What Makes Hydrangeas Turn Blue – To make hydrangea flowers purple, start by bringing the soil pH to a slightly acidic level between about 5.0 and 6.0. Make sure the plant has sufficient access to important minerals such as aluminum, as well as direct sunlight in the morning and plenty of water.
Making hydrangeas purple is not as difficult as it seems. With the right soil pH, fertilizer, and care, you can easily turn your hydrangea blooms from pink to a beautiful shade of purple.
What Makes Hydrangeas Turn Blue
Soil pH plays an important role in determining flower color for bigleaf and mountain hydrangeas. The ideal soil pH range for this flower to turn a deep shade of purple is between 5.0-6.0 on the acidity scale (with 7.0 being neutral). If the acidity of your soil falls outside this range, you can use sulfur or aluminum sulfate to lower it (or garden lime to apply it) accordingly before planting your shrubs or applying any fertilizer treatments.
Did The Pollen Turn My Blue Hydrangeas Green??
Once you have established the correct soil pH level to produce deep shades of purple flowers, using different fertilizers can help promote even more vibrant colors in your flowers. Look for products specially formulated for flowering plants. But note that overuse of fertilizers can do more harm than good. For example, adding too much phosphorus when growing hydrangeas can make it difficult for them to absorb the aluminum they need to bring out the blue tones.
). This shrub produces large clusters of flowers that can range from pink to blue depending on soil pH levels. In acidic soil with a pH less than 6, the flowers will be pink; if the soil is more alkaline with a higher pH level, they are blue. However, it is possible to obtain several shades of purple by adjusting both the acidity and alkalinity levels in your soil.
). These plants produce flat clusters of small flowers surrounded by larger ones around their edges. The color palette for these plants includes blues, pinks and purples as well as white or cream colored flowers, depending on the cultivar you choose. The most popular mountain hydrangea is called “Tuff Stuff”.
The color of your hydrangea blooms can be affected by soil pH. Soil pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline (basic) your soil is. The scale runs from 0 to 14 with 7 being neutral. A lower number indicates more acidity, while higher numbers indicate more alkalinity. Different plants prefer different levels of soil pH for optimal growth and flower production. Generally, a range of around 5.0 to 6.0 in terms of pH level can encourage purple flowers.
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The color of hydrangea flowers depends on the amount of aluminum available in the soil. The amount of available aluminum depends not only on whether aluminum ions are present in the soil matrix or not, but also on whether the chemical conditions of the soil are such that the aluminum is available to be absorbed by the plant.
In acidic soil (with a low pH), aluminum ions are released into the soil, making it easier for them to be absorbed by plant roots. This causes hydrangeas to produce bluer flowers as opposed to pinker ones. That said, blue-violet can be difficult to achieve even in acidic soil if there is too much available phosphorus, because it reacts and somewhat prevents the absorption of aluminum.
On the other hand, if you have alkaline soil (high pH), there will be less aluminum available for absorption, so your hydrangeas will turn pink-purple instead. Even if there is adequate aluminum in the soil, the plant will have difficulty absorbing it at a high pH.
Fertilizing your hydrangea is an important part of keeping it healthy and vibrant. Proper fertilization can help promote the growth of purple flowers, making it a great way to add to your garden.
Hydrangeas Pink And Blue
The best time to fertilize hydrangeas is in early spring before new growth begins. This gives the plants plenty of time to absorb fertilizer nutrients before flowering. It is also important to remember that you should only fertilize when the soil is moist; if it is too dry, the plant will not absorb fertilizer properly.
Depending on what type of fertilizer you use, you may need to apply it more than once during the growing season. If you use a slow release fertilizer, one application per year should be sufficient for most types of hydrangea shrubs. However, if you use a granular fertilizer, two applications may be necessary – once in early spring and again in mid-summer after the flowers have started to form but before buds fully open.
Hydrangea must be watered regularly in dry climates. Too little water can shrivel the leaves and make the flowers fade in color, while too much water can lead to root rot. Aim for about 1 inch of water per week, either from rain or irrigation. If you’re not sure how much your plants are getting each week, use a rain gauge or soil moisture meter as a guide.
To promote healthy growth and vibrant purple flowers, hydrangeas should be fertilized once each month during their growing season with an all-purpose fertilizer that has some phosphorus (the middle number on the label). Avoid over-fertilizing, as this can lead to weak stems, mineral imbalance and poor flowering.
How To Change Hydrangea Flowers From Pink To Blue (or Vice Versa)
If your hydrangeas are blue but you want them to be purple, consider adding some garden lime (limestone) to make the soil less acidic. If your hydrangeas are pink but you want them to be purple, consider adding some aluminum sulfate to make the soil a little more acidic.
Pruning helps keep hydrangeas neat and tidy, while also promoting better air circulation around the plant, which reduces the risk of disease. Pruning after flowering is completed by cutting back any dead wood or crossing branches to a bud that is outward from the center of the shrub. This will help encourage more flower buds to bloom next year.
Mulch helps retain moisture in the soil, which is important for keeping hydrangea roots cool during hot summer months when temperatures rise above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius). Use an organic mulch such as shredded bark or compost at least 3 inches thick around your plants, but avoid building them up against their stems, as this could cause them to rot due to lack of air circulation.
Bigleaf hydrangeas prefer partial shade so they don’t get burned by direct sunlight during the peak hours of heat throughout the day, especially if you live in hot climates where temperatures can exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius). Aim for 4-6 hours of indirect light each day; if possible, try to plant near trees that provide some dappled shade for most of the day without completely blocking out all sunlight.
What Would Make Blue Hydrangea Flowers Turn Green?
No, coffee grounds do not turn hydrangeas purple. Coffee grounds are not strongly acidic. They can be useful for some plants, especially after composting, but they do not have the ability to change the color of hydrangeas.
To dye hydrangeas purple, you need to use a flower food solution. Start by mixing 1 teaspoon of white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of sugar in 1 liter of warm water. Then add a few drops of blue or purple food coloring to the mixture. Finally, pour the solution into a vase with your freshly cut hydrangeas and let them sit for at least 24 hours before displaying them. The longer they sit in the solution, the more vibrant their color becomes.
Mary Jane Duford is a quintessential Canadian gardener. An engineer by trade, she tends to an ever-expanding collection of plants. In her world, laughter blooms as freely as her flowers, and every plant is nurtured with a dash of Canadian grit. Mary Jane is a certified Master Gardener and also holds a Permaculture Design Certificate. She is also a proud mother of three, teaching her little sprouts the crucial difference between a garden friend and foe. When she’s not playing in the dirt, Mary Jane indulges her love of Taylor Swift, Gilmore Girls, ice hockey, and the surprisingly soothing sounds of bluegrass covers of classic hip-hop songs. She invites you to her garden party, a place where you can share in the joy of growth and where every day is a new opportunity to find the perfect place for another plant. Have you ever had a blue hydrangea turn pink? Here are things you need to know about changing hydrangea color so that you can maintain or change the color of your hydrangea.
A reader emailed me asking why her gorgeous blue mophead hydrangea was turning pink a year after planting it. This happened to my customer Endless Summer Hydrangeas, so I knew the answer.
Hydrangeas: True Blue Or Tickled Pink?
I changed the color of my client’s Endless Summer Hydrangea back to blue with asoil acidifier. This product is organic and derived from elemental sulfur and gypsum.
I worked it into the soil to a depth of about 4″ in a circle halfway between the drip line and the base of the plant.
Be sure to follow the directions and use the recommended amount for the size of your hydrangea. You don’t want to overdo it and hope to get a deep one
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