I’m going to share with you how I prepare my hydrangeas for spring. It’s already mid-April and my hydrangeas are starting to sprout leaves, which is always a welcome sight in my garden. I have to admit I’m a bit of a lazy gardener, so I’ve figured out how to grow my hydrangeas with minimal work. My hydrangeas practically grow on auto-pilot! Below, I’ll show you what I do to get my hydrangeas ready for the growing season.
How to Prepare Your Hydrangeas for Spring
1. Fertilize Your Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas don’t need to be fertilized frequently. Twice a year is ideal—once in the Spring and once in mid-July. But if you only have time to fertilize your hydrangeas once this year, no problem! They will survive.
I had one year when I was guilty of not fertilizing my hydrangeas at all! They still lived, but I did notice fewer flowers. Fertilizing does make a difference in how prolific your hydrangea gets. If you want it to bloom nicely, fertilize it twice a year.
So, the fertilizer that I use on my hydrangea is a slow-release granule fertilizer. I use the balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer. The first number is for nitrogen, the second number is for phosphorus, and the third is for potassium.
If you want to increase the size and quantity of your hydrangea flowers, then get a fertilizer with more phosphorus. Just don’t use high nitrogen fertilizer since that will just result in fewer flowers, more leaves, and longer stems. Trust me, I learned it the hard way.
I like the granule fertilizer as opposed to the liquid fertilizer because I’m just lazy. I find it easier to just sprinkle fertilizer on my hydrangeas. With the liquid fertilizer you will have to mix it with water which is just an extra step in the process.
2. Mulch
I mulch around my hydrangeas once a year in the Spring. I like to add some mulch around the base of the plants. This helps them retain water, so I don’t have to worry about them drying out.
Plus, I can be a lazy gardener because I don’t have to water them as often. I usually water my hydrangeas once a week, but if there’s a heatwave, I’ll increase it a bit. Keep in mind that I live in Connecticut, so if you’re in the south, you will need to water your hydrangeas more often. You can’t get away with once a week watering!
That’s it! Just remember to do two things- mulch and fertilize once a year. Your hydrangeas will grow happily in your garden!
You May Also be Interested in these Hydrangea Care Tips
Step by Step: How to Easily Propagate Hydrangeas (video)
How to Deadhead Hydrangeas (video)
How to Make Hydrangeas Flower (video)
Beginner’s Guide: How to Care for your Hydrangea (video)
Can I Transplant Hydrangeas in the Summer?