The free-flowering hydrangea needs a lot of nutrients in order to thrive and produce plenty of flowers. If the hydrangea forms a lot of foliage but hardly any umbels of flowers, you may have meant too well with the fertilizer.

Poor flowering is a sign of overfeeding the hydrangea

A lot doesn't always help a lot

In many gardens, there is more of a nutrient surplus than a nutrient deficiency. In particular, the phosphorus content of many soils is extremely high. An excess of nitrogen means that the shoots do not mature sufficiently. The hydrangea becomes sensitive to fungal diseases.

Even if the soil has an excess of a certain nutrient, it does not mean that all nutrients are in abundance. In numerous gardens, for example, there is a lack of important trace elements such as iron, potassium or manganese.

If you suspect over-fertilization, first analyze the soil

Since you cannot see which nutrients are present in the soil, it is advisable to have a soil sample examined in a laboratory from time to time. If you have the suspicion that the hydrangea does not thrive because of over-fertilization, you should only use an appropriate mineral fertilizer after this analysis. You will often receive fertilizer recommendations as an attachment to the soil analysis.

Two fertilizer applications per year are sufficient

Fertilize the hydrangea with a special nitrogen fertilizer with a low phosphorus content. The composition of the fertilizer can be found on the packaging. Commercially available NPK fertilizers should have a ratio of 8+5+7 and also contain the trace elements magnesium and iron.

Fertilize in spring and a second time in early summer. For garden hydrangeas, use preferably solid fertilizer that you work well into the soil. Container plants, which have a higher nutrient requirement, are supplied with a special liquid fertilizer for hydrangeas during the growing season from March to the beginning of August.

Prefer organic fertilizers

Naturally grown manure such as compost or coffee grounds must first be broken down by microorganisms so that the nutrients are available to the plant. As a result, these fertilizers improve the soil sustainably in the long term and promote plant growth. However, you cannot compensate for a nutrient deficiency in a short time with these fertilizers.

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Since the microorganisms work depending on the temperature and weather conditions, the same amount of nutrients is not always available. As a result, the risk of over-fertilization is significantly lower than with mineral fertilizers.

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Vegetable garden