Hi, I'm hoping for your expert advice. I want to propagate my hydrangeas from cuttings. (this will be my first time ever propagating anything!) If I start, say next weekend (July 19th), how long will it take to root? After it roots, will it be too late to plant them into the ground? I'm worried about 2 things: 1) it's hot, hot, hot here in August even in the shade and 2) will the tiny plant survive the winter?
Alternatively, could I root the plant and move it (or them, probably 5 or 6 from one cane) into a bigger pot and keep them inside until next spring?
Thanks for any advice!
Patty
July cuttings too late to plant?
If you're going to try and root them now, I'd probably do it indoors where there's a bit better temperature control, otherwise I'm afraid your chances won't be as good, hot weather is tough even for plants with roots! And you should be able to keep them inside over the winter if they're still really small. Hopefully someone who has experience propagating hydrangeas can advise you on whether this is the best time of year to take cuttings or not.
Thanks for your advice. What I may do, since this is my first time, I might just start them inside and when they are big enough to transplant, move them to a bigger pot and sit them by the window where they will get enough sun. I might keep one or two in pots for outside and then plant the others in the ground in the spring after fear of frost. If you have ever started hydrangea from cuttings, did you just leave them open to air, or do they fair better in a greenhouse environment? I don't have a greenhouse, but I've read about keeping cuttings under glass for a while?
I've never started them from cuttings, but generally cuttings will do best if you keep the humidity up, although you need to be careful and let some air in from time to time also or else you can have fungal problems. Some people use plastic baggies for a little "mini greenhouse" for cuttings, just make sure that the plastic isn't coming in contact with the leaves/stem and make sure you take the bag off now and then to let things breathe, particularly if you're seeing a bunch of condensation on the baggie. You want things to be humid in there but not dripping wet.
Thanks ecrane, do you mean, to take a large plastic baggie, like the gallon size and just open and place them over the cuttings? If that works, will plastic wrap work as well?
Yes, that's what you do. Plastic wrap could work too, but I think it'll be harder to keep it from touching the plant's leaves and also it'll be harder to take it on and off or open it up to help get some air circulation so I think it'll be less hassle to use the baggie instead. I like the gallon size freezer bags, they are stiffer and easier to keep from flopping onto the plant.
I frequently root hydrangeas, and I try it any time during the summer------just place them in a regular black plastic pot-----use some good bagged soil-----if you have rooting hormone try it------but I rarely do---------------and, put it under a shade tree and forget it except to water it. If you think the weather is not warm enough you can remove the bottom of a liter plastic drink bottle (without the cap) and place it over it.I do roses this way and most anything else that I want to root. At this time I have about 120 hydrangeas, and I have rooted many of them. I live in zone 7b-----but, I think we have become zone 8 in Starkville, Mississippi.
They are not too difficult to propagate, aren't thry but... oh, wow. You rooted all those 120 hydrangeas? Wow again, shirleyd. Is this a hobby or a business for you?
It is just a hobby------to see if I can root them. I give many of them away to friends------especially the lace cap. Those are not my favorite (though they seem to root quite easily) as their blooms do not fade to an interesting object as the mop head does. I seem to lose many of the labels that I put in the pots so I am never sure what they will turn out to me. Strangely, many have turned out to be lace caps--------and I really don't want any more of those------and, I feel sure that I didn't try to root one. So, on investigation I discovered that Praeziosa (spelling?) is a serrata and has tendencies to be a lace cap. This info came from a 10 year old copy of a newsletter from the American Hydrangea Society. I believe the article was a quote of Dan Hinkley who owned the famous nursery no longer in existence. I am sure that this is more info than you really wanted. Shirleyd
Many other hydrangeas do the same thing. Madame Emille Mouilliere is known to do that as well.
Ironic that you are getting tired of lacecaps and I am more interested in them (Jogasaki, Lanarth White and Fuji Waterfall and such). Hee hee hee