Helpful Hints On Achieving A Blue Hydrangea

Hydrangea plants are popular because they come in so many varieties and can be grown practically anywhere. Their blossoms look like colorful puffballs, usually pink or blue. The color of the hydrangea’s flowers can be altered drastically. Here are some helpful hints on achieving a hydrangea that is blue in color.

In order to change a hydrangea’s flowers blue you must alter the soil. It is easiest to change the color when the plant is still in a container. To achieve blue coloring you should acidify the pH of the soil by adding sulfur to it. The flower will react to the acid in the soil and the result will be a blue blossom.

The fist step is to test the acid levels in the soil. This is measured in pH numbers. PH is defined as potential hydrogen; any test resulting in a number less than seven is considered acid. Tests indicating a number greater than seven are considered alkaline. Hydrangeas, like most flowers do best when the pH in the soil is between six and seven.

After testing your soiled acid levels you may need to make adjustments in order to correct the balance in your soil. If the soil is too acidic you should add lime. The pH testing kits will more than likely give you instructions on how to add lime safely to your soil. Some helpful advice is to apply the lime on a day with little o no wind and wear gloves during the application.

In order to turn the hydrangeas blue, you should purchase a bag of aluminum sulfate from your local garden supply store. Follow the directions o the bag for application. Most recommendations suggest that one half of an ounce of aluminum sulfate per gallon of water can be added to plants that are at least two years old.

Make sure that you add the aluminum sulfate to the soil before the flower begins to bloom for best results. The aluminum sulfate should be continued to be added to the soil throughout the growing season. Be cautious not to add too much as this may burn the roots of the plant.

Keep in mind that some hydrangeas will change color on their own when they are being moved or transplanted. In an attempt to adjust to their new environment many plants will alter the color of their blooms. This is why it is not uncommon to see different color blooms on a hydrangea plant from one growing season to the next if they have been moved.

Experts believe that it is easier to change a hydrangea from pink to blue than vice versa. Most agree that white hydrangeas cannot have their color altered by soil alterations.

While the color of a hydrangea can be changed it is difficult to change the intensity of the color of the blossoms. This is because color intensity is believed to be a result of weather conditions, the health of a plant, and inherited factors.

You can attempt to brighten a flower’s intensity by fertilizing several times a year. However, you should avoid fertilizers that contain super phosphates and bone meal as these inhibit the blue color from being achieved.

While achieving blue hydrangeas is possible it is extremely difficult to do if the soil is highly alkaline and contains absolutely no aluminum at all. In this case you may have more success achieving a blue hydrangea if to grow them in a large pot, where the soil can be easily manipulated.

It is also important to avoid planting hydrangeas near concrete foundations or sidewalks as this may impede your chances of turning the flowers blue.