8 Steps to Keep Cut Hydrangeas Fresh Longer

This Summer has been a scorcher here in Michigan…

I mean Botswana on safari in an open-top Land Rover hot. And that’s coming from a girl with southern roots whose been known to grab a sweatshirt when the temperature falls below 80.

My hydrangeas have become real divas that need constant care this summer.

All of the gardens in our yard are a “work in progress” since we bought the house two summers ago, so the hydrangeas are all fairly new.

They haven’t had a lot of time to dig in and make a home with us yet.

Hydrangeas are some of my favorite flowers to cut and bring indoors, but the heat has made it tricky.

No snapping off a few stems, toting them around the yard while I water before—finally—bringing them inside, like I do when it’s not Mississippi hot in Michigan.

Through trial and error, I’ve picked up for keeping my hydrangeas looking pretty and perky inside longer.

In fact, the ones on the dining room table right now are over two weeks old. If you look closely, you can see the edges are starting to get a few brown spots.

8 Super Simple Tips to Keep Cut Hydrangeas Fresh Much Longer

Here’s what I do that I think helps keep these beauties alive longer…

Take a container of room temperature water outside with you, along with a super sharp knife or gardening shears. (I have a pair of garden shears I got at my local nursery.)
Cut the stem on an angle and immediately drop the flower in to your water container. No dawdling…
I get out there early in the morning before work so I can get flowers cut before the heat ramps up.
Go for the flower that is most mature and not one that is still budding and blooming. The one on the bottom versus the one in the upper right is an example.
Once you have your bucket of blooms inside, get your vase ready by adding clean, room temperature water and floral preservative.
I remove all of the leaves but the top ones on each side. But that’s because I usually place mine in a mason jar with loads of water. You just want to make sure no leaves are below the water line so they don’t cause bacteria and mold to develop.
Some folks say you should smash the end of the stem with a rubber mallet. I’m not one of them. I say rough cut the end of the stem a little. It allows water to get up the stem without beating up the hydrangea so much.
I know it’s a hassle when you are busy so don’t poke me in the eye for saying this… I change the water and add new plant food about every 2 or 3 days. You get to be pretty fast at it especially if you organize your potting supplies for quick access.