Every florist should try growing hydrangeas at least once in their life.
Traditional staples of the garden, these plants are back in popularity with huge clusters of flowers in a range of beautiful colors.
There’s nothing quite like a long row of blooming hydrangeas blanketing your garden in color. But buying enough plants to create that impressive display can get expensive.
Instead, buy a plant or use a friend’s hydrangea collection and propagate your own.
Propagating hydrangeas from cuttings is incredibly easy and has a high success rate for a woody plant. Much like propagating lavender or rosemary from cuttings, all you need is a sharp pair of scissors, rooting hormone, and a healthy plant to get started.
About hydrangeas
Hydrangea, also called hydrangea, is a genus of plants with more than 75 species. They are native to Asia and the Americas, with most species native to eastern Asia.
Hydrangea comes from the Greek for “water vessel”, named for the appearance of the plant’s seed capsules. The other common name for hydrangea is in honor of Nicole-Reine Hortense Lepaute, a French astronomer and mathematician.
Hydrangeas are grown all over the world as ornamental plants. Although there are many different types, the most commonly grown type is hydrangea macrophyllaalso known as ball hydrangea.
There are over 600 varieties of this insanely popular variety, with huge flowers and incredible colors.
Each strain has a slightly different growth habit and flowering time. It’s important to understand what type you’re dealing with before you start in order to provide the best care. Some other types of hydrangeas are:
- hydrangea microphylla (large page)
- hydrangea paniculata (Prestige)
- hydrangea quercifolia (Oak Leaf)
- hydrangea arborescens (Soft)
Whichever variety you choose, they are all easy to propagate with a high success rate. They can be propagated in the spring, but for most varieties it is best to take cuttings in the fall after flowering.
Here’s how to start.
7 Steps to Propagating Hydrangeas from Cuttings
1. Prepare the ground
Soil is an often overlooked but extremely important part of propagation, especially when dealing with softwood or hardwood cuttings. It should drain well to prevent stem rot, but it should retain enough moisture to promote root growth.
Hydrangeas can be propagated in quality, well-drained potting soil if you have it on hand. But to provide the best environment for your cuttings, it’s best to make your own potting soil.
A combination of equal parts coir and river sand is ideal for any softwood or hardwood propagation. The coir retains moisture while the sand improves drainage.
You can substitute coir with peat if you already have it, and river sand with perlite or another material that improves drainage.
Mix the soil well and add it to a medium-sized pot deep enough to hold the cutting. Water the soil before planting to pre-moisten it and prevent the rooting hormone from being washed away later.
2. Choose a tribe
Then take a look at the mother plant and find the perfect stem. It should be at least 6 inches tall with light green new growth. Don’t choose a stem with last season’s woody growth, as it is much less likely to develop roots.
It is also best to choose a stem that has not flowered this season, although this is not a necessity. Also avoid stems that are currently flowering, as this will drain the energy of root development if the flowers are not removed.
3. Make a cut
Take a pair of sharp pruners. Before cutting, clean them with a 5% bleach solution to kill potentially harmful germs and bacteria. This prevents diseases from being transmitted to your cutting or the mother plant.
Cut a section of your chosen stem at least 4 inches long with several nodes. The nodes are the points where the leaves emerge along the stem. You need at least one node at the end of the cut and a set of leaves at the top, but more nodes will give you a better chance of rooting.
Make a 45° cut just below one of these nodes, but not so close that you damage it. This is the point where new root growth will develop.
4. Remove the leaves and cut them.
Remove all leaves from the bottom of the cutting, leaving a gap at the top. Cut them with scissors instead of removing them by hand so as not to damage the knots.
Don’t leave any leaves on the lower half of the cutting, as they will be buried underground and can attract disease.
Be sure to leave at least two sheets in the top set. Then, cut these sheets in half horizontally.
This reduces pressure on the cutting by limiting moisture uptake, allowing the plant to focus on root production.
5. Dive into rooting hormone
Rooting hormone, usually available in powder form, is a substance that stimulates root growth in cuttings.
Although not an absolute necessity, it greatly increases the chances of root formation on softwood and hardwood cuttings. It also limits the chance of diseases, which can often attack the open, brittle growth in the soil.
Remove a small amount of powder from the container and place it in a separate container. Dip the cut end of the hydrangea in water and then in the powder, making sure to cover the exposed part.
Do not dip the cup directly into the container, as this may cause contamination, rendering the rest of the powder useless. For the same reason, throw away any leftover powder instead of putting it back in the original container when you’re done.
6. Plant the cutting
Take your pot filled with potting soil and poke a hole in the center with your finger. Adding the hole early will prevent rooting hormone from being washed out of the tip of the cutting as it enters the soil.
Bury the bottom half of the cutting and tamp the soil around it to anchor it in place. If your soil is moist enough, you won’t need to water after planting.
7. Plastic cover
Hydrangeas need heat and plenty of moisture to develop their roots. You can create this environment around the plant by placing a clear plastic bag over the pot. This also retains moisture, extending the time it takes for the soil to dry out.
Take skewers or sticks and place them around the edges of the pot so that the height is just above the cutting surface.
Then place a clear bag (sandwich bags work) around the pot to rest on the skewers. This keeps the plastic completely out of the cut and prevents rot by preventing moisture from settling on the sides of the leaves or stem.
You can secure the plastic with a rubber band around the jar, but this will make it harder to remove later and restrict airflow. Instead, place the pot in a warm place out of the wind or direct sunlight, as this can cause the plastic to burn through the leaves.
maintenance after planting
Keep the soil moist by misting it regularly and adding water if it starts to dry out. Don’t overdo it, as too much water can cause the stem to rot quickly.
After about 3-4 weeks, small roots should have developed. You can test by gently pulling on the cup; if there is resistance, there is root growth. Remove the plastic bag and continue to keep the soil moist by placing the pot in a shady but warm spot.
You can keep your cuttings in the same pot or transplant them into a larger pot if you think they need more space. Once the roots are firm and strong, you can keep the hydrangea in the pot until you are ready to put it in the garden.
It really is that simple. With a few tools and a bit of patience, you can have a sprawling garden of hydrangeas virtually for free.