We have lots of hydrangeas here at TGW; it is one of our best cash crops. We begin harvesting them in early May when they are young, crisp, and green right up through the fall when they are dry on the bush. When I take the blooms to the Farmer’s Market to sell they cause quite a stir and lots of how-to harvest questions. So I thought I’d share some of my tips, but first, a little about growing Hydrangeas.
Plant Location: In general most hydrangea varieties are shade lovers in the lower half of the country where summers are normally hot and dry. In New England they can tolerate full sun; but here in
Virginia
they definitely need shade protection from the hot afternoon sun. If your plant is fighting the afternoon hot sun, it is worth moving it. Hydrangeas bounce back quickly after transplanting when done in the fall or early winter. They will not only forgive you for the move, but will reward you next year for it! Once your hydrangea is in a happy spot, your work is done.
Soil Conditions: Hydrangeas thrive in rich, moist conditions. The ideal rain fall/irrigation would be 1-2” of water a week. Planting in rich, well drained, moisture retaining soil makes them very happy. We use a garden fork to poke holes in the soil from the drip line of the plant and out to apply compost as mulch each spring and/or fall. This allows you to feed and improve the soil and also increases the moisture retaining qualities. Mulch is essential to retain moisture for these thirsty plants.
Harvesting fresh blooms: I consider “fresh” blooms from the time they start blooming until about mid-summer when the blooms start to change color and begin to feel less soft and more like paper. This stage is when the colors are the most vibrant. The day before harvesting, water the plant thoroughly. Harvest the fresh blooms the following day as early in the morning as possible. I generally do it around 7am before the sun and heat start draining the plant. Hydrangeas prefer straight cold water—no floral preservative. I make the cut with our cut flower shears on an angle. I have not found it necessary to smash the stems or any other special handling I have heard done. I let them sit in our air conditioned building for several hours and then move them to the cooler which is around 36 degrees. Refrigeration revitalizes hydrangeas; it crisps the blooms just like lettuce. Hydrangeas in this “fresh” stage do not dry. Our hydrangea blooms last 1-2 weeks in a vase.
Blooms for Drying: Hydrangeas are well known for their superb air drying qualities. Air drying means you can hang them upside down in a dry area and they will dry while keeping their shape and color. The secret to drying the blooms is primarily the stage the bloom is in when it is cut off of the plant. Blooms for drying should be left on the plant until they begin to change color and get that paper feeling. Unfortunately, many plants are planted in to much sun and the blooms get burnt-up before they get to this paper feeling stage. Some varieties of hydrangeas are better suited for drying over others. Those with larger, thicker petals hold up longer than the smaller, fine petals. While others varieties hold their vibrant color better. I have some deep blue dried blooms that are over 10 years old and are still holding color. The most common mistake that people make trying to dry hydrangeas is cutting the blooms before they are mature enough to dry.
Changing Bloom Colors: Next to drying blooms, this is a frequently asked question. I will add now that I do nothing to the soil to change the color of my blooms, I am happy for what ever blooms come naturally. The soil pH determines the color of your blooms, keeping in mind that not all varieties react to pH. In general alkaline soil produces pink blooms and a more acidic soil blue blooms. Add aluminum sulfate to the soil for blue or lime for pink to red flowers. If you have a strong need for a for sure color, hydrangeas may not be for you.
Pruning: It depends on the variety and the age of the plant but I will offer some general guidelines that I go by. I don’t prune any plant under 4 years old. I have primarily “Mophead” plants that bloom on last year’s wood; they have the big round fine petal blooms. Plants are thinned by cutting ¼ of the oldest wood to the ground in the late winter. All remaining dead blooms on the bush I leave until new growth in spring and cut the old blooms off just above the first vigorous buds. Do not shorten the stems in an attempt to prune; this cuts off next years blooms. If you need to rejuvenate an old tired Mophead that is not blooming or is out of shape, mid summer is the time to thin and reshape. This allows the new growth to develop blooms for next year and to harden off before frost. Now is the perfect time to do this. PeeGee Hydrangeas grow more in a tree habit; the blooms are white and are shaped like a cone. They bloom on new wood, so a late winter pruning of shortening the stems will stimulate more stems and blooms.
I hope this answers some of your questions about Hydrangeas. A great source for hydrangea plants is www.hydrangea.com
As always- garden because it is good for your soul,
Lisa Z www.shoptgw.com
My Thursday harvest this week was starting to be pretty trying–it had pounded rain the night before so the flowers are wet, the weatherman said no more showers likely-ha! So I was harvesting those things that the sun had already started to work on and would dry-out in the bucket OK- mid-morning I haven’t begun to do zinnias or celosias- our 2 main crops and clouds start to gather in the sky. My dilemma- do I begin harvesting almost dry flowers before that get rained on again or chance that it’s not going to rain- this may sound silly to you, but when you have over a couple thousand stems that will have to be dried (fewer in a bucket for good circulation) it creates a lot more work.
I was totally stressed until the hummingbirds and goldfinches joined me in the zinnia patch. Does a job get any better than this? The hummers actually came to the flowers bunched in my hand-The boulders rolled off my shoulders and I got busy with my harvesting- it didn’t rain and I had a bumper load of dry flowers. I was pooped- because of all the fretting I did- which goes to show you it just does pay to get your breeches in a knot.
Enjoy your garden even when the weather doesn’t seen right-
Lisa
www.shoptgw.com 
