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My tale of woe, and wondering if anyone else has had a poor experience with them.
I’ve always loved hydrangeas, and six years ago, purchased three basic mophead plants. We live in Northeast NJ. Soil in which they were planted was ideal as far as pH to keep them blue, well-drained, sun in the morning, shade in the afternoon. We vacation in Cape Cod every year, and they are all over the place and seem to thrive even in the most harsh locations and in full sun all day long. I read a lot about them, and felt I was ready for the challenge. In the early Spring, dug the holes to proper depth and width, prepped soil, did not feed after planting, and kept them watered appropriately.
The first year they bloomed beautifully. I checked them for fungus and mold, and in the Fall and Winter, did not cut them back, although I did dead-head dead blooms.
The second year they came back, I fed as directed, did not cut off anything as they were still young, and had blooms, but not as much as first year. Also toward the end of Summer, noticed black spots on a few leaves. I removed them and treated the plants.
The third year was a disaster. In the early Spring as they were coming up, the deer started eating the leaves. When blooms started up, they ate the blooms. I deer-proofed them as best I could. During the Summer, spot mold started on the remaining leaves, and again removed the affected leaves and treated the plants. I had almost no blooms. It was a struggle to keep them up-to-snuff. In the Fall, I didn’t trim anything.
The fourth year was worse. As soon as they came up, the deer were back. The totally decimated the poor plants. It was a losing battle, and in the Fall, I reluctantly dug them up and disposed of them, heartbroken that my endeavor had failed.
In talking to my next door neighbor who had mature hydrangeas in his backyard. He told me that in the past three years, the deer had discovered them and ate all the blooms. He kept the plants because he still hoped they would fare well.
Here I had thought they were an easy-care plant, but they appear to take more work than any of my other perennials.
My tale of woe, and wondering if anyone else has had a poor experience with them.
I’ve always loved hydrangeas, and six years ago, purchased three basic mophead plants. We live in Northeast NJ. Soil in which they were planted was ideal as far as pH to keep them blue, well-drained, sun in the morning, shade in the afternoon. We vacation in Cape Cod every year, and they are all over the place and seem to thrive even in the most harsh locations and in full sun all day long. I read a lot about them, and felt I was ready for the challenge. In the early Spring, dug the holes to proper depth and width, prepped soil, did not feed after planting, and kept them watered appropriately.
The first year they bloomed beautifully. I checked them for fungus and mold, and in the Fall and Winter, did not cut them back, although I did dead-head dead blooms.
The second year they came back, I fed as directed, did not cut off anything as they were still young, and had blooms, but not as much as first year. Also toward the end of Summer, noticed black spots on a few leaves. I removed them and treated the plants.
The third year was a disaster. In the early Spring as they were coming up, the deer started eating the leaves. When blooms started up, they ate the blooms. I deer-proofed them as best I could. During the Summer, spot mold started on the remaining leaves, and again removed the affected leaves and treated the plants. I had almost no blooms. It was a struggle to keep them up-to-snuff. In the Fall, I didn’t trim anything.
The fourth year was worse. As soon as they came up, the deer were back. The totally decimated the poor plants. It was a losing battle, and in the Fall, I reluctantly dug them up and disposed of them, heartbroken that my endeavor had failed.
In talking to my next door neighbor who had mature hydrangeas in his backyard. He told me that in the past three years, the deer had discovered them and ate all the blooms. He kept the plants because he still hoped they would fare well.
Here I had thought they were an easy-care plant, but they appear to take more work than any of my other perennials.
Deer love hydrangeas. All you can do is install a circle of chicken wire around them. They can take more sun in New Jersey than in the south. There are varieties that bloom on old wood and some that bloom on new wood.
Otherwise they are carefree, wonderful shrubs. Never invasive and the oaklead hydrangea is native to the eastern USA.
Quote:
Originally Posted by luv4horses
Easy solution? Get a dog. Let it out when the deer are in your yard.
My dogs bark a lot. The deer know my dogs are in a fenced in yard. The deer calmly ignore the dogs while eating their breakfast/lunch/dinner shrubs.
Deer love hydrangeas. All you can do is install a circle of chicken wire around them. They can take more sun in New Jersey than in the south. There are varieties that bloom on old wood and some that bloom on new wood.
Otherwise they are carefree, wonderful shrubs. Never invasive and the oaklead hydrangea is native to the eastern USA.
My dogs bark a lot. The deer know my dogs are in a fenced in yard. The deer calmly ignore the dogs while eating their breakfast/lunch/dinner shrubs.
Yeah. The doggie remedy only helps if the dogs get to chase the deer. Somehow deer like to avoid that.
My tale of woe, and wondering if anyone else has had a poor experience with them.
I’ve always loved hydrangeas, and six years ago, purchased three basic mophead plants. We live in Northeast NJ. Soil in which they were planted was ideal as far as pH to keep them blue, well-drained, sun in the morning, shade in the afternoon. We vacation in Cape Cod every year, and they are all over the place and seem to thrive even in the most harsh locations and in full sun all day long. I read a lot about them, and felt I was ready for the challenge. In the early Spring, dug the holes to proper depth and width, prepped soil, did not feed after planting, and kept them watered appropriately.
The first year they bloomed beautifully. I checked them for fungus and mold, and in the Fall and Winter, did not cut them back, although I did dead-head dead blooms.
The second year they came back, I fed as directed, did not cut off anything as they were still young, and had blooms, but not as much as first year. Also toward the end of Summer, noticed black spots on a few leaves. I removed them and treated the plants.
The third year was a disaster. In the early Spring as they were coming up, the deer started eating the leaves. When blooms started up, they ate the blooms. I deer-proofed them as best I could. During the Summer, spot mold started on the remaining leaves, and again removed the affected leaves and treated the plants. I had almost no blooms. It was a struggle to keep them up-to-snuff. In the Fall, I didn’t trim anything.
The fourth year was worse. As soon as they came up, the deer were back. The totally decimated the poor plants. It was a losing battle, and in the Fall, I reluctantly dug them up and disposed of them, heartbroken that my endeavor had failed.
In talking to my next door neighbor who had mature hydrangeas in his backyard. He told me that in the past three years, the deer had discovered them and ate all the blooms. He kept the plants because he still hoped they would fare well.
Here I had thought they were an easy-care plant, but they appear to take more work than any of my other perennials.
Hydrangeas are easy care in general, but if you can't keep deer out of your yard, it's a shame. You must have acreage that you can't fence?
My tale of woe, and wondering if anyone else has had a poor experience with them.
I’ve always loved hydrangeas, and six years ago, purchased three basic mophead plants. We live in Northeast NJ. Soil in which they were planted was ideal as far as pH to keep them blue, well-drained, sun in the morning, shade in the afternoon. We vacation in Cape Cod every year, and they are all over the place and seem to thrive even in the most harsh locations and in full sun all day long. I read a lot about them, and felt I was ready for the challenge. In the early Spring, dug the holes to proper depth and width, prepped soil, did not feed after planting, and kept them watered appropriately.
The first year they bloomed beautifully. I checked them for fungus and mold, and in the Fall and Winter, did not cut them back, although I did dead-head dead blooms.
The second year they came back, I fed as directed, did not cut off anything as they were still young, and had blooms, but not as much as first year. Also toward the end of Summer, noticed black spots on a few leaves. I removed them and treated the plants.
The third year was a disaster. In the early Spring as they were coming up, the deer started eating the leaves. When blooms started up, they ate the blooms. I deer-proofed them as best I could. During the Summer, spot mold started on the remaining leaves, and again removed the affected leaves and treated the plants. I had almost no blooms. It was a struggle to keep them up-to-snuff. In the Fall, I didn’t trim anything.
The fourth year was worse. As soon as they came up, the deer were back. The totally decimated the poor plants. It was a losing battle, and in the Fall, I reluctantly dug them up and disposed of them, heartbroken that my endeavor had failed.
In talking to my next door neighbor who had mature hydrangeas in his backyard. He told me that in the past three years, the deer had discovered them and ate all the blooms. He kept the plants because he still hoped they would fare well.
Here I had thought they were an easy-care plant, but they appear to take more work than any of my other perennials.
It's not the hydrangeas that are the problem, it's the deer. I don't do anything with my hydrangeas and they bloom beautifully. In fact, I planted 4 more last year; however, I don't have any deer in my yard. Problem solved.
I also live in a high density deer area in NJ. I planted Pee Gee Hydrangeas and they did get damaged by deer for a few years. Until they became tall enough. Right now they are about 12-15 tall. The deer do eat the lower blooms and leaves. But I get a massive amount of blooms. We allow some of our neighbors to take cuttings.
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I don't do anything with my hydrangeas and they bloom beautifully. In fact, I planted 4 more last year; however, I don't have any deer in my yard. Problem solved.
