Thursday, July 30, 2015
Q. Last fall I planted four hydrangeas on the south side of my house. It is somewhat shady, but parts get the afternoon sun. One of the hydrangeas was wilting about 2 or 3 p.m. Why does my hydrangea wilt in the afternoon?
Marcy from Poland
A. There are various reasons why your hydrangea leaves wilt. The main reason is that hydrangeas require a large amount of water. So one reason could be that it needs watering. An established hydrangea shouldn’t be watered more than two or three times a week.
Now we’re talking a good watering, not water sprayed from your hose. A 2- or 3-foot plant probably needs a two gallons of water two or three times a week.
Too much water also will cause the plant to wilt. The roots will drown.
The trick is to figure out how much water it actually needs. If you have a water meter, the problem is solved. Stick the meter into the soil about 3 inches from the stem and the meter will tell you what the plant needs or doesn’t need.
If you don’t have a meter, use the finger test. Insert a finger into the soil to a depth of 3 or so inches to determine if the soil is dry, moist or wet. Do this every day for a week and write down the results. You can determine by looking at your data how long it takes for the soil to be dry.
Once you decided it takes three days for your soil to dry out, then you water every fourth day. Remember: Not a sprinkle but a good soaking.
Now Mother Nature may alter your watering plan some, but if we get more rain, use the meter again.
Remember: The roots of the hydrangea plant will rot if the soil is kept soggy.
A second reason, and usually the most-common problem, if the leaves of the hydrangea are wilting, especially in the late afternoon, is the amount of heat and direct sun your plant or plants get.
Morning sun is the best for hydrangeas to grow and flower. Some hydrangeas do OK with afternoon sun, hence one of your plants wilts, not all four.
Eric Barrett is OSU Extension educator for agriculture and natural resources in Mahoning County. Call the office hotline at 330-533-5538 to submit your questions. Clinic hours are Mondays and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon through October.