An important step in hydrangea care is imminent, namely the supply of nutrients. Organic fertilizer is probably the most popular as a long-term fertilizer, while mineral fertilizers have the advantage of being fast-acting. If you have decided on the former, not only compost is available to you. You may have heard of horn shavings as a fertilizer and are now wondering: Can hydrangeas be fertilized with horn shavings? We explain what this remedy brings to the plants and how to use it.
Fertilize hydrangeas with horn shavings – why the fertilizer is so good
In case you didn’t know, horn fertilizer is the crushed hooves and horns of slaughtered animals. So they’re a product of the butcher’s shop, but they have a really good use in the garden. Above all, the high nitrogen content, which ensures vigorous growth of the plants, should be mentioned here.
But horn fertilizer is not just horn fertilizer. There is also the horn meal, which is finely ground, to the shavings. Due to their coarser structure, chips only decompose slowly and gradually and thus release nutrients over a longer period of time – the perfect long-term fertilizer. Horn meal, on the other hand, decomposes more quickly and is therefore more suitable as an instant fertilizer that has to be applied again every two to three weeks.
When should you fertilize hydrangeas and with what?
It is therefore advisable to apply both variants at the same time in spring (from March). The flour will give the shrubs an immediate effect, while the horn shavings for hydrangeas will provide them with nutrients for several months afterwards.
If you fertilize the hydrangeas with horn shavings, there is a second point in time that you should not forget, namely about 3 months after the first fertilization and by the end of July at the latest. After that, the plant needs the right conditions to go into hibernation. If you continue to fertilize after August, this process will be disrupted.
Summarized:
- Fertilize the hydrangeas for the first time with horn shavings in spring, at the earliest in March, also mixed with horn meal.
- The second fertilization about 3 months later, but only with horn shavings.
- Apply the second fertilizer no later than the end of July.
How to use organic fertilizer correctly
Whether you choose shavings, flour, or a combination of the two, it needs to be well incorporated into the soil to allow the nutrients to even reach the plant’s roots (remember, nitrogen is a gas that, merely scattered on the surface would simply escape). This means you have to loosen the soil, which carries the risk of damaging the roots. That is why you need to be careful when doing this. The following steps should be followed for hydrangeas in the bed:
- Loosen the soil around the hydrangeas to a depth of about 10 cm.
- Then mix the horn shavings into the loosened soil.
- You should not overdose. It would not harm the plant directly, but would lead to overgrowth of the green parts of the plant and disrupt flowering. Work with us 100 to 150g chips per square meter of earth or 80 g per hydrangea bush.
- The second time you fertilize, use about one tablespoon of horn shavings per liter of soil.
A notice: As useful as horn shavings are, they are not suitable as the sole fertilizer. The nutrients contained would not be sufficient in the long run. Therefore you should always combine with other organic fertilizers. For example, compost is ideal. You can also mix horn fertilizer into your compost and then apply together when needed.
Provide hydrangeas in the bucket with horn fertilizer – prepare liquid fertilizer!
If you want to fertilize hydrangeas with horn shavings, you have to work them well into the soil. We have already mentioned that. However, this proves to be even more difficult with potted plants, which is why an alternative would be practical here. Homemade liquid fertilizer is the solution! And this works really simply (like with eggshells, for example):
- Get a bottle or other sealable container.
- Put in horn shavings.
- Top up with lukewarm water (not hot as this could damage the nutrients).
- Let it soak for at least a week. During this time, the shavings begin to decompose and release nutrients into the water.
- Use the water as you would any other liquid fertilizer for watering, after you have diluted it a little (for the usual amount of watering for the container plant, one lid of fertilizer).
- Water at intervals of several weeks with the homemade fertilizer (not with every watering to avoid overdosing).