Are you interested in fertilizing your hydrangea, but don’t know what the BEST Hydrangea Fertilizers are for your specific type?
Are you interested in learning more about the different types of hydrangea fertilizers and how to use them?
After hours and hours of research, I have created the article, 10 BEST Hydrangea Fertilizers.
The list below is sorted by the most expensive to least expensive hydrangea fertilizers.
And scroll down to the bottom of this article to find answers to the 7 Most Frequently Asked Questions about Hydrangea Fertilizers!
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10 BEST Hydrangea Fertilizers
1. Osmocote Flower & Vegetable Plant Food
- Fertilizer Type: 15-9-12
- NPK Ratio: Granular
- Benefits: Feeds up to 4 months, ideal for perennials, inexpensive, provides vigorous growth
Osmocote produces a great fertilizer that promotes vigorous growth and root development.
It is a
In addition, this fertilizer lasts up for 4 months and is perfect if you want beautiful blooms!
Best of all is how easy it is to use! Just sprinkle, water, and you are done!
2. JR Peter Blossom Booster Fertilizer
- Fertilizer Type: 10-30-20
- NPK Ratio: Water-Soluble
- Benefits: Great for gentle plants, easy to use, feeds through roots and leaves
If you want the best water-soluble hydrangea fertilizer on the market then look no further than JR Peter.
This type of fertilizer is perfect to help your hydrangea have bigger and better blossoms!
It feeds your plant through roots and leaves, is a great transplant solution, and comes in numerous sizes!
3. Osmocote Plus Plant Food
- Fertilizer Type: 15-9-12
- NPK Ratio: Granular
- Benefits: Has some of the most nutrients, little amount needed, and no burning!
If you are looking for an all-around great flower fertilizer then you have found it.
This fertilizer is the best formula and contains 11 essential nutrients. In addition, it works for all plant varieties.
This is incredibly easy to use and feeds up to 6 months. In addition, Osmocote guarantees these against burns too.
If you want a fertilizer that will provide everything your hydrangea needs then look no further!
4. Miracle-Gro Miracid Plant Food
- Fertilizer Type: 18-18-21
- NPK Ratio: Water-Soluble
- Benefits: instantly feeds, provides large blooms, great acidic provider
If you need a water-soluble fertilizer that will add acidity to your hydrangea and cover a large area then you should buy the Miracle-Gro Miracid.
This fertilizer was made with hydrangeas in mind and can be applied every two weeks!
What sets this type of fertilizer apart is that it will not only not burn your plant, but it will also not harm other plants around it.
And best of all is how easy it is to use and how little you will need!
5. Bayer Advanced Flower Care
- Fertilizer Type: 9-14-9
- NPK Ratio: Granular
- Benefits: A little feed a large amount, fertilizes, control insects, and control diseases, no spraying needed.
This is a great fertilizer for flowers and numerous hydrangeas. It can literally treat up to 15 hydrangeas at once.
This is a 3 systemic products in one. It controls insects, diseases, and fertilizers all at once. It is recommended to apply it every 6 weeks.
Best of all is that this fertilizer does not require spraying, promotes strong root growth, and flower bloom, and is inexpensive.
6. Miracle-Gro All Purpose Plant Food
- Fertilizer Type: 24-8-16
- NPK Ratio: Water-Soluble
- Benefits: Safe, can use frequently, does not burn plants, and reasonably priced
If you are looking for an
This fertilizer instantly feeds providing bigger, better fruit. You can apply it every two weeks with a garden feeder. The best part is that this is not just for flowers.
This is by far one of the best hydrangea fertilizers out there and is perfect for beginners!
7. Miracle-Gro Bloom Booster Flower Food
- Fertilizer Type: 10-52-10
- NPK Ratio: Water-Soluble
- Benefits: Inexpensive, covers a large surface area, when used as directed you will not overfeed or burn hydrangeas
This is an unbelievable flower food for all blooming plants. It instantly feeds. And it is recommended that you feed every 2 weeks.
What I love about this is that it helps you prevent overfeeding and burning as long as you follow the instructions.
What you’ll love about this fertilizer though is that it is perfect for all blooming flowers and it can be safely combined with numerous other fertilizers and additives.
8. Miracle-Gro Tree & Shrub Plant Food Spikes
- Fertilizer Type: 15-5-10
- NPK Ratio: Spikes
- Benefits: Inexpensive, low maintenance, contains natural ingredients
The Miracle-Gro Food Spikes is a great fertilizer for hydrangeas for anyone who wants to use fertilizer spikes.
Fertilizer spikes stick into the ground, immediately release nutrients for root growth to promote strong plants.
What you’ll love about this is you only have to use it once a year and it is very effective for a little amount of money.
Not only this, but it contains natural ingredients and is specially made for acidic loving plants like hydrangeas.
9. Dr. Earth Organic Fertilizer
- Fertilizer Type: 10-10-10
- NPK Ratio: Granular
- Benefits: People & pet safe, inexpensive, 100% organic, makes soil 100% acidic
If you are looking for an organic fertilizer option for your hydrangeas then look no further than Dr. Earth’s Organic Fertilizer.
This fertilizer is people & pet safe, 100% organic, and makes the soil 100% acidic immediately.
Not only this, but it contains seven champion strains of probiotics, including soil microbes that will make your plants have superior buds and blooms!
If you want to eliminate the need for chemicals then look no further!
10. Jobe’s Organic All Purpose Fertilizer
- Fertilizer Type: 4-4-4
- NPK Ratio: Spikes
- Benefits: Organic, patented microbe technology, and easy to use
Jobe’s Organic Fertilizer is one of the best and most well-known organic fertilizer brands on the market.
This fertilizer is organic, comes in a spike form, and is made with their proprietary owned microbes that will make your hydrangeas better than ever.
Not only this, but you will never have to worry about runoff with using spikes, is very inexpensive, and is time-released meaning you only have to use it once a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a NPK Ratio?
NPK stands for the ratio of Nitrogen to Phosphorus to Potassium.
Typically, hydrangeas need 3 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet.
For almost all hydrangeas you will want a fertilizer with a 10-10-10 ratio.
2. How Do I Choose a Hydrangea Fertilizer?
Choosing a Hydrangea Fertilizer will depend on what you want them to do.
- Bloom Boosting Fertilizer – This is good for blooming hydrangeas that dies after a short amount of time.
- Strengthening Fertilizer – This is good for hydrangeas not blossoming. This will help hydrangeas absorbing water and root growth.
- Organic – This will not only help your hydrangeas but the soil around it.
3. How Do I Fertilize Hydrangeas?
If you want to fertilize hydrangeas there are several important tips you should follow:
- First, use a pH tester to ensure your soil is between 5.5-6.5
- Apply fertilizer according to the instructions on the label
- Apply liquid fertilizer more frequently
Watch the below video on how to fertilize hydrangeas
4. What are the Different Types of Hydrangea Fertilizers?
A) Granular
Granular fertilizer is a dry fertilizer that can be applied with a spreader or shaken.
One of the benefits of this type of fertilizer is that you can see the actual fertilizer. You can also see where you have applied it and where it needs to be applied.
This type of fertilizer can be slow-release or quick-release.
Slow-Release fertilizer releases nutrients steadily over an extended period of time. This means you only have to fertilize once or twice a year.
Quick-Release delivers nitrogen immediately. Because of this, you will need to fertilize frequently.
Make sure you read the instructions of the fertilizer to have a better understanding of how to do this.
B) Liquid
Another type of fertilizer for your hydrangea is liquid fertilizer.
Liquid fertilizer needs to be diluted before it can be applied. It can be applied using a canister, hose, or a watering can.
It is easy to apply and is quickly absorbed.
One of the disadvantages of this type of fertilizer is that it can wash away from the rain.
So make sure to apply this when no rain is in the forecast.
C) Spikes
The final type of fertilizer that can be applied to your hydrangea is spikes.
Spikes are fertilizer in the shape of sticks. This is a slow-release fertilizer meaning it will be released over time.
It is applied directly to the ground and is incredibly easy to use.
This is perfect for beginner hydrangea growers.
5. What Should I Consider When Buying Hydrangea Fertilizer?
Below, are 4 Tips I recommend before purchasing fertilizer.
Tip 1 – Get your soil tested!
Before you purchase the BEST Hydrangea Fertilizer you must first understand what nutrients your hydrangea currently lacks.
For this, you will want to conduct two tests.
You will first need to conduct a soil test. For this, I recommend purchasing a home soil test.
Next, I recommend continuously testing your soil. For this, I recommend a pH Meter.
Tip 2 – Fertilize with the right nutrients!
When analyzing your soil test there are numerous nutrients your plants may need.
Below, is a list of the nutrients plants need for strong growth.
- Carbon – This is found in the air and is essential for plant growth
- Hydrogen – This is found in water and again is needed for plants to grow strong
- Oxygen – This is found in water and air. This is a key component that all other nutrients will use to help plants grow.
- Nitrogen – This is the most lacking nutrient in garden soil. This is the one nutrient that can help plants grow the fastest
- Phosphorous– This nutrient helps stimulate root growth
- Potassium – This nutrient helps plants become more disease and drought-resistant
- Magnesium – This helps plants better process sunlight
- Sulfur – This nutrient provides plants with protein. This is the building block of life
- Other nutrients that are needed for plant growth are boron, copper, iron, zinc, chlorine, and manganese.
- Related Article: Ultimate Composting Guide: What to Compost
Tip 4 – Decide on Organic or Synthetic
My next tip for deciding on the Best Hydrangea Fertilizer is simple:
Buy either organic or synthetic fertilizer.
Synthetic fertilizer releases nutrients quickly and should be applied in the spring.
- This type of fertilizer comes in liquid, granular, or spikes.
Organic fertilizer releases nutrients slowly and should be applied in the fall. It typically is not concentrated meaning that the odds of killing plants are much less.
Below, are my three favorite organic fertilizers.
Jobe’s Organic All Purpose Fertilizer
Tip 4 – Learn the best time to fertilize!
While a soil test is a great way to determine what nutrients are lacking, there are other things to beware of.
- You can tell if there is a fertilizer deficiency if your plants have yellow or small leaves.
- In addition, there is a deficiency if there is poor flowering
- Finally, there is a deficiency if the plant is small.
- You can tell if there is too much fertilizer if you have all yellow leaves. In addition, there is too much fertilizer if there are poor quality flowers
6. When Should I Fertilize Hydrangeas?
When you should fertilize hydrangeas depends on the fertilize you use and the soil.
- Always read the instructions for best use!
- Apply a fast-release fertilizer in March, May, and July to promote the best growth
- Apply a slow-release fertilizer after the last frost in early spring to promote the best growth.
7. What Alternatives Can I Use to Hydrangeas Fertilizers?
If you do not want to use retail or commercial hydrangea fertilizers then you can use the below alternatives. These alternatives will not only help your plant but the soil around it:
- Alfalfa Meal (perfect alternative to chemicals)
- Epsom Salt (perfect if you want to change the color of your hydrangea bloom)
- Kelp Meal (perfect for hydrangeas in containers)
Conclusion
As a reminder
- All hydrangeas should be fertilized in early spring. Make sure you read the instructions and apply them as needed.
- There are three types of hydrangea fertilizer; Granular, Liquid, and Spikes. Each one meets the different needs of a gardener and you may have to use all three.
- Organic is a great hydrangea fertilizer to be used if you want to improve soil quality and plant quality.
- I recommend getting your soil tested, deciding to use organic or synthetic, and what type of NPK mix you need.
- Any of the above 10 fertilizers are great options. All are reasonably priced, easy to use, and can dramatically improve your hydrangea plant growth and blooms.
- If you would like to use alternatives to commercial fertilizer then purchase Kelp Meal, Alfalfa Meal, or Epsom Salt.
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