We bought & planted 2 hydrangea PGs about 4 feet apart about one 1/2 weeks ago. They were both planted with the same fertilizer & get the same sun (morning) & shade (afternoon), but one is growing perfectly & the other has areas where all the leaves on a stalk are turning brown, even though there are flower heads on the stalk (but more heads are turning brown on this bush than on the other one). I was told to scrape a tiny section w/my fingernail & see if the stalk is green underneath (meaning the plant is still alive. I did this in a few spots having the brown leaves & all the stalks were green underneath. I have no experience with this bush, so I will welcome advice.

Hydrangea does not like full sun even when it is full grown and not trapped in a bubble. This time of year at your location you can probably start Hydrangea which is an easy plant to propagate, outside in the shade in a proper mix. You will have to vent the plants every few days to let in some oxygen and prevent the growth of mold. Al

Generally speaking, you're NOT supposed to use weed killer in the same beds as good plants, because rain or watering can start washing it into the soil/roots around the good plants, and sicken or kill them from the ground up. I'd stick to hand-weeding and mulch for weed control IN beds. Or you can get some kind of slow-release fertilizer / weed controller pellets and apply that early in the season. Or at least consider gravity. If you water downhill from good plants you should be relatively okay. But if your plants are on the same level or downhill from the weed killer, there will be problems. Otherwise, your pictures indicate regular heat/sun stress behavior. This is normal, unless you water a little in the evening and the plant still looks like that first thing the next day.

Hello, alexakaran. If you notice that the leaves are browning from the edges inwards, it sounds like the shrubs need more water. Adding fertilizers now would force new growth but the existing stems are not able to supply the new growth with enough water in the Texas summers so this growth fizzles out and browns out. These ES shrubs were treated well and coddled at the wholesaler and the plant nursery but now they find themselves in a Texas summer and suffer from transplant shock. Their root systems were cut to fit into the ES plastic pots so they are not able to absorb as much water as they need. Top it off with temps that can get from the high 90s to the 110s and they are unhappy. In future years, they should improve and become better adjusted to your garden's; probably in 1-3 years. But they will not be immune completely. For now, check them out frequently from late May thru September and-or after windy days. Look for wilting episodes. Look for browning of the leaves from the edges inwards until the whole leaf browns out. Some green leaves may also dry out and turn papery if exposed to windy, drying breezes. Then they just fall down. I would also make sure that the root ball is not drying out and becoming hydrophobic; so drip water slowly in the area of the root ball like a drip irrigation system would. Alternatively, extract the shrubs from the container, careful not to break the root ball, and dunk them in water for several hours. Then replant them back. The root ball begins to repel water as it starts to dry out so this may help it recover. This time of the year, I have to increase the amount of water and the frequency of waterings. I would make sure they get about 1 to 1.5 gallons of water per watering and because they are in pots, you will need to water often. Sometimes, more than once a day in windy locations. Mind you, I am not talking about 60mph gusts, just a constant light breeze under 10mph, the types you get from a/c vents, can dry them when temps are so hot. I typically water the pots and stop when I see water coming out from the bottom. I pause for a while and then start watering again. Makes the soil absorb more of the water. Again, multiple waterings on a day may be needed if the soil dries out quickly due to slightly windy conditions. I always put some mulch on my wide containers (1/4 to 1/2 an inch) to minimize evaporation of water in these containers. And check the pots multiple times a day: insert a finger into the soil and water if the soil feels dry or almost dry. Water the soil early in the mornings and never water the leaves to minimize chances of mildew and other fungal issues. If the leaves wilt, they will recover on their own at night if the soil is moist. If the soil is dry when the leaves wilt, water the soil immediately. I would not try to force new growth with fertilizers this time of the year. Feel free to use low-nitrogen fertilizers now instead. I use liquid seaweed which is a "weak" fertilizer with lots of minor minerals and it can be feed thru the leaves... but clean your leaves first. Hope your shrubs get over the heat soon. When temps hit the daily 100s, no one wants to be outside trying to grow blooms or new leaves! ;o)