How to take Hydrangea cuttings
Almost every week during a dog walk, I pass a house with the most wondrous Hydrangea plant. It’s magnificent, with flower heads bigger than my own, and leaves larger than the palm of my hand. I’ve spent all year waiting for late summer; the time to take cuttings. And after perking up the courage, knocking on the door and asking if I could snip a few stems, I giddily walked home to try and grow my own. This is very much an experiment for me, as it’s my first attempt. So if you fancy trying it too, here’s now you can propagate a new Hydrangea to adorn your garden - with nothing but some soil, a pot and secateurs.
Take your cuttings
With a pair of secateurs, count 5 nodes down a semi-ripe, non-flowering stem and snip. Take 3-4 stems so you have more chance of success. Pop the cut ends in a plastic freezer bag and close to retain moisture until you get home.
Tip: semi-ripe stems can be identified as new growth with a soft, bendy top and a woody, stronger bottom.
Prepare your cuttings and soil
Fill a pot with soil . Add stones or crocs to the bottom for drainage. Take your cut stem and count 4 nodes from the top , and cut beneath the 4th node. Then, strip off almost all of the leaves going up the stem, leaving a few leaves at the top. If the leaves at the top of the stem are large, cut them in half.
Tip: terracotta pots are great for cuttings as they are porous, which creates airflow and good drainage.
Make a hole at the edge of the pot
Using a pen, stick or plant label, make a tunnel along the side of the pot for your cutting. Gently push your cutting down through the hole and cover the top with soil. If you have a larger pot, you can insert multiple cuttings.
Water and wait
Water your pot gently without disturbing the soil, and place it under a cloche, greenhouse or poly-tunnel. Wherever you place your cuttings, keep them out of direct sunlight. Then all that’s left to do, is wait! It will take some weeks, but you will know your cuttings have rooted once new leaves have begun to grow. This means they are ready to be moved to individual pots.
Tip: if you don’t have a cloche, greenhouse or poly-tunnel, you can cover your pot with a plastic bag to simulate the same conditions.
