To turn hydrangas blue, how much sulfer do I need to add to the soil?

It is a contained garden that is 12 feet long and 1 and a half feet wide and 1 foot deep. Will I kill my flowers if I add to much sulfer?

To turn hydrangas blue, how much sulfer do I need to add to the soil?
The color of hydrangeas will vary considerably due to the pH of the soil they are growing in. The blue hues are best in acid soil and the degree of blueness is controlled by the amount of available aluminum and the capacity of a particular variety to draw it up. The reds and pinks enjoy an alkaline or neutral soil where aluminum is not actively absorbed. The whites stay white but usually enjoy the same conditions as the reds and pinks.



To encourage "bluing" of the flowers, you need to raise the acidity of the soil. Acidity levels need to be around 5.5 - 6.0 on the pH scale. To lower the pH and increase the amount of aluminum in the soil, apply around the hydrangea aluminum sulfate several times at intervals in the spring and again in the fall if the desired color is not achieved. The amount of aluminum sulfate really depends on the concentration. You don’t want to over do it because aluminum is toxic in large doses.



Aluminum occurs naturally in most soil. If you can get the pH lower, the plant may absorb some on its own. Testing your soil for trace elements (including aluminum) is highly recommended. There are many tests available on the market for pH, too. Increase the pH of your soil by applying sulfur, rusty aluminum nails or pennies, citrus fruit peels, coffee grounds, evergreen tree needles or bark. Fertilize with a product that is very low in phosphate. Phosphate limits the absorption of aluminum.



For a powder form of aluminum sulfate, my general rule is ? cup per foot of hydrangea. This means that for an established 4-foot hydrangea, 1 cup of aluminum sulfate spread around the base of the plant should be adequate. This assumes a 15% concentration mixture of aluminum sulfate, the most commonly sold concentration. You may mix the aluminum sulfate in water and dissolve or apply straight to the plant then water in well. Be sure that the plant has established itself before application. We don’t recommend aluminum sulfate for new plants because of toxicity.



Apply in the early spring when you see the first leaf. Apply again six weeks later. If color isn’t as desired, add a fall application too.



To encourage pink to red blooms on plants in high acid soil, apply lime to the soil. The lime should be applied at the rate of one pound to every ten square feet of surface area once or twice a year until the desired bloom color is obtained. You may also use a fertilizer high in phosphate, as that will also limit the absorption of aluminum.



Note color correction takes some weeks or even months for the desirable changes to take affect. Some varieties will not get darker.
Reply:sulfur will only make the soil acidic.... what the plant needs is aluminum sulfate in order to turn blue..... without the aluminum there's no blue..... too much sulfur will make the soil TOO acidic for a lot of plants.... hydrangea, too.... this is a change that comes about slowly, over a year or two... dropping sulfur around the plant now will not make the flowers blue this year or next, either, probably..... so add alittle now and alittle later and so on, until the plant's soil is acidic and contains aluminum too.... don't forget to feed and water, too!.... and.... the only way to know if the soil is acidic enuff is to do a soil test...that will help a lot.....the test will give you an idea of how much sulfur is needed IF it's needed.....

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