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What's wrong with this Hydrangea?
ripply
Posts: 73
I only got this plant earlier this year and it quickly stated getting this brown patches on the leaves. Some of the leaves near the bottom have also been nibbled by something but I'm not sure what.
The plant seems to be growing well as its much bigger than when I bought it but I'm worried becasue it seems to be getting more and more of these brown patches. Does anyone know what's causing this or what I could do to stop it?
0
Posts
It's a leaf spot fungus. There are several possible fungi which can cause this but it usually only affects them during prolonged spells of wet weather. They usually grow out of it drier weather but I would remove the worst affected leaves so spores don't fall on new foliage and make sure you don't over-water, watering only onto the soil and not the leaves. As it's an ornamental plant you could also try a general fungicide such as Rose Clear or Fungus Fighter ready mixed sprays.
Thanks Bob, I've clipped off the worst leaves but I'm a bit worried because as I was doing so, a whole 'branch' came off it! It seemed like it was hanging off already at the stem and as soon as I touched it, it just dropped. Hope the plant isn't ruined. I had a close look at the leaves and I can see some furry mould on a few of them. I've never watered this plant, or any of them. Maybe it's all the rain we've had this summer. I'll buy some fungicide for it.
Can this infect other plants? It's right beside a potentilla with others nearby but they're all in pots so I can move them.
Most fungi are specific to a host plant so it's unlikely to affect anything else. Good luck and I hope it picks up soon. A decent bit of sun is what it (and everything else!) needs.