![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() And, they may change slightly as they age from a blue-purple to a lavender pink. More acidic and the color will look more purple with bluer tones. Closer to alkaline, the flowers may tend toward pink in color, giving you lavender. Using ammonium sulfate as a nitrogen source in the fertilizer will also help to keep pH low.Ī neutral pH between acidic and alkaline will result in a color somewhere in the middle. Potassium will help increase aluminum uptake. Fertilize with high potassium, low phosphate fertilizer, such as 25-5-30.This is slow acting, but a good thing to do annually to maintain a lower pH around your hydrangea. Mix organic matter such as compost, chopped oak leaves, peat moss and coffee grounds into the soil to help lower pH.Be sure hydrangeas are hydrated before you treat because an excess of aluminum absorbed quickly can burn plants. Add 1 TBSP aluminum sulfate to a gallon of water and water the plant once a month starting in early spring.Use a commercial product to change the color, such as Color Me Blue™, according to directions on the package.The extra nitrogen will help combat iron chlorosis that may happen if your pH raises above 6.4.įor a bigleaf hydrangea to bloom blue, pH of 5.2 to 5.5 is best. Fertilize with high nitrogen and high phosphorus fertilizer, such as a 25-10-10, to inhibit aluminum uptake.Add 1 TBSP hydrated lime to a gallon of water and water once a month starting in early spring.In fall or early spring, spread dolomitic limestone around the plant at 1 cup per 10 square feet and water in.Use a commercial product to change the color, such as Color Me Pink™, according to directions on the package.How to change the color of your bigleaf hydrangeaĪfter you've found out what your soil pH is, here are ways to make your bigleaf hydrangea blooms turn pink or blue.įor a bigleaf hydrangea to bloom pink, a pH of 6.0 to 6.2 is ideal. Six Organic Products to Use in Your Gardenįind the Right Bigleaf Hydrangea for Your Garden Or check out this site to find a list of labs that perform soil tests: North American Proficiency Testing Program (NAPT) Your local county extension office or area universities may be able to direct you to a lab where you can send a soil sample to get an accurate test. Then you can amend your soil properly to manipulate the color of your bigleaf hydrangea. Though not quite as specific as a professional test (and you may not get N-P-K levels), you can buy a home test kit or a pH meter at the garden center to get a pH reading. Whether you grow in a container or in the ground, get a professional soil test to get an accurate measure of whether your soil or potting mix is acidic or alkaline. If you’ve ever planted a beautiful blue hydrangea and the next year it bloomed pink, it is because your soil is too alkaline.īy changing the soil’s pH, you can manipulate the color of a bigleaf hydrangea, but only if they were pink or blue to start with. But in alkaline soils, plants are inhibited from drawing the element into their roots. In acidic soils, aluminum is readily available and a hydrangea’s roots can absorb this mineral. This change is a response to the amount of aluminum in the soil that the plant can use. Some bigleaf hydrangeas ( Hydrangea macrophylla) have a unique ability to change flower colors from pink to blue, or vice versa. ![]()
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