How do I get my Hydrangeas back to their original color?

Tamara Bajanen
by Tamara Bajanen

Needless to say they changed an awful color. I got rid of the mulch and I’m wondering if they will come back to their blue color.

  4 answers
  • Gk Gk on Mar 09, 2019

    You will still want to keep the mulch around your hydrangea plants but you may have to make sure that your soil is acidic enough to grow blue hydrangeas. It is a process you need to repeat every year if you want your hydrangeas to remain blue. Any color hydrangea will change if the soil is not acidic enough. Adding lots of pine needles is one option.

    https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/growing-blue-hydrangeas/8609.html

    https://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Blue-Hydrangeas-Blue

  • Kelly Denoyer Russell Kelly Denoyer Russell on Mar 09, 2019

    Blue- Making Your Soil More Acidic

    1. Sprinkle elemental sulfur over the soil.
    2. Use acidic compost and aluminum sulfate powder.
    3. Apply a fertilizer that is low in phosphorus and high in potassium.
    4. Use organic matter to increase the acidity of the soil.
    5. Water your hydrangeas with rainwater.


  • Jan Clark Jan Clark on Mar 09, 2019

    Actually, pulling the mulch helped neutralize the soil rather than acidify it. I really get a bit PO'd when nurseries sell plants that won't stay the way you bought them without specific care - and don't tell you that. Blue hydrangeas are one of them. You can also get a soil pH test kit which will help by providing information on how acidic the soil is and give you an idea of how much supplement it needs. Hope that helps!

  • Lynn Sorrell Lynn Sorrell on Mar 09, 2019

    Measure the Soil pH

    Although doing this may sound like complicated chemistry, it's not. All soil has a pH value which measures the acidity or alkalinity. The pH scale is from 0 to 14; 7 is neutral. Soil pH values of less than 7 indicate degrees of acidity. Soil pH values greater than 7 indicate degrees of alkalinity. Use a soil test kit to determine the current pH levels of your soil.

    Pick the Flower Hue You Want

    For true blue flowers, the hydrangeas need to be grown in acidic soil (pH 5.5 and lower). For pink flowers, the plants need neutral to alkaline soils (pH 6.5 and higher). For purple blooms (or a mix of blue and pink flowers on the same plant), the pH of the soil must be 5.5 and pH 6.5.

    Adjust the Soil pH

    When you get the soil pH result, it will be obvious what you need to do next: to get blue blooms, you need to amp up the soil's acidity. You can do that in a variety of ways. Organic acidifiers include sulfur and sulfate soil additives. There are also easy-to-use soil additives made specifically for hydrangeas. Bailey's Color Me Blue (soil sulfur) or Bailey's Color Me Pink (garden lime) change the pH of the soil so you can enjoy the hydrangea bloom color you want. These all-natural products make the soil more acidic (for blue blooms) or alkaline (for pink blooms). Add the pelleted mixture to the soil when you plant your hydrangea.

    Continue to Acidify the pH for Blue Blooms

    Soil pH needs to be regulated to produce consistently blue blooms. Work pH soil additives into the top layer of the soil around the root zone to help keep the flowers the color you want.