Will Wilted Hydrangeas Come Back

Because of their thick, woody branches and sticky sap production, hydrangeas are sometimes among the first flowers in an arrangement to begin to appear dejected. This is because it might be difficult for hydrangeas to absorb enough moisture in a vase to cover the entire flower. But since hydrangeas are one of the few plants that can absorb moisture through their florets, completely soaking wilting blooms in water and letting them sit for a few hours to rehydrate will revive them.

If you have a few stems of cut hydrangeas that you’re not quite ready to throw away yet, it might be worth a try to revive them. The efficacy of this hack, according to Seattle-based floral designer Rizanio Reyes, “depends on when the flowers were cut and how long they’ve been in a box in cold storage post-harvest,” among other things. Freshly cut, somewhat wilted hydrangeas will probably be easier to revive than ones that have been in storage for a while (though it’s still worth a shot!). According to Reyes, “I’ve done this with some degree of success, but it’s never 100%,”

Avoid the temptation to use this method to save other popular cut flowers from withering, such as roses, peonies, or tulips. Soaking them will just hasten their decay and wilting because they lack hydrangeas’ capacity to absorb moisture through the blossoms.

Can a hydrangea plant be revived?

A hydrangea’s roots can be burned if too much fertilizer is used, which will likely result in the plant dying, turning brown, and drooping.

As such, hydrangeas are not heavy feeders and do not require annual feeding in the same manner as roses do, and doing so can actually be detrimental.

Hydrangeas frequently develop and flower to their full potential if they are planted in healthy soil or the soil has been modified with compost prior to planting.

The hydrangea should flourish if a 1-inch-thick layer of mulch is applied around it to assist retain moisture and supply nutrients to the soil (compost and leaf mould are ideal options).

Only in the following circumstances should fertilizer be used:

  • Planting the hydrangea in sandy soil (which is nutrient poor).
  • The hydrangea is in a pot or other container where the roots have used up all the nutrients in the soil.

In these two situations, it is recommended to use an all-purpose fertilizer with equal parts nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) that is applied once in the spring and is generally well-balanced.

The roots of your hydrangea can be burned by well-rotted manure, especially if it is added to the soil after planting. However, if the manure is made from poultry manure, it may contain a lot of nitrogen.

To prevent issues, I advise putting compost to the soil as a soil amendment (fresh manure is particularly harmful, always allow it to rot for a year or so before using manure on your garden).

If your hydrangea is exhibiting indications of stress as a result of being recently planted in soil that has been altered with manure, move it to a location with soil and compost, and it should recover.

Reduce the amount of fertilizer used and remove any discolored leaves or blossoms. To assist the hydrangea recover, thoroughly water it in an effort to dilute the soil’s water-soluble nitrogen.

Key Takeaways:

  • Most frequently, hydrangea deaths are caused by the soil’s lack of moisture. Because they need their soil to be continually moist, hydrangeas will droop or even die in a dry environment.
  • Drought, transplant shock, frost damage, and too much sun can all cause hydrangeas to perish.
  • If the pot base doesn’t have drainage holes, potted hydrangeas may succumb to root rot. Small containers may dry out too rapidly and limit root expansion.
  • Water hydrangeas liberally, cover them with compost mulch, and keep them out of the sun and wind to help them recover. To encourage healthy growth, remove any growth that has been sunburned or damaged by frost.

Trick No. 1: Give Them a Soak

At Ardelia Farm & Co. in Irasburg, Vermont, Bailey Hale, co-owner and manager of floral operations, was our source. His suggestion to revive faded hydrangea blooms? He advises to soak the blossoms in warm to warmish water for 30 to 40 minutes.

Why? According to Hale, hydrangeas absorb water through both the stems and the flower petals. Your cut hydrangea will receive plenty of water and have an opportunity to rehydrate by being submerged.

Trick No. 2: Cut the Stems

Hale also suggests trimming the stems. Many people are aware that giving flower stems a fresh trim will prolong the life of bouquets, but Hale claims there is more to it than that: “It is more difficult for water to reach the blooms on stems that are longer.

To further aid the stem’s ability to absorb water, shorten the stems and then cut a crisscross pattern into them. In contrast to what is commonly advised for flowers with woodier stems, such as lilacs, he does not advise breaking the stems. “If the stems are broken, the vascular tissues that absorb water would be harmed, he claims.

Trick No. 3: Use Boiling Water

When hydrangeas are clipped, a sort of sap is produced on the severed stems, which can stop the water from reaching the flowers and make them droop. Water should be heated in a kettle and brought to a boil. Fill the container with the boiled water. Your arrangement should be emptied of the wilting hydrangeas, and the stems should be recut at a 45-degree angle. The stem should be held erect in the boiling water for around 60 seconds after being incisionally made with a vertical slit. The hydrangeas should bloom again in about an hour if you put them back in your floral arrangement.

How do I get my hydrangea to stop wilting?

Nothing is more annoying than cut flowers that wilt or droop too quickly, and HYDRANGEAS are one of the WORST offenders for early drooping!

It never fails: after bringing home wonderfully cheerful cut mop head blossoms from the florist or even picking your own in your backyard, they always lose their vibrancy after a few hours in water. wilted and sagging. So sad.

These stems were cut from my own backyard. I immediately submerged them in water, and within two hours they appeared as follows:

The hydrangeas in my yard are quite pink since my soil is very alkaline. By incorporating lime into the soil, you can literally turn blue blooms pink! Alternately, I could add acid to the soil to turn my pink blossoms blue (peat moss, sulfur or ammonium nitrate.)

Be at ease! Even after they reach the point where you think they can’t be saved, hydrangeas are actually quite simple to resuscitate. Mine appeared to be close to passing away.

The secret is HOT—I mean, STEAMING—water. Hydrangeas dislike cool water, unlike to other types of flowers. They actually despise it. You simply need to add chopped hydrangea stems to boiling hot water, despite how counterintuitive it may seem.

Nothing else works as well as giving the flowers a wonderful hot tub treatment, no matter what other methods I’ve tried (adding things to the water, cutting the stem a certain way, soaking the flowers themselves, etc.).

Make a clean incision at the stem’s base (I cut at an angle to increase the surface area), then add the cut ends to a pot of simmering water. I microwave one cup of water on high for two minutes.

The discoloration of the stems is acceptable. Starting at the bottom with the leaves that are closest to the water and gradually moving up to the blooms themselves, you should see an improvement. I put the stems back into the vase with new, lukewarm water after letting them soak in the water for 30 to 45 minutes until it reaches lukewarmness.

Your hydrangea blossoms will return to full splendor in about an hour or so from when they were lifeless and limp.

Repeat the process, remove another inch or so of the bottom, and heat additional water if they don’t fully perk up. The blossoms should reach their peak vivacity in the coming hours. Why do hydrangeas tolerate boiling alive so well when other flowers wouldn’t fare nearly as well?

The woody stems and corrosive sap of hydrangeas will restrict the water running up to the bloom. In hot water, the sap relaxes and dissolves, clearing the flow and enabling water to reach all the blooms. How can I avoid having Hydrangeas droop in the first place?

When you initially get your hydrangeas home or remove them off the plant, the boiling-water approach is also excellent. To keep the water moving up the stem, you can give your stems a PRE-EMPTIVE dip in hot water even before placing them in your vase. Simply trim the ends, blanch the stems in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, and then move them to a container of lukewarm water.

Do I need to remove the wilted hydrangea leaves?

Your hydrangea shrubs’ blossoms appear to be withering or turning brown. No need to worry—this is merely a signal that it’s time to deadhead—remove the blossoms from the plant.

Deadheading hydrangeas doesn’t cause any damage to the plants at all. Flowering shrubs stop producing seeds when the spent blooms are removed, and instead focus their efforts on developing their roots and leaves. You will be doing your hydrangeas a favor by deadheading because this strengthens and makes plants healthier.

How long does it take a plant to recover after it has wilted?

Underwatering, overwatering, or excessive exposure to direct sunshine are the three main causes of wilting in plants.

Try watering your plant to see if it perk up if it is withering. Sometimes, things are that simple. When most plants require watering, their leaves will start to wilt. The leaves will regain their vigor within a few hours, if they have not already turned crunchy.

If a plant receives too much direct sunshine, its leaves may start to wilt. Keep an eye on your plant throughout the day, and if it is a shade-loving plant, make sure that it is never exposed to direct sunlight.

How can newly planted hydrangeas be revived?

When your plants aren’t feeling well, hydrangea droop is a common symptom of too much sun and insufficient water, making it a wonderful place to start. Use your finger to probe 1 to 2 inches (2.5–5 cm) beneath the soil’s surface to determine the moisture level of your hydrangea. If it seems dry, water thoroughly while squeezing the hose tightly around the plant’s base for several minutes. Every few days, check the moisture level and add water as needed. Add 2 to 4 inches (5-10 cm) of organic mulch around the base of the plant if this cheers it up to help keep the soil moist. It could be beneficial to offer a temporary sun shelter on particularly hot days during the warmest portion of the afternoon.

When excess nitrogen promotes quick, spindly growth, overfertilization may result in droopy flower heads. Large hydrangea flowers are difficult for these weak branches to support, so they frequently flop. Always do a soil test in the future before fertilizing; hydrangeas frequently receive an abundance of extra nutrients from lawn fertilizer run-off. If your plant’s nitrogen level is high, fertilizing with phosphorus and potassium could help it develop more uniformly.

Hydrangea cultivars that flop over at random are a regular occurrence. Sometimes they just fall over because they have heavy blossoms or have taken a lot of weather abuse. If it occurs every year, try thinnng the inside of your plant to encourage more vigorous development and removing around half the flower buds before the season begins. If this still isn’t enough, you could stake your hydrangea with peony stakes or tie the center supports to a strong metal stake or fence post to make it appear more upright.

My hydrangeas wilted, why?

  • Shield young hydrangeas from the sun.
  • every three days, water.
  • To retain moisture, mulch the area around the plant with compost, leaf mold, or well-rotted manure.

It’s crucial to shield newly planted hydrangeas from harsh sunlight for them to thrive.

At this time of planting, some sunlight is helpful for promoting blossoms, but it is likely to make the soil and leaves dry up and droop.

For around three weeks, provide temporary shade for newly planted hydrangeas as they establish themselves.

The hydrangea may have been cultivated under extremely particular conditions in a temperature-controlled greenhouse, so it may take some time for it to become used to the garden soil and stop drooping leaves.

To keep the soil moist and protect it from direct sunshine, always give the soil a good soak and apply mulch to the top of the soil around the hydrangea.

Water as often as necessary—typically three times a week—to keep the soil moist, but watch out that the soil doesn’t get soggy since this could lead to other issues like root rot.

As long as the soil is moist and you have shielded the plant from the sun, depending on how dehydrated your hydrangea is, the leaves may recover in the cooler evening or it may take a few days.

Key Takeaways:

  • Lack of moisture in the soil is the cause of hydrangeas wilting. For hydrangeas to stay healthy and keep their leaves and blossoms from drooping, they need wet soil and some shade.
  • Additional effects of high nitrogen fertilizer include drooping flower heads and leaves. Reduce fertilizer application to let the hydrangea to recuperate.
  • As a result of transplant shock, hydrangeas that have just been planted droop. To prevent newly planted hydrangeas from seeming withering, give them shade, water them frequently, and add mulch.