Gardeners try to decorate summer cottages with unpretentious and beautiful plants, one of which is hydrangea. A striking beauty of flowering leaves no one indifferent. This shrub is planted in the most prominent places, it is assigned the first roles in garden ensembles, because long and incredibly beautiful flowering creates beauty on the site and gives it a bewitching look.
Each gardener should discover hydrangea, it gives charm to any site, due to its paniculate appearance. The name was given to the plant by F. Commerson, in Latin it sounds like "Hydrángea", in translation it means "garden".
Should hydrangea be fed in spring
For lush flowering, regular hydrangea top dressing is necessary. One of the most important fertilizing is spring, which helps to ripen beautiful flower stalks, make the bush more lush, with strong shoots.
Hydrangea in the garden
Flowering at the same time becomes longer and more plentiful. Top dressing helps protect the plant from pests and various diseases.
Important! The absence of top dressing, as well as their improper application, can cause hydrangea disease, reduce flowering time.
Hydrangea is considered to be one of the best decorations of any garden, but it is good for plentiful flowering. On some shrubs you can see multi-colored flowering.
The result of lack of fertilizing
This is achieved with the help of different soil acidity, while the shades change from blue and lilac to pink and raspberry.
Fertilizers for active growth and flowering in the garden
The plant prefers acidic soils, so you should know how to feed hydrangea in the spring, and carefully select fertilizers, taking into account all the characteristics of the plant. For spring, mineral and organic additives and some others will be required, which should be discussed in more detail.
Tip. It is important to apply a sufficient amount of fertilizer under the shrub, while not exceeding the dosage. Soil acidity should also be controlled so that the plant does not become ill and develop well.
Hydrangea prefers fertile loose soils; high humus content and breathability are desirable. At the same time, it is believed that the first two years the plant has enough nutrient soil and it is not necessary to feed it.
In order for the bush to please its flowering all summer, it is necessary to regularly fertilize and acidify the soil. Further, the better to feed hydrangea.
Hydrangea buds
The month of June is marked by the beginning of flowering; the plant must be fully prepared for it. There are several varieties of hydrangea (tree-like, large-leaved), they all love the same growing conditions, therefore it is enough to remember the basic rules of care and the necessary fertilizers for harmonious growth and lush flowers.
Folk remedies
An effective organic fertilizer can be chicken droppings or manure (cow, horse or rabbit). Regardless of the variety, the substance is bred in water in a proportion of 1 part of manure and 10 parts of water. Having covered with a lid, the solution should be left to ferment for 10 days.
The substance should be stirred daily; after 10 days, strain. The resulting solution was diluted with water. If the infusion was made from chicken manure, then 1 liter should be diluted in 20 liters of water, when using animal manure 10 liters of water are enough. After that, hydrangea is watered with the obtained composition.
Among folk dressings, non-standard ones are found, for example:
- Kefir or whey diluted with water will help to bloom hydrangeas more splendidly, for this 2 liters of fermented milk product are diluted in 10 liters of water;
- Infused rye bread on the water will help increase the number of beneficial bacteria in the soil, due to which the plant roots will strengthen, immunity and resistance to diseases will strengthen;
- You can improve the plant using ordinary baking yeast, for this they are bred with sugar and water, after they have foamed, diluted with another 10 liters of water. After watering, the plant will become more healthy, it will grow better. Beer is also often used, only a natural "live" product is suitable for fertilizer;
- A potassium permanganate solution is often used for spraying, this helps to strengthen the wood.
Different soil acidity in hydrangea
It is proved that folk remedies are quite effective, in addition, they are completely harmless. It should be remembered that they are used in conjunction with other drugs.
Mineral fertilizers
It’s not worthwhile to use organics too often for hydrangeas, alternation with mineral complexes will help the plant to fully develop. Most often, superphosphate is used, as well as ammonium and potassium sulfates. Bred formulations according to the instructions on the packaging, feed them from spring to mid-summer.
Urea is good for use in early spring. It should be diluted in water. 10 liters is enough 1 tbsp. l For one hydrangea bush, 5 l of such a solution will be enough.
Long-acting fertilizers
For hydrangea, fertilizers of prolonged action are popular, which are applied only 1 time per year. They are produced in granules, which are applied in dry form to specially dug holes along the perimeter of the shrub. After the fertilizer is scattered in the wells, they are filled with water. Among these fertilizers are popular products that are produced by Pokon and Greenworld. Of these, you can choose the composition, the better to fertilize hydrangea in the spring.
White hydrangea
Ready mixes for hydrangea fertilizer
There are many ready-made fertilizers designed specifically for hydrangeas, which is rather easy to feed. Among them, the most recommended and popular ones should be highlighted:
- "Agricola" - contains all the essentials for the plant, trace elements in the composition are easily absorbed by hydrangea;
- "Ferrovit" - helps to restore iron deficiency, spray the bush with this agent, diluting 1.5 g in 1 liter of water;
- for good flowering, the GreenWorld fertilizer complex is ideal;
- "Fertika" - produces a special fertilizer for hydrangeas, it is used once every 2 weeks.
Ready mixes are more convenient, especially if there is not enough time.
When to feed, at what temperature
To create an unusual and abundantly flowering shrub in the country, all top dressings should be applied on time. Home hydrangea is very sensitive to fertilizers and will certainly thank for the timely and correct application of fertilizing.
To fertilize the plant, it is important to observe one condition: the drug is introduced into the trunk circle around the plant, after digging a small furrow where not only liquid formulations are placed, but also dry ones. After the fertilizer has been applied, fill the hole with humus. Sour peat is perfect for this, which will play the role of mulch, and will also help create additional nutrition for hydrangea.
In the spring, the laying of foliage and shoots takes place, which means fertilizing for lush greenery will be required. Most often they use slurry, diluted 1:10 with water.
Important! Fertilize the plant better on moist soil, for which, before applying the composition, you should water the shrub.
When applying fertilizing on the street should be a plus temperature. In spring, you should alternate organic and mineral fertilizers, feed them with a weak solution of manganese throughout April and May, it will strengthen the wood and disinfect the root system.
Attention! If you do not adhere to a clear feeding and dosage regimen, then hydrangea may have metabolic disturbances, which will lead to plant disease.
On the market there are a large number of both special fertilizers for hydrangeas and folk remedies. Industrial preparations can be produced in crystals and granules, as well as in ready-made liquid solutions. The best acidity of the soil for hydrangea will be the level of 4.5 rN.
The first nitrogen top dressing
As soon as the last snow has melted and the hydrangea has released the first shoots, it is necessary to make the first feeding. For this, nitrogen fertilizers are used, such as urea (15 g per 10 liters of water per 1 sq. M) and ammonium nitrate (20-25 g per 10 liters of water per 1 sq. M).
If you missed the time of the first feeding of hydrangea in spring, this is not very scary, while in the second you should take this fact into account and add a little more nitrogen.
The second complex mineral fertilizing
When the buds begin to form on the bush, the time comes for a second top dressing. During this period, the plant requires a large amount of potassium and phosphorus, nitrogen is introduced taking into account the first feeding (or its absence).
Important! Top dressing should be carried out in the morning or evening, when the sun does not shine so brightly. A cloudy day is suitable for this.
Some gardeners use fully mineral fertilizers, for example, nitroammofosku (25 g per 10 liters of water for 2 adult plants) or diammofosku (20 g per 10 liters of water). Ready-made special fertilizers are very popular. You can prepare the mixture yourself using potassium sulfate.
The third and fourth phosphorus-potassium fertilizing
The third feeding is carried out during the flowering period, when the buds have already begun to blossom. At this time, potassium-phosphorus compounds with the addition of trace elements are suitable. This top dressing is optional (fertilizers are applied at one’s own discretion), it will help to make plants bloom longer.
Flowering hydrangea
In this case, it is advisable to acidify the soil with ready-made solutions, they are easy to purchase in specialized stores. You can do this even a couple of times, because hydrangea is very fond of acidic soil and responds well to such actions.
In autumn, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers should be added for hydrangea, which will help the plant to lay new buds for next year and prepare the shrub for winter. Ideally, superphosphate (15 g per 10 l of water per 1 sq. M.) Should be used for these purposes, while adding potassium (15 g per 10 l of water per 1 sq. M.). In winter, the plant hibernates, it is not required to feed. Plant care begins only in the spring.
Interesting. Instead of potassium sulfate, potassium salt or kalimagnesia is often used.
It should also be borne in mind that hydrangea does not like wood ash, it deoxidizes the soil. Humates help better absorb mineral fertilizers. For this, potassium humate is usually bred together with complex mineral fertilizer (nitroammophos) and superphosphate.
Important! If the soil under hydrangea is alkaline, then all fertilizers and top dressing will be poorly absorbed by the plant. The soil under the shrub should be constantly acidified. Remember that hydrangea, depending on the condition of the soil, can change the shade of flowers.
