![]() ![]() Condon explains that to achieve blue blooms, you must have soil that is decidedly more acidic with a pH lower than 5.5.Īlkaline soil - with a pH of 7.0 or above - generates pink and red blooms, while white hydrangeas will bloom in soils with a neutral pH between 6.0 and 6.2. ![]() Generally speaking, more aluminum will give you blue blooms, while soil with little to no aluminum will bloom more pink or red. ![]() I bought Espoma Garden Lime to hopefully turn my hydrangeas pink again. No head-spinning chemistry calculations to make. A no-brainer for a visual person like me. Hydrangeas act as a sort of mood ring to tell you the soil conditions of your garden. The label on the package simply says Pink Blossoms or Blue Blossoms. "It's a strange thing because aluminum is toxic to most plants, but hydrangeas, particularly the macrophyllas and serratas, tolerate a small amount of it and that's what gives us blue." "Many talk about pH, and that is important, but the first requirement in the soil is you have to have aluminum," Condon said. Many resources will say the hydrangea colors depend on soil pH, which isn't quite true. Specifically, it depends on the aluminum available in the soil. Condon said it depends on the makeup of the soil. While you might desire a specific color hydrangea - a raspberry red or a brilliant blue - it actually isn't up to you. Over his 50 years of working with hydrangeas, Condon gets asked all the time about why hydrangeas aren't blooming in the colors intended. While the most common colors are pink, blue and purple, hydrangea blooms can also be red, white and green. Hydrangea blooms come in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes. For more plant advice, check out the best locations for plants in your home, and the best indoor plants for low light, clean air and easy care. To get the lowdown on hydrangea colors, I spoke to expert Mal Condon, curator of hydrangeas at Heritage Museums and Gardens - and more aptly known as "the Hydrangea Guy" - to find out what makes hydrangeas change color and to get a few tips on how to actually get the color of bloom you want. There's a particularly scientific explanation as to why your hydrangeas might not achieve the color you want. You probably assume that the blooms will surely look the same planted in your yard as they did at the nursery, right? Well, not necessarily when it comes to hydrangeas. This is a common mistake made by novice and seasoned gardeners alike. And while I loved the soft pink blooms of our hydrangeas, my mom would often remark on how they never bloomed bright blue like she wished they would. My family even had a few bushes in the back, where the hydrangeas could enjoy a lot of direct sunlight and pockets of scattered shade throughout the day. I have vivid memories of driving around my neighborhood and seeing the vibrant pink, white and lilac blooms on almost every front lawn. If you have a hydrangea variety that blooms on new wood, you can also cut them now (or wait for March).Growing up in eastern North Carolina, I considered the cloudlike blooms of hydrangea shrubs to be synonymous with the spring and summer months. 1 Check Your Species 2 Test your Soil 3 Changing To Blue Flowers 3.1 Add Aluminum Sulfate 3.2 Add Organic Matter 3.3 Use High Potassium Fertilizer 4 Changing to Pink Flowers 4. If you have an old wood blooming variety, your work is done for the season, since it will remain dormant through February. You can also prioritize pruning hydrangeas that bloom on old wood this month. Use October to top off your mulch to maintain a 2-to-3-inch layer for added winter protection. Remove and discard any foliage with leaf spots to minimize the chance of reinfection next year. Your hydrangea has most likely gone dormant at this stage of the year and needs little to no attention. The hydrangeas can be snipped and displayed as cut colors during this time, if you wish. You shouldn't fertilize your plants after July, so this month, you are free to admire your hard work. Now is also a smart time to deadhead any early bloomers to encourage more growth. You will begin to see the fruits of your labor in July, as the varieties that bloom on old wood peak types that required a heavy pruning to blossom on new wood should also begin to flower. You may also need to begin providing supplemental water during June if the weather is hot and dry. Put down a 2-to-3-inch layer of shredded bark mulch around the roots to keep hydrangeas cool and moist in the coming heat.Īdminister another round of fertilizer. If you have an established fertilizer schedule, apply another round now. If you have a hydrangea variety that changes color based on the pH, get your soil tested. Begin fertilizer routine, using a granular option specially designed for woody plants.Ĭontinue your monthly fertilizer routine and keep greenery away from garden pests. Prune hydrangeas that bloom on new wood by cutting plant back about one-third of its total height. ![]()
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