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Hydrangeas can be the most beautiful plants when they are in full bloom. They are beautiful in the garden, especially if you can make them bloom in different colors.
Plants like hydrangeas grow best in alkaline soil, causing them to bloom in shades of pink and white. For a spectacular show of brilliant blue color, we need to change the pH of the soil to a more acidic balance.
When added around your hydrangea, baking soda helps improve water retention and root growth, as well as reduce fungal diseases and improve leaf production.
Adding baking soda can change the pH. It will bloom pink or white when the soil pH is 6.5 or higher. While levels 6 and below will highlight blue or lavender flowers.
The end result with the color of your hydrangea flowers is found in the soil where you plan to grow the plants.
Alkaline soil produces pink and white, while more acidic soil produces blue.
The reverse also works. If you find your hydrangea is blue and you prefer pink and white, changing the soil pH to more alkaline will change the color.
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Is baking soda good for hydrangeas?
Besides changing the color of flowers, there are several reasons why baking soda should be used in the garden, and it’s especially good for hydrangeas.
good for the roots
Baking soda helps keep the root system cool. It also helps to make Freeze resistant, preventing ice damage. Baking soda helps reduce water loss during the summer months.
Gives the plant a boost.
Adding a steady supply of baking soda mixed with water will thin out the leaves and make the plant healthy again, especially if it seems droopy.
Reduce fungal diseases
You might be wondering if adding baking soda will harm your hydrangeas, and the answer is no, it won’t. It can even prevent the spread of fungal spores.
If you have other plants in the garden that are susceptible to powdery mildew and other leaf diseases, a dose of baking soda can help minimize these problems.
Adding a dose of baking soda to your hydrangea’s diet is a trick I learned from my dad.
Although you can’t see the reason for a fallen plant, drinking it is like a miracle cure. You will notice a change in no time.
Will my hydrangeas change color?
Baking soda is one of the proven ways to change the color of hydrangeas.
This is because baking soda is at the top of the alkalinity scale. This will change the pH level in the soil and thus change the color of the bloom.
White hydrangeas are mainly grown in neutral soils and to keep them you need transplant place them in soil similar to that in which your plant was grown.
If you want to change your white (or even blue) hydrangea to a more pink color, you will need to add baking soda.
As the baking soda and water mixture absorbs into the root system and then into the stems, you’ll notice the flowers turn a brighter pink.
If you like this article, check out our article on the Common problems with potted hydrangeas and how to solve them.
How do you use baking soda to grow your hydrangeas?
There are two ways to add baking soda to hydrangeas, mixing it with water and mixing it with the soil around the plant.
It’s not a good idea to just sprinkle the baking soda around the plant, as it won’t absorb evenly and may not do much good.
It’s also possible that when you sprinkle baking soda around the plant, some of it lands on the leaves. This can cause them to burn and while it won’t harm the plant, it won’t look attractive.
mix with water
1 teaspoon in 2 liters of water should make four strong plants.
mix with soil
Ideally, you should do this before you put your plant in the ground, when you bring it home from the nursery, or when you repot it. flower pot On the ground.
Be sure to mix the baking soda well (1 tablespoon) and evenly throughout the Usually I before planting your plant.
Adding baking soda to the soil around your hydrangea gives the domain the protection they need against winter and summer temperatures.
Because hydrangeas are such large plants, the roots often compete to supply the leaves with enough moisture, so keeping them cool and moist helps the plant survive hot and cold temperatures.
use as fertilizer
If you plan to use it as a fertilizer, be sure to mix the baking soda with water first. Work in one tablespoon of baking soda for every 9 square feet of surface.
Make sure the baking soda is completely dissolved before applying it around the base of the plants.
Try to keep the mixture off the leaves, especially in hot weather, as they can burn.
We have a great article on this. How to make natural fertilizer for your hydrangeas.
A Word on Overwatering Hydrangeas
One thing I learned about hydrangeas is that they are much loved and needed. Water.
This is because they can get very large and the roots have a hard time getting enough water at the end to feed the leaves.
It’s also important to keep in mind that you can overwater them. They also don’t like being given too much water! The best soil around it is moist, not wet.
The reason we tend to overwater our hydrangeas is because they seem to be in the midday heat. wither.
We automatically assume they haven’t had enough water and before we know it, they’re underwater.
Overwatered hydrangeas will affect flower production in the next cycle. Next, make sure the water at the base of the plant is moist and not soggy.
Myths about color change.
Over the years, color change ideas seem to come up regularly and most of us have tried a few.
Since flower color is directly related to the alkalinity or acidity of the soil, it seems quite easy to alter the pH and change the color.
What really changes the color is the aluminum content of the soil.
Lemon juice
Previously, this was considered the fastest and easiest way to change the color of hydrangea flowers.
The truth is, you need a few liters of pure lemon juice to notice the difference.
You also need to constantly add lemon juice to the water. Although lemons are cheap at certain times of the year, they can save you a small fortune!
The vinegar
The same goes for adding vinegar to your water. You should do this every time you water and add a large amount.
coffee beans
It’s a less expensive way to change the color of your hydrangea, although it’s not guaranteed. I tried this method and didn’t have much luck.
You should also make sure to keep an eye on the soil where you put the soil, as it will harden with dry soil and water will not seep in, leaving your hydrangea short of water.
I have to say that coffee grounds work well around my roses, although I always drill holes in the ground around them for the water to pass through the paved ground.
nails
It can be theorized as the new way to change color. I heard about it many times and finally tried it on one of my own hydrangeas. I must admit that nothing happened.
This could be due to using the wrong type of nails, maybe old rusty nails would have worked. Mine did not change color with this method.
special vegetable food
If you want to change the color of your hydrangea, you can buy a special plant fertilizer from a good garden center.
This may work better than any of the other theories, as long as you stick with the amounts and frequency of administration.
Final thoughts: Using baking soda to grow hydrangeas?
The Nantucket Blue Hydrangea it is known for its beautiful blue flowers.
Indeed, this type of hydrangea responds well to the addition of aluminum to the soil, from the beginning of the plant’s life.
However, even this variety will turn pink or white again if you transplant it into alkaline soil.
Soil pH is measured from 0 to 14. Lower numbers indicate higher acidity and higher alkalinity.
Lemon juice has a pH of 2.0 and is classified as very acidic, while baking soda has a pH of 8.5, which makes it very alkaline.
Hydrangeas are beautiful when in bloom and are sure to brighten up any garden.
If you are lucky enough to have naturally acidic soils, you will have beautiful blue flowers, while pink flowers will come from low acid soils.
Either way, using baking soda for your hydrangeas will strengthen the root system and give you a beautiful plant for years to come.
Before you go, here are some more related articles that I encourage you to read below to solve more of your gardening problems:
How to prevent leaf scorch on your hydrangea?
Why does my hydrangea have small flowers?
How to landscape with hydrangeas
Hydrangeas versus lilacs
Hydrangea tree vs bush
Hydrangeas vs. Rhododendrons
Snowball shrub against hydrangea
Written by: Valerie Holyoak