Petals & Roots: Two Clever Ways to Multiply Hydrangeas – Plus Everything Else I'm Propagating in My Garden This Month
Get more from your garden without spending a dime
September is one of my favourite times of year for taking cuttings. As the garden starts to shift towards autumn, there are still plenty of healthy stems that can be used to make new plants, and I find my potting bench fills up rapidly with new stem cuttings that need to be kept watered.
Hydrangeas are particularly rewarding, not least because we all love their nostalgic charm in our gardens. They're also super easy to multiply from cuttings.
In the most recent episode of Petals & Roots, I show you two easy ways to propagate hydrangeas, using healthy growth from plants you already have. Both methods are simple to try at home and give satisfying results. But they are not the only shrub I am multiplying. I've got a long list to share with you, and some plants I've never tried to propagate before.
What You Need to Propagate Hydrangeas
- Have a good quality pair of snips on hand such as these Fiskars snips from Amazon.
- Small propagation pots, from Amazon. These are good because you can see when roots form, and they come with saucers.
- Peat-free potting compost; I love the organic Back to the Roots compost from Target.
- Rooting hormone, which you can find at Walmart.
- Mini propagator (optional) or clear plastic bag.
Two Ways to Propagate Hydrangea Cuttings
Your first job is to take a healthy cutting. This will preferably non-flowering, but if you can't find one you can snip the flower head off.
- To prep it, cut just below a leaf join
- Snip off all the lower leaves, leaving one set at the top
- If you have a flowering shoot, snip this off
- Then cut the remaining two leaves in half
- You should be left with a cutting that is approximately four inches long
- Dip the end in organic rooting powder or rooting gel
- Fill a pot with fresh compost and make a small hole in the center
- Place your cutting in the hole and firm in
- Water well and keep returning to water it every few days
You can also very easily propagate hydrangea cuttings in water. Follow the steps above, and then instead of planting into compost, place into a vase or glass of fresh water and leave in a warm, bright spot until roots have developed.
The benefit of this method is you can see when your cutting has grown roots. It may take longer, however, so make sure you keep refreshing the water at least once a week.
What Else I'm Propagating in My Garden
As I mentioned earlier, hydrangeas are not the only plant I am multiplying this month. I have a large garden, and lots of space to fill. So instead of spending a small fortune at the garden center, I am going to opt for some repeat planting of my favourite shrubs and perennials. I collect them when I'm pruning, so it's practically effortless!
Lavender and salvias are both great candidates, producing compact new plants that can be used to repeat planting around borders. I'm also cutting lots of Verbena bonariensis for its tall, airy stems, late-summer flowers, and because I know it's going to withstand next summer's heatwave.
Sedum is wonderfully easy to multiply, too, and its fleshy stems root readily in a free-draining compost, so I tend to simply snip these and put them directly into beds or around the edges of pots.
This year, I'm also trying cotoneaster and Spiraea japonica for the first time. I'm taking semi-ripe cuttings at this time of year.
The key with all of these plants is to use healthy, non-flowering growth and keep the cuttings somewhere bright, sheltered and protected from hard frosts as they establish. And to always keep the compost lightly watered. It's so easy to pot up and forget about your cuttings, but if they dry out they will not flourish into new plants.
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Petals & Roots is a weekly video series fronted by me, Rachel Bull, Head of Gardens at Homes & Gardens. Every weekend on social, I share my seasonal gardening and flower arranging expertise and advice.
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