Hydrangea Soil Ph Color
In other words acidic soils with a ph of less than 5 5 produce blue flowers.
Hydrangea soil ph color. For purple blooms or a mix of blue and pink flowers on the same plant the ph of the soil must be 5 5 and ph 6 5. If the soil ph is between 5 5 and 6 the blooms tend to turn less desirable shades of mauve. In slightly acid or neutral soil ph 6 to 7 blooms may be purple or a mix of blue and pink on a single shrub. For true blue flowers the hydrangeas need to be grown in acidic soil ph 5 5 and lower.
In strongly acid soil ph below 6 flowers turn blue. You see for most french hydrangeas hydrangea macrophylla the flower color indicates the ph of the soil. Soil ph can also be lowered more gradually by applying an acidic organic mulch such as pine needles or pine bark. Soils with a ph greater than 5 5 produce pink flowers.
Hydrangeas change color except for the white ones based on the ph level of their soil. Extra information and ideas the choice of fertilzer will also affect the color change. For pink flowers the plants need neutral to alkaline soils ph 6 5 and higher. Late spring to early autumn.
To confirm your soil s ph level let s test a sample. The choice of fertilzer will also affect the color change. The more alkaline the soil the pinker the flowers. Soil chemistry and color the most commonly grown varieties of hydrangeas are the bigleaf varieties.
There are others which produce white flowers or white going on pink blooms. 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. White hydrangea color is not affected by the soil ph. 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 ph determines the color of pink and blue hydrangeas. In alkaline soil ph above 7 flowers turn pink or even red. Full sun or partial shade. To make pink hydrangeas turn blue or to keep your blue ones from turning pink increase the acidity of soil.
The white flowers stay white color can never be changed and usually prefer the same conditions as the pinks and reds. A fertilizer low in phosphorus and high in potassium is helpful in producing a good blue color 25 5 30 is good. If your soil is more alkaline you can lower the ph by applying soil acidifier at the rate specified on the package. The quintessential blooms however are the bright pink purple and blue varieties of bigleaf hydrangeas.
A fertilizer low in phosphorus and high in potassium is helpful in producing a good blue 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. Conditions for blue hydrangeas. Most varieties of hydrangea including the ones mentioned above are hardy deciduous shrubs.