Need help identifying what's killing my hydrangea!

gwl2051

9 years ago

Hi there!
This season has been my 1st time gardening. I have a beautiful Incrediball Hydrangea that I planted in the shady corner of my garden. It was doing really well all spring & summer. However, now that fall has come, it is dying on me. It has black splotches & is wilting. I had a hosta nearby it that wasn't doing well all season, which I just pulled out in the worries it had crown rot & was spreading it to the hydrangea. But I didn't see any white thready mold when I pulled out the hosta, so I don't think that's the culprit. Any incite? Root rot? Anthracnose?

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Comments (5)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
9 years ago
Absolutely nothing wrong other than the normal end of season shut down. The plant is going dormant and leaves will reflect cooling temperatures and the increased moisture that comes with fall. If you are at all concerned about a fungal issue (and I'm not), then gather up the fallen leaves and destroy.

Is drainage an issue in your garden? Richly organic and free draining soils seldom encourage the type of soil borne fungi that would contribute to crown rot, if that indeed was what affected your hosta. And the lack of good drainage could affect the growth of the hydrangea as well.
jean001a
9 years ago
The hosta might have also been going dormant.

Next time you see what you think is a problem, post an image of the affected plant before you yank it.
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gwl2051
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks jean001a & gardengal48 for your incite. This is all such a relief to know. Will definitely post photos again before yanking anything else.The hosta was in really bad shape all season. Never grew any bigger and leaves kept dying off. There was barely anything left of the plant when I yanked it. Being a newbie to gardening, I don't know how to determine if my garden has poor drainage or not. Is there a test I can do? When it's raining, there are some small pools of water, but it doesn't sit long once the rain subsides. I have been discovering other fungal issues in my garden. My groundcover was almost completely wiped out by a black slimy mold which I saved with some regular fungicide treatments. And a tree in the garden has some fungal issues as well that may be killing the tree. It took a really long time to grow leaves this year. Mushrooms growing off the sides of it...etc. Little mushrooms also pop up here and there in my garden. So, I think the soil conditions are encouraging fungal growth. Any further incite would be greatly appreciated.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
9 years ago
Dig a hole 12" deep and 12" wide and fill with water. Time how long it takes for the water to completely disappear. If it is longer than 12 hours, then poor drainage is an issue.

Poor drainage can certainly contribute to fungal problems, as can lack of air circulation and dense shade. And high humidity or poor irrigation practices. But those can all be adjusted or plants selected that will tolerate less than ideal situations. And fungal issues do not necessarily travel from one plant to another so it may very well be that how these plants are situated and the care provided is not to their liking.

ps. the word you want is 'insight'. Incite means to instigate or inflame or provoke.....like inciting a riot :-)
gwl2051
Original Author
9 years ago
So useful! Thanks for the knowledge (and grammar lesson :)

Need help identifying what's killing my hydrangea!

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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

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Need help identifying what's killing my hydrangea!

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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

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