Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Do you think I’ve done something wrong?

JacquimcmahonJacquimcmahon Posts: 1,039
in Problem solving
I bought this hydrangea at the market on Sunday and it was beautiful, but is a tiny pot for it’s size. I have replanted in new compost into a pot about 2 sizes bigger, watered well…. But today I came home to very limp flowers and foliage.

could this just be the shock of repotting or have I made some drastic error in not leaving it in the smaller pot for now? FYI my other hydrangeas are all fine so I don’t think it has been todays warm wind. I checked the soil and it’s still pretty damp, so did not want to risk over watering before asking the question .
Marne la vallée, basically just outside Paris 🇫🇷, but definitely Scottish at heart.

Posts

  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    It probably had a shock being moved while in flower. I hope it will settle down and enjoy its new pot.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • JacquimcmahonJacquimcmahon Posts: 1,039
    Thanks Busy-Lizzie that was my hope, that it has just had a shock and will recover. 

    To be honest I was surprised it is so far in flower already. I thought that perhaps it had also been indoors even though I bought it at the market. In some ways that’s worse as I have no idea if it may have been forced for French Mother’s Day (last Sunday), so perhaps being outside is part of the problem too.
    Marne la vallée, basically just outside Paris 🇫🇷, but definitely Scottish at heart.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    If it's been cossetted that won't have helped, but if it was fine before you repotted it, it should perk up. Ideally, you'd take the flowers off to lessen the stress , but I don't suppose you want to do that! It shouldn't be any kind of problem to repot them when in flower.  :)

    It's worse when they do it over here for the Easter market. The forum's always full of queries from worried people because they get stuck outside in April, in less than favourable conditions, after being forced indoors. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Silly question but was the root ball wet before you repotted it? I have noticed the last few days that the new compost I'm using doesn't absorb water as well. Watering from the top, when I tip them out to repot, a lot of the root ball is still dry. I ended up dunking them in a bucket of water to get a good soak so the root ball was sopping when I repotted.
  • JacquimcmahonJacquimcmahon Posts: 1,039
    Hi fidgetbones, like you I noticed that my new peat free compost was caving difficulties to “soak up” at first, so I watered really well.

    in the end it must have just been a bit shocked by the move. This morning it’s looking beautiful again.
    Marne la vallée, basically just outside Paris 🇫🇷, but definitely Scottish at heart.
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043

    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Good stuff @Jacquimcmahon :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • bcpathomebcpathome Posts: 1,313
    Well done panic over.
  • Valley GardenerValley Gardener Posts: 2,851
    The French adore their Hortensias, It will enjoy being somewhere cool till it recovers I think.
    The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
Sign In or Register to comment.