Our soils always produce pink hydrangea. My grandma had a blue one in one part of her garden and people were amazed by it. She always used to say rather crypticly "the colour depends on the soil". She was a lady of few words sometimes. Came from a long line of gardeners. Her family tended to the Mostyn estate. Hydrangea grows lovely in the UK Now many years later I find out what she meant. Thank you
This is a great help for all plant growing people and Matthew you tell us you’ve been getting growing help from this gentleman for your personal orchid growing efforts. Well done, you have a great knack for imparting Knowledge and being entertaining. I think you’ve missed your calling until now perhaps 😊 Cheers
We're neighbors. Video as an ongoing science experiment for my homeschooling daughter. We started out with hydrangeas that were a vibrant mix of blue, purple & dark pink. In the Autumn we inserted 3 rusty nails into the soil at the base of the plant & this year we have beautiful cotton candy pink hydrangeas & very confused next door nieghbors.
Here in Windermere, Florida zone 9b 🌞, Hydrangeas are happier in pots. The high humidity seems to be a problem. I see them around Easter and Mother's Day and by summer the pots are out in the Garden trash. Great show Guys 👍💙👍
Thanks for watching Peggy. Oh no! They are definitely a cooler damp loving plant - what a shame! You might have to launch a campaign to change the traditional flower gifts for something more suited to Florida's climate!
I’m in zone 12a/11b in Hawaii and see the same thing as Peggy. I tried growing a mop head hydrangea in a shady spot outdoors, but the blue turned into a mottled pale blue and pale pink. Perhaps I will try again in a pot where the soil can be controlled more easily. BTW, love your channel. Found you via The Middle-sized Garden.
The most interesting thing I discovered is how easy & cheap it is to change Hydrangea Blue blooms to Pink blooms (they were planted in ground about 1 ft apart 15 yrs ago.) Now I want to see how easy it is to change Pink Hydrangeas back to Blue blooms using the same "free" plants I pulled out of the garbage 15 yrs ago but this time as potted plants to contain the potting medium into a single pots. For these three I am using Espoma acidic soil mix in 3 plastic pots and one rusty pot for 1 plant I want to make into a Blue or Purple bloom Standard. I plucked 4 bright Blue Hydrangeas out of the garbage can at a local multi-purpose store (they had wilted in the bright sun in a parking lot.) Any way I didn't like blue - I wanted pink. So, I planted them with a healthy dose of Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate) about 1 cup on top of the mulch under the canopy of each plant, BOOM, the next year they were Purple, did the same 1 cup of Baking Soda under the canopy of each and BOOM the next year they were bright Pink. I used the garbage plants and baking soda (after some research of what I could use instead of buying Lime) I had -very little- no money to landscape my rented home. That was about 12 yrs ago and they are the most beautiful plants. This year I am going to try to take them back to a bright Purple. So...last year I dug and potted up 3 of the Mop Heads from 15 yrs ago. This year (November 2021) I repotted them in Espoma acidic potting soil and expect next year they'll be Purple. But my favorite experiment this year is I found a straight stem perfect to create a Standard (small tree form) and potted it in a rusty pot with 6" rusty legs, ample drainage, regular potting mix and with 5 years aged horse manure compost. I am curious to see if they all turn Purple or if the Standard will go straight to bright Blue...or if any or all stay Pink. I'll come back re-write this comment better and also tell you how the blooms look in July 2022. I live in an area that has natural acidity in the soil but these 4 potted hydrangeas will be acclimated to potting mix and 1 of the 4 is potted in a rusty ole pot with aged horse manure and potting mix.
That was interesting. My Mum mentioned the rusty nail thing to me just two days ago and I'm like.... No Mum, blue Hydrangea's need Aluminium according to the American's but apparently they don't... Was it 'Sulphate of Iron'? I'll have to watch the video again. Apparently, the mop heads also don't need full sun which the American's have said they do.... Interesting.... I think all mine will be fine. I must get myself some blueing agent. I also love the turning shades of purple as well.
hey guys, love your program!!!!! if possible i would like to see you discuss what plants, shrubs, annuals, perennials are able to be grouped together in the one location. Considering alkalinity, acidity and position in the garden. thank you
That is a huge ask considering the scope of your question. We have however got a tropical border video coming up in the next couple of weeks which does cover this a bit. Regards Stephen
If I were you, I'd pick one "star plant" you know can grow well in that location and you'll love. Then pick out plants to complement it. But it'll be a slow, iterative process over time
I would love to have a blue hydrangea. In Colorado, I'm concerned about the water requirements and the almost daily dry winds, especially in the winter. Due to the shade and soil acidity requirements, it would have to be in a pot on the porch, where it couldn't be on a drip system. Maybe this plant will remain in my dreams, but not in my house.
If you grow it in a pot on the porch it would probably need watering daily when the wind blows so a trip away would not be advised! Sometimes we need to look at what others can do and enjoy what we can grow. Regards Stephen
Hi from Melbourne! About to prune hydrangeas, would now be a good time to add bluing agent to a pink hydrangea and does it need to be reapplied before summer? Thanks so much. Just discovered your channel so am looking forward to catching up on everything.
Yes I would add blueing tonic now and then again late spring but the effect may not have much effect till the following year. Welcome aboard and I hope you enjoy the ride. Regards Stephen
I’m quite confused, because isn’t it autumn in March in Aussie? Here in Japan they bloom in early summer, late May until June, which corresponds to late December in the Southern Hemisphere. I just thought that they are confused for a moment but they already look so big!
In our cool climate in the higher altitude gardens of the Great Dividing range Hydrangeas tend to hit their best in mid to late summer and keep on keeping on till well into autumn, when they often then turn amazing autumn colours. Regards Stephen
@@thehorti-culturalists I see! The summers here are very hot and they don't last all that long at least here on the lower altitudes. Nice to know, thanks!
My hydrangeas are Niko Blues turned pink. Please tell me how much aluminum sulfate to apply, with water or without and what time(s) of year to apply it. I am in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Hot humid summers, mild winters. Thanks. Margie G.
I would use a multi pronged attack using a couple of ounces per two gallons but also use acidic organic material such as pine needles, old citrus leaf litter and cow manure as well. Regards Stephen
I've got a well established old blue Hydrangea macrophylla that grows on the southern side of my property in Bridgetown, WA's south-west. Protected and shaded by a balcony it only gets a bit singed on extremely hot days during midday. (after a 38 degree day in Perth, some of my shade grown Camellia sasanquas show signs of leaf burn just from the air temp.) I've propagated plants from the cuttings which in their second year have been planted out into the garden in various shady spots and don't get any full sun. They don't get watered every day in summer and some are coping better than others but usually always wilt. Should I persevere and hope their tolerance will improve as the plants mature and root structure grows, or should I just move them this winter. Interestingly the cuttings planted in soil taken from the garden bed grew much better than those struck in potting mix. Also last year I left the cuttings in a pile on the ground intending to move them at a later date. I only got back to doing that in early Spring and many of the stems had taken root where they lay. I was very surprised and quickly potted them up and gave them to a friend.
They will get a little more tolerant with age but only fractionally so you will need to decide if this is enough to satisfy you. For me things should flourish and not just cope. Regards Stephen
@@StephenGRyan ah thankyou. I expected you might say that. I'll move them and see how they go next season. Enjoying your you tube chanel and pleased the gardening show is back on air.
They will become somewhat tougher as the root system gets larger but are always likely to suffer from summer stress in your area to some extent. Regards Stephen
you can’t change the depth of colour. a pale blue can become a pale pink in alkaline soil but not a deep blue. so you need to start with a dark pink to red to get a purple in acid soils. Hope this explains it. Regards Stephen
Our soils always produce pink hydrangea. My grandma had a blue one in one part of her garden and people were amazed by it. She always used to say rather crypticly "the colour depends on the soil". She was a lady of few words sometimes. Came from a long line of gardeners. Her family tended to the Mostyn estate. Hydrangea grows lovely in the UK
Now many years later I find out what she meant. Thank you
Thank you for watching - and Grandma's are always right when it comes to hydrangeas!
This is a great help for all plant growing people and Matthew you tell us you’ve been getting growing help from this gentleman for your personal orchid growing efforts. Well done, you have a great knack for imparting Knowledge and being entertaining. I think you’ve missed your calling until now perhaps 😊 Cheers
Many thanks for watching!
We're neighbors. Video as an ongoing science experiment for my homeschooling daughter. We started out with hydrangeas that were a vibrant mix of blue, purple & dark pink. In the Autumn we inserted 3 rusty nails into the soil at the base of the plant & this year we have beautiful cotton candy pink hydrangeas & very confused next door nieghbors.
Great job guys. I look forward to getting a weekly fix.
Many thanks for watching!
Piranda Gardens has fabulous blue Hydrangeas
Hello from the Philippines! I am also measuring soil PH and hope to get different colors this summer. Happy to discover your channel!
Thank you for finding us!
Here in Windermere, Florida zone 9b 🌞, Hydrangeas are happier in pots. The high humidity seems to be a problem. I see them around Easter and Mother's Day and by summer the pots are out in the Garden trash.
Great show Guys 👍💙👍
Thanks for watching Peggy. Oh no! They are definitely a cooler damp loving plant - what a shame! You might have to launch a campaign to change the traditional flower gifts for something more suited to Florida's climate!
I’m in zone 12a/11b in Hawaii and see the same thing as Peggy. I tried growing a mop head hydrangea in a shady spot outdoors, but the blue turned into a mottled pale blue and pale pink. Perhaps I will try again in a pot where the soil can be controlled more easily. BTW, love your channel. Found you via The Middle-sized Garden.
The most interesting thing I discovered is how easy & cheap it is to change Hydrangea Blue blooms to Pink blooms (they were planted in ground about 1 ft apart 15 yrs ago.) Now I want to see how easy it is to change Pink Hydrangeas back to Blue blooms using the same "free" plants I pulled out of the garbage 15 yrs ago but this time as potted plants to contain the potting medium into a single pots. For these three I am using Espoma acidic soil mix in 3 plastic pots and one rusty pot for 1 plant I want to make into a Blue or Purple bloom Standard.
I plucked 4 bright Blue Hydrangeas out of the garbage can at a local multi-purpose store (they had wilted in the bright sun in a parking lot.) Any way I didn't like blue - I wanted pink. So, I planted them with a healthy dose of Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate) about 1 cup on top of the mulch under the canopy of each plant, BOOM, the next year they were Purple, did the same 1 cup of Baking Soda under the canopy of each and BOOM the next year they were bright Pink. I used the garbage plants and baking soda (after some research of what I could use instead of buying Lime) I had -very little- no money to landscape my rented home. That was about 12 yrs ago and they are the most beautiful plants. This year I am going to try to take them back to a bright Purple. So...last year I dug and potted up 3 of the Mop Heads from 15 yrs ago. This year (November 2021) I repotted them in Espoma acidic potting soil and expect next year they'll be Purple. But my favorite experiment this year is I found a straight stem perfect to create a Standard (small tree form) and potted it in a rusty pot with 6" rusty legs, ample drainage, regular potting mix and with 5 years aged horse manure compost. I am curious to see if they all turn Purple or if the Standard will go straight to bright Blue...or if any or all stay Pink. I'll come back re-write this comment better and also tell you how the blooms look in July 2022. I live in an area that has natural acidity in the soil but these 4 potted hydrangeas will be acclimated to potting mix and 1 of the 4 is potted in a rusty ole pot with aged horse manure and potting mix.
isn’t it fun to experiment with Hydrangeas colours. Regards Stephen
Thanks for all the info. Miss you from Gardening Australia.
Hoping you will be watching us on Friday evenings instead!!!
That was interesting. My Mum mentioned the rusty nail thing to me just two days ago and I'm like.... No Mum, blue Hydrangea's need Aluminium according to the American's but apparently they don't... Was it 'Sulphate of Iron'? I'll have to watch the video again. Apparently, the mop heads also don't need full sun which the American's have said they do.... Interesting.... I think all mine will be fine. I must get myself some blueing agent. I also love the turning shades of purple as well.
The rusty nail thing can help but a multi pronged effort is better and beware of tetanus! Regards Stephen
I just bought two Berry White Hydrangeas, im going to have to try that.
Thanks for watching!
hey guys, love your program!!!!! if possible i would like to see you discuss what plants, shrubs, annuals, perennials are able to be grouped together in the one location. Considering alkalinity, acidity and position in the garden. thank you
That is a huge ask considering the scope of your question. We have however got a tropical border video coming up in the next couple of weeks which does cover this a bit.
Regards Stephen
I do appreciate the reply. Just a thought as it maybe something you could suggest. Cheers Helen
If I were you, I'd pick one "star plant" you know can grow well in that location and you'll love. Then pick out plants to complement it. But it'll be a slow, iterative process over time
I would love to have a blue hydrangea. In Colorado, I'm concerned about the water requirements and the almost daily dry winds, especially in the winter. Due to the shade and soil acidity requirements, it would have to be in a pot on the porch, where it couldn't be on a drip system. Maybe this plant will remain in my dreams, but not in my house.
If you grow it in a pot on the porch it would probably need watering daily when the wind blows so a trip away would not be advised! Sometimes we need to look at what others can do and enjoy what we can grow. Regards Stephen
Hi from Melbourne! About to prune hydrangeas, would now be a good time to add bluing agent to a pink hydrangea and does it need to be reapplied before summer? Thanks so much.
Just discovered your channel so am looking forward to catching up on everything.
Yes I would add blueing tonic now and then again late spring but the effect may not have much effect till the following year. Welcome aboard and I hope you enjoy the ride. Regards Stephen
I’m quite confused, because isn’t it autumn in March in Aussie? Here in Japan they bloom in early summer, late May until June, which corresponds to late December in the Southern Hemisphere. I just thought that they are confused for a moment but they already look so big!
In our cool climate in the higher altitude gardens of the Great Dividing range Hydrangeas tend to hit their best in mid to late summer and keep on keeping on till well into autumn, when they often then turn amazing autumn colours. Regards Stephen
@@thehorti-culturalists I see! The summers here are very hot and they don't last all that long at least here on the lower altitudes. Nice to know, thanks!
What do you need to do when they don't flower
They may need more light and you could be pruning them to hard. Unflowered stems from this year will be next years flowers. Regards Stephen
My hydrangeas are Niko Blues turned pink. Please tell me how much aluminum sulfate to apply, with water or without and what time(s) of year to apply it. I am in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Hot humid summers, mild winters. Thanks. Margie G.
I would use a multi pronged attack using a couple of ounces per two gallons but also use acidic organic material such as pine needles, old citrus leaf litter and cow manure as well. Regards Stephen
I've got a well established old blue Hydrangea macrophylla that grows on the southern side of my property in Bridgetown, WA's south-west. Protected and shaded by a balcony it only gets a bit singed on extremely hot days during midday. (after a 38 degree day in Perth, some of my shade grown Camellia sasanquas show signs of leaf burn just from the air temp.) I've propagated plants from the cuttings which in their second year have been planted out into the garden in various shady spots and don't get any full sun. They don't get watered every day in summer and some are coping better than others but usually always wilt. Should I persevere and hope their tolerance will improve as the plants mature and root structure grows, or should I just move them this winter. Interestingly the cuttings planted in soil taken from the garden bed grew much better than those struck in potting mix. Also last year I left the cuttings in a pile on the ground intending to move them at a later date. I only got back to doing that in early Spring and many of the stems had taken root where they lay. I was very surprised and quickly potted them up and gave them to a friend.
They will get a little more tolerant with age but only fractionally so you will need to decide if this is enough to satisfy you. For me things should flourish and not just cope.
Regards Stephen
@@StephenGRyan ah thankyou. I expected you might say that. I'll move them and see how they go next season. Enjoying your you tube chanel and pleased the gardening show is back on air.
They will become somewhat tougher as the root system gets larger but are always likely to suffer from summer stress in your area to some extent.
Regards Stephen
How do you change a medium blue to a deep blue and deep purple?
you can’t change the depth of colour. a pale blue can become a pale pink in alkaline soil but not a deep blue. so you need to start with a dark pink to red to get a purple in acid soils. Hope this explains it. Regards Stephen
Cool grandPs
It's early spring here on Canada's west coast (daytime temps of 10C. Overnights about 3C). Is it too late to take a winter cutting to propagate?
It could still be done and in fact they can be propagated almost year round
@@StephenGRyan thanks!
@@StephenGRyan That matches my experience too. I generally take cuttings as I'm pruning them
Nails do not cause tetanus.
‘Vomited forth’??? That’s really unattractive.