You can turn your pink hydrangeas blue with nothing more than something from your kitchenAditi Rane and Dan Haygarth Liverpool Daily Post Editor and Regeneration Reporter
21:32, 23 Aug 2025
Pink and blue Hydrangea flowers(Image: iStockphoto/Getty Images)
There are many expensive tips and tricks that can help you transform your garden. But if you want to turn your hydrangeas into a vivid blue, a simple household item will do the trick, according to a gardening expert.
Gardening blogger Mel, who writes ‘Little Terraced House’ often shared affordable and simple ways for people to liven up their homes. She also has an easy tip to change the colour of the iconic hydrangea flower. Mel said the flower, which is often seen in shades of pink, blue, or even mauve, is actually the same plant.
Its colour depends largely on the pH level of the soil. Alkaline soils produce pink flowers, acidic soils produce blue blooms, and neutral soils result in mauve or purple, reports the Express.
As a result, Mel said apple cider vinegar can be a simple, inexpensive way to turn pink blooms into striking blue ones – as the acid will change the soil’s phH level.
She explained: “You can test your soil with a cheap pH testing kit from any garden centre. It will also be fairly obvious from the colour of your hydrangea”.
For gardeners seeking the elusive blue shade, acidifying the soil is the goal and the method is fairly simple.
You mix one cup of apple cider vinegar with 10 litres of water (roughly one full watering can) and pour the solution directly at the base of the hydrangea every couple of weeks, being careful to avoid the leaves.
The colour change won’t be instant, but over time the blooms will gradually take on a richer blue.
Once the desired shade is reached, the vinegar can be reduced or stopped altogether.
“You can control the ‘bluing’ by adjusting how much you use,” Mel added. The trick works for plants grown in the ground or in pots.
For container-grown hydrangeas, using ericaceous compost from the start will give them a head start towards blue.
Mel said that she enjoys combining different varieties together, such as a white hydrangea in a pot alongside a large pink-and-blue specimen growing in the soil.
She did caution that too much vinegar could damage a plant’s roots, so moderation is key. But in her experience, the technique has never caused harm.
She said: “It’s a surprisingly simple trick. You don’t need pricey products or long waits, just a splash of vinegar and a little patience.”
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