Why do hydrangea leaves turn yellow

Hydrangea is popular among both gardeners and indoor flower lovers. Regardless of the variety, these plants have very beautiful greenery and extraordinary lush inflorescences. If you pay enough attention to caring for the hydrangea, then it will look great, but if the foliage suddenly turns yellow the leaves of the hydrangea, then apparently something is wrong with the plant. In this case, you need to immediately analyze the situation, identify and eliminate the cause of hydrangea malaise. Once you adjust the care, the plant will recover and continue to delight you with its flowering.

Why do hydrangea leaves turn yellow?

A change in foliage color always indicates that the plant is not comfortable enough. As a rule, this is due to a change in soil composition, weather conditions, diseases or pest infestations. Next, you can read in more detail about the main causes of hydrangea discomfort, which can provoke yellow foliage.

• Insufficient or excessive amounts of water and sunlight. Hydrangea is very demanding on sunlight: the plant needs it, but not direct sunlight, but light partial shade. When choosing a place for a shrub, it is necessary to arrange it so that in the morning it is under the sun's rays, and in the hottest lunch hours, life is in partial shade. Under the scorching rays of the sun, the foliage will turn yellow, wither and dry out, and if you plant a hydrangea in a place where there is constant shadow, then the lack of light of the foliage will also change color. Therefore, it is extremely important to observe the light regime, this is the key to not only healthy foliage, but also beautiful flowering.
  Hydrangea is very fond of water, therefore, it is impossible to allow the soil to dry out in the near-trunk circle. But waterlogging for her, like any plant, is contraindicated - the leaves will begin to turn yellow, fall off. Therefore, develop an irrigation regime, taking into account the precipitation.
• Draft. Studying the recommendations for planting hydrangeas, you will definitely read that this thermophilic plant should be planted in a place protected from drafts. Cold wind and temperature changes can lead not only to a partial change in the color of the foliage, but also to the wilting of the whole plant. Therefore, you need to choose a place for a hydrangea very carefully, taking into account all the nuances.
• Soil acidity level. This factor must be taken into account when planting any garden or vegetable garden crop. The only difference is that hydrangea, unlike most plants, prefers acidic soil. Some species can feel quite comfortable in neutral soil, but in an alkaline environment, hydrangeas may well develop yellow leaves. It is not difficult to solve this problem, you can acidify the soil by pouring it with a solution of citric or oxalic acid, or apple cider vinegar.
• Insufficiently nutritious soil. When planting a hydrangea, you apply fertilizers to the planting hole, which will be enough for the plant until next year. Then you need to carry out regular feeding so that the shrub remains healthy and blooming. In the spring, give preference to fertilizers with a high nitrogen content, as hydrangeas need strength to build up green mass. Then, when the buds begin to form and during the flowering period, you can feed the shrub with complex fertilizers "Flower Kemira", "Blooming Paradise", "Crystal". In September, apply phosphorus and potash fertilizers under the bush, they will help the plant prepare for winter and contribute to the formation of flower buds for the next year.
  In spring and summer, hydrangea foliage can turn yellow due to a lack of nitrogen, this problem can be solved by spraying the crown of the shrub with a solution of ammonia. It will take two sprays with an interval of several days, the result will not be long in coming.
• Powdery mildew affection. This unpleasant disease is manifested not only by yellowing of the leaves, but also by the appearance of a gray-white cloudy bloom on them. Then yellowish spots appear on the leaves, which eventually turn brown.
  To eliminate the problem, the affected leaves must be removed (and burned), and the hydrangea crown must be treated with special preparations. If the affected area is not very large, then use "Alirin" or "Fitosporin". If the disease has spread strongly, then spray with "Tiovit", "Skor", "Topaz" or "Jet".

Why hydrangea foliage dries up

If the foliage of the hydrangea does not turn yellow, but dries immediately, then most likely this is due to a lack of liquid. Hydrangea should be watered regularly and made sure that the soil is soaked to the depth of the roots. If the roots dry out, then the foliage also begins to dry out, especially if the hydrangea is located in direct sunlight. The watering regime must be adjusted depending on the amount of precipitation, but on average, the hydrangea is watered once a week, pouring 2-3 buckets of water under an adult bush and about one and a half buckets under a young plant.

In addition to moist soil, you also need to take care of air humidity if your hydrangea grows in a greenhouse or in a room. Either spray the crown, or place a container of water next to it, which will evaporate and humidify the air.

If you transplanted a hydrangea, you could accidentally damage the roots, as a result of which the water absorption process is disrupted and the leaves begin to dry. In this case, you will have to water the plant abundantly until the moment when it takes root and improves its moisture and nutrient intake. To speed up this process, you can periodically add to the water when watering drugs that stimulate the growth of roots, for example, "Zircon".

During the period of bud formation and flowering, hydrangea may feel a deficiency of nutrients, this can also provoke wilting and drying of the leaves. Remember to feed regularly to keep your plant healthy and blooming.

Why does hydrangea foliage darken

Sometimes hydrangea foliage dries up and becomes dark, almost black. This blackening is of two types.
With dry blackening, the edges of the foliage are covered with brown spots, and gradually begin to dry out.

Sunburn is often the reason for dry blackening of foliage, so it is extremely important to shade the hydrangea during the hottest midday hours. In addition to a burn, such blackening can be caused by too hard and very cold water with which you water the hydrangea. It is recommended to preliminarily settle the water for 1-2 days, placing the buckets in a sunny place, then the water will be heated.

Wet (or sluggish) blackening is externally expressed in darkening and wilting leaves. The cause of this ailment can be drafts or nighttime drops in temperature, too abundant watering, which provokes the development of fungal diseases. And also too dense and heavy soil, which does not pass water and oxygen well enough to the roots of the hydrangea.

The leaves of the room hydrangea turn yellow

Indoor hydrangea is a rather compact plant, so all changes in its well-being will be noticeable much faster. If you find that the leaves of the hydrangea turn yellow, losing their green color and dry out at the edges, then you should immediately start identifying the cause and help the plant.

Perhaps by replanting hydrangeas, you have damaged some roots and now it will take time to grow new ones. In order to speed up the adaptation process, you can water the hydrangea with "Zircon" every 10-14 days (in a strictly recommended dosage).After two months, the hydrangea will recover and the foliage will stop drying. Unfortunately, the damaged leaves will not recover, they will have to be removed.

Insufficient moisture in the soil and air can lead to dry foliage. Hydrangea should not only be watered regularly, but also sprayed. If possible, place the plant next to an aquarium or indoor fountain, in such a place the air humidity will be high enough and hydrangeas will like it.

Remember to fertilize your hydrangea. In the summer, fertilization should be applied every 2-3 weeks, then the foliage will look healthy.

Do not place the hydrangea on a sunny windowsill. Yellowing and drying of foliage can be caused by sunburn. It will be a little dark on the northern windowsill, but the eastern or western one is perfect.

Knowing all the reasons why hydrangea foliage can begin to change color and dry, you can not only help the plant cope with the problem, but also prevent its occurrence by regulating the care of the hydrangea and providing the shrub with comfortable conditions.