Gardeners share the ‘best ’ to ‘salvage’ wilted hydrangeas for beautiful results

Hydrangeas have massive, lush, gorgeous blooms that have been turning heads for centuries. 

It’s no wonder that hydrangea flowers are one of the most popular in the world.

Nobody wants their hydrangeas to wilt and die, but believe it or not, it’s actually quite common for this to happen to hydrangeas. 

The reason for a dying hydrangea plant is often due to drought, frost damage, too much sun or transplant shock. 

With this in mind, gardening enthusiasts have taken to Facebook to recommend ways to “salvage” this garden plant after one gardener was in need of advice.

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Posting a picture of her hydrangea plant that had several wilted blooms, Carly Wyatt wrote: “How do I salvage my hydrangeas?”

Group members in the comments section suggested that the way to “revive” the plant is through plenty of water and protection from the sun. 

To avoid drooping and dying hydrangeas, ensure the soil is consistently moist and provides protection from the midday sun.

As temperatures in the UK have been rising, creating shade and watering plants more is essential for gardeners to keep their plants alive.

Janine Johnson said: “Water, they need lots of it and they don’t like full sun.”

Many hydrangeas are sensitive to soil pH, especially when it comes to controlling the colour of your blooms. However, macrophylla and serrata hydrangeas are two species that are not great candidates for full sun.

Hannah Turner agreed: “Water water water and not too much sun is the best way to revive. If you do this, you’ll soon see that they produce stunning flowers.”

Lucy Cousins wrote insisted: “Make sure you water the base of the plant, not the leaves as the sun will scorch wet leaves as per your photo.”

Jen Barker recommended: “Move it to a shaded area and keep the plant well watered.”

If the soil feels somewhat dry then give it a generous soak which encourages the roots to establish. The goal is to keep the soil consistently moist but not saturated.

After watering gardeners can apply mulch around the plants to help to conserve water, add nutrients, improve soil structure and prevent direct sun from drying the soil.

Hydrangeas thrive in consistently moist soil with lots of organic matter so it is important to create these conditions with well-prepared soil and watering when required.