Hydrangeas are notorious water-lovers. In fact, if they don’t get enough to drink, they’ll let you know pretty quickly by drooping their leaves and blooms. If the thirst continues, those leaves turn brittle and drop off entirely. But don’t panic! Before you give up on your hydrangea, try these tips to bring it back from the brink.
How far gone is your hydrangea?
Botanists call this plant *Hydrangea*, a name rooted in Greek that basically translates to “water vessel.” That should tell you everything you need to know about its hydration needs! When a hydrangea is thirsty, the leaves dry out, turn brown, and fall off in no time. If yours is looking a little crispy, your first step is to figure out just how much damage has been done.
Check your plant for these signs:
- Are all the leaves so dry that they crunch like paper when you touch them?
- Are there still some flexible, “juicy” stems that don’t snap when bent?
- Can you spot any green growth hidden anywhere on the plant?
To prevent this in the future, make sure you’ve picked the perfect spot for your hydrangea. Most varieties can’t handle the punishing midday sun. Too much direct heat causes moisture to evaporate through the leaves faster than the roots can keep up, leading to a dried-out plant.
How to revive a dried-out hydrangea
More often than not, a quick inspection will show that there’s still plenty of life left in your hydrangea. If that’s the case, it’s time for some emergency hydration. You’ll need to give it a much deeper soak than a standard watering session.
Is your hydrangea in a container? The best trick is to take the root ball and submerge it in a bucket of water until the bubbles stop. Afterward, you can repot it. Since the water might have washed away some of the old soil, it’s a great idea to refresh it with some high-quality potting mix. Once it’s back in its home, make sure to keep watering your hydrangea consistently over the next few days.
Just a heads-up: be careful to avoid standing water. While they love moisture, hydrangea roots will rot if they sit in a swamp. Root rot is a death sentence for these beauties, so always make sure your pot has good drainage and only water as much as the soil can actually hold.
