How to take hydrangea cuttings
Hydrangeas can be easily propagated from semi-ripe cuttings, taken in late summer. Learn how to make new plants from old using this technique, in our practical guide.
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). You will know your hydrangea cuttings have rooted when you see signs of new leaves developing, and if you gently tug the cutting you will feel resistance from the roots in the soil. You can then transplant the rooted cuttings straight away into individual pots for growing on, and overwinter them in a cold frame, or overwinter them as they are and transplant them the following spring. Regardless of when you transplant your hydrangea cuttings, they should be well-rooted and showing good signs of growth by the following spring, and should be ready to plant into larger pots or into the garden.
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.
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