I bought a couple of hydrangeas last week - one is a deep red colour and
the other was a beautiful deep blue.

There's no problem with the red one but, in the space of a week, the other
one has gradually changed from deep blue, through purple, and is now a kind
of washed-out pinkish-blue which doesn't appeal to me at all.

I'm not a gardener, but I assume the acidity of the soil has something to
do with this? Is there anything I can do to restore it to the beautiful
deep blue colour it was when purchased?

Failing this, if I bought another deep blue Hydrangea are there any
precautions I can take to prevent this happening again?

TIA.

--
Exiddor.

"Exiddor" wrote:
I bought a couple of hydrangeas last week - one is a deep red colour and
the other was a beautiful deep blue.
There's no problem with the red one but, in the space of a week, the other
one has gradually changed from deep blue, through purple, and is now a
kind
of washed-out pinkish-blue which doesn't appeal to me at all.
Is there anything I can do to restore it to the beautiful
deep blue colour it was when purchased?
---
Certainly there is. Get hold of some aluminium sulphate or better still,
Miracid, a soil acidifier and plant food with chelated iron. Follow the
instructions on the pack, however, it might take a little time to get back
that beautiful deep blue. An old gardening buddy used to dig in rusty metal,
old nails etc. The Miracid should do the trick for you.
BOL
Rusty

On Fri, 8 Aug 2003 18:21:34 +0100, Rusty wrote:

"Exiddor" wrote:
[...]
Is there anything I can do to restore it to the beautiful
deep blue colour it was when purchased?

Certainly there is. Get hold of some aluminium sulphate or better still,
Miracid, a soil acidifier and plant food with chelated iron. Follow the
instructions on the pack, however, it might take a little time to get back
that beautiful deep blue. An old gardening buddy used to dig in rusty metal,
old nails etc. The Miracid should do the trick for you.

Many thanks, Rusty - I'm off to the garden centre now to find some.

Coincidentally, an old gentleman was just passing by and said "I see your
new Hydrangea has faded - you should bury some old rusty nails around it".

So that's something to keep in mind for the future.

--
Exiddor.

On Sat, 09 Aug 2003 07:41:10 GMT, Exiddor wrote:

On Fri, 8 Aug 2003 18:21:34 +0100, Rusty wrote:

"Exiddor" wrote:
[...]
Is there anything I can do to restore it to the beautiful
deep blue colour it was when purchased?

Certainly there is. Get hold of some aluminium sulphate or better still,
Miracid, a soil acidifier and plant food with chelated iron. Follow the
instructions on the pack, however, it might take a little time to get back
that beautiful deep blue. An old gardening buddy used to dig in rusty metal,
old nails etc. The Miracid should do the trick for you.

Many thanks, Rusty - I'm off to the garden centre now to find some.

Coincidentally, an old gentleman was just passing by and said "I see your
new Hydrangea has faded - you should bury some old rusty nails around it".

So that's something to keep in mind for the future.

Miracid is know called Miracle-Grow Ericaceous Fertiliser. Failing
that, Chempak do a similar product with a similar name.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

On Sun, 10 Aug 2003 09:13:18 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:

[...]
Miracid is know called Miracle-Grow Ericaceous Fertiliser. Failing
that, Chempak do a similar product with a similar name.

Thanks, but I found Miracid still on the shelves at Parkers Garden Centre
in Manchester - £6.45 for a 1kG box.

--
Exiddor.

"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 09 Aug 2003 07:41:10 GMT, Exiddor wrote:

On Fri, 8 Aug 2003 18:21:34 +0100, Rusty wrote:

"Exiddor" wrote:
[...]
Is there anything I can do to restore it to the beautiful
deep blue colour it was when purchased?

Certainly there is. Get hold of some aluminium sulphate or better
still,
Miracid, a soil acidifier and plant food with chelated iron. Follow the
instructions on the pack, however, it might take a little time to get
back
that beautiful deep blue. An old gardening buddy used to dig in rusty
metal,
old nails etc. The Miracid should do the trick for you.

Many thanks, Rusty - I'm off to the garden centre now to find some.

Coincidentally, an old gentleman was just passing by and said "I see your
new Hydrangea has faded - you should bury some old rusty nails around
it".

So that's something to keep in mind for the future.

Miracid is know called Miracle-Grow Ericaceous Fertiliser. Failing
that, Chempak do a similar product with a similar name.

Is that so as to cause confusion with Miracle-Grow All Purpose?

]Franz Heymann]

"Chris Hogg" wrote

Miracid is know called Miracle-Grow Ericaceous Fertiliser. Failing
that, Chempak do a similar product with a similar name.
-----
Perhaps someone should tell the garden centre near me. They have Miracid by
the wheelbarrow load still selling at top whack, for old stock!!!

Aphodius

Exiddor wrote in news:670peokmlsz3
:

On Sun, 10 Aug 2003 09:13:18 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:

[...]
Miracid is know called Miracle-Grow Ericaceous Fertiliser. Failing
that, Chempak do a similar product with a similar name.

Thanks, but I found Miracid still on the shelves at Parkers Garden Centre
in Manchester - £6.45 for a 1kG box.

Ouch! You could get another plant for that!
While you are using it up, stick any old rusty nails, screws, bolts,
hinges and so on that you find to one side. Once you've used up the
Miracid they will come in handy.

I inherited a big pink hydrangea when I moved in to this house. The
previous owners had a big bonfire before they moved out. In the ashes, I
found much rusty door furniture.

I piled it all in a heap under the hydrangea, meaning to do something about
it later. This produced a strange effect: the side of the hydrangea next
to the little pile of rusty things is now a vibrant blue, but scales
through purple to pink on the other side!

I've now distributed the items more evenly around the plant, and hope it
will all be blue soon. They are hidden under a layer of mulch.

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

What is so terrible about a hydrangea being pink??

Regards, Aileen

"Victoria Clare" wrote in message
.206...
Exiddor wrote in news:670peokmlsz3
:

On Sun, 10 Aug 2003 09:13:18 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:

[...]
Miracid is know called Miracle-Grow Ericaceous Fertiliser. Failing
that, Chempak do a similar product with a similar name.

Thanks, but I found Miracid still on the shelves at Parkers Garden
Centre
in Manchester - £6.45 for a 1kG box.

Ouch! You could get another plant for that!
While you are using it up, stick any old rusty nails, screws, bolts,
hinges and so on that you find to one side. Once you've used up the
Miracid they will come in handy.

I inherited a big pink hydrangea when I moved in to this house. The
previous owners had a big bonfire before they moved out. In the ashes, I
found much rusty door furniture.

I piled it all in a heap under the hydrangea, meaning to do something
about
it later. This produced a strange effect: the side of the hydrangea next
to the little pile of rusty things is now a vibrant blue, but scales
through purple to pink on the other side!

I've now distributed the items more evenly around the plant, and hope it
will all be blue soon. They are hidden under a layer of mulch.

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

"Aileen Howard" wrote in news:qtOZa.19936
:

What is so terrible about a hydrangea being pink??

I hate pink!

And the previous owner only planted pink frilly plants... (well, that's not
quite true, but it's close...)

Victoria

"
I inherited a big pink hydrangea when I moved in to this house. The
previous owners had a big bonfire before they moved out. In the ashes, I
found much rusty door furniture.

I piled it all in a heap under the hydrangea, meaning to do something
about
it later. This produced a strange effect: the side of the hydrangea next
to the little pile of rusty things is now a vibrant blue, but scales
through purple to pink on the other side!

I've now distributed the items more evenly around the plant, and hope it
will all be blue soon. They are hidden under a layer of mulch.


Victoria - did you bury the rusty things or just put them round the plant
with mulch on top? I have a pink Hydrangea which I would much prefer blue
and have been intending to try the rusty iron solution but thought I would
have to dig holes round the plant and bury them.

Natalie

"Natalie" wrote in
:

Victoria - did you bury the rusty things or just put them round the
plant with mulch on top? I have a pink Hydrangea which I would much
prefer blue and have been intending to try the rusty iron solution but
thought I would have to dig holes round the plant and bury them.

I just plonked them on the top. I don't think you need to bury them,
unless you have a dog that likes to dig or something.

The idea is that the roots get regular soakings in rusty water rather than
being in direct contact with the iron, and that will happen every time it
rains.

Victoria

"Natalie" wrote in
:

Victoria - did you bury the rusty things or just put them round the
plant with mulch on top? I have a pink Hydrangea which I would much
prefer blue and have been intending to try the rusty iron solution but
thought I would have to dig holes round the plant and bury them.

I just plonked them on the top. I don't think you need to bury them,
unless you have a dog that likes to dig or something.

The idea is that the roots get regular soakings in rusty water rather than
being in direct contact with the iron, and that will happen every time it
rains.

Victoria

"Victoria Clare" wrote in message
.205...
"Natalie" wrote in
:

Victoria - did you bury the rusty things or just put them round the
plant with mulch on top? I have a pink Hydrangea which I would much
prefer blue and have been intending to try the rusty iron solution but
thought I would have to dig holes round the plant and bury them.

I just plonked them on the top. I don't think you need to bury them,
unless you have a dog that likes to dig or something.

The idea is that the roots get regular soakings in rusty water rather than
being in direct contact with the iron, and that will happen every time it
rains.

Victoria

Now where did I put those rusty things...I think I've got a good chance of
finding them before it rains! Thanks Victoria :-)

Natalie

Victoria Clare wrote:
Exiddor wrote in news:670peokmlsz3
:


On Sun, 10 Aug 2003 09:13:18 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:

[...]

Miracid is know called Miracle-Grow Ericaceous Fertiliser. Failing
that, Chempak do a similar product with a similar name.

Thanks, but I found Miracid still on the shelves at Parkers Garden Centre
in Manchester - £6.45 for a 1kG box.


Ouch! You could get another plant for that!
While you are using it up, stick any old rusty nails, screws, bolts,
hinges and so on that you find to one side. Once you've used up the
Miracid they will come in handy.

I inherited a big pink hydrangea when I moved in to this house. The
previous owners had a big bonfire before they moved out. In the ashes, I
found much rusty door furniture.

I piled it all in a heap under the hydrangea, meaning to do something about
it later. This produced a strange effect: the side of the hydrangea next
to the little pile of rusty things is now a vibrant blue, but scales
through purple to pink on the other side!

I've now distributed the items more evenly around the plant, and hope it
will all be blue soon. They are hidden under a layer of mulch.

Victoria

The rust from the nails alters the soil pH which causes the effect you
mention, it is grounded in good science!

Jason