The hydrangea as a houseplant is a beautiful accessory for your home. And especially now in autumn, this potted plant can noticeably liven up your living space and give it a touch of colour. If you would like to enjoy the beauty of the hydrangea in your home, then you will learn how to properly care for it. In today’s post you will find all the information you need to know about…
The right care for the hydrangea as a houseplant
Proper hydrangea care includes cool air, bright light and moist soil. Give hydrangeas what they want and you’ll be rewarded with a long flowering season of spectacular beauty.
The hydrangea as a potted plant is perfect as a focal point on the dining table, in the conservatory or anywhere else where you want to immediately create a garden atmosphere.
Enjoy the blooming splendor of the hydrangea in your home
Which hydrangea species are suitable as houseplants?
There are dozens of hydrangea species. One of them, which is excellent for indoor plants, is called Hydrangea macrophylla.
This houseplant really knows how to showcase itself. Large, rounded clusters of small flowers cover this hydrangea species all summer in blue, purplish-blue, white, pink or red.
Hydrangea ‘Endless Summer’ is another species of hydrangea that produces an abundance of pale blue flowers. It is one of the hardiest strains.
Other popular hydrangea species are the violet-blue ‘Nikko Blue’, the deep blue ‘All Summer Beauty’ and the snow-white ‘Dragonfly’.
There are numerous hydrangea species that bloom in different colors
Proper care for hydrangea as a houseplant
Keeping the soil moist is important to caring for hydrangea as a houseplant. Dry soil can mean death for this plant. Leaves that turn yellow and fall off are a sign of dry soil. Flowering plants are thirsty, so check the soil daily during flowering.
Pruning hydrangeas
Hydrangeas do not need to be pruned unless you want to control their size. In this case, cut off about 1/3 of the oldest shoots after the flowers have faded. Hydrangea bushes are perennial. The woody trunks are densely covered with large, oval, deep green leaves.
Care tip for the hydrangea pruning: When cutting the hydrangeas, be careful not to snap the stems as this can damage the plant. Using clean, sharp scissors, cut the stem at a 45° angle, 0.5 cm past a leaf axis.
A jewel for your home
Overwintering your hydrangea as a houseplant
Hydrangea bushes are perennial. If you want to keep the plant, you should repot it after flowering and cut back the woody stems by half. In winter you should water your hydrangea sparingly in the pot. Keep the plant cool in winter and move to a warmer spot in late winter to flower.
If you follow the care instructions for hydrangeas, you can rest assured that they will bloom year after year.
Blue hydrangeas need acidic soil (pH 5.5 and lower) or their flowers will turn from blue to pink. Alkaline soils (with a pH above 7) are suitable for pink hydrangea species. To get the blue color, you should add sulfur during the flowering period. At neutral pH (between pH 5.5 and pH 7), the buds can turn purple or a mix of pink and blue.
It is important to know that not all hydrangea species can turn blue
How to dry your hydrangeas
How can you dry hydrangeas? Hydrangeas retain their color best if you let the flower stalks dry on the plant. Cut them off when the flowers are papery to the touch and the stem length is suitable for a vase, centerpiece, or any floral arrangement.
Remove any leaves, then locate a dark, dry room for the flowers to dry. While drying, hang the stems upside down to prevent them from bending. Keep the flower stems separate as they dry so none of the flowers get crushed.
Hydrangeas will thank you for the care
Care tips for hydrangea as a houseplant
light
The hydrangea as a houseplant needs at least 4 hours of bright, indirect light every day.
Pour
Keep the soil evenly moist but not too wet while the plant is growing and flowering. The pots are usually densely filled with roots, so water frequently. Use lime-free water as lime makes the soil alkaline. Water sparingly in winter when the hydrangea is dormant.
humidity
Average room air (about 40-45% relative humidity) is recommended. If your indoor air is dry, you can increase the humidity for your houseplants.
A blue flowering hydrangea in a pot
temperature
Keep your hydrangea plant as cool as possible to prolong flowering. Preferably below 16°C.
floor
Acidic, non-calcareous, peat-based soil is suitable for hydrangea species that bloom in blue, and alkaline soil for species that bloom in pink.
fertilizer
During spring and summer, fertilize hydrangeas every 2 weeks with a balanced fertilizer diluted in half. Or use a slow-release fertilizer once in spring and again in summer. Use it sparingly, as too much fertilizer can burn the hydrangea’s leaves.
Let yourself be won over by the beauty of hydrangeas!
Sources:
24garden
GardenJournal
