New to Gardening... can this hydrangea be saved?

[littledej]

In May I decided I wanted to make a flower bed. No experience, no idea about plants just wanted a corner of colour in the garden.

I bought a lovely light blue hydrangea. But when I brought her home, she went droopy almost instantly. In the ground still very droopy. Asked my mum what to do and she said just keep watering it'll be fine.

Then she started to go brown and shrivel up. I tried to google and it said potentially she had fertiliser burn. So I trimmed off any dead heads. She was still flowering but now the flowers had started to go come through purple.

Now two months on, the brown turned pretty much black and half the leaves are gone. However she flowered a new bit of green and pink flowers and I have new bright green leaves growing.

What should I do? Do I keep persevering? Should I trim off more? Or just leave it alone?

Please and thank you for any advise you can give!

Are you watering enough? Looks very dry.

They want a lot of water. They will always be the first plant in the garden to droop. If it’s put on new growth then I’d say it’s doing ok.

What have you planted her into? Doesn't really look like soil, more like rotted manure or something?

How often/much are you watering and when? Water very early morning or best in the evening, in to the soil not leaves (wet leaves burn in strong sun).

Don't worry about the flower colours as they vary according to the nutrients in the soil.

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor yes watering on an evening but over last couple of days have we have had loads of rain.

@Hollyhocksarenotmessy I live on a new build so the ground was full of rubble so tried to get as I could out. Then used peat free compost mixed into the ground to plant it on. Then last week I planted a salvia and topped up the compost round the hydrangea. I tend to water on an evening but last few days we've had loads of rain so just left it. Not water yet today when I took the pictures which is why it might looks dry.

All the other plants I've put in the area are doing well and flowering. Just the hydrangea I'm having issues with!

Save your coffee grounds, egg shells ans lemon peel - if you mix them into the soil over time you'll make it more acidic and the flowers should go back to being blue. Or you can buy an aluminium based hydrangea feed.

The new growth looks happy.

Keep watering it, I bet next year it will be fine.

I'm pretty sure hydrangeas give either pink or blue flowers depending on whether the soil is acid or alkaline, so I wonder whether your plant was originally planted in acidic soil, which is why it was blue, but your soil is more alkaline, which is why it struggled to start with, but is now coming back pink?

You can buy soil testers to see the pH level of your soil. But if it's growing still, I'd be inclined to leave it and keep watering and see what happens.

The colour will change due to soil pH & minerals, hence the colour change. I would probably just accept the colour rather than go to huge efforts to change the soil!

they do need plenty of water - did you disturb the roots when planting the salvias?

in my experience they are pretty robust plants so I think if it’s putting in new growth that’s a positive

Lots of new growth on there! Keep watering and it will come back.

Have a look at this site:

www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-hydrangeas/

Mine looked exactly like this about 3 months ago. I dug it up and the soil around the roots had become compacted like it was root bound. Loosened up the roots and now looks like this...

Can I ask if these plants can be planted near a drain outside the house without causing damage. I have a small space (and plant as in picture above) to fill but concerned roots will cause problems with the drain outside my kitchen.

OP, I think you bought a hydrangea that was 'forced' to flower early. So it struggled a bit when you planted it out. They'd normally be flowering from about now, not May. Hence now it's looking a bit knackered. Just keep it well watered and it will come good next year.

I did the same 2 years ago. I should know better by now, but the temptation was too much and I bought it without thinking!

Just to add, despite what the labels usually say, they hate full sun. A semi shaded spot is best. Possibly somewhere it gets morning sun.

My hydrangea has literally started flowering in the last 24 hours. As another pp says, yours was probably forced in a greenhouse somewhere in Holland, and had something of a shock when it was planted out.

Water it like mad - like a whole big watering can full every day.

When it rains, you'd be amazed just how little it actually wets the soil. Unless you have a massive thunderstorm with absolutely torrential rain, it won't be anywhere near enough.

Hi everyone thanks for taking the time to reply.

I've been keeping on top of watering and it is starting to come on. Lots of green shoots.
I have tried to cut back where there were flowers as they were just turning more black down the stems/branches. But we have loads more green leaves!

I think you're right that it might have been forced to flower early. Hopefully next year I'll have a beautiful hydrangea!

You have a good helper there.

put a bag of rusty nails in the soil to make it blue