“Annabelle” is a very large and bushy growing viburnum hydrangea with huge, striking creamy white flowers. Like all hydrangeas, this hydrangea has high water and nutrient requirements.
How should you fertilize the Annabelle hydrangea?
The Annabelle hydrangea should be fertilized with mature compost or cattle manure at the beginning of the growing season. A regular supply of nutrients with special hydrangea fertilizer, which is available in liquid or granulated form, optimally supports the plant. Caution is advised with nitrogen and phosphorus as they can affect flower formation.
Ensure balanced fertilization
Like all flowering plants, hydrangeas like “Annabelle” only develop their magnificent flowers with sufficient and, above all, balanced fertilization. The emphasis is primarily on the word “balanced”, because both too little and too much fertilizer damages the plants in the long term. The plant indicates an insufficient supply of nutrients by chlorosis, in which the leaves turn yellow, but the leaf veins remain green.
Compost or cattle manure at the beginning of the growing season
At the beginning of the growing season you can incorporate mature mixed compost into the soil of the site. This not only has the advantage that the plant receives a starting signal for the development of new shoots in spring, but the soil is also loosened. Compost mixed with coffee grounds is particularly suitable. Cattle manure is also very well tailored to the special needs of the “Annabelle” hydrangea. Only horse or poultry manure is not suitable due to its high nitrogen content.
Advantages and disadvantages of natural fertilization
In principle, fertilization with compost or manure is welcome, as garden waste can be wonderfully recycled into the natural cycle in this way. However, these fertilizers have the disadvantage that their nutrient composition fluctuates greatly and is therefore not always in line with requirements. Deficiency symptoms must therefore always be eliminated with specially tailored mineral fertilizers.
Regular nutrient supply with hydrangea fertilizer
Another advantage of mineral fertilizers is that they are water-soluble and are therefore immediately available to the plant. Organic fertilizers first have to be broken down by soil organisms and thus made available, which can take between three to four weeks. A special, commercially available hydrangea fertilizer (€8.00 on Amazon) is best suited for hydrangeas, as it is perfectly tailored to the high nutrient requirements of this group of plants. The fertilizer is available in both liquid and granular form.
Be careful with nitrogen and phosphorus
Although nitrogen and phosphorus are indispensable components of every fertilizer, they should not be used excessively, especially in flowering plants. Nitrogen in particular fuels the growth of hydrangeas, but at the same time hinders the shrubs from flowering.
Tips & Tricks
If you want to know how well your garden soil is supplied with nutrients and what it might still be missing, you can send soil samples to a soil testing center. There you will receive an analysis and instructions for individually correct fertilization.
