Hydrangeas are very popular flowering shrubs that add a touch of elegance and floral splendor to a garden. Gardeners must take into account that hydrangeas are demanding of the soil in which they grow. Read this article about which soil is suitable for hydrangeas and how to get the plants to grow healthily!
What should you consider when growing hydrangeas?
Hydrangeas can grow in both acidic and alkaline soils. If the pH of the soil is 6.5 or below (acidic), the flowers of the large-leaved hydrangeas are blue in color. If the pH of the soil is above 6.5 (i.e. either slightly acidic, pH neutral or alkaline), then the flowers are pink. You can incorporate lime into the soil, which raises the pH of the soil from acidic to less acidic, pH neutral or alkaline.
What is the ideal soil structure for plants?
Hydrangeas love moist growing conditions, so the soil structure should be able to retain moisture. Good drainage is also very important so that the roots do not suffer from root rot.
A high proportion oforganic matter in the soilis perfect for hydrangeas. Organic substances have the property of retaining moisture and creating porous structure for the roots, which promotes good growth.
Earthworms are very useful for the good development of bushes. They produce worm castings, a concentrated form of nutrients that are very easily absorbed by plants. Earthworms excavate channels through the soil, creating space for roots to grow. This also loosens the soil and improves drainage, which benefits the plants.
What can you do to give your hydrangea enough nutrients? As already mentioned, organic substances are urgently needed for the plant to develop well. An annual layer of mulch around your hydrangeas is also a good way to continually enrich the soil with nutrients and stimulate the soil ecosystem.
Your shrubs will benefit from fertilizer if the soil is naturally poor or the roots of theHydrangea with other plantsand trees (e.g. pines) compete for nutrients. Hydrangeas do well with a general shrub fertilizer, but there are also specific fertilizers for hydrangeas. Special granulated hydrangea fertilizers contain additional magnesium and iron to promote flowering and meet nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium needs.
Which soil for hydrangeas?
There are some soil conditions for plants that should be taken into account. Here we explain what kind of soil promotes the growth of the popular shrubs and which soils are not suitable.
Are sandy soils suitable for the shrubs
Sandy soils are not suitable for growing hydrangeas because water seeps through the soil too quickly and dries out before the hydrangea's roots can absorb moisture, causing the hydrangea to die. Sandy soils are also poor in nutrients, and these plants need plenty of nutrients to thrive.
Ifyour hydrangeasGrowing in sandy soils, you need to enrich the soil with plenty of organic matter. What kind of nutrients should you add? A mixture of compost and manure is ideal as both materials retain moisture well and manure in particular gives the soil a fertility boost.
Add as much organic matter as possible, even if it means replacing a large portion of the sandy soil. You will need to dig the added compost at least 6 inches deep so that the hydrangea's roots can benefit. You can also add moss or manure. This also helps with water storage and provides sufficient nutrients for the popular hydrangeas.
Which soil for hydrangeas: Is clay soil suitable?
If you have a clay soil in your garden that contains about 20% clay and the rest is 40% sand and 20% silt, this soil is perfect for growing hydrangeas. The function of the clay is to conserve moisture, while the silt and sand provide good drainage and provide a sufficiently porous texture for roots to grow easily into the soil. However, if you have heavy clay soil, this can be problematic for the plants because water drains slowly and this causes root rot.
What can you do if you have heavy clay soil in your garden? Simply amend the soil before planting hydrangeas. Add lots of organicMaterial such as compostor add crap. How to improve the drainage and texture of the soil.
How to proceed: Remove the clay to a depth of about 25 cm and add some sand to the compost mixture. This will prevent water from accumulating under the plant.
Clay soil usually has good fertility, so you don't need any additional plant fertilizer. Another good quality of clay soil is that it retains water. If you plant your plants in clay soil, you may only need to water them twice a week during the growing season.
Soil for hydrangeas in containers
In general, an all-purpose clay-based mix works best for potted hydrangeas. However, remember that if you grow a blue variety, you will need to maintain the acidity level over time. You should also refresh the mulch layer around your potted hydrangea every spring. Additional feeding is usually not necessary. Consider not providing the hydrangea with too much nitrogen, as this can encourage leaf growth and flowering may not be as abundant.
