Why Hydrangea Leaves Curl and How to Fix it

A hydrangea flower is an attractive option for a garden flower, and they bloom in the spring and summer. However, even though they can be pretty game-changers in your yard, their leaves can curl and make you worry.

Hydrangea plants are stunning and full of surprises with how their leaves curl; Hydrangea is green with rich, robust foliage, which is a sign of a healthy hydrangea plant. As a result, if the leaves begin to curl, there is a problem. However, with the right care, harmed plants may regain their prior health.

What Causes The Curled Leaves On Hydrangeas?

Although hydrangea leaves typically have a healthy, appropriate structure, depending on the climate, they can curl when faced with a challenge.

When a hydrangea plant’s leaves begin to expand and curve toward the earth, it is sometimes referred to as the drooping leaf. The incredible thing is that most of the problems may be identified and fixed before any lasting harm is done.

Here are why hydrangea leaves curl, how to stop it, and preventive measures that may be used to avoid it.

1. Overwatering

Watering Hydrangeas

Every plant needs certain things in moderation; when hydrangea plants are overwatered, the plant exhibits symptoms almost identical to those of an underwatered plant. Curly leaves are the prominent sign; the excessive moisture makes hydrangea leaves bend downwards.

When the soil is overwatered, the roots are deprived of the oxygen required to produce the energy necessary to transmit water and mineral salts to the leaves for photosynthesis.

Therefore, damaged roots die since they cannot absorb and transmit more water to the plant’s upper sections.

Signs Of Overwatering

The following are indications that a plant is receiving too much water, has inadequate drainage, or has roots that are submerged in water:

  • Soil that is perpetually moist or muddy.
  • Mole around the base of the stem.
  • Leaves start curling.
  • Green leaves changing colors
  • Excess water in the pot.
  • Wilting leaves.

When Should You Water Hydrangeas Plant?

Hydrangeas require moisture to flourish, and you should water your hydrangeas at least 3 times a week during dry periods and in wetter seasons; water plants when the soil is dry and water very well before winter. The roots remain strong for the season if you give them plenty of water before the ground hardens in the winter.

2. Underwatering

Underwatering or a lack of water availability is one of the most frequent causes of curled hydrangea leaves, a Hydrangea that isn’t given enough water may wilt and develop dry, brown leaves and stems.

The leaves of the hydrangea plant curl upward when there is not enough water available. The primary objective of leaves curling upward is to protect themselves from sun exposure.

This could occur if your plant goes a few days without water or the soil doesn’t hold moisture well. The hydrangea leaves then curl to help the plant withstand water shortage for a little longer.

3. Sun Burns

The hydrangea leaves might curl under excessive sunlight but require some sun to bloom. Wherever you position a Hydrangea plant indoors or outdoors, it will always look stunning.
It is not difficult to care for a hydrangea plant, and with the right attention and provision of its needs, you will soon see your plant flourishing.

In a garden area with direct sunlight, hydrangeas risk getting sunburned. The plant will attempt to defend itself by curling the leaves if they suffer sunburn. As a result, the leaf tips become dry.

4. Chemical Or Herbicide Damage

Unintentional herbicide splash from use in your yard can damage hydrangea plant tissue and interfere with cell formation, leading to pale, brittle, and curled-edged leaves. Even pesticides used selectively on surrounding soil can cause harm.

5. Transplantation Blunders

Transplanting Hydrangea

If replanting is done improperly, trauma may result. Hydrangeas planted in nurseries adapt to specific soil conditions and watering regimens.

The plant cannot obtain the nutrients it requires when its roots are injured since they are the component of plant cell walls that absorb moisture and soil nutrients.

6. Pest

Aphids and Leaftier larvae, which eat Hydrangea leaves, disrupt the cell networks necessary for transmitting water and nutrients, causing leaves to bend into a tightly curled pocket. Watch out for sticky substances, lacy white webbing, alterations in the color of the leaves, deformed leaves, and leaf holes.

7. Low temperatures

This will trigger the Hydrangea leaves to wilt and the leaves to curl up.
Mature leaves will have black streaks, while developing leaves will turn completely black and into tight balls before falling off. Frost causes frozen crystals to form inside the plant leaves, killing off cells.

How To Fix Curly Hydrangea

Hydrangea

It is best to always keep an eye out for any changes in your plant, but make sure to look all around the scenery to see if there is any external threat before deciding what step to take next to ensure the healthy and safe growth of your plant.

Curly leaves are very frustrating for gardeners, especially when they appear out of the blue and perplex them. Here are the steps to fix curly hydrangea leaves and ensure that your plant grows well with lush green leaves.

1. Water Intake Should Be Moderate

Hydrangea plants need moderate circumstances for optimum growth and survival, as was previously mentioned. You should cease watering your plant for a bit and let the soil dry up if you believe it is being overwatered. Make sure the plant’s container has drainage holes at the bottom if it is.

Checking the roots for rot is another smart move; if they are, you must repot the plant in new potting soil. Make sure you give the plant the exact amount of water it needs.

Give your Hydrangea plant a good soak if it is struggling, making sure the water gets down to the roots. If the soil is dry a few inches underneath the surface, you might need to water it more than once.

For hydrangea plants to remain healthy, they require frequent, deep watering.

Always examine the soil before watering if you need clarification about how or when to water; it is no earlier than when the top inch of soil feels dry should water be applied.

2. Protect Your Hydrangea Plant

Moving your plant to a more shaded location is the greatest solution.
Find a location where the plant can receive some early sun while remaining inside the shadows during the warmest portion of the day.

Use a garden umbrella or another plant to protect Hydrangea leaves from the afternoon sun.

Houseplants can also suffer from excessive sun. Placing indoor plants close to an east- or west-facing window is best to protect indoor plants from the cruel afternoon sun.

3. Give It Care

Giving the plant time to recover is the best strategy to treat transplant shock because the root system will need to establish itself in the new soil, which might take several weeks.

Make sure to thoroughly water the plant during this period, regularly supply it with a shade umbrella for the first few weeks, and keep an eye out for any further indications of stress.

Avoid fertilizing the plant at this time to avoid adding to the stress on the roots. After some care and patience, a transplanted hydrangea plant will begin to revive, so keep an eye on it at all times.

4. Pest Control

Utilizing a cotton swab coated in rubbing alcohol to eliminate any pests you observe on the leaves is the first step in getting rid of pests.
Instead, you might use neem oil or insecticidal soap.

Whatever pests infest your hydrangea will be killed by these products, which are safe to use on plants.

Remember to combine the soap or oil with water; it would be simpler to do so according to the label’s directions before spraying the plant.
Until the bugs are gone, you will need to use these remedies every few days.

Before using the product, curled leaves must always be removed, and then Horticultural Oil must be sprayed on the healthy leaves.

5. Temperature

The simplest solution to resolve the issue if you see that your Hydrangea leaves are curling in the cold is to provide some coverage from the cold, such as spreading mulch to the area around the plant’s base.

To protect them from the shock of freezing temperatures, hydrangeas in pots can be carried indoors for the winter, either within your home or in a garage. Hydrangeas should be brought indoors before the first fall frost.

Since they don’t need much care, hydrangea plants are a great choice for a beginner’s garden. However, you need to take better care of them. If not, your hydrangeas plant experiences curling leaves for multiple reasons, such as unbalanced watering, insect infestation damage, phosphate deficit, sunburn, poor soil, and so on, so when you notice your plant’s leaves curling, fix it quickly.

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