Boost Hydrangea Blooms With These Easy Homemade Fertilizers

Are your hydrangeas not blooming? Or are they blooming, but the flowers seem weak? Your plants may need fertilizing! If so, I have the perfect solution for you (and it won’t cost you a cent!).

More than cost or expense, the main issue of fertilizer use is often accessibility. But, believe it or not, there’s a homemade solution for this or rather a few homemade solutions! 

In this article, we’ll go over ways to make your own homemade fertilizer and promote faster hydrangea growth and blooming with them. 

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

Before you start, and to show you that it’s worth reading the whole article, I’m going to give you a SUPER FERTILIZER that I’ve been using for over 5 years… I put 10 banana peels in a container with 10 liters of water for 4 days. At the end of those 4 days, I use that water to water my hydrangeas for 2 weeks. This mixture works wonders! I’ll give you more details below!

Get Massive Hydrangea Blooms with These Simple Homemade Fertilizers

1. Coffee Grounds: A Boost of Nitrogen

Coffee grounds are rich in important nutrients, particularly nitrogen, which plants like hydrangeas need to promote lush foliage development and overall growth (read this article that reveals 17 plants that LOVE coffee grounds).

They also contain decent amounts of potassium and phosphorus which aid with blooming and development of strong root systems. 

You can either add coffee grounds to compost and mix it up with other organic matter to make nutrient-dense compost OR sprinkle them directly on top of the soil.

However, be careful with the latter option as coffee grounds are slightly acidic. Use them in moderation to help balance alkaline soil and make it suitable for acid-loving plants. 

2. Banana Peels: Packed with Potassium

Banana peels are known for their high potassium content.

Using them as fertilizer for your hydrangeas will yield better root development, improved plant health, and colorful blooms that can really uplift your garden to another dimension.

Again, there are two primary ways you can go about using banana peels as a fertilizer: 

3. Eggshells: Calcium for Stronger Stems

Egg shells can make for an extraordinary fertilizer considering the fact that they’re rich in calcium. Calcium not only helps support soil structure but also strengthens plant cell walls.

Your hydrangeas can definitely use a good calcium boost if they appear wilted, dull, or unable to support their structure.

To use eggshells as fertilizer, simply crush them into a fine powder and sprinkle them around the base of your hydrangeas. But, don’t just leave the powder dusted on top of the soil; mix it in a little.

The eggshells will release nutrients slowly, meaning your hydrangeas will have a steady supply of calcium over a period of time.

I believe you should read this article with 10 thinks every hydrangea owner NEEDS to know.

4. Epsom Salt: Magnesium for Vibrant Colors

Epsom salt is mainly composed of magnesium sulfate which can be used as a fertilizer due to its high magnesium content.

The nutrient is vital for plants to conduct photosynthesis effectively, produce healthier foliage, and encourage overall growth. 

A few tell-tale signs of magnesium deficiency in plants include curling leaves, slower growth, premature leaf drop, and overall droopiness. 

To use Epsom salt for fertilizing your hydrangeas, simply dissolve a large tablespoon or two of Epsom salt in a gallon of water and water the base soil with it once every month during the growing season for the best results.

5. Compost: The All-Round Fertilizer

Compost has been the ultimate method of fertilization for centuries. It’s time-proven, efficient, and provides plants with all the nutrients they need to thrive. 

The best thing about compost is that you can adjust nutrient levels and profiles according to what your plants need most. I.e. Hydrangeas prefer slightly acidic soil, so more of something like coffee grounds in your compost bin may be beneficial to make the compost more acidic. 

To make compost at home, get hold of a compost bin and place it somewhere outside your house so that the smell of organic matter decomposing doesn’t reach you.

Add whatever shells, grounds, papers, leaves, and food scraps you have at home into it and let them decompose over a period of time. 

Turn the pile every once in a while and add some water to it if it appears too dry. In a few months, you’ll have nutrient-dense compost ready to boost your hydrangea blooms!

Conclusion

Although store-bought chemical fertilizers are the first thing that comes to mind when pondering over the topic of fertilization, your hydrangeas can actually benefit just as much from a homemade fertilizer. 

There are more than a few ways to make your own fertilizer at home and every single method has some advantages or disadvantages over the other.

Pick one you like and give your hydrangea blooms the nutrient boost they need!