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Every time I meet with a potential bride or floral client they always ask about Hydrangeas…So I decided to write about them and refer people to this blog for some more intense information. I personally love hydrangea. I have one problem though, the mop-heads wilt!!!
Several years ago, as I was watching The Martha Stewart Show, and Martha featured cut flowers (Hydrangeas) and how to keep them alive longer. One tip Martha gave for semi-wilted flowers, is to cut the stem, and soak them in really hot or even post boiling water. The steam from the hot water easily shoots up the stem and revive the flowers. Since then I have had several instances when the weather, the conditions, the barometric pressure, the moon…who knows what, has done in my client’s mopheads…so this is the long proven research I present to you…
Have you ever cut hydrangea blooms and put them right into a vase of water only to have them wilt within an hour or two? This seems to be caused by a sticky substance that clogs the stems, and even a slime caused by bacteria that prevents moisture from reaching the blooms. This does not happen every time. Cut-hydrangeas often last for days and other times they wilt almost immediately after being added to an arrangement. Seemingly unpredictable!
There are two techniques, suggested to me by several gardeners and florists, that should solve this problem. I've tested both, and have had excellent results. The two methods are:
(1) The Hot Water Method
This is extremely easy and works like a charm. There is a point past which this technique will no longer revive the bloom, but I've had it work 4-5 days after the hydrangeas were actually cut.
- When cutting hydrangeas, take water to the garden in a container.
- Immediately after cutting each bloom, drop the stem in the water.
- Indoors, boil water and pour it into a cup or any container.
- Cut the hydrangea stems to the desired length.
- Stand the stems of the hydrangeas in the hot water for 30 seconds.
Immediately put into room temperature water and then arrange.
(2) The Alum Dip Method
- The alum used in this method can usually be found in the spice section of the grocery store. Occasionally it is found with the pickling supplies.
- Plan to cut hydrangea blooms in the morning while the weather is cool.
- Take a pitcher of water to the garden and drop bloom stems into water immediately after cutting them (important).
- As you arrangement the blooms, recut the stems and dip the bottom 1/2 inch of stem into powdered alum.
Arrange as usual in water. (I know this washes off most of the alum, but it sticks to the stem in the beginning of water exposure and it really works!)
Weddings and hydrangeas go together beautifully. Whether used in bouquets, arrangements, or even on the cake, hydrangeas create an elegant and beautiful accent. One can choose to use hydrangeas sparingly or to make them the theme for the entire wedding and reception.
The delicate bridal bouquet to the right is from the wedding of Amy from Carlisle, PA. It is composed of pink roses, orchids, and a single white hydrangea. Bouquets, like this one, with concentric circles are called Biedermeier. It is a German style formal bouquet.
FOUR MOST POPULAR HYDRANGEA SPECIES:
Hydrangea macrophylla Mophead & Lacecap
Hydrangea aborescens ‘Anabelle’
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Oakleaf’
Hydrangea panicilata ‘PeeGee’
How can I change the color of my hydrangeas, you ask?
Hydrangeas are fascinating in that, unlike most other plants, the color of their flowers can change dramatically.
It would be nice if one could change the color of hydrangeas as easily as it changes in this little picture. But for most of us, it is not easy. The people who have the most control over the color of their hydrangeas are those who grow them in containers. It is much easier to control or alter the pH of the soil in a container than it is in the ground.
On the other hand, hydrangeas often change color on their own when they are planted or transplanted. They are adjusting to the new environment. It is not unusual to see several different colors on one shrub the next year after planting. The people who have the most control over the color of their hydrangeas are those who grow them in containers. It is much easier to control or alter the pH of the soil in a container than it is in the ground.
On the other hand, hydrangeas often change color on their own when they are planted or transplanted. They are adjusting to the new environment. It is not unusual to see several different colors on one shrub the next year after planting.
It is much easier to change a hydrangea from pink to blue than it is from blue to pink. Changing a hydrangea from pink to blue entails adding aluminum to the soil. Changing from blue to pink means subtracting aluminum from the soil or taking it out of reach of the hydrangea.
LIMITATIONS TO HYDRANGEA COLOR CHANGE:
WHITE HYDRANGEAS can NOT be changed to pink or blue by the grower. (The Almighty sometimes adds pink and red to blooms as the age).
If you live in a hot climate, it is unlikely you will ever see a "true red" hydrangea. No matter how convincing those pictures in the catalogs are or how much lime is added to the soil, one can only achieve a very deep or dark pink, but not a true red (at least here in the South. I'd love to hear from you if you have a different experience).
One can rarely change the intensity of a color (how strong or pale the color is). The intensity develops for a number of reasons: the heredity of a particular hydrangea variety, weather conditions (hot or cold, humid or dry), health of the plant, and possibly other natural factors. Fertilizing hydrangeas once or twice a year may result in a little more saturated color simply because the health of the plant may be improved.
A few varieties of hydrangeas tend more toward the pink or the blue range of colors, but will not retain even this color if soil conditions are not right.
| To change the color of your hydrangeas, add the following to the soil: |
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CHANGE TO PINK For hydrangea blooms to be pink, the plants must not take up aluminum from the soil. If the soil naturally contains aluminum, one must try to keep it away from the hydrangea's system. Following are a few tricks that might work:
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CHANGE TO BLUE To obtain a blue hydrangea, aluminum must be present in the soil. To ensure that aluminum is present, aluminum sulfate may be added to the soil around the hydrangeas. Authorities recommend that a solution of 1/2 oz (1 Tbsp) aluminum sulfate per gallon of water be applied to plants (which are at least 2-3 years old) throughout the growing season. Important: Water plants well in advance of application and put solution on cautiously, as too much can burn the roots. To make the aluminum available to the plant, the pH of the soil should be low (5.2-5.5). Adding aluminum sulfate will tend to lower the pH of the soil. Another method for lowering the pH is to add organic matter to the soil such as coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable peels, grass clippings etc. If the soil naturally contains aluminum and is acid (low pH) the color of the hydrangea will automatically tend toward shades of blue and/or purple. The choice of fertilzer will also affect the color change. A fertilizer low in phosphorus and high in potassium is helpful in producing a good blue color(25/5/30 is good. Potassium is the last number). Superphosphates and bone meal should be avoided when trying to produce blue. After stating this with much certainty, I hasten to add that it is virtually impossible to turn a hydrangea blue for any length of time if it is planted in soil with no aluminum and that is highly alkaline (chalky). One would have to be very diligent in keeping the soil properly conditioned as stated above. Perhaps the best idea for growing blue hydrangeas in an area with alkaline soil would be to grow them in very large pots using lots of compost to bring the pH down. The above suggestions for bluing would also work for a potted plant. Reduce the strength of the Aluminum sulfate to 1/4 oz per gallon of water. In a pot, it will be much easier to control the requirements for bluing. One last suggestions for those who are serious about this process. It is important to have your water tested so that it will not "contaminate" the soil that you have so rigorously balanced. The pH of the water should not be higher than 5.6. Planting hydrangeas near a concrete foundation or sidewalk will often affect the color since the pH of the soil may be raised considerably by lime leaching out of these structures, making it difficult to obtain blue. |
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*NOTE TO COMMERCIAL GROWERS: Douglas Bailey of the University of Georgia is an expert in floraculture. His Commercial Hydrangea Forcing presents information on hydrangeas for commercial growers in a readable, concise form. It includes a section on controlling flower color for the industry. |
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| TED STEPHENS, horticulturist and owner of Nurseries Caroliniana, in South Carolina, wrote in his most recent catalog: "Generally, an acidic or low pH will induce 'blueness'; whereas, a higher or alkaline pH will induce 'pinkness or redness'. Work in England seems to indicate that higher aluminum content influences blueness more than pH levels. We gave Dr. Jim Midcap of the U. of GA a number of plants on which to run "color changing" experiments. By applying aluminum sulphate at the rate of 2 ounces in a 3 gallon container, he was able to change 'Masja', which is normally a red, to a brilliant blue. This application was made as soon as flower buds were evident in the new shoots in the spring, about 6 weeks before flower maturity." |
