Marianne's Response
wilted hydrangea
One half of 2 separate plants have wilted. One is trying to come back and has set some buds. The other appears to be giving up. The plants were planted 3 years ago and were great until now. 3 others in the same area are fine. They were all fertilized back in April. They had all started to set buds and then we got another hard frost. Is that just the problem? Thanks.
Posted by carol telfer on July 2, 2018
Marianne's Response
Yes, hydrangea buds will be damaged by a late hard frost and the half of the shrub exposed to the most wind would be the half most damaged by a frost. That does not explain the wilting however. I suspect there is root damage to the two sad looking plants most likely from a mole or vole. Look for entry holes near the base of the plants or feel around for runways of soft earth. A mousetrap can capture the shrews or voles but you will need to do some digging to set a proper mole trap near your shrubs. Go ahead and cut back the wilted parts of your hydrangeas if they do not perk up after a good soak. You may end up removing the entire shrub is the root damage continues but the good news is that there are so many great new hydrangeas available now. You can even grow the more compact hydrangea varieties (The City Line series, Endless Summer) in large containers where they will be safe from burrowing pests. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti
