1 day Ago By Katherine McPhillips
Hydrangeas are incredibly thirsty plants that need to stay hydrated if you wish for them to grow properly. These beautiful flowers have dense thin roots that tend to dry out faster than other plants , especially during the warmer and windier weather in April. If hydrangeas do not get enough water in spring , they are more likely to grow fewer blooms due to their weak roots.
However, you do not need to spend all day out in the garden with a watering can. Louise Findlay-Wilson, a Cotswold gardener and founder of Blooming Lucky, has shared an effortless way to ensure hydrangeas stay moist using only leaves scattered about the garden. Louise said: “I mulch my hydrangeas every year in the spring after pruning them, using homemade leaf mould.
This is ideal as I’m not trying to provide nutrition. I’m just trying to condition the soil and help retain its moisture – important for my thirsty old hydrangeas!” Making your own leaf mould is simple and one of the best ways to help hydrangeas, which need consistent water for their buds to develop in spring. Leaf mould retains water like a sponge , so the soil has more moisture, giving hydrangeas the support they need without having to be watered constantly.
Not only does leaf mould give hydrangeas plenty of water , but it also slowly releases organic material into the soil to help support worms, which also encourages healthier root growth. Louise said: “Leaf mould is brilliant on both these fronts. Its lovely, crumbly nature adds fantastic structure to your soil and provides a great home for earthworms and beneficial bacteria.
“And it’s fantastic at retaining water. Apparently, some studies have found that adding leaf mould increases water retention in soils by over 50%.” All you need to do is gather fallen leaves in your garden.
Autumn is obviously the ideal time to do this, but it can also be done in springtime. Once you have gathered all the leaves, shed them into smaller pieces to help them decompose even faster and then place them in a bag or sack. Make sure the bag you are using is made of tough, breathable material, such as a mesh bag.
Do not use black plastic bin liners, as they tend to be quite flimsy and more likely to tear. Then pour some water on them to let so the leaves are damp and place them outside in a shady area of the garden. Keep the leaf mould moist, then shake the bag and turn over the leaves every few weeks to aerate them.
Leave it in your garden for the next few months, and you will have a crumbly leaf mould that you can use on your hydrangeas. Simply spread the leaf mould around the soil of your hydrangeas, and you will have bigger and more robust flowers that are more likely to bloom for longer..
