What does a diseased hydrangea look like?
Powdery mildew (Microsphaera penicillata) can occur on all hydrangeas but is most serious on bigleaf hydrangea. In addition to the usual white, powdery fungal growth on the leaf surfaces, yellow or purple leaf blotches might be present. A pH of 7 is neutral, and household vinegar has a pH of around 2. The theory is, applying diluted vinegar to the soil will lower the pH enough to change the color of your hydrangea blooms. This strategy will make the soil more acidic, but not for long!Want to turn your hydrangeas blue? It will take some time, but used dry coffee grounds can alter the ph level of the soil. Coffee grounds increase the soil’s acidity. Acidic soil (low pH) favors blue flowers, while alkaline soil (high pH) favors pink flowers.It essentially changes the pH of the foliage, which makes it unpleasant for the fungus. The pH of baking soda is pretty high (about 9-ish). That bit of info tells you that if you apply it to the soil, you have a high probability of raising the pH, which for hydrangeas isn’t good. A good pH for this genus is about 6.
How often should I water Endless Summer hydrangeas?
How often to water your Endless Summer Hydrangea. Endless Summer Hydrangea needs 0. For newly planted hydrangeas, frequent and thorough watering is crucial to encourage deep root growth, says Gail Pabst, gardener and marketing director at the National Garden Bureau. Aim to water young hydrangeas approximately once every other day and established hydrangeas once a week.
How to revive a dying hydrangea?
Give winter- or freeze-damaged hydrangeas time to regrow before pruning back to new green shoots. Drooping plants often just need a deep soak; always check soil moisture before assuming the worst. Protect from poor drainage, harsh sun, and hungry critters—most hydrangeas can recover with care and patience. If you suspect your hydrangea is overwatered, immediate action is required to save the plant. Here’s how to fix the problem: Stop Watering: Temporarily halt watering to allow the soil to dry out. Ensure that the plant does not remain in waterlogged soil.The primary reason behind this is inadequate moisture, which can make a hydrangea’s leaves dry out, turn brown, and cause flowers to wilt. Timing is Crucial: Avoid transplanting in the peak of summer or during extremely warm days.If your plant is underwatered, the way to revive your dying hydrangea is easy. It is time to up your watering. Place a rain gauge in your garden to test water levels. For people who water by hand or with drip irrigation, a soil moisture meter can help determine if you need to water again.Overwatering and Poor Drainage While hydrangeas love moisture, they are sensitive to overwatering. Waterlogged soil can suffocate the roots, causing them to rot. Root rot disrupts the plant’s ability to absorb water, leading to wilting despite the presence of moisture in the soil.Wilted or drooping leaves – If you see heavy leaves that seem to hang that may even be mushy to the touch, you might have overwatered hydrangeas.
What happens if you prune Endless Summer hydrangeas in the fall?
Fall Pruning The most important fall care tip we have for Endless Summer® hydrangeas is to keep the pruners away in the fall. To repeat, DO NOT prune in the fall. Pruning in the fall can stunt the growth of your hydrangea and cause it to not produce blooms in the spring. Pruning hydrangeas that bloom on new wood Next year’s flower buds won’t be formed until late spring the same year they bloom, so there is no risk of removing the buds if you prune in fall or spring. If you like the look of dried flower heads in your garden in the wintertime, leave them on and prune them in spring.New wood hydrangeas (panicle and smooth varieties) should be pruned when dormant in early winter, but fall pruning can be done to remove dried blooms and help shape the plant. Old wood hydrangeas (mophead and oakleaf) should only be pruned immediately after flowering in the spring and summer.When Should You Deadhead? Endless Summer® hydrangea’s first bloom cycle lasts until about mid-July. That’s about when the blooms start to fade, and you know that it’s time to get deadheading! While deadheading can be done throughout the summer, you should make sure to stop in mid to late fall.Cut your hydrangeas back to about one foot from the ground by making an angled away from the bud. Pruning the center slightly taller will help achieve a nice shape. If any branches are crossing one of these branches should be removed.
Do I need to deadhead Endless Summer hydrangeas?
As the summer progresses, your hydrangea blooms will start to fade. Once this happens, feel free to remove the spent blooms by using a process called deadheading. Since Endless Summer® hydrangeas are reblooming, deadheading encourages the hydrangea to use its energy to produce new blooms throughout the season. Fall. There’s only one thing to say about fall pruning: don’t do it. Endless Summer® hydrangeas set their buds in the fall, so pruning during this time can cause you to miss out on those early season blooms that are being set for next spring. Watch our video on fall pruning to get the full scoop.
Are coffee grounds good for Endless Summer hydrangeas?
If you have a pink hydrangea and you want a blue hydrangea, no problem! Pink blooms develop in alkaline soil, so certain amendments need to be made to lower the pH and create an acidic soil situation. To encourage blue blooms in alkaline soils, add aluminum sulfate, composted oak leaves, pine needles or coffee grounds. Improving Flowering Although Epsom salts contain nutrients beneficial for plant health, they don’t directly impact flowering. If Epsom salt can provide key nutrients in growth and flower production, it makes sense to assume that adding Epsom salt to the soil around your hydrangeas can boost flowering.Adding Epsom salts to soil that already has sufficient magnesium can actually harm your soil and plants, such as by inhibiting calcium uptake. Spraying Epsom salt solutions on plant leaves can cause leaf scorch. Excess magnesium can increase mineral contamination in water that percolates through soil.Epsom salt won’t help hydrangeas bloom or change color—it doesn’t affect the soil in a way that generally boosts flowers. However, you can add Epsom salt if a soil test indicates a magnesium deficiency. To turn hydrangeas blue, lower your soil’s pH using sulfur—not Epsom salt.