Turn pink hydrangeas blue with simple gardening trick using household staple

Hydrangeas, with their stunning flowers, are a standout feature in any garden, coming in an array of hues from blues to reds to pinks . They add a splash of colour that's hard to miss.

Yet for those who prefer a more curated garden look, with specific colour schemes, the unpredictable blooming colours of hydrangeas can be a source of annoyance.

The bloom colour of different hydrangea species varies, but what really influences the hue is the soil's acidity where they're planted. A gardener was left scratching her head after her "Fabolo Blue" hydrangea unexpectedly flowered pink and turned to Facebook seeking advice.

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Gardening buffs were quick to offer a helping hand, sharing tips on how to tweak the colour of hydrangeas. Despite the flood of suggestions, there was a clear agreement that a simple kitchen staple could be key to adjusting soil acidity and achieving the desired bloom colour.

"What's going on here then? I bought this Hydrangea Royalty Fabolo Blue from my local garden centre for a fiver last autumn," she posted in the Gardening UK group.

"They'd stuck it in the reduced section with a 'looking for a new home' label on it. It was pruned back hard, but I planted it straightaway and it's survived the winter, thrived and looks very healthy. I planted it in a pot because our soil is alkaline and I wanted blue flowers. However, the flowers look to be dark pink instead of blue."

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"I've done everything right, so why is this? It's in a pot with ericaceous compost. I only give it rainwater. I've been giving it hydrangea feed weekly since the spring. It's in a sheltered morning sun, afternoon shade position. Thank you for any tips that I may have overlooked."

As a rule of thumb, if you desire pink hydrangeas, the soil should possess a high pH level. Conversely, for those yearning for blue blooms, the soil must be more acidic with a lower pH.

Fortunately, there's a straightforward and budget-friendly method to accomplish this: employ tea bags. As easily as that, per numerous suggestions on a certain Facebook group.

"I've heard putting tea bags around the base helps if you want to turn pink hydrangeas blue," highlighted one user from the social platform.

One keen gardener shared their secret on how to transform their blooms: "I have two big pink ones in pots, 15 years old. I turn them a gorgeous shade of blue every year by putting used tea bags in the soil around them," while another advised: "Put used broken tea bags around the roots, it will turn a stunning blue color in no time. Mine turned blue, but preferred the pink so took the tea bags away the blooms went back to pink eventually."

Yet, for those seeking alternative methods, particularly folks in construction, there's another trick that can do the job. "Bury old rusty iron debris near the roots, it turns the blooms blue," mentioned one user on social media.

Chiming in with a family tip, someone else added: "My mum used to put rusty nails in water and leave them for a couple of weeks and then put the brown water in the watering can. Stayed blue all the time,".

However, it's important to note that not all hydrangea species are amenable to this colourful transformation. Only certain types, like the macrophylla and hydrangea serrata, respond to such gardening interventions to switch up their hues.