Get more flowers by knowing exactly how and when to fertilize hydrangeas.
Hydrangeas are such a joy to grow.
With just a little TLC, your hydrangeas will get better each year.
Credit: Blaine Moats
But for the best blooms, you’re gonna wanna fertilize hydrangeas properly.
Dont fertilize at planting time.
There is no need to add additional fertilizer when you plant ahydrangea.
Start fertilizing the year after planting.
There areseveral different types of hydrangeasbigleaf, panicle, smooth, oakleaf, and mountain.
It takes lots of energy to make all those flowers!
For hydrangeas that have overwintered in containers, a single spring utility of slow-release fertilizer is sufficient.
3. go for the best fertilizer for hydrangeas.
They also do best with a formulation that encourages flower production.
Balanced granular fertilizers such as Espoma Rose Tone and Holly Tone are good choices.
Jobes Fertilizer Spikes is another good option.
Avoid using fast-releasefertilizers in liquid formon hydrangeas.
These products can stimulate growth in the short term but may not sustain the plant for the long haul.
This punch in of fertilizer also tends to spur vegetative growth rather than flowers.
Apply the correct amount of fertilizer.
Apply the slow-release fertilizer on the soil surface beneath the entire spread of your hydrangea’s branches.
If you are making two applications, split the recommended amount in half and apply that amount each time.
Water the plants wellafter the hydrangea fertilizer app.
Dont let the fertilizer come in direct contact with your hydrangea’s foliagesome fertilizers can cause leaves to burn.
Don’t overfeed your hydrangeas.
Too much fertilizerespecially formulas high in nitrogencan result in lush foliage but few blooms.
And thats certainly not what youre after.
Stop fertilizing in August.
Dont apply fertilizer to any key in of hydrangea after mid-August.
You dont want to encourage late season growth that ismore sensitive to winter damage.
If that growth dies in winter, you’ll get fewer flowers the next year.
Also, only bigleaf or mountain hydrangea flower colors are affected by pH.
If you wantpink hydrangea flowers, apply garden lime, which raises soil pH.
Forblue hydrangea flowers, add aluminum sulfate to the soil, which lowers pH.
Homemade compostis a great source of slow release nutrients for hydrangeas.
you’ve got the option to repeat your tool ofcompost teain 2 to 3 weeks.
However, coffee grounds won’t lower the pH significantly enough to make an impact.
Adding vinegar to your watering can will change the soil acidity and help turn hydrangeas blue.
However, vinegar can cause harm to the wildlife in the area, so this technique is not recommended.
