Some links in the post are affiliate links and I get a commission from purchases made through some links in the post.
Are you looking for a guide to growing, caring for and making natural fertilizer for your hydrangeas? Then you are exactly right with us.
hydrangeasare large flower balls that will look absolutely stunning in your home garden or anywhere else!
Their appearance makes them seem high maintenance, but if you give them the right care they need, you'll be growing some beautiful hydrangeas in no time!
Hydrangeas bloom in summer and spring and are considered shrubs. There are four types of hydrangeas:
Großblättrige Hydrangea:This species of hydrangea changes color depending on the pH of the soil. The large flowers usually grow in shades of pink, lavender, and blue.
Harvested Hydrangea:This is a tree species of hydrangea and is difficult to grow!
Oakleaf Hydrangea:You should plant this hydrangea species in the shade. It starts blooming in mid to late spring.
Climbing Hydrangea:This hydrangea species is also grown in the shade and blooms from late spring to mid-summer.
What do hydrangeas need?
It would be best if you were careful when caring for hydrangeas. We've listed some simple steps you can follow if you want greener leaves.
Although these are simple and easy steps, make sure you follow them to have a healthier and fresher hydrangea.
- For greener leaves, you need to give your hydrangea a nitrogen boost. You can make nitrogen tea or use aquarium water.
- After you've planted your hydrangea, make sure you do thisWaterthem at a rate of 1 inch per week. If the soil is too dry, your leaves may wilt and bud growth may also be affected.
- You won't need itfertilizerif your soil is fertilized; However, be sure to give your hydrangea some fertilizer during the flowering period.
- Try to cover your plants at least 18 inches in winter. Since this plant blooms in summer and spring, covering it with maple leaves could suffocate the plant, so try using snow fencing instead.
If you like this article, check out our article aboutWhy are my hydrangea leaves curling?
How to make natural fertilizer for hydrangeas
If you're looking for ways to fertilize your hydrangeas naturally, then read on because we've created a step-by-step guide to better understand how to make a natural fertilizer.
1) flower growth
Hydrangeas need magnesium, iron and calcium to grow. Add a teaspoon of vinegar to a quarter of water to encourage flower growth.
You can also use animal compost underground as fertilizer for better bud growth.
2) Better color
A more acidic soil is a good option for a thriving color in your hydrangeas.
If you're looking for pink blooms, you can add some wood ash to the soil to boost the color of your hydrangeas.
3) Greener leaves
You can make nitrogen tea for greener leaves. To prepare this type of tea, some grass clippings are steeped in a bucket full of water.
Leave for three days, then strain and pour over the liquidrootyour hydrangea bush. This tea will surely make your hydrangea leaves greener.
4) General health
Compost and manure are generally good plant food.
You can add some compost tea by putting water in a bucket and letting it sit for a few days, stirring every day.
Then strain this water and pour it directly under your hydrangea.
Some other natural fertilizers you can make at home are listed below! Read on to learn more about how to keep your hydrangeas happy and healthy once they've started looking sad!
Backpulver
Pour yourshydrangeas with this baking sodawater to make them healthy!
- Mix a teaspoon of baking soda in a liter of water.
- Use this water to water the plants.
Since hydrangeas are alkaline thriving, this trick will make your flowers beautiful and help them grow!
banana peels
There are a few ways to use banana peels in your garden. Banana peels are a good source of potassium, which promotes flower growth, and is good for growing hydrangeas.
How to use a banana peel for hydrangeas:
- Dry the banana peel for 2-3 days.
- Dry them until they become crispy.
- Now grind the banana peels, making sure that the pieces are smaller than 0.5 cm.
- Scatter these crushed banana peels evenly around your hydrangea.
This acts as a slow fertilizer for the plant, slowly releasing the nutrients into the soil.
Another way to use banana peels is to make compost out of them. This is how it's done:
- Cut banana peels with scissors.
- The size should not exceed half an inch.
- Add some green foliage from trees or shrubs for your garden and add to the compost.
This way your hydrangea will grow better and stay healthy for a long time!
If you've grown your own bananas for your hydrangeas, keep reading our articleWhy are my banana plant leaves turning yellow?might interest you.
coffee grounds
We all have leftover coffee grounds in our kitchen after brewing our coffee! It is best to use these as compost or use them directly on your plants.
Coffee lovers and plant lovers will love this hack! It's best to sprinkle some leftover coffee grounds on your hydrangeas.
The carbon factors in coffee grounds make them extremely beneficial for the growth of your plants.
You can also use a liquid feeder made from coffee grounds. That's how it's done:
- Take a handful of coffee and put it in a bucket of water.
- Leave it for a day or two.
- This creates a liquid perfect for feeding your plants!
Coffee grounds also help keep these bugs away from your prized plants. Scatter them around your plants to avoid pests getting close to your plants.
How Often Should You Fertilize Your Hydrangea?
Knowing how often to fertilize hydrangeas is important. If hydrangeas are fertilized too much, fertilizer burns can occur.
They should be fertilized with quick-release fertilizer between March and July. The first sign of over-fertilization is burnt leaves. To prevent your hydrangea from burning leaves,Read our article here.
Make sure you pour the fertilizer around the branches of the hydrangea and not just around the base.
Good watering is also essential for hydrangeas. But overwatering can lead to some negative effects on plants. We have an article on thathow much water do hydrangeas need
Harmful fertilizer for hydrangeas
Fertilizing hydrangeas is essential for them, but certain fertilizers can harm your plant.
Be sure to use a fast-release fertilizer a few times a year. Usually between spring and morningfallen. It is also not necessary to always keep your hydrangeas fertilized.
They can flower well if you fertilize them a little less than you would.GelbLeaves in the middle mean your plant is now in need of a quick fertiliser.
For blue and purple flowers, be sure to use a low-sulphate fertilizer. Try to avoid Epsom salts on your hydrangeas.
Although some say it's good for your plants, many people recommend not using it on your hydrangeas as it could cause itwither.
It may not help to grow your hydrangea healthy, so it's better not to use it!
General tips for hydrangeas
1) Plant your hydrangea to an appropriate width and length. Dig a hole slightly deeper than the root of the ball, preferably two to three times wider than the root ball. Give them plenty of room to spread out!
2) Plant your hydrangeas where they will get direct morning and afternoon sun. Hydrangeas love the morning sun!
3) The best thing to do is give your hydrangeas some tasty soil to grow! Hydrangeas do wellBoden, so make sure you mix some organic matter into your soil before planting the hydrangea.
4) Try not to overload your hydrangeas. Hydrangeas love their space and may not thrive if given less space. Be sure to plant them at least 3 feet apart so they don't hurt each other.
5) Pruning is also a great way to keep your hydrangea thriving. Cut back the old and damaged stems and leave the buds for fall cleaning!
6) Try to use natural repellents to keep the snails and insects away. Try keeping a snail trap around your plant or you can place it as wellEgg shellsaround your plant to keep it away from snails and bugs!
When should you plant your hydrangeas?
Although there is no easy answer to this question, it is best to plant your hydrangeas from April to September.
Planting at 80 degrees is too hot for hydrangeas and less than 40 degrees is too cold for them.
So it is better to plant your hydrangeas when it is neither too hot nor too cold!
Final thoughts: how to make a natural fertilizer for hydrangeas
This was all about everyone's favorite plant, hydrangeas! Hydrangeas are sure to add beauty to your garden!
Even if you are not a gardening professional or a beginner, you can start with hydrangeas as this plant is easy to care for and will look absolutely beautiful in your garden, no matter whatinsideor outside!
A natural fertilizer will help your hydrangeas grow, but make sure you give them the right boost they need at the right time!
Have fun planting!
Before you go, here are some more related articles to read below to solve more of your gardening problems:
Common problems with hydrangeas in pots
How to landscape with hydrangeas
Why does my hydrangea have small flowers?
Hydrangeas vs. Lilacs
Hydrangea tree against bush
Hydrangeas vs Rhododendrons
Snowball bush vs hydrangea
Does a hydrangea attract bees?
FAQs
What home remedies can I use for hydrangeas? ›
If your hydrangeas do get infected, you have several options, including compost tea, hydrogen peroxide, garlic oil, or liquid kelp. You can also apply the fungicides chlorothalonil or thiophanate-methyl.
Does vinegar help hydrangeas? ›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!
Does baking soda help hydrangeas bloom? ›The plants begin to produce fuller and healthier blooms. If your hydrangeas just aren't wowing you like they should, give baking soda a try. And while you're at it, try baking soda in the rest of your garden!
What does Epsom salt do for hydrangeas? ›Hydrangea macrophylla, ones with pink and blue ones, are affected by the pH of the soil. A pH below 6 is best for blue flowers; above 6 encourages pink ones. Adding Epsom salts to your plant increases the amount of magnesium in the soil.
Is coffee grounds good for hydrangeas? ›If you're growing hydrangeas, use coffee grounds to affect their color. Coffee grounds add extra acidity to the soil around hydrangeas. On a chemical level, this increased acidity makes it easier for the plant to absorb naturally occurring aluminum in the dirt. The effect is pretty blue clusters of flowers.
What helps hydrangeas bloom more? ›- Plant panicle hydrangeas in all-day sun or afternoon sun.
- Water them during a drought, especially if you notice wilting.
- Add plenty of organic matter (such as compost) around the plant.
- Limit any drastic pruning to early spring, just before new growth emerges.
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. Soap helps to keep bacteria way.
How much vinegar do you put in water for hydrangeas? ›Use vinegar diluted with water in a ratio of 20 parts water to one part apple cider vinegar. Water the plants along their base. Try not to get the vinegar-and-water solution onto the leaves, because it can burn the foliage.
Does pickle juice help hydrangeas? ›Use pickle juice in your flower beds to perk up your acid-loving flowers! Flowers such as hydrangea and rhododendron need acidic soil to thrive. And the best part, no toxic chemicals!
Is Lemon juice Good for hydrangeas? ›Unlike flowers, which get their color variations from different pigments, the acidity of the soil often determines the color of a hydrangea bloom. This means you can change the color of your hydrangea with soil additives – add lemon juice to get blue blooms, for example.
How do you help a struggling hydrangea? ›
A layer of mulch around the plants will help keep the soil moist. In some situations a soaker hose that is wound around the plants underneath the mulch is a big help for hydrating Hydrangeas. If plants are in hot afternoon sun consider moving them to a location where they get sun in the morning and shade all afternoon.
Can I put Miracle Grow on hydrangeas? ›Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Bloom Booster Flower Food
This is an all-purpose blossom booster that's suitable for use on a wide variety of perennial and annual blooming plants, including hydrangeas.