Content
- Too much fertilizer used - does the hydrangea damage this?
- Much does not always help a lot
- If over-fertilization is suspected, first analyze the soil
- Two fertilizer feeds a year suffice
- Prefer organic fertilizers
- Tips & Tricks
Low flowering is a sign of hydrangea overfertilization
Too much fertilizer used - does the hydrangea damage this?
The rich flowering Hydrangea needs many nutrients to thrive vigorously and provide plenty of flowers. If the hydrangea forms a lot of foliage but hardly flowers umbel, you may have meant it too well with the fertilizer.
Much does not always help a lot
In many gardens there is more nutrient surplus than nutrient deficiency. In particular, the phosphorus content of many soils is extremely high. An excess of nitrogen causes the shoots do not mature enough. The hydrangea becomes sensitive to fungal diseases.
Even if the soil contains an excess of a certain nutrient, that does not mean that all nutrients are abundant. In many gardens, for example, there is a lack of important trace elements such as iron, potassium or manganese.
If over-fertilization is suspected, first analyze the soil
Since you can not look at the soil, which nutrients are present, it is advisable to have a soil sample examined in a laboratory from time to time. If you suspect that hydrangea thrives on overfertilization, you should only use a suitable mineral fertilizer after this analysis. Often you receive fertilizer recommendation as an attachment for soil analysis.
Two fertilizer feeds a year suffice
Fertilize the hydrangea with a nitrogen-enriched special fertilizer with low phosphorus content. The composition of the fertilizer can be found on the packaging. Commercially available NPK fertilizers should have approximately the ratio 8 + 5 + 7 and additionally contain the trace elements magnesium and iron.
Fertilization should take place in spring and a second time in early summer. For garden hydrangeas, preferably use solid fertilizer, which works well into the soil. Pot plants that have a higher nutrient requirement will be supplied with a special hydrate hydrate during the growing season from March to early August.
Prefer organic fertilizers
Naturally grown fertilizer such as compost or coffee grounds must first be decomposed by microorganisms, so that the plants have the nutrients available. As a result, these fertilizers sustainably improve the soil in the long term and promote plant growth. However, with these fertilizers you can not compensate for a lack of nutrients in a short time.
Tips & Tricks
Since the micro-organisms work depending on the temperature and the weather conditions, the same amount of nutrients is not always available. As a result, the risk of over-fertilization is much lower than for mineral fertilizers.