The best fertilizers for hydrangeas 2023 (2023)

FAQs

What month do you fertilize hydrangeas? ›

Hydrangeas should be lightly dressed with fast-release fertilizer in March, May, and July. Be sure to spread it around the drip line of the branches and not the base. Water well. If the fertilizer you choose is a slow-release type, remember to lightly cover it with soil to activate the fertilizer.

Don't fertilize after August. Fall is the time for hydrangeas to begin preparing for dormancy. Fertilizing at this time may stimulate new growth that will be too tender to withstand the winter. In the South, a late May application and another in July would be about right.

Fertilize your Endless Summer Hydrangeas in the spring with Holly-tone for blue flowers or Plant-tone and granulated lime for purple to pink flowers.

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.

The first rule of thumb is to NOT over-fertilize your hydrangea plants. We suggest one application of granular fertilizer in spring or early summer, and then follow package instructions afterwards. If you over-fertilize, it can burn the root system of your hydrangea bushes and actually inhibit bloom production.

A complete fertilizer, such as 16-4-8, 12-6-6 or 12-4-8, is generally recommended, unless the soil test reveals that phosphorus and potassium are adequate.

The short answer is yes it will – Epsom Salts is Magnesium sulfate and Sulfur is the mineral that we apply to the soil to lower the pH. You will also be applying Magnesium which should help enhance the color of your foliage since Magnesium is needed for chlorophyll production.

Remove any debris that fell off from the base of the plant. You want to make sure your soil is free of any weeds, leaves and dead flowers. If you're growing blue hydrangeas, feed with Holly-tone to keep the soil acidic and the blooms bright. Otherwise, opt for Flower-tone.

Fall Forward Pruning

Hydrangeas that bloom on new wood can be trimmed from fall through early spring. Smooth and peegee types are in this group and perform well whether cut to the ground, trimmed lightly or left unpruned.

Summary. Low nitrogen and potassium, in combination with higher levels of phosphorus, make 10-20-10 a great choice for gardeners looking to improve root development, homeowners looking for a better root system in warm-season grasses or someone who is growing a newly established lawn in from seed.

Should you fertilize hydrangeas every year? ›

Fertilize hydrangeas twice a year, once in the early spring and again in the early summer. Most people apply fertilizer in May when the plants first start to leaf out. Then, feed them again during the growing season, which is around July. A second feeding is especially crucial in warmer climates.

How do you keep Endless Summer hydrangeas blooming? The best location to ensure continuous bloom is one where the plant receives morning sun and afternoon dappled shade. In too much sun, they might stop blooming.

Most hydrangeas will thrive in fertile, well-draining soils that receive plenty of moisture. Add compost to enrich poor soil. Generally, hydrangeas prefer partial sun. Ideally, they will be given full sun in the morning, followed by some afternoon shade to protect from the hot midday sun.

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.

The best fertilizer for hydrangeas is a granular (i.e., not liquid) fertilizer formulated for woody plants. We find that a rose fertilizer, like Espoma Rose Tone, is an excellent choice - after all, roses are flowering shrubs, just like hydrangeas are.

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!

Some gardeners have started using vinegar to lower their soil pH to change bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) bloom colors. Does this actually work? The short answer is kind of; in theory, it can. But is it your best long-term solution for altering your soil pH?

And the right fertilizer will help your plants stay healthy and produce beautiful blooms throughout the growing season. Southern Ag 20-20-20 All-Purpose Granular Fertilizer is a top fertilizer that will work for any hydrangea.

Most hydrangeas don't need much extra fertiliser, but woody plant guru Michael Dirr, a retired University of Georgia horticulture professor, says you can apply a balanced slow-release fertiliser in late winter to early spring. Be careful: If you apply too much fertiliser, you might get more leaves than blooms.

Removing the spent blooms triggers flowering shrubs to stop producing seeds and instead put their energy toward root and foliage development. This makes plants stronger and healthier, so by deadheading, you'll be doing your hydrangeas a favor.

What is the best combination of fertilizer? ›

Studies have found that the ideal NPK fertilizer ratio of those nutrients for flowering plants is 3-1-2. (That's 3% Nitrogen, 1% phosphorus & 2% potassium.) So look for that ratio on the label of packaged fertilizers; anything close to a 3-1-2, a 6-2-4 or a 9-3-6 should be ideal.

Schultz® All-Purpose Liquid Plant Food 10-15-10 is a concentrated product designed to feed all kinds of indoor plants, outdoor plants, flowers and vegetables. Perfect for transplanting, repotting and rooting. It is a micronutrient-rich fertilizer that will promote new growth. Must be mixed with water.

A full feeding is recommended at least 5-6 times per year. You want to feed your lawn when it's growing most rapidly. However, you should base the frequency on your climate and the type of grass you have. For example, cool season grasses can be fertilized in late spring, but only if necessary.

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!

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.

Though vinegar can be fatal to many common plants, others, like rhododendrons, hydrangeas and gardenias, thrive on acidity which makes a bit of vinegar the best pick-me-up. Combine one cup of plain white vinegar with a gallon of water and use the next time you water these plants to see some amazing results.

Bring potted hydrangeas inside.

Potted hydrangeas overwinter best in a garage or basement where the temperature stays cool but doesn't freeze. The plants will go dormant, but you'll still need to water the pots occasionally, about once a month, to keep the roots moist, until spring.

Cut back these shrubs in late winter before new growth begins. Because they need to grow and set buds the same year that they bloom, shrubs that flower on new wood generally start blossoming later than old-growth bloomers, beginning in midsummer and continuing until the first frost.

When to prune? Prune these hydrangeas only after bloom in the summer and not in the fall. Old wood hydrangeas start developing their bloom buds for next year in August and September. If you don't prune your hydrangeas real soon, then it is better to wait until next year.

What happens if you don't cut back hydrangeas? ›

What happens if you don't prune hydrangeas? If you don't prune hydrangeas then they can eventually resemble a tangled mass of woody stems, and the flowers will become smaller and less showy. If your hydrangeas are not blooming, lack of pruning is often a reason.

Old Wood Bloomers

Hydrangeas that bloom on old wood do not need pruning and are better off for it. If you leave them alone, they'll bloom more profusely the next season. But go ahead and gently thin or deadhead. Just remember new growth may come, but that new growth will be without blooms next season.

10-20-20 fertilizer is a general-purpose fertilizer that works well in vegetable gardens. It works particularly well with beans and root vegetables. Soybeans, green beans, and runner beans all benefit from high-phosphorus fertilizer.

Ideal for vegetable and flower gardens, shrubs and landscape plantings. The quick release formula can be applied every 30 days through-out the growing season to provide primary nutrients to promote plant growth.

Trini Farmers | 12 24 12 is that a good fertilizer for citrus.

"If you want a longer stem, you can make a deeper cut as long as it is done before July or August when the plant begins forming buds for next year's flowers." For smooth hydrangeas, she suggests removing the faded flowers as soon as they fade to green to ensure a second flush of smaller flowers in the fall.

The hydrangea should be watered thoroughly at least 3 times a week. Always water the plant all the way around the container, not just in one place. Water should come out the bottom of the pot. Never let it sit in water which will cause the roots to rot away.

The short answer is yes it will – Epsom Salts is Magnesium sulfate and Sulfur is the mineral that we apply to the soil to lower the pH. You will also be applying Magnesium which should help enhance the color of your foliage since Magnesium is needed for chlorophyll production.

A complete fertilizer, such as 16-4-8, 12-6-6 or 12-4-8, is generally recommended, unless the soil test reveals that phosphorus and potassium are adequate.

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.

What color does Epsom salt turn hydrangeas? ›

Does Epsom Salt Change the Color of Hydrangea? Epsom salts are neutral and will not change the pH of your soil. Therefore, they will not affect the colour of your hydrangeas.

As a young plant, it is best to prune or pinch your plant in order to build a full bodied, well-branched plant. Every time you cut off the growing tip of a plant, you get twice as many branches and thus in the long-run, more flowers.