Whether you cut hydrangeas from your garden or buy them at the market, follow a few key tips to care for them and keep them hydrated and beautiful.
Preventing Hydrangea Wilt
Have you been frustrated when your beautiful, cut hydrangeas wilt just hours after arranging them? This common problem has a solution. With proper care, cut hydrangeas can stay fresh for up to two weeks. This article shares proven techniques to help your hydrangeas last longer.
Care for Cut Hydrangeas
Garden-Cut Hydrangeas
Cut flowers in the morning while they are hydrated because afternoon heat can cause wilting.
Cut only fresh blooms for the best color and longevity. Skip faded or old stems.
Cut stems longer than you need for your arrangement, since you will need to trim them before hydrating and again when making the arrangement. This will prevent stems from being too short for arrangements.
Remove leaves that will fall below the waterline in a vase. If you want some leaves in your arrangements, leave the upper ones around the blooms.
Trim the ends of the stems off at a 45° angle. Cut a slit in the bottom 2 inches of the stem.
Immediately after trimming, submerge the stems and flowerheads in water for 30 to 60 minutes. This lets them absorb water and removes insects hidden in the flower heads.
Store-Bought Hydrangeas
Remove any lower foliage.
Cut about 2 inches or more from each stem when you get home. Cut at a 45-degree angle to increase the surface area for water absorption.
Use a knife to cut a vertical slit 2 inches up from the angled cut.
Soak the stems and flower heads in a sink of water for about 30 minutes to fully hydrate them.
TIP: As a last resort for flower heads that will not hydrate, add 3 to 4 inches of boiling water to a heat-safe vase, then place the stems in the vase for an hour or until the water cools. This can revive wilted woody-stemmed flowers but may harm soft-stemmed ones.
All Hydrangeas
Change the water in the vase daily to prevent bacteria from growing. Alternatively, you can keep flowers fresh by adding a splash of bleach to the water. Consider using a finishing spray that can prolong the freshness of flowers. It is a trick florists use to keep flowers looking their best.
Click here to see a table with centerpiece blue hydrangeas.
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