How do I keep hydrangeas pink?

If you prefer pink blooms, your hydrangea should be deprived of aluminum by growing it in an alkaline soil with a pH of 6.0-6.2. You can apply a high-phosphorus fertilizer to further discourage the uptake of aluminum. To raise the pH of a naturally acidic soil, apply Garden Lime at the rate specified on the package.

How do I make my hydrangeas more pink?

Add lime to the soil for pink blooms; add aluminum sulfate for blue blooms. The amount of lime or aluminum sulfate needed depends on the soil composition. If you are dead set on your hydrangea being pink or blue, grow it in a container where you can easily control the soil pH.

How do you keep pink hydrangeas from turning white?

Apply lime within the protective ring around your hydrangeas several times a year. Using a hand fork, loosen soil gently around the outside edges of the ring and mix lime with the top inch or two of soil to prevent it from being carried away by wind.

How do you keep hydrangeas colors?

Add aluminum to your soil to boost the color of your blue hydrangeas. A little aluminum sulfate can go a long way in boosting the color of your blue hydrangeas. "The acidity of aluminum is what influences the blue color of flowers," Myers explains.

How do you keep hydrangeas pink and blue?

Sprinkle elemental sulfur over the soil.

In order to keep your hydrangeas blooming in blue, elemental sulfur should be sprinkled over the soil around the shrub to lower the pH to below 5.5. The exact amount of elemental sulfur required will vary, depending on the soil type and how much the pH needs to be adjusted.

How to Keep Hydrangeas Pink or Blue

Do rusty nails keep hydrangeas blue?

Most gardeners want them to be blue which can be harder to achieve than pink particularly if your soil won't play along. A lot of people might tell you that it is iron that will make the flowers turn blue and that adding rusty nails to the soil will do the trick.

Is vinegar good for hydrangeas?

Lower the pH around the hydrangea bush by either spraying the ground with a weak vinegar solution or using a high acid fertilizer, like those made for azaleas and rhododendron.

How do I keep my hydrangeas purple?

With a pH between 6 and 7, the blooms turn purple or bluish-pink. To lower your pH, add garden sulfur or aluminum sulfate to your soil. To raise the pH, use ground lime. Follow the directions on the product you use, and retest your soil to make sure the pH is in the range you want.

Why did my pink hydrangeas turn green?

They're sepals, the part of the flower that protects the flower bud. Why do hydrangeas bloom green? Because that's the natural color of the sepals. As the sepals age, the pink, blue, or white pigments are overpowered by the green, so colored hydrangea blossoms often fade to green over time.

Will baking soda change the color of hydrangeas?

If you're not sure what kind of soil you have, you can make an easy, homemade test using distilled water (which has a neutral pH), white vinegar (acidic), and baking soda (alkaline): Just follow Garden Therapy's simple instructions here. The color change won't happen overnight, but it will happen.

Why is my hydrangea changing color?

Hydrangeas change colour based upon the pH level of their soil. White hydrangeas will not change colour, but most other colours will. The more alkaline the soil, the pinker the flowers will be - with highly acidic soil sometimes leading to red shades. The more acidic the soil, the bluer your flowers will be.

Do coffee grounds change the color of hydrangeas?

If you're growing hydrangeas, use coffee grounds to affect their color. Coffee grounds add extra acidity to the soil around hydrangeas. On a chemical level, this increased acidity makes it easier for the plant to absorb naturally occurring aluminum in the dirt. The effect is pretty blue clusters of flowers.

Why are my pink hydrangeas turning brown?

All hydrangeas will turn brown if they wilt too many times in hot weather. Water these shrubs deeply every few days in the heat of the summer (note that hand watering isn't deep enough) and mulch around plants to hold moisture in the soil longer.

Why are my pink hydrangeas fading?

Once pollinated, flowers no longer need to attract their pollinating suitors and, thus, begin to fade. Flowers may also change colors or fade when they are stressed. This can happen if a plant has just been transplanted.

How do I keep hydrangeas from turning green?

To prevent hydrangea flowers from turning green it is important to replicate the conditions of their native environment with dappled sunlight, watering often to keep the soil moist and to use a well balanced fertilizer in the Spring to ensure the hydrangea has all the nutrients it requires.

Do you deadhead hydrangeas?

You should deadhead throughout the blooming season to keep your hydrangeas looking their beast and encourage new flower growth. However, stop deadheading hydrangea shrubs in mid to late fall, leaving any spent blooms in place.

Do hydrangeas need full sun?

Hydrangeas like morning sun, but do not do well if they're in direct, hot afternoon sun. Partial shade in the later parts of the day is ideal for these beauties.

How do I add aluminum sulfate to my hydrangeas?

Hydrangeas are the exception. Mix about 1 lb (2 cups) of aluminum sulfate per 5 gallons of water and then apply the solution around the drip line of the plant. Apply enough of the solution per plant to just saturate the soil. Repeat the application on a monthly basis as long as your soil pH is greater than 5.0.

What happens if I don't prune my hydrangea?

What happens if you don't prune hydrangeas? If you don't prune hydrangeas then they can eventually resemble a tangled mass of woody stems, and the flowers will become smaller and less showy. Regular pruning of hydrangeas helps to maintain their shape and also encourages new growth and a better display of blooms.

Are eggshells good for hydrangeas?

If you want pink hydrangeas, crushed eggshells may be one way to get them. Eggshells will slowly break down and reduce the acidity of your soil—making it harder for hydrangeas to absorb aluminum.

How far back should I cut my hydrangeas in the fall?

Cut the dead stumps down to their base to completely remove them. This will allow the new growth underneath to have a chance to succeed. Dead and old blooms need to be removed to make room for new buds to come through. Cut the flower head off right above the first few leaves to encourage blooms for the next summer.

What is the best plant food for hydrangeas?

Typically hydrangeas thrive when fed an all-purpose, balanced fertilizer like a 10-10-10 N-P-K or 12-4-8 N-P-K. To increase the size and quantity of hydrangea blooms, consider a fertilizer with more phosphorus.

What do you spray on hydrangeas?

Spraying with organic pesticides or insecticides like neem oil or other commercially available ready-to-use formulations can help prevent pest problems. Spraying your hydrangeas from time to time will keep pests at bay and/or reduce their numbers.