Why Are My Hydrangeas Turning Green? (2024)

FAQs

Why Are My Hydrangeas Turning Green? ›

Hydrangeas turn green because of age. Eventually, the flower will turn from green to brown and is a normal process. ANSWER: You'd be amazed how many times I have been asked this question. The problem is simply age.

[NOTE] Occasionally hydrangeas that are normally pink or blue will bloom green in some years. No one seems to know what causes this, but often it occurs for only one or two years and then the blooms return to their normal color. Using a fertilizer that contains trace elements may hasten the return to a normal color.

Removing the spent blooms triggers flowering shrubs to stop producing seeds and instead put their energy toward root and foliage development. This makes plants stronger and healthier, so by deadheading, you'll be doing your hydrangeas a favor.

Some gardeners report success in turning their hydrangeas blue by applying coffee grounds to the soil. The coffee grounds make the soil more acidic, allowing the hydrangea to more easily absorb aluminum.

Wilted or drooping leaves - If you see heavy leaves that seem to hang that may even be mushy to the touch, you might have overwatered hydrangeas. Flowers that constantly wilt and/or fewer flowers - A lack of blooms or wilting blooms is usually a sign that something is amiss with your plant.

Hydrangea macrophylla, bigleaf hydrangea

These plants produce buds in late summer to early fall (August-September) that will form next year's flowers. So prune these shrubs after they finish blooming and before August (again, make a heading cut).

Evergreen hydrangeas, as their name implies, stay green all year. Most hydrangeas are deciduous shrubs, so they shed their leaves annually.

Start adding coffee grounds to the soil surrounding your hydrangeas in late fall. Sprinkle them around your hydrangeas, but be sure to work them into the soil to help eliminate any off-putting smell. You do not need to do this process often—just two to three times per year should be sufficient.

There is one more trick up the apple cider vinegar sleeve: You can actually change the color of hydrangea flowers from pink to blue. Hydrangea flowers will be pink in alkaline soil, but change to blue in acidic soil. So, mix up some apple cider vinegar and water, and give all the acid-loving plants a treat.

Generally speaking, acidic soil, with a pH lower than 6.0, yields blue or lavender-blue hydrangea blooms. Alkaline soil, with a pH above 7.0, promotes pinks and reds. With a pH between 6 and 7, the blooms turn purple or bluish-pink. To lower your pH, add garden sulfur or aluminum sulfate to your soil.

What does an unhealthy hydrangea look like? ›

Brown, withered masses of flowers may be covered with the fuzzy gray growth of the fungus. Flower buds may also be affected and leaf spots can occur when infected petals have fallen on them. Disease development is favored by cool, humid, wet conditions.

Sometimes, it is hard to tell if there is too much or not enough water. However, the answer is in the dirt. You can stick a pencil or your finger in the soil by the hydrangea and see if it is too wet or dry. Another way to tell is if the soil is mushy and smells stinky.

Water at a rate of 1 inch per week throughout the growing season. Deeply water 3 times a week to encourage root growth. Bigleaf and smooth hydrangeas require more water, but all varieties benefit from consistent moisture. Use a soaker hose to water deeply and keep moisture off the flowers and leaves.

Alkaline soil -- with a pH of 7.0 or above -- generates pink and red blooms, while white hydrangeas will bloom in soils with a neutral pH between 6.0 and 6.2.

As much as we'd like quick fixes and garden hacks to be true, Epsom salt doesn't offer the results hydrangeas gardeners hope for. It doesn't change the bloom color, promote bigger flowers (unless there is a magnesium deficiency in the soil), or deter pests.