Hydrangea Hacks - Making them Last

How do you feel about hydrangeas? I personally have always enjoyed them in the landscape but not as a cut flower until recently. They can be such drama queens and would always wilt on me, no matter what I did.

However, when I became a flower farmer and started growing hydrangeas for cutting, I learned some very helpful tips and tricks to keep them looking their best. I wanted to take a moment and share them with you this week since we're headed into hydrangea season!

This hydrangea wilted on me about two days after cutting it. Sometimes that just happens and I'm not sure why.

The first thing you want to do is fill a large bowl or container with cool water. Then submerge the entire bloom for 20-30 minutes. Hydrangeas drink through their petals as well as their stems so this provides them with water over a large surface area (each petal) vs. just the tiny opening in their stem. It will look super sad when you remove them from the water. Trust the process.

Next, you want to trim away any leaves you don't need and cut the stem on a 45 degree angle. Make the cut under water if you can. The leaves of a hydrangea are large and take a lot of water to stay hydrated. Cutting the stem on a sharp angle increases the surface area for the plant to take up water. Make the cut underwater prevents air from getting into the stem as the plant suddenly "inhales" after being cut.

This is the hydrangea in the first photo several hours later.

Lastly, place your flower immediately into a clean vase filled with hot water. If you wouldn't drink out of the vase, it's not clean enough. Let it rest and air dry away from direct light for a few hours (preferably overnight) and it will perk right up. Repeat this processes as needed to enjoy your hydrangeas for days and days.