Hydrangea - New Leaves Going Brown

Hi, I have a Hydrangea Quercifolia 'Snow Queen' which was planted in my garden in September last year. It has survived the winter but all the new leaves are starting off green but then turning brown, I am imagining that this should not be happening? If not what can I do to help the plant please? Any advice would be great, thanks.

 

Hello, LCH.

I tried one or two here a few years ago and had no luck whatsoever, so put it down to my climate.

Loving such plants (which grow madly on the IoW where I lived and in the Acores where I've visited and would like to live where they border the few roads) I decided not to give up and bought another one last year ... but I put it in the shade. It bloomed beautifully, a blue/lilacy one, then died off and has come back so fresh and healthy I am looking forward to this year's blooms.

I'm sure others here will give better advice for your area because I haven't got a clue where Eltham is and, therefore, your climate.

 

Thanks, Eltham is SE London. The plant is currently planted in part shade and generally the plant looks OK apart from the leaves. Does it need to be planted very deeply or something like that?

 

Mine is just in a trough which gets very little sun but will obviously get heat in the summer. Deeply planted ???? just normally planted I would say, if that makes any sense?

Mine is in compost so if yours is in the ground, I would suggest a little peat added to it and your part shade is good and, if need be, a little fertiliser now and again ... and lots of water!

Let us know how it goes.

 

Normally shrubs should be planted to the same depth as they arrived in the pot or to the rootball soil line. Mulching will help with moisture retention during a hot summer.

Generally hydrangeas are reasonably hardy but tender new growth can get nipped with a late frost or get burnt by very hot sun. If it is sun damage then you could maybe provide some shade netting but otherwise if the plant looks healthy and the stems are green I'd leave well enough alone. It should recover quickly enough.

 

Agree with Froggy new growth has probably been nipped with a late frost it has happened to mine but they are coming good again now.

 

I can agree with Froggy and Walnut, mine too.

 

thanks, lets hope it picks up in the next few weeks!

 

It may have been pruned a bit early. It's recommended you leave the old seed heads on until April - May to give some protection.