Propagation of hydrangeas by cuttings [100% success]

Do you like hydrangeas and free plants? You’re in the right place. I will explain the simplest propagation of hydrangeas process, from beginning to end, step by step.

Don’t worry if you think you don’t have great skills for propagation, hydrangeas are very easy to propagate, I’ll show you my 100% success method.

Prized for their huge summer flowers, hydrangeas are versatile shrubs that thrive in a wide variety of situations.

How to propagate hydrangeas by cuttings

In this article we are going to propagate hydrangeas of the species Hydrangea macrophylla, which is perfect for flower beds, but there are other species, some of which can even become arboreal with age. And some hydrangeas can be cultivated in pots.

The colors of its flowers vary: white, pink, red, blue and purple and are influenced by the pH of the soil. The most intense blue is obtained only in acidic soils, pink flowers are produced in alkaline soils.

One of the easiest plant propagation techniques is from hardwood cuttings. These cuttings are made during the dormant period from a fully mature stem of a tree or shrub. As the cutting has no leaves, the need to control the conditions for successful propagation is minimal.

When to make hydrangea hardwood cuttings?

Hardwood hydrangea cuttings can be taken any time during the dormancy period.

However, they will be most successful if they are harvested at the time of “leaf fall”, usually when the first frosts occur. November and december are good months to do this.

Hydrangea macrophylla flower

How big is a hydrangea hardwood cutting?

The cuttings should be between 20 and 30 cm, and may be longer depending on the distance between the nodes.

These cuttings, even though they don’t have leaves, will still lose some water through evaporation.

To prevent water loss and the cuttings from drying out, expose as little material above ground as possible when planting them.

The cutting will initially develop roots both along the stem and in the cut area at its base.
Gradually, the roots along the stem disappear, and the root system of the new plant fully develops from the basal roots.

Propagation of hydrangeas by cuttings step by step?

The procedure is very easy. First, prepare the compost for the cuttings. I use a generic potting soil and coarse sand mix to improve drainage and prevent the cuttings from rotting.

In this guide I will propagate in a pot, but hydrangea cuttings can be planted directly in a trench in the ground.

Cut healthy branches that look vigorous and have robust buds.

Hydrangea cuttings

We can divide the longer branches to make several cuttings. The lower cut should always be below a node with buds, as this is where the roots will form.

Remove all the buds that will be buried.