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my hydrangeas leave turning red brownish without any sign of flowering

rahmati_razieh83

8 years ago

I have potted Hydrangeas that I transplanted them about 60 days ago. But
they do not show any sign for flowering. My hydrangeas leaves turning
reddish brown. The substrate of my pots is acidic sphagnum peat moss
because I want to have blue flowers. My Hydrangeas are placed in a
growth chamber by 16/18 n/d temperature and approximately 18000 Lux
light intensity. I do not know why they do not have any flower. I think
this problem is due to phosphorus deficiency. I send some photos .
Please guide me.

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Comments (2)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years ago
If you are growing these plants in just 100% peat moss, then it is extremely likely you do have nutrient deficiencies - peat has virtually NO nutritive value. But this is very often the case with any container grown plant - container 'soils' generally have components that possess minimal, if any, nutrient levels. All nutrient needs must be supplied by the grower via fertilization.

But there are other reasons aside from nutrient availability than can affect blooming, including the age of the plant, seasonality (the plant's internal calendar), vernalization (an appropriate chill period) and how it was propagated or if any pruning has been done. It sounds very much like your set-up is similar to that of greenhouse grown hydrangeas and greenhouse grown hydrangeas tend to be on a rigorous course of fertilization, growth hormones and light/temperature manipulation to encourage them to bloom early and out of season.
October_Gardens
8 years ago
Are you a greenhouse grower by trade or nature, and are looking to force-start blooming? If so, there are hormone starters available, like B-9. Also bear in mind that there are certain cultivars of these plants that are more favored for force-starting, and each will have its own set of instructions. Although I do not have any links saved, it shouldn't be too hard to find and consult a grower's instruction sheet for greenhouse growing and forcing of hydrangeas.

Otherwise, reddening and browning of leaves when transplanting greenhouse-grown hydrangeas is *not* uncommon. The leaves that were grown in a sheltered environment will often wilt and die when exposed to outdoor conditions, but the green stems will regenerate new, hardier leaves that are able to withstand these conditions.
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