I bought my first hydrangea this year. And despite everyone I know (well, my mom and grandma) telling me to plant it in the ground, I decided to defy the odds and keep it in my lovely garden pot. And it worked for approximately two months until it totally died. Or so I thought it did.
I took a few snaps of my once-pink and beautiful hydrangea and asked AI to help me bring it back to life. To my surprise, there were several things I was doing wrong, all of which definitely contributed to its rapid decay.
Now? It's showing some signs of regrowth, and I didn't even have to spend any money. Here's hoping that next year will bring some of these beautiful blooms back again.
Yes, there is a chance that you can save your potted hydrangea if it's looking a little sad because of the heat.
So whether you are battling parched patches or fragile stems, here is my personal process—and the expert-backed steps you should implement—before you give up and toss everything into the compost heap. After all, a little effort can go a long way!
1. You need to trim it back (trust me!)
One of the worst things that you can do if your hydrangea is dying is leave it to wilt and die.
Instead, you need to chop away the dead bits to make way for new life. Start by removing dead leaves and then focus on the dead stems.
A good way to test the stems is to scratch them slightly. If they are green underneath, they are alive, but brown means they're dead.
I had to trim back my entire hydrangea in the end, and I really wasn't feeling hopeful afterwards, to be honest. But I did manage to find a good few stems showing slithers of life.
2. It definitely needs a good drink
You might think that just watering your hydrangea with your watering can is enough. And most of the time, it is.
But when it's looking really sad or maybe almost dead, then it's time for a sink bath. Simply use your plug and fill your kitchen sink with water, place your pot in there, and let it have a really good drink.
A good way to check if your hydrangea needs a sink bath is to use a finger and poke it into its soil. If it's soggy or musty 2-3 inches down, it's been overwatered, or there might be poor drainage. If it's totally dry, in the sink it goes.
I left mine in the sink for 30 minutes. I then let it fully drain afterwards, before walking it back through my house and to my garden.
3. It probably needs to be moved
My garden is south-facing, which you think is great until it hits the summer months and being barefoot outside is no longer an option.
So, watering your plants three times a day becomes a chore and a necessity. All jokes aside: a south-facing garden is a little bit of a nightmare. And it's also probably the reason why some of your plants aren't surviving! After I moved my hydrangea from one side of my garden to the other, I saw a difference.
Simply moving its position from all-day sun to only morning sun and afternoon shade gave this plant a little bit of a break.
Now, it lives in the one spot in my garden that gets shade first, and it's loving it.
4. Feed it coffee
Just like yourself, your hydrangea plant thrives when given a coffee (or five!).
I have a bean-to-cup coffee maker, and I've been feeding this plant the spent grounds and water for around six weeks.
I don't overdo it, but a little does definitely help! There are so many good uses for coffee when it comes to gardening.
Top tip
You might find that a few weeds start growing in your potted hydrangea as you're trying to encourage new growth.
This is normal, but you should definitely remove these from the root as soon as possible. These weeds will be taking away any nutrients from your hydrangea, and as we know, it desperately needs all of the nutrients it can get right now.
The end results
Six weeks later, I can finally see new life coming back to my hydrangea plant. There's no chance of blooming flowers just yet, but it is showing promising signs of regrowth thanks to its obviously new and green leaves in the center of its pot.
And I even asked AI to confirm this for me, in case it was wishful thinking. I told it my location, and it assessed the photo I sent.
The roots are definitely still alive, and it's starting to reshoot from the base, which is what hydrangeas do after a severe dieback.
If yours is looking the same, then it recommends leaving it for another 2-3 weeks without pruning, as the current stems will protect new growth. After this, you can decide which stems are finally dead and which ones are showing positive signs. In this time, keep it moist but don't let it sit in lots of water.
Gardening watering essentials we love
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Alternatively, you can read our content on the Tom's Guide app available now for iOS and Android. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok. Finally, you can visit our dedicated Tom's Guide Savings Squad hub for expert help on getting the best products for less.
More from Tom's Guide
