Hydrangeas are a beautiful flowering shrub that can be found in many gardens and landscapes. They have large showy flowers that come in a variety of colors. They are easy to grow and propagate, making them an ideal choice for most gardeners.
How To Change Hydrangea Color
Here is the complete process explained in detail on how to change hydrangea color:
Step 1:
1. If you’re working with a young plant, remove all the flowers by cutting them off below the base of the flower spike.
2. Remove any dead or diseased wood from the hydrangea bush.
Use pruning shears to cut out dead wood and canes that have died back or are severely damaged. Make the cuts just above a bud or node, where there is new growth.
Prune off any suckers that sprout from the base of the plant as well. These are shoots that grow out from the rootstock and should be removed as soon as they appear so they don’t take energy away from the rest of the plant. Use pruning shears to cut them off at ground level.
Step 3:
3. Thin out canes so they are spaced 6 to 12 inches apart, depending on how much sunlight your hydrangea gets and what kind of look you want for your shrub.
Step 4:
4. Cut back each stem by one-half in early spring before new growth begins (this will vary depending on where you live).
Step 5:
5. Remove all flowers that form after this initial pruning until fall, when you want it to produce flowers again next year (this will vary depending on where you live).
Step 6:
6. Remove all stems after blooming has finished in fall, leaving only one strong stem per mature bush (if desired) and several smaller ones for future years’ blooms (if desired).
Step 7:
7. After removing all stems, apply a granular fertilizer around each bush at a rate of 1 cup per 4 feet of height and water thoroughly so it can reach deep into the soil and feed your plants through their roots system over time (this will vary depending on where you live and if feeding is needed).
Tips for How To Change Hydrangea Color
Here are 5 things to take care of with respect to how to change hydrangea color:
1. You will need to make sure that your hydrangeas are getting the right amount of sunlight. The ideal amount is a minimum of 6 hours per day, but they can also do well with less than 6 hours per day. If you live in a part of the country where there are long periods of darkness during winter, you may want to consider bringing them inside for the winter season.
2. You should be watering your hydrangeas regularly, but not too much! Make sure your soil is moist and not completely dry before watering again. It is important not to over water them because this can cause root rot and kill your plant!
3. You can prune your hydrangeas in order to change their color. Prune them when they are dormant in the late winter or early spring so that you don’t encourage new growth which will be susceptible to cold weather damage during the winter months.
4. During the summer months, fertilize your hydrangea once a month with a slow-release fertilizer or liquid fertilizer (1/4 strength).
5. Avoid using chemical pesticides on your hydrangea plants because they can cause severe damage and even death!
FAQs
Interesting Facts About Hydrangea
Here are 5 things you should know about hydrangea:
1. Hydrangea is a genus of flowering plants that includes about 50 species of shrubs and small trees. The most commonly grown hydrangea in the U.S. is the Magic Plant, or Hydrangea macrophylla, which has large flowers and colorful bracts (the leaves surrounding the flower bud).
2. There are two main types of hydrangeas: mophead and lacecap. Mopheads have larger flowers than lacecaps, with rounded petals that look like they’ve been dipped in soft paintbrushes. Lacecaps have smaller flowers with long, thin petals that point backward like a lacy collar around the flower center.
3. In the U.S., hydrangeas bloom from late spring to early fall; some varieties bloom all summer long! In other parts of the world where winter temperatures are cooler, hydrangeas can bloom year-round!
4. The blooms on these plants have five petals—four arranged in a square shape around one central petal called a “honey” or “whorl” petal —and each flower can be any color you can imagine! Some varieties even change colors as they age! Most often, you’ll see white to blue-violet flowers, but there are also pink, red, purple and pink-and-white striped blossoms as well as bicolors such as light blue with white centers or pink with white centers. You may also see pink buds open into white flowers on some varieties!
5. If you live in an area that gets cold in winter (25 degrees F or lower), it’s important to protect your hydrangea during winter months by covering it up with mulch or pine straw so it doesn’t freeze and die back completely—leaving you without beautiful blooms next spring!
I am having a problem with my hydrangeas turning brown. I have tried everything and nothing seems to work. I have tried Miracle Grow, Fertilome, etc. I have also used a product called “Hydrangea Magic” which is supposed to keep them from turning brown. It works for a while but they eventually turn brown again. I recently read that coffee grounds will help keep them from turning brown. Is this true? If so, how do you use it?
Epsom salt does not change the color of hydrangeas. The color of hydrangeas is dependent on the pH level in your soil. Hydrangeas are blue when the pH level is high and pink when it is low. Adding Epsom salt to your soil will not affect the pH level and will not change the color of your hydrangeas.
Can I use Epsom salt for my houseplants?
Epsom salt can be used for house plants, but it should only be used as a supplement to a regular fertilizer program. It should never be used alone as a fertilizer because it does not contain any nutrients that plants need to survive. Plants need nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium in order to grow properly. You can find these nutrients in most fertilizers or you can get them from compost or manure if you have access to them. You should always follow package directions when using Epsom salt on houseplants because too much can damage plants and cause leaf burn.
In short, no. Baking soda is only effective at removing chlorophyll from the leaves of a plant, and hydrangeas are incapable of producing that pigment. The other components of the whitening solution are far more likely to cause discoloration in your hydrangeas than baking soda is.
How can I use baking soda for whitening hydrangeas?
For best results, mix together 1/4 cup baking soda with 1 quart (1 liter) of warm water in a bucket or container. Use a watering can to apply this mixture to your hydrangea bushes; you will want to thoroughly soak the soil around the roots without getting any on the foliage itself. You should see results within two weeks; if not, repeat this process until you do.
To make blue hydrangeas, you need to use hydrangea flowers that are naturally blue. If the flowers are white, they will turn blue when you soak them in vinegar. To prepare the flowers for this project, you will need to remove all of the petals from the flower. This is easily done by pinching each petal off with your fingers or gently pulling them off with your fingernails. Once all of the petals have been removed, place the flower head in a jar of distilled white vinegar and let it sit overnight. The next day, remove the flower head from the jar and rinse it well with water. The flower heads should be a light shade of blue at this point and ready to use in your wreath or floral arrangement.
How do I make pink hydrangeas?
To get pink hydrangeas, you can create your own dye or purchase dye made specifically for coloring hydrangeas at most craft stores. To make homemade pink dye for hydrangeas, mix 1/2 cup salt with 1 quart warm water until dissolved. Add 1/4 cup ammonia to this mixture and stir well until completely combined. Place 2 cups of white or light pink hydrangea blossoms into a container large enough to hold them comfortably and pour in enough liquid to cover them completely. Cover the container tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit overnight so that the color can be absorbed by the blossoms.