Many people love to plant hydrangeas in front of the house for decoration because of their large size and vibrant colors. The beauty of this flower always makes us look at it for a long time and marvel at the beauty of nature.
The process of growing hydrangeas will also be fraught with problems because each plant species prefers different living conditions. One of the problems that many gardeners pose is leaf burn.
Why do my hydrangeas look burnt? Is the phenomenon of leaf burning at the same time due to the attack of pests or just the impact of the weather? How to revive hydrangea when it has burned leaves? Please help us answer all questions in the article below.
Why Do My Hydrangeas Look Burnt? A Common Cause
Leaf and flower blight in hydrangeas is not a disease caused by a virus or bacteria. This is just a common leaf burn under high temperatures for a long time.
Leaf burn in hydrangeas and plants, in general, is a phenomenon where water evaporates from leaves and flowers under extreme conditions.
Meanwhile, the plant’s root system cannot transport enough water to replenish the evaporation, causing leaves and flowers to wilt and turn brown.
Excessive heat causes water to evaporate quickly, low humidity and insufficient water will cause hydrangeas to burn leaves. The cause of this situation is the improper planting location of hydrangeas.
As you know, hydrangea is a forest plant, that grows and develops well under trees to avoid frost, wind, sun, and low temperature. Therefore, it cannot withstand direct sunlight for a long time.
There are even hydrangeas that can live in complete shade. However, it will tend to develop more green leaves than flowers. The key to solving this problem is finding a suitable location for growing hydrangeas.
How To Choose The Right Location?
The best place for hydrangeas to grow is in an area with warm sunlight in the morning and shade in the afternoon. The balance between sun and shade will help hydrangeas have enough energy to produce green leaves and vibrant flowers.
If you grow your hydrangea in a pot, move it to a suitable location in the house to ensure morning sun and afternoon shade.
If you plant hydrangeas in the west or south direction of the house, you need to use a canopy to limit the bright afternoon sun. Alternatively, you can plant hydrangeas under a tree, the amount of direct sunlight will be reduced when there is foliage above.
This not only helps the hydrangea to avoid burning leaves and flowers but also relieves stress during times of drought and water shortages.
It is important that you give the hydrangea a balance of light and shade so it will grow and develop as well as you expect.
How To Revive Hydrangea With Burnt Leaves?
Leaf burn is caused by the water evaporating quickly and the root system not providing enough water for leaves and flowers. So the best way to revive hydrangeas is to water the plant.
Here are some steps you need to take:
- Move the potted hydrangea into the shade or pergola if the plant is outdoors to limit sunlight
- Check the degree of sunburn on leaves, flowers, and roots. If the hydrangea is sunburned for too long, the roots will dry out and die
- Remove burnt and browned leaves and flowers
- Water slowly overflows through vents or the ground is already several inches wet
- Continue watering the plants when the ground shows sign of dryness
- When the plant has revived, only water when the humidity is low, avoid watering the leaves and overwatering causing waterlogging
What Kind Of Hydrangea Can Tolerate A Lot Of Suns?
If you can’t find the right place to plant hydrangeas in an ideal place, you can choose a type of hydrangea that loves the sun.
The smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) is native to the East Coast and can live in the full sun every day. This plant is a deciduous shrub, the branches growing at great distances and the flowers in small bunches.
Another type of hydrangea that can live in full sun is Hydrangea living cotton cream (Hydrangea paniculata). This plant also has good sun tolerance and a mechanism to limit transpiration to protect leaves and flowers.
To ensure that the hydrangeas live in the full sun every day, you must water them continuously. You can water in the morning or afternoon to provide enough water for the plant.
The high outdoor temperature and the long hours will cause the water to evaporate faster, so the ground also dries faster. You should regularly check the moisture in the soil and water when the ground is dry.
You should not water the leaves because sticky water and leaves will cause dampness and create favorable conditions for fungus growth.
Water a lot at a time and water slowly so that the water penetrates deep into the soil. This is called deep watering. This will stimulate the roots to grow wider and longer to take in water from within the soil.
Conclusion
The phenomenon of hydrangea leaf burn is not caused by a bacterial or viral disease. It’s just a common leaf burn when exposed to the sun for a long time.
The most ideal location to plant hydrangeas is where there is warm sunshine in the morning and cool shade in the afternoon. Move the hydrangea pot to a shady spot or use a cover when the hydrangea has leaf burn.
To revive the hydrangea, remove the burnt leaves and flowers, then water slowly to allow the plant to absorb the water and become green again.