You bought a beautiful hydrangea from a garden center or received it as a gift and despite watering it every day, the hydrangea is not thriving. Blossoms and leaves droop sadly, no new shoots appear and the earth smells putrid. Now it is time to act quickly so that the plant can recover and not die.

Too much moisture can be dangerous for the hydrangea

Check the condition of the hydrangea

If you fear that too much water is to blame for the stunted growth of the hydrangea, you should first take a close look at the plant:

  • Check the moisture of the substrate with your finger. If this is dripping wet and the soil smells musty, you probably meant too well with the watering.
  • If the hydrangea was mainly poured from below, the surface of the earth usually only feels damp. However, water remains permanently in the saucer or planter. This also damages the hydrangea in the long run.
  • If the plant is obviously too wet, carefully unpot the plant to check the condition of the roots.

rescue is at hand

Remove the wet soil as much as possible and expose the root system. You can recognize healthy roots by the fact that they look crunchy and are white or at most slightly light brown in color at the tips. If, on the other hand, many of the fine life veins are muddy, reddish-brown in color and smell unpleasant, they have rotted due to waterlogging.

Carefully separate the damaged root system and place the hydrangea in fresh substrate. Water sparingly over the next few days and only when the top inches of soil feel dry.

Avoid overwatering potted plants

  • Make sure the flower pot has holes in the bottom so that excess water can drain off.
  • Cover these openings with potsherds or pebbles to keep them from becoming clogged with substrate.
  • Pour away the remaining water in the planter or saucer after a quarter of an hour.
  • Water only when the soil feels dry.

waterlogging in the garden

If outdoor hydrangeas suffer from waterlogging, the only thing that usually helps is to plant the perennials again. Dig up the hydrangea carefully to minimize damage to the root ball. Enlarge the planting hole a little and first fill the planting pit with a drainage layer of gravel and coarse-grained sand in the lower area. Plant the hydrangea in fresh rhododendron soil.

tips and tricks

To prevent root rot and overwatering, you can submerge the hydrangea whenever the top section of the substrate feels dry. After the bath, drain excess water well.

Category:

Vegetable garden