Caring for a potted hydrangea at home after purchase

Hydrangeas

Once you've acquired a potted hydrangea, you'll need to familiarize yourself with its care at home. We suggest you learn how to properly grow the plant after purchase.

Plant characteristics

Hydrangea is a plant that thrives both in the garden and in a pot on a windowsill. There are a huge number of varieties. Hydrangea originally originated in Japan and China. For a potted hydrangea to bloom well indoors, it requires proper care.

What's important to consider immediately after purchase? The room where the plant grows should have appropriate humidity, plenty of light, and consistently moist soil.

According to Feng Shui, hydrangea combats emotional fatigue, promotes calm, and can alleviate a bad mood. However, to ensure hydrangea fully realizes its beneficial properties, it must be given optimal growing conditions and proper care after purchase. Only then will it thrive in a pot indoors, bloom, and delight with its lush, beautiful flowers.

Hydrangea care guidelines

After purchasing a potted hydrangea, if you're growing it indoors, it's important to provide it with proper care. Follow these guidelines:

It's important to create a comfortable temperature for the plant. In summer, the temperature shouldn't rise above 23°C, and in winter, it shouldn't fall below 7°C. After the plant blooms, it should be moved to a cooler location and watered less frequently. If the apartment is hot and the air is dry, the plant will begin to lose leaves and may stop blooming. Furthermore, if the plant is left in such conditions, it will likely not bloom in the spring.
It's essential to humidify the air daily and mist the bush with water to ensure the plant's comfort. This is especially important if the plant is located near a radiator. Boiled or filtered water is essential for misting. This will prevent white spots from appearing on the leaves. When misting, avoid getting water on the buds.
The light should be diffused to ensure each leaf receives the required amount of light. The best option is to place the plant near an east-facing window. If the window faces north, the plant will require additional lighting. On a south-facing window, it's best to create a sunscreen to prevent the leaves from burning.

During the flowering period, it's important to keep the soil moist. This is the only way the plant will bloom for a long time. If the hydrangea isn't blooming, it should be watered no more than once every 8-10 days. Watering should be done with soft water, preferably melted water. Gardeners freeze the water beforehand, then thaw it, and then water with it. A few drops of lemon juice can be added to the water to provide the plant with nutrients.
It's best to choose soil with added sand and perlite. It should be soft and airy. This is necessary to prevent water retention.
Fertilizer is applied every two weeks from March to October. Special fertilizers are available at the store. It's best to choose fertilizers designed for acidic soil.
If the plant is mature, it can be repotted twice a year, but the pot should be larger than the previous one.
Hydrangea can be propagated in three ways: by seeds, cuttings, or by dividing the bush.

Hydrangea diseases

If the plant is grown in a dry room and doesn't receive adequate moisture, it will become diseased. Spider mites, thrips, and aphids are also common infestations. If care is improper, the following may occur:

the leaves begin to fall off and dry out – most likely, the plant is not receiving the required amount of moisture;
If spots appear on the leaves, this indicates excess moisture;
The edges of the leaves have dried out – low humidity in the apartment and poor watering.

If all indoor hydrangea care instructions are followed, the plant will delight you for at least four years. After that, you can take cuttings and grow a new one.