How to Cut Hydrangeas So They Won’t Wilt
How to Cut and Care for Hydrangeas So They Won’t Wilt
If you are a hydrangea lover like me, then you probably remember the post I did in the spring about How to Turn Hydrangeas Pink or Blue. With this figured out, I had to find out how to keep my cut hydrangeas from wilting. Sometimes after you cut them, the blooms can start to wilt without the right care.
I have a few easy fixes to keep cut hydrangeas fresh for a long time.
How to Cut Hydrangeas So They Will Not Wilt
I have had success following these gardening tips about how to cut hydrangeas so that they will not wilt after cutting.
- Best time to cut hydrangeas is early morning.
- Hydrangea leaves come in groupings of two and you want to cut the flowers where two of the stems meet so the flower can keep flowering.
- Cut hydrangea stems about 8 inches long with leaves on them. You can trim to vase size later.
- DO NOT use clippers or a pair of scissors to cut the stems, instead use a very sharp knife with a smooth blade (not a serrated blade).
- Do not cut stem straight across. When you cut the stems with scissors or straight across the stem gets pinched which does not allow water in.
- Use the knife to cut a long diagonal cut down the length of the stem – about 2 -3 inches. This allows lots of water to enter and travel up the stem.
- Plunge the stems into water as soon as you cut them.
If you cut the stems this way, you will be rewarded with full lush blooms that will not wilt.
Free Hydrangea Vase Idea: I didn’t have a vase big enough to hold the long stemmed hydrangea blooms I cut from my yard so I used a large pickle jar that you get when you buy in bulk at places like Costco. Works perfectly.
Emergency Method to Stop Hydrangeas from Wilting
If hydrangea blooms start to wilt you can try to revive them by totally submerging them in a “bath” of water for about 40 minutes. Then recut the bottom of the stems and place the stems into boiling water for a few seconds and then back into a vase of fresh water. They should revive in a couple of hours and stay perky for a few more days.
Hydrangea Tips that May Help You Get Bigger and More Blooms Every Year
TIP – Growing Hydrangeas: You would think fertilizer is supposed to make plants grow better, but with hydrangeas, too much fertilizer actually encourages lots of leaves and fewer flowers. If you want to use fertilizer, one application of a well-balanced slow-release fertilizer in the spring should be enough.
TIP – Cutting Hydrangeas: If your hydrangea blooms on old wood (ie. last year’s stems), you should not prune much at all. You can cut the ends off the branches, up to the first set of 2 leaves, if you want to dead head the plants immediately after blooming. But cutting any more than that is probably removing some of next year’s blooms…and that includes cutting blooms for your dining room table flower arrangement.
How are your hydrangeas in your yard or garden growing this year?
Did your hydrangeas bloom this year? If not and you want to know the reason why they didn’t, try this fix for beautiful hydrangea blossoms every year.