How to revive hydrangeas that are dying?

[sensitive_tofu]

 

 hi guys 

I have been struggling to bring my hydrangeas back to a healthy state. I’ve been spraying neem oil solution weekly. Is it sooty mould? 

[JacobZ]

Hi @sensitive_tofu,

I'm so sorry to see your hydrangeas struggling so much.

It looks like they've got powdery mildew, which is similar to sooty mould in that you would treat it with neem oil. 

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if you can save it as it looks particularly unwell.

Allow me to tag our resident garden guru @Noelle to see what they think and if they have any advice to offer.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[Noelle]

Hi @sensitive_tofu 

Given that hydrangeas are deciduous (they lose their leaves over winter) I would not be too concerned about the state of the few leaves left hanging on your plant.  Those leaves are destined to fall off any day now. They may well have a mould of some sort on them, so gather them all up and dispose of them into your household rubbish bin - NOT the compost bin or green waste!

After you have pruned the plant, give it an application of a copper-based fungicide to kill any mould/fungal spores that may be on the plants.  Give a second application just as the leaf buds start to swell and show a little bit of green in early spring.