Cut Flower Care and Handling: Hydrangea

hydrangeaFloralife has expanded the Flower Care and Handling section of our website to offer a bunch of useful tips for the postharvest processing of many different varieties of cut flowers. Grower, wholesaler, retailer, enthusiast – there’s usually something for everybody. Let’s keep going down the list! Today’s star is the Hydrangea!

The Hydrangea is a flowering plant that originated in Eastern Asia. Known as Hortensia and Grandmother’s Flower, Hydrangea typically grows as a shrub. Its flowers come in blue, green, pink, red and white.

As always, Floralife has some practical Hydrangea care and handling tips for the grower, the wholesaler and the retailer. Here is a preview.

For the Grower: After harvesting the Hydrangea, place the stems for at least one hour in HydraFlor® 100,then transfer them to a storage and transport solution from the Floralife® 200 series. If you have any questions, please contact Floralife.

For the Wholesaler and Retailer: When buying Hydrangeas, be sure to ask the usual questions about the source of the product, the cultivar name, and whether the Hydrangeas have been stored wet or dry. Be sure to choose Hydrangeas at their maximum coloration.

Get Hydrangea into a flower food solution quickly. Before you do, recut stems and remove any leaves below the solution level.

Pretreatment: Hydrangeas are thirsty, and they will drink a lot of solution. Treat them with Floralife HydraFlor® 100 hydrating treatment for ½ to one hour at room temperature. Or, you can treat with Floralife® Quick Dip 100 instant hydrating treatment. Floralife’s hydrating treatments can help protect your Hydrangea from premature wilting.

That’s a quick preview of Floralife’s Hydrangea Care and Handling article. There is more at the original piece, including discussion on finishing sprays, cleaning your tools and work area, vase life, ethylene sensitivity and storage temperatures, so take a look! Are you a fan of the Hydrangea, as a professional or an enthusiast? Let us know in the comments section!