How to Maintain Hydrangea

Hydrangea is a beautiful flower that comes in a variety of colors and sizes. If you want your garden hydrangeas to stay beautiful, you need to water and prune them regularly. When cutting hydrangeas, try dipping the ends of the flower stalks in alum powder, changing the vase water, and dipping the hydrangeas in slightly lukewarm water.

Table of Contents

Keeping the hydrangea branches fresh for a long time

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Cross cut flower stalks. You should cut the hydrangea stalk diagonally with a deep angle at the end of the stem. The diagonal cut angle will help limit damage to the flower stalk tip. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Cut the flower stalk under warm water to prevent harmful air bubbles that may appear on the flower stalk.

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Dip the hydrangea stalk in alum powder after cutting. Pour some alum powder about 1 cm thick on the plate. Dip each cut flower stalk in alum powder. You can then place the flower stems in a vase filled with water and arrange the flowers beautifully. This will help the flowers stay fresh longer. ^{[2] X Research Source}

You can find alum on spice racks at grocery stores.

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Place the flowers in slightly warm water immediately after cutting. Once you have cut the flower stalks, you need to put the flowers in the water as soon as possible. Fill the vase with slightly warm or room temperature water so that the water level is about 7.5-13 cm high. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Avoid crushing the ends of the flower stalks, as this can prevent the flowers from absorbing water.

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Mist the petals once a day. In fact, hydrangeas absorb more water through the petals than through the roots and flower stalks. If you want your cut hydrangeas to stay fresh, you should lightly spray the petals with water every day to hydrate the flowers. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Use a small spray bottle to avoid damaging the delicate petals.

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Change the vase water every day. Clean water will help your hydrangeas maintain enough moisture and prevent rapid wilting. Remove the flower stems from the vase, pour out the old water, and fill the vase with clean, room-temperature water. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Rinse the tank to remove any residue before adding new water.

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Put ice in the vase if the hydrangea has wilted from exposure to high heat. If the hydrangeas begin to wilt, fill the vase with 2 parts ice and 1 part water. Cold water will help cool the flower stems if they are overheating. ^{[6] X Research Source}

You will notice the flowers will be fresher after a day. You can continue to use the ice/water method for several days to try to get the flowers fresh again.

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Dip the flowers in warm water if they start to wilt. If the hydrangeas begin to wilt, you can “revive” them by soaking the flowers in a bowl of warm water for about 30 minutes. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Be careful when lifting the flowers out of the water, as the water can cause the flowers to become quite heavy.

Caring for hydrangeas grown in the garden

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Plant hydrangeas in a sunny and windy location. Hydrangeas need full sun to thrive, so plant them in full or partial sun. Hydrangeas also need to be planted in a sheltered location. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Winds can make your hydrangea drier, so it’s a good idea to protect it from the wind and water it regularly.

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Grow hydrangeas in temperate climates. Hydrangea plants grow best in zones 3-9 according to U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones. The ideal temperature is around 21 degrees Celsius during the day and 16 degrees Celsius at night. Flowers can wilt if temperatures are hotter than above, and if temperatures are colder, the canopy can be damaged by frost. ^{[9] X Research Source}

The hydrangea will bud in the fall and bloom the following year. During this time, the plant needs 6 weeks in temperatures below 18 degrees Celsius to grow flower buds.

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Use standard potting soil or compost to grow hydrangeas. If planting in the ground (rather than in a pot), be sure to add potting mix or bagged compost to the potting hole to help the plant through the transition. But you need to remember that the color of the hydrangea will depend on the pH of the soil. ^{[10] X Research Source}

High levels of aluminum ions in the soil will cause hydrangeas to appear blue.
A pH of 6.0 or higher will produce pink hydrangeas.
White hydrangeas are unaffected by soil pH.

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Water the plant every day to maintain moisture in the soil. Hydrangeas need enough water to survive, especially during the first two years. If the soil is too dry, the leaves and petals will begin to wilt. Try watering your plants every day – just enough water to moisten the soil and see how the plants are doing. You should at least water your plants 3 times a week. ^{[11] X Research Source}

You can water less if you live in a rainy climate, or more water in a dry climate.
If the leaves start to wilt, try watering more. If the leaves look sticky or wet, consider watering less.

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Maintain tree pruning. While it may sound counterintuitive to say that pruning is to keep a tree healthy and growing, it is actually common tree care. Cut away old branches or shoots that look wilted or pale. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Always cut above the eye of the branch.
Remove old branches to make room for new shoots!

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Cover the plant in the fall with leaves or mulch to protect it from frost. If you want your hydrangea to survive the cold season, you should cover it from fall to spring, when it starts to warm up again. This will protect the plant from cold weather and against frost damage. Cover the plant with mulch with bark, pine needles, leaves, or straw. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Maybe you want to cover the entire tree by making a trellis cage and snapping it over the tree. Tuck leaves and mulch into the iron cage to insulate the plant from the cold outside.
Do not use maple leaves as mulch for this purpose, as maple leaves rot very quickly.

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Prevent gray mold by removing moldy parts and spraying with an antifungal spray. Botrytis blight, also known as gray mold, is a fungal disease that commonly occurs in hydrangeas. If you find a patch of gray mold on the tree, you need to prune it right away. Cut the moldy part and throw it away, then spray the plant with an organic antifungal to protect it from further fungal infections. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Remember to disinfect the scissors with a household disinfectant between each cut to prevent fungal spores from spreading.
You can use sulfur (spray or powder in water) as an antifungal. Just remember to stop using when the temperature rises above 27 degrees Celsius, as sulfur can damage plants in hot weather.
Try to water underneath the branches so the leaves don’t get soggy. This can prevent gray mold.

Steps

Keeping the hydrangea branches fresh for a long time

Caring for hydrangeas grown in the garden

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