The pH Factor: How To Control The Color Of Your Hydrangea

 

Want to know the secret to getting your hydrangeas to turn pink or blue? It all comes down to the soil pH. The good news is, you can tweak the pH to get the color you want.
 

Here’s the lowdown:

 
 

Alkaline soil (pH 7.0 or higher) = pink blooms
 

 
 

Acidic soil (pH lower than 6.0) = blue blooms
 

 
 

To change the color, you can add:

 

• Lime for a more alkaline soil and pink blooms

• Aluminum sulfate for a more acidic soil and blue blooms
 

In East Texas, the soil tends to be more acidic, which means blue blooms are more common. But here’s the thing: with so many hydrangea varieties out there, changing the soil pH isn’t always necessary.
 
Some varieties, like The Original® Endless Summer, Twist-N-Shout®, and Bloomstruck® from the Endless Summer® series, and other old-fashioned Hydrangeas (think of your grandmother’s hydrangeas you saw growing up!) can still be influenced by soil pH. But most modern hydrangeas are bred to keep their color, no matter the soil conditions.
 
If you’re feeling adventurous and have an old-fashioned hydrangea, you can try manipulating the soil pH to change its bloom color. But if not, don’t worry – there are plenty of gorgeous hydrangeas out there in every color you could want!
 
Still feeling adventurous? See our handy chart below for tips on adjusting your soil pH and achieving the perfect bloom color.