What affects the color of hydrangeas?
If you want to grow blue hydrangea, you should plant it in acidic soil. PPink and red hydrangeas thrive in neutral or alkaline soil.
As a quick guide, acidic soil with a pH of less than 5.5 will grow hydrangeas with blue flowers. Plants grown in soil with a pH greater than 5.5 will develop pink flowers.
Unfortunately, white hydrangeas are generally not affected by soil pH. No matter what you do, white flowers will stay white and tend to prefer the same conditions as pink and red hydrangeas.
How to change the color of hydrangeas
Wait two years
Do not try to change the color of hydrangeas until they have been in the ground for at least two years. If you try to change colors earlier, you may find that they don't rebound as well because there won't be enough time to recover from the shock of planting.
Then, when you are ready to plant, test your soil. Contact your local nursery to find out how much aluminum sulfate can be used to change the acidity of the soil, and then change the color as followsguide to operate.
You can test your soil by collecting a small soil sample from your garden, ideally as close to the hydrangeas as possible. Pour some distillation >Oldwhite vinegar. If it foams, the pH is high - your soil is alkaline. If not, it is acidic or neutral.
Change pink hydrangea to blue
Want your pink hydrangeas to turn blue? You need to increase the acidity of the soil. For this purpose, yearly one-quarter ounce of aluminum sulfate font>The solution is added three times to one gallon of water. TThis colorless salt can be purchased at any garden center.
First apply aluminum sulfate to the soil when plants begin growing in the spring. Do this twice during the growing season, preferably three to four weeks apart. A balanced fertilizer should also be applied annually in the spring.
Change blue hydrangeas to pink
If you want to switch the other way, you will need to increase the alkalinity of the soil (or decrease its acidity). For this you will need ground stone in the spring or autumn Greystoneor Dolomite LimeAdd< /font>into the soil. Do this at a rate of 4 pounds per 100 square feet. Well.
It is important to test the soil before adding this solution – too much alkalinity can cause the plant’s leaves to suffer green disease or die.
You can also apply a 25-10-10 fertilizer in the spring or fall. Ais that a bit higher in phosphate fertilizer should do the trick, and this too This will help prevent aluminum poisoning in your hydrangeas.
Use natural soil conditioners
When you are trying to change the alkalinity or acidity of your soil, remember that you don't have to rely solely on ground limestone or aluminum sulfate to accomplish this.
You can also use other natural modifications. If the soil needs to be made acidic, this should be done by adding compost, coffee grounds Or pine needlesand other amendments to increase the aluminumcontent.
Other notes
Hydrangeas will usually change color on their own in the fall, but not necessarily in the way you want. As they age, they sometimes turn pink, green, or tan, and die each fall.
Water hardness also affects flower color. Hard water (water with a high mineral content) can cause yourBlue flowers turn pink. If you want to avoid this, use rainwater to water your hydrangeas.
Don’t forget that when watering your hydrangeas, the acidity or alkalinity of the water will also affect the color of the flowers.
When you first bring a nursery hydrangea home, it may be just one color - but when you plant it outside , don't be surprised if it changes color! Keep in mind that knowing how to change the color of your hydrangea ultimately depends on your soil type and pH - so you might be pleasantly surprised when you get your new chameleon plant in the ground.
