Hydrangeas, the popular garden shrub with delicate flowers in pinks, whites and blues, is more fascinating than it first appears. Why?
Because the blossoms on this beautiful plant have the ability to dramatically change color.
Maybe you’ve already noticed a perplexing color change in your own shrubs and couldn’t figure out the reason.
Well, the secret behind their chameleon-like qualities is pretty simple – it’s down to the pH of the soil.
And, now you know that, the ability to change hydrangeas to suit your garden is well within your control. It’s no more difficult than a school science experiment, although it does require a little more dedication and patience.
If you want to change from pink to blue, you’ll have it a little easier than those who want to switch from blue to pink.
However, if you have white or cream hydrangeas, sorry – you’re stuck with them, their color can’t usually be altered. If you’re lucky, at the end of the season you might see a little pink tinge but that’s about it.
Changing Hydrangeas from Pink to Blue.
To Change hydrangeas from pink to blue you’ll need to make your soil more acidic. This enables the aluminum in the soil to be released to your flowers, helping them take on a blue hue.
Firstly, check the pH of your soil to see how easy it will be to lower to the required level – you’ll be looking at a pH of around 5.2 to 5.5 for blue blooms.
If your soil’s pH is pretty high, you might be better off accepting your pretty pink blooms. Otherwise, you can acidify the soil by adding certain substances to it. While there are special products on the market that lower pH, a natural way is always the best.
Using an organic mulch will help acidify the soil, and is also quite beneficial for microbial life and improving the quality of your soil. Try one made of pine bark, pine needles, sawdust, citrus peels, vegetable peels or coffee grounds.
If you’re seeing no results the following year
Add a tablet of aluminum sulfate to the watering can used for watering the hydrangea. This will result in blue flowers.
Changing Hydrangeas from Blue to Pink.
Changing from blue to pink means you’ll need to stop aluminum in the soil from being available to the hydrangeas. By all accounts, this is a little more difficult than going from pink to blue, but it can be done! You’ll need to raise the pH level to prevent the roots taking up the aluminum. Aim for a pH of about 6.0 to 6.2.
While conventional methods recommend using lime to slowly raise the pH over a few months, natural options like ground crab or oyster shells, crushed eggshells or hardwood ashes are also very effective.
NOTE: The materials and the information contained on Natural ways channel are provided for general and educational purposes only and do not constitute any legal, medical or other professional advice on any subject matter. None of the information on our videos is a substitute for a diagnosis and treatment by your health professional. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new diet or treatment and with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact your health care provide.
Images licensed under Creative Commons:
www.wikihow.com
canstockphoto.com
www.pixabay.com
Pinterest
Comments
Post a Comment