Hydrangea blooms not turning pink

9 years ago

Hello, I planted 6 hydrangeas last year and they bloomed some and then went dormant for the " winter ". This year they have come back and growing quite well but the blooms are not turning pink. What are my hydrangeas trying to tell Me?

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Comments (6)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
9 years ago
What variety of hydrangea are they? Not all will turn pink :-) And the amount of shade can have an impact on how the flowers color as they age
dlfaulk08
Original Author
9 years ago
I am pretty sure they are the Nikki blue and they get a couple hours filtered sunlight.
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Hydrangea macrophylla and serrata produce blooms that are color sensitive based on (a) the availability of aluminum and (b) the soil ph. When the soil is acidic and contains aluminum, the roots can absorb the aluminum and produce blue blooms. Your pink blooms were originally pink due to the soil pH being alkaline and-or the absence of aluminum in the original potting soil. Once the roots started growing into your garden soil with aluminum, they now turn blue instead of pink. My soil is normally alkaline so I get pink blooms by default. To get blues or purples, I simulate acidic soil by amending the soil to acidify it (a soil test done years ago indicated that the soil had aluminum). Macrophylla/serrata blooms typically go through a series of color changes as the blooms age and the color changes depend on the variety and type of hydrangea. One example, a new bloom may start pink and remain so for several weeks/month. Then the bloom may add shades of pink/reds/purples and remain so for several weeks/month. Then the blooms may add shades of green splotches and remain that way for several more weeks/month. Finally, the blooms turn all brown. If the blooms prematurely turn brown instead of going through similar color changes, it is possible that the plant is not getting as much water as it needs during the summer months or is getting too much sunlight. The blooms will eventually fall in 2022 on their own... at about the time when the plant produced the blooms this year or before then. Alternatively, you can deadhead now: cut the small petiole string that connects the blooms to the stems. The leaves should still look fine (until the plant goes dormant in the fall), provided that you are still watering well to maintain the soil as evenly moist as you can; maintain 2-4" of organic mulch (no rocks) around the plant up to the drip line or past it.
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dlfaulk08
Original Author
9 years ago
Nikko-- excuse the typo
The blooms were pink last year
luis_pr
9 years ago
You probably got pink last year because that was what the minerals and pH in your potting mix made the blooms do. But now that the roots are absorbing minerals from your garden soil in larger amounts, the blooms change color based on soil pH and the amt of aluminum in your garden soil.

NB blooms can turn somewhat clear/light blue when the soil pH is close to neutral. If your soil has plenty of aluminum and the soil pH is acidic, the blooms will turn shades of blue (the more acidic, the darker the shade of blue).
dlfaulk08
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you for the responses. Could you recommend what I should added to the soil to make the soil better for them?
luis_pr
9 years ago
Plain ole mulch and organic compost in Spring will be great for them. Say, a layer 1/4 to 1/2" of compost around each shrub. You can also use 1/2 cup to 1 cup of cottonseed meal. A balanced slow-release fert like Osmocote 10-10-10 will also be fine. You can add 3-4" of mulch up to the drip line too (a little further if it is windy).

To turn the flowers pink, you need to regularly amend with garden lime available at nurseries. Apply according to the label's directions and then water them. To turn them blue, add aluminum sulphate instead (or try greensand, iron sulfate or garden sulphur). Apply these according to label directions and then water them. Do not exceed dosages by a lot as sulphur based compounds can burn the small roots. See if you can also invest in a soil pH kit so you can measure the changes in soil pH. These are commonly available at plant nurseries but I am not sure how the stock will be near the end of the growing season. If everyone around you is out, wait until Spring or mail order from someone you like.

Fertilizers should be applied thru the end of June so the plant will go dormant in the Fall and not stay in growth mode. This does not apply to the lime and acidifying soil amendments. You can also use some "weak" fertilizers like liquid seaweed, liquid fish or coffee grounds but again, stop using them in July-ish.

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Hydrangea blooms not turning pink

Comments (6)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

dlfaulk08
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Hydrangea blooms not turning pink

Comments (6)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

dlfaulk08Original Author

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luis_pr

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dlfaulk08
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