It may be a case of soil moisture issues and transplant shock. Our temps have climbed into the mid to upper 80s with plenty of drying winds blowing and making allergy sufferers reach for the meds. This scenario makes the soil dry quickly so try to provide water the night before windy days, make sure they get shade starting around 11am on summer days when the sun is straight on top of us, maintain 3-4" of mulch and check the soil moisture by inserting a finger into the nearby soil to a depth of 4". If the soil feels dry or almost dry then water. You can add about 1 gallon of water per watering but plan to increase that (1.5 gallons per watering) in May when temps normally hit the 90s thru September.

The shrubs are not used to being in your garden so the transplant shock makes the leaves droop easily in year one; in future years, the plants will do better but expect some droopiness once we start long strings of daily 100s. New hydrangeas will droop often then. If you see them drooping, use the finger method to test the soil and add maybe 1/2 gallon of water if the soil feels dry or if the wilting episode looks extreme. If the soil feels moist or wet, leave it alone and let it recover on its own by nightfall or by the next morning. I normally use drip irrigation twice a week but, once temps get hot, I water with a hose also/instead.

Like I said earlier, the winds we have had lately make the leaves loose moisture faster than the roots can absorb. But as long as the soil is as evenly moist -not wet- as you can make it, the shrub's leaves should look fine in the early daytime hours and all should be well. Meaning, try to prevent periods of dry soil, moist soil and back to dry soil.

Do be careful not to over-water as that can start a slippery slide into the world of root rot.Hydrangeas can get root rot if they get too much water and the soil does not drain well. Clay soil in our area is therefore a problem but adding some organic compost helps. If a plant gets root rot, its leaves will appear wilted 24/7, including after you water it.

And when watering, water the soil early in the morning hours (5-6am) instead of watering the leaves; this prevents fungal infections on the leaves (powdery mildew for example). I am watering about twice a week now. Consider a different spot for the plants if the area turns out to be too windy.

Since almost all of our area has alkaline soil, make plans to amend the soil to prevent iron chlorosis episodes. This is when the leaves turn yellow, except for the leaf veins which remain dark green. In Spring, I usually add whatever I have handy: garden Sulphur, iron sulfate, aluminum sulfate, greensand, iron-chelated liquid compounds. On some years, I also have to add an extra dosage in the Fall.

Which hydrangeas did you get? Lowe's usually has Merrit on stock in March-April.

Luis

Thank you for the response!!

I believe I have mophead hydrangeas.

I planted and watered them on Sunday and just watered them again earlier tonight (Wednesday). Hopefully they'll perk up by morning.

Will they recover from the transplant shock? If so, how long does it usually take to settle into its new home?

The 'how long will it take' depends. Plants purchased from local nurseries originate from wholesaler operations where they coddle them so much that 'the real world' is a bit of a shock. They are grown in "perfect" places with controlled temperature & humidity, exact fertilizer applications, hardly any wind, a good water supply, etc. So, when you buy them, one has to put them outside slowly until they adapt.

With hydrangeas, it is useful to put them out first in a protected, bright full shade location for a few days. Then move them to get 1-2 hrs of morning sun only. Then put them in their permanent location. But you can also plant them in the final desired spot too. Both approaches have worked for me when I plant them in Spring. But if you try to plant one in the middle of the summer, it may be desirable to go slowly.

This process of adapting to the outside can take 1-3 years. After a few days to transition, they also have to adapt to our hot summers by being exposed to our hot conditions in May-September.

Generally speaking, a plant (a hydrangea, a rose, etc) could take off on year one while other new ones nearby planted can require 1-3 years. Go figure. If they were potted with a good root system by the wholesaler, that helps.

Transplant shock is not unique to hydrangeas but rather to many plants. Weekly checks of newly planted hydrangeas -especially during May thru September- are not a bad idea at first. Check the soil, the leaves, the blooms, see if they are getting hit by any afternoon sun in the summer, see if the area is getting a lot of wind, etc. Stuff like that.

In future years, they will not need so much coddling. Only when it is either 100 degrees+ every day! But I see them recover on their own overnight (provided the soil is moist and well mulched). LOL!

I have about 10 new potted hydrangeas, most of them new/small, that I will have to keep an eye on this summer too. Because they are small, pots will let me move them easily if the original location turns out to be bad.

Feel free to transplant yours if some issue surfaces; you will not be the first person or last one to have to transplant a hydrangea elsewhere.

Now..... let me see if the dogs will let me go back to sleep. One of them apparently has tummy problems and woke me up to go outside.

Enjoy your hydrangeas, Tasha. Luis