Hydrangea Hack, Hot H20!
Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers but I had nearly given up on bringing them indoors as cut flowers as they always wilted within the day, leaving me feeling guilty for ever removing them from the garden. Thanks to this piping hot trick, my current vase display is now going on three weeks and still looks freshly cut!
When you cut your hydrangeas, immediately remove the majority of leaves from the stem. I leave just one or two leaves very close to the flower petals for visual effect, but remove all of the others. Next, cut your stem at an angle and place about 1/2 inch of the stem into boiling hot water. Be sure not to allow the steam from the hot water to hit your flower petals-- I tip the stem in at an angle and also use my other hand as a shield from the steam. Remove the stem from the water after ten seconds, and then place directly it directly into the cold water in your vase. Repeat this step every time you go to refill the cold water in your vase and you will have hydrangeas that hold! If you cut the smaller flowers from your shrubs (like mine pictured below), you can get as much as two to three weeks of vase life. Remember to keep the vase out of direct sunlight to help prolong your bouquet as well. If the blooms ever do wilt on you, you can plunge the entire flower and stem into a cold water bucket and leave submerged (usually about 45mins, but I've done as much as overnight!) until it revives.
Here are a few other tips to keep in mind with hydrangeas:
Cut your flowers either in the early morning or evening
I recently took the @floretflower "Summer Mini Course" and learned that hot water trick applies to lots of other wilt-prone varieties of flowers (poppies in particular-- I had no idea!). Boiling water also works great to revive almost any flower that has wilted in your vase, or perhaps wilted before you were able to get it into your arrangement. Thanks, Erin!!
You can change the color of your flowers by increasing or decreasing the acidity of your soil. We like to use this Soil Acidifier when we want our hydrangeas to be blue instead of pink.
I like to consult the Farmer's Almanac: Hydrangeas chart detailing when to prune each variety
Hydrangeas are easily propagated, the more the merrier! Cut a softwood stem (not old wood) at the base of the plant, try to get one that has multiple leaves on it. Then, cut that into multiple pieces (about 5-6inches) that each has it's own leaf. Dip each into a powdered root hormone and then place into cutting trays that are filled with seed starting mix and perlite. I like to place these trays in a clear plastic storage bin, or you can cover with a plastic bag, and then place it in a cool area away from the sun. Be sure to mist the cuttings with water regularly to keep each leaf hydrated. After 3-4 weeks you can give each cutting a gentle pull to feel for roots. Once roots have formed, transplant to a larger pot with soil and in the Spring you can plant outdoors.
The flower vases pictured are one of my favorite home decor Amazon finds and come in a beautiful assortment set of 12
Share your happy hydrangeas with us @nestledinnewcanaan!
All photos are the property of Maggie Bentley Designs