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It is necessary to fertilize hydrangea in the spring, first of all, so that the plant recovers after winter. In addition, during this period the shrub spends a lot of vital energy on the formation of green mass and the creation of buds, so for lush flowering it is better to apply at least one fertilizing.
If even after a couple of spring feedings the hydrangea looks depressed, additional fertilizers are added to the soil in summer and autumn. If you initially plant this crop in soil with a high level of acidity, the need for fertilizing is minimized.
Do I need to feed hydrangea in spring?
Despite the fact that this is a fairly unpretentious and hardy crop, at the beginning of the growing season the shrub is in dire need of nourishment. Timely feeding with organic and mineral mixtures restores its strength after minor freezing and stimulates the rapid growth of green mass.Ultimately, hydrangea not only blooms profusely, but also forms a lush, spectacular crown.
Deficiency of micronutrients inhibits the growth of bushes. Their shoots become thinner, the foliage is extremely sparse, and there are almost no flowers on the branches. A serious lack of nutrition is indicated by yellowing of the leaves and their subsequent falling off.
For this reason, in the spring, hydrangea is fed with large doses of nitrogen, which is responsible for the foliage of plants. It is followed by potash fertilizers and phosphorus compounds.
Hydrangea responds well to spring feeding and, with proper care, forms a large number of inflorescences
When to fertilize hydrangea in spring
In the spring, hydrangea bushes are fertilized at least 2 times. For the first time, plantings are fertilized after the snow has melted and the soil has thawed. In the middle zone this occurs in early to mid-April. During this period, emphasis is placed on nitrogen-containing fertilizers.
The second feeding occurs at the stage of bud formation. At this time, hydrangea is fed with potassium and phosphorus compounds. Complex fertilizers have proven themselves well.
Additionally, you can feed the hydrangea 2-3 times with a manganese solution in the spring. This substance will help strengthen wood tissue.
Feeding hydrangea in spring with folk remedies
Folk remedies allow you to fertilize hydrangea bushes quickly and cheaply.They are quite effective, but you should not rely on them entirely. All of these methods should be used only in combination with industrial formulations, alternating these two types of fertilizers.
Dairy products
A fairly simple and cheap way to feed hydrangea in the spring is to use leftover fermented milk products. This includes kefir of any fat content, yogurt, various wheys, fermented baked milk, etc. All these products effectively acidify the soil, which has a beneficial effect on the color of the buds.
Fermented milk products allow you to change the pink color of hydrangea to blue
Bread infusions
A good feed for lush flowering of hydrangea is to water the plants with bread infusion in the spring. It can be made by soaking bread crusts, after which the resulting composition is diluted in a 1:1 ratio. The liquids are allowed to brew a little more, decanted and poured under the hydrangea bushes in the spring.
If you feed your plantings with a solution of soured bread, you can significantly increase the content of beneficial soil bacteria
Yeast
Another common way to feed garden hydrangea is to add ordinary baker's yeast to the soil. There are different compositions of fertilizers based on this product, but one of the most popular is the following: a bag of the substance is mixed with 2-3 tbsp. l. sugar and pour it all into 1 liter of water at room temperature. When the yeast foams, pour the solution into a 10 liter bucket and add more water to it so that the container is filled to the top.
The resulting solution is used for watering hydrangeas in the area around the tree trunk.
Banana peel
Banana peel is one of the most affordable ways to feed hydrangea in the spring without any major expenses. Bananas contain large amounts of potassium, magnesium, nitrogen and phosphorus, and these are the elements that are vital for garden plants to fully bloom.
Fertilize the plantings with an infusion in which banana peels are kept.
Potassium permangantsovka
Very often, hydrangea is fertilized with potassium permanganate, but here it is important not to exceed the permissible limits. The solution does not have to be concentrated - just a few crystals of potassium permanganate per bucket of water are enough. It should turn slightly pink when stirred.
A rich color indicates that the potassium permanganate content is too high
Fertilizing hydrangeas in spring with mineral fertilizers
The simplest mineral fertilizers for hydrangeas in spring are superphosphate, potassium sulfate and ammonium sulfate. Before use, these substances are dissolved in settled water and applied to the soil according to the instructions, watering the plantings from April-May to July.
Urea solution has also proven itself well as a fertilizer. It is diluted in the proportion of 1 tbsp. l. substances into a bucket of water. In spring, the consumption of such a solution is 5-8 liters for each plant.
"Agricola" for indoor and garden hydrangeas
“Agricola” is very popular, which can be used to feed both garden and indoor hydrangeas. The basis of the complex is nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
The drug is produced in the form of special sticks for plants
"Pokon"
Pokon fertilizer is produced in the form of granules. They are scattered in the area around the tree trunk, lightly sprinkled with soil.After incorporating the nutrient composition, the bushes are watered abundantly so that the active components contained in it penetrate into the ground.
This is a long-acting drug that is used only once during the entire season.
"Ferrovit"
“Ferrovit” is sprayed on plantings if the plant is deficient in iron. This is indicated by a weakened immune system - the bushes begin to ache and look depressed. The recommended dosage of the solution for this garden crop is 1 g of the substance per 1 liter of water.
"Ferrovit" is used for preventive feeding of paniculate hydrangeas in the spring.
The use of the drug reduces the risk of chlorosis in hydrangea bushes
"Green World"
"Green World" fertilizes the flowerbed in spring and summer according to the instructions to increase the lushness of flowering. The effect of the drug lasts on average 2-3 months.
The product is especially effective in the summer
"Fertika"
"Fertika" is a specialized nutritional composition for garden hydrangeas. It is recommended to feed the bushes with this drug 1-2 times a month according to the instructions, from spring to the end of summer.
The release form involves liquid fertilizer and granular mixture
How to fertilize hydrangea in spring
Hydrangea does not tolerate high organic content in the soil, so this type of fertilizer must be alternated with mineral compounds. In addition, it is important to maintain the recommended acidity level for this crop, which should be between 4-5 pH. If you grow hydrangea in an alkaline environment, the plant will often get sick, and the flowers will become faded and inexpressive.
Young seedlings are fertilized even during planting, filling the bottom of the planting hole with nutrient mixtures. This is especially important if the soil on the site is poor.You can feed the bushes with potassium sulphide or humus; superphosphate is also suitable.
Advice from experienced gardeners
Despite the fact that hydrangea is one of the undemanding plants, it is recommended to fertilize the plantings from time to time. Small tricks associated with this process will help you fully realize the potential of the shrub:
- If you feed the seedling during planting with a nutrient mixture, pouring it into the bottom of the planting hole, then you don’t have to fertilize it again until winter. Moreover, this composition may be enough for the plant for the next year.
- If the acidity of the soil in the area is too low, the soil can be acidified artificially. To do this, the tree trunk circle is fertilized with rotted pine sawdust, high-moor peat, as well as pine or spruce litter.
- The color of large-leaved paniculate hydrangea with pink flowers can be adjusted if you feed the plant correctly. To do this, it is necessary to fertilize the plantings with aluminum alum, a solution of citric acid or high-moor peat, after which the flowers will turn blue. If you add these substances to the soil on only one side of the bush, you can get a two-color color of the buds - pink and blue. An exception to this rule is white hydrangea, which does not change the color of its petals.
Conclusion
If you fertilize hydrangea in a timely manner in the spring, this will not only ensure lush flowering of the shrub, but will also significantly strengthen its immunity against various fungal diseases. At the same time, it is important not to allow a bias towards organic or, conversely, mineral fertilizers. These two types of fertilizing must be alternated.
