Climbing Hydrangea?

Do you water, and if so, is it overhead or soaker hose or hand-held?

Is it full or part sun or shade?

What is the soil like?

Yes, climbing hydrangea. Yes I water nightly when it's hot out and use a hand held nozzle. I do try to water it from underneath but it does get lots of spray. I'm to.d they don't like to get their leaves wet - could that be it? I have one in dappled sun/shade and one in more sun and they both have the same spots.

Wetting the leaves can cause some burn of wet leaves during the day time as well as the spread of fungal diseases so try to only water the soil (at least as much as practical since you have so many leaves at the soil level). If the problem starts this time of the year then it sounds related to the watering and the summer weather in some way. Such as getting periods of dry soil instead of having evenly moist soil at all time. The top mulch in all the pictures looks dry but I cannot tell how moist the soil is underneath the mulch.

To check for watering problems before you start the nightly watering routine, which sounds like too much if you have a plant with mulch, insert a finger to a depth of 4" (not counting the 2-4" of mulch) daily in the early mornings and see if it feels dry, moist or wet. Water at least 1 gallon of water per watering in Spring or 1.5 gallon in the Summer but only when the soil feels dry or almost dry. Increase the water amounts as the plant gets bigger/older, of course, and water way past the drip line as it has an extensive root system that goes past the leaves. Note the days when you water in a wall calendar and after 2-3 weeks, review the calendar notes to see how often you are watering.

In the pictures, the browning appears to start on the edges and that signal moisture problems. If there are no pests/insects around and an inspection of the damaged leaves with a magnifying glass does not look like fungal problems, see if watering this way help. Obviously, leaves that are already browned out probably will not get replaced with new leaves.

Thanks for the feedback Luis. I will be more conscientious about my watering and start checking the ground before assuming they need watering. I did think hydrangeas required a lot of water - is this incorrect? I know with my Annabelles my friend is always telling me I need to water them more often.

Yes, indeed. A gallon of water, for example, is a lot of water compared to other shrubs. But it is usually better to water deeply than more often. If you see the leaves wilted for example, you can insert a finger into the soil to see if it feels dry; if it does then water it. Otherwise, they normally get over the wilting episodes on their own by night time or the next morning.