Hydrangeas are definitely one of our most popular flowering shrubs in the garden. These beautiful garden flowers are originally from Asia and America, but are also well distributed in Europe, especially in the warmer parts of the continent. They are deciduous shrubs that are leafy in the summer months and produce beautiful flowers. However, they shed their foliage towards winter and surprise us again next year with their spherical flowers. Experienced gardeners are familiar with numerous varieties of hydrangea, whose gorgeous flower colors vary from white to pink to purple and blue. The special thing about it is actually that some hydrangeas can change their color, for example from blue to pink or vice versa. We have already reported on the blue hydrangeas. Today we want to give 5 tips on how to care for the most beautiful pink hydrangeas in your garden.
Pink hydrangeas are a symbol of more romance in life.
Why do hydrangeas change color?
Hydrangeas are always a real eye-catcher in the garden. We admire them for their large, beautiful flowers. Amazingly, certain hydrangea varieties have the ability to change color between blue, purple, and pink. You might think that the type of fertilizer you use determines the color. No, you are wrong! It’s actually much more about the pH of the soil. The key measure of hydrangea flower color is how acidic or alkaline the soil in your garden is. If you’re wondering how to turn your hydrangea flowers pink, then the rule of thumb is pretty simple to remember: the higher the pH, the more intense the pink color of your hydrangeas. Here’s how you can be sure to have perfect pink hydrangeas in your garden every year.
The beautiful flower colors of hydrangeas vary from white to pink and red to blue and purple.
5 care tips for pink hydrangeas
Here we do not give you any general care tips for beautiful hydrangeas. We focus on how to get gorgeous pink hydrangeas in your own garden. What soil conditions are necessary for this and what else should you know about the care of these garden beauties. If you want to prune or propagate your pink hydrangeas then you can read more about it here and here.
Pink hydrangeas will brighten up your garden.
1. Choose the right hydrangea
Of all the hydrangea species, only the flowers of the large-leaved hydrangea can change color. These include the farmer’s hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) and the Japanese tea hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata). Other species such as oakleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia) or snowball hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens), such as the Annabell variety, for example, cannot change their flower color and naturally flower in white, cream or dusky pink. These plants are just as amazing and beautiful. But if you really want pink hydrangeas in your garden, only choose the varieties that can change color. We can also recommend a popular large-leaved hydrangea with beautiful pink flowers. That’s ‘Summer Crush’ of the ‘Endless Summer’ variety.
This soft pink acts like a magnet in the garden.
2. Measure the pH of the soil
The natural pH of soil ranges from 0 to 14, with 7.0 being neutral. A value below 7.0 is acidic, a higher value is alkaline. If you want pink hydrangea flowers in your outdoor space, the soil pH needs to be on the alkaline scale. You can determine the pH value of your soil quickly and easily with a pH soil test. A score above 7.0 means your hydrangeas should produce pink flowers without you having to do anything else. A value between 6.0 and 7.0 will typically produce purple to pink flowers, and values below 6.0 will produce purple to blue hydrangea flowers. If you have acidic soil, you can increase the pH. Common means used for this purpose are powdered limestone or simply lime. These can be found at most hardware stores and garden centers. For example, powdered lime is finely ground and easily absorbed by the earth.
Do you know that you can increase the pH of the soil in your garden?
3. Don’t forget to fertilize
Soil conditioners, such as garden lime, can change the flower colors of hydrangeas, but they don’t give the plants all the nutrients they need to thrive. Hydrangeas do best when fertilized in early spring, as soon as the leaves sprout. If you are growing a repeat flowering strain like those in the Endless Summer series, fertilize again in midsummer after the first bloom to encourage the plants to bloom again. It is best to use a slow-release all-purpose fertilizer to provide your plants with an even supply of nutrients during the growing season.
Don’t forget to fertilize the pink hydrangeas in the garden bed.
4. You must exercise patience!
Changing the pH of the garden soil takes between 3 and 18 months. Continue adding Garden Lime for Pink Flowers according to package directions until desired color is achieved. In order to keep the pink flowers for a long time, you have to add garden lime regularly, i.e. whenever you fertilize. Once the flowers appear, they will no longer change color. That’s why you’ll probably have to wait at least until next year to see a different color. This will then be a result of your efforts to change the pH of the soil.
Pink hydrangeas also cut a fine figure in pots on the balcony or terrace.
5. Consider the possibility of cultivating pink hydrangeas in a matching flower pot
Finally, there is an extra tip. In gardens with very acidic soil, it can be difficult to raise the pH enough to keep hydrangeas blooming pink all the time. Also, maintaining an alkaline soil is not easy. An easier option is to grow your large-leaved hydrangeas in suitable pots in good quality potting soil. Be careful, the potting soil usually does not contain aluminum, so that the flowers do not turn blue.
Pink hydrangeas look adorable as table decorations in vases.
Follow our pink hydrangea tips and you’re bound to have great success as a home gardener. And grow lots of beautiful hydrangeas in your own garden! We wish you that!
The magic of colors in all their glory!
