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?

Frost damage? Did you deadhead them too early?

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

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

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

thanks I will try that. fingers crossed.

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.

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