A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 hydrangea flowers crispy

6 weeks ago I planted 5 hydrangeas in the shade, i have carefully watered them during the day. when i brought them home, they were just beginning to come back from over wintering and had been cut way back. Now as flowers begin to appear they turn crispy and burnt looking. Teh plans don't seem to have grown any in size. i do notice some powddery mildew but it isnt persistent. i tried a mild application of consan 20 20 20 3 days ago.
what is causing this???
thanks for any help
t_tom

Hi Tom. It could be a couple of things and i'm no expert so this is just an opinion.
Wind burn can occur, esp if it's a hot wind.

Fertiliser burn. Did you feed the soil with the 20-20-20 before or after the burning problem? Was there residual fertiliser in the soil from a previous season?

Direct sunlight can do it, though you said you've planted in the shade.
Do any of these sound likely?

The powdery mildew is a type of fungus. Remove the infected parts and use an appropriate fungicide. The hydrangea usually like partial shade... but the best time to plant them is early fall... Old branches or dead-wood should be removed in the spring...and in the summer prune old or damaged growth and stems that have carried flowers. Do not cut new growth...hope this helps...