"Annabelle" is a very tall and bushy snowball hydrangea with huge, striking creamy-white flowers. Like all hydrangeas, this hydrangea has a high water and nutrient requirement.

The hungry snowball hydrangea should be given hydrangea liquid fertilizer regularly

Pay attention to balanced fertilization

Like all flowering plants, hydrangeas like "Annabelle" only develop their magnificent flowers with sufficient and, above all, balanced fertilization. The emphasis here is on the word "balanced", because both too little and too much fertilizer damage the plants in the long run. The plant shows an insufficient nutrient supply by chlorosis, in which the leaves turn yellow, but the leaf veins remain green.

Compost or cattle manure early in the growing season

At the start of the growing season, you can incorporate mature mixed compost into the soil of the site. This not only has the advantage that the plant gets the go-ahead for the formation of new shoots in spring, it also loosens the soil. Incidentally, compost mixed with coffee grounds is particularly suitable. Cattle manure (€18.80) is also very well tailored to the special needs of the “Annabelle” hydrangea. Only horse or poultry manure is not suitable due to the high nitrogen content.

Advantages and disadvantages of natural fertilization

In principle, fertilization with compost or manure is to be welcomed, since garden waste can be wonderfully returned to the natural cycle in this way. However, these fertilizers have the disadvantage that their nutrient composition varies greatly and is therefore not always appropriate. Deficiency symptoms must therefore always be eliminated with specially tailored mineral fertilizers.

Regular nutrient supply with hydrangea fertilizer

Another advantage of mineral fertilizers is that they are water-soluble and are therefore immediately available to the plant. Organic fertilizers first have to be decomposed by soil organisms and thus made available in the first place, which can take between three and four weeks. A special commercially available hydrangea fertilizer is best for hydrangeas, as it is perfectly tailored to the high nutrient requirements of this group of plants. The fertilizer is available in both liquid and granulated form.

Beware of nitrogen and phosphorus

Although nitrogen and phosphorus are indispensable components of every fertilizer, they should not be used excessively, especially with flowering plants. Nitrogen in particular fuels the growth of hydrangeas, but at the same time hinders the flowering of the shrubs.

tips and tricks

If you want to know how well your garden soil is supplied with nutrients and what it may still be lacking, you can send soil samples to a soil analysis institute. There you will receive an analysis and tips for individually correct fertilization.

Category:

Vegetable garden