Hydrangeas are such a joy to grow. They require minimal care as long as you’ve planted them in the right spot for the type of hydrangea that you’ve selected. The reward is an impressive summer-long flower show, with blooms that are equally gorgeous in the garden, on a patio in a decorative pot, or indoors as a stunning cut flower arrangement. With just a little TLC, your hydrangeas will get better each year.But for the best blooms, you need to fertilize hydrangeas properly. For the most stunning show of those beautiful blossoms, follow these simple tips for fertilizing hydrangeas.
1. Don’t fertilize at planting time.
There is no need to add additional fertilizer when you plant a hydrangea. If you purchased the plant from a nursery, the soil it’s growing in usually still contains sufficient slow release fertilizer for now. Simply keep your new hydrangea well watered, provide a layer of mulch, and give it a chance to become established in your garden.
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2. Start fertilizing the year after planting.
There are several different types of hydrangeas—bigleaf, panicle, smooth, oakleaf, 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.
Bigleaf, mountain, and smooth hydrangeas—especially the reblooming varieties that produce flowers on both old and new wood—will benefit from a second application of fertilizer in mid-summer. It takes lots of energy to make all those flowers!
For hydrangeas that have overwintered in containers, a single spring application of slow-release fertilizer is sufficient.
3. Select the best fertilizer for hydrangeas.
The best fertilizer for hydrangeas is a slow-release product that provides essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to the plants gradually over several months. They also do best with a formulation that encourages flower production. Balanced granular fertilizers such as Espoma Rose Tone and Holly Tone are good choices. Jobes Fertilizer Spikes are another good option.
Avoid using fast-release fertilizers in liquid form on hydrangeas. These products can stimulate growth in the short term but may not sustain the plant for the long haul. This type of fertilizer also tends to spur vegetative growth rather than flowers.
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4. Apply the correct amount of fertilizer.
Always follow the instructions on the label of the fertilizer product you are using, especially when it comes to the amount to use. Apply the slow-release fertilizer on the soil surface beneath the entire spread of your hydrangea's branches.If you are making two applications, split the recommended amount in half and apply that amount each time.Water the plants well after the fertilizer application.
Don’t let the fertilizer come in direct contact with your hydrangea's foliage—some fertilizers can cause leaves to burn.
5. Don't overfeed your hydrangeas.
Too much fertilizer—especially formulas high in nitrogen—can result in lush foliage but few blooms. And that’s certainly not what you’re after. If you experience a year of lush vegetative growth and few flowers, skip fertilizing your hydrangeas until the following year.
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6. Stop fertilizing in August.
Don’t apply fertilizer to any type of hydrangea after mid-August. You don’t want to encourage late season growth that is more sensitive to winter damage. This is especially important for types of hydrangeas that set flower buds on the previous year's growth (old wood). If that growth dies in winter, you'll get fewer flowers the next year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which fertilizer should I use to change the color of my hydrangea flowers?
Technically it isn't a type of fertilizer that changes hydrangea flower colors, it's soil amendments that change the soil pH. Also, only bigleaf or mountain hydrangea flower colors are affected by pH. If you want pink hydrangea flowers, apply garden lime, which raises soil pH. For blue hydrangea flowers, add aluminum sulfate to the soil, which lowers pH.
Is there a homemade fertilizer for hydrangeas I can use?
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.
Balanced granular fertilizers such as Espoma Rose Tone and Holly Tone are good choices. Jobes Fertilizer Spikes are another good option. Avoid using fast-release fertilizers in liquid form on hydrangeas. These products can stimulate growth in the short term but may not sustain the plant for the long haul.
To turn the flowers blue, lower the soil pH (make it more acidic) by adding aluminum sulfate or wettable sulfur to the soil. To turn the flowers pink, raise the soil pH (make it more alkaline) by adding limestone to the soil.
If you've been trying to get your hydrangeas to become big and blue, then we might just have the tip for you. Hydrangeas color is based on how acidic your soil is—the more acidic the soil you plant your hydrangeas in, the more blue. We've found that adding a few coffee grounds to your soil can do just the trick.
To grow hydrangeas in planting beds, focus on improving the native soil. One simple way to do that is to combine equal parts existing soil and Miracle-Gro® Garden Soil for Trees and Shrubs. In warmer regions (zones 7 and warmer), where winter tends to be mild, you can also grow hydrangeas in containers.
However, if you don't mind the natural growth of your hydrangea bushes, a balanced fertilizer with a 10-10-10 formula is a perfectly fine option that provides your plants with all the nutrients they need. Be careful not to purchase quick-release fertilizer for your hydrangeas.
Hydrangea flowers will be pink in alkaline soil, but change to blue in acidic soil. So, mix up some apple cider vinegar and water, and give all the acid-loving plants a treat. Or change colors of your hydrangeas on a whim from pink to blue.
A pH of 7 is neutral, and household vinegar has a pH of around 2.4 (which is quite acidic). The theory is, applying diluted vinegar to the soil will lower the pH enough to change the color of your hydrangea blooms. This strategy will make the soil more acidic, but not for long!
Soak your hydrangeas in water to rehydrate the stems and petals. First, cut each stem at an angle if you haven't already, then fill your sink with lukewarm water. Gently place your flowers in the water and let them soak for 15 minutes to 1 hour. You will see them perk back up to their lush fullness!
Mix one cup of apple cider vinegar with 10 litres of water (an average watering can's worth) and direct the solution at the base of the hydrangea, avoiding the leaves. Do this every couple of weeks and the colour will gradually change.
Generally speaking, acidic soil, with a pH lower than 6.0, yields blue or lavender-blue hydrangea blooms. Alkaline soil, with a pH above 7.0, promotes pinks and reds. With a pH between 6 and 7, the blooms turn purple or bluish-pink. To lower your pH, add garden sulfur or aluminum sulfate to your soil.
Does baking soda make hydrangeas blue? - Quora. Goodness, no! It would do the exact opposite and make them pink assuming it didn't just kill them stone dead. Generally, if you want blue hydrangeas, you need to grow them in acidic soil that has a pH lower than 6.
If you want pink hydrangeas, crushed eggshells may be one way to get them. Eggshells will slowly break down and reduce the acidity of your soil—making it harder for hydrangeas to absorb aluminum.
I always dump my used coffee grounds on the soil below my hydrangeas...and when done regularly several months prior to blooming, the shrub is bursting with the deepest blue hydrangeas I've ever seen! The trick is to be consistent and do this as much as possible from fall through spring BEFORE they bloom.
Generally, you should fertilize your hydrangeas in Spring just when it begins to leaf out to give it an early-season boost. Fertilize them a second time during the growing season of July. The fast-release fertilizers require application twice in summer.
10-10-10 is a fertilizer that contains equal proportions of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. It is used to give plants the main nutrients they need. Because it contains all three macronutrients, it works for most plants, but there are limitations.
Step 5: To change your hydrangea color to pink, feed with a 25-10-10 fertilizer. Applying a 25-10-10 fertilizer to your hydrangea in the spring or fall helps prevent plants from taking up aluminum, which will affect bloom color. This is because fertilizers higher in phosphorus keep aluminum out of the plant's system.
The addition of high-quality compost and other amendments at planting time can help new shrubs off to a quick start. Bushes are then fed annually, with the use of a balanced slow-release fertilizer. Growers should use care to avoid overfeeding, as excess nutrients may also inhibit bloom.
Introduction: My name is Carlyn Walter, I am a lively, glamorous, healthy, clean, powerful, calm, combative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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