Hydrangea question

How can you get a Hydrangea to bloom purple?

That's going to be a bit tricky, alkaline (high pH) soil will make them pink, acidic (low pH) soil will make them blue, but to get them to be purple you'll have to be somewhere in between but it's going to be tricky to get things exactly right. And I don't know that you will really get a true purple, most cultivars would probably be more lavender colored, or the darker colored ones will look a little muddy when they're stuck in between pink & blue. Personally I think you should save yourself a lot of time and energy and enjoy them whatever color they happen to be in your soil.

grow them blue and wear your rose colored glasses when you view them. lol
sorry couldn't resist. mine bloom pink but I'm not having much luck with mine, i would be happy if i could just keep some green foilage on them

what color are your hydrangas naturally?

I think most all, except for certain families of the white hydrangeas are blue if you have acid soil and pink if you have alkaline. just what that threshold is i'm not sure. because i have slightly acid soil, about 6.5 ph.
I think the acid/alkaline ph factor is more of a generalization than perhaps science, as it may have more to do with the presence of a mineral, say, calcium (limestone) in your soil.
so although I may have a slightly acid soil, which supposedly should result in blue blooms,
i have pink, possibly because I have limestone under the soil.
whatever it is i think it probably has more to do with mineral and/or micronutrient proportions and reactions than just ph factor alone.

i just dug out my hydrangeasplus catalog. they are on the web or phone number is toll free 8664337896. they have one for example aspera villosa that blooms lavender in acid or neutral soil.
the catalog is also a plethora of hints and tips also on their website i believe.
it tells exactly how much aluminum to add and when etc. it doesn't mention purple just "bluing"
i think it really depends on the cultivar you want as to how much "purple" you desire.

I bought a Merritt's Supreme last Fall that was a deep rose when I planted it. It's my first hydrangea, and it is just coming into bloom now. The petals are a really deep, two tone violet right now. Will the color fade as the blooms fill out? I love the color so far. I meant to add lime last Fall to try to keep the pink, because my soil is very acidic. Now I think I'll just let it do what it wants to do.

beautiful hydrangea. the leaves are perfect too. i don't think the color will fade, i think that is just some flowers when in a harsh sun, however if your hydrangea looks that good and is in full sun, i'm going to replant mine in the sun. lol

Thank you Len. The whole plant is really doing well, which is a surprise to me since we kinda just dug a hole in the lawn, cut out a piece of huge pine tree root that was in the way, and stuck it in there. It is in high shade and gets very little direct sun...I was actually gonna ask if I should try to give it more sun, by cutting a few tree branches down that are hanging over it. I protected it over the winter with leaves, which I swore I wouldn't mess with again this year, but now I'm liking it so much that I'm sure I will pile those leaves on again this year. I have about 15 buds or so that I can see that should bloom soon...so I guess it's getting enough sun?

whatever conditions you have are perfect i wouldn't do a thing. mine get a little too much sun, and they have the rattiest leaves, drooping often. i just planted this year.

It was reccomended to me that if i wanted purple to plant the darkest red i could find ... I can go look out in the yard if you want and get the exact name. It is planted with mopheads that are blue. I have three endless summer in the back -they are about two feet apart. One is blue, one bluish pink, and one pink. All started out the same! I do not tamper with the soil. I love them no matter the color - and I know you can hurt a plant if you tamper too much.

Paula

Hi Len, I think your Hydrangia is suffering from lack of water if it is in full sun, they do like some, but slight shade is better, All the Hydrangias have new buds looking white/cream, then they colour up as the flowers open and mature as the days go by, I have blue ones growing in my soil that is acid as they are in a mixed shrub bed with Rhododendrons etc, but the ones that are in a bed with climbing roses behind them and have added lots of manure/compost, are deep pink, so the soil condition really does dictate the colour of the flowers,
If you live in an area where you get frost or real cold winters, leave the old dried blooms on them as it acts like a protective blanket through the winter, soon as you see the new leaf nods show in spring, then prune them down to the top bud or below, they will be fine pruned in spring. if you like the dried flowers, you can cut them for indoors as Christmad decorations and spray them gold/silver etc, they look really nice among other greenery scattered around the house. good luck Weenel.

hey weeNel. it's definitely not lack of water. but my old leaves are falling off and new leaves are coming from everywhere. the leaves look a little chlorotic or something. i think they must detest something in my soil. limestone maybe? or it could be that i dont have deep enough shade. i drowned one. i've only lived here a year and a half, last year was a drought now this year is most rain in 25 years or more. the one i drowned was in a low spot that holds water a while because of all the rain. i have 5 left. i even made shade screens for some of them, no difference.they did bloom pretty though. i've had the same problem with helliobores. maybe it's just flowers that start with an H? lol

I need help with my hydrangeas! I have had them for 9 years and
they bloom occassionally. What can I do to get them to bloom. The
green foilage is beautiful but if I'm lucky I get three blooms. i
water & fertilize.?????????????? Thanks!

What sort of hydrangeas are they and what zone are you in?

If you're in zone 5 or 6 and they're the older type of Hydrangea macrophylla, they bloom on old wood and the buds will often be zapped by a late frost or cold weather. If this is the case and you want to see blooms, you either need to protect them for the winter (many people build wire cages around them and fill it up with leaves) or replace them with newer varieties like Endless Summer, Forever and Ever, or All Summer Beauty which bloom on new as well as old wood. These won't be impacted by the late cold.

If you're in a warmer zone but you have the type that blooms on old wood, the most likely cause of them not blooming is pruning at the wrong time. If you prune in the fall/winter/early spring, you are pruning off the buds, the right time to prune is as soon as they're done blooming.

Thanks for the reply ecrane3. I'm in zone 7, North Carolina. I have
not pruned them as soon as they finish blooming and possibly that is my problem , but I will do that this season. Thanks alot!