Content
- How and with what is the Hydrangea properly fertilized?
- The nutritional requirements of hydrangea
- Suitable fertilizers
- Mineral Fertilizer: Easy to use
- Organic fertilizers - the natural alternative
- Horn shavings and horn meal
- Humus: Nutrient-rich, deep black compost
- Hydrangeas love coffee grounds
- Special fertilizer colors the flowers blue
- The right time for fertilization
- Do not fertilize hydrangeas with blue seed!
- Tips & Tricks
How and with what is the Hydrangea properly fertilized?
For hydrangeas to grow thick and bushy and bloom richly, you need regular fertilizer supplies. The hydrangea is a bit tricky and not every fertilizer is suitable for supplying the plant with nutrients. Which fertilizer is suitable for the hydrangea and when you should prefer to fertilize, you will learn in this article.
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Hydrangeas are among the plants that place very special demands on the soil and have a relatively high nutrient requirement. The shrubs need a lot of nitrogen and potassium, because these nutrients have a direct influence on flowering. In addition, the plants must be sufficiently supplied with minerals such as iron, sulfur, manganese and zinc, as these are often not present in sufficient amount in the soil.
Suitable fertilizers
In order to meet the nutrient requirements of the hydrangeas, the plants must be fertilized with a nitrogen-rich chemical or organic whole fertilizer, which also contains little phosphorus. Many commercially available universal fertilizers are unsuitable for flowering plants, since the phosphorus content of these agents is far too high. Among other things, with blue hydrangeas, this causes the flowers to turn pink or pink again.
Mineral Fertilizer: Easy to use
Special mineral fertilizers for hydrangeas are available from well-stocked garden retailers. Alternatively, special fertilizers for rhododendrons or azaleas are also good. These fertilizers provide the hydrangea optimally with all the nutrients that are required for healthy plant growth and rich flower formation.
Thanks to the well-integrated fertilizer, the plant has the necessary nutrients immediately available. However, this has the disadvantage that the fertilizer effect can subside already after a short time. Only if fertilising regularly and exactly according to the manufacturer's instructions, a uniform supply of the plant is ensured.
For the nutrition of potted plants, liquid special fertilizers for hydrangeas are very well suited. Fertilize regularly as indicated on the packaging to provide the plant with all the nutrients.
Organic fertilizers - the natural alternative
More and more garden enthusiasts do not want to use chemical fertilizers and therefore prefer organic fertilizers. These provide the hydrangea with all the necessary nutrients for a longer period, but take some time to work optimally. That's why you need to plan the timing of fertilization with organic fertilizers. Organic fertilizers are environmentally friendly and, since many agents can be produced by themselves, are an inexpensive alternative to other fertilizers.
Horn shavings and horn meal
These fertilizers consist of bovine horns and cattle claws that have been crushed or ground.
The nitrogen content of this fertilizer is about 12 to 15 percent, the phosphorus content is less than one percent. Horn shavings must first be broken up by the soil organisms and decompose only slowly. An over-fertilization is almost impossible. For horny meal, the decomposition time is several days, coarse horn shavings take several months until they are completely degraded.
In order to optimally supply the hydrangea with all nutrients, we recommend spreading horn shavings on dry and dry soil in combination with humus.
Humus: Nutrient-rich, deep black compost
Humus is a highly effective garden fertilizer produced by tiny microorganisms from garden and green waste. Within a year, the properly prepared compost creates a pleasantly fragrant, moist, crumbly and very nutrient-rich substrate that you can work directly into the soil.
Hydrangeas love coffee grounds
Coffee grounds contains many minerals and, when applied regularly, shifts the pH of the soil to the acidic range preferred by hydrangeas. Even worms and microorganisms love coffee grounds, so that the soil structure is significantly improved by this fertilizer.
However, it is not enough to spread the coffee grounds around the hydrangea. Work the fertilizer well into the soil so that it can develop its full effect.
Special fertilizer colors the flowers blue
Hydrangeas bloom without special fertilization pink, white or red. The coveted blue color occurs only when in the soil aluminum compounds and Kalialaunaun are present and the substrate has a pH of 4.0 to 4.5.
How to make your blue hydrangea retain its beautiful color:
The right time to apply hydrangea blue is spring. Constant fertilizers according to the package instructions are required, as otherwise the flowers gradually turn pink again. However, these two-colored flower balls can look very different.
The right time for fertilization
As the days get longer and the rising spring sun warms the ground, it's the perfect time to hydrate the hydrangea for the first time in the year. Loosen the soil around the plants with a digger fork and lower some of the humus under which you have mixed horn shavings. Since the horn shavings decompose only slowly, it is sufficient to fertilize the hydrangea a second time in June.
Outdoor hydrangeas and hydrangeas in the tub can alternatively be fertilized with a long-term mineral fertilizer in spring and early summer. You should also incorporate these fertilizers into the soil.
Smaller pot hydrangeas need to be watered regularly with liquid fertilizer once a week during the growing season, which extends from March to August.
All hydrangeas, regardless of whether they grow in the tub or in the field, should only be fertilized until the end of the growth period at the end of August. Only then can the shoots fully mature until the beginning of winter. Fertilizing too long will not guarantee a sufficient end of the shoot and there is a risk of frost damage.
Do not fertilize hydrangeas with blue seed!
Blue Grain is one of the fast-acting complex fertilizers and is relatively inexpensive. The fertilizer contains as much phosphorus as nitrogen and is therefore completely unsuitable for fertilizing hydrangeas. Blue hydrangeas that are fertilized with blue seed, turn pink again within a very short time. In addition, blue-grain flows very uncontrollably. Therefore, if possible, avoid fertilizing the neighboring plants of the hydrangea with blue-grain.
Tips & Tricks
Hydrangeas often suffer from chlorosis caused by iron deficiency. This trace element is barely present in many soils. Iron chelation fertilizer and rain water pouring can help.