Sad hydrangeas

[britespark1]

My poor hydrangeas which had not long flowered before the heatwave are now looking rather brown, crispy and well, dead! I read not to dead-head too early in winter to protect against frost but should I be dead-heading them now? I have been watering them after dark once it is cooler (!)

The same has happened to my beloved hydrangea. 😥

Dont dead head it. I'm taking off the dried crispy bits and leaving the rest - around the sides and at the back where sun hasn't hit them - to carry on flowering. Then next Spring as soon as the frosts have finished, that's the time to deadhead. Next year, I plan to have a small gazebo ready to put over it the minute the Temp is up to 25-26, and hopefully shade it from the suns intensity.

How much water have you been giving them? Mine has been getting a watering can full a day for several weeks now, and it is in partial shade.

Do you mean deadhead now and prune in spring? Mines looking horrendous!

Mine look like they’re only barely hanging on too

I think mine are done 😔
They were newish and probably not established enough.
I think my camellia is on the way out too.

what's dead?
the flower head? totally normal. they get crispy and bleach after finished flowering. just leave them be.

Even if they are looking somewhat dead, water them anyway. Give them a chance to at least keep the roots and stems alive.

Thanks for the responses. They definitely haven’t quite as much water as they could if I’m completely honestly as due to workmen being constantly around at the moment.

Yes it’s the flower heads that look dead. It’s a shame as the colour was only just coming through.

Will definitely give them plenty of water tonight once it’s cooler.

I do wish there was an edit button - please ignore the awful writing!

Mine have passed away too despite being on the north facing side mostly in shade.

Keep up the watering. The clue is in their name.

No sorry, don't dead head fully, I meant I was taking off the 'burnt to a crisp petals' in each head, but leaving the ok flower heads around the sides and back of the bush.
Only now, the entire flower heads on top of it are burnt brown to a crisp. So I'm leaving it as it is, but still watering it.
If you deadhead hydrangeas now, they will not flower next year. Wait till spring, then remove the flowerheads.

@greenacrylicpaint Normally these plants should be in full bloom with the colour of the petals slowly fading away through Autumn. It' isn't time for them to finish blooming yet. It's the extreme high temperature of the sun that is actually burning them. In the 40 years I have grown these gorgeous plants I have never witnessed this before.

@JasperJohnsPaintbrush thanks for these tips. I have planned some beautiful white hydrangeas in a bed, and they've been stunning. But it's so so dry here as everywhere that I doubt they've had enough water. My plan for this evening was to go out and take all the flowers off to give them a bit more of a chance, I had no idea if I did that they wouldn't flower next year!!!

Hydrangeas need loads of water. Try waiting until your washing up water goes cold and empty it over them. I use plastic jugs until the level in the bowl goes down and then pick the bowl up.

I was about to post something similar. Huge old hydrangea in front garden, gets morning sun then shade for rest of day. I’ve been hosing it down but it’s so limp and sad looking.

Tiny new one in back garden, blazing sun all day and it’s fine 🤷🏼‍♀️

I’ve just got back from holidays & although Ds claims he has been watering them daily, mine are dried to a crisp. The same thing happened last year to the one in a large pot & it regrew this year so I am hoping it’s not fatal. The climbing one which is in a very shady spot (and ds probably overlooked) is also in a bad way. It’s never flowered though so might be a good opportunity to relocate it.