The hydrangea is one of the robust and very easy-care garden plants, but it places high demands on the soil right from the start. In order to thrive optimally, the beautiful flowering plant needs a special substrate with many coarse-fiber parts.

The hydrangea prefers forest floor-like soil

Soil texture similar to a forest floor

The natural home of the hydrangea is light forests, where it grows into magnificent bushes in the shade of large trees. The soil here is loosely deep and, due to the rotting of leaves, needles and twigs, rather acidic.

Store water but avoid waterlogging

The Greek name Hydrangea means "water slurper" and stands for the peculiarity of the hydrangea to be extraordinarily thirsty not only in hot weather. At the same time, the plant is very sensitive to waterlogging in the root area, which must be avoided at all costs. A special feature of the soil in which the hydrangea feels comfortable is its ability to absorb large amounts of water like a sponge without creating waterlogging.

Acid soil affects color

Hydrangeas are commercially available in many beautiful shades. The color palette ranges from greenish-white to pink, pink, red, violet to blue. A pink colored hydrangea will only retain its color when the soil pH is around 5.5. Blue hydrangeas require a pH below 4.5. Pink and red hued specimens, on the other hand, love alkaline soils with a pH above 6.

Which soil is suitable for pot and garden hydrangeas?

In order to meet these soil requirements, the topsoil was often improved with peat until a few years ago. For ecological reasons, you should avoid peat soil today and use hydrangea soil from garden retailers. Alternatively, you can plant the hydrangea in rhododendron soil, which has roughly the same soil structure.

tips and tricks

Repot tub hydrangeas about every two years. As a result, the hydrangea always has fresh and, above all, loose substrate at its disposal.

Category:

Vegetable garden