You can't get enough of hydrangeas - and if neighbors or acquaintances have a particularly beautiful shrub in their garden, then simply ask for some cuttings. Like geraniums, begonias and fuchsias, hydrangeas are very easy to propagate from cuttings.
Plate hydrangeas are best propagated via top cuttings
Propagation of cuttings in the plate hydrangea
If you want to propagate plate hydrangeas, you can do this using so-called head cuttings. The experienced gardener understands this to mean shoot tips with several pairs of leaves, which, however, must not have any flower buds. Most gardening guides recommend propagating in the summer, preferably in June or July. Basically, however, it doesn't really matter when you cut the cuttings - you can also take the cuttings in spring or autumn, for example in the course of repotting.
Planting cuttings - step-by-step instructions
Immediately plant the freshly cut cuttings in nutrient-poor potting soil.
- Remove all but the top pair of leaves.
- Cut the remaining leaves in half with a sharp knife.
- The cut at the rooting site should be made across the last leaf node.
- This is where the cells are located that promote new rooting of the cutting.
- Be careful not to pinch the interface.
- Dip the rooting site in rooting powder or wood ash.
- Plant the cutting several centimeters deep in potting soil.
- Press it down lightly.
- Water the cutting and keep the substrate evenly moist.
- Put the potty in a light and warm place.
- However, avoid direct sunlight.
- Put a disposable glass over the young hydrangea.
- Optionally, a cover with transparent film is sufficient.
- Air the cutting once a day.
After a few weeks, the cutting will take root and, once it has grown vigorously, can finally be planted in a larger pot with suitable substrate.
Simply divide large bushes
If the plate hydrangea is large enough, you can also propagate it by division. To do this, you should dig up the plant with the rootstock, which is slightly smaller than the above-ground part and consists more or less of one block. Divide off the desired part of the hydrangea by either striking it in half with a sharp blow of a spade or sawing through if the root block is too firm. The now isolated plate hydrangeas are planted as normal.
tips and tricks
Basically, you don't really have to go through all the trouble of cutting the cuttings: just cut some hydrangea blossoms to decorate the vase and place them in the water. After a few weeks, the first roots have formed on some of these flower stalks.