Cercospora

The black spots on my hydrangea just about killed the entire plant. The spores spread when the plant is watered from above. Not wanting to treat with chemicals, I removed all the black-spotted leaves and disposed of them far away from the hydrangea as was recommended by various websites. I decided to minimize up-splashing during watering by placing a dog cone collar around the remaining stems. I'm happy to report my hydrangea began recovering wonderfully and immediately!