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Blue Hydrangea

I am going to re-pot 2 pink hydrangea's later in year and would love to turn them blue, is it the soil, or does the 'stuff' you buy really work??

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  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 82,724
    In my experience potting a blue Hydrangea in ericaceous soil, only using rainwater not tapwater to water it and using a propriety Blueing treatment in the water from time to time will keep a blue Hydrangea blue. 

    However I believe that some pink hydrangeas are destined to always be pink and if you do the above they will turn a deep mauve but not turn blue. I may be wrong ... 
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • LynLyn Posts: 21,323
    edited August 2019



    I planted this row out as cuttings in 2013, top photo is 2014, first one should have been pink, you can see in the above photo from this year, they have turned even more blue.
    my OH doesn’t like them, says they’re to bright and ‘in yer face’ he says. 😀
    The white ones stay white. 
    I can remember my mum putting a pile of rusty nails down the side of hers to turn them blue so I think the stuff you can buy does work.

    just add, there are some specialty hydrangeas that just won’t change colour, I have the Vanilla Fraise, that will always be pink.
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • chickychicky Posts: 10,321
    edited August 2019
    I love your collection Lyn ......no such thing as too in yer face in my book 😀😀😀

    I have some pink ones (bought as blue, but inadvertently planted in neutral imported top soil).  After 5 years one is beginning to turn .....think its roots must have hit the native soil



    I hope it gets bluer and bluer over time 💙

    BTW I tried the colouring agent a couple of years ago and it made not a blind bit of difference 🙄
  • Thanks for all your advice, will get ericaceous compost and try the colour changing agents,
    love your blue ones Lyn, they are beautiful,

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