Hi all--How do you propagate hydrangeas? i tried by taking a cutting, using rooting powder, putting it in a pot of sterile potting soil, then encasing the whole think in a plastic bag. But....all I have is a very wilted cutting after 2 weeks. Any suggestions? Can hydrangea's be divided like perennials? I would also like to propagate a landscape rose. How do I do that? Thanks for any help you can give me.
I have a french Hydrangea that I have propagated twice by burying a branch and allowing it to take root. I do the same for rhododendrons. Until this year I did not have enough sun for sunny plants. The removal of a large oak has provided a borderline sunny area, my one rose bush sits there. Jerry
Ah!! I have done that in the past with rhodies too. I never thought of that for hydrangeas. I'll try it. Thanks Jerry. Another question: about how long did it take for your offshoot to grow to blooming size?
I never paid attention. I have propagated 2 bushes, one about 20 years ago and the other in 2009. I buried a branch in the fall of 2009 and potted it in the spring of 2010. I will take a picture, be back in a minute..........click..........process.......download........ 2009 French hydrangea ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) The dead branch in the middle is the one I buried in the fall of 2009. The branch on the right is the 2010 growth that flowered this year. The branch on the left is this years growth that will flower next year. I will find a permanent home for it next spring. Jerry
Cayuga, I just propagated 6 hydrangeas in the past couple weeks using the "same" method, except...they need to be misted daily to keep the foliage moist. Open the bag and use a spray bottle to mist the foliage morning and/or evening as needed. I used both the tips and the green semi-hard stems as cuttings. I wasn't real "careful" in getting this done, so I don't think they aren't difficult or fussy as a cutting. Give it another try and keep them misted. goodluck.
Thanks Carolyn & Jerry. I will try it both ways. I have some time off from work this month, so I have the t-i-m-e-!!!
Well, if not too late... here's what I usually do. With hydrangeas, I just get cuttings and stick them in the ground in a shady area and place a 2 liter PET on top to keep humidity. I cut the bottom part and I leave the cap on. When I need to water, I just unscrew the cap and all the water stays within. Same with roses, only I do it in a sunny location. I add water as often as I remember. I don't remove the PET until next spring. These cuttings, both hydrangeas ans roses take a really long time before they look HAPPY. You may even be tempted to pull them out to check if there are any roots. This would be a BAD idea. You may even stick these cuttings close to each other to make sure some make it. You can always transplant them later on. Calin
Hi Calin--Interesting idea. I'll try it. We have another 5-6 weeks of growing season here, may be even 8 weeks. I'll try all three ways of propagating & see what works the best here. Thanks. BTW, were you a horticultural major?
Hi All---Back to report that my hydrangea cutting looks very good. I bet it has rooted. I removed all leaves but two and twipped the central stalk, and misted it from time to time, and now I have a very healthy side shoot. It is still on my window sill. Do I plant it outdoors, maybe underneath one of those 2 liter bottles that Calin suggested? I have also buried a branch like Jerry suggested, but don't dare disturb it to see if it has rooted. I will curb my curiosity and just wait. Thanks all for your help!
Hi Cayuga Morning, i am sure you will have success with the Hydrangea cutting,..just keep it moist,..i don't know how big a flower pot you have the cutting growing in,..if its a small pot then the soil will dry out VERY quickly when outside,..and keeping the soil moist is important,..you can plant it outside in a bigger pot,..before planting in the garden,..just to be sure it really has rooted,..no need to cover it with plastic if your weather is frost free,..below is a cutting i took in early spring,..this is it in July,..of course its well established in the garden at this stage. 10th July ( photo / image / picture from Philip Nulty's Garden ) 27th July. ( photo / image / picture from Philip Nulty's Garden ) Oh about taking a cutting from your rose bush,..check the link below. Starting A Rose Bush From A Cutting.
Philip--Your hydrangea is so pretty! The pink is gorgeous. How large was the cutting to begin with? I assumed it would have to be small, so I have started with a 4" cutting. What I don't know is whether I should nurse the cutting along indoors through the winter, or repot it in a larger pot and sink that pot in a sheltered spot outdoors. Winter will be upon us soon and we get f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g temperatures here in Massachusetts. Philip, I will try a rose cutting next spring. I have a rose bush that I want to propagate. Thanks for your help.
Hi Cayuga Morning, growing Hydhrangea from a cutting is fairly easy,..be it indoors in a propagator,..outdoors in a propagator or just in a flower pot outside,..but overwintering a cutting indoors is not at all a great success. Oh my cutting was about six inches high from the container soil surface,..there was about five inches of it below the surface. Hydrangea do best outdoors,..hopefully your cutting has taken root,..i would recommend you leave it in a pot outside,..perhaps in a bigger pot,..covering the soil very well with mulch. Looking forward to you starting your rose next spring from cuttings.
Be warned... IT may look like it took, you are happy it's got great roots underneath... but I made the mistake in the past to check...and there were no roots. This was when I tried rooting hydrangea in the garden. They took soooo slowly and looked sad for a long time. I'd suggest trying to root more cuttings, even though the "bottles" look crowded. Better pull out extras and trade them, than waste a year.
Thanks guys. I will be sure to move the cutting outdoors, maybe sink the pot in the garden. Calin-If i put a bottle on it (& maybe try it with other cuttings as well), how will it get moisture during the winter? Our temperatures here get as low as -12 C (10 F). The bottle(s) are likely to be covered by snow.
I think it gets all the moisture it needs from around the bottle. I never had to add water during winter. Now when it's still warm, I usually unscrew the cap and pour water inside. The cap is on during winter. ROSES are very tough. Hydrangeas, as well, I'd say!
