How to Care for Hydrangea

The hydrangea is eye-catching flower equally arranged in a vase or potted. However, the hydrangea can be a little temperamental and requires significant care. In the following lines, we will walk you through some simple but effective tips to help you preserve those beautiful blooms for as long as possible whether you have them in a pot or cut in a vase. Though these tips aren’t going to win us a Nobel Prizes any time soon, they will help your beautiful hydrangeas maintain their vibrancy for as long as possible.

How to Care Hydrangeas in Vases

• Hydrangeas are ferocious drinkers

After receiving your flowers, cut the stems and submerge almost the whole stem in water – you will need a tall vase or container for this.

• Cut the stems at an angle

When cutting the hydrangea stems, make sure to cut at a 45-degree angle. Having done this, cut about 1 inch directly up into the centre of the stem, splitting it into two pieces. This will help the flower to draw water up into the stem and towards the petals. Once cut, place the hydrangea stems in water within 20 seconds (this prevents a sab forming that can reduce water flowing to the heads).

• Avoid direct sunlight

As with all cut flowers, you should avoid leaving hydrangeas in direct sunlight or a particularly warm environment. Hydrangeas like the soft touch of the morning sun, but not the hot afternoon sun.

• Reviving hydrangeas in a vase

The regular watering of your hydrangeas will surely prevent wilting. But if your hydrangeas begin to wilt, place their head first (it is counter-intuitive, but trust us) into a large bowl of tepid water, enough to completely submerge all the petals. Leave them for an hour before removing, re-cutting the stems and spacing back (upright this time) into freshwater. But be careful not to overwater or drown your hydrangea. It’s better to get your hydrangeas a bit wilted than overwatered.

Potted Hydrangea Care

• Find the right pot

The pot you select to use depends highly on the number of hydrangeas you want to plant inside. It is very important to find a container with a bottom with holes to allow the water drainage. If you use a pot without holes you risk wilting the flowers.

• Plant the hydrangeas in the pot

The first thing you will need for the planting process is pre-mixed, potting soil. The next step is to fill the pot with soil. Do not fill up the entire pot before placing the flowers in it. Then put the hydrangea in the centre of the pot and keep on adding soil. Again, leave some space between the soil and the edge of the container so it won't overflow when watering.

• Water the hydrangeas in the pot

As we explained above, the hydrangeas require a significant amount of water to perform their best. You should closely monitor the moisture of the potted hydrangeas as the soil tends to dry out quicker in containers. To determine if your flowers need watering, you just need to stick your fingers in the soil. If you wonder about how much water to pour into the pot, just keep on pouring until water runs through the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.

• Pruning the Hydrangeas in the pot

The pruning process can start when hydrangeas reach their full bloom in the late summer. Remove all the dead flowers to encourage more blooms and keep the flower arrangement attractive.