You really want to make sure you are buying the freshest Hydrangeas available (1-3 days old) as they only tend to last 5-9 days depending on how you care for them.
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.
Hydrangeas form a type of sap on the stems where they have been cut—and this can prevent a constant flow of water to the flowers and cause them to droop.
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.
STEP 5: Place the cut flowers in a vase of water.
The water doesn't rehydrate the hydrangeas; it simply keeps them from drying out too quickly and turning brown. A light breeze from a window will help the flowers dry uniformly but don't set them in sunlight, which can cause them to fade and take on a yellowish tone.
Have you ever cut hydrangea blooms and put them right into a vase of water only to have them wilt within an hour or two? 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.
Hydrangeas produce a “sap” that clogs their stems and blocks water from traveling up it to those gorgeous blooms. The boiling water helps to do away with the sap.
Put hydrangea in very hot water – boiling temperature. Nearly all flowers like warm to very hot water. Never use cold water. The only exception to this is bulb flowers, like tulips.
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!
You can use vinegar to lower the pH of your soil, but be aware that in order to achieve blue blooms, you will need both an acidic environment and aluminum ions. The acidic environment will also need to be a sustained over a period of time, which could be hard if rainwater is washing the vinegar away.
"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.
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.
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.
Put Hydrangeas In Water Immediately After Cutting
As soon as hydrangeas are cut, the stems should immediately be put into tepid water. And adding a little bit of flower food to it would be a great idea too.
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.
Always cut hydrangeas at their peak flowering – full open blooms, when they've reached their mature height. Newer blooms will not last and will wilt. They do not continue to open once cut like some other flowers. The more mature blooms will last longer in the vase.
Leave the bouquets in water until an hour before the wedding. This process should keep the hydrangeas well hydrated for the wedding and alleviate any wilting issues. Some designers use hydrangeas in floral foam when creating wedding flower arrangements or bouquets.
Hairspray to the rescue
In order to keep them around a little longer, many suggest using the hairspray trick. Start by cutting off the ends of each stem as you do with any floral arrangement — we suggest using Martha Stewart's technique for keeping Hydrangeas fresh.
Place the hydrangea(s) in the vase filled with hot water. Let sit for a minimum of one hour and voila! Revived hydrangeas.
Your hydrangeas might be beyond saving if they don't spring back after an overnight soak. It isn't recommended that you try to rehydrate them multiple times. They'll usually turn brown and disintegrate when submerged for a second go-around, so this hack only works once.
The easiest thing to do is to pick up a jar of alum at the grocery store (in the spice aisle) and keep it on hand for your cut hydrangeas. As you cut the stems, dip them quickly into the alum jar and then plunge them into a vase or pitcher filled with water.
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.