Hydrangea is one of the most popular crops in garden areas. The plant is highly decorative. Large magnificent inflorescences are beautiful not only during flowering, but also in dried form. However, sometimes gardeners are faced with a problem when the leaves suddenly begin to turn yellow and crumble. If this happens to your shrub, it is important to establish the cause as soon as possible and begin treatment.

Why do hydrangeas turn yellow, dry and fall off leaves

A common reason why garden hydrangea leaves turn yellow is not observing the rules for planting and growing a crop. In addition, the plant can be affected by a fungal infection, in which not only the leaves, but also the inflorescences, shoots, and roots suffer. If you notice that the decorativeness of the bush is falling, consider in order all possible causes.

Did you know? During archaeological research in China, hydrangea remains of 30 thousand years old were found.

Drafts

For hydrangea, you need to choose a secluded place on the site where the plant will not be exposed to gusts of wind, for example, along a building or fence. Staying in drafts has a negative effect on the culture: a general deterioration of the condition of the shrub, including yellowness, and drying of the leaves can be observed. Caution applies to all types of hydrangea, without exception: large-leaved, paniculate, tree-like, etc.Drafts and gusts of wind drain the plants, blowing off moisture vapor from the leaves. In addition, sheet plates are twisted, which also contributes to the extrusion of water molecules. In combination with high temperatures, the effect is much stronger, moisture does not have time to get from the soil to the apical leaves, which leads to their drying out. If hydrangea on a site grows alone in an open area, transplant it, finding a more suitable area.

Excess or lack of light and moisture

A common mistake by gardeners is to plant hydrangeas in a sunny meadow. People think that, like many decorative-flowering plants, the bush loves to bathe in the warm rays. Such an opinion with respect to hydrangea is erroneous - the permissible period of time a culture stays in the open sun is no more than 6 hours. The rest of the period it should be in partial shade, otherwise an excess of ultraviolet radiation will lead to sunburn.

Just they become the reason for the fact that first translucent spots appear on the leaves, then the plates begin to turn yellow and dry. If you find such a problem, you need to either transplant the shrub to a new, more successful place or shade it by installing a shield on the sunny side. But do not overdo it - do not plant hydrangea in completely unlit zones, for example, in the shadow of the crown of tall trees and shrubs.The lack of solar heat is no less harmful to the plant. Staying in such conditions, a flowering bush can become an easy prey for insect pests or undergo a fungal infection from damage. In the shade, the growth and development of culture is inhibited, the flowers become small, and sometimes flowering completely stops. Hydrangea is a moisture-loving crop. In the scientific community, it is called Hydrangea (Hydrangia). This name consists of two words: hydor - "water" and angeion - "vessel", which actually corresponds to reality.

The soil in which the shrub grows must not be allowed to dry out - this will inevitably lead to yellowing and falling of the foliage. Most often, the yellowness of the tips and edges of the leaves, which are then twisted, is first observed. Also consider the fact that you need to water with warm, settled water, since the high content of lime is also unsafe. It is not recommended to place a decorative shrub close to tall trees, as their powerful root system will absorb all the moisture from the soil, leaving hydrangea with nothing.

Despite a great love of moisture, hydrangea cannot be grown in wetlands. Stagnant water can cause the roots to rot and the plant to die. Therefore, if the soil on the site is too clayey, characterized by the presence of highly adjacent groundwater, or if you want to plant a bush on the shore of a reservoir, the landing pit should be equipped with a drainage layer of stone or broken brick to ensure the removal of excess moisture.

Nutrient deficiency

A common cause of plant disease, deterioration of their decorativeness is poor soil. Sometimes gardeners simply do not pay due attention to this moment, as a result of which the immune system of the green culture suffers. First of all, it is advisable to select the optimal soil composition for hydrangea and to make the first fertilizer even when planting. Prepare the nutrient soil, taking two parts of the earth, humus and one part of peat, sand.

Add a bucket of rotted manure here and mix. Such a mixture of soil will need to fill the landing pit with a seedling. In the spring, along with watering, you can fertilize the shrub with urea, diluting 20 g in a bucket of water. Throughout the growing season, hydrangea must be fed with complex mineral fertilizers at least 3 times. Good results are provided by Fertimix, a liquid top dressing that can be easily diluted in water and introduced into the soil along with watering.

Important! In autumn, hydrangea cannot be fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, as this will provoke the growth of green mass, due to which the shoots will bend.

You can act by following this calendar of feeding:

• in early spring before the start of sap flow, you need to dilute 1 tbsp. l urea and potassium sulfate and water the bush. This will provoke active leaf growth;
• during the ripening period of the buds superphosphate can be introduced: in 1 liter of water, 1 tbsp. funds (per 1 bush);
• in June fertilizers should be applied to increase the number of buds on the bush. During this period, the plant is watered with a solution made of 10 liters of water, 1 tbsp. "Nitrofoski" and 1 tbsp. the drug "Agricola";
• during flowering, hydrangea is fed with a complex mineral fertilizer (for example, Kemira), so that the inflorescences actively bloom;
• autumn shrub need to feed, preparing for the rest period and ensuring the laying of young shoots. For this, superphosphate and potassium sulfate are used, diluting 1 tbsp. funds in a bucket of water. About 6-7 liters of solution are consumed per 1 bush.

Low soil acidity

Hydrangea develops well and blooms in acidic soil. Check her condition. If acidity is lowered, this is the main reason why the leaves turn yellow. The study can be carried out using a special indicator, which is sold in any store for gardening.

Hydrangea actively develops in soil with a pH level of 5.5–6.5. To acidify the soil, you need to periodically water it with a solution of citric or acetic acid (2-3 tablespoons per 10 liters of water). As a mulching material, use fallen needles, laying it about 10 cm thick.

Powdery mildew

A cause of yellowness of hydrangea leaves can be a severe fungal disease - powdery mildew. Spores of the fungus are freely tolerated by air masses, insects, can penetrate the soil. A plant may become infected during pruning if it was carried out with a tool that was not disinfected after shearing a diseased crop. It is important to recognize the disease in time, since it can be cured only in the initial stages. The first sign is the appearance of white plaque on the leaves.It really is similar to flour, it is easily erased by fingers, therefore many gardeners at first do not pay much attention to this phenomenon. And in vain, since after a few days, “dew” captures quite large areas of the plant, affecting leafy plates, and then stems and peduncles. On the outer side of the leaves, small yellow spots appear first, which grow every day, as a result, the plates dry and crumble. If measures are not taken in time, hydrangea will die. To cope with powdery mildew, you first need to cut out all the affected areas.

Important! Processing “Fitosporin” can be carried out exclusively in cloudy weather or in the evening, since its main active ingredient — hay bacillus bacteria - dies in the sun.

They should be burned so that disputes do not fall on other cultures. Only powerful fungicides help cope with the disease. The use of such a drug as Fitosporin B is recommended. This microbiological fungicide, which has an excellent effect in the fight against bacterial and fungal diseases, can be applied to both garden and domestic plants. The solution is prepared in advance: 5 g of the drug is diluted in 10 l of water and allowed to infuse for 2 hours, then sprayed.

Hydrangea leaves turn black

Hydrangea can greatly upset its owners not only with yellowing, but also with blackened leaves. To establish the cause, you need to carefully examine the nature of the damage, and then decide how to save the plants.

The main ailments include the following:

• dry blackening - characterized by the appearance of large dry black spots on the leaf blades, after which the leaves begin to fade and the bush is quickly exposed. The reason may lie in violations of the rules of planting and care, in particular, prolonged exposure to the scorching sun, landing in improper soil. In such a situation, it is desirable to transplant hydrangea to a new place at partial shade as soon as possible, having previously fertilized and acidified the soil;
• wet blackening - the leaves turn black, wither. Most often, the reason is the swampiness of the soil, when the roots of the plant are in the water for a long time. At this time, a dangerous disease develops - gray rot, which can completely destroy the culture. Check the soil, and if this is true, you can dig a drainage drainage grooves, remove any damaged areas on the plant and treat it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, then spray with a Bordeaux mixture diluted in water according to the instructions;
• crayfish - A serious disease that most often occurs on weakened plants that have mechanical injuries (for example, from hail). Brown spots first appear on the leaves, which then darken and become almost black. Sores appear on the underside of leaf blades; shoots dry and die. The sad fact is that there is no cure for this disease. If small areas are affected, they need to be removed, and the sections treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. In the advanced stage, the plant must be destroyed in order to prevent an epidemic.

Why hydrangea grows poorly

There are a lot of reasons why hydrangea grows poorly and, as a rule, they all come down to non-compliance with the rules of care. Check the soil for acidity. For this, indicators are used or acidity can be determined by the color of the buds: if it is lowered, the flowers will lose their bright color and become faded. Urgent need to acidify the land by the methods described in p. "Low acidity of the soil."

Did you know? Large-leaved hydrangea has the property of changing the color of the petals depending on the soil: in acidic flowers turn blue, and in alkaline - pink.

Lack of watering can also affect crop growth. Hydrangea “drinks” a lot, for each irrigation should go 15-20 liters of water, and so 2 times a week. In a dry summer, the amount of irrigation can be increased up to three times. Pay attention to the fact that you need to water directly under the root, since if drops of water fall on leaves or buds, they can deteriorate. The next reason for poor growth is poor soil.Hydrangeas for good development need periodic top dressing with mineral and organic compounds. Read how to fertilize the soil in p. "Nutrient deficiency." Hydrangea is a beautiful, but at the same time capricious culture that requires special attention. This does not mean that you need to abandon the planting of shrubs on your site - you just need to follow the rules of agricultural technology and then no disease can overshadow the stunning decorativeness.