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Runaway bride hydrangea - brown leaves

frances.e.finchfrances.e.finch Posts: 1
in Problem solving
 - Please can someone suggest whether these brown leaves are a problem? Some of the stems have spots on them too...

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  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    It looks like a pretty healthy plant to me.
  • Cambridgerose12Cambridgerose12 Posts: 1,134
    Hydrangeas don’t like frost and we have had very late frosts this year. Spots on stems - normal 
  • luis_prluis_pr Posts: 123
    edited May 2021
    Late frosts can cause similar discolorations to the foliage and the stems but, new foliage returns in 2-4 weeks if actively growing in overnight temperatures above 10°C. If stems are killed, the plant will developing new stems (the dried out stem can be cut all the way down).

    I assume you have been feeding it and amending the soil (to acidify the soil)  "appropriately"? The foliage does appear to be a tad lighter green than I am used to seeing...

    To cover all the bases: check the soil pH to make sure that the potting soil remains acidic; use well draining potting soil for ericaceous plants only; and make sure it gets sunlight only through 10-11am; water when a finger inserted to a depth of 5-7 cms feels dry or almost dry (if it feels moist or soggy, skip watering on that day and check again the next day). Careful if acidifying the soil with a "too strong" dose of vinegar diluted in water. If it is not getting sufficient sunlight (morning sun until 10-11am), slowly increase the amount of sunlight to acclimate it.

    It is a good sign that it still has open flower buds that are not browning so enjoy the blooms! Also monitor the size of the plant in relation to the pot size; some hydrangeas get large and if the plant label on this one says it does, this one may need a bigger pot "soon".

    You can protect the hydrangea from future late freezes or late frosts by temporarily bringing the plant inside while it is cold. If left outside, water it well the night before frost, add some mulch and cover with frost cloth or blankets (careful that the weight of blankets does not bend/break branches) but remove the blankets once temperatures bounce back up to warmer levels.

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