Hydrangeas are beautiful plants with flowers of various colors and sizes. If you want your garden specimens to look good, be sure to water and prune them regularly. For cut flowers, try dipping the tips in alum powder, changing the water regularly, and soaking the buds in warm water.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Making Cut Hydrangeas Live Longer
Step 1. Cut the stem
Make a deep diagonal cut at the bottom of the stem. This technique helps minimize damage to the plant.
Make the cut under warm running water, so that no potentially dangerous air bubbles form on the stem
Step 2. After cutting the stems, dip them in the alum powder
Pour some of the powder onto a plate, about 1cm high. Once the stems are cut, dip the tip of each into the alum, then place them in a vase filled with water and arrange the flowers well. This helps plants survive longer.
You should find alum in the spice section of all supermarkets
Step 3. Immediately after cutting the stems, place them in warm water
Do it as soon as possible. Fill a clean vase with 7-10 cm of lukewarm or room temperature water.
Don't crush the stems, as this can prevent hydrangeas from hydrating
Step 4. Wet the petals once a day
Hydrangeas absorb more water from the petals than from the roots and stems. If you have cut these flowers and want them to look good, you need to gently wet the petals every day to keep them hydrated.
Use a spray bottle with a gentle flow, so you don't damage the fragile petals
Step 5. Change the water in the jar every day
Fresh water helps the sprouts stay hydrated and prevents them from wilting too quickly. Remove the flowers from the vase and throw away the water from the day before. Fill it again with fresh water at room temperature.
Rinse the jar to remove all dirt before pouring in the fresh water
Step 6. Place ice in the vase if your hydrangeas wilt when exposed to high temperatures
If the flowers have already begun to wilt, fill the vase with two parts of ice and one part of water. This helps cool the plants when they are overheated.
You should notice improvements after one day. Continue the ice and water treatment for a few days in an effort to revive your hydrangeas
Step 7. Soak the flower crown in warm water if they start to wilt
If your hydrangea petals are wilting, you can revive them by soaking them in a bowl of warm water for thirty minutes.
Be careful when turning hydrangeas upside down, as water can make them quite heavy
Part 2 of 2: Caring for Garden Planted Hydrangeas
Step 1. Plant the hydrangeas so they are exposed to the sun and protected from the wind
These flowers need direct sunlight to grow, so plant them in a location that is directly or partially exposed to the sun. Also, avoid particularly windy areas.
Wind can cause hydrangeas to dry out, so be sure to protect them from drafts and wet them often
Step 2. Plant hydrangeas in areas with a mild climate
These flowers grow best in temperate zones. The ideal temperature is around 21 ° C during the day and just below 15.5 ° C at night. If your climate is warmer, the flowers may wither. If it is colder, however, the leaves may freeze.
In the fall, hydrangeas produce shoots that bloom the following year. During this time, the plants need six weeks in which the temperature remains below 18 ° C for the sprouts to grow
Step 3. Use standard soil or compost to plant your hydrangeas
If you put them on the ground (and not in a pot), be sure to add some potting soil or compost to the hole you dug, so that the plant copes better with the transition. However, remember that flower color is determined by the pH of the soil.
- A high number of aluminum ions in the soil produces blue flowers;
- A ph of 6 or higher produces pink flowers;
- White-flowered varieties are not affected by the pH of the soil.
Step 4. Water the hydrangeas every day to keep the soil moist
These plants survive only if well hydrated, especially during the first years of life. If the soil is too dry, the leaves and petals begin to wither. Try to water them every day, with enough water to keep the soil moist and watch them grow. Bathe them at least three times a week.
- You can water less if you live in a particularly rainy area, or more often if the climate is very dry.
- If the leaves start to wilt, try watering more. If the plant looks sticky or wet, water less often.
Step 5. Prune the plants
While cutting off part of the plant to make it healthier and grow better may seem counterproductive to you, this is a very common practice. Prune old stems and suckers that look wilted or dying.
- Always cut over a knot of the stem;
- Remove the old parts of the plant to make room for the new ones.
Step 6. Cover the plant with leaves or mulch in the fall to protect it from frost
If you want your hydrangeas to survive the cold season, it's a good idea to cover them from fall to spring when temperatures start to rise. This technique protects them from cold and frost damage. Cover the plants with 45 cm of bark mulch, pine needles, leaves or straw.
- You can cover the entire plant with a wire cage. Fill the inside of the cage with leaves and mulch to insulate the hydrangea from the cold.
- Do not use maple leaves for this purpose, as they rot too quickly.
Step 7. Prevent gray mold by pruning affected areas and applying a fungicide
Botrytis, also known as gray mold, is a fungal disease that often affects hydrangeas. If you notice hairy, gray spots on your plants, you need to prune them right away. Cut the affected areas and discard them, then spray healthy plants with an organic fungicide that can prevent further infections.
- Be sure to disinfect the shears you use to prune plants with a disinfectant to avoid contamination of the fungal spores.
- You can use sulfur (in liquid or powder spray) as a fungicide. Just make sure you stop using it when the temperature goes above 26.5 ° C, because sulfur can damage plants in hot weather.
- Try to water under the branches to prevent the leaves from getting too wet. This helps prevent gray mold.
