Hydrangeas are resilient plants, however, they do not like to dry out. Moving them from one spot or pot to another could give the roots just enough time to dry out, resulting in some wilting. Transplant shock is easy to fix by following some easy gardening practices, and the plant should make a full recovery.
Water the hydrangea deeply once a day and continue the watering routine until wilting stops and the plant looks fully revived. Also mulch around the plant to preserve soil moisture. Otherwise, give it time to recover. By no means should you fertilize it, or prune any wilted plant parts.
Remove the wilted hydrangeas from your arrangement and re-cut the stems on a 45-degree angle. Make a vertical slit in the incision and hold the stem upright in the boiling water for about 60 seconds. Place the hydrangeas back in your floral arrangement and they should revive themselves in an hour or so.
Removing spent flowers will ensure your hydrangeas produce healthier, more bountiful blooms later on.
Have you ever cut hydrangea blooms and put them right into a vase of water only to have them wilt within an hour or two? This seems to be caused by a sticky substance that clogs the stems, preventing moisture from reaching the blooms. This does not happen every time.
Symptoms of overwatered hydrangeas may include brown and wilted leaves, yellow leaves that will drop from the plant, and stunted growth. Signs of root rot may present themselves as well. This could appear that half of your plant is dead, and you may see white fungus near the crown of the hydrangea.
The reason for hydrangeas wilting and dying is because there is not enough moisture around the roots due to lack of watering or rainfall, the soil drains too quickly, too much sun or excessive wind saps moisture from the leaves. Hydrangea flowers can droop due to excess fertilizer.
Hydrangeas are amazingly resilient, she says. If they wilt in the heat of a summer afternoon, they will likely perk up by the next morning. But don't let them suffer too often or the cell structure will collapse and the leaves may not come back until fall rain or even next spring.
Using a clean set of pruning shears, carefully snip off any rotten roots and leaves. Afflicted roots will appear discolored or slimy. Let the roots dry in a warm, but shady, place for a little while. Then, in a partially sunny, well-draining area (or in a fresh, large, well-draining pot) replant the hydrangea.
EMERGENCY RESCUE FOR WILTING HYDRANGEAS
Then recut and place the stems into boiling water and then back into a vase of fresh water. They should revive in a couple of hours and live another day or two.
Too much exposure to full sun for long hours and lack of moisture can cause your hydrangea stems to weaken and touch the ground. Drooping and wilting is your hydrangea plant's way of saying that it is not doing too well and needs your attention!
Small, round, brown or purplish spots on hydrangea leaves are common. Often, affected leaves turn yellowish green and fall off, although the plant usually survives. The problem is caused by a fungus that spreads via spores in wet or humid conditions.
The primary reasons hydrangeas don't bloom are incorrect pruning, bud damage due to winter and/or early spring weather, location and too much fertilizer. Hydrangea varieties can be of the type that blooms on old wood, new wood or both. Old wood is the current year's growth and new wood is next year's (spring) growth.
Here's what to look for: Leaf discoloration: hydrangea laves typically become yellow and brown when overwatered. However, the discoloration can also be a sign of underwatering. Usually, when the plant is overwatered, the browning occurs on the edges of the leaves.
Too much sun exposure can cause your hydrangea shrubs to burn on its leaves and blooms. Also, be sure to put your fingers in the soil to see if it needs watering. We do recommend a soak versus light watering each day, but you should be sure that the soil is always moist – not wet – by sticking your fingers in the dirt.
First, add a 1/4 cup of sugar to the room temperature water in the vase. The sugar helps feed the stems and increases the life of the cut flowers.
Revive Hydrangeas With Warm Water
According to Stembel, hydrangeas are one of the rare flowers that absorb a portion of their water intake through their petals. "This is why a tired-looking bloom can be revived with a quick dunk in warm water," she says.
Just add water! There are tons of different tips and tricks out there that involve hammers and boiling water, but the best way I have found to save a wilting hydrangea is to place it in cool water. This works 75% of the time for me, but sometimes, it's just a lost cause.