Today's Gardener (todaysgardener.com) participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.
Hydrangeas from those markets and flower shops look truly astonishing.
What if I say that you can have them grow quite well in the comfort of your own home?
You can grow hydrangea indoors quite easily in pots, as well.
They are truly eye-catching in spring and can be found in different colors.
Blue and pink are the common variants, but it’s not surprising to come across the white ones as well.
Now, I’ve successfully grown this specie called Hydrangea macrophylla.
They are the simplest to grow indoors, and there are more than hundreds of varieties.
Without further ado, let’s see what’s the easiest way to grow Hydrangea indoors.
Hydrangea Care Indoor
First of all, have you seen those huge leaves? They look so fresh and greeny, and there’s a good reason behind.
These plants thrive in water and have a really low tolerance for dry soil. So, how do you know if the soil is dry enough and that’s time for watering?
The ultimate sign is yellowish or brown leaves of hydrangea falling down. That means that the soil is completely dry.
You need to prevent that from happening, and the best way is to check the soil every single day.
Especially if the plant is blooming- that’s the time when it consumes water the most.
To sum it up: the soil should be evenly moist. Try not to keep it soggy, at least when it’s flowering and growing.
I feel like it’s needless to say- but here it goes: use lime-free water.
You don’t want to make the soil alkaline as that might affect the coloring.
When it comes to humidity, it really likes high humidity. Even 30% is not enough. There are numerous ways to increase humidity, so it should not be a problem.
In order to keep it flowery and bloomy for a long time, you’ll have to keep it in a bit cooler room.
We are speaking of around 16 degrees C. That’ll prolong the flowering period as much as possible.
Fertilizing Hydrangea Indoors
This one is a true princess among flowers. It demands attention and a lot of work!
You’ll need to fertilize hydrangea it almost every 2 weeks in periods when it’s blooming (summer and spring).
Furthermore, you’ll need a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted by half.
Either that or slow-release fertilizer that you use only once in summer and once in spring.
How to Propagate Hydrangea
It’s really easy to propagate this one. All you need to do is take 4-inch stem tip cutting and plant it in moist potting mix.
Any mix that you can find on Amazon will do the job.
Also, timing is quite important, and you want to do it in spring or early summer.
Pruning Hydrangea
This one will ease your mind – you actually don’t have to prune hydrangea at all. Unless you want a particular size or a shape to achieve.
How much should you cut: it is recommended to cut around one-third of the plant.
When to cut it: The best time to cut hydrangea indoors is after the blossoms fade.
There is one additional tip while pruning it: Try not to damage the stems, as it may lead to unwanted (unstoppable) plant damage.
You need a really sharp and clean pruners for this matter. The stem should be cut at 45 degrees angle, about ¼ inch after a leaf axle.
Repotting Hydrangea Indoors
Keep in mind that this plant is perennial. If you intend to keep it that way, you’ll have to repot it when the flowering period is over.
Also, I’d recommend you to cut woody stems by half at least. You need to cool it down throughout the winter, if possible put it in a bit cooler (but not freezing) room, and then move it to a bit warmer spot in late winter.
That’ll prepare the plant for the blooming, and if everything is done properly, you’ll be able to keep hydrangea indoors blooming throughout years.
Different pH – Different Color
What impressed me the most is that different pH led to blue hydrangea indoors change their color. I’ve heard this before and wanted to test it out.
I had blue hydrangeas and I kept the soil pH at around 5.5 or lower. For 2 years, the flowers were blue
Finally, I’ve used alkaline soil and voila- it changed slightly to pink color.
The pH was around 7. So, if you want to keep them blue, you’ll have to keep the pH lower and add a bit of sulphur during the time when the plant is blooming.
Neutral pH is also magnificent for flowers. It will make some kind of mixture of blue and pink – something pinky-blue.
Strange and beautiful. So, you can experiment it yourself choosing one of the best soils for hydrangea.
Of course, do not try to experiment too much as some cultivars can’t change color at all. It’s much easier to maintain color, rather than change it.
Preserving and Drying Hydrangeas
So, now you want to preserve those beautiful bluish blooming flowers as long as possible. Let your flower stem dry on the plant.
Then, cut them only when you feel that flowers are kinda papery. Cut it as much as you need, but don’t overdo it.
Once done, you need to get rid of all those leaves.
Find a dark spot in a dry room, and that’s the final destination. Let flowers dry completely.
It would be good to hang them upside down. Also, while drying, keep the stems separate. That way, none of it will get squashed.
Hydrangeas are one of the most beautiful dried plants, as they turn shades of green, violet, blue, and rose and that’s why it totally worth the effort drying them.
