Why Is My Potted Hydrangea Wilting? (Causes and Solutions)

Blooming hydrangeas can brighten up a home or any doors seats. Globes of tiny blossoms, usually in white, pink, or blue, are units created by the large-leafed plants. To avoid shrub injury, limp plants should be treated directly. Distinctive, the foundation of the wilt permits you to resolve the problem before it becomes too late.

Droopy leaves and flowers are symptoms of weakening in plants. Weakening is visible once the plant’s look varies from vivid and powerful to pale and hobbling.

In this article, we’ll explain why my shrub during a pot is weakening during this post. So, let’s start.

Causes of Potted Hydrangea Wilting

• Excessive watering

Water is necessary for a plant’s survival. It’s a necessary component for a variety of physiological processes to take place. Any plant will die if it is not given enough water. It’s also possible to get too much of it, which may result in the same outcome. 

Overwatering allows the plant to absorb more water than it can manage. Potted hydrangeas have a more limited ability to absorb water than those planted directly in the forest.

If you give your plants too much water, the bulk of it will stay in the container, drowning the roots. Roots that are immersed in water gradually rot. When roots stop working correctly, the plant as a whole suffers from a lack of nutrients and water from the soil. This causes the plant to wilt, ultimately resulting in the plant’s death.

Hydrangeas that have been overwatered appear limp but are mushy when handled. When you find your hydrangea is drooping the next time. Water is a difficult thing to deal with, but once you get the hang of it, your hydrangea can flourish.

• Underwatering

Like overwatering, underwatering makes the hydrangeas look limp. The difference is that due to its dehydration, the plant is crisp when touched.

If you don’t give your cells enough space, they will shrink because they will use up all of the water left in their vacuoles. Owing to a lack of water, the roots will have to work harder to absorb water from the soil.

As a consequence, roots are stressed, and their ability to work is typically harmed. When the plant is exposed to prolonged drought, it limps and can eventually die.

• Temperatures at Extremes

If you can regulate how much water hydrangea receives, regulating the temperature is more complicated. If it’s too hot or too cold, both conditions are harmful to the plant’s health. Hydrangea leaves transpire more water when there is too much heat present.

Since water is needed to help such processes, rapid moisture loss would affect its internal processes. The water inside the plants, on the other hand, can freeze if the temperature is too low.

This allows cells to burst open. Ruptured cells will cease to act as water transporters. This is why the hydrangea begins to wilt after the winter.

• Root Injuries

Roots are essential in absorbing water and dissolved minerals that migrate up the plant’s stems and other parts. Its role will be harmed if it is impaired, resulting in a decrease in water uptake. Your hydrangea plant would then wilt as a result of this.

Roots may be affected for several reasons. It may be the result of lousy handling during the potting process. It may also be caused by overwatering or submersion. One of the explanations may be pathogens.

• Drafts that are too cold

As previously mentioned, hydrangeas are vulnerable to extreme temperatures. The plants will first wilt if exposed to cold drafts for a prolonged period, mainly near a window glass.

The freezing impact of the draft is felt by the plant. When the coolness becomes too much for it to bear, it starts to freeze. Frozen cells have a tendency to burst, which is why a hydrangea subjected to cold drafts would quickly wilt.

• Fertilizer Issues

Overfertilized hydrangeas will exhibit wilting of their lower leaves.

This is mainly due to an abundance of soluble salts in the soil, which obstructs water flow to the roots. The root system is stressed as a result of this. Excess salt from over fertilization raises the pH of the soil, killing some beneficial microorganisms.

In exchange, pathogens have a chance to develop and infect your hydrangea. The plant will also wilt as a result of this.

• The Wrong Season for Repotting

The importance of timing in ensuring a fruitful planting journey cannot be overstated. Your hydrangea would need to be repotted at the right time. Your plant will wilt and die if you report it in the wrong season. Repotting can be performed in the spring or summer.

Since the plant is not dormant during these seasons, its physiological processes proceed as usual. Root production is now in full swing. Since they are in the resting period, plants repotted outside during these seasons will fail to adapt to the changing climate.

• Hydrangea that has just been planted Wilting 

Your hydrangea’s roots may take some time to develop themselves in the soil, during which time the hydrangea is susceptible to drooping because it loses more water by transpiration from the leaves than the roots can draw from the new soil.

Solutions of Wilting Hydrangea

• How to Rehydrate Hydrangeas That Have Been Overwatered

Check for any stagnant water in the pot and drain it. If your pot has a coaster under it, the water will generally stay there. We tend to overwater the pots and fail to fully drain them before placing them in order.

Only make sure the plant isn’t harmed in the process. Enable more sunlight to enter the plant so that the water in the soil evaporates faster. By gently loosening the soil around the hydrangea, you can extract it from its container. Look for any signs of damage to the roots.

Withhold water for an extended period. There’s no need to add more water if there’s already plenty. You can miss the remaining two waterings if you’re watering your hydrangea at least three times a week.

This will give the plant enough time to absorb the water that has been accumulated in the soil. Enable it to absolutely dry before watering it again.

• What Will You Do If Your Hydrangea Is Under Watered?

Gradually increase the amount of water you use. Your plant is still in the process of developing and growing. You’ll have problems if you give hydrangea the same amount of water now as you did when it was younger.

On hotter days, increase the amount of water you use. Plants thirst more in hot weather than in cold weather. Make sure to give the hydrangea more water as needed. However, make sure that the pot is fully dry.

Transpiration is the process by which plants lose water. The rate of transpiration increases when the ambient atmosphere is hot.

Heat daily. It’s vital to adhere to a watering schedule when watering the hydrangea. This is to ensure that it gets the water it needs promptly. Set aside some days each week to lift the bucket. This will also assist you in developing a watering schedule for your hydrangea.

• The best way to deal with Extra cold drafts is to find a cool place to be. When the weather gets too hot, move the potted hydrangea to a much calmer place. To stop sunburn, stay away from areas where you’ll be exposed to direct sunlight for an extended period.

Switch on the air conditioner to lower the temperature inside your house. The cooling effect will help the plant maintain its moisture. The added coolness would undoubtedly benefit your hydrangea.

Offer your hydrangea more water. This would make up for the rapid loss of water on hot days. Allowing the plant to become dehydrated for an extended period is not recommended.

When it’s too cold: Insulate your plant, mainly if the temperature inside is freezing.

For the plants to obtain additional warmth, add another source of light. It also aids the leaves in obtaining additional energy for photosynthetic action, particularly during the winter.

• What is the best way to handle a hydrangea with root damage?

You can see the extent of the damage by uprooting the whole plant. Remove the damaged areas and place them in a container with fresh soil as the newspapers.

Remove any excess leaves. Damaged roots fail to meet the demands of their upper pieces, so you’ll need to cut it back a bit. Since the transpiration rate decreases, the hydrangea would use the small amount of water it gets.

Don’t submerge yourself underwater or overwater. As I previously said, these two have an effect on the roots. Be sure to give just enough water to avoid causing stress to the roots below.

• How do you treat hydrangeas that have been hurt by cold drafts?

Relocate the plant to a more consistent temperature. You must remove it from near a glass window during the evenings when the temperature is comparatively low and during the winter when it freezes outside if it is near a glass window. For added protection, place insulation or shade around the plant.

• How to Report Hydrangeas in the Wrong Season and Save Them. 

Place the repotted hydrangea in a temperature-controlled space to minimize environmental stress. It should be watered regularly, but not excessively.

Remove any excess leaves so that the roots can support the aboveground foliage adequately.

• What Will You Do If Your Hydrangea Is Over Fertilized?

Remove any fertilizer that is visible to the naked eye manually. Remove as much fertilizer as possible from the soil. Just reapply fertilizer if you think it’s essential. There’s no need to use fast-release fertilizers if the plant is doing well and appears to be stable.

• How to Prevent Wilting in Newly Planted Hydrangeas

It is essential to shield freshly planted hydrangeas from direct sunlight for them to recover.

For three weeks, provide temporary shade for newly planted hydrangeas while they grow themselves. Since the hydrangea may have been grown in a temperature-controlled greenhouse under stringent conditions, it may take some time for the leaves to adapt to the garden soil and recover from drooping.

Water when needed to keep the soil moist, which is usually three days a week, but make sure the soil does not get soggy that it causes other issues like root rot.

Depending on how dehydrated the hydrangea is, the leaves can recover in the cooler evenings or take a few days to recover.

Hydrangeas come in several shapes and sizes

• Oakleaf: Warmer conditions are suitable for oakleaf hydrangeas. Oakleaf hydrangeas are a perfect option if you live in Zone 5 or colder because they can endure the summer sun.
• Bigleaf: The most popular hydrangea is the bigleaf variety. Zones 5 through 9 are popular places to find them rising.
• Panicle: Panicle hydrangeas are hardy to Zone 3 in the United States. They’re quick to grow and can reach a height of 15 feet.
• Smooth: Because of their large white clusters of blooms, smooth hydrangeas are also known as snowballs. In cold climates, they’re an excellent alternative.
• French Hydrangea: Because of its vast, vibrant blooms, this traditional bigleaf hydrangea is also known as the florist’s hydrangea.
• Hydrangea mophead: This bigleaf hydrangea variety has vast, round blooms.
• Lacecap hydrangea: For a lacy, elegant look, large flowers surround smaller buds that appear to be only half bloomed.
• Hydrangeas for an endless summer: This unusual bigleaf hydrangea variety, discovered in the 1980s, can withstand the cold winters of zone 4.
• Peegee hydrangea: While sometimes trained to mimic a tree, the Peegee is actually a cultivar of the panicle hydrangea family called Grandiflora.

The cycle of Hydrangea Life

Hydrangea flowers bloom from early spring to late autumn, and they occur in flowerheads at the stem’s ends. Tiny non-showy flowers in the flowerhead’s centre or interior, and big, showy flowers with large colorful sepals. These showy flowers are often extended in a ring around the small flowers or to the outside. 

Wild populations of hydrangeas generally have little to no showy flowers, while cultivated hydrangeas have been bred and selected to have more of the larger type flowers.

Hydrangeas with corymb-style inflorescences, such as the widely grown “bigleaf hydrangea”—Hydrangea macrophylla—have two flower arrangements. At first sight, the flowers of some rhododendrons and viburnums resemble those of some hydrangeas.

Because of the wide surface area of the petals, hydrangea flowers quickly dehydrate and wilt when cut. A wilted hydrangea’s hydration can be restored by immersing its stem in boiling water for a few minutes; since the hydrangea’s petals can absorb water as well, the petals can then be submerged in room-temperature water to restore the flower’s hydration. 

Hydrangea Care Guidance

While the leaves and flowers of the hydrangea appear delicate, they do not necessitate a lot of tender loving care. These guidelines will teach you everything you need to know about hydrangea treatment.

Throughout the growing season, water at a pace of 1 inch per week. To promote root growth, water deeply three times a week. Bigleaf and smooth hydrangeas need more water, but consistent moisture is beneficial to all varieties.

To spray deeply while holding moisture off the flowers and leaves, use a soaker hose. Watering hydrangeas first thing in the morning will keep them from wilting on hot days. 

Mulch the soil underneath your hydrangeas to keep them moist and cool. Over time, organic mulch decomposes, contributing nutrients and enhancing soil texture.

Fertilize your hydrangeas according to their needs. Each variety has distinct requirements and can benefit from the application at different times. A soil test is the most accurate way to assess fertility requirements. Smooth hydrangeas only need fertilization once a year, in late winter.

Choose cultivars with pest and disease resistance traits to defend yourself from pests and diseases. Hydrangeas are susceptible to leaf stains, blight, wilt, and powdery mildew. Pests are rare on hydrangeas, but they can occur when the plants are stressed. Aphids, leaf tiers, and red spider mites are all potential pests. The best defense against hydrangea pests is the right hydrangea treatment.

How to Resurrect Hydrangeas

• IN THE VASE

Look for blooms that bounce with a gentle touch, as well as bright green, healthy leaves, when choosing hydrangeas for floral arrangements. It’s up to you to select the best bouquet.

 You want a plant that is hardy and not spongy. Often check for leaves that have turned brown or have dark spots on them. Your flower arrangement can last at least two weeks if you choose healthy hydrangeas and provide them with the care they need.

When hydrangeas are sliced, sap oozes from the cut on the roots, preventing the plant from absorbing water. Simply dip the stem in alum powder before making the arrangement to get rid of the ooze. Dip the stem’s tip in boiling water for 10 seconds if your spice rack is out of alum powder. 

The sap would be removed, allowing the cutting to absorb water. It’s also a good idea to remove all of the leaves from the hydrangea stem. Otherwise, the water in your vase will be drained.

Hydrangeas enjoy cold water, which should be rotated every other day in the vase. After all, the plant’s root word is “hydra,” so it’s only natural that they need hydration. Soak the entire cuttings, blooms and all, in cool water for 45 minutes, shake them off, re-cut and dress the stem, and place them back in the vase looking as good as new until the hydrangeas start to look like they can’t be resurrected.

• IN THE EARTH

Purchasing a shrub from a garden center and planting it directly into the field after the last frost in early spring or well before the first frost in early fall when the weather is mild is the easiest way to grow hydrangeas. 

Growing plants from seed are not tricky, but it requires a lot of time. Hydrangeas grown from seed can take three to five years to reach flowering size, while shrubs can bloom in the first growing season.

Hydrangeas love the sun and prefer a few hours of direct sunshine in the morning, followed by a pleasant afternoon in the shade. Dig a hole that is slightly larger than the hydrangeas’ original container. Fill the hole you dug with a small amount of high-phosphorus fertilizer. Then cover with soil and thoroughly water. Hydrangeas grow best in wet, loamy soil. The word “loamy” refers to a combination of sand, silt, and clay. 

Check the soil regularly to ensure it isn’t fully dry or soaking wet, and amend as needed by sticking your fingers an inch or two into the soil to see if it’s damp.

Prune dead stems and blooms as soon as possible, cover buds with a layer of mulch, pine straw, and leaves six to eight inches high in the winter to keep them from getting too cold or being blown around in strong winds.

 A cage for younger hydrangeas may be a good addition for additional protection, not only from harsh winter weather but also from pests such as bunny rabbits, who may eat hydrangeas for a water-rich snack the dry winter months.

• IN A CONTAINER

Choose big containers with plenty of drainage for hydrangeas if you’re going to cultivate them in a planter. Fill the containers with potting soil that has been pre-mixed and bagged, leaving about eight inches of space at the end. Fill the container with dirt, leaving about an inch of space at the top so that the hydrangea doesn’t leak when you water it.

 Hydrangeas love water, whether they’re in the field or in a container. Hydrangeas in containers may need even more water than those planted in the field because they are not firmly rooted in the ground and have a smaller root system. To see if your plant needs to be watered, use the finger test.

Some Important FAQs

These are some questions and answers commonly asked by potted hydrangea, wilting problems and solutions. Here basically we try to give information about it. Check them out, and they may be of great help.

• How do you revive a wilted hydrangea in a pot?

Fill the hole you dug with a small amount of high-phosphorus fertilizer. Ascertain that the plant’s crown is level with the earth. Then cover with soil and thoroughly water. Hydrangeas grow best in wet, loamy soil.

• How will a wilted hydrangea be revived?

Submerge wilted flowers in cool water after trimming an inch off the ends of the stems. Water may be poured into a tub, bucket, or drain. If you’re trying to revive several stems at once, a lightweight plate can be used to weigh them down in the water, so they remain fully submerged.

• How long do hydrangeas in pots last?

It’s an excellent question since most potted hydrangeas given as gifts only last a few weeks. The good news is that they will if they are correctly cared for. Growing hydrangeas in pots are well worth it because they can grow huge and produce beautiful blossoms all summer.

• How do you take care of hydrangeas in pots?

Indoors, potted hydrangeas, also known as florist hydrangeas, are easy to care for as long as the soil is kept moist. Don’t let them get too dry! Because of their large leaves and large blooms, they are thirsty plants. Allowing water to pool at the bottom of the pot is not a good idea.

• Is it possible to replant a hydrangea in a pot?

Hydrangea plants in pots dry out quickly. The best course of action is to transplant your greenhouse Hydrangea into a slightly larger pot right away. Make sure the pot you use has a drainage hole and is about an inch wider on all sides. Fill the gaps with fresh potting soil; just don’t pack it in too tightly.

• Are hydrangeas dormant in the winter?

Low winter temperatures can destroy the plant, or it may die due to drying caused by the wind. Winter kill on hydrangeas can not be seen until spring because they go dormant during the winter.

• Is it appropriate to extract dead hydrangea blooms?

There’s no need to be concerned; this is clearly a warning that it’s time to deadhead the flowers. Deadheading hydrangeas do not damage the plants in any way. Flowering shrubs stop developing seeds when the spent blooms are removed and instead focus their energy on root and foliage growth.

Conclusion

After you’ve provided urgent care to a wilting hydrangea, it usually recovers quickly. As a result, as soon as you realise the plant is wilting, you must act as quickly as possible.

Always keep an eye on how the plant reacts to your interference. Often the first solution is all that is needed. It can be appropriate to go above and beyond at times. It is entirely dependent on the damage’s condition and magnitude.

Mulch is a thick layer that can help preserve moisture and keep the soil cool. You shouldn’t be concerned if your hydrangeas bloom again as the day progresses. It’s preferable to have a little wilting in the middle of the day than to overwater and drown your hydrangeas.