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Hydrangeas provide gardens with massive bursts of large beautiful multicoloured blooms come summertime.
If you’ve ever admired these impressive flowers, you may have wondered how to achieve such results.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Lindsey Chastain, the founder of The Waddle and Cluck, a blog about all things home and garden, has shared some advice.
She claimed: “Hydrangeas produce their best blooms that have intense colour when fed a steady diet of rich fertiliser.”
Fertilising is an essential part of caring for hydrangea plants, ensuring they receive the nutrients they need to produce those stunning blossoms we all adore.
However, rather than relying solely on chemical-laden store-bought options, she recommends putting your kitchen scraps to work to “cultivate vibrant hydrangea flowers”.
Lindsey said: “Many common food leftovers provide an all-natural fertiliser source packed with nutrients hydrangeas crave.”
One of the first kitchen ingredients gardens can use on their hydrangeas is egg shells. The expert said: “Egg shells are one kitchen staple that makes an excellent pick-me-up for hydrangeas.”
Egg shells act as a natural fertiliser that helps plants absorb more nutrients and water from the soil, leading to bigger blooms.
To use them, crush the empty shells into a powder and sprinkle them around your hydrangea bushes as a calcium-rich soil amendment.
The second household item to use is coffee grounds that are free of excess oils. Lindsey noted that they “deliver a healthy hydrangea dose of nitrogen for lush growth and intense colour”.
The organic matter in coffee grounds improves soil structure and helps with water retention, as well as keeping microbes happy.
The caffeine content in coffee grounds acts as a natural stimulant, promoting microbial activity in the soil and boosting nutrient absorption, resulting in healthier and more robust plants.
The final kitchen staple that can be used for hydrangeas is acidic food scraps. Lindsey explained: “Hydrangeas benefit from acidity, so acidic food scraps like citrus peels or pineapple tops work wonderfully.”
Rich in potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen, adding citrus peels like orange peels to the soil will help your planted hydrangeas not only survive but thrive in their current growth conditions.
To use them for the plan, allow the peels to dry fully before applying them to prevent mould growth.
