You can particularly often observe the phenomenon of color change and fading of the color in blue hydrangeas. But a pink or white-flowering hydrangea can also change color or fade. We will explain to you what care measures you can take to prevent this.
Why is my hydrangea losing its color and how do I prevent it?
Hydrangeas lose their color due to changes in the pH of the soil. To prevent fading, maintain proper pH when planting, acidify the soil for blue hydrangeas, or lime for red and pink hydrangeas.
Typical color changes
A change in flower color does not occur suddenly. Two-colored flowers often appear initially, which can look very attractive. It can happen that:
- A pink hydrangea turns creamy white or greenish-pink.
- A blue pink hydrangea blooms.
- A white hydrangea has green flowers.
The soil conditions determine the flower color
If you plant the hydrangea in normal garden soil with a pH of around 6, most varieties will bloom pink. Only in very acidic soils with a pH value of 5.5 can the hydrangeas absorb enough aluminum from the soil to change the flower color to blue. However, if the hydrangea thrives in a more alkaline substrate with a pH value above 6.5, the flowers will have a strong pink or even red tint.
If the background changes, the original color of the flowers often fades before a new color appears.
Prevent fading
So that the hydrangea blooms in the desired color, attention should be paid to the correct pH value of the soil when planting. You can measure this value yourself using test strips (€14.00 at Amazon) from gardening stores and prepare the surface accordingly.
Acidifying soil – blue hydrangeas
If you plant a blue hydrangea and the substrate has a pH value higher than 5.5, you should enrich the soil with larger amounts of compost or rhododendron soil. Applying bark mulch also naturally acidifies the soil.
You can also try watering the hydrangea with vinegar water before applying blue fertilizer containing aluminum. Add enough vinegar to the irrigation water until the desired pH value is reached.
Move soil value to alkaline range – red and pink hydrangeas
If the soil is too acidic and you want bright pink or red flowers, the substrate must have a pH value of over 6.5. You can achieve this by liming the soil regularly.
Tips & Tricks
Shortly before they bloom, the flowers fade naturally and exude a uniquely morbid charm. As long as the emerging hydrangea flowers show strong colors, you do not need to take any action.