I've heard that the colour of a hydrangea can be influenced by the type of soil you use. Is that true?

soil pH and mineral content will make the colour vary a bit, but only in intensity, not colour.

I've heard that the colour of a hydrangea can be influenced by the type of soil you use. Is that true?
its true, depends on how much acid in the soil
Reply:no that is not true hrdranegase aare flowers and sopiul does not influence it it is natualr
Reply:YES THIS IS TRUE,


HOWEVER I HAVE NEVER TRIED TO GROW ANY
Reply:Actually it's not the type of soil that influences the colour, it's how alkaline or acidic your soil is. If you prefer the blue flowers try adding some pool chlorine and if you like the pink/red flowers try some vinegar or lemon juice.
Reply:Yes, it is true. Hydrangea can have either pink or blue flowers depending on the ph of the soil.
Reply:yes ive heard that
Reply:Yes, the color of at least some kinds of hydrangea


is affected by the acidity or alkalinity of the soil.


It's like litmus paper. I think alkaline soil makes the


flowers blue and acid soil makes them red, but I


might have that backwards.
Reply:not necessarily soil, but fertilizer used in soil. A Ph of 5.5 or more will yield blue flowers. Ph of 7.0 or more yields pink/red. To accomplish color, amend the soil BEFORE blooms. Use aluminum sulfate for blue, or phosphate(lime) for pink/red.
Reply:Yes it is. My aunt grows plants and if she wants both colours she'll put pine needles in the soil for one colour or no pine needles to get the other. Cant remember which
Reply:Hydrangea macrophylla, also called bigleaf or French hydrangea, has either pink or blue flowers. Flower color is determined indirectly by the soil pH, which affects the availability of aluminum in the soil. In acid soils the flowers will be blue, in alkaline soils the flowers will be pink. Aluminum is available to the plant in acid soils. Research has determined that the actual mechanism of color variation is due to the presence or absence of aluminum compounds in the flowers.





For blue flowers, maintain a soil pH between 5 and 5.5. Apply aluminum sulfate or sulfur to reduce the pH to this range when you see new growth emerging in April.
Reply:Acid soil gives blue flowers and alkaline soil gives the pinkie ones. Peat will acidify your soil if you put some in the planting hole. You can also buy ericaceous compost which is for acid-loving plants.





Also i found this :


"It is much easier to change a hydrangea from pink to blue than it is from blue to pink. Changing a hydrangea from pink to blue entails adding aluminum to the soil. Changing from blue to pink means subtracting aluminum from the soil or taking it out of reach of the hydrangea. "





More on hydrangeas here:


http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/colo...
Reply:you should read what mole says!!
Reply:Yes, that is true.
Reply:yes is the answer. In simple terms acid soil will give blue flowers, alkaline soil pink flowers. Ph testers are available from garden centres. Acid soil bought to plant with the hydrangea to help produce blue flowers, ericaceous is the term used (eri-case-shus, my pronunciation of the word) or a product called Hydrangea colorant, for changing pink flowers to blue. Alkaline (lime based) soil will produce pink flowers. Some hydrangea varieties are true to colour, ask garden centre staff or contact specialist growers(often found in the back of gardening mags). Horticultural "shops" employ experts. use your local centre.(from an avid gardener).
Reply:yes it is true, I do believe it is the alkaline content in the soil.
Reply:Yes – the soil type determines the flower colour (acid produces blue).
Reply:Yes it is true. It depends whether the soil is acid or not. You can actually buy a product that will changes the flower to blue.
Reply:True... the more nitrogen the deeper the color, less means lighter color! (I think, may have that backwards.)





They are all the same plant, either blue or pale depending on the soil content. I love this flower, never knew that until we bought a book about gardening in the South and they were saying it's how the oldtimers knew if they had "sweet" or "sour" soil. :)