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 Hydrangea flowers are one of the most popular flowers used in various floral arrangements. Whether you intend to use fresh hydrangea blooms exclusively or with other tropical flowers, knowing the basics on how to care for cut hydrangea flowers will allow you to enjoy them for a longer period of time.
While hydrangeas are not any more difficult to care for compared to other flowers, they are notorious for wilting pretty quickly once they’ve been cut. This is because once they’ve been cut, water supply to the blooms is interrupted. Aside from this, the exposed stem can easily get clogged by naturally occurring substances in our environment. This, too, can disrupt water supply to the cut hydrangea flowers that you put in water.
To help you keep hydrangeas fresh longer, here are two methods that are used by most florists:
This method is great for those living in cool climates.
What you will need:
sharp scissors
a kettle for boiling water
an empty vase or container for the flowers
a vase or container with room temperature water
water for boiling
Instructions:
- In a kettle, boil enough water to fill the container and submerge the entire stem. Allow to cool a bit.
- While the water is still hot, transfer it into a vase or a container.
- Use the scissors to cut the hydrangea stem at a 45 degree angle. Immediately put the freshly cut hydrangea in hot water and leave it there for about 1 minute.
- Transfer the cut hydrangea flowers to a vase or container filled with room temperature water and keep them there until you’re ready to create your hydrangea flower arrangement.
This method works great for those in tropical warm climates.
What you will need:
sharp scissors
a vase or container with cool water
a vase or container with cold water and ice cubes
Instructions:
- Prepare a vase or container filled with ice cold water. The water level should be enough to soak the entire stem.
- Use the scissors to cut the hydrangea stem at a 45 degree angle. Immediately put the freshly cut hydrangeas in ice cold water. Leave the flowers there for 4 to 6 hours or overnight.
- Transfer the flowers to a vase container with cool water. (You can skip this step if you intend to use the flowers to make a flower arrangement.)
If you plan to enjoy your hydrangea flower arrangement in a vase, here are some additional pointers on how to keep hydrangeas fresh longer:
- Keep the flowers away from direct sunlight or in the path of fans and air conditioners.
- Cut the stem of the hydrangea flowers at a 45 degree angle every 2 to 3 days. This is to prevent the flowers from dehydration due to clogged stems.
- Bore holes into the stem using a needle. This will give the stem more surface area to absorb the water with.
A properly cared for hydrangea flower arrangement can last one to two weeks. Enjoy!
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