Hydrangea flowers effortlessly attract attention, especially when their blooms are huge and a mesmerising shade of blue. These shrubs are some of the showiest blooms, standing out as a focal point in the garden, a vase, or as bouquets.
What’s more, hydrangeas are relatively easy plants to grow and are hardy across most of the country. However, for them to give the best display, they need to be fertilised properly, reports the Express.
Unsure of what to use on her hydrangeas, Julia Pitman took to the Hydrangeas in the UK Facebook page to gather insight, asking: "What's the best feed for hydrangeas please?" It resulted in many top tips.
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Some of the quickest responses were for special foods for hydrangeas. Suggestions included Vitax Hydrangea Feed which costs £8.42 on Amazon or Westland Hydrangea Feed that you can get for £5.89 on Amazon.
Oksana Avdienko shared a photo of the Vitax Hydrangea Feed and said: "I've been using this one for a few years and my hydrangeas are happy." Fellow gardener Wendy Hartery suggested: "I use Westland Hydrangea Feed. I get it from my local garden centre. I started using it last year and my hydrangeas were gorgeous with it."
However, items much cheaper - and closer to home - were also suggested by many. Julia was told to use things from the kitchen to make her hydrangeas better, with one even able to change the colour of the flowers.
Ewelina Bukala said: "I used a few apples from my tree, had beautiful flowers." Barbara Tomaszewska said: "I always use coffee grounds on my hydrangeas and it works well."
Gardening expert Dorthe Lauthe also weighed in on the subject. She said: "Yoghurt and all sour milk products really. Use a lot and you get magnificent bigger blooms of a deep blue colour. Have used it for over 40 years."
Fellow expert, landscape gardener Kelly Martin, also believed yoghurt could work its magic. She said yogurt boosts two important things plants need to grow - organic matter and nitrogen.
She said: "One of the main benefits of yoghurt in the garden is that it acts as an organic fertiliser. Yogurt can be watered down so it's about one soup spoon of yogurt to each mug of water, then tip it onto the earth to feed your flowers naturally."
For those who plump for yoghurt, it is readily available and inexpensive too. A half-kilo pot of yoghurt is currently priced at only 35p in Aldi and 90p in Sainsbury's.
