Hydrangeas (Hydrangea Macrophylla) are easy to grow, make excellent cut flowers, and dry easily for dried floral arrangements. They produce one of the largest bloom heads of any flowering shrub. Upon closer inspection, you will discover that the one large bloom consists of many tiny flowers.
A partially shaded location with moist soil is the ideal location. The shrub also needs to be planted near a water source because it will need to be watered frequently. The ‘hydra’ in the name indicates the hydrangea needs plenty of water. Water is lost at a rapid rate through the big, broad leaves of the shrub and it dehydrates easily in the summer heat.
Water hydrangeas deeply at least twice a week during the summer, more often if the leaves begin to wilt. This is one of the most important facts to grow hydrangeas.
Hydrangeas need to be fed with your choice of plant food three times a year, once in early spring, again at the beginning of summer, and once again in mid-summer.
Hydrangeas produce blooms on old wood and usually just need a light over-all pruning to keep the shrub looking neat. You should prune a hydrangea soon after the blooms have faded so you won’t risk cutting off next year’s buds.
The color of hydrangea flowers depends mainly upon the availability of aluminum within the flower petals. When aluminum is available and mobile, the flowers tend to turn blue. Aluminum is most available in acidic soils, while it is immobile in alkaline soils.
Gardeners commonly use the pH scale when caring for hydrangeas since the acidity or alkalinity of the soil in which they’re planted directly impacts the outcome of hydrangea production each growing season. Hydrangeas grow best in soil that leans acidic, with a pH balance ranging from 5.2 to 5.5. Though baking soda encourages alkalinity, mixing the right amount into your hydrangea’s soil can still promote growth, brighten blossoms, and rejuvenate the entire plant.
The pH levels listed above refer to the pH of the soil, not of the flowers themselves. The petal cell pH remains relatively constant for both pink and blue hydrangea flower petals.
The hydrangea flowers change color according to the amount of aluminum and acid in the soil. Hydrangeas will produce blue or purple flowers in acidic soil where more aluminum is present. The lower the pH, the bluer the flowers. Add aluminum sulfate or sulfur to increase acidity for a lower ph.
You can also water your hydrangeas with the pickle juice solution in the morning or late afternoon to make the soil more acidic. Avoid watering during the hottest part of the day to prevent potential damage to the plants and evaporation of the solution. Use the pickle juice solution to water your hydrangeas once every two to four weeks during the growing season. Overdoing it can lead to excessively acidic soil, causing harm to the plants. Keep a close eye on your hydrangeas to assess whether they are responding well to the pickle juice treatment. If you notice any signs of stress, like wilting or yellowing leaves, discontinue using the pickle juice solution.
In neutral soil, hydrangeas take up less aluminum and the flowers are pink. On white flowers, only the eye color of the male flowers will change. Add lime to the soil to neutralize it and change the blue hydrangea blooms to white or pink. Different flower colors like white and blue blooms can appear on the same shrub too.
Baking soda is certainly no match for professional gardening products specifically engineered to improve the condition of your flowers, but it’s a much cheaper alternative, capable of getting the job done and it may hold you over until you’re ready to invest in more advanced materials. Here’s more on the advantages of applying baking soda to your garden hydrangeas, as well as how to do so.
Baking soda may prove useful when added to your hydrangea crop for many reasons, ranging from stimulating individual plant growth to offering protection against various threats hydrangeas may come across in the garden. Applying the product to the soil of your hydrangeas can introduce these positive effects, as can mixing it into the water you’ll use for irrigation. It acts as a protective barrier, keeping away annoying pests that may try to munch your hydrangea’s leaves, stems, or flowers, including insects and small mammals like rabbits. Baking soda also fights against powdery mildew that may appear on leaves after overnight condensation or contamination from other sources. Additionally, when added to the plant’s soil, it can prevent roots from frosting during the winter months and acts as a coolant that keeps roots from losing all moisture during sweltering summers.
Mix a teaspoon’s worth of baking soda into two quarts of water and irrigate your plants as normal. If adding baking soda directly to your hydrangeas’ soil, apply a tablespoon of the product to the soil and stir until it’s evenly distributed before planting. Combine baking soda with some water and liquid dish soap to create a solution capable of eliminating mildew and other diseases that may attempt to kill your flowers. Be careful not to add concentrated baking soda directly to hydrangeas in large amounts, as too much baking soda may cause more harm than good.
Beginners to hydrangea planting will need to keep up regular watering if there’s been no significant rain for seven to 10 days. To help ease moisture stress, it’s advised to mulch with organic matter – think leaf mold or garden compost.
Here is a guide for soil pH levels in relation to estimated hydrangea flower color:
Blue flowers: pH of 4.5 – 5.5 (certain nutrient availability is low below about 5.0 pH)
Purple flowers: pH of 5.5 – 6.5 (ideal for the health of the plant)
Pink flowers: pH of 6.5-7.5 (certain nutrient availability is low above about 7.5 pH)
Apply the soil acidifier in the early spring as the soil warms. While the concentrations vary between products, most slow-release dry formulations have an application rate of about 2 cups per plant, applied to the soil around the drip line. Most products can be applied every two months. It often takes one or two growing seasons for the desired color to appear in hydrangea blossoms.
Finally, remember that not all hydrangea varieties respond to changes in soil pH, and the color change might not be drastic. If you prefer more vibrant and controllable color variations, you can consider using specialized hydrangea fertilizers specifically formulated for altering flower colors.