Hydrangeas are a popular garden plant known for their large globe-like blooming clusters and variety of color options. While they can be challenging to grow, they’re easy to propagate, create dried bouquets, and are an eye-catching addition to your backyard! But can you bring these plants indoors and grow them as houseplants?
Growing hydrangeas indoors is quite similar to outdoor care. Still, it’s important to define what tools you’ll need and what steps to take to avoid common mistakes and keep your plants blooming.
Below, you’ll find step-by-step directions to growing hydrangeas indoors.
Table of Contents
Tools You’ll Need
Before you can grow hydrangeas indoors, there are a few tools you’ll need. Find the essentials listed below.
- Sunlight or grow light
- Pruning shears
- Large container
- Potting soil
- Peat moss
- Perlite or coarse sand
- Artificial light (optional)
- Balanced liquid fertilizer
- Watering can
How to Grow Hydrangeas Indoors
Choose a Variety
The first step in growing hydrangeas indoors is choosing a variety. Not every cultivar will thrive indoors since they are not all hardy. It’s also best to have dwarf varieties in the home.
Hydrangea ‘Little Lime’ is a good option since it works well in containers. Hydrangea Macrophylla is another ideal plant for indoors since it’s easier to maintain optimal conditions.Â
If you purchase a potted hydrangea, remove the foil wrapping that is common around the pot of store-bought plants. You may also want to repot the hydrangea to ensure it has enough room to grow as well as the proper soil.
Lighting
While hydrangeas require plenty of light to continue blooming, the plants cannot tolerate full, bright afternoon sun. Keep the plant near a south-facing window or install a grow light to supplement the light. Some hydrangeas can survive in shadier locations but are less likely to bloom.
Potting Media and Fertilizer
Whether you’ve selected a hydrangea from a garden center or a grocery store, repotting is a good idea. Select a new pot that is about 2 to 4 inches larger than its current pot with a drainage hole.
Hydrangeas prefer rich and loamy soil, so start by filling the bottom of the container with a mixture of well-drained soil and peat moss. You can also add perlite or coarse sand to loosen up the soil. Then, unwind the roots of the hydrangea and plant them in the pot. Fill the container with more soil and perlite and gently pat down around the roots.
Feed the hydrangea every two weeks with a liquid fertilizer when the plant is flowering. It will stimulate new growth and provide the plant with ample nutrients. Fertilizers higher in phosphorous rather than nitrogen encourage the most blooms. You can even change the color of your hydrangea blooms by adjusting the soil pH.
Pro Tip: Add wood chips or shredded bark on top of the soil as a form of mulch. It will help to maintain moisture levels.
Water, Temperature, and Humidity
Hydrangeas require daily watering while in bloom but allow them to dry out between waterings when they are dormant. Drought stress can cause the plant to stop blooming while also impacting the plant’s health, resulting in death. Remember that overwatering can have a negative impact as well, so avoid soggy soil.
Keep the plants around 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit when they are actively blooming and 35 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit when they are dormant. Also, an area with 50 to 60 percent humidity is great as dry winter air can damage the plants.
General Maintenance
Hydrangeas are generally seasonal plants both outdoors and indoors. It means you’ll need to prune the plant after the flowers fall off – either in the spring or fall, depending on the variety. This way, instead of discarding your hydrangea once it stops blooming, you can enjoy new flowers next season.
You can plant your indoor-grown hydrangeas in the garden in early spring. Remember that hydrangeas are prone to cold injury, so you can overwinter potted plants by bringing them indoors. Alternatively, you can build a DIY protective cover and ensure you water the plants before a freeze.
Watch How it Grows!
While hydrangeas can be tricky to care for, the right tools and information will ensure your plants continue to bloom. Plus, they are great indoor plants if you provide the perfect conditions to ensure they thrive! Remember to give them bright, indirect light, keep the soil moist, and regularly fertilize during the growing season to encourage blooms.
Do you have any tips for growing hydrangeas indoors? Share in the comments below!
