Hydrangeas are very popular because of their colorful flowers and huge flower heads. Bring them into your landscape as a stunning accent or as vibrant cut flowers. They require a little more attention when it comes to fertilization, but are otherwise easy to care for. Fertilize hydrangeas with home remedies? Yes, it can be done naturally!
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Below, discover helpful tips to help you promote the growth of healthy foliage and an abundance of beautiful blooms all summer and fall long.
When and how should you fertilize hydrangeas with home remedies?
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The method of fertilizing hydrangeas is just as important as the fertilizer itself. Fertilizing too much will cause problems with the plants. Over-fertilization is initially noticeable through wilted leaves. March, May, and July are the best months to fertilize hydrangeas with a light coat of fertilizer. Make sure there is enough water. Remember to lightly cover the fertilizer with soil to activate it. Add a modest dose of liquid iron every two years to keep the leaves vibrant green.
To change the color of hydrangeas, add small amounts of lime or sulfur to the fertilizer. A conversation about fertilizing these plants would be incomplete without this tip. Sulfur treatments cause hydrangeas to either stay blue or turn a bluer shade. Changing to pink or lime takes time. White hydrangeas, just so you know, will never change color. These plants provide lush foliage and spectacular blooms for gardeners who care for them properly.
Add compost
A small amount of compost is enough for hydrangeas if you don’t want to fertilize them. The ideal soil for hydrangeas is one that is rich in organic matter, has good drainage and is humus-rich. This soil deteriorates over time and needs to be replenished frequently. Although compost is not a “fertilizer,” it improves soil health, improves drainage, and gradually introduces beneficial bacteria. It is important to include it in the fertilization schedule for these plants.
Composted manure
Many organic gardeners fertilize the soil around hydrangeas with commercial fertilizer. Gardeners who have used composted manure report excellent results. Once a year you can fertilize the soil around your hydrangeas with manure. Avoid applying fertilizer too close to the trunk or stems that are just sticking out of the ground, similar to chemical fertilizers.
Use coffee grounds
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Roll out some newspaper and spread the coffee grounds on the sheet and let it dry well. Nitrogen, magnesium and potassium are important plant nutrients, and coffee grounds are a good source of all three. Additionally, the coffee grounds can help increase the acidity of the soil since they are naturally acidic.
Tipp: Be careful not to use too much coffee grounds. Too much acid can harm even plants that like acid.
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Nettle manure
Hydrangeas can get all the nutrients they need from nettle manure. Water the plants properly by diluting the nettle manure with water in a ratio of at least 1:5.
vegetable water
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A lot of the nutrients in vegetables end up in the water when you cook the vegetables. You can make better use of this water by fertilizing your hydrangeas instead of simply throwing it away. The hydrangeas in your garden will thrive in this soil because it is rich in minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium. After boiling, allow the water to cool before using it to water the plants.
Horn shavings and horn meal
Horn shavings are a nitrogen-containing fertilizer that is good for hydrangeas in the long term, but results will only be visible after a few weeks. Horn meal is a faster-acting fertilizer than horn shavings because it is ground more finely.
Fertilize hydrangeas with home remedies – use banana peels
To fertilize hydrangeas with banana peels, chop them into small pieces and mix them into the soil. The nutrients are gradually released as the shells decompose.
Don’t forget mulch
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Mulch the area around the plant so that its roots do not become too dry: Functional and aesthetically pleasing organic mulching materials include wood chips and bark mulch. Shredded leaves, provided they are left over from the previous year, can also be used as mulch. However, use pebbles if your pH-sensitive plant has pink flowers that you want to preserve. Keep in mind that pH-sensitive pink flowers may lose some of their color if you use organic mulch that contains too much acid.
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