2 days Ago By Sophie Law
Hydrangeas are one of the most rewarding flowers to grow in your garden. Their blooms burst into shades of pink, blue, purple, and white, creating a showstopping display from late spring until autumn. But did you know you can actually influence the colour of certain hydrangea varieties just by adjusting the soil? According to award-winning garden expert Andy McIndoe, you can encourage your hydrangeas to produce blue flowers .
The colour of hydrangea blooms is determined by the pH level in your soil and the type of food you give the plant. In acidic soil, aluminum is more readily available to the plant, which results in blue flowers. Meanwhile, neutral to acidic soil results in purple blooms, while pink flowers are usually seen in alkaline gardens.
"The mophead and lacecap varities are the best known [hydrangeas] and these offer the widest colour range," he told Garden World. "Some change colour during the course of the growing season and some are influenced by soil type - pink in alkaline soil conditions and blue in acid. "In many cases, you can influence the colour using hydrangea colourant to maintain that blue colour.
" "Add it to the compost when potting or to the soil when planting your hydrangea into open ground and water regularly with a solution of hydrangea colourant during the course of the growing season. That will maintain that blue colour." According to Gardenia , you can also turn hydrangea flowers blue by adding a mulch made from pine needles, oak leaves and other acidic materials.
Some gardeners report success using coffee grounds, or using rainwater instead of hard water when watering your hydrangeas which can raise the pH levels..
