The Secret to Long-Lasting Hydrangeas
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How to keep cut hydrangeas from wilting-the simple florist’s trick that can prevent and reverse wilting in hydrangea bouquets!
I love hydrangeas. Seriously, LOVE them. The first thing I did last year when we moved in our house was plant five hydrangea bushes so I could have my own. They haven’t bloomed yet this year but I was super excited to see cut hydrangeas in my grocery store last week and snapped some up for my kitchen table.
How to Keep Hydrangeas from Wilting
Keeping cut hydrangeas used to be hit or miss for me-they’d either do great or wilt almost immediately in the vase. I didn’t know what was causing it or how to prevent it until I was given a helpful tip from the flower vendor at our local farmer’s market last year.
She told me that sometimes when you cut hydrangeas they form a sticky substance over the cut that prevents the flower from sucking water up through the stem (that’s scientific terminology by the way, “sticky stuff” and “sucking water up,” can’t tell I was a Bio major can you?)
To prevent that “sticky stuff” from forming you need the secret ingredient-alum! (A common ingredient used for pickling, find it in the spice aisle.)
When you are arranging your hydrangeas re-cut the stem about an inch above the previous cut and immediately stick the bottom 1/2″ of the stem in the alum to coat it, then arrange as usual. It’s easy and works! No more wilted hydrangea blooms!
Repeat the process any time you see them beginning to wilt and you can keep the hydrangeas from wilting for weeks!
Do you love hydrangeas as much as I do? What are your favorite flowers?
Be sure to check out these other flower posts:
I live in zone 5 in the United States. My daughter is going getting married in January and wants dried hydrangeas for centerpieces at reception. When should I pick mine and how should I dry them? Using white and lime green ones. Thanks
Hello! What type of hydrangea are the flowers you have in your pictures above? I love the pale blue/white color of them!! I have a lot of hydrangeas (Nikko blue, some endless summer, etc) but none of them have that color blooms, so I would love to get some like that 🙂
Thanks so much!
Jenna
I’m not exactly sure Jenna, this was years ago and I bought them at a farmers market, sorry not to be more helpful!
If you feed them Miracle Grow you will get blue flowers.
White hydrangeas will not change colour. Depending on your soil acid conditions will produce blue flowers and alkaline condition pink. Feed or mulch with acid compost pine needles or camellia feed for blue and Epsom salts for pink. Planting in pots is easier to control conditions. You can buy a proprietary feed.
To turn flowers when cut you can put food colouring in the water which will be taken up. Works well when flowers are in buds as it will take a while to develop colour. Have tried it with chrysanthemums and carnations. It will dye the leaves as well.
You can spray flowers if you wish.
Hope this helps
In addition to adding the Alum to your water with your hydrangea arrangement is to keep your vases and containers clean and germ pest free, by washing them out with a simple solution of water and Clorox. Just swish it around or use a brush to clean the sides, dump the mixture out, give it a quick rinse and you are ready to arrange your hydrangeas or any other mixture of cut fresh flowers. Be sure to nip the stems about an inch or so as you arrange the flowers.
I use Crowning Glory Flower Spray on the blooms themselves as the final step. It dries clear, leaves no scent and slows evaporation from the flower. The spray and alum work for me.
As a floral designer i have never used alum. Ive always submersed the whole stem in water, then shake and they come out good as new. I also shave vertically along (about halfway througg the stem) the bottom of the stem and stick them in water…they will take up the water fairly quickly this way and they are then as good as new.
Hydrangea cutting do well if you put in 4or 5 together in a radius of 6 inches use a green stem with leaf buds along its length have at least half the stem in the ground. Don’t plant in summer its hard ,to keep the soil damp I only have experience of growing in South Africa bu,t think early spring would be best. I have even planted the stem of cut hydrangeas I have had in the vases for a week a week and they grow too..just cut off the flower first and float it in a shallow glass dish. It looks lovely that way. There is no mistique Give it a try. ? Adelaide
I do the same as you Adelaide and I live in sunny Queensland (Australia). I moved house recently and brought all my pots of hydrangeas with me to plant out in new gardens. I have big pots of them as well and just move them to the best spot. I have to be careful that they don’t get too much sun. I fell in love with hydrangeas about 50 years ago, the old varieties, but I’m amazed at some of the newer colours and varieties. If I see a big display in the nursery I always take photos and get my hydrangea hit!
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AND you need to dunk flower part itself in water for at least 30 minutes before dipping the stems in the alum. Better if you do it before they wilt.
My hydrangeas lasted eight days, even surviving a 108° heat wave here in SoCal last week. Usually in the summer here, they wilt in less than a day. This replicates the rain they get in cool places like England every day or two.
It’s shocking – and it works miracles, just as he alum does. I do both.
k
As a florist I tried many things to keep cut hydrangeas fresh – found one of the best ways was to invert the flower upside down in a bucket of cold water, and leave in a dark place for several hours. Hydrangeas drink from both the stem and from the flowerettes. You can revive a wilting hydrangea many times using this method. The slitting of the stem after it is recut also helps. Make sure the whole head is submerged – the stem can stay out of the water during that period of time. After several hours, remove and recut letting the flowerettes dry on their own.
I love hydrangeas also however I can’t get mine to bloom. The one bush bloomed last year but neither of them bloomed this year. I don’t know what to do. Have any tips?
I’ve been told NOT to cut them back, or they won’t bloom, did that and now. They bloom a lot of flowers, I also put Epsom salt all around the root area! Better flowers
Do not trim them back, must leave the stalks and the will bloom the next season.
I think in reading your hints, that after dipping the hydrangeas in to the alum, that it is okay to then put them in vases of water. Am I correct? Or do you just arrange them dry?
Thanks so much!!!
Diane from Michigan
Hi Diane, I’m sorry it took me a few days to respond. Yes, after you cut the stem and add the alum put it in water as usual. If they start to droop repeat the cut and alum routine-I can usually get mine to last at least 3 weeks by doing that! Hope that helps, Melissa
This is great news.my daughter grows them and is always looking at new ways to change the colors. I will pass this on to her to share with neighbors and friends. Thank you
I have a tip also. I planted my bush under the air conditioner (located in wall of living room) and all summer long it is watered by the drip of the air conditioner. My husband intended to get the pink one and instead got the cream green and every year it gets more beautiful… thanks for the alum tip,,,,billie
great idea! I always plant mint by my air conditioners-it also loves that damp soil!
I have loved these flowers for so many years and now I own my own home I would love to plant some. Are there any tips you can give me for the whole planting process, I want them to turn out as full and beautiful as my great grandmother had when I was a child.
Thank you so much,
Michele
Thank you for this
I, too love hydrangeas. They grew in my grandmother’s backyard. Cable guys decimated my small purchased bush. A survivor, the bush now struggles for light among giant Hostas. But, I’m hard pressed to decide if my favorite flower is hydrangea or azalea or the understated elegance of tulips.
Thank you so much for this tip. I love Hydrangeas but they would always wilt when I put them in the vase. Can’t wait to try this 🙂
Thank you for this tip, I too love Hydrangeas.
Jilly oxo
yay… it works perfectly for balloon flowers too… the platycodon… it’s my favorite flowers… sure I love hydrangeas too… got lots of them in my garden… It flowers for me all year long in tropical Indonesia… thank you so much… now all my balloon flower can be happy in my vase for days….
Great to know Tofi, thanks for sharing!
Hi all, I also SERIOUSLY LOVE THEM! I have giant bushes at the back of my house, for the last 17 years. I found out the following, and it works: 1. At end of winter, I dont cut them down, only up to about hip height. 2. Pick flowers and put them in deep water IMMEDIATELY 3. I cut them again when I arrange them in the house in the proper vase – they don’t wilt. 4. Dont pick flowers where the petals are not mature. These wilt whatever you try. Happy gardening!