A horticulturalist has revealed three watering tricks to ensure your hydrangeas produce big and beautiful blooms. Amy Enfield, a horticulturalist at ScottsMiracle-Gro explained how hydrangea shrubs can display bold and bright flowers throughout spring and summer with the right care, and more blooms can be encouraged by following the expert’s watering advice.
Speaking to the Martha Stewart website, Amy advised that: “Hydrangeas should be watered deeply several times per week to encourage deep root growth”. The trick is to water the base of the plant in the garden, leaving the leaves and flowers dry. Amy also recommended watering in the morning to help reduce wilting during the heat of the day, reports the Express.
In addition to these watering tips, there are other essential gardening tasks to ensure hydrangeas bloom vividly and plentifully. Adding mulch around the hydrangeas “will help keep the soil moist and cool”, Amy explained.
She added: “All hydrangea types grow best with consistent moisture, but big leaf and smooth hydrangeas require more water than other varieties.”
The location of your hydrangeas in the garden can also greatly affect their blooming. Amy advised against planting your hydrangea where it gets hot, direct full afternoon sun.
Amy said: “While the plant may survive, the constant stress of the full, hot sun will reduce flowering.”
If your hydrangeas are basking in sun all day, you might not be seeing them at their best; they actually flourish with a bit of shade.
Gardeners keen on picture-perfect blooms should mark September in their calendars as the prime planting time for hardy hydrangea varieties, ensuring a solid root system by June’s blooming season.
For those looking to dazzle with their hydrangeas come summertime, it’s crucial to strike the right balance with fertilisation.
A touch can enhance the beauty of your blooms, but overdo it and you risk sabotaging their success.
Gardening expert Amy added: “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.”
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