Hello, wv2ga. If the leaves are turning brown from the edges, it may be in need of more water. Wilting indicates that the leaves are loosing moisture faster than the roots can absorb it so make sure they have enough moisture (at least a gallon per watering) and 3-4" of mulch. If the location is windy, it will make wilting episodes more common. Hydrangeas here are wilting too. It is way too hot. About 100 degrees so there is not much one can do.

When wilting episodes strike, try to contain the urge to water them. If the wilting episode seems extreme, give them about 1 gallon of water starting around the rootball and moving outwards. otherwise, insert a finger into the soil to check for soil moisture. Water if it feels alsmost dry or dry. Otherwise, wait until next morning. In many cases, they recover on their own by next morning.

Keep an eye on the leaves color change. If you notice that the leaf veins remain dark as the leaves turn light yellow to yellow then your soil is too alkaline and it needs to acidified by adding any one of these: garden sulphur, green sand, iron sulfate, aluminum sulfate or iron chelated soil acidifying liquids. Apply them per label directions until the problem goes away. The liquid compounds work faster. When applying any of these, water the soil when done.

On the other hand, if the color change shows that the leaves in direct contact with the sun are turning light yellow-green or all yellowish -including the leaf veins- then that suggests that your plant is getting too much sun and some protection of some type is in order quickly. You can install shade cloth or make your own shadow producing contraption. I had this happen once when some storms damaged the tree that provided shade to one hydrangea and it was exposed to too much sun.

I try not to expose hydrangeas to sun startiong between 11am-12pm. You may want to try that too since you (think: Atlanta) and I (think: Dallas) are -more or less- in the same latitude. This can now be a problem because the shrubs are getting larger than in years past.

Luis

Thanks Luis. I'll check to see how the soil is around them this evening. They've been doing so well, I'd hate to lose them now. We do enjoy those plants very much in the front of our home.

The amount of sun (and heat) really haven't changed since I put them in the ground years ago.

I cleaned up the area under the plants from old leaves, put a fertilizer spike in, plus watered them using a calcium concentrate. I stop and get something to help add iron to the soil as well.