dead hydrangea

[Aperolspritzer]

help please. 20yo hydrangea, black leaves and shrivelled buds. even the stems and base are brittle and dead. disease, old age or something else?

[Bienchen]

Frost damage? Did you deadhead them too early?

Hydrangeas are long lived but can suffer badly from frost/cold winds.

[Aperolspritzer]

oh yes I did!! last month then we got really sharp frosts, dammit. such a shame. I wonder is it beyond saving?

[dreamingofsun]

i'd prune all the dead bits off, sling some compost on it and leave. it'll probably surprise you

[Aperolspritzer]

thanks I will try that. fingers crossed.

[LittleFrieda]

I have a dead Hydrangea too. It was in a massive pot and I don't know what happened. Its twin is absolutley fine. I think it must have been the frost.

[gardeninggal]

the frost will have got the tender growth but they should still sprout from the base