If you search for why are my hydrangea leaves falling off but before that let me tell you hydrangea leaves falling off is because of many reason but in some cases its problematic or else it is seasonal and hydrangea grow back with fresh leaves now lets discuss one by one.
Hydrangea Leaves Falling Off is due to Underwatered plant, Excessive sunlight, frost damage, transplant stress and fungal disease. Other reason include hydrangea losing leaves is because of Deciduous phenomenon where plant do shred leaves to produce it again in next season.
1 . Underwatered
Your Hydrangeas are not getting enough water or soil is being dry most of the time which results in yellow leaves, wilting and falling off leaves.
Hydra in Greek means water means hydrangeas should have moist soil which fulfills its need for water. People who put hydrangeas in full sun can see the sign that it is getting overly dry which in return affects its leaves.
This dehydration gives symptoms of yellowing of leaves, wilting then finally dropping off some. You can easily fix this problem by just giving water whenever hydrangeas need it as these plants can grow without fertilizer for a month but not with water.
If your hydrangeas are planted beneath the oak Tree, Ask trees then it could be getting 10-20% of sunlight otherwise it would be growing all day in indirect sun. That is actually good , As I have seen people growing smaller plants below the bigger tree to provide them a shade environment. Hydrangeas easily thrive there and if it somehow gets leaf drop it could be because hydrangeas is deciduous means it shreds leaves once every year.
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2 . Too Much SUNLIGHT
When Hydrangeas are under water because of hot summer then you should change the location of the plant to somewhere else like indoors if it’s grown in a pot. Some varieties of Hydrangeas dislike full sun and they won’t tolerate heavy heat which is directly coming from the sun and if the plant is in this heat for some days it will start to lose leaves.
There are some types of hydrangea that can thrive in Direct sun but still they are commonly grown in partial shade light areas. Most hydrangeas are able to grow in ideal room temperature , cool climate is good for them but not too hot.
Too much sun can lead to sunburn or leaf burn, after that falling off leaves is a common problem. If you are someone who moved the hydrangeas to another location then it could be because it needs time to adjust the area and the surrounding or just check if its not getting too much sunlight.
Hydrangea Leaves Turning Black – Leaf Disease(With Solution)
3 . Excessive Watering
We have discussed how underwatering can lead to leaves falling off but in some cases this excessive watering can be blamed to make our plant lose leaves or damage it.
Overwatering happens in hydrangeas if the owner doesn’t do weekly checks on the plant damp soil , secondly if the soil drainage is poor then causes root rot which makes the water supply to other parts of the plant distrubed and no nutrition reaching to leaves it will just dry off and drop.
While this problem in hydrangeas can be solved with checking 1-2 inch topsoil if it is moist then don’t water for the day until the soil mix starts to dry.
Although I don’t support completely making hydrangeas dry as these plants are made to grow in moist soil but not soggy.
4 . Transplant Shock
It is another Big reason for leaves to fall off if they don’t adapt to the environmental changes. People do change location of plant according to the seasonality and with that it direct impact the overall growth of hydrangeas. Transplanting it in summer or at the start of warm weather , your plant may give some foliage loss but it will recover once it’s adopted.
5 . Late Frost Damage
In the early spring, many people used to transplant hydrangeas from one location to another so it can fit the environment and whatever the requirement it needs can be fulfilled but somehow one who changes the location when there is still late frost left then it causes loss of leaves.
Also See :Hydrangea Leaves Turning Yellow
6 . Deciduous Plants
As you know hydrangeas are deciduous plants that shred the leaves in every 12 months and its normal phenomenon for this plant to lose some leaves at the end of winters but worry not all natural because once the spring starts your may see new leaves coming out from nodes of the stem.
7 . Fungal infection
Fungal infection that affects the root section which leads to loss of foliage and loss of colors. It can be solved once you solve the overwatering issue.
Powdery mildew could possibly discolor the leaf in hydrangeas, you may see blotches in purplish or greenish leaves after some days some leaves might drop off. This infestation of white powdery mildew was all because of high humidity near your plant. Also We suggest you clean the fallen leaves.
I have suggested below a miticide/insecticide that can solve this issue.
8 . Pests
Pests don’t do much on hydrangeas, this may get affected by spider mites and aphids but those can be solved with any insecticide.
I recommend this Insect Mite & Disease 3-in-1 to get rid of aphids and mites.
But Most probably this happens because these pests like moist areas so if your pot area is clean and not wet then they won’t come near hydrangeas.
How do I know if my hydrangea is dying?
Your hydrangea leaves may dry up, wilt, droop are some symptoms of this plant dying. After that hydrangeas even turn yellow, black and fall off after few days. These are the signs you should note whenever your hydrangea is acting weird.
Why are my hydrangea leaves turning yellow and falling off?
Hydrangea leaves turning yellow and falling off is common when given too much sunlight, excessive fertilizer or deficiency in soil nutrients. Yellowing leaves can be solved by placing plants in a shade area. Your plant may need fertilizer with high nitrogen and iron included plant food for hydrangeas to make sure they grow substantive and prospering.
Wrap up
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