With its pretty pink, white and blue flowers, the hydrangea is one of the most beautiful shrubs and becomes the star plant in our gardens in the summer. Contrary to popular belief, this exceptional plant is not at all difficult to maintain, but some gardeners continue to make mistakes that can jeopardize the proper development of the hydrangea. To avoid all the missteps, today we reveal all the mistakes to avoid for proper maintenance of the hydrangea and enjoy enchanting blooms every summer!
Hydrangea care: the 7 mistakes to avoid for a beautiful and generous flowering
Whether it is watering, fertilizing, pruning or simply a good placement, it is important to master several good gestures to have a shrub in excellent health. That said, the editorial team has brought to light the most common mistakes to avoid so that your garden can benefit from exceptional flowering. Let’s go!
Plant the shrub in calcareous soil
Hydrangea is an acidophilic plant, which means that it appreciates acidic soils and not calcareous ones. The plant also prefers rich, moist and fresh soils and is best planted in heather soil.
Hydrangea care: Incorrect exposure
Exposing your hydrangeas to full sun is a mistake that should not be made, because these shrubs do not tolerate heat well and do not tolerate heat waves at all. Offer them a position in partial shade, especially in the southern regions of France. Too much light could cause the hydrangea leaves to turn black.
Inappropriate watering
To successfully care for hydrangeas in the open ground and in pots, knowing how to water them correctly is an important step. In summer and especially during their flowering period, these generously flowering plants require a lot of water. Be careful with overwatering, because excess water encourages root rot. To have beautiful hydrangeas it is also important to water with rainwater or filtered water avoiding hard water.
Watering at the right time of day also matters, especially when it is too hot. What does this mean exactly? Plan watering early in the morning or in the evening to avoid evaporation of the water. Finally, be sure to empty the saucer of the potted hydrangea since stagnant water will damage the root system. In this context, be sure to add clay balls to promote good drainage.
Do not prune the hydrangea
Failure to prune the hydrangea will hinder its flowering for the next season. Although there are many sizes throughout the year, there are two that are the most important. Autumn pruning consists of cleaning the plant by removing dead branches and faded flowers. As for the size of the hydrangea in late winter, it is more important and involves some interventions. To do it without counterfeiting, consult our article by clicking on the pink link above.
forget to fertilize
Application of fertilizer is an essential part of hydrangea maintenance. This will increase the flowering of the shrub by improving the quality of the flowers. As for the product, a special fertilizer for hydrangeas is necessary. However, we recommend favoring natural fertilizer for hydrangeas to avoid the use of chemicals.
Regardless of whether your hydrangea is in a pot or in the ground, fertilization is done twice a year. The first occurs in spring when the first leaves appear, while the second occurs in July, that is, during flowering.
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