shock" until the formerly potbound roots venture outside the original potting medium to the surrounding natural strata .
Water well as you feel the need, and steel yourself to seeing droop in the heat of the day for a week or so. Yes, bottom leaves will brown and you might percieve a "leggy look", but it is more than likely all will be well.
Sue Western Maine
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