Hydrangeas can grow lovely big flowers if you water them in the right way, an expert has explained. Amy Enfield from ScottsMiracle-Gro has three tips to help these lovely plants produce big beautiful flowers.
If you look after the hydrangea bushes in your garden well, they can have bold and bright flowers throughout spring and summer. You can get even more flowers if you water the bushes in a specific way. Amy also had a warning about how much fertiliser to use during spring.
Amy told the Martha Stewart website that "hydrangeas should be watered deeply several times per week to encourage deep root growth. It is also best to water in the morning to help reduce wilting during the heat of day."
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It's important to water the bottom of the plant so that the leaves and flowers don't get wet, reports the Express.
So, the three watering tricks for beautiful hydrangeas are:
- Water hydrangeas deeply several times a week
- Water the base rather than the flowers
- Water hydrangeas in the morning
There are other ways to make sure hydrangeas have lots of colourful flowers. Putting mulch around the hydrangeas will help keep the soil moist and cool, conditions in which they thrive.
Amy said: "All hydrangea types grow best with consistent moisture, but big leaf and smooth hydrangeas need more water than other kinds."
Where you put hydrangeas in your garden is very important for how they will flower.
"Avoid planting your hydrangea where it gets hot, direct full afternoon sun," Amy advised.
Even though the plant is likely to survive, being in the hot sun all the time can make it have fewer flowers. They like to get some shade.
The best time to plant the tougher types of hydrangeas is in September. This gives their roots time to grow before the flowers come out in June.
If you want your hydrangeas to flower this summer, be careful with fertiliser. A bit can help make the flowers big and beautiful, but too much isn't good.
Amy said: "Additional plant food can be used throughout the growing season, but keep in mind that adding too much nitrogen to the soil in spring may reduce flowering."
