What to pay attention to when growing hydrangeas in summer
For most women, what to pay attention to when growing hydrangeas in summer and the small knowledge of flower care, such as the introduction of summer maintenance precautions for hydrangeas, are as follows:
Summer is here again! Many flowers are in full bloom, and hydrangeas are no exception. They bloom beautifully in the garden, with their umbrella-like inflorescences clustering together, looking magnificent and elegant, and loved by all flower enthusiasts.
However, for beginner flower enthusiasts, caring for hydrangeas in the summer can be somewhat challenging. In high temperatures, it is easy for the flowers to wither, the blooming period to shorten, and the flowers to fail to turn blue. During the daily maintenance of hydrangeas in the summer, the following four mistakes are most commonly made, and beginner flower enthusiasts should be particularly careful.
1. Adjusting the color after the flowers bloom
Unlike ordinary flowers, most hydrangea varieties can change the color of their flowers through artificial coloring, a method called "adjusting to blue." This is because hydrangea flowers contain a pigment called "delphinidin." This pigment is very interesting; if hydrangeas grow in alkaline soil, the pigment generally does not show blue, and depending on the variety, the flowers show various colors such as red, pink, and yellow. When the soil is acidic, delphinidin combines with aluminum ions absorbed from the soil and gradually turns blue, so the petals of hydrangeas also turn blue.
Artificially adjusting the color of hydrangeas to blue involves using acidic flower remedies like aluminum sulfate in alkaline soil to change the alkaline soil to acidic, thereby making the hydrangeas bloom blue flowers.
What to pay attention to when growing hydrangeas in summer
Many beginner flower enthusiasts want to try adjusting to blue, but it is important to note that this must be done early. It is best to start in the spring when new leaves sprout and unfold. If you wait until the flower buds appear to adjust the color, it will be too late. Because the hydrangea needs to absorb aluminum ions to reach a certain concentration before delphinidin turns blue, if the time is too short, the plant's accumulated concentration will be too low, and the flower color cannot change. The minimum time for adjusting the color of hydrangeas should not be less than 45 days, and it is best to maintain it for more than 60 days, that is, from the time the new leaves unfold and start using the medicine until the flower buds open.
2. Some varieties cannot be adjusted to blue
Although the vast majority of hydrangea varieties on the market can be adjusted to blue, there are still some varieties that cannot be adjusted due to their natural genetic makeup. For example, varieties like Endless Summer Bride, Sabrina, panicled hydrangea, tree hydrangea, and oakleaf hydrangea cannot be adjusted to blue. Many common varieties, such as Endless Summer, Magic Crystal, and Wanhua Jing, can be colored.
Beginner flower enthusiasts must make sure whether the variety they are growing can be adjusted to blue before attempting it. I have encountered several beginner flower enthusiasts who wasted a lot of medicine because they didn't know that the variety they had at home could not be adjusted to blue.