Hello, katsela. My first comment would have to be that you are watering too much (daily???). My second comment would be to please elaborate what "sticky mess" actually means. By the way, I cannot tell where you are geographically speaking or what zone you live in so my observations below are somewhat general.

Wilting is a very common condition on all large-leafed shrubs and occurs when they release more water through the leaves than they can absorb through the roots. This can happen on hot days or very windy days (watch for wind advisories by the weather forecasters). If you have hydrangeas, you will have some wilting this time of the year so do not panic. It happens. During June in Texas, hydrangeas begin to suffer from wilting daily. This occurs in June because we are still watering using amounts of water that are fine for spring, not for summer. And our summer starts in June when the temps jump to the 90s. Once tempratures here approach the 100s then we will get wilting almost daily and there is nothing we can do to prevent it (other than monitor the plants of course).

Extreme wilting requires immediate watering. Random episodes of wilting can USUALLY be ignored because the plants recover by bed time or by next morning. By then, the moist soil provides enough water to the roots and the leaves loose much less water through evaporation. So, before you water, wait and see if the plant recovers on its own. Check it before going to bed and by the next morning. If you notice that the plant is wilted by next morning, water. If this happens at close to the start of summer, consider increasing the amount of water for the rest of summer. Just remember to reduce the amount of water in the fall when the temps go down.

So how do you tell when to water for sure? Dig a small hole through the mulch and then insert a finger into the soil, to a depth of 3-4". If it feels almost dry or dry then water; otherwise take no action. It should be mentioned to use 3-4" of mulch through or past the drip line (specially in the southern states).

The problem with daily watering is that this much soil moisture causes root rot, keeps the soil wet not moist, keeps the mulch/plant too humid too long and thereby promotes fungal infections such as the brown spots that you report. It is important to correctly diagnose this infection so you can apply the right type of fungicide and re-apply as required. You can take a sample to a local nursery in a sealed transparent plastic envelope or you can also use the services of your Agriculture Extension Service or nearby universities. You can also post digital pictures and see if we can identify it.

Signs of root rot include constant wilted leaves that turn brown and die. Once a plant gets root rot, it may die. Signs of Cercospora Leaf Spots include brown, somewhat circular, leaf spots. These spots can change color in time. So do the leaves which turn yellowish or light green and fall down. Cercospora can be treated with Daconil, Cleary's 3336 and with Immunox (basically, any fungicide whose active ingredients is one of these: azoxystrobin, chlorothalonil, mancozeb, myclobutanil or thiophanate-methyl). You will have to re-apply every two weeks as needed. And note this does not cure the plant but rather controls the problem. Other things that you can do: throw away in the trash all plant debris; water the soil and not the leaves; make sure the plants do not touch other plants (you want to promote air flow around the plants); and consider replacing the mulch around the affected plants.

For additional information on common fungal infections and recommended controls, go to the link below.

Another comment. You said you fertilized the plant "well". In the southern half of the country, you can feed them in early May and June. In the northern half of the country, feed them once in early July. That is it. Coffee grounds and/or Liquid Seaweed can be added as additional treats if you want. But stop all fertilizers by August; you want the plant to go dormant in the fall so it can be prepared for winter. Feed them manure or cottonseed meal; general purpose slow-release chemical fertilizers are ok. For more information on hydrangea care, click on this link.

Your hydrangea petiolaris or climbing hydrangea is a very fussy plant; many people report the bloomage problem during its first few years in the garden. While it can show blooms when purchased, it will sometimes stop blooming when planted and may take several years to start again. Three or five years is not unheard of. My recommendation is to take care of its basic requirements and then almost ignore it. Let it grow up the structure that you have it attached to. Its root system is much different from that of common hydrangeas so it spends a lot of energy developing it instead of flowers, not to mention the time it spends growing up trees or whatever..

Depending on where in the country you live, you might be able to increase the amount of sunlight that your plants get by making changes in your garden. In the northern part of the country, hydrangeas can take full sun (6 hours) but, down here in the south, 3-4 hours is the limit. Increasing the amount of sunlight will promote more flowers so azalyze whether your geographical location will allow you to increase the amount of sun light by making changes in the garden. Transplanting can also be an option but that is only recommended when the plant is dormant in the fall or winter.

Luis