So how do you stop Hydrangea from Wilting? It is suggested that Hydrangea wilt so soon after being cut because their stems contain a sticky substance that clogs the stems preventing moisture reaching the top of the stem to the head. Top Tip - Cut 10 cm off the stem and place in boiling water and leave for 24 hours.
Place the hydrangeas on the cutting board and use the sharp knife to cut the end of the hydrangea at a 45 degree angle. Then cut a small slit vertically up the middle of the newly trimmed stem. Place the hydrangea(s) in the vase filled with hot water. Let sit for a minimum of one hour and voila!
For lasting arrangements (about two to three days for fresh cut flowers), take our advice and gather blooms in the morning. Pick ones that are open and colorful. Mature flowers with a slightly papery feel will hold up best. Immediately place the stems, cut at an angle, in a bucket of water.
Hydrangeas can be grown in full sun but too much direct sunlight, especially during the afternoon hours when the sun is most intense, can cause wilt. When exposed to excessive sun, the plant's internal temperature increases, which causes the leaves to transpire and leads to moisture loss in the cells.
Removing spent flowers will ensure your hydrangeas produce healthier, more bountiful blooms later on.
Hydrangea Care Tips
Water at a rate of 1 inch per week throughout the growing season. Deeply water 3 times a week to encourage root growth. Bigleaf and smooth hydrangeas require more water, but all varieties benefit from consistent moisture.
It's really important to get your fresh cuts in water immediately after cutting them. So when you head out to the garden to cut hydrangeas, bring a large bucket of water with you. And as soon as you make a cut, drop the stem in that bucket of water to help keep them fresh.
First, add a 1/4 cup of sugar to the room temperature water in the vase. The sugar helps feed the stems and increases the life of the cut flowers.
It is suggested that Hydrangea wilt so soon after being cut because their stems contain a sticky substance that clogs the stems preventing moisture reaching the top of the stem to the head. Top Tip - Cut 10 cm off the stem and place in boiling water and leave for 24 hours.
In addition to changing color, an overwatered hydrangea's leaves may wilt. In extreme cases, the leaves will begin to drop off the plant.
"Oakleaf and Limelight hydrangeas with their cone shapes lend themself to linear vases like a tall cylinder. More traditional hydrangeas do very well in a compote or a bowl." Lee suggests using vases that do not require foam as hydrangeas are thirsty and "like a good drink." Instead, place them directly in water.
You want a flowering hydrangea that feels sturdy and not soft or spongy." If you choose a healthy bouquet, it should last up to two weeks.
Spray: Once your hydrangeas are fully dried, spray them down with aerosol hairspray (sorry, aerosol spray just works better than the pump spray kind…it just does).
A pH of 7 is neutral, and household vinegar has a pH of around 2.4 (which is quite acidic). The theory is, applying diluted vinegar to the soil will lower the pH enough to change the color of your hydrangea blooms. This strategy will make the soil more acidic, but not for long!
Some gardeners report success in turning their hydrangeas blue by applying coffee grounds to the soil. The coffee grounds make the soil more acidic, allowing the hydrangea to more easily absorb aluminum. In addition, fruit peels, lawn clippings, peat moss and pine needles, are thought to have a similar effect.
Hydrangeas will wilt or start drooping when they cannot get the water that they need. That's when you can try reviving them by giving them a nice cool bath in the sink! Hydrangeas are one of the few flowers that can absorb water not just through the stems, but also through the leaves and the blossoms.
From a reader: another trick that will keep cut hydrangeas looking beautiful is to immediately plunge the freshly cut, stripped stems into very hot water and allow the water to cool before arranging in fresh water. The stems can be recut and the hot water treatment repeated if the blooms start to look wilty.
In general, most cut hydrangeas prefer cool environments—but don't be tempted to put flower arrangements in the fridge to keep cut stems cold. "This is one of the first things we advise against," says Christina Stembel, the CEO and founder of Farmgirl Flowers.
Water your hydrangeas in the morning before the heat of the sun is strong enough to quickly evaporate soil moisture. Try to avoid watering at night, which can encourage mold and mildew as the moisture sits through the cool night. Water your hydrangeas through the growing season as well as in late fall.
Potted hydrangeas overwinter best in a garage or basement where the temperature stays cool but doesn't freeze. The plants will go dormant, but you'll still need to water the pots occasionally, about once a month, to keep the roots moist, until spring.
This seems to be caused by a sticky substance that clogs the stems, preventing moisture from reaching the blooms. This does not happen every time. Cut-hydrangeas often last for days and other times they wilt almost immediately after being added to an arrangement.
Here's what to look for: Leaf discoloration: hydrangea laves typically become yellow and brown when overwatered. However, the discoloration can also be a sign of underwatering. Usually, when the plant is overwatered, the browning occurs on the edges of the leaves.