Hydrangeas will bloom bigger and turn a vivid colour when fed 1 kitchen scrap this summer
There is a simple way to keep hydrangeas hydrated this summer and get healthier blooms as all you need is one natural ingredient you likely already have in your kitchen cupboard.
Hydrangeas are great to have in gardens due to their stunning blooms and are quick to grow - but you can also help give them a boost this summer with just one item.
John Moore, a gardening expert from Pyracantha, has shared that adding coffee grounds to hydrangea soil helps keep the flower hydrated as it helps the roots absorb water.
He said: “Hydrangeas respond well to coffee grounds in the soil. Most people use coffee grounds to help change the colour of their hydrangea blooms from pink to blue as it makes the soil more acidic but it’s also useful to retain moisture in the soil between watering.”
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Coffee grounds are acidic and will help hydrangeas as the soil will contain more iron, manganese, and phosphorus which the plant need for flowering.
Not only will hydrangeas turn a vivid blue or soft purple colour when fed coffee, but it also works as a natural pest control, as slugs hate the smell and texture of coffee so will not crawl over it in a garden.
How to use coffee grounds to help give hydrangeas a boost
To begin, all you have to do is sprinkle used coffee grounds on top of the soil and leave them to decompose.
If you wish to keep your garden tidy, you can also dig the coffee grounds directly into the soil or add coffee grounds to your compost bin, but be careful as not all flowers or plant will enjoy acidic soil.
However, you will also need to regularly test the soil using a pH soil tester to make sure the ground is becoming more acidic, but it should only take a small amount of coffee to help hydrangeas.
John said: “If your starting pH is neutral (7) you don’t need to add a huge amount of coffee grounds.
“If you have a start point on the alkaline side of the scale, however, you need to take your soil through the neutral point (ph 7) to the acid side.
“This takes more work and more coffee grounds and is not always very effective. You’re “looking for pH 6 to pH 6.5 to get the best blue flowers.”
Coffee grounds act as a soil amendment to help hydrangeas retain water which will make their flowers much bigger and more abundant.
John said: “Adding coffee grounds, which are an organic matter, to your soil adds nitrogen and in turn, this helps the stem, leaf and root development of your plants.
“The soil retains moisture, keeping the roots wetter for longer. If your soil is a bit sticky, add the coffee grounds to your compost to help the soil drain much more easily.”
However, only use coffee grounds in moderation as you only need to feed each hydrangea plant one cup of coffee grounds each month to get the benefits.
The nitrogen in coffee is great for the roots which is how it helps the plant hydrated, but too much fertilisation can cause a nitrogen imbalance will cause the leaves to turn yellow and could stunt the hydrangea’s growth so make sure not to overdo it.
