Content
- 1 Do I need to feed the hydrangea in the fall
- 2 When to fertilize hydrangeas in autumn
- 3 How to fertilize hydrangea in autumn
- 4 How to feed hydrangeas in autumn
- 5 Tips from seasoned gardeners
- 6 Conclusion
Many summer residents and gardeners, choosing ornamental crops to decorate their plots, prefer hydrangeas. This beautiful shrub is covered with large buds of various shades in spring. In order for the plant to grow well and please with long lush flowering, it is necessary to feed the hydrangea in the fall. This will give her strength and help her accumulate nutrients for increased growth in the spring. For the procedure to be effective, mineral and organic substances should be correctly introduced, observing the technology, dosage and timing.
Do I need to feed the hydrangea in the fall
During its flowering period, the shrub spends a lot of energy. In order for the plant to survive the winter better, the supply of nutrients must be replenished. To improve the appearance and abundant flowering until the very cold, it is necessary to feed the hydrangea in the fall.
Fertilization in the autumn period contributes to the effective laying of flower buds for the next season. If hydrangea is not fed in autumn, it will weaken, become more susceptible to the effects of diseases and pests. The lack of nutrients will also affect the process of inflorescence formation. They will become small, dull shades. The buds will appear less frequently. If you feed the hydrangea in the fall, it will get stronger and with the onset of spring it will begin to grow actively.
With the help of autumn feeding, you can not only strengthen the hydrangea before wintering, but also get a different color of the buds in spring
When to fertilize hydrangeas in autumn
The optimal period for making autumn dressings is the end of August and the beginning of September, when the hydrangea has already faded and the growth of new shoots has stopped. At this time, the root system actively absorbs nutrients from the soil, trying to create a supply of moisture and necessary elements.
Gardeners strive to feed the hydrangea in the fall, so that its stems have time to be covered with a dense layer of bark before the onset of cold weather. The timing of fertilizing hydrangeas with fertilizers in the fall depends on the climatic conditions and the region of growth. Top dressing usually coincides with the beginning of leaf fall and is carried out no later than a month before the onset of frost. The last time fertilizers are applied during the period of shrubs warming.
How to fertilize hydrangea in autumn
Autumn feeding of ornamental shrubs has a beneficial effect on their general condition:
- strengthens the root system;
- feeds weakened plants;
- protects against pests and diseases;
- prepares for wintering;
- creates favorable conditions for more lush and abundant flowering in spring.
To achieve these goals, gardeners use various means, preparations and methods of application.
Feeding hydrangeas in autumn with folk remedies
To maintain the optimal acidity levels required for efficient growth and lush flowering, gardeners often use folk remedies.Unconventional feeding methods fertilize ornamental shrubs no worse than chemical preparations, but, unlike them, are safer for plants and soil.
Fermented milk products
Low-fat kefir, whey or yogurt are diluted in water in a ratio of 1: 4. The resulting solution is watered with hydrangea 2 times a month. If you feed the flower with a solution of lactic acid bacteria, it will enrich it with trace elements and protect it from the development of fungal diseases.
Broadleaf hydrangea can be fed in the fall and by spraying using foliar fertilization. Such an autumn treatment will have a beneficial effect on growth and flowering.
Acidified water
The method has proven itself well for feeding hydrangea varieties with blue inflorescences. 60 g of citric acid or 100 ml of vinegar must be diluted in a bucket of water.
Hydrangea is poured with an acidic solution in the fall at the rate of 0.5 buckets per bush
Sour bread
A homogeneous gruel from sour bread soaked in water is an excellent fertilizer that stimulates the autumn accumulation of nutrients and the growth of hydrangea in spring. It is recommended to apply the agent under shrubs every 10-15 days.
To effectively feed the hydrangea, you can prepare another folk remedy. Add 1 tbsp to the bucket. l. granulated sugar, 1 kg of dark bread rusks or 1 pack of pressed yeast. Stirred with water at room temperature and leave in a warm place for 24 hours.
Glucose solution
1 ampoule of the product, diluted in 1 liter of water, will compensate for the lack of nutrients and provide the hydrangea with additional nutrition. Only healthy plants can be fed with such a solution. In case of detection of fungal diseases, mold, rot, feeding with glucose is contraindicated. This can provoke the reproduction of pathogenic flora.
Potassium permanganate solution
Feeding hydrangeas in autumn with a pink solution of potassium permanganate, diluted in a weak concentration, will strengthen the bark, form the correct crown of the bush, giving it a compact shape and size. Manganese will help to retain moisture in plant tissues and will have a beneficial effect on hydrangea flowering.
succinic acid
250 g of succinic acid in the form of powder or tablets are stirred in 1 liter of water. The resulting solution helps to strengthen the immunity of plants. You can fertilize a garden hydrangea with such a remedy in the fall no more than 1 time a year.
Herbal infusion
Chopped nettle, dandelion, celandine are poured into the barrel and poured with water. To further enrich the solution with microelements, it is recommended to add a bottle of iodine to it. The mixture is covered with a lid and stirred daily for 2 weeks, after which it is diluted with cold water in a ratio of 1: 5. The resulting herbal infusion of hydrangea can be watered in the fall every week.
Folk remedies are simple, affordable and time-tested. If you feed the hydrangea in the fall, observing the rules for fertilizing, in the spring the hydrangea flowers will be beautiful, large and bright.
Fertilizing hydrangeas in autumn with mineral fertilizers
Application of mineral fertilizers in autumn increases soil fertility and stimulates lush flowering in spring. Inorganic compounds have a narrow targeting and must be used in strict accordance with the established scheme.
Potassium sulfate
Potassium sulphate is a high concentration agent, which contains elements such as iron, sulfur, sodium. Potassium-based fertilizers help to strengthen the root system and protect hydrangeas from freezing. Potassium sulfate is used both in liquid and dry form (granules, powder).
The advantage of potassium sulfate is the absence of chlorine in its composition, which is difficult to tolerate by plants.
For the preparation of a nutrient solution 1 tbsp. l. the funds are diluted in 10 liters of water. Each bush should consume at least 7 liters.
Superphosphate
The most common simple mineral phosphorus fertilizer strengthens the immune system and reduces susceptibility to major diseases, stimulates the formation of buds for the next season, which promotes lush flowering in spring.
Superphosphate has a long-term effect on flowering ornamental crops
Feeding hydrangeas in autumn with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers saturates plants with useful nutrients and helps to fill the lack of elements necessary for growth, development and annual beautiful flowering.
Ferrous sulfate
If you feed the hydrangea in the fall with iron sulfate, this will improve the structure of the bark of the shrub, ensure the growth of green mass and the continuation of the hydrangea's flowering period.
If you feed a hydrangea in autumn with iron sulfate, a safe fungicide will protect it from the effects of diseases and pests.
Kalimagnesia
The universal remedy consists of three components - sulfur, potassium and magnesium. Improves the decorativeness of inflorescences, provides the necessary elements for the winter and accelerates the restoration of vegetation in spring.
Kalimag has an environmentally friendly composition, does not contain chlorine and improves the quality of the soil, contributing to increased flowering after the winter cold
To feed the hydrangea in the fall, 20 g of fertilizer is dissolved in 10 liters of water. This amount is spent on 1 adult bush. The drug can also be used dry. To do this, 20 g of powder is scattered around the trunk of the bush, tamping slightly, then watered with water.
Fertika Crystalon
The water-soluble product is specially designed for the nutrition, healthy growth and development of ornamental shrubs. Autumn feeding of large-leaved hydrangea increases the color intensity of flowers and allows you to get the most lush bloom in spring, increasing its duration and intensity.
The liquid concentrated composition is diluted in water in accordance with the instructions
One 200 ml bottle is enough to prepare 50 liters of nutrient solution.
Pokon granules
If you feed the hydrangea in the fall with this long-acting drug, the plant will receive all the necessary substances and will delight with its lush color throughout the next season.
Fertilizer is often used by experienced gardeners to give and maintain the blue color of hydrangeas.
To feed hydrangeas in autumn in September, the granules are mixed with soil, scattered around the trunks of shrubs and watered with plenty of water. Dissolving, the substance is absorbed by the roots, saturating the plants with mineral components.
How to feed hydrangeas in autumn
When preparing ornamental shrubs for wintering, it is necessary to add humus to the soil. It will protect the roots from freezing, and with the onset of spring, as a result of the decomposition process, it will enrich the earth with nitrogen, which activates the flowering process and plant growth.
You can use droppings or manure by dissolving them in water at a ratio of 1:10. Higher concentration can cause burns. The solution is applied in a circle under the root.
Complex funds are applied in September before pruning and sheltering for the winter. In rainy weather, the granules are scattered around the bushes. They will gradually dissolve, feeding the plants. If there is little rainfall, ornamental shrubs can be fed with a liquid composition prepared from the following components:
- 15 g superphosphate;
- 15 g monophosphate;
- 10 liters of water.
For feeding hydrangeas in paniculate autumn, liquid agents are more preferable, since they are better absorbed by the root system.
Tips from seasoned gardeners
Flower buds for the next season begin to form in late summer and early autumn. Early flowering varieties must be fed during this period. Late varieties are fertilized 2 weeks later, before pruning.
By experimenting, you can achieve a change in the shade of the inflorescences:
- regular application of 5 g of alum, diluted in 1 liter of warm water, will change the pink color of the buds to blue;
- a mixture of 70 g of potassium sulfate and 80 g of potassium chloride, combined in a bucket with peat and distributed in the form of mulch near the stems of hydrangea, will color the caps blue;
- potassium permanganate solution, "Flower" and "Agricola-7" preparations will enhance the pink color;
- the combination of loamy peat with river sand will allow you to get a white color of the caps.
Experienced gardeners do not recommend using preparations containing ash or lime. They reduce the acidity of the soil, which negatively affects the splendor of flowering and the appearance of ornamental plants.
Conclusion
In order for ornamental shrubs to delight gardeners with lush flowering in the spring, it is necessary to feed the hydrangea in the fall. Thanks to the complex use of mineral and organic fertilizers, the plants will easily endure the winter and will bloom magnificently in the new season.
