Are you soda for hydrangeas so that they bloom better? Check what a gardener thinks about this

In recent years, popular advice has appeared in social media and forums: “Sprinkle with baking soda, and hydrangea will repay with spectacular flowering.” Experts, however, warn that this is not entirely true.

Supporters of this trick say that baking soda, thanks to its basic reaction, can raise the pH of the soil, what is to be conducive to obtaining pink inflorescences. On the Internet you can also read opinions that it acts like a natural growth stimulator and effective protection against powdery mildew. Although it sounds encouraging, it is worth knowing that in practice the effects may be completely different than promised.

Also check:

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, i.e. a mild, alkaline powder, which can actually change the pH of the soil, but only for a short time. After rain or watering, it rinses quickly. In addition, its excess can cause sodium accumulation in the ground, which over time hinders the intake of nutrients, leads to soil sealing and harms the root system. In the case of hydrangeas cultivated in pots or at increased discounts, the risk is even greater.

1. Can help in the fight against powdery mildew. Sodium spraying changes the reaction on the leaf surface, which hinders the development of the fungus. However, it only works ad hoc and preventive.
2. Will not change permanently the color of the flowers. The color of hydrangea depends on the pH of the soil and the availability of aluminum. Soda is not an effective tool for lasting color change.
3. Is not a fertilizer. It does not provide plants with macronutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium. Excess may even hinder their absorption.
4. Will not fight pests. No scientific evidence of such action.

Also check:

Instead of experimenting with soda, it is worth reaching for proven care methods:

• to obtain blue flowers The soil should be acidified with sulfur or aluminum sulfate, which increases the absorption of aluminum by the plant,
• to obtain pink flowers The soil pH should be raised by using garden lime or other deacidification preparations,
• Take care of the soil and fertilization, using multi -component fertilizers adapted to acidophilic plants or with a neutral pH, depending on the expected color effect,
• Protect against diseases – In the fight against powdery mildew, appropriate fungicides will be more effective than ad hoc home ways.

Baking soda can find some use in the garden, but it is certainly not a wonderful potion for lush, healthy hydrangeas. If you care about beautiful, blooming bushes, put on proven, gardening methods. They guarantee the effects visible from year to year.