Propagating Hydrangeas Easily
One of my fall chores is to lay down a few branches on various hydrangeas to get them ready for propagation next year. This chore can be done most of the year, but I never seem to remember to do it until fall. It’s super easy, choose a long, flexible branch, strip off a few sets of leaves in the middle of the branch, bend the branch to the ground and bury those stripped leaf nodes an inch or so below the soil surface, put a rock or brick over the branch to keep it from popping out of the soil.
I like using bricks for this because it’s a good visual reminder of what I’m doing.
In mid-summer next year, dig up your new hydrangea and move to a new location, or let it grow in place to expand your current hydrangea to a larger size. This is pretty much a foolproof way of propagating hydrangeas. The nice thing is that you never have starts to look after or monitor, the plant does its thing while you go about your gardening chores.
What plants are you propagating this season?
Filed under Around the Garden | Comments (6)
Wonderful information! I had no idea they could propagate. My husband planted an oak leaf hydr. for me and I would LOVE to have more in that space. Thank you for the tip :)
to PennyAshevilleNC's comment
awesome info—thanks for sharing
to Tommy's comment
A timely tip, Susie, as I was just loving my Endless Summer so much today–it blossomed several times this season and is just outdoing itself.
How does the new growth show itself? Does it send out tendrils from underneath the brick?
to Nancy Williams's comment
Roots will form from the leaf nodes under the soil. In mid-summer (next year) simply cut the stem on the side of the original shrub. The roots will be under the brick and the top of the stem that’s sticking out of the soil will be the top of your new little shrub.
to Susy's comment
Thanks for the awesome tip!
to Kay's comment
Thanks for this tip! My Mom is visiting so I just read this to her. She has some gorgeous hydrangeas and is going to try this when she gets home. Hooray for new, cheap fun ideas to grow a garden!
to Kristen's comment