What is the best fertilizer for hydrangeas?
The best fertilizer for hydrangeas is a balanced, slow-release fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 10-10-10 or similar. Specialty fertilizers formulated for flowering shrubs or specifically for hydrangeas often include micronutrients that promote healthy growth and blooming. Homemade compost is a great source of slow release nutrients for hydrangeas. Either top dress the soil beneath your plants with your compost and water well or brew up a batch of compost tea and give your plants a deep drink of it. You can repeat your application of compost tea in 2 to 3 weeks.Supply the Right Amount of Water. Along with planting them in the right place, properly watering your hydrangeas is essential to bigger and better blooms. Hydrangeas should be watered deeply several times per week to encourage deep root growth, says Amy Enfield, a horticulturist at ScottsMiracle-Gro.Luckily for you, we made a quick video with some tips and tricks to keep your hydrangeas looking lively and fresh for days on end! Add 1/4 cup of sugar to room temperature water. This helps to feed the hydrangeas’ stems. Add a few pumps of hand soap to the water.By making use of kitchen scraps such as eggshells, coffee grounds and orange peels, gardeners can nourish their hydrangeas in an environmentally friendly way while avoiding synthetic fertilisers. These simple, natural ingredients work wonders for hydrangeas, Chris says.
What makes hydrangeas bloom better?
Hydrangeas need nutrients to bloom, but just any fertilizer won’t do. Make sure you’re using a using a bloom boosting, slow-release, granular fertilizer and follow the directions on the packaging for how much to apply. Apply fertilizer in early spring and again in July to help promote the rebloom. Hydrangeas will benefit greatly from routine deadheading. Doing so throughout the season will help to keep the plants and their beds looking neat and tidy, as well as increase the overall vigor of the shrubs.Most professional hydrangea growers use softwood cuttings, which root quickly and yield far better results. Time your softwood propagation for late spring or early summer, when new stems first start to harden. In most regions, this happens between May and mid-July.You should deadhead throughout the blooming season to keep your hydrangeas looking their beast and encourage new flower growth. However, stop deadheading hydrangea shrubs in mid to late fall, leaving any spent blooms in place.Most hydrangeas are pruned in spring, between March and April. Leaving their flower heads on over winter helps protect this year’s new buds from frost by encouraging a barrier of slightly warmer air over them.If your hydrangea is getting too much sun, its leaves will wilt and/or may appear scorched. Flowers often fade quickly and turn brown. The best solution is to transplant your hydrangea to a spot that gets a bit more shade.
How many times do you fertilize hydrangeas?
There are several different types of hydrangeas—bigleaf, panicle, smooth, oakleaf, and mountain. All these types should be fertilized at least once a season in late winter or early spring, certainly by the time new growth begins to show around the base of the plant. Hydrangea are hungry plants, they will need fertilising once every 6 months in late winter and again in summer with Scotts Osmocote® Controlled Release Fertiliser: All Purpose. Prune hydrangeas after they’ve finished flowering in autumn or early winter.Water your hydrangeas in the morning before the heat of the sun is strong enough to quickly evaporate soil moisture. Try to avoid watering at night, which can encourage mold and mildew as the moisture sits through the cool night. Water your hydrangeas through the growing season as well as in late fall.If your plant is underwatered, the way to revive your dying hydrangea is easy. It is time to up your watering. Place a rain gauge in your garden to test water levels. For people who water by hand or with drip irrigation, a soil moisture meter can help determine if you need to water again.Endless Summer® collection the world’s first hydrangea bred to bloom all season long, year after year. There’s no better choice for those with an appreciation for fine outdoor living than Endless Summer® Hydrangeas.The summer months require no pruning for your hydrangeas, but they will eventually require you to deadhead. As the summer progresses, your hydrangea blooms will start to fade. Once this happens, feel free to remove the spent blooms by using a process called deadheading.
Is Miracle-Gro good for hydrangeas?
Hydrangea expert Lorraine Ballato tells us that, the best way to fertilize hydrangeas is either with: 1) Rose Fertilizer, such as Miracle Gro’s Rose Plant Food, or 2) Organic Holly-Tone, a 4-3-4 Plant Food that’s meant for acidic evergreens, azaleas, & rhododendrons ~ but its ratio also works for hydrangeas. The best fertilizer for hydrangeas is a balanced, slow-release fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 10-10-10 or similar. Specialty fertilizers formulated for flowering shrubs or specifically for hydrangeas often include micronutrients that promote healthy growth and blooming.Water soluble fertilizers can be also used on your hydrangeas, especially on new plantings or those recovering from stress. MiracleGro®, the most widely used liquid product on the market, has an N-P-K ratio of 15-30-15.Use soil amendments specifically designed to lower pH, like sulfur or aluminum sulfate, and apply them directly around your hydrangeas. Avoid spreading these materials throughout the entire garden, which could harm plants preferring neutral or alkaline soil.Espoma Organic Soil Acidifier contains elemental sulfur & gypsum to help lower soil pH and turn hydrangeas blue. It is long lasting and much safer than other acidifiers like Aluminum Sulfate.
Is Epsom salt good for hydrangeas?
Epsom salt won’t help hydrangeas bloom or change color—it doesn’t affect the soil in a way that generally boosts flowers. However, you can add epsom salt if a soil test indicates a magnesium deficiency. To turn hydrangeas blue, lower your soil’s ph using sulfur—not epsom salt. Both elements help strengthen cell walls and aid in overall plant development. Beyond this, epsom salt also plays a role in preventing magnesium deficiency in your hydrangeas. Magnesium-deficient plants often display yellowing of their leaves, rather than their gorgeous blooms.Epsom does not change the pH of the soil because it is neither acidic nor alkaline. The neutral pH of Epsom is 7. Using Epsom Salt in your garden can help plants that need a lot of magnesium, such as peppers, roses, and tomatoes.