Hydrangea Color Adjustment with Aluminum Sulfate and Ferrous Sulfate
Sharing the introduction of green plants and flowers related to the color adjustment of hydrangea with aluminum sulfate and ferrous sulfate, the details are as follows:
Hydrangea Color Adjustment with Aluminum Sulfate and Ferrous Sulfate
Hydrangeas prefer acidic soil, which is a prerequisite for them to grow well and for iron elements to be absorbed quickly. If you are in the north during the maintenance process, you need to regularly water with ferrous sulfate, watering once a month to two months to ensure the potting soil is acidic, allowing the new leaves to grow well without turning yellow.
Many flower enthusiasts often wonder why the blue flowers of their purchased hydrangea pot plants turn pink after flowering? How can they make the hydrangea continue to bloom blue flowers?
The secret lies in the color adjustment technique of hydrangeas. Color adjustment of hydrangeas is not difficult, and we can adjust the color of our own hydrangeas. When adjusting the color of hydrangeas, we need to do the following four tasks.
Techniques and Precautions for Hydrangea Color Adjustment
To adjust the color of hydrangeas, we first need to understand why they can be adjusted. The color of hydrangea flowers is greatly related to the soil pH.
We can test the soil pH using pH test strips. In acidic soil, hydrangeas bloom blue flowers, in alkaline soil, they bloom red flowers, and in neutral soil, the flower color is usually lighter, appearing pink.
1. Understand if Your Hydrangea Variety Can Adjust ColorIt should be noted that there are many varieties of hydrangeas, and not all varieties change color with the pH of the soil.
So before adjusting the color of hydrangeas, we need to first understand if our variety is one that can be adjusted.
Usually, the variety introduction will specify whether it can be adjusted, and we can look up the relevant variety information based on the variety name.
If the variety name is unknown, we can only judge by observing the color changes.
Generally, non-adjustable hydrangeas have relatively stable colors, while adjustable varieties often have significant color changes due to different soil environments.
2. Prepare Special Color Adjustment FertilizerTo adjust the color of hydrangeas, we need to use special color adjusters - aluminum sulfate and ferrous sulfate.
Usually, aluminum sulfate is the most commonly used for adjusting blue hydrangeas. Aluminum sulfate is a crystalline substance that dissolves in water. Using aluminum sulfate on hydrangeas not only makes the soil acidic but also provides free aluminum ions, achieving two goals at once.
However, when using aluminum sulfate, the concentration should be controlled at 1000 times, and after it is completely dissolved, water the hydrangeas every 10 days.
Of course, some flower friends use ferrous sulfate or vinegar alone for color adjustment, but using a mixture of aluminum sulfate and ferrous sulfate yields better color adjustment results.
When the soil is acidic and contains a large amount of aluminum ions, hydrangeas are easier to color and form a very pure blue, and the aluminum ions in aluminum sulfate are highly active, which is very helpful for deepening the blue of hydrangeas.
3. Find the Right Time for Color AdjustmentThe earlier the color adjustment of hydrangeas, the purer the blue color of the flowers. Therefore, if you want hydrangeas to bloom pure blue flowers, you can start color adjustment during the spring germination period.
If the purity of the color is not a high requirement, you can start color adjustment when the buds appear, but the later you adjust, the worse the effect. Adjusting after the flower buds have grown often results in flowers that are half blue and half red, with mixed colors.
Flower friends who have adjusted the color of Endless Summer hydrangeas know that they can be adjusted to a very pure blue and also achieve a very dreamy gradient color.
The trick is in the fertilizer for color adjustment and the timing. You might as well try different time periods, even adjusting the pH of the soil on one side of the same pot.
The fun of adjusting the color of hydrangeas is not only in the sense of achievement of turning them blue but also in the highly variable colors, often resulting in colors more dreamy and beautiful than originally imagined.
4. Persist in Color AdjustmentThe color adjustment of hydrangeas is a continuous task and cannot be accomplished by adding a little aluminum sulfate or watering with ferrous sulfate today.
From the day we start adjusting the color, we need to persist until the hydrangeas are fully blooming. If we stop using acidic fertilizer in the middle, the color adjustment will fail. Therefore, if you are not prepared to persist in color adjustment, it's better to give up from the beginning.
To ensure a stable color adjustment effect, you can use slow-release aluminum sulfate in combination with industrial aluminum sulfate and ferrous sulfate. Use ferrous sulfate to water the roots weekly during the germination period to adjust the soil pH, combined with slow-release aluminum sulfate.
When the hydrangea has grown flower buds, switch to industrial aluminum sulfate for watering the roots weekly, while also using slow-release phosphate aluminum together, which will increase the success rate of color adjustment and make the flower color more stable.
The above is the complete content on color adjustment of hydrangeas with aluminum sulfate and ferrous sulfate, for your comprehensive understanding and reference!