Trying to save my Blue

[imabrdwaystar]

Help Help...I purchased my first Nikko Blue a few monthes ago. It was doing so well and had grown so well, until it took a turn for the worst just after Easter.
I water it very regularly in the mornings and never over water...I had been giving it Miracle Grow which it seemed to like just fine...until lately it had brown spots on the leaves and flowers...I've pruned that off though.
I'm thinking of planting it in the ground, however, I live in Richmond, VA and the soil here is like clay at times. How can I prepare the soil so my beautiful Blue will survive? Is there something I can give it...a prefered fertilizer?...what do I give it if it has a fungus?...etc?

Thank you for any help you can provide

[The Helpful Gardener]

Please read the Hydrangea article first. You may have pruned off your remaining flowers for this year getting rid of those brown spots (a fungus, by the by...)

It would like a more friable, loose soil, so amending with compost and the like would be great. Acidic soils also make for bluer flowers, so peat would be good. Holly-Tone is a great organic fertilizer that also acidifies a soil, so I like that idea a lot...Neem Oil is our preferred fungicide/miticide/inseticide; lay in a supply but look out for flower buds when you spray as they get discolored...

Scott