Hydrangeas are bursting into bloom across the country in stunning hues of blue, pink, and white. Although they are relatively easy to maintain in the garden, giving them the right nutrients can help them flourish season after season.
How to Turn Pink Hydrangeas Blue
If you have pink hydrangeas that you would love to transform into a beautiful shade of blue, there is one common kitchen leftover that can double up as a fertiliser. Hydrangeas alter their colour depending on the soil's pH level, and tweaking this can encourage them to shift towards blue.
One way to achieve this is by using coffee grounds, which increase the soil's acidity. Whether you are using leftover grounds from your coffee machine or from a jar, both will do the job, according to one gardener on Facebook.
Posting on the Gardening Hints and Tips UK Facebook page, John Baxter wrote: "You can use eggshells to try or add aluminium sulfate to the soil, but I tend to sprinkle coffee scraps. This does not just change the colour of my hydrangeas, but it also provides them with key nutrients. It took a while, but I swear by it now. They are a stunning shade."
When and How to Apply Coffee Grounds
You are free to add coffee grounds to the soil at any point, though a few applications throughout the flowering season is considered ideal. If the grounds are damp, allow them to dry out beforehand, as moisture could encourage mould to develop. Simply scatter the grounds evenly around the base of the plant or work them into the soil.
As well as transforming the colour of the blooms, coffee grounds will also supply the plant with valuable nutrients. However, applying excessive quantities of coffee grounds to the soil can prove detrimental, so use them sparingly.
Other Kitchen Scraps That Help
Citrus peel, including orange, grapefruit, lemon, and lime, can equally prove advantageous for hydrangeas and assist in turning them blue. These peels also increase soil acidity and provide nutrients, but they should be used in moderation to avoid over-acidification.
