Buzz
Hydrangeas are stunning flowers that come in various colors and sizes. To keep your hydrangea plants in the garden vibrant, it is important to regularly water and prune them. When trimming the hydrangea branches, try dipping the flower stems into alum powder, changing the water in the vase frequently, and placing the hydrangeas in slightly warm water.
Steps
Keep Hydrangea Blooms Fresh Longer
Cut the flower stems at an angle. It's recommended to trim the hydrangea stems at a steep angle at the end of each branch. This angled cut will help reduce damage to the flower's stem end.
- Trim the stems underwater in warm water to prevent harmful air bubbles from forming in the stems.
Dip hydrangea stems into alum powder after cutting. Pour a layer of alum powder about 1 cm thick onto a plate. Dip each cut stem into the powder. Then, you can place the stems in a vase filled with water and arrange the flowers for a beautiful display. This method will help the flowers stay fresh for longer.
- You can find alum on the spice shelves at most grocery stores.
Place flowers in slightly warm water right after cutting. After cutting the stems, you need to place the flowers into water as soon as possible. Pour lukewarm or room temperature water into the vase, making sure the water level is about 7.5-13 cm.
- Avoid crushing the flower stems, as this can prevent the flowers from absorbing water.
Mist the petals once a day. Hydrangeas actually absorb more water through their petals than through their roots and stems. To keep cut hydrangeas looking fresh, gently spray water on the petals each day to provide moisture to the flowers.
- Use a fine mist spray bottle to avoid damaging the delicate petals.
Change the water in the vase daily. Clean water will help keep your hydrangeas hydrated and prevent them from wilting quickly. Lift the flowers out of the vase, discard the old water, and refill the vase with fresh room-temperature water.
- Make sure to wash the vase to remove any residue before adding the new water.
Add ice cubes to the vase if hydrangeas wilt due to heat exposure. If the hydrangea stems start to wilt, pour 2 parts ice and 1 part water into the vase. The cold water will cool the flowers down if they have become too hot.
- You will notice the flowers looking fresher after a day. You can continue using the ice/water method for several days to help revive the flowers.
Nhúng hoa vào nước ấm nếu chúng bắt đầu héo. Nếu những bông hoa cẩm tú cầu bắt đầu héo, bạn có thể “hồi sức” cho chúng bằng cách ngâm hoa trong một bát nước ấm khoảng 30 phút.
- Cẩn thận khi nhấc hoa ra khỏi bát nước, vì nước có thể khiến những bông hoa trở nên khá nặng.
Chăm sóc cẩm tú cầu trồng ngoài vườn
Trồng hoa cẩm tú cầu ở nơi có nắng và khuất gió. Cẩm tú cầu cần có ánh nắng mặt trời để phát triển tốt, vì vậy bạn hãy trồng cây ở nơi có nắng mặt trời toàn phần hoặc một phần. Cây cẩm tú cầu cũng cần được trồng ở nơi khuất gió.
- Những cơn gió có thể khiến cây cẩm tú cầu bị khô hơn, vì vậy bạn nên bảo vệ cây khỏi gió và thường xuyên cung cấp nước cho cây.
Trồng cẩm tú cầu ở vùng khí hậu ôn đới. Cây cẩm tú cầu sinh trưởng tốt nhất trong vùng 3-9 theo phân vùng canh tác của Bộ Nông nghiệp Hoa Kỳ. Nhiệt độ lý tưởng là khoảng 21 độ C vào ban ngày và 16 độ C vào ban đêm. Hoa có thể bị héo nếu nhiệt độ nóng hơn khoảng trên, và nếu nhiệt độ lạnh hơn, tán cây có thể bị hư hại vì sương giá.
- Cây cẩm tú cầu sẽ kết nụ vào mùa thu và nở hoa vào năm sau. Trong thời gian này, cây cần 6 tuần ở trong nhiệt độ dưới 18 độ C để nuôi nụ hoa.
Dùng đất tiêu chuẩn dành cho cây trồng trong chậu hoặc phân trộn để trồng cây cẩm tú cầu. Nếu trồng cây xuống đất (thay vì trong chậu), bạn nhớ thêm hỗn hợp đất trồng cây trong chậu hoặc phân trộn đóng bao vào hốc đất trồng cây để giúp cây vượt qua giai đoạn chuyển tiếp. Nhưng bạn cần nhớ rằng màu của hoa cẩm tú cầu sẽ phụ thuộc vào độ pH trong đất.
- Hàm lượng ion nhôm cao trong đất sẽ khiến hoa cẩm tú cầu có màu xanh.
- Độ pH từ 6,0 trở lên sẽ cho ra hoa cẩm tú cầu màu hồng.
- Hoa cẩm tú cầu màu trắng không bị ảnh hưởng bởi độ pH trong đất.
Water the plants daily to maintain soil moisture. Hydrangeas need sufficient water to thrive, especially in the first two years. If the soil becomes too dry, the leaves and flowers will begin to wilt. Try watering the plant every day with just enough water to moisten the soil, and monitor the plant's condition. At the very least, water the plant three times a week.
- Water less if you live in a region with frequent rain, or water more if you reside in a dry climate.
- If the leaves begin to wilt, try watering more. If the leaves appear sticky or wet, consider watering less.
Keep pruning the plant regularly. Although it may seem counterintuitive to prune in order to keep the plant healthy, it's actually a common plant care practice. Trim away old branches or shoots that seem wilted or lack color.
- Always prune above the branch node.
- Remove old branches to make space for new growth!
Cover the plant in the fall with leaves or mulch to protect it from frost. If you want your hydrangea to survive the cold season, cover the plant from fall until spring, when the weather warms up again. This will shield the plant from freezing temperatures and frost damage. Use tree bark, pine needles, leaves, or straw as mulch.
- You might want to cover the entire plant with a wire cage and stuff it with leaves and mulch to protect it from the cold.
- Avoid using maple leaves as mulch because they decompose quickly.
Prevent gray mold by cutting off infected parts and applying antifungal spray. Botrytis blight, or gray mold, is a fungal disease commonly found in hydrangeas. If you notice any gray mold on your plant, prune it immediately. Cut away the infected parts and discard them, then spray the plant with organic antifungal spray to protect it from further fungal infection.
- Be sure to disinfect your pruning shears with household disinfectant between cuts to prevent the spread of fungal spores.
- Sulfur (as a spray solution or powder mixed with water) can be used as an antifungal treatment. Just remember to stop using it when temperatures exceed 27°C, as sulfur can harm the plant in hot weather.
- Try to water from beneath the branches to avoid wetting the leaves. This can help prevent gray mold.
