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hydrangeas
jacqueline-22
Posts: 47
in Plants
am new to hydrangea 1st time i have had one, the petals of the flowers are browning i got told it lack of water but i have made sure its well watered, not sure what to do next dehead of leave it or maybe replant it elsewhere. any ideas ?
0
Posts
The flowers are just finishing, that's all. They're often brought on early, in protected conditions, which is why it will have been flowering so early. You can remove the spent flowers, or leave them depending on your preference. Normally they get left in place to turn a nice colour in autumn, but as they would generally be flowering later in summer, they usually dry out more quickly and change colour rather than going brown and soggy.
They don't make good long term pot specimens though, so it would be better planted in the ground.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I think it's carrying an awful lot of flower for such a small plant and that will put stress on the roots to keep up. I suggest you remove the worst affected flower heads and then plant it in the ground somewhere where it can let its roots spread and find their own water and nutrients.
Make sure the roots and compost have a good soak before planting into a well prepared hole and back fill with plenty of moisture retentive garden compost or multi purpose compost mixed in. Water well and then give it a bucketful of water at least once a week until the autumn rains come.
leave the remaining flower heads on. They will gradually dry and change colour over the summer but should still look attractive. Remove them next spring after the worst frosts so they can protect the new flower buds forming just behind them.
There are too many vendors forcing the Hygrangeas for sale, and if they start to fade now and you leave the flowerheads on, they look shrivelled and shrink in size, which spoils the overall look of the bush. Normally, growing naturally, leaving the heads on will allow them to gracefully age and hold its form as the temperatures drop. It doesn't always look that way if they flower now and start to fade.
thanks guys some great advise here... i did buy it few months ago so maybe has flowered early, i will plant in ground and see how it goes.