If you want half of your bush to be pink/white and the other half Blue, put rusty iron nails in one side of the soil of your plant. They will absorb the iron in the rust and turn to blue color, while they other side will be another color like pink or white. It works. I was taught this by an old timer 30 years ago.
Ahh! my grandparents used to do this! They used to keep rusty nails in a tin filled with water for their Hydra. So does this work? I was too little to remember if it did or not, or even what colour it was or became. I have no info at all, even though that is something I would remember. My grandparents died when i was young, & nobody else can remember either lol. I will try this with my pink hydra, as I think that would be so cool! :) The one side thing is so neat.
Yup. Knew this about the colors per soil thru my grandmother who is now 98 years young. All my knowledge of and about plants came from her. We learn new things all the time.
To acidify the soil for a blue flower ,take 30mls of White grape 🍇 vinegar in 5litres of water .Water around the base of the plant fortnightly. Greetings From Sunny South Africa .
Always added lime in the spring. I added more on one side and less on the other. My plant had pink, blue and a mix of the two colors. Really loved the the mix of colors. Of course I live in Oregon and the soil is acidic, so most plants are blue.
Some cultivars of hydrangeas won't change colors. The tag on the nursery pot will usually tell you. I live in an area that has mostly sweet soil. It's really hard to change colors in Ohio! 😟 Also the color change is very slow! It may be the next season or even longer, so don't give up.
Some people bury steel nails under the hydrangea roots when they plant their hydrangeas to make the pH of the soil near the roots more acidic, which makes the flowers purple and blue. For it to work quicker you can put the nails in a jar of water for a week or so to rust them up before you bury them.
Yes it does change colors. I have a plant who starts blue later change it to deep pink. Or both in the same flower. Another plant of mine starts from white now it turns coral in color. Just so amazing!
I'm a new subscriber and love your videos...thanks for sharing your knowledge. My grandmother was a pro at keeping her hydrangeas with the biggest of blooms and the prettiest of colors. One trick she always told me was that she used rusty nails on some; and, on others she would save coffee grinds but never put the grinds directly in the soil like she did with the nails. She would run warm water over the grinds she saved and would water the plants with some of the weakened coffee. Usually when I'm snooping around my hydrangeas is when I see dragonflies; I call them my angels from Heaven...she's come to visit me!!!!!
Hello Mike- keep up the good work with your videos. This was my best year for stem propagation. I planted 38 stem cuttings this year on 16 July 19 and all 38 cuttings took root. I am overwintering them in an egress basement window. I left them in their greenhouses- lids proper open a bit. However- on another note in regards to pink to blue and vice versa- I have heard that coffee grounds can provide acid to the soil enough to turn the pinks to blue. On the other hand others have said this is a myth- used coffee grounds don't have enough acid left in them to do anything. In an effort to satisfy myself I am putting this to the test. I have a number of pink mopheads that I have been "HEAVILY" surrounding with used coffee grounds. Looking forward to next spring/summer to test the results. Take Care! Bob sends.
You inspired me in a previous video to try propagating my Hydrangea. I killed those cuttings. You have inspired me to try again. You probably think I have killed off half the flora in the city with all my failures (and I used to think I had a "green thumb"!) but I am still determined. Thanks for all your information
Hey Mike... It's a rainy Sunday here in Louisville, KY... I've be watching your Hydrangea videos this morning... I'm planning to border one side of my backyard with Hydrangeas, and I was researching how to get all of the varied colors... I'm also interested in propagating my own... so your videos were very helpful... really enjoyed them!! :)... just subscribed.
Interesting... I didn't know mulching will make the soil more acidic. I live in zone 7 we have red clay and very acidic soil... Two months ago I saw my neighbor's hydrangea blooming with these beautiful blue flowers... I was in awe, I stared at those flowers every day but they didn't last long.. I'd say they lasted only for about a week and then they died off. I don't have any hydrangea yet but I definitely will get me a couple of these blue hydrangeas. Thanks for this video. Keep 'em coming, Mike. We love your videos! :D
lol at 5k subscribers. Well done mate. I am doing a thing here where I've put 2 handfuls of dolomite lime around a young hydrangea plant about 1.5ft tall. They grow very well here and they're always blue due to the volcanic clay soil, so I wanted to try making them pink just to spin people out.
@@MikeKincaid79 I'm in northern Australia on the east coast, near Cairns. People tend to think of Oz as hot and dry but it's quite the opposite in parts! We even get snow in the Southern parts
I really LOVE blue hydrangeas, not so much at all for the pink. I kept mine blue for years, then the flowers got a pinkish hue, but not a strong pink. However, last summer, 2018, they were creamy greenish. I gave the plant a good does of elemental sulfate, so wish me luck. Good job on the vid, Mike.
That sulfate ought to do the trick. I still haven't treated mine out in the landscape. Just enjoying the pink blooms and letting them get established but I know that I can turn them deep blue whenever I feel it's time.
Totaly outstanding... Now this is called education and knowledge through experience... I mean no one can find such detailed information anywhere else... great job MK... keep showering the light of farming, cutting, propagating etc upon us.... I admit I have learnt so many things by following your channel..... And of course Jhonny the Rooster make his attendance in this video as well, he is very punctual.
We're always learning something new! I just discovered that white hydrangeas do not change colors. Fortunately, I got cuttings from my dad (blue) and sister (white). I'm looking forward to seeing them bloom this summer.
We were given a small, white hydrangea as a funeral arrangement. We have kept it in a pot for about five years. This past summer, it bloomed white as expected. But a couple of months later, the flowers turned green and stayed that way. I’m wondering if we used too much nitrogen when we fertilized them.
Hi Mike, I've just found your site and so glad I did. Have subscribed and looking for to watching ALL your videos. I only just learned this week you can grow Hydrangeas from cuttings so I went searching for how to's :)
Thanks for subscribing, Melody! Hydrangeas are a really fun and easy plant to propagate and you get such awesome returns on your time with years of beautiful blooms. Have fun and thanks for hanging out here on the channel!
I have acid soil and alkaline water! It is easiest for me to use the products you described to make hydrangeas blue. If I don't they eventually turn pink from the water, I guess. I've actually had a hydrangea that was blue and pink. Very pretty!
Thanks for your interesting and informative adventures. I purchased a blue hydrangea and at the beginning of the summer the flowers were blue on my endless summer they are now turning purple. All of the older and the Summers that I have are up bright pink after a few years in alkaline Chicago soil. I enjoy the pink and I am going to buy miracid for one bright blue one in front of my door. By the way all of my hydrangeas are in heavily mulched beds and they are all bright pink.
I think this might also apply to a Blue Chiffon Rose of Sharon. I moved, took my bush with me and re-planted it. The next time it bloomed the flower had a hint of purple about it. I will have to add Muracid to get it back to pure blue.
Flippin' 'ek!!! Me and the hubby were only talking about it yesterday. We've got a fab blue Hydrangea and we think it might be the water out of the fishpond (where hubby throws it when he cleans the filter!). Some old bloke in England said that if you bury rusty nails around a Hydrangea, that turns them blue as well. I haven't tried it ... but you never know! Thanks for the video. You're always entertaining :-)
I like the fishpond water idea, sounds really acidic. I've heard of people throwing pennies around the base of the plant for blue color and hearing you mention the rusty nails confirms it for me. Thanks for the idea, Sheila!
OMG that is crazy!!!! I love watching your videos and have learned sooooo much from you! Plus I love your crazy drive to find the answers and I feel like I connect because recently within the last couple years I have become obsessed with different plants and trees and growing and propagation and my fiancé jokes I'm a crazy garden lady(not old mid 30's) I just find it so interesting and intriguing and I just get that sense from you and I feel happy to know I'm not alone 😂!! Keep up the great videos we all enjoyed watching your crazy enthusiasm, I know I do for sure maybe after showing him videos won't think I'm so crazy 😜 LOL 😂
Hey, when you get bit by the gardening bug you just can't help it! Glad you've found your passion in gardening. I'm 38 so we're close in age and I don't think there's anything wrong with it. By the time we hit our 60s we'll be professional gardeners when all the other old people are just trying to catch up with us. Have fun, thanks for watching, go work on converting your fiance!
Hi Mike, thanks for your research and sharing. I purchased a deep blue hydrangea, the next season it was powder blue. I started using an acid loving fertilizer and the color has gone to pink to lavender with pink highlights. I look forward to more of your informative videos.
Thanks Dorothy! I'm really falling in love with these hydrangeas this year and plant to propagate more. Rhododendrons will always be my true love but the hydrangeas bloom so reliably all summer long. The one you have sounds like a beauty, isn't it fun experimenting with these little guys!
Mike, the color of your flowers CAN change with your water. We have alot of lime in our water so we ended up with a water conditioner. Initially the water was all soft until the "ole man"got around to making the loop in the plumbing. Before the water conditioner they were pink. After conditioner all variations. I too love the deep blue and the dark purple. I have not been able to keep the color stable yet but have not used anything but coffee grounds. The girl at one of our nurseries (almost our last one here, they are all going out of business) told me about the bags of compounds you recommended. To get the dark purple, you have to start out with a red one and use the compound to make the plant blue. I love all the Hydrangeas and have alot of them. I did do cuttings last year, but lost about half when the top blew off in a rain storm and they got too wet. One that did survive has a bloom. My tags got blown off too so who knows what the color is and what the variety is. I am not a member of the local garden club but because I love the challenge of growing and propagating I did donate a bunch of plants for our towns Garden Show. Looking forward to the Rose propagation video. They Jacksonville Rose society took that video OFF their TH-cam channel last year and I had not tried their process. Thanks for giving us these tips !!! ✌🏻❤
You're welcome, Dianne, thanks for watching! We have hard water with a lot of calcium which makes the ph more basic and turns the blooms pink but I'm hoping with enough time in the soil and good mulch that eventually becomes acidic, I'll get blue flowers. Best of luck to you this spring!
Mike you're right about adding mulch to change the soil ph. But... it would take years. If you want to jump start the blue color you have to add aluminum sulfate. Your color won't change this year but they will come back as blue... You have to add the aluminum sulfate once a year to change the color and keep it blue. It takes time to change the color no matter how you go about it.
You can't make a white hydrangea from a pink or blue one. You have to buy a white one, or grow from cuttings off a white flowering plant. It would be cool to have pink white and blue on one plant though.
I had a huge Hydrangea at my old house. A favorite spot for my late 17 year old Schnauzer to lift his leg as we turned the corner of the house. So it was half deep blue and half purple.
When I was studying for my GCSE exam in Chemistry at school in the eighties, I remember the master telling us that the pH of the soil determined whether hydrangeas would turn pink or blue. (We didn't discuss white hydrangeas). I am pretty sure that he said that like litmus paper, pink hydrangeas indicate that the soil is acidic whilst blue hydrangeas grow in soil that is alkaline. Everyone else has since told me that it's the other way round. A quick search online also demonstrates that he was wrong. I was living in the British Isles at the time where it was easier to grow pink hydrangeas but I wanted to grow some blue ones as well. I read somewhere that placing some coins in the soil would change the colour of hydrangeas from pink to blue and so my mother tried it. That particular year, our hydrangeas turned a light purple colour.
That might be "Let's Dance Rave". If so it blooms on new wood and old. That's a good looking plant. Watch out or you might be making a second hoop-house for hydrangeas. : ) You always have delightful and enthusiastic videos. Thanks!
Thanks Mike! I'll probably never know the variety since it's been planted at that nursery for so long but I know I'll never pay for 2 different color hydrangeas again. I'm really impressed with the pink color I'm getting and it's actually getting more pink as the bloom opens more. You're right, I better be careful, a second hoop house is already on my mind.
I miss Johnny on this video. Haha! I have a lot of hydrangeas. I have some that are a deep pink and have never changed to blue. And I have mulch around them. Meanwhile, a few feet away I have some classic hydrangeas that get blue. I bought some Endless Summer ones and those come up blue. The limelight ones come up a bit green and turn white. Next year I'm gonna try the aluminum sulfate on the pink one and see what happens. Thanks for the great videos. Keep up the great work.
I would really love to know how you set up your green house. I live in Colorado so I really have only a number of months to really grow something. Great to start cutting thought. Thanks
wow how fast! in other words i just toke like a week or two since you did the cutting? i am amazed.. that yello is beutiful to so the next step in to put them in baskets? i am so happy to see those result.. thanks for sharing.
I'm learning all the time too! You're fun to listen to, Mike. Even though I'm a new to gardening, I did know about the soil pH and hydrangea color. My question has to do with propagation of hydrangeas. I've seen the video for how to take a cutting, the plastic cup and tub method. I'm in the northeast. I will take cuttings next week, mid July, and follow your steps. The question is: what do I do with them over the winter? I don't have a greenhouse. Do I transplant them into a bigger pot and leave them out for the winter, providing they have grown some and I assume there are roots? (I won't disturb them by pulling them out to take a look at root growth.)
Hey, Eileen, I have several videos on overwintering cuttings: th-cam.com/video/LEOkkqCD8fw/w-d-xo.html | th-cam.com/video/wSIb8XuO5is/w-d-xo.html Check them out and then come back with more questions! Glad you like the videos and thanks for hanging out here on the channel!
I have never done this kind of communicating before on youtube but am so thrilled to see a quick reply from you!! YAY!!! Okay now. I intend to do my cuttings to propagate next week. I expect I'll have some good growth, roots, from my cuttings as I follow your instructions in clear cups and then in a clear, sealed tub. I don't want to put them straight in the ground in say November/December because I'm not sure where I want them to go. Should I transfer them to a bigger pot (I'm not sure I should disturb them as they won't do much growing, right?) and leave them outdoors under a tree as you suggest? Or are they okay in their little clear cup under the tree and out of the tub???? I hear what you say that they are hardy even though they're small so maybe they'll be okay just snuggled in a mulch pile in their clear cups with some protection from wind under a tree. Yes?
Sounds like you're on the right track, Eileen! The best thing you can do is put them under a tree and protect from winter winds. Also, for a little extra protection, you can "heal them in" to protect the roots from hard fast frosts.
I am going to plant my potted Hyderabad into the garden. They will receive morning sun and afternoon shade provided by an orange tree and a loquats tree. I would like to know how to prepare the soil before planting. I want a blue flower. I love your helpful videos. Please let me know how to proceed. I live in Flordia about 5/miles from the coast just below St Augustine
I had gorgeous deep blue hydrangeas on a mountaintop in Virginia which I took cuttings to bring to South Texas when I moved here. They sprouted, grew well, and formed blooms second year I fed them nothing but acid food and grew them in huge containers with good potting mix. I got pink blooms! Found out even the water here is high alkaline so I switched to bottled water (a lot!) hopefully next spring I will have my blue blooms again.
Hi Mike what should I do with my cuttings that I rooted during the winter. I live in Michigan and we have a hard freeze during winter. I would appreciate it if you could give me an answer, thank you,😀 and also can I use regular potting soil when I root the cuttings?
I moved into a new house 3 years ago where the woman before me had the most gorgeous flowers, shrubs and trees. She has a hydrangea and it bloomed the past 2 springs. I live in the Charleston South Carolina area. I didn’t notice at first because we had a really rainy spring and I wasn’t going out in the side yard. The day I first saw it I couldn’t believe. The flowers were like the ones you brought back. The most deepest beautiful blue. I didn’t remember them being blue like that. I just happened on this video of yours and now I know I’m not crazy! I didn’t do anything to that shrub. Do you think it was the rain? I’ve heard people talk about acid rain.
Mike, lol, I was once very confused me when I saw my friends hydrangea plant with more than one color. It had pink, blue and one more color I don't remember. This was in Oregon!
i just bought my home in North GA and my bush has deep pink, light pink with shades of blue and purple. Its directly planted in the red clay soil with just old leaves topping it. I wished I had asked the previous owners what they were doing. Id like to keep both colors if at all possible I love cutting both colors and putting them in vases around the home
My hydrangea is pink flowered too.and its always had pink flowers but this year,wow,flowers were an exquisite blue with a hint of purple.its just simply glorious to look at.now all I feed my plant is tomatorite for the flowers but this year,after hearing the benefits of Epsom salt,i started to dose with Epsom salt too,and no one can convince me different,but I'm putting it down to the Epsom salt..
My Dad is a huge believer in epsom salt too. He puts it around everything in the garden and all his plants look fantastic. He's always trying to get me to use it and I still haven't but maybe I should get my butt in gear and listen to him.
A lady I work with said she turned her pink ones blue with coffee. She said after she made a pot of coffee, she dumped the grounds out of the filter and into a empty coffee can. Then filled it with water and stirred it up, then poured it into the soil around her hydrangea. The flowers turned blue.
Just found your channel - 👌love all this information - you seem to answer all the questions I’ve been seeking - I have blue hydrangeas in the back yard - and I have pink as well that are store bought - I’ve always wondered what about the soil made the difference , and how if anything I could influence color variations - I love the propagation videos -
wow..never known this,i sud try it out. this flower is very special to me, it immediately reminds me of my childhood days, we call it 'forget-me-not' flower.my grandparents had it in there garden n m not kidding the flower used to very big like the size football blue white mixed...
I used to save eggshells for my neighbor, she crushed them and put them around the base of her hydrangeas all year, and the blooms were a deep blue color, she also had hers in full sun. I noticed you had chickens and thought you may want to try that.
I have a huge Hydrangea bush...When I set it out, I would water with Miracle Grow for about one month, then I would use Meri-Acid for about a month....I have every shade of pink, blue, lavender...just a blend of all those colors on that one bush....it’s breath taking....Try doing one like that...you won’t be disappointed.
My grandma use to put nails under her hydrangeas to turn them blue! They didn't have soil additives back 60 years ago & I remember helping her throw big old rusty nails in the holes where she planted her flowers. The nails had to be rusty and she would keep them in a bucket of water until they were rusted. I was visiting my grand daughter in Salem, Oregon this summer and I noticed a lot of the hydrangeas were blue there.The soil there must be very acidic. There was a lot of pink and also a light yellow color. But I like the dark blue ones the best! Can you tell me if they can grow in Wyoming? I live on the very western side of the state, right on the Idaho border. We have pretty severe winter snow storms here. It is kind of like being in Yellowstone Park. Will hydrangeas survive this climate? I'm sure as big as they grow outside it would be hard to grow indoors as house plant,right? I would love to grow them here as they have always been a favorite of mine! Thanks for your information on this plant!
I love your story about your Grandma, thanks for sharing. You guys get pretty cold over there. Here's a good place to start: www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/gardening-by-zone/zone-4/choosing-hydrangeas-for-zone-4.htm You might be able to grow more varieties if protected from harsh winter winds.
There are different types of Hydrangeas. Not all of them get really big. The type in this video get big. But the type they sell in the flower tents around Easter time, they have the dark green leaves and the leaves are much thicker & they don't grow very large - only 2-3 feet at the most.
Hi mike my petunias are mot giving any flowers now it came. Before but now nothing and how can we change colors of hydrangea my hindrances is giving very small flower tell me what to do and can I put coffee on my flower I need help thanks
Acidic soil will make blue flowers, alkaline soil will make pink flowers. The transition can take a year or 2. To get nice plants, mulch well and add a well rounded fertilizer, then water well through summer.
I knew that already more than 3 decades ago because I can remember my mom's hydrangeas changed colours. Now that you know that what tool can you choose to test the ph of your soil?
There are many different ph meters and testers you can buy online. Here's a link to one on Amazon: amzn.to/3iBseDN I don't specifically endorse one brand or the other but did a little reading on them and this seems like a good one for the price and quality.
I have only purchased white, purple and blue Hydrangeas. All the whites have stayed true regardless of where I planted them. The blues and purples only stay blue or purple in the backyard. The three blues I planted in the front yard turned pink which I dislike. I was going to work on changing them back to blue but decided not to since we're going to be listing the house shortly and the new owners can do what they want with them. But in our retirement home I intend to make sure they are blue and blue remain blue. My favorite is the ones that are a combination color of white, blue and lavender all in one bloom.
We have an abundant of purple Hyderagias in the Pacific Northwest. They stay that way and don't turn pink or blue, just purple . You might need to have a nutrale soil to produce purple. They are beautiful. Mike can we get cuttings from a Rhodadendran.
Yes, you can get cuttings of rhododendrons. That's my main passion. I've got close to 300 varieties and propagate them every year. In fact, I'm working on a fun little video about it now.
Hi, Mike. I live in Zeeland, MI. I’m retired and I’ve always LOVED gardening!! I’ve only just saw a few of your videos and I’m hooked!! I ALSO LOVE hearing your rooster!! I’m a “chicken-lover”, too!! I love ALL of Gods’ creatures. Anyway, I wanted to ask, aren’t there white hydrangeas too?? I’m sure I’ve seen them, but I’m not 100% sure-maybe it was a snowball bush?? I also wanted to ask what do I look up to find your wife’s videos?? I heard on one of your videos that she just started doing her own. Thanx for ALL the info-it’s so great seeing a GUY that loves & appreciates PLANTS so much!! Kudos to you!! I’ll be watching more of your videos now that I’ve found them. Stay SAFE & WELL!! Thanx, again!! And your daughters are ADORABLE!! Chris*-from Zeeland, MI
Glad you found the channel, Chris, and thanks for the nice comment. Here's a link to my wife's channel: th-cam.com/channels/2UIxmvUKnoeiMSaeY1iAxQ.html
We use approximately 1 cup of apple cider vinegar to a gallon of water, then water our hydrangea in order to have them turn out blue instead of pink. You may wanna experiment with that, Mike. Enjoy your videos. Keep putting out great content, brother.
I agree, fir needles do the same as well and get tons of them dumped on my yard naturally every year. I do like the heavier cover and mulching that the pine needles provide but we don't have as many of them in our area.
Petunias doing fantastic, oh wow! Yes that makes perfect sense about the alkaline and acidic. Now do the experiment and you will make even more skeptics believers lol!
Yes absolutely true!.. Tnx for your amazing, helpful videos..my hydrangea was blue & it turned out pink with time, but I’m wondering why it turns to pistachio green in few days??
Again, I watch the same videos many times. Just like this one. ( second time ).Maybe it is because I am entertained the first time and learn a little. Then I go back to your video and pay attention. Now I learn a little bit more. I will watch this one again. My question right now is, I live on a lot that has many maple trees and I dispose of all the leaves in the fall in the back yard bush. So with all the leaf mulch I should have blue Hydrangeas. What natural substance will make them pink? That is without going to the store for an additive????? Thanks Mike.
I think it's hard to keep them pink naturally (if they're naturally a blue) because soil gets more acidic as it breaks down and becomes more fungal dominant. I would look for a pink variety like glowing embers.
@@MikeKincaid79 thank you. Do you know what isnt logical to me. Why are youre hydrangeas pink if soil is well suited for growing rhododendrons. How acidic soil needs to be to suit rododendrons and get hydrangea to be blue. Maybe isnt everything in pH.
@@MikeKincaid79 Hey Mike. I reseached the Web. Fir bark acidity is sufficial to make hydrangea blooms blue but it maybe lacks aluminium ions that are the reason hydrangea blooms are blue (if it has genetical potential for blue). When pH of the soil is acidic hydrangea can better absorb Al ions.
Also, only some bigleaf hydrangeas change color (for example, mopheads or lacecaps), but not all do! Oakleaf hydrangeas or smooth hydrangeas, such as 'Annabelle', 'Incrediball', and 'Incredibelle' can't change their flower color from pink to blue. So, it depends!
Ok, Mike, I have 1 large hydrangea. It had blue blue just like yours But it also had Pink and purple! Only 1 plant. Now it is blooming pink and yellow. I took closeup picture. It's planted next to a Holly bush and a hickory tree. I feed the Holly bush with acidic stake's or for evergreens, I wonder if the furt got mixed in.
My hydrangeas were blue for 13 yrs Until I moved to new house, now all are pink no matter how hard I try to change the soil! I managed one to stay purple not dark blue but its in shade on back fence with same soil and NO mulch. Interested to see your outcome.
Great videos! I have an endless summer that for the first few years it would bloom light bloom, last year it bloomed pink. It was in a semi shady area and would only bloom with sparsely- 3 or so blooms. I’m going to move it to a new sunny spot this year. I wonder though why it changed from blue to pink? I did mulch it heavily in the Fall to protect it.
What I learned from my hydrangeas last Summer was that the soil ph was too alkaline and that's why they turned pink. You can add some amendments to the soil to acidify it right now and you may end up with blue this year but it may take a couple years for the change to happen. Most big box stores sell amendments to acidify the soil or turn hydrangea blue. Good luck and let us know how it turns out!
Evelyn, Endless Summer actually sells their own products that say if you want blue use this one and if you want pink use this one. Needless to say when they tell you that it will STAY blue or pink isn't actually the truth. What I did learn with my Endless Summer plants was that you need to fertilize your plants to get good blooming. Good Luck !! ✌🏻❤
Haha, sounds like a fun idea. It was hard enough to ask the nursery if I could take cuttings off their hydrangea. Not sure if they would want me shoveling their dirt into my car, lol.
Hydrangeas can have several different color blooms on one plant and I'm not exactly sure how that happens but my best guess is that it was bred for that purpose over time or it's transitioning between acid and alkaline soils or vice versa. I haven't made a video about it but one of my hydrangea cuttings that started blooming pink actually had some deep green petals on it which makes no sense to me but it sure is pretty.
How many times can I put vinegar for hydrangea good to put ever 2 weeks I want it blue color easy for me to put vinegar better to go and buy sulfur .please answer I’m waiting.
have You ever grown cannas Mike? i have one now and am harvesting the seed pods for them..they turned soft but not quite yellow or tan yet for harvesting. I asked because they are hybrids..they wont look like the parent so that is part of the fun!
Hi Mike, I have a white hydrangea and it's grown about three feet but my concern is that it has only six blooms it has bloomed a second time now with only few.what is the problem?
If you want half of your bush to be pink/white and the other half Blue, put rusty iron nails in one side of the soil of your plant. They will absorb the iron in the rust and turn to blue color, while they other side will be another color like pink or white. It works. I was taught this by an old timer 30 years ago.
Ahh! my grandparents used to do this! They used to keep rusty nails in a tin filled with water for their Hydra. So does this work? I was too little to remember if it did or not, or even what colour it was or became. I have no info at all, even though that is something I would remember. My grandparents died when i was young, & nobody else can remember either lol. I will try this with my pink hydra, as I think that would be so cool! :) The one side thing is so neat.
Yup. Knew this about the colors per soil thru my grandmother who is now 98 years young. All my knowledge of and about plants came from her. We learn new things all the time.
To acidify the soil for a blue flower ,take 30mls of White grape 🍇 vinegar in 5litres of water .Water around the base of the plant fortnightly. Greetings From Sunny South Africa .
I'll have to try that next spring, thank you!
Finally it makes sense about the acidic and alkaline. I also liked the explanation between vegetable and landscape. Pretty cool.. TY!
Glad you liked it!
Always added lime in the spring. I added more on one side and less on the other. My plant had pink, blue and a mix of the two colors. Really loved the the mix of colors. Of course I live in Oregon and the soil is acidic, so most plants are blue.
I definitely liked how the pink turned out even though I was looking for blue. The mixed colors sounds nice.
Some cultivars of hydrangeas won't change colors. The tag on the nursery pot will usually tell you. I live in an area that has mostly sweet soil. It's really hard to change colors in Ohio! 😟 Also the color change is very slow! It may be the next season or even longer, so don't give up.
Sandra, mine too! I bush, BLUE, pink, purple flowers and now it's pink and yellow! I think the poor thing is Confused
@@foxiedogitchypaws7141 lmao!
I love this tip! It's just making sense and totally eager to try it out myself!!!!! Thanks
Some people bury steel nails under the hydrangea roots when they plant their hydrangeas to make the pH of the soil near the roots more acidic, which makes the flowers purple and blue. For it to work quicker you can put the nails in a jar of water for a week or so to rust them up before you bury them.
If you use old rusted iron it will change the colour of that flower. That's a tip from Ireland. Good video. Thanks.
Thanks for the tip!
How about putting iron nails around the plant? Hmmm that might work.
It is a thing😂
Yes it does change colors. I have a plant who starts blue later change it to deep pink. Or both in the same flower. Another plant of mine starts from white now it turns coral in color. Just so amazing!
The bright pink is also beautiful.👍🥰
Thanks! I thought so too.
I'm a new subscriber and love your videos...thanks for sharing your knowledge. My grandmother was a pro at keeping her hydrangeas with the biggest of blooms and the prettiest of colors. One trick she always told me was that she used rusty nails on some; and, on others she would save coffee grinds but never put the grinds directly in the soil like she did with the nails. She would run warm water over the grinds she saved and would water the plants with some of the weakened coffee. Usually when I'm snooping around my hydrangeas is when I see dragonflies; I call them my angels from Heaven...she's come to visit me!!!!!
Hello Mike- keep up the good work with your videos. This was my best year for stem propagation. I planted 38 stem cuttings this year on 16 July 19 and all 38 cuttings took root. I am overwintering them in an egress basement window. I left them in their greenhouses- lids proper open a bit. However- on another note in regards to pink to blue and vice versa- I have heard that coffee grounds can provide acid to the soil enough to turn the pinks to blue. On the other hand others have said this is a myth- used coffee grounds don't have enough acid left in them to do anything. In an effort to satisfy myself I am putting this to the test. I have a number of pink mopheads that I have been "HEAVILY" surrounding with used coffee grounds. Looking forward to next spring/summer to test the results. Take Care! Bob sends.
I look forward to the results!
Im a new subscriber....love your videos! You have a true TALENT for gardening AND for sharing info. God bless!
You inspired me in a previous video to try propagating my Hydrangea. I killed those cuttings. You have inspired me to try again. You probably think I have killed off half the flora in the city with all my failures (and I used to think I had a "green thumb"!) but I am still determined. Thanks for all your information
I'm just happy to hear that I'm inspiring you! I believe in you and know you can do it. Don't ever give up.
We keep trying...we keep trying
Hey Mike... It's a rainy Sunday here in Louisville, KY... I've be watching your Hydrangea videos this morning... I'm planning to border one side of my backyard with Hydrangeas, and I was researching how to get all of the varied colors... I'm also interested in propagating my own... so your videos were very helpful... really enjoyed them!! :)... just subscribed.
Can you add mature manure to the Hydrangeas for more blue ?
Interesting... I didn't know mulching will make the soil more acidic. I live in zone 7 we have red clay and very acidic soil... Two months ago I saw my neighbor's hydrangea blooming with these beautiful blue flowers... I was in awe, I stared at those flowers every day but they didn't last long.. I'd say they lasted only for about a week and then they died off. I don't have any hydrangea yet but I definitely will get me a couple of these blue hydrangeas. Thanks for this video. Keep 'em coming, Mike. We love your videos! :D
Thanks for your support. Yes, mulching is the best thing you can do for landscape plants!
Haha love that your tag even says BLUE but it's pink. So funny. My hydrangeas are like an antique color...so gorgeous
Sounds nice, like a mixture of the 2 colors.
lol at 5k subscribers. Well done mate. I am doing a thing here where I've put 2 handfuls of dolomite lime around a young hydrangea plant about 1.5ft tall. They grow very well here and they're always blue due to the volcanic clay soil, so I wanted to try making them pink just to spin people out.
Yeah that sure did blow up quick huh, lol. Just curious, where is "here"?
@@MikeKincaid79 I'm in northern Australia on the east coast, near Cairns. People tend to think of Oz as hot and dry but it's quite the opposite in parts! We even get snow in the Southern parts
Mike your plants are beautiful! Thank you for showing close ups and step by step tips. Will be keeping close watch in Connecticut.😄
So glad you enjoyed the video, Linda!
I'm proud of you Mike. 🌺🌞🌱💚
I really LOVE blue hydrangeas, not so much at all for the pink. I kept mine blue for years, then the flowers got a pinkish hue, but not a strong pink. However, last summer, 2018, they were creamy greenish. I gave the plant a good does of elemental sulfate, so wish me luck. Good job on the vid, Mike.
That sulfate ought to do the trick. I still haven't treated mine out in the landscape. Just enjoying the pink blooms and letting them get established but I know that I can turn them deep blue whenever I feel it's time.
Totaly outstanding... Now this is called education and knowledge through experience... I mean no one can find such detailed information anywhere else... great job MK... keep showering the light of farming, cutting, propagating etc upon us.... I admit I have learnt so many things by following your channel.....
And of course Jhonny the Rooster make his attendance in this video as well, he is very punctual.
Thanks for the nice comment and I'm glad you are getting some good info out of the channel!
We're always learning something new! I just discovered that white hydrangeas do not change colors. Fortunately, I got cuttings from my dad (blue) and sister (white). I'm looking forward to seeing them bloom this summer.
Awesome! So excited that it's spring now and plants are starting to wake up. Enjoy your blooms!
We were given a small, white hydrangea as a funeral arrangement. We have kept it in a pot for about five years. This past summer, it bloomed white as expected. But a couple of months later, the flowers turned green and stayed that way. I’m wondering if we used too much nitrogen when we fertilized them.
Great video...that blue was gorgeous..its the soil but you can also manipulate it too!
I'm definitely going to be manipulating the soil. Gotta get that blue eventually!
great job! I got a start of hydrangea from a friend and was surprised it turned pink. hers was white! that's how I learned as well
Thanks, Viva. From white to pink, that's interesting.
Hi Mike, I've just found your site and so glad I did. Have subscribed and looking for to watching ALL your videos. I only just learned this week you can grow Hydrangeas from cuttings so I went searching for how to's :)
Thanks for subscribing, Melody! Hydrangeas are a really fun and easy plant to propagate and you get such awesome returns on your time with years of beautiful blooms. Have fun and thanks for hanging out here on the channel!
Thanks Mike..I just got one today. It's semi blue n upon planting now I know what to do.Awesome.
Great Judith! Have fun with it.
I have acid soil and alkaline water! It is easiest for me to use the products you described to make hydrangeas blue. If I don't they eventually turn pink from the water, I guess. I've actually had a hydrangea that was blue and pink. Very pretty!
I never thought about the water being a factor but we've got a lot of calcium in ours. I wonder if that would work to keep the hydrangea pink.
Thanks for your interesting and informative adventures. I purchased a blue hydrangea and at the beginning of the summer the flowers were blue on my endless summer they are now turning purple. All of the older and the Summers that I have are up bright pink after a few years in alkaline Chicago soil. I enjoy the pink and I am going to buy miracid for one bright blue one in front of my door.
By the way all of my hydrangeas are in heavily mulched beds and they are all bright pink.
Just add a soil acidifier like you mentioned and the blue should show up.
I think this might also apply to a Blue Chiffon Rose of Sharon. I moved, took my bush with me and re-planted it. The next time it bloomed the flower had a hint of purple about it. I will have to add Muracid to get it back to pure blue.
Flippin' 'ek!!! Me and the hubby were only talking about it yesterday. We've got a fab blue Hydrangea and we think it might be the water out of the fishpond (where hubby throws it when he cleans the filter!). Some old bloke in England said that if you bury rusty nails around a Hydrangea, that turns them blue as well. I haven't tried it ... but you never know! Thanks for the video. You're always entertaining :-)
I like the fishpond water idea, sounds really acidic. I've heard of people throwing pennies around the base of the plant for blue color and hearing you mention the rusty nails confirms it for me. Thanks for the idea, Sheila!
By the way the nikko blue hydrangea are amazing you get blue with pink flowers. Also the endless summer hydrangea looks realy nice.
I love them all but the blue is exceptionally beautiful.
I had blue Hydrangeas in Seattle. I put them in pots and brought them to Austin. They are now pink. All I did was water them with Austin water.
Haha, now you know what to do to turn them back to blue.
always a pleasure to watch your videos you inspire me with each video. thanks
Awesome, Michelle! I'm glad to bring some sunshine to your day.
This was very interesting. Never to old to learn.
Never stop learning, keeps you young.
I was stunned! Beautiful!
Thank you so much!
OMG that is crazy!!!! I love watching your videos and have learned sooooo much from you! Plus I love your crazy drive to find the answers and I feel like I connect because recently within the last couple years I have become obsessed with different plants and trees and growing and propagation and my fiancé jokes I'm a crazy garden lady(not old mid 30's) I just find it so interesting and intriguing and I just get that sense from you and I feel happy to know I'm not alone 😂!! Keep up the great videos we all enjoyed watching your crazy enthusiasm, I know I do for sure maybe after showing him videos won't think I'm so crazy 😜 LOL 😂
Hey, when you get bit by the gardening bug you just can't help it! Glad you've found your passion in gardening. I'm 38 so we're close in age and I don't think there's anything wrong with it. By the time we hit our 60s we'll be professional gardeners when all the other old people are just trying to catch up with us. Have fun, thanks for watching, go work on converting your fiance!
Your right on mike. I only feed my blueberries on about a ft of mulch in autumn
mulch cures a lot of problems
Mine are all blue, I would love a pink one, thanks for the tip! Love your channel💝
Thanks, Lucy!
@@MikeKincaid79 thank you so much for taking the time to reply! I'm so excited! We all would love to see the rooster😛
He's in a few videos.
Thanks for the video ... love the way you explain things , so I just subscribed ... I am also a flower lover 🌸 hello from Canada
Thanks for subscribing and welcome to the family, Patricia!
Ph is very important . Not just colours Mike :)
Hi Mike, thanks for your research and sharing. I purchased a deep blue hydrangea, the next season it was powder blue. I started using an acid loving fertilizer and the color has gone to pink to lavender with pink highlights. I look
forward to more of your informative videos.
Thanks Dorothy! I'm really falling in love with these hydrangeas this year and plant to propagate more. Rhododendrons will always be my true love but the hydrangeas bloom so reliably all summer long. The one you have sounds like a beauty, isn't it fun experimenting with these little guys!
Mike, the color of your flowers CAN change with your water. We have alot of lime in our water so we ended up with a water conditioner. Initially the water was all soft until the "ole man"got around to making the loop in the plumbing. Before the water conditioner they were pink. After conditioner all variations. I too love the deep blue and the dark purple. I have not been able to keep the color stable yet but have not used anything but coffee grounds. The girl at one of our nurseries (almost our last one here, they are all going out of business) told me about the bags of compounds you recommended. To get the dark purple, you have to start out with a red one and use the compound to make the plant blue. I love all the Hydrangeas and have alot of them. I did do cuttings last year, but lost about half when the top blew off in a rain storm and they got too wet. One that did survive has a bloom. My tags got blown off too so who knows what the color is and what the variety is. I am not a member of the local garden club but because I love the challenge of growing and propagating I did donate a bunch of plants for our towns Garden Show. Looking forward to the Rose propagation video. They Jacksonville Rose society took that video OFF their TH-cam channel last year and I had not tried their process. Thanks for giving us these tips !!! ✌🏻❤
You're welcome, Dianne, thanks for watching! We have hard water with a lot of calcium which makes the ph more basic and turns the blooms pink but I'm hoping with enough time in the soil and good mulch that eventually becomes acidic, I'll get blue flowers. Best of luck to you this spring!
Thank you for posting this follow up! I just started rooting a white hydrangea and wondered how long it would take to bloom. 🤞
You're welcome, Corliss! They bloom quick, usually by the next year and sometimes as rooted cuttings.
Mike you're right about adding mulch to change the soil ph. But... it would take years. If you want to jump start the blue color you have to add aluminum sulfate. Your color won't change this year but they will come back as blue... You have to add the aluminum sulfate once a year to change the color and keep it blue. It takes time to change the color no matter how you go about it.
True
If you do a BACK TO EDEN GARDEN and the soil PH is right at 7 you can get pink and blue flowers on the same plant
Sounds like a wild looking hydrangea. I'll have to give it a try in our back to eden garden.
So you are saying that pink is a result of a pH over 7, blue is a result of pH under 7 and a pH right at 7 can produce both. But how do you get white?
You can't make a white hydrangea from a pink or blue one. You have to buy a white one, or grow from cuttings off a white flowering plant. It would be cool to have pink white and blue on one plant though.
@@jstamps9578 We have a variety in Nebraska called a snowball thats white. It's like a lime green flower then turns white when older.
j stamps Can soil change the color of a white hydrangea? And what would it change to? Hmm
I had a huge Hydrangea at my old house. A favorite spot for my late 17 year old Schnauzer to lift his leg as we turned the corner of the house. So it was half deep blue and half purple.
Sounds like a match made in heaven, dogs and hydrangeas, lol.
To get it back to blue, try putting your used coffee grounds on the soil.
I'll definitely try that, thanks!
When I was studying for my GCSE exam in Chemistry at school in the eighties, I remember the master telling us that the pH of the soil determined whether hydrangeas would turn pink or blue. (We didn't discuss white hydrangeas). I am pretty sure that he said that like litmus paper, pink hydrangeas indicate that the soil is acidic whilst blue hydrangeas grow in soil that is alkaline. Everyone else has since told me that it's the other way round. A quick search online also demonstrates that he was wrong.
I was living in the British Isles at the time where it was easier to grow pink hydrangeas but I wanted to grow some blue ones as well.
I read somewhere that placing some coins in the soil would change the colour of hydrangeas from pink to blue and so my mother tried it. That particular year, our hydrangeas turned a light purple colour.
Yep, acidic soil for blue. The purple is created as the soil is transitioning and the plant is becoming adapted.
@@MikeKincaid79 Thanks very much Mike.
That might be "Let's Dance Rave". If so it blooms on new wood and old. That's a good looking plant. Watch out or you might be making a second hoop-house for hydrangeas. : ) You always have delightful and enthusiastic videos. Thanks!
Thanks Mike! I'll probably never know the variety since it's been planted at that nursery for so long but I know I'll never pay for 2 different color hydrangeas again. I'm really impressed with the pink color I'm getting and it's actually getting more pink as the bloom opens more. You're right, I better be careful, a second hoop house is already on my mind.
I miss Johnny on this video. Haha! I have a lot of hydrangeas. I have some that are a deep pink and have never changed to blue. And I have mulch around them. Meanwhile, a few feet away I have some classic hydrangeas that get blue. I bought some Endless Summer ones and those come up blue. The limelight ones come up a bit green and turn white. Next year I'm gonna try the aluminum sulfate on the pink one and see what happens. Thanks for the great videos. Keep up the great work.
Johnny was on vacation, he'll be back, lol.
I would really love to know how you set up your green house. I live in Colorado so I really have only a number of months to really grow something. Great to start cutting thought. Thanks
I'm planning to make a video of how I built it soon.
wow how fast! in other words i just toke like a week or two since you did the cutting? i am amazed.. that yello is beutiful to so the next step in to put them in baskets? i am so happy to see those result.. thanks for sharing.
You're welcome, Lucy! Yep, the petunias root fast and grow fast! You can put them in baskets or plant in your landscape and they'll grow just fine.
thank you.
I'm learning all the time too! You're fun to listen to, Mike. Even though I'm a new to gardening, I did know about the soil pH and hydrangea color. My question has to do with propagation of hydrangeas. I've seen the video for how to take a cutting, the plastic cup and tub method. I'm in the northeast. I will take cuttings next week, mid July, and follow your steps. The question is: what do I do with them over the winter? I don't have a greenhouse. Do I transplant them into a bigger pot and leave them out for the winter, providing they have grown some and I assume there are roots? (I won't disturb them by pulling them out to take a look at root growth.)
Hey, Eileen, I have several videos on overwintering cuttings: th-cam.com/video/LEOkkqCD8fw/w-d-xo.html | th-cam.com/video/wSIb8XuO5is/w-d-xo.html Check them out and then come back with more questions! Glad you like the videos and thanks for hanging out here on the channel!
I have never done this kind of communicating before on youtube but am so thrilled to see a quick reply from you!! YAY!!! Okay now. I intend to do my cuttings to propagate next week. I expect I'll have some good growth, roots, from my cuttings as I follow your instructions in clear cups and then in a clear, sealed tub. I don't want to put them straight in the ground in say November/December because I'm not sure where I want them to go. Should I transfer them to a bigger pot (I'm not sure I should disturb them as they won't do much growing, right?) and leave them outdoors under a tree as you suggest? Or are they okay in their little clear cup under the tree and out of the tub???? I hear what you say that they are hardy even though they're small so maybe they'll be okay just snuggled in a mulch pile in their clear cups with some protection from wind under a tree. Yes?
Watched the second video so no more replies necessary here. Thanks!!
Sounds like you're on the right track, Eileen! The best thing you can do is put them under a tree and protect from winter winds. Also, for a little extra protection, you can "heal them in" to protect the roots from hard fast frosts.
I started rooting some hydrangeas 10 days ago when I checked on it the roots coming from the leaf nodes above ground.
I am going to plant my potted Hyderabad into the garden. They will receive morning sun and afternoon shade provided by an orange tree and a loquats tree. I would like to know how to prepare the soil before planting. I want a blue flower. I love your helpful videos. Please let me know how to proceed. I live in Flordia about 5/miles from the coast just below St Augustine
I had gorgeous deep blue hydrangeas on a mountaintop in Virginia which I took cuttings to bring to South Texas when I moved here. They sprouted, grew well, and formed blooms second year
I fed them nothing but acid food and grew them in huge containers with good potting mix. I got pink blooms! Found out even the water here is high alkaline so I switched to bottled water (a lot!) hopefully next spring I will have my blue blooms again.
Just keep bringing that ph down and they'll turn blue.
Hi Mike what should I do with my cuttings that I rooted during the winter. I live in Michigan and we have a hard freeze during winter. I would appreciate it if you could give me an answer, thank you,😀 and also can I use regular potting soil when I root the cuttings?
I have several videos about overwintering rooted cuttings. Just search my channel and you'll find them.
I moved into a new house 3 years ago where the woman before me had the most gorgeous flowers, shrubs and trees. She has a hydrangea and it bloomed the past 2 springs. I live in the Charleston South Carolina area. I didn’t notice at first because we had a really rainy spring and I wasn’t going out in the side yard. The day I first saw it I couldn’t believe. The flowers were like the ones you brought back. The most deepest beautiful blue. I didn’t remember them being blue like that. I just happened on this video of yours and now I know I’m not crazy! I didn’t do anything to that shrub. Do you think it was the rain? I’ve heard people talk about acid rain.
You’re not crazy! Lol. I suppose the rain could play a part but most likely you have acidic soil, which is perfect.
Mike, lol, I was once very confused me when I saw my friends hydrangea plant with more than one color. It had pink, blue and one more color I don't remember. This was in Oregon!
Haha, trust me, I was just as confused! Now we know what to do to get certain colors.
i just bought my home in North GA and my bush has deep pink, light pink with shades of blue and purple. Its directly planted in the red clay soil with just old leaves topping it. I wished I had asked the previous owners what they were doing. Id like to keep both colors if at all possible I love cutting both colors and putting them in vases around the home
My hydrangea is pink flowered too.and its always had pink flowers but this year,wow,flowers were an exquisite blue with a hint of purple.its just simply glorious to look at.now all I feed my plant is tomatorite for the flowers but this year,after hearing the benefits of Epsom salt,i started to dose with Epsom salt too,and no one can convince me different,but I'm putting it down to the Epsom salt..
My Dad is a huge believer in epsom salt too. He puts it around everything in the garden and all his plants look fantastic. He's always trying to get me to use it and I still haven't but maybe I should get my butt in gear and listen to him.
I did the same thing g. Got cutting from my 93 yr old grandmother n she had beautiful blue n mine is light pink.
A lady I work with said she turned her pink ones blue with coffee. She said after she made a pot of coffee, she dumped the grounds out of the filter and into a empty coffee can. Then filled it with water and stirred it up, then poured it into the soil around her hydrangea. The flowers turned blue.
That's a great idea! I'll have to give it a try, thanks.
Just found your channel - 👌love all this information - you seem to answer all the questions I’ve been seeking - I have blue hydrangeas in the back yard - and I have pink as well that are store bought - I’ve always wondered what about the soil made the difference , and how if anything I could influence color variations - I love the propagation videos -
Thanks! More to come this Spring and Summer.
Tia and Blaine Dug
What about plants for the northern part of Louisiana , show us how to root plants for REALLY hot weather.
That might be tough since I live in the Pacific Northwest but I'll put some thought into it.
wow..never known this,i sud try it out. this flower is very special to me, it immediately reminds me of my childhood days, we call it 'forget-me-not' flower.my grandparents had it in there garden n m not kidding the flower used to very big like the size football blue white mixed...
Sounds like a special flower and great memories! Thanks for watching.
@@MikeKincaid79 it's very very special flower for me, I love it n also love ppl who like it too
I used to save eggshells for my neighbor, she crushed them and put them around the base of her hydrangeas all year, and the blooms were a deep blue color, she also had hers in full sun. I noticed you had chickens and thought you may want to try that.
Wow, I'll have to look into that one. We certainly have plenty of eggshells around here.
I have a huge Hydrangea bush...When I set it out, I would water with Miracle Grow for about one month, then I would use Meri-Acid for about a month....I have every shade of pink, blue, lavender...just a blend of all those colors on that one bush....it’s breath taking....Try doing one like that...you won’t be disappointed.
Sounds awesome!
That was clearly the litmus test of Hydrageas. It's the soil.
My grandma use to put nails under her hydrangeas to turn them blue! They didn't have soil additives back 60 years ago & I remember helping her throw big old rusty nails in the holes where she planted her flowers. The nails had to be rusty and she would keep them in a bucket of water until they were rusted. I was visiting my grand daughter in Salem, Oregon this summer and I noticed a lot of the hydrangeas were blue there.The soil there must be very acidic. There was a lot of pink and also a light yellow color. But I like the dark blue ones the best! Can you tell me if they can grow in Wyoming? I live on the very western side of the state, right on the Idaho border. We have pretty severe winter snow storms here. It is kind of like being in Yellowstone Park. Will hydrangeas survive this climate? I'm sure as big as they grow outside it would be hard to grow indoors as house plant,right? I would love to grow them here as they have always been a favorite of mine! Thanks for your information on this plant!
I love your story about your Grandma, thanks for sharing. You guys get pretty cold over there. Here's a good place to start: www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/gardening-by-zone/zone-4/choosing-hydrangeas-for-zone-4.htm You might be able to grow more varieties if protected from harsh winter winds.
There are different types of Hydrangeas. Not all of them get really big. The type in this video get big. But the type they sell in the flower tents around Easter time, they have the dark green leaves and the leaves are much thicker & they don't grow very large - only 2-3 feet at the most.
I live on Oregon, meters say soil is acidic, but my blue is turning pink. Even my cuttings that are from a blue lacecap are pink
That's bizarre. I think it's just going to take time (like a few years) for the blue hues to come out.
Hi Mike u are great man.I m learning lot of things from u.I have just planted my hydrangea.what I have to do now because I have no idea about my soil.
Lots of mulch and water well the first few years. Compost is helpful as well. The roots like to stay moist (not wet).
@@MikeKincaid79 thanks man for guiding.
Hi mike my petunias are mot giving any flowers now it came. Before but now nothing and how can we change colors of hydrangea my hindrances is giving very small flower tell me what to do and can I put coffee on my flower I need help thanks
Acidic soil will make blue flowers, alkaline soil will make pink flowers. The transition can take a year or 2. To get nice plants, mulch well and add a well rounded fertilizer, then water well through summer.
and my hydrangeas are a darker pink..started purple so as the soil changes so too does the plant....i am going to try the sulfur and see what i get.
Sulfur is suppose to do the trick. Good luck.
I knew that already more than 3 decades ago because I can remember my mom's hydrangeas changed colours. Now that you know that what tool can you choose to test the ph of your soil?
There are many different ph meters and testers you can buy online. Here's a link to one on Amazon: amzn.to/3iBseDN I don't specifically endorse one brand or the other but did a little reading on them and this seems like a good one for the price and quality.
I have only purchased white, purple and blue Hydrangeas. All the whites have stayed true regardless of where I planted them. The blues and purples only stay blue or purple in the backyard. The three blues I planted in the front yard turned pink which I dislike. I was going to work on changing them back to blue but decided not to since we're going to be listing the house shortly and the new owners can do what they want with them. But in our retirement home I intend to make sure they are blue and blue remain blue. My favorite is the ones that are a combination color of white, blue and lavender all in one bloom.
The white stay white because of the absence of pigment. Good luck with your move!
We have an abundant of purple Hyderagias in the Pacific Northwest. They stay that way and don't turn pink or blue, just purple . You might need to have a nutrale soil to produce purple. They are beautiful.
Mike can we get cuttings from a Rhodadendran.
Yes, you can get cuttings of rhododendrons. That's my main passion. I've got close to 300 varieties and propagate them every year. In fact, I'm working on a fun little video about it now.
Hi, Mike. I live in Zeeland, MI. I’m retired and I’ve always LOVED gardening!! I’ve only just saw a few of your videos and I’m hooked!! I ALSO LOVE hearing your rooster!! I’m a “chicken-lover”, too!! I love ALL of Gods’ creatures. Anyway, I wanted to ask, aren’t there white hydrangeas too?? I’m sure I’ve seen them, but I’m not 100% sure-maybe it was a snowball bush?? I also wanted to ask what do I look up to find your wife’s videos?? I heard on one of your videos that she just started doing her own. Thanx for ALL the info-it’s so great seeing a GUY that loves & appreciates PLANTS so much!! Kudos to you!! I’ll be watching more of your videos now that I’ve found them. Stay SAFE & WELL!! Thanx, again!! And your daughters are ADORABLE!! Chris*-from Zeeland, MI
Glad you found the channel, Chris, and thanks for the nice comment. Here's a link to my wife's channel: th-cam.com/channels/2UIxmvUKnoeiMSaeY1iAxQ.html
We use approximately 1 cup of apple cider vinegar to a gallon of water, then water our hydrangea in order to have them turn out blue instead of pink. You may wanna experiment with that, Mike. Enjoy your videos. Keep putting out great content, brother.
Sounds like a good experiment, thanks!
You can use pine needles to get acid. When pine needles decay they give off acid. They are good fertilizer for rhododendron bushes to.
I agree, fir needles do the same as well and get tons of them dumped on my yard naturally every year. I do like the heavier cover and mulching that the pine needles provide but we don't have as many of them in our area.
Joli.les couleurs sont en fonction des composants de la terre.avec de l'ardoise tu auras du bleu,avec du fer,tu auras du rose ou du rouge.merci
Petunias doing fantastic, oh wow! Yes that makes perfect sense about the alkaline and acidic. Now do the experiment and you will make even more skeptics believers lol!
Yeah, I'll never question it again, haha!
Yes absolutely true!.. Tnx for your amazing, helpful videos..my hydrangea was blue & it turned out pink with time, but I’m wondering why it turns to pistachio green in few days??
The new growth comes in green until it matures. Is that what you're talking about?
How do you keep a limelight hydrangea white?
Hydrangeas are white because of a lack of pigment. Occasionally they can look a little green due to chlorophyll.
How do you explain my hydrangea has pink, blue and purple flowers?
I always assume the plant is converting from pink to blue or vice versa.
Again, I watch the same videos many times. Just like this one. ( second time ).Maybe it is because I am entertained the first time and learn a little. Then I go back to your video and pay attention. Now I learn a little bit more. I will watch this one again. My question right now is, I live on a lot that has many maple trees and I dispose of all the leaves in the fall in the back yard bush. So with all the leaf mulch I should have blue Hydrangeas. What natural substance will make them pink? That is without going to the store for an additive????? Thanks Mike.
I think it's hard to keep them pink naturally (if they're naturally a blue) because soil gets more acidic as it breaks down and becomes more fungal dominant. I would look for a pink variety like glowing embers.
How do you grow rhododendrons in the same soil as this pink hydrangea? Do you add sulphur?
Nope, I let the mulch do the ph work.
@@MikeKincaid79 thank you. Do you know what isnt logical to me. Why are youre hydrangeas pink if soil is well suited for growing rhododendrons. How acidic soil needs to be to suit rododendrons and get hydrangea to be blue. Maybe isnt everything in pH.
@@MikeKincaid79 Hey Mike. I reseached the Web. Fir bark acidity is sufficial to make hydrangea blooms blue but it maybe lacks aluminium ions that are the reason hydrangea blooms are blue (if it has genetical potential for blue). When pH of the soil is acidic hydrangea can better absorb Al ions.
All my hydrangea are in pots in these videos, not the soil I have where the rhododendron beds are.
I read that you can also use rusty nails to change their colour?
It's true!
Also, only some bigleaf hydrangeas change color (for example, mopheads or lacecaps), but not all do! Oakleaf hydrangeas or smooth hydrangeas, such as 'Annabelle', 'Incrediball', and 'Incredibelle' can't change their flower color from pink to blue. So, it depends!
Ok, Mike, I have 1 large hydrangea. It had blue blue just like yours But it also had Pink and purple! Only 1 plant. Now it is blooming pink and yellow. I took closeup picture. It's planted next to a Holly bush and a hickory tree. I feed the Holly bush with acidic stake's or for evergreens, I wonder if the furt got mixed in.
I think it's just transitioning
When do you dead head hydrangea ?
My hydrangeas were blue for 13 yrs Until I moved to new house, now all are pink no matter how hard I try to change the soil! I managed one to stay purple not dark blue but its in shade on back fence with same soil and NO mulch. Interested to see your outcome.
yes your always learning
Aluminum sulphate is a game changer. I got super dark blue hydrangea colour, I'll experiement to get a light blue colour
Thanks for the tip!
How do you propagate roses, ? Thanks.
I'm going to try to get to that this summer, thanks for asking.
Great videos! I have an endless summer that for the first few years it would bloom light bloom, last year it bloomed pink. It was in a semi shady area and would only bloom with sparsely- 3 or so blooms. I’m going to move it to a new sunny spot this year. I wonder though why it changed from blue to pink? I did mulch it heavily in the Fall to protect it.
What I learned from my hydrangeas last Summer was that the soil ph was too alkaline and that's why they turned pink. You can add some amendments to the soil to acidify it right now and you may end up with blue this year but it may take a couple years for the change to happen. Most big box stores sell amendments to acidify the soil or turn hydrangea blue. Good luck and let us know how it turns out!
Evelyn, Endless Summer actually sells their own products that say if you want blue use this one and if you want pink use this one. Needless to say when they tell you that it will STAY blue or pink isn't actually the truth. What I did learn with my Endless Summer plants was that you need to fertilize your plants to get good blooming. Good Luck !! ✌🏻❤
Mike you should have brought some soil back home...that would have make a good experiment
Haha, sounds like a fun idea. It was hard enough to ask the nursery if I could take cuttings off their hydrangea. Not sure if they would want me shoveling their dirt into my car, lol.
great idea!!
what is the secret of many colors in one plant of hydrangea ? is there any special kind of plants ?
Hydrangeas can have several different color blooms on one plant and I'm not exactly sure how that happens but my best guess is that it was bred for that purpose over time or it's transitioning between acid and alkaline soils or vice versa. I haven't made a video about it but one of my hydrangea cuttings that started blooming pink actually had some deep green petals on it which makes no sense to me but it sure is pretty.
How many times can I put vinegar for hydrangea good to put ever 2 weeks I want it blue color easy for me to put vinegar better to go and buy sulfur .please answer I’m waiting.
I would use sulfur. Not sure about the vinegar, as I've never tried that.
have You ever grown cannas Mike? i have one now and am harvesting the seed pods for them..they turned soft but not quite yellow or tan yet for harvesting. I asked because they are hybrids..they wont look like the parent so that is part of the fun!
I've never grown them but just looked them up and they're beautiful! I may have to give them a try some day.
Hi Mike, I have a white hydrangea and it's grown about three feet but my concern is that it has only six blooms it has bloomed a second time now with only few.what is the problem?
mulch in the fall and fertilize with a slow release fertilizer after Valentine's day, water well through the summer, then just give it time.
Protect it from deer and learn the right way to prune your plant. Sometimes you are pruning off next years flowers