Cut up orange, grapefruit, lemon and lime peels into small pieces and bury them just outside the drip line of your hydrangeas. Citrus peel contains sulfur, magnesium, calcium, and other nutrients that enhance healthy plant growth while increasing acidity in the soil.
If you want your flowers to remain that beautiful blue or pale pink, the upkeep is easy. For blue flowers, simply fill a bowl with coffee grounds, orange peels, or even crushed egg shells. Keep the bowl in the kitchen and once it is full, bring it outside to feed the hydrangeas.
To turn hydrangeas blue, you'll need to make your soil more acidic. You may have heard of tricks like adding coffee grounds, vinegar or even pennies or a bundle of rusty nails to the soil. However, it's best to use aluminum sulfate, which is a proven method for changing flower color.
Organic, slow-release fertilizers for roses (such as a 15-10-10, or 10-5-5 formula) work well on hydrangeas, giving the plants the nutrients they need to increase the size and quantity of their blooms. If you're looking for big blooms-and lots of them-this is the right fertilizer for your hydrangeas.
Katie Femia, the green-fingered guru behind The Homespun Hydrangea, has revealed that orange peels can be transformed into a homemade fertiliser, perfect for acid-loving plants like hydrangeas. She explained: "Orange peels will help feed the soil and create a healthy foundation for your plants.
If you've been trying to get your hydrangeas to become big and blue, then we might just have the tip for you. Hydrangeas color is based on how acidic your soil is—the more acidic the soil you plant your hydrangeas in, the more blue. We've found that adding a few coffee grounds to your soil can do just the trick.
Supply the Right Amount of Water
"Hydrangeas should be watered deeply several times per week to encourage deep root growth," says Enfield. "Water should be applied at the base of the plant to keep the leaves and flowers dry. It is also best to water in the morning to help reduce wilting during the heat of day."
In a clean container, combine 1 gallon of water with 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to the mixture and stir until dissolved. Gently mix in 1/2 teaspoon of ammonia-free liquid dish soap. Transfer the homemade fertilizer solution to a watering can or spray bottle for easy application.
Some gardeners may add vinegar to their watering can to change the acidity of their soil and turn their hydrangeas blue. However, vinegar can be harmful to local wildlife and is not a long-term solution for blue hydrangeas, so we don't readily recommend this technique.
Will egg shells turn hydrangeas blue? Eggshells are primarily made of calcium carbonate, which can raise soil pH and make it more alkaline. As a result, they may contribute to pink blooms rather than blue. If your goal is to achieve blue flowers, you should avoid using eggshells in the soil.
Baking soda helps reduce soil acidity and increase the pH levels needed for these flowers to blossom into a deep shade of red. The first step to using baking soda in your hydrangea garden is mixing it with water. To do this, simply add 1 teaspoon of baking soda per gallon of water, then stir until completely combined.
Disperse any segments of banana peel at the base of the flower where they will gradually decompose, resulting in a consistent source of potassium for your hydrangeas.
Due to their acidic nature, citrus peels, including oranges, are most beneficial to acidic soil-loving plants. This includes hydrangeas, azaleas, camellias and more. The best thing to do before using orange peels on your plants is research their pH preference.
Flowers that constantly wilt and/or fewer flowers - A lack of blooms or wilting blooms is usually a sign that something is amiss with your plant. Mold around the plant - Mold grows in a consistently wet environment. If you see mold on the soil around your hydrangea, that could be a sign that your plant is overwatered.
Which plants benefit from used coffee grounds? Coffee tends to be slightly acidic and is therefore good for acid-loving plants such as hydrangeas, as well as nutrient-hungry plants like roses, but again use it only in moderation on any one plant.
Timed-Release Fertilizer: Follow packaging guidelines, typically apply every few months. Fast-Release Fertilizer: Apply lightly in March, May, and July. Spread it around the plant's drip line and water well afterward.
MiracleGro®, the most widely used liquid product on the market, has an N-P-K ratio of 15-30-15. This high phosphorous level is not ideal for a sustained 'blue' hydrangea fertilization program but for spot use, the nutrient charge can be immediate and beneficial for 'restarting' stressed plants.
Place the hydrangeas on the cutting board and use the sharp knife to cut the end of the hydrangea at a 45 degree angle. Then cut a small slit vertically up the middle of the newly trimmed stem. Place the hydrangea(s) in the vase filled with hot water. Let sit for a minimum of one hour and voila!
Homemade compost is a great source of slow release nutrients for hydrangeas. Either top dress the soil beneath your plants with your compost and water well or brew up a batch of compost tea and give your plants a deep drink of it. You can repeat your application of compost tea in 2 to 3 weeks.
When you deadhead hydrangeas, you aren't harming the plants at all. Removing the spent blooms triggers flowering shrubs to stop producing seeds and instead put their energy toward root and foliage development. This makes plants stronger and healthier, so by deadheading, you'll be doing your hydrangeas a favor.
Flowers turn brown quickly.
Be sure to keep your shrubs deeply watered during hot weather. A layer of mulch around the plants will help keep the soil moist. In some situations a soaker hose that is wound around the plants underneath the mulch is a big help for hydrating Hydrangeas.
The boiling water has two purposes, one, hydrangea stems produce a sap that can clog the stem, the boiling water clears that up- and two, the boiling water takes care of any bacteria that might be there.
Add a packet of flower food to extend bloom life. If you don't have flower food, dissolve half a teaspoon of sugar, a teaspoon of lemon juice, and a few drops of bleach in 4 cups of water to create a home-made substitute. Hydrangeas have woody stems that need to be cut to help the flowers uptake water.