Hydrangea stems come in different colors and sizes. To make your outdoor hydrangeas look lovely, you’ll have to prune and water them frequently. Some hydrangeas need special treatment; the cut hydrangeas stems need their tip to be dunked in spice powder made from alum. The water would have to be changed frequently; the hydrangeas grow flowers well when it is dunked in warm water.

Method 1

Making Cut Hydrangeas Live Longer

1. Prune the stem of the hydrangea at a specified angle.

The bottom part of the hydrangea must be cut totally at a crosswise angle. A crosswise or diagonal cut will assist in making the damage caused to the stem endlessly severe.

  •  The stem should be snipped off under running water to stop air bubbles from forming on the stem.

2. Immerse the stems of the hydrangea in alum spice powder after trimming the stems.

Put little alum powder on a plate that has a depth of 1.3 cm. Put in each hydrangea stem in alum powder after they have been cut. Then put the stem in a container with water and neatly position the flowers. This will assist the flowers to grow well and last for a long time.

  •  The alum spice is available in the spice section of most grocery stores.

3. Soon after cutting, put the cut stems in lukewarm water.

After cutting the stems, quickly put the hydrangea in water. Fill up a clean container with 7.6 cm of tepid or lukewarm water.

  •  Be careful not to damage the ends of the stem because it will stop hydrangeas from hydrating.

4. Spray the petals with water at least once a day.

Hydrangeas do require water on an everyday basis. Their petals absorb more water than their roots and stems. After you have removed the hydrangea you want to keep looking lovely, the petals will have to be misted every day to keep them hydrated.

  •  A spray bottle should be used while lightly spraying the plant so you will not damage the petals.

5. Replace the water in the vase or container every day.

Freshwater assists your hydrangeas to bloom well and also lets the bloom stays healthy and hydrated. Replacing the water also helps stop them from withering quickly. Take the cut hydrangeas out of the vase or the container and throw away the old water. Put in new and fresh lukewarm water inside the vase.

  •  It is vital to clean the vase and remove the dirt in it before putting it in the freshwater.

6. Put ice into the vase if your hydrangeas are withering at a high temperature.

If you notice your hydrangeas are beginning to wilt under high temperatures, it is important you put in ice. The measurement should be 2 part ice, 1 part water. Doing this will make the plant begin to cool down.

  •  After a day, you’ll start to see improvement. Continue to use the ice and water technique in order to save your hydrangeas.

7. Immerse the flower heads in warm water if they start to wilt.

When your hydrangeas begin to wither, you can help them stay alive, immersing them in a container with warm water in it for about 30 minutes.

  •  Handle the hydrangeas with care when you’re removing them from the warm water because the water makes them heavier

Method 2

Caring for Planted Hydrangeas

1. Your hydrangeas should be planted in a place where they can get enough sunlight and protection from the wind.

Hydrangeas need direct sunlight to survive, so plant them in a spot where they can get direct sunlight or even a little one. Hydrangeas don’t trend well with wind. Plant them away from excessive wind.

  •  Wind dries up your hydrangeas intensively. Make sure you don’t plant the hydrangeas where the wind can touch them.

2. Plant the hydrangeas in a temperate climate.

The appropriate temperature for hydrangeas is about 21 degrees Celsius when it is daytime and under 60 degrees Celsius when it is night. The flower will wither if the hydrangea is hotter than 21 degrees, and the leaves might freeze up if it is colder.

  •  Hydrangeas begin to develop buds that will bloom when it is the fall of winter. At this time, the hydrangeas constantly need a temperature of 18 degrees Celsius for about 6 weeks. This lets the buds set.

3. Use a favorable potting mix or compost to plant your hydrangeas.

After you’ve decided to plant your hydrangeas directly inside the ground rather than plant it in a pot, ensure potting soil or processed compost is added to the hole to assist the hydrangeas during the transfer. Don’t forget the color of the hydrangeas is determined by the pH level of the soil.

  •  If the soil contains a high level of aluminum ions, the bloom of the hydrangeas will be blue when it finally develops.
  •  The hydrangeas will yield pink blooms if the pH level of the soil is 6.0 or more.
  •  Except for the color of the blooms, the hydrangeas are not affected by the pH of the soil.

4. Water the hydrangeas every day, so the soil remains wet.

Hydrangeas require frequent watering to survive, especially during their early years. When the soil becomes too dry, the leaves and petals will wither. The plant should be watered every day, so the soil stays moist. The minimum number of times you can water your hydrangeas is 3 times a week.

  •  If you live in a rainy climate, it is advisable you don’t water it often, but if the climate is dry, you might need to water it more frequently than you normally do
  •  Water the plant when the leaves start to wither. Only stop watering it frequently when you notice the plant is looking sticky.

5. Prune your hydrangea plant.

Pruning is a great practice to keep your hydrangeas in good and healthy shape. It is good you prune off any part of the plant that is not looking healthy, or it is withering away.

  •  Only snip above the nodes of the stem.
  •  Taking away old growth through pruning will make way for new growth.

6. The plant should be covered with leaves or mulch when it is winter to stop it from freezing.

When it’s the winter season, the hydrangeas will freeze. A good idea of how you can prevent that from happening is to cover the plant with leaves or mulch until the weather starts to warm up. The plant should be covered with 46 cm of mulch, grass, or leaves.

  •  It is good you don’t use maple leaves to do this because they fade too fast.

7. Trim any part that has been infected by grey mold and spray fungicide there.

Grey molds are also called Botrytis blight. This is a common fungal disease known to affect hydrangeas. When you notice a vague grey spot on the hydrangea, it is good you cut off the affected area immediately and dispose of it far away from any other plant. It is also required you spray the affected area with fungicide.

Make sure you disinfect your pruning shears immediately; you’re done cutting each plant before you start to cut another.

Conclusion

This article aims to share knowledge on how you can properly take care of your hydrangea plant. The article is properly detailed and written in a way you can easily understand to avoid mistakes. Thank you so much for your time reading this article. If you have any questions, please leave your comment below, and I’ll be happy to write back to you.