19+ Hydrangea Soil Ph Color

To make pink hydrangeas turn blue or to keep your blue ones from turning pink increase the acidity of soil.

Hydrangea soil ph color. Require moist well drained soil the ph level of the soil will affect the colour of the flowers although white and green flowering cultivars will remain the same. The white flowers stay white color can never be changed and usually prefer the same conditions as the pinks and reds. If the soil naturally contains aluminum and is acid low ph the color of the hydrangea will automatically tend toward shades of blue and or purple. If the soil ph is between 5 5 and 6 the blooms tend to turn less desirable shades of mauve. Extra information and ideas the choice of fertilzer will also affect the color change. To confirm your soil s ph level let s test a sample. In alkaline soil ph above 7 flowers turn pink or even red.

Full sun or partial shade. The quintessential blooms however are the bright pink purple and blue varieties of bigleaf hydrangeas. For true blue flowers the hydrangeas need to be grown in acidic soil ph 5 5 and lower. There are others which produce white flowers or white going on pink blooms. White hydrangea color is not affected by the soil ph. To encourage blue hydrangea flowers grow the plant in soil that has a ph of 5 2 5 5. Soil ph can also be lowered more gradually by applying an acidic organic mulch such as pine needles or pine bark.

In other words acidic soils with a ph of less than 5 5 produce blue flowers. If the soil naturally contains aluminum and is acid low ph the color of the hydrangea will automatically tend toward shades of blue and or purple. Soil chemistry and color the most commonly grown varieties of hydrangeas are the bigleaf varieties. Soil ph determines the color of pink and blue hydrangeas. Conditions for blue hydrangeas. A fertilizer low in phosphorus and high in potassium is helpful in producing a good blue color. Hydrangeas change color except for the white ones based on the ph level of their soil.

In strongly acid soil ph below 6 flowers turn blue. Most varieties of hydrangea including the ones mentioned above are hardy deciduous shrubs. The more alkaline the soil the pinker the flowers. A fertilizer low in phosphorus and high in potassium is helpful in producing a good blue color 25 5 30 is good. Acid soil with a ph of 5 5 to 5 yields blue or purple hydrangeas. If your soil is more alkaline you can lower the ph by applying soil acidifier at the rate specified on the package. Late spring to early autumn.

Soils with a ph greater than 5 5 produce pink flowers. Slightly acid to slightly alkaline soils with a ph of 6 to 7 5 will result in pink flowers. For pink flowers the plants need neutral to alkaline soils ph 6 5 and higher. You see for most french hydrangeas hydrangea macrophylla the flower color indicates the ph of the soil.