KEEPING CUT HYDRANGEAS FROM WILTING

HOW TO KEEP CUT HYDRANGEAS FROM WILTING-Easy ways to keep hydrangea blooms fresh and full-stonegableblog.com

Hydrangeas are the quintessential romantic summer bloom!!! Their big, moppy heads and little clusters of flowerets are iconic!!!  A bountiful bouquet of them cut and arranged on a table is pure bliss! Yes, hydrangeas are one of the best loved flowers around! But like many things, these dramatic beauties can be a little bit of a diva! They often wilt as soon as they are cut and brought into the house. And there is nothing pretty about droopy hydrangeas! Here’s a few ways to guarantee full, long lasting cut hydrangeas!

Today on Decorating Tips And Tricks we are talking about HOW TO SPOT AND FIX AN OFF BALANCE ROOM

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Cutting hydrangeas during their growing season is far different than cutting them at the end of their season when they are papery and really don’t need water to stay beautiful. Here are a few great tips for having fresh cut hydrangeas in your home all summer long! 

TAKE A CONTAINER OF WATER OUT TO THE GARDEN WITH YOU WHEN CUTTING HYDRANGEAS.

As soon as hydrangeas are cut the stems should immediately be put into tepid water. Use a sharp knife or clippers to cut each stem on a diagonal and submerge!

Cut hydrangeas in the morning and choose only the most mature blooms. They will look a little more papery than others.

HOW TO KEEP CUT HYDRANGEAS FROM WILTING-green hydrangeas-stonegableblog.com

PREPARE WATER IN A CONTAINER OR VASE

 

Use clean, room temperature water for hydrangeas. If you have floral preservative use it too. 

 

STRIP THE LEAVES OFF OF CUT HYDRANGEA STEMS

HOW TO KEEP CUT HYDRANGEAS FROM WILTING-white hydrangeas in the farmhouse sink-stonegableblog.com

When you bring hydrangeas inside make sure you strip off the leaves from each hydrangea stem. I break this rule often… and I shouldn’t! The leaves are big water drinkers and will steal it from the blooms. At least, strip off most of the leaves. Those that are below the water line should absolutely be removed!

SMASH OR CUT THE BOTTOM OF THE STEMS

Cut the hydrangeas stems to the desired length. Smash the very bottom of them to allow more water to travel up the stems and feed the blooms. I use a wooden meat mallet to crush the ends of the hydrangeas I bring inside. You can also cut the bottom of each stem on the diagonal and then make a cut up each stem instead of smashing it.

BOIL WATER AND DIP EACH HYDRANGEA STEM INTO IT

HOW TO KEEP CUT HYDRANGEAS FROM WILTING-blue hydrangeas-stonegableblog.com

Yes, boiling water! 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 boiling water into a cup. Dip each stem into the boiling water for 30 seconds and immediately put them into a vase or container filled with room temperature water (see directions above).

REPLACE WATER EVERY OTHER DAY

Replacing the water in the vase or containers that hold hydrangeas will keep them fresher longer! Also, give hydrangeas a fresh cut and dip them in boiling water before putting them in the fresh water!

EMERGENCY RESCUE FOR WILTING HYDRANGEAS

HOW TO KEEP CUT HYDRANGEAS FROM WILTING-blue hydrangeas-blue and white pottery-stonegableblog.com

If hydrangea blooms start to prematurely wilt you can totally submerge them in a “bath” of water for about 45 minutes. Then recut and place the stems into boiling water and then back into a vase of fresh water. They should revive in a couple of hours and live another day or two.

ANOTHER WAY TO KEEP CUT HYDRANGEAS FROM WILTING

One of my dear readers, Nancy, reminded me of a second method for keeping cut hydrangeas from wilting. You can cut the ends of the hydrangeas on an angle and cut up the stem a little and dip them in ALUM before putting them in a vase of fresh water. You can find ALUM in the spice aisle of your grocer’s. I’ve never tried this method but I’ve heard it works great! Thanks, Nancy!!! Aren’t StoneGable readers the best? Yes, they are!!!!!!!!! 

 

It takes a little extra care to have a big beautiful bouquet of hydrangeas gracing your home… but it is sooooo worth it!

HOW TO KEEP CUT HYDRANGEAS FROM WILTING-end of season hydrangeas-stonegableblog.com

You might also like  DRYING HYDRANGEAS.

If you like the information in this post you might want to save it to your GARDEN or FLOWER or TIPS Pinterest board.

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HOW TO KEEP CUT HYDRANGEAS FROM WILTING-Easy ways to keep hydrangea blooms fresh and full!-stonegableblog.com

 

 

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37 Comments

  1. mattsgramma says:

    Hydrangeas are such a lovely bloom with all the different varieties to enjoy. Now I know how to bring them inside!

  2. Karen VanLoo says:

    I absolutely love hydrangeas! My grocery store actually has beautiful hydrangeas, and now I know how to keep them lasting longer. They’re always beautiful in a pitcher or vase, or bowl. Gorgeous! I love any color!

  3. Just wondering if anyone has tried the alum method with limelight hydrangeas? I did – and it turned them all yellow!!

    1. No, Judy. I love how long putting the ends in boiling water. They last so long and I’m happy with that method.

  4. Hydrangeas are my favorite! These tips are good to know!

  5. Great tips for our favorite flowers. Alum does work great too!

  6. Anne Marie says:

    My favorite flower – thanks for the great tips.

  7. Diane Emerick says:

    Hydrangeas are my favorite! Thanks for the great tips Yvonne.

  8. Beautiful!! Thanks for sharing your tips. Have a great day.

  9. Thanks for the great advice!

  10. Love these flowers and I have tried this method. I like cut flowers in the house nod hydrangeas are beautiful.

  11. Great tips! I love freshly cut flowers. They just make you smile!

  12. The alum method works much better than boiling water for me. Give it a try…much less fuss.

  13. I will be trying both methods. My new hydrangeas have just started blooming, so this tip is just in time!

  14. Suzanne Pope says:

    Love this time of year – as the beautiful “Limelights” are as showy as ever in Aiken, SC ! Thanks for tips. Could you also share any info-best way to “dry” hydrangea for later use? Your blog rocks!

    1. Hi Suzanne, I’ll put that post at the bottom of today’s feature. Thanks for the reminder.

  15. Thanks for this post about cutting hydrangeas and keeping them looking fresh. I probably would have just cut them and stuck them in a vase with water. I will keep in mind Miss Mary’s tip on using alum. Now if all the hydrangeas will bloom next, I would be a very happy gal!

  16. Pam Smith says:

    Good to know. They are my favorite flower.

  17. Vicki N. Martin says:

    Some of my favorite flowers the Hydrangeas. I would like to have these on the left side of my yard. Thank you for the tips.

  18. Love, love, love hydrangeas, but have not had a single bloom this summer! I am most envious of your bountiful crop, Yvonne. I have submerged a wilted bloom in water and that does revive it. It is so nice to watch these beauties “perk up”!

  19. I invested in a Limelight Hydrangea last summer and it is load with gorgeous blooms. Now, I know how to cut them and take care of them thanks to you.Have a great afternoon.

  20. Mildred Hoppe says:

    The alum method works great and is so much easier than boiling water.

  21. Thank you so much for the great article on hydrangeas. They are one of my favorite flowers and I love the blooms. Good to know how to keep them around longer.

  22. Hi Yvonne,

    I just received my copy of The Cottage Journal today, and was delighted to see the article and numerous pictures
    featuring StoneGable. Congrats!!

  23. Congratulations on having your home featured in Cottage journal.I was so excited when I saw it .Love that magazine. This was one of the best issues .

  24. Hydrangeas are my favorite flowers! I just wish I could get them to grow in my yard (I have full sun most of the day).

    Congrats on having StoneGable in The Cottage Journal!

  25. Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers; just wish I could have them here. There’s just too much heat and sun.

  26. Nancy Davies says:

    Hydrangeas are such lovely flowers. In my country (New Zealand) when I was a child they were very popular to line the driveways to farms. The plants were so hardy they grew in all conditions with no care and attention. The last few years they have become the “in thing” and last summer I bought Limelight. I am looking forward to our summer when it will be a bigger plant.

  27. Vee Muller says:

    I miss my beautiful Philadelphia hydrangea bush. Had it for many years. Haven’t researched hydrangeas for New Mexico yet!

  28. Kim Robison says:

    I tried all of these suggestions and none of them worked. Maybe I got a bad bouquet this time…

    1. I purchased my hydrangeas from Costco and the floral lady told me to submerge the hydrangeas in the tub for at least 4 hrs or 24 hrs. The entire flower. The blooms absorb the water and will last longer. I changed out my water every other day and used floral food with them and enjoyed for 2 full weeks!!

  29. JC at the uncommon pearl says:

    I LOVE Hydrangeas, but I couldn’t keep them from wilting soon after putting them in a vase until now!! Thank you Yvonne! I used the cutting them on a diagonal ( which I had done before) and cutting each one vertically up the stem ( the new answer to my wilting!)…and it worked brilliantly! I purchased my flowers and they are still looking romantically beautiful days and days later. Thank you. You saved my favorite flower to grace my home. In fact, I want to try growing them in the yard next year, so I can have cut flowers all the time. I just love these bundles of romance. 🙂

    1. You are so welcome! I’m glad you are enjoying your favorite flower a little longer!

  30. Great tip to keep flowers from wilting! Thanks