Growing Hydrangeas From Cutting: Easy Steps to Follow
- Author: Saiqa Najeeb
- Last Updated On: July 7, 2023
Are you looking for ways to fill up your extra garden space or beds? You can plant hydrangeas from the cuttings. The best part? It’s easy and takes only a little effort.
You won’t have to buy new plants. Instead, you can take the cuttings from an established plant and can add additional herbs to your space. It will not only save you bucks but is also an eco-friendly choice to go for it.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through all the information you need for growing hydrangeas from cutting successfully.
Ready? Let’s explore the world of hydrangeas!
About Hydrangeas
Bigleaf hydrangea, Hydrangea macrophylla, is also known as Japanese, snowball, or French Hydrangea. It can be used as both a floral addition and a landscaping element in your garden. Hydrangeas can be transplanted from cuttings each year to enjoy recurring blooms. The most intriguing aspect about hydrangeas is that their flower colour may be changed from pink to blue and back again.
Growing Conditions
Here are the optimal conditions for growing hydrangeas from cutting:
Light:
- Full sun (direct sunlight for more than 6 hours a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil Texture:
Clay, Loam (Silt), Sand
Soil pH:
Acidic (<6.0), Alkaline (>8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil Drainage: Well-drained, Occasionally Wet
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone: 3a, 4a, 5a, 6a, 7a, 8a, 3b, 4b, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Growing Hydrangeas from Cutting
You can use following methods for growing hydrangeas from cutting:
From Softwood Cutting
- Softwood cuttings collected in early summer can be used to propagate bigleaf hydrangea. Terminal cuttings should be taken from non-flowering branches.
- Each cutting should be 3 to 5 inches long and have at least three leaves.
- Cut at a node (where the leaves are joined) at a modest angle.
- The cut end should then be dipped in a rooting hormone and placed in a moist growing medium. To avoid dryness and wilting, propagators frequently remove the top half of each leaf.
- While the cuttings are rooting, keep them wet and in a shaded environment.
From Layering
- Layering can also be used to propagate bigleaf hydrangea in the landscape.
- This is accomplished by digging a hole near the plant and bending a piece of the limb into it.
- Remove a small ring of outer bark about 1 inch wide all the way around the limb where it contacts the earth with a knife.
- Cover the limb with soil after that, leaving 6 to 12 inches of the tip growth exposed.
- If you layer in the summer, the new plant should be ready for transplanting in the winter.
In the early spring, older, established hydrangeas can be divided by dividing the cluster with a shovel.
Flower Color
According to research, the true mechanism of color variation is caused by the presence or absence of aluminum compounds in the flowers. Blue is the color of the plant if aluminum is present. When it is present in modest amounts, the color is “in between,” and when it is not present, the blooms are pink.
Soil pH indirectly influences flower hue by altering the availability of aluminum in the soil.
Aluminum is often more accessible to the roots in acidic soil (pH 5.5 or lower). When the soil is neutral or alkaline (pH 7.0 or higher), aluminum availability decreases and blooms become more pink.
- Spread 1/2 cup of wettable sulfur per 10 square feet and water it in to gradually change the color of the flowers from pink to blue.
- To make the blossoms pink, sprinkle one cup of dolomitic lime per 10 square feet of soil and water it in.
This treatment may take up to a year to produce a visible difference in blossom color.
Failure to Flower
Failure to flower is a common issue while growing hydrangeas from cutting. Winter injury to the flower buds, growing the plant in too much shade, using too much nitrogen fertilizer, or trimming at the incorrect time of year can all cause this. Bigleaf hydrangea creates bloom buds for the following year in late summer, therefore trimming in late summer, autumn and winter will destroy the future flowers.
Pruning
When the blossoms on bigleaf hydrangea begin to fade, prune them. To stimulate branching and fullness, remove flower heads and head back other shoots as needed. Flower buds for the following season begin to form in late summer, so avoid pruning after August 1.
Plants may need to be pruned after a tough winter to remove damaged foliage. Although this will boost vegetative development at the price of flowering, removing winter-damaged leaves is healthier for the plant’s health and beauty.
Fertilization and Watering
During the growing season, bigleaf hydrangea reacts to multiple light fertiliser applications. In March, May, and July, apply 1 pound (2 cups) of a general-purpose fertiliser such as 8-8-8 or 10-10-10 per 100 square feet.
When fertilising, it is not necessary to remove the mulch; nevertheless, water immediately after application to help dissolve the fertiliser and deliver it into the soil.
Bigleaf hydrangea is a water-demanding plant that is best suited for landscape zones with moderate water needs. In the absence of rain, water the plant anytime it begins to wilt. It is especially crucial to avoid plant stress during the spring flowering season.
Common diseases
Almost all hydrangeas are susceptible to Phytophthora root rot disease, particularly container-grown oakleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia). The pathogen can enter the nursery via Phytophthora-infected container stock or cuttings. Pathogen survival structures (chlamydospores and oospores) and mycelia of this pathogen can be found in infected roots, crowns, other crop debris, and contaminated potting media. Excessive watering and poorly drained potting soil can both raise the level of Phytophthora root rot disease in container-grown hydrangea.
Symptoms: Phytophthora root rot symptoms include abrupt wilting and yellowing of the foliage. Infected hydrangea roots may show dark discoloration, which can also be observed on the crown at the soil line and the stem above the soil line.
Prevention: Sanitation, cultural practises, and chemical treatments can all help to avoid Phytophthora root rot. Good water management is the most critical factor. When growing hydrangeas, it is critical to avoid waterlogging and to combine the plants according to container size and irrigation requirements. To avoid contamination, potting material should be stored on a raised cement pad above the bare ground. Cuttings should be taken from symptom-free stock plants.
There you go!
Growing hydrangeas from cutting is an excellent way to add additional herbs to your garden beds and borders. Using the existing plants for expanding your hydrangeas can be an eco-friendly step.
Now, you got the secret sauce to make the best out of your hydrangea plants, to get repeated blooms. It’s time to hit the garden and expand your hydrangeas without any hassle.
