Hydrangea Lovers Chapter 3

Rubaln- Wow! What a picture. No words for the feeling it gives you.

Good strong dog house, though!

I'm wondering the same thing, IsThisHeaven, and hope we get an answer.

Kathy (IsThisHeaven) and I have spent an interesting time Dmailing tonight and looking up information on taking cuttings. For the past hour and a half we've gone back and forth. I asked my radio guy, via email, about cuttings and he roots them, in his greenhouse with hormone powder.

We're both going to give it a November try and see what happens. The one site (with pictures) is www.hydrangeahydrangea.com and it was very helpful. So if anyone else wants to try it along with us just read the easy directions on the site and let's go to it!

I'm going with the varieties I have:

Nikko Blue
Annabelle White
Pink, (just labeled pink)
Endless Summer

Kathy

Kathy and Arlene, I'd like see that page since I'm getting cuttings from some folks. But the page I'm pulling up with that link doesn't have any directions on it, just appears to be a search engine. Can you check it out please?

http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/propagation.html


Good propagation information. I think this is the link she meant.

Great site! Thank you very much. I'll bookmark this one.

Rubaln, that photo just says it all! What a mess! I do hope you find that many of your plants survived after all. Meanwhile, I'm happy to send you some hydrangeas!

Arelene.. scouting about on the internet again, here is a site that says it can be done in the winter.

Scroll down to the bottom list, it has hydrangea listed in summer or winter.

May the force be with us.

http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/pnw0152/pnw0152.html

Good article and very encouraging. I wonder if it would help to pray to St. Amethyst or St. Annabelle?

lol.. or St Nikko perhaps. Going to Lowes soon to get my mix. I'm totally excited about this, something really interesting to do during the winter months. :)

I just got back and the nursery didn't offer pumice. Since there's perlite in the ProMix I'll use that.

So :-))

I couldn't find sand at Lowes, I'm using a potting soil heavy in sand and mixed with perlite.

I'm in the middle of doing them now, have the nikko blue and pink ones done. I have a question.. The blue and pink ones were green stems. The annabelle white one is more died back, pretty sick looking and more woody stems, think I can still do them?

Going out to do the endless summers, hope someone answers me before it gets dark. LOL

Give it a try - you have nothing to lose. Also, make notes on your computer tonight so you'll know Annabelle's condition for future reference.

Arlene*
*Just got in, sorry.

Just got in myself. I went ahead and did them, thought the same thing.. nothing to lose.

I did 18 nikko blue, 18 pink, 9 annabelle, and 9 endless summers. If half root I'll be estatic! Did alot of other planting as well. Transplanted some catmint that I didn't think made it but found it in the pot surviving, transplanted the 2 Endless summers, 3 peony roots and brought the spider plants in.

Taking a rest before I get more things in order here.

Ok Arlene, its Nov 6th, on the 20th I'm gonna tug on them a little and see if there is reistance, I can't hardly believe it will only be 2 weeks though.

You might want to do what one person suggested on another thread:
take just one cutting and put it in a clear flexible plastic drinking cup with holes for drainage in the bottom and root it in there. You'll see the roots forming through the plastic.

Since I heard that one I now take home the plastic drinking cups from hotels and motels when we're on vacation!

BTW.. while I was at Lowes, they had their bushes drastically marked down. I bought 2 Hibiscus trees for 2.00 each. Thinking I should go back for more.. they will look great on the deck in the summer, and I need more things of heighth.

My Lowes had some clearance plants, too. Mostly Virginia Creeper. But I got three gallon size pots of Phlox 'Orange perfection' for 2$ each. And I got several nice hosta in the gallon size for 1.50 each. It was a happy night.

:-(( No Lowe's out here.

No Lowes? Well, that's a mixed blessing. They sometimes have something special, but I really like going to the regular nurseries. Lowes is fairly close to my house, so I stop in when I think they might be clearancing stuff out.

We passed our local place, owned and operated by a nice horticulturalist, and say the 40% off sign. Now I'll have to go look and see what I don't need but can't leave without.

I'm clearing out a field of hosta to make room for hydrangeas. Maybe he'll do another trade with me.

Can't resist that 40% off sign! I feel your pain, Arlene! LOL

Well, the hydrangeas I propagated Sunday are still showing life. :) I planted them in a mix of potting soil and perlite and vermiculite in 4 inch pots. I put a little water in the bottom of the tray for them to uptake as needed and then put a plastic tent over them. I see they have taken up a little water from the tray too. Can't wait! With rooting to take 2 weeks, I'm down to 11 days until I can do a little tug on them to see if there is any resistance. I'm not anxious at all.

ITH: I had read you water them initially and then let them dry out. That's what I've done. Guess one of us will have good luck - let's hope we both do!

Well, I watered the dirt first but not after I planted them. I was always told once you dip a root into rooting hormone and place it in the dirt, don't water it from the top or you'll just wash off the rooting hormone you put on it. So, we'll just have to see. I wounded some of them, some of them I didn't. Thought what the heck, try a little of everything.

I propagated boxwoods one time. I experimented.. Half of them I put in a plastic tent, half of them I didn't. Only the ones that were in a plastic tent rooted, even though the ones that were out on their own stayed alive, (until I got sick of seeing them and checking for roots and didn't find any) and threw them out.

Thanks. I'll get mine covered pronto.

I took 5 cuttings from a lovely old lacecap in front of an abandoned nursery about 3 weeks ago. I put them all in my veggie filter, but so far there has been no rooting. I'm thinking I want to put some of them in the greenhouse using the method being described here so I'll have a better chance of success. This hydrangea was so lovely! I'd hate to lose these cuttings, especially since I had to tresspass to get them!

Pixydish: arrived home last night to find your wonderful package. Thank you so much. Think I will be able to get them potted up for the winter this weekend and will put them in the ground early in the spring with the whole pot of soil still around them so they don't get a set back. I can see they were beautiful.

Thanks so much. Life is tedious here on the coast since Katrina hit but it is the generosity of people like you who brighten our days and give us hope. I can't begin to convey what it means to me.

Oh Good! I'm so glad they made it there in good condition. Yes, pot them up for the winter and they'll be ready to go in the spring. I was happy to be able to do something for you. It's hard to know how many people are having to cope with the aftermath of the storm. Usually we just sit by feeling helpless to do anything besides donate money to the red cross, etc. It was wonderful to actually be able to do something, even if it was just plants! I'm glad you will enjoy them.

Pixydish, yours is going out this morning. I have been so swamped this week and then yesterday when I had a chance, it was Veterans Day! Your box arrived in great fashion. Thanks so much. Love the look of the black stems. :-)

Sounds great, thanks! You will like H. 'Nigra'.

Well, its been 2 weeks that my cuttings have been planted and I don't have root one. Wasn't real trustworthy that it would happen in 2 weeks though, so I'm not giving up yet.

Pirl.. whats your story? :)

Took just one out, last night, no roots. I was wishing and hoping but found nothing. I thought two weeks was a bit too soon. I'll test a different one next Saturday. I have NO intentions of giving up: I put too much time and effort into the project. They can stay there for months or until they shrivel up on me. How about you?

Oh no, I'm not giving up either. I'll give it at least 2 months. But I would suspect something would show in 6 weeks if it were going to. I had to put water in the bottom of my trays becuase they were drying up.

Me, too. On the other hand my now famous yogurt rooting (outside) is very happy!

Me three on not giving up. Mine are not rooted yet either. But I was talking to one of the owners of a local nursery and he said that it helps to give them some bottom heat to break the dormancy. MIne are on the heated sand bed that I start seeds in.

Pixy - Well you've changed some of my plans for today: bottom heat it will be. We have the very large sand tray set up, all year long, so now the plug goes back in again and we'll move the plants.

I did read yesterday that when you see growth from the bottom of the stem starting then you know it's rooted. My infamous yogurt air layering, outside, is showing signs at the base - fluffy buds. I wish it wouldn't because I don't want them starting to grow now that we've had our first hard frost.

I don't have any set up that will do the bottom heat, so I'll just tread along and see what comes out of it. Some leaves have yellowed, but the others look fine and green, which give me hope that they are not dead. I rooted boxwoods one time and it took about 6 weeks, but they had a real healthy root system at 6 weeks. I'll be checking on the water supply in the tray every few days, but I'll check for roots each Sunday. :)

I have a little 13" TV here that I put my amaryllis on top of, to start them off, and that's just enough heat to keep them a little warmer than room temperature. :-)

Even the top of a refrigerator would give the bottom heat but hanging lights over it would really be a drag. I've heard of people using electric blankets with the heat on low but I'm not recommending it.

It's the roots that appreciate the extra warmth but only until they get going. You wouldn't want to keep them on top of the TV or the electric blanket for a long time.