Content
- Why does the hydrangea lose its color?
- Typical color changes
- The soil conditions determine the flower color
- Prevent fading
- Soil soil - blue hydrangeas
- Move soil value to the alkaline range - red and pink hydrangeas
- Tips & Tricks
The nutrients in the soil determine the color of the hydrangea
Why does the hydrangea lose its color?
Especially often you can observe the phenomenon of color change and the fading of blue hydrangea. But even a pink or white flowering hydrangea can change color or fade. We explain to you with which care measures you can prevent this.
Typical color changes
A change in flower color does not happen suddenly. Frequently, two-colored flowers appear first, which can look very attractive. So it can happen that:
The soil conditions determine the flower color
Plant the hydrangea in normal garden soil with a pH of about 6, most varieties bloom pink. Only in very acidic soils with a pH of 5.5, the hydrangeas can absorb enough aluminum from the soil to change the flower color into blue. The hydrangea, on the other hand, thrives in a more alkaline substrate with a pH above 6.5 tingling strongly pink or even red.
If the background changes, the original tint of the flowers often fades before a new color appears.
Prevent fading
In order for the hydrangea to flower in the desired color, attention should be paid to the correct pH value of the soil during planting. You can measure this value yourself with test strips from the garden shop and prepare the surface accordingly.
Soil soil - blue hydrangeas
Plant a blue hydrangea and the substrate has a pH higher than 5.5, should you enrich the soil with a larger amount of compost or rhododendron soil. The application of bark mulch acidifies the soil in a natural way.
You can also try watering the hydrangea with vinegar water before spreading aluminum-containing blue fertilizer. Add enough vinegar to the irrigation water to reach the desired pH.
Move soil value to the alkaline range - red and pink hydrangeas
If the soil is too acidic and you want strong pink or red flowers, the substrate must have a pH above 6.5. They achieve this by regular limescale of the soil.
Tips & Tricks
Just before flowering, the flowers fade naturally and exude a singularly morbid charm. Unless the drifting hydrangea flowers show bold colors, you do not need to take any action.