Hydrangeas root well from from cuttings, giving you a new batch of young hydrangea plants, for free. You can propagate cuttings from all types of hydrangea, including mophead and lacecap, Hydrangea paniculata, and climbing hydrangeas.
When to take hydrangea cuttings
The best time to take hydrangea cuttings is in late-summer. These cuttings are semi-ripe, which means they are from the current season’s growth but are old enough to have a woody base, but they are still soft at the tip. The woody base prevents the cuttings from rotting when inserted into compost.
How to take hydrangea cuttings
To take hydrangea cuttings, use secateurs to collect material from hydrangea stems and a knife to trim each cutting. Due to its woody nature, it’s not possible to propagate a hydrangea cutting in water, so you’ll need to insert them into a pot of gritty compost, instead. Keep your cuttings in a propagator to retain moisture until the roots have developed (usually after about six weeks). Overwinter in a cold frame or similar. Then, when the cuttings start into growth in spring, pot them on.
More on growing hydrangeas:
You Will Need
- Secateurs
- Sharp knife
- 7cm pots
- Gritty, well-drained compost
Step 1
Select healthy, non-flowering shoots 10-15cm long, that have at least two sets of leaves below the top set of leaves.
Step 2
Trim below a node then remove the sets of leaves on the lower nodes by snipping them off as close to the stem as possible.
Step 3
Cut each hydrangea leaf in half with a knife. This reduces water loss and the stress endured by the rooting process. These leaves will soon be replaced when the cutting has rooted.
Step 4
Insert the cuttings individually into small pots filled with gritty propagation compost. Firm them well and soak with water straight away.
