Hydrangea is sick

richturner8 · December 2020

My girlfriend's hydrangea has a white paste life fungi .how do I deal with it. It started around 18 mths ago I wanted to try and deal with it but she says it may grow back ok. But it only got worse

Fairygirl · December 2020

Have you got a photo?
I've no idea what a white paste life fungi is, but someone else might know what that is.

In any case, if the problem's got worse, and it's been happening for 18 months, it may be beyond recovery. Hydrangeas don't tend to be too bothered by pests, but I'm wondering if it's a scale insect of some kind?

richturner8 · December 2020

Hi Fairygirl thanks for that. This is the first time I have really used this site I have look through the content on here but not know that it had a forum.DAAAAAA.Thanks again .I would be really interested If there is any one on here that could give me some ideas.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030279/uploads/editor/57/h1hdkia1qm56.jpg

Bijdezee · December 2020

I think it's scale insect, or Woolley aphid. In either case it's bad and hard to eradicate. There may be chemicals for this but as I don't like to use them I dug up my affected hydrangea and burned it.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=557

Lyn · December 2020

You could get a bottle of methylated spirits and a paint brush, library coat all the branches. Do that twice.
Paint the scale every time you see it. Hopefully you’ll get on top of it.

This coming Spring it really needs a good pruning, you need to cut out the old branches right from the base and trim the others back.
Take out about half of the old branches this Spring and take the others out the following Spring. Trimming back the remainder by a few inches down to just above a leaf bud..

Maybe you have some compost or mulch of some kind to put around the base and in the Spring you can put some Bone meal or similar forked into the earth.

If you feel you can’t get on top of the scale you can cut the whole plant down to the ground in the Spring, thinning out as well, you won’t get any flowers next summer but it will be lovely next year.

Please let us know how the plant gets on, nice to see a follow up. 🙂

Fairygirl · December 2020

I'd actually go further than what @Lyn is describing - I'd remove those dodgy looking stems that are at the front/bottom of your photo, just now. Then use the meths, and do the pruning of the shrub in spring - whether partially or fully, depending on how well the response is to the meths.
Like many shrubs, they can respond extremely well to a good prune back, but it's also worth looking at the reason for the problem too.
Hydrangea like plenty of moisture, some shade, and some pruning when required to keep a good shape, especially if they're one of the more fussy types, as opposed to the bog standard mophead, pink or blue ones, which can cope with almost anything. Removing crossing and dead/damaged stems keeps a good open shape, and plenty of airflow.
They also appreciate the right site. Yours looks like it's right up against a wall, which can mean being in a rain shadow

richturner8 · December 2020

Thank you for all of the great comments on here I will endeavour to see what I can do for the sick plant. I will defiantly give a follow up once I can see how it is doing.

Dovefromabove · December 2020

Further to the above, all of which I agree with, hydrangeas strike very easily from cuttings ... both in water and in compost, so in the spring/summer you can make some new plants and rejuvenate the garden ... for free

Hydrangea is sick

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