Hydrangea Bushes Given Epsom Salts Have Some Drooping Branches

Question From: Bartlesville, Oklahoma, United States
Q: I have several large hydrangea bushes. I have been putting epsom salts on them as fertilizer. On two of the bushes there is one branch that is drooping, not the whole bush.

A: Hard to say what the cause is. Run the hose in the area you have been applying the epsom salts twice a day for a couple of days to leach the salts out of the soil. Be sure to keep your shrubs watered. Excessive use of any fertilizer can do more harm than good. I always use an organic fertilizer, such as Espoma Holly Tone in late fall, to avoid any salt build up in the soil and root burn. Best And Happy Yardening, Nancy