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Why Is My Hydrangea Wilting – 4 Most Common Reasons & Their Solutions!

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Hydrangea is a beautiful plant that glamorizes the look of any garden with its radiant colors and charismatic appearance.

While they are easy to plant and do not usually need extensive care to thrive, they sometimes do not adjust to their surroundings and express their dislike of the environmental conditions by wilting.

If you see your plant drooping and wonder, “Why is my hydrangea wilting?” there could be more than meets the eye. From lack of moisture to extreme climate and adding fertilizer at the wrong time, anything can be the reason.

Let us tell you about the possible causes that can be the reason for a wilting hydrangea.

Why Is My Hydrangea Wilting
Need help with Hydrangea leaves turning black/wilting – via Reddit

Why Is My Hydrangea Wilting – 4 Reasons

Hydrangeas are dramatic plants and wilting usually does not cause any harm to them. They might wilt for many reasons, one of them being the high sun. Hydrangea plants tend to wilt in hot afternoons but retain their shape as the sun goes away.

If your plant does not come back to its shape when the sun is down, the reasons could be:

1.    Extreme Temperatures

Extreme temperatures can cause your Hydrangea plants to wilt and stay that way. They grow the best in moderate temperatures between 65° F and 75° F and tend to droop when the temperatures rise above 85° F.

High temperatures result in the leaves losing moisture and cause dehydration. Freezing temperatures can also lead to wilting Hydrangeas. 

2.    Excessive Shade

Like other plants, Hydrangea also likes the sun, and the leaves remain healthy when given the right amount of sun. It needs around 6 hours of bright sun daily. Yet, long hours of direct sunlight can cause the Hydrangea flowers and leaves to droop.

A balanced amount of sun and shade helps in proper growth.

3.    Drought

Besides losing water through leaves, your Hydrangea plant may experience drought-like conditions when the roots are dry. Though they are drought-tolerant, a long period of moisture absence in the roots causes the leaves to turn brown and fall off the plant.

4.    Unstable Nitrogen Levels

Adding fertilizer to the Hydrangea plant contributes to its growth and health, yet making sure to do it at the right time is critical.

Adding the fertilizer before the required time or more quantity makes the flowers grow large. Often the plant cannot bear the weight of these flower heads, and you see the stems dangling low.

How to find out the cause of wilting for My Hydrangea?

Now that you know the most common possible reasons for a wilting plant, here’s how to trace what is happening to your very own vegetal.

The easiest way to find the underlying cause of a wilting Hydrangea plant is through a soil test as most of the time dry or overfertilized soil is the culprit.

  • Check the soil moisture level 1 – 2 inches deep near the soil with your finger. It will enable you to see if dry roots are the cause for wilting.
  • Look for the dates when the fertilizer was added and see if it was provided to the plant at a tight time.

When you understand the cause behind your wilting Hydrangea, it’s time to save it.

why did my hydrangea wilted overnight
Help! Transplanted hydrangea is wilting! – via Reddit

How to save My Hydrangea from Wilting?

Depending on the reason for drooping stems and flowers, watering the plant, retaining moisture, adding adequate fertilizer, or keeping the plant in the right area (sun and shade) can save your plant from wilting. Here’s how to save Hydrangea from wilting?

1. Watering

When you check the roots of your Hydrangea and find out less moisture is why Hydrangea is wilting, provide enough water to it.

If the soil is dry up to 2 inches deep, use a water hose to provide water to the roots by holding it for a few minutes around the area. For plants that lose their freshness due to moisture loss, watering them deeply will give them a new life.

2. Retaining moisture

After providing moisture to your Hydrangea, the next thing you would want to do is take measures to retain moisture. Adding 2 to 4 inches of mulch around the plant roots proves beneficial to save it from environmental conditions.

100 Natural Cedar Shavings Why Is My Hydrangea Wilting
100 Natural Cedar Shavings – via Amazon.com

Mulch usually contains manure, compost, or leaf mold that can hold water and conserve moisture in unfavorable weather. Proper watering and mulching can revive your wilting Hydrangea in a day or two instantly.

3. Provide adequate sun & shade

Excessive shade and sun are harmful to the plant and lead to drooping stems. You can offer the right proportion of both by planting Hydrangea in an area where it receives sunlight for 6 hours through the day without the rays hitting the plant directly.

It is better to plant it near a south-facing window or under a perforated that saves your Hydrangea from direct sunlight.

4. Do not over-fertilize

Adding more fertilizer to the plant than needed can cause the structure of the Hydrangea to alter and result in wilting stems. Make sure to provide fertilizer to your plant at the right time in an adequate amount for proper growth.

Dr. Earth 703P Organic Why Is My Hydrangea Wilting 2
Dr. Earth 703P Organic – via Amazon.com

When to worry about the Hydrangea plant wilting?

While mostly a wilting Hydrangea would come to life itself after episodes of the hot sun are over, or getting a day or two of watering, sometimes it does not show improvement. In such situations, it is either too late to save the plant or you are doing something wrong.

Restarting the investigation phase to rule out any other possible scenarios may help to improve the situation.

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Conclusion

Wilting is not usually because of a disease in Hydrangeas, yet if you wonder Why Is My Hydrangea Wilting, a soil test is the best way to determine the cause of drooping.

Providing timely and effective treatment to your plant can significantly increase its chances of getting normal. Try this to give a fresh look to your wilting plant:

  • Water adequately
  • Add Mulch
  • Provide proper shade and sun
  • Fertilize periodically

Taking care of these things will help you cherish the beauty of your Hydrangea and keep it healthy for a long time.

Comment down if you have any other questions regarding the health of your plants, and we would be happy to help you!