

Photograph your plant at the start or match the color to paint chip and check progress over the next year. And each plant has a limit to how blue it will get. Always check the package for precautions and instructions.Īlternately you can do just one application per year.Įither way, more is not better: too much aluminum will kill the plant.1.5 teaspoons aluminium sulfate in one gallon of water) in fall and again at bud break in spring. For longest lasting-results, use a half-application (e.g.The sulphur (sulfate) will bring the pH level down, making the aluminum available to the plant but it is a slow process taking months or longer. There are also similar products for this purpose at plant nurseries: Color Me Blue or Color Me Pink. You can find this online or at a plant nursery. Water the plant deeply (to avoid burning roots with next step) and then apply an application of aluminum sulfate Al 2(SO 4) 3, also called powdered alum, following the product instructions. You could also use physical clues: if hydrangeas stay blue in your garden, that’s a good indication the soil pH is right where you want it. If growing in the ground (not recommended because results are not sustainable), another option is to contact your local university extension office or lab that does soil tests to find out the known range for your areas or lookup aerial pH maps. Another brand is Fisherbrand Plastic pH Indicator Strips.
#Color me pink hydrangea how to#
Options: use test strips like these ones: Garden Tutor Soil pH Test Strips. How to Change the Color of Hydrangea Flowers Hydrangea Colors Due to Soil Ph and Epsom Salt Mike Kincaid 381K subscribers Subscribe 4. At 5.6 or lower, the shift to blue becomes visible. It’s a gradual process and you can’t push it without harming the plant. Measure your soil pH level to gauge where you’re at and how long it may take. Use a good commercial potting mix suitable for shrubs and a low phosphorus-high potassium fertilizer (25-5-30), otherwise the phosphorus will lock up the aluminum. Trying to change the pH of garden soil is a lifelong battle and not worth the effort. This makes it much easier to control the growing conditions long-term. serrata) hydrangeas with medium or light pink, purple, or blue flowers. To make the change from pink to blue, grow the plant in a container and lower the soil pH level to 5.6 by adding aluminum sulfate.


Flowers are very attractive in dried arrangements Great candidate for mass plantings, hedges, mixed shrub borders, as a backdrop, or accent plant.
#Color me pink hydrangea full#
Performs best in full sun or part shade in fertile, medium moisture, well-drained soils.This North American native hydrangea has been developed by Powell Gardens of Kingsville, MO. Providing months of color and a long season of interest, Gatsby Pink® is a great hydrangea for the landscape. The lush foliage of deeply-lobed, oak-shaped, dark green leaves, turns wine red as the nights grow cooler in the fall. Blooming in early to mid-summer, this Oak Leaf Hydrangea boasts a profusion of dense, conical flower panicles packed with pure white florets turning deep pink as fall approaches. Hydrangea quercifolia Gatsby Pink® (Oak Leaf Hydrangea) is an upright rounded deciduous shrub noted for its showy foliage and cone-shaped flowers.
