Eyan/ostrich, the more sun a hydrangea gets, the more water it will need. After all, they are part sun plants. Full sun is usually defined as 6 hours of sun or more so I hope your plants are getting morning sun for less than 6 hours. Some hydrangeas like Oak Leaf and -I think- Pee Gees are more drought/sun tolerant once they are established, i.e., after their first year.

The reason you two are seeing these problems with the ES is that the plant is losing water more quickly than it can absorb it. When that happens, you get wilting. The stems and the leaves look droopy, as eyan describes. It is a normal reaction on most plants. Then surprise! Once the sun goes down or if you water them, their watering needs are reduced so (some) plants recover.

But wilting is a sign of stress and can result in dead plants; it is not a good idea to have a hydrangea wilted all the time. That is because, by their nature, hydrangeas are very thirsty plants. And recently planted hydrangeas will require even more watering attention because their root systems are not fully developed. After their first year though, their watering requirements will not be as bad as they are now.

So how much watering? During the hot Texas Summer (like right now), I water my hydrangeas/azaleas/camellias between 1 to 1.5 hours using drip irrigation three times a week. Sounds like a lot but an hour of drip is about 1 gallon of water. Of course, I have to deal with 100-degree weather for several weeks/months and you do not. But, that will give you an idea. During the spring, I water twice a week for one hour. Less than that during the winter.

I think that you should water the plants about 1-gallon of water AT LEAST weekly during this time of the year. You can talk about that with others who live nearby and already have established hydrangeas. Or better yet... you can measure/log the amount of water you provide and jot down when you notice wilting. If wilting continues to reoccur then take appropriate action.

For example, the days when your sprinkler system goes off, make notes like 'watered for "X" minutes' in your calendar. If you detect wilting then put a note. If it keeps happening, increase the amount of water and note when you altered watering and for how many minutes.

That is what I do on my annual calendar starting in mid-May. As soon as I notice wilting, that raises a yellow flag. If wilting continues then I tweak the amount of watering. Suggestion: either keep the calendar or transfer its info onto new calendars so that, next year, you know about what date the plants began to get stressed.

If wilting becomes a big issue with the new ES, consider more drastic action: transplanting to a more shaded location and/or, if the location is OK sun-wise, choose another lcoation that gets more water.

Say, how about that mulch? Make sure you have mulch up to the drip line. 2-3 inches of shredded pine bark mulch works for my plants. Pine straw mulch will also work.

Oh! Do not forget to reverse the process in the Fall when temps go down! For me that is around the fgirst half of September! Make a note of that too on your calendar so next year you are prepared.

Good luck, Luis

I think well-drained soil is critical to success. Lots of organic matter or compost added to your soil will assist in drainage.

Luis PR,

Wow that is an excellent reponse. Thanks a lot.

eyan

Hi, I have a similar problem. Today in SE Mich, it is hot (86) and humid. I came home to very droopy ES. The mop head sections drooped too, so the heads all look separated and not bushy like yesterday... the plants are laying over and petals are curled. In previous weeks I have watered them when the petals curled and they perked up. I am trying to be very careful about overwatering, but maybe I am compensating too much? They are new -- in the ground about a month. Soil was amended, peat moss and etc. Mulched on top. The key is, the area was poorly drained before. It used to drain into the house. So, last summer my husband dug the bed up and put in drainage pipes, topped by gravel and then dirt added and raised the bed where we planted the ES and Rhodies this spring. As soon as we water, my husband says the water goes down the pipes into a reservoir in the yard center. So... it's well drained, yes? Now I was watering every day, a little bit, and everything was fine. Then I cut back and saw petal curling. Watered every few days and started to see plant droop. Now we have head droop. We have a moisture meter but I wonder if it lies? By the base of the plant, it says dry and between the plants, it says moist. To water or not? I am learning of the dangers of overwatering but it was only when I reduced watering that I noticed the wilting... Should I put them back on their daily drinks? (They are mulched but seem dry by the base)

We have rhodies in the same bed and they wilted but it could be the other problem, root rot, with them.

I am new to all of this and I've tried to do my research before posting here but I just have not found an answer that is satisfying.

I should mention that they get morning sun; they are on the east side of the house next to the house. We put in a soaker hose at the drip line, circling around each shrub but it seems to leave the base dry.

Jantlers, I feel your pain! All 3 of my ES are drooping today, with this crazy temperature well into the 90's here in Ohio!!! Yikes. I don't know what else to do but to water the babies in the attempt to cool them down.... sigh..... I wonder if it's because they are such new plants (mine are not even 1 year old since I planted them last fall from 2 gallon pots) so the roots are not deep enough yet?

I just wanted to report that after 2 hours of deep watering with a drip line, my 3 ES hydrangeas are now completely back to their normal, upright self... :-)

So, was it the heat, or was it the lack of water? Or was it the heat causing too much water loss?

I have found as is said so much on this forum that Hydrangeas love water!
It is my guess with newly planted hydra's they should be watched closely and you will probably find will need water more often until they get established.
Even when these plants are established , if we get a dry spell like the one we are having here in my neck of the woods, they will need a good deep soak of supplemental watering .
I have also found that watering only small amounts daily is not conducive to good plant health on all levels.
It is much better to deep soak and thus watering less often.

I think hydrangea's are the peace lilies of the outdoor shrubs ! They love their water and drink plenty and deeply.
Hope this helps and wish me luck on caring for my 2 new ones I purchased yesterday.
Thanks ,
L

What Luis said is absolutely correct. The hotter it gets the more water they need. I water my Endless Summer hydrangeas (I have two) twice a week. I've buildt up a ring of compacted earth around the base of the shrub and that holds in the water better. It pays to thoroughly drench them using about 3 gallons. One of them is in full sun and I've noticed when the temps climb into the 90s and above that it will droop no matter how much water it gets. When the temps cool in the evening it perks back up. They really are shade loving plants. The other ES is in a shaded spot on the Northeast side of the house and is having an easier time. Now don't get me wrong. The one in full sun is an excellent beautiful shrub but it does need a little more attention.

Another thing I've noticed is that they love my soil, which is thick rich red clay and acidic. I get brilliant blue blooms without having to add anything other than used coffee grinds. My soil also holds in a lot of moisture. Absolutely dreadful for my roses but the hydrangeas thrive in it.

I have a total of 5 Hydrangeas. One Nikko Blue, two Endless Summer, and two that I haven't identified yet (they came with the house).