Why do hydrangea leaves curl and wrap inward
Content:
- The main causes of leaf curling in hydrangea
- Insects and parasites causing leaves to curl around the edges of garden hydrangea
- Deformation of leaves due to poisoning of hydrangea with herbicides
- Viral infections affecting leaves and causing them to curl
- What to do if leaves curl and dry out due to chlorosis
- Disease prevention
Hydrangea is an amazing flower. Inflorescences can be of different colors. With poor care and unfavorable growing conditions, hydrangea leaves often twist. It is worth figuring out how to act in this situation.
The main causes of leaf curling in hydrangea
The reason why the leaves of the hydrangea curl can be both a mistake in care and external stimuli. All of them have the same effect on the health of the bush, its appearance and flowering.
Reasons why hydrangea leaves fold:
- Prolonged exposure to the scorching sun, drought.
- Excessive watering, as a result of which excess water accumulates in the root system. Besides curling, the bush can turn pale and darken.
- Lack of watering provokes foliage curling, it begins to turn yellow and dry.
- Lack of nutrients in the soil due to rare fertilizing. The problem arises from the wrong dosage of fertilizer.
- Low acidity of the earth can twist the plates. The pH level affects the color of the buds.
- Dry air.
- Pests and diseases.
Insects and parasites causing leaves to curl around the edges of garden hydrangea
Dry air and accumulation of water in the ground provoke the appearance of pests.
Spider mite
Low humidity is the main cause of spider mites. A small insect is located on the back of the leaf and winds a thin web. A sign of the appearance of insects is the formation of yellow-bronze spots on the plates.
Leaf aphid
Aphids choose the underside of the leaf for their location. These whitish insects are boat-shaped with legs. A sticky juice is released, which lays down on the plates. Aphids multiply rapidly, laying the larvae on the leaves. It feeds on flower juice, causing the bush to dry out.
Gall nematode
This type of pest is invisible to the naked eye, but their activity is harmful to plants. They feed on the fleshy parts of the bush and suck all the juices out of it. The plant stops developing, and the leaves begin to curl and deform.
Grape snail
The insect appears on hydrangeas with a dense and high crown. Among the dense foliage, it is easier for her to remain invisible. They eat the stems and leaves of hydrangeas.
How to treat hydrangea bushes from pests
It is easy to get rid of aphids, since the insects are light and do not stick well to the leaves. It is enough to wash them off with a stream of water. You can use a soapy solution, which also helps in killing spider mites. Why do hydrangea leaves curl?
For serious cases of insect infestation, special chemicals are used - insecticides. They treat not only the bush, but also the soil in order to exclude the emergence of new problems.Actellik, Fitoverm, Akarin and Iskra are considered effective drugs.
Deformation of leaves due to poisoning of hydrangea with herbicides
There are times when, due to the effect of herbicides, hydrangea leaves curl around the edges, what to do and what are the first signs of a problem? Even young leaves can acquire a yellow tint, the edges of all plates begin to curl, and the leaf itself deforms. The leaf plates are unable to grow to the desired size, become narrow and dry out.
The problem arises after the plants are sprayed with herbicides to eliminate the weeds. The drug is absorbed into the soil and gets through the roots to the tissues of the bush.
Viral infections affecting leaves and causing them to curl
Infectious diseases are the cause of deformation of the leaf plates. Diseases such as white and gray rot, powdery mildew and septoria not only harm the plates, but also stop flowering. They are caused, as a rule, by improper care and unfavorable growing conditions.
White and gray rot affects the root system, as a result of which the development of the ground part of the bush stops. Powdery mildew affects the leaves, a gray-white bloom appears on them. Due to septoria, brown spots 3-5 millimeters in diameter are formed on the plates.
In such cases, treatment is started immediately. The bush is treated with fungicides, which contain copper and iron.
Ring spot
A common disease affecting hydrangeas is ring spot. The first sign is the formation of arched patterns or rings. This viral disease is dangerous, as it can destroy the bush in a short time. The first thing to do is to remove the affected areas and treat the bush with Fitoverm. Some gardeners recommend replanting the bush in new soil, removing all the soil from the roots, as it is infected.
What to do if leaves curl and dry out due to chlorosis
Sometimes, due to chlorosis, hydrangea leaves curl, what should I do in this case? The signs of chlorosis are yellowing of the leaves, but the veins remain a natural green hue. They curl and dry up, then completely die off and fall off.
When such a problem occurs, the hydrangea is carefully treated with preparations that contain iron. To do this, use Atichlorosis. From the folk method, treatment with a solution of ferrous sulfate works well. You can water not only the soil, but also spray the shrub itself.
Disease prevention
To avoid serious problems with the cultivation of paniculate and other types of hydrangeas, special attention should be paid to care. It is best to take preventive measures in advance, which should include:
- Regular watering with quality water. Do not use chlorinated cold water.
- Loosening the soil after it has completely absorbed water into the ground.
- The correct dosage of fertilizers. In the spring, nitrogen fertilizers are used, after the blooming of the buds, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. The first and last feeding is best done with organic matter: manure, humus, compost.
- Periodic treatment of hydrangea shoots with fungicidal preparations.
In addition to preventive measures, it is worth carefully choosing a place for growing.The soil should be neutral and loose, and the groundwater should pass at a depth of more than 1 meter. Open areas with little shade are good. They should not allow strong drafts, so it is better to plant the hydrangea on the west or east side.
If the leaves of a tree hydrangea or other types of it are wrapped, then the cause should be found and treatment should be started. You should not run such situations, because the problem can be serious. The best treatment is prevention, so you need to take care of the bush correctly and in a timely manner to carry out the necessary measures.