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Keeping hydrangea blue
I have been given a present of a blue hydrangea because I do not like
pink and the donor says there is a way to keep it blue but cannot remember how. Any help is appreciated and the plant is to survive in North of Scotland. Ailsa |
Keeping hydrangea blue
"Snowflake" wrote in message ups.com... I have been given a present of a blue hydrangea because I do not like pink and the donor says there is a way to keep it blue but cannot remember how. Any help is appreciated and the plant is to survive in North of Scotland. Ailsa Keep the soil acid isn't it? Geoff |
Keeping hydrangea blue
On 27 Mar 2007 09:25:45 -0700, Snowflake wrote:
I have been given a present of a blue hydrangea because I do not like pink and the donor says there is a way to keep it blue but cannot remember how. Any help is appreciated and the plant is to survive in North of Scotland. Ailsa There are blueing powders in the garden centres based on aluminium sulphate(?) I think. There are also claims that sticking (iron/steel) nails among the roots does the same thing. The colours are the opposite way to litmus paper so you are looking towards an acid soil. I am trying a mixture of iron and aluminium roofing nails, but I did put them there before the winter. If all the hydrangeas in your street are pink, you may be in for a long battle :o) -- Jim S Tyneside UK http://www.jimscott.co.uk |
Keeping hydrangea blue
On Mar 27, 5:35 pm, Jim S wrote:
On 27 Mar 2007 09:25:45 -0700, Snowflake wrote: I have been given a present of a blue hydrangea because I do not like pink and the donor says there is a way to keep it blue but cannot remember how. Any help is appreciated and the plant is to survive in North of Scotland. Ailsa There are blueing powders in the garden centres based on aluminium sulphate(?) I think. There are also claims that sticking (iron/steel) nails among the roots does the same thing. The colours are the opposite way to litmus paper so you are looking towards an acid soil. I am trying a mixture of iron and aluminium roofing nails, but I did put them there before the winter. If all the hydrangeas in your street are pink, you may be in for a long battle :o) -- Jim S Tyneside UKhttp://www.jimscott.co.uk Jim, I've tried your method, mine still flower as pink!!! The only ones that do come up a beautiful blue colour each year, without any additives, are the Japanese ones. Judith |
Keeping hydrangea blue
On Mar 27, 5:54 pm, Jim S wrote:
On 27 Mar 2007 09:49:17 -0700, wrote: On Mar 27, 5:35 pm, Jim S wrote: On 27 Mar 2007 09:25:45 -0700, Snowflake wrote: I have been given a present of a blue hydrangea because I do not like pink and the donor says there is a way to keep it blue but cannot remember how. Any help is appreciated and the plant is to survive in North of Scotland. Ailsa There are blueing powders in the garden centres based on aluminium sulphate(?) I think. There are also claims that sticking (iron/steel) nails among the roots does the same thing. The colours are the opposite way to litmus paper so you are looking towards an acid soil. I am trying a mixture of iron and aluminium roofing nails, but I did put them there before the winter. If all the hydrangeas in your street are pink, you may be in for a long battle :o) -- Jim S Tyneside UKhttp://www.jimscott.co.uk Jim, I've tried your method, mine still flower as pink!!! The only ones that do come up a beautiful blue colour each year, without any additives, are the Japanese ones. Judith Aaah. You have spoiled my anticipation :o( I trust yours were blue to begin with? -- Jim S Tyneside UKhttp://www.jimscott.co.uk- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - They were. I have taken cuttings of a white one which have all taken, do you know if white have any problems keeping true? |
Keeping hydrangea blue
On 27 Mar 2007 10:06:39 -0700, wrote:
On Mar 27, 5:54 pm, Jim S wrote: On 27 Mar 2007 09:49:17 -0700, wrote: On Mar 27, 5:35 pm, Jim S wrote: On 27 Mar 2007 09:25:45 -0700, Snowflake wrote: I have been given a present of a blue hydrangea because I do not like pink and the donor says there is a way to keep it blue but cannot remember how. Any help is appreciated and the plant is to survive in North of Scotland. Ailsa There are blueing powders in the garden centres based on aluminium sulphate(?) I think. There are also claims that sticking (iron/steel) nails among the roots does the same thing. The colours are the opposite way to litmus paper so you are looking towards an acid soil. I am trying a mixture of iron and aluminium roofing nails, but I did put them there before the winter. If all the hydrangeas in your street are pink, you may be in for a long battle :o) -- Jim S Tyneside UKhttp://www.jimscott.co.uk Jim, I've tried your method, mine still flower as pink!!! The only ones that do come up a beautiful blue colour each year, without any additives, are the Japanese ones. Judith Aaah. You have spoiled my anticipation :o( I trust yours were blue to begin with? -- Jim S Tyneside UKhttp://www.jimscott.co.uk- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - They were. I have taken cuttings of a white one which have all taken, do you know if white have any problems keeping true? I have a feeling the white ones have little or no pigment to change. Having said that I did have one which tinged with pink, like apple blossom, and was quite pretty. -- Jim S Tyneside UK http://www.jimscott.co.uk |
Keeping hydrangea blue
On 27 Mar 2007 09:25:45 -0700, "Snowflake"
wrote: I have been given a present of a blue hydrangea because I do not like pink and the donor says there is a way to keep it blue but cannot remember how. Any help is appreciated and the plant is to survive in North of Scotland. Ailsa You need an acid soil. I don't know the geology of your part of the world in detail, but I don't recall much chalk or limestone up there. Most of northern Scotland is pre-Cambrian. Do your neighbours grow rhododendrons or azaleas? If so, your soil is probably OK anyway. -- Chris E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net |
Keeping hydrangea blue
"Jim S" wrote in message
... The colours are the opposite way to litmus paper so you are looking towards an acid soil. Acid turns pink litmus blue, alkali turns blue litmus pink. I am trying a mixture of iron and aluminium roofing nails, but I did put them there before the winter. That's one way of reducing the acid content of the soil perhaps for acid plus metal = salt plus water plus hydrogen and the salt will be leached out by rain. Before you do the next thing, check the ph of your soil. If it's good and acid, do not bother any more. If you have an alkaline soil, a young pink hydrangea and you would like it blue, dig it up. dig a deepish and wide hole, put plenty of horse manure compost, peat and ericacious soil in the hole get rid of as much soil from the plants roots as is reasonable and carefully replant it. Watering with the dregs of your teapot and mulching with all your neighbours' spent tea leaves would not hurt. The plant might stay blue for a few years. By the way, it's not a good environmental practice to bury aluminium especially if it's compounds might get into a pond with fish in it. Geoff |
Keeping hydrangea blue
On Mar 27, 6:26 pm, "Geoff" wrote:
Watering with the dregs of your teapot and mulching with all your neighbours' spent tea leaves would not hurt. The plant might stay blue for a few years. Geoff, a serious question - neither my husband or I drink tea, we are freshly ground coffee drinkers, would that do? |
Keeping hydrangea blue
Geoff, a serious question - neither my husband or I drink tea, we are freshly ground coffee drinkers, would that do? It will do no harm but I'm not sure about the acidity. I'll try to find my box of indicator papers and check my next batch of coffee! Watch this space! Geoff. |
Keeping hydrangea blue
In message , Chris Hogg
writes On 27 Mar 2007 09:25:45 -0700, "Snowflake" wrote: I have been given a present of a blue hydrangea because I do not like pink and the donor says there is a way to keep it blue but cannot remember how. Any help is appreciated and the plant is to survive in North of Scotland. Ailsa You need an acid soil. I don't know the geology of your part of the world in detail, but I don't recall much chalk or limestone up there. Most of northern Scotland is pre-Cambrian. Do your neighbours grow rhododendrons or azaleas? If so, your soil is probably OK anyway. Much of northern Scotland has acidic soil, if not from the underlying rock, then from the till and peat. However there is, for example, the outcrop of the Durness Limestone, and there are other calcareous rocks (IIRC, a calcarous sandstone, contemporaneous with the chalk of England underlies the Tertiary Volcanics of Skye.) Other younger rocks are the Devonian Old Red Sandstones that underlie much of lowland northern Scotland. -- Stewart Robert Hinsley |
Keeping hydrangea blue
On Mar 27, 6:35 pm, "Geoff" wrote:
Geoff, a serious question - neither my husband or I drink tea, we are freshly ground coffee drinkers, would that do? It will do no harm but I'm not sure about the acidity. I'll try to find my box of indicator papers and check my next batch of coffee! Watch this space! Geoff. Gosh, thank you! |
Keeping hydrangea blue
wrote in message oups.com... On Mar 27, 6:26 pm, "Geoff" wrote: Watering with the dregs of your teapot and mulching with all your neighbours' spent tea leaves would not hurt. The plant might stay blue for a few years. Geoff, a serious question - neither my husband or I drink tea, we are freshly ground coffee drinkers, would that do? I found my narrow band indicator papers and just as my wife was about to start a fresh brew, I managed to rescue to the last lot's grouts. I pressed a piece of pH 4 to 6 paper in them and found the pH to be between 4 and 4.5. Anything less that pH 7 is considered to be acidic. So, coffee grouts will add acidity to the soil with the added bonus of keeping the hydrangeas awake!!! I do not like tea either! Geoff |
Keeping hydrangea blue
"Geoff" wrote in message ... The plant might stay blue for a few years. Geoff, a serious question - neither my husband or I drink tea, we are freshly ground coffee drinkers, would that do? I found my narrow band indicator papers and just as my wife was about to start a fresh brew, I managed to rescue to the last lot's grouts. I pressed a piece of pH 4 to 6 paper in them and found the pH to be between 4 and 4.5. Anything less that pH 7 is considered to be acidic. So, coffee grouts will add acidity to the soil with the added bonus of keeping the hydrangeas awake!!! I do not like tea either! Geoff Starbucks give away pre-packed bags of old coffee to be used within the garden |
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