It’s True, You Can Propagate Hydrangeas With a Potato – But it Will Fail if You Miss this Crucial Detail

It might sound strange at first, but potatoes can keep hydrangea cuttings hydrated

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Pink hydrangea shrubs either side of a blue door
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Hydrangeas can be challenging to propagate if you don't have the right elements in place: plenty of bright light, lots of warmth, humidity, and consistent moisture. But, what if I told you a potato can help provide ideal conditions to root hydrangea cuttings?

This hack consists of propagating hydrangeas by literally sticking cuttings in a potato. It might sound bizarre (and it definitely looks it), but it actually works. Just like growing rose cuttings in potatoes, this vegetable can act as a supportive growing medium, full of plant nutrients and moisture to encourage rooting. It's a clever trick to stop cuttings drying out in particular, the number one reason hydrangea cuttings fail to root.

white hydrangea flowers

You can propagate hydrangeas from both softwood and hardwood cuttings

(Image credit: Katsuhiro Kojima / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images)

How to Grow Hydrangea Cuttings in a Potato

If you have tried and failed at multiplying these cottage garden shrubs, then it might be that the potato hack helps you out.

It works best with softwood or semi-ripe cuttings, taken in late spring and early summer, which are much easier (and quicker) to root than hardwood cuttings (taken in fall and winter).

For this hack, you will need:

How to Grow Hydrangea Cuttings in a Potato

hydrangea flowers and leaves

You can also propagate hydrangeas using the water and soil methods

(Image credit: I am happy taking photographs. / Moment / Getty Images)
  1. The first thing to do to grow hydrangea cuttings in a potato is take healthy stem cuttings. Your hydrangea cuttings should be taken from a non-flowering stem with new growth, i.e. a softwood or semi-ripe stem. Use essential pruning tools to make clean cuts, ensuring each cutting is 4-6" long. Our article on plant cuttings mistakes has more information on what to avoid at this stage.
  2. Next, prepare your cuttings. Just like propagating in soil or water, it's best to remove the lowest leaves of your hydrangea cuttings, as these will inevitably rot and make growth less productive. To help rooting, dip the bottom of the cuttings in a rooting hormone, applying an even layer.
  3. You can then insert the bottom of your hydrangea cuttings into your potato. Use one potato per cutting. It's best to use a potato that is firm and healthy, rather than soft and squishy. You may need to poke a hole in the potato beforehand, using cutlery or a pencil, to prevent the bottom of the cutting becoming damaged.
  4. Then, plant the potato in a pot with well-draining potting mix (like this from Amazon). You should bury the potato entirely, leaving just the stem sticking upright out the top.
  5. Water your cuttings well and keep them somewhere bright and warm. You can increase humidity by placing a humidity dome (from Amazon) or a plastic bottle over the top of the cuttings. Just take care to provide ventilation to prevent a build-up of excess moisture, which may cause the bottom of your cuttings to rot.

After a few weeks, your hydrangea cuttings should have roots. You can then plant them out when they have new leaf growth and a robust root system, with the potato decomposing over time.

How Well Does this Hack Work?

pink hydrangea shrub

Softwood hydrangea cuttings typically take just a few weeks to root

(Image credit: Picture It Photos by Leslie / Alamy Stock Photo)

There's no denying that if you grow hydrangea cuttings in a potato you will see results. But, it's important to note it isn't because of the potato alone.

Because it's moisture-retentive, it's true that the potato keeps cuttings consistently moist and stops them drying out from air exposure. But, you will need to continue watering the cutting as the soil dries out (you can check this using a soil moisture meter, like this one from Amazon).

Likewise, the potato is a source of essential plant nutrients like potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and nitrogen. Though, it should be noted these are only available in small volumes to cuttings.

These qualities alongside essential bright light, warmth, and humidity make hydrangea propagation a success.

You can even take it a step further and boost the growing environment with a grow light (like this from Amazon) and a seedling heat mat (from Walmart).

So, yes, this hack does work and stops the biggest problem of cuttings drying out, but it won't work if other fundamental elements aren't in place.

In this sense, it's not a replacement for other propagation methods, but rather a support tool to use when rooting hydrangea cuttings in soil.

FAQs

When is the Best Time to Propagate Hydrangeas from Cuttings?

You can either take hardwood or softwood cuttings to propagate hydrangeas. The former should be taken in late fall or early winter, when the hydrangea is dormant. The latter should be taken in late spring or early summer, though you shouldn't take cuttings from flowering stems. Hardwood cuttings require less humidity to root and tend to take longer, while softwood cuttings are generally thought to be easier and quicker to root.

While your hydrangea cuttings are rooting and developing, you should familiarize yourself with hydrangea myths so you don't fall for any misconceptions that hinder your care and their performance.

Hydrangea Growing Essentials

Tenielle Jordison
Tenielle Jordison
Gardens Content Editor

Tenielle is a Gardens Content Editor at Homes & Gardens. She holds a qualification in MA Magazine Journalism and has over six years of journalistic experience. Before coming to Homes & Gardens, Tenielle was in the editorial department at the Royal Horticultural Society and worked on The Garden magazine. As our in-house houseplant expert, Tenielle writes on a range of solutions to houseplant problems, as well as other 'how to' guides, inspiring garden projects, and the latest gardening news. When she isn't writing, Tenielle can be found propagating her ever-growing collection of indoor plants, helping others overcome common houseplant pests and diseases, volunteering at a local gardening club, and attending gardening workshops, like a composting masterclass.