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Hydrangea in too much sun?

15 years ago

I have purchased two dwarf mophead hydrageas - Pia and Mathilda Gutges. This is my first try at starting a collection of specific hydrangeas vs. just going down to Home Depot and buying the first one I see. I picked these because I want some hydrangeas and the spot they reside in is such that I don't want a 5-6 foot tall plant. Anyway, today I came home from work and they were horribly wilted. I gave them both a good drink of water two days ago. The two sit side by side, but the afternoon sun breaks through a canopy of trees enough to bake the MG for a while and the Pia has to get too much sun. It was 97 degrees when I got home, so I know that some wilting is to be expected, but I do think they get too much sun.

Should I move these? I have plenty of shade area in my lawn and I don't want to be constantly working to keep them hydrated. What should I do?

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Comments (5)

tsmith2579
15 years ago
The first year will be hard, especially in this heat. Wherever you move them, they are going to need help through this first season. Until the become established I will let the hose drip around one all day while I'm at work. The next day I let it drip around another one. Even my well established plants wilt some. I just water them well in the evening, about every-other-day. It has been about 10 days since we've had significant rain so they are showing signs of stress. Your new plants will need TLC. It isn't so much the heat as it is the moisture.
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schmily
15 years ago
I can't speak for those varieties but I planted an Endless Summer a couple of years ago that was getting too much sun. I decided to move it that fall and it now gets about 5-6 hours of morning sun and shade all afternoon. It's bloomed beautifully this summer. As far south as you are I would recommend afternoon shade if at all possible.
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Protecting hydrangeas from the westerly sun is a good idea. Paniculatas (large and later blooming hydrangeas) could take full sun and at the same time will provide shade for the smaller and earlier blooming macrophillas and serratas. Hydrangeas wouldn't mind to have an extra water, especially in a middle of the summer, but they are not a swamp plants and there shouldn't be big cultural differences between them and other 'normal' plants. I grow them with azaleas/rhododendrons, hollies, junipers, leucothoe, forsythias, cherry laurel, viburnums, conifers etc etc. As you can see all this a pretty wide spectrum of water preferences, but hydrangeas are happy in every location for as long as they well watered and established. Silvergold, some great combos you have there. I especially like V. trilobum + Limelight combo.
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thanks for the tips...I suspected that might be the best choice, the downside is that the north facing side of my GH is really isolated and out of view from about everything. So they wont get many "looks", but maybe I can figure a way to position them on the corners so that they can peek around from each end and be seen.
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Was that cactus green at one point? Is it mushy? I just left my plants for six days, the temps were between 90-100 degrees during the day. I watered all my plants the day I left (watering until water came out of the drainage holes in the bottom of the pots) I didn't water them at all until the 6th day when I returned home, and I had no problems. My staghorn fern was a little wilted but bounced right back after being watered. My point is, one of the best things about succulents is they can handle some neglect every once in awhile. Unless I'm leaving for several weeks I don't let anyone touch my plants. The only instructions I left for the person who lives on my property was to not touch/water them. If your cactus isn't mushy than its probably a lighting issues. The other plants with the exception of that brown one in the long planter all look ok and if they looked different than when you left them they should bounce back. When in doubt don't water. I have a haworthia coarctata that will turn very dark green when exposed to a lot of light. Unless it's burned, the burn spots are obvious and white. It had gotten a burn spot when I first brought it home, the burn was on a lower leaf which I was able to cover with gravel but now it's hardly noticeable.
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Hydrangea729
12 years ago
As was said before, newly planted hydrangeas are thirsty, thirsty, thirsty and it sounds like you have had some HOT weather. How about you try the Miracle-Gro Moisture Max soil + more mulch? You will see an improvement and you will see a dramatic improvement next year as the hydrangeas' roots establish themselves. I grow several macrophyllas in full sun and trust me, it gets hot here in Ohio. The first year, everytime, I am thinking "hmm, maybe I should move this guy" and then by the next summer, the plant is well adjusted. Good luck! I got a kick out of your "This is my first try at starting a collection of specific hydrangeas vs. just going down to Home Depot and buying the first one I see." It takes a special person not to do that!
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mehearty
12 years ago
Hydrangea729, you've responded to a 3 year old post.
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hikerdiane
11 years ago
Thanks hydrangea729, it is the answer I was looking for! 3 days ago I transplanted a nikko mophead. Every day by 6 pm, it looks pretty wimpy. It gets at least 2-3 hours of afternoon sun. I was tempted to try another location (but this where I really want it to stay) instead I am going to try to Moisture max soil and mulch and every other day watering.
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