2 weeks Ago By Katherine McPhillips
Hydrangeas are the most popular plants in British gardens due to their big blooms, but the only way to get their amazing flowers is to properly prepare them for winter. It is incredibly important to fertilise hydrangeas if you want them to produce healthier flowers but this should only be done earlier in the year as fertilising in November can harm your plants . Most flowers naturally begin to go dormant in late so fertilising now is not only pointless but can encourage new weak growth which can make hydrangeas much more vulnerable to frost damage in winter.
Instead, the gardeners Megan and Jesse from Monrovia , have shared that the best way to protect hydrangeas roots from the cold as well as get stronger flowers is to mulch them. They said: “In colder zones mulching protects and insulates the crown and roots of your hydrangeas from extreme winter temperatures. In warmer zones it helps keep moisture in and weeds out.
” Mulching is the simple gardening method of applying organic matter to the soil around your plants to insulate them, which will protect their roots over the winter. The reason plants often die in winter is due to rapid temperature changes which freeze the roots and then thaw them out, which can greatly damage the plant and even outright kill it. Using mulch not only protects your hydrangeas but also means you do not have to worry about tending to them as mulching smothers weeds and helps retain water to keep the plant happy.
The gardening experts said: “If all goes as it should, snow acts as a natural insulator. Weird winters with little snowfall and drastic temperature swings are detrimental to plants. “To give hydrangeas their best chance at success, apply a layer of chunky mulch around the base of the plant.
” How to mulch hydrangeas to prepare them for winter To begin, choose the right natural mulch such as compost, pine needles or you can even use the decaying leaves around your garden for mulch. Many gardeners use one layer of mulch to protect their plants and another layer of mulch as decoration to keep their gardens looking beautiful in winter. The experts said: “Decorative mulch is helpful but we recommend straw, marsh hay, or fallen leaves.
” The best time to mulch your hydrangeas is in late autumn or early winter once the first frost of the year has appeared and the ground has frozen it means the plant has gone dormant. Be careful and research when the temperature is meant to drop in your local area as mulching too early can attract pests and take the plant out of dormancy. The experts said: “Mulching too early invites rodents to make this their cosy winter dwelling.
Thus causes rotting and disease, or tricks the plant into thinking it's time to wake up. “Be patient, just because your neighbours are doing it early, doesn’t mean you have to too.” Once you have picked your mulch and have waited, apply a thick layer of six to eight inches of mulch around your hydrangeas.
Leave a gap of a few centimetres wide around the base of the plant and do not get any mulch on the hydrangea foliage as it can smother the plant. The experts said: “This insulates plants and protects plants from the heave-ho of spring freeze/thaw cycles.” Once you have applied your mulch keep an eye on your hydrangeas and apply more throughout winter if needed, but this simple task will keep your plant protected so it comes back stronger in the springtime.
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