• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Gardening
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Edible
  • Flowers
  • How To
  • Ornamental
  • Tips
  • Perennials
  • Berries
  • Fruits
  • Herbs
  • Mushrooms
  • Nuts
  • Vegetables
  • Composting
  • DIY Projects
  • Pests
  • Plant Diseases
  • Propagation
  • Seed Starting
  • Weeds
  • Homesteading
  • Canning
  • Preserving
  • Recipes
  • Indoor Gardening
  • Houseplants
  • Indoor Plants
  • Lawn
  • Shrubs & Trees
  • Succulents & Cactuses
  • Uncategorized
  • Privacy Policy
search icon
Homepage link
  • Edible
  • Flowers
  • How To
  • Ornamental
  • Tips
  • Perennials
  • Berries
  • Fruits
  • Herbs
  • Mushrooms
  • Nuts
  • Vegetables
  • Composting
  • DIY Projects
  • Pests
  • Plant Diseases
  • Propagation
  • Seed Starting
  • Weeds
  • Homesteading
  • Canning
  • Preserving
  • Recipes
  • Indoor Gardening
  • Houseplants
  • Indoor Plants
  • Lawn
  • Shrubs & Trees
  • Succulents & Cactuses
  • Uncategorized
  • Privacy Policy
×

Home » Gardening How To » Propagation

3 Ways to Propagate Hydrangeas + Growing and Pruning Tips

Last Modified: Jun 10, 2022 by Andy Wilcox · This post may contain affiliate links · 7 Comments

How to Propagate Hydrangeas from Cuttings, Division, and Layering + Growing and Pruning Tips pinterest image.
How to Propagate Hydrangeas from Cuttings, Division, and Layering + Growing and Pruning Tips pinterest image.
How to Propagate Hydrangeas from Cuttings, Division, and Layering + Growing and Pruning Tips pinterest image.
How to Propagate Hydrangeas from Cuttings, Division, and Layering + Growing and Pruning Tips pinterest image.
Large bright pink hydrangea flowers in bloom
Hydrangeas are reliable, dramatic, long-flowering plants that are easily propagated.

Hydrangeas evoke images of cottage gardens. Mass border plantings of flowering shrubs covered in blooms of pink, blue, and white are featured in magazines.

With their long flowering season and large size, hydrangeas are an easy landscaping solution, thriving in partial shade and tolerant of many soil conditions.

Buying established plants in nurseries or garden stores can become prohibitively expensive if you want to develop a privacy hedge, foundation screen, or mass planting.

With established plants sometimes selling for more than $40 a piece, learning how to propagate these landscaping superstars ourselves makes sense. Who wouldn’t want free hydrangeas?

When selecting plants for propagation, always inspect the existing plants for vigor and health. Do not attempt to propagate from a patch with disease issues, or you risk spreading the disease to your new plantings.

Jump to:
  • How to Grow Hydrangeas from Cuttings
  • To Propagate Hydrangea Plants from Cuttings
  • How to Propagate Hydrangea Plants by Division
  • How to Propagate Hydrangeas by Layering
  • To layer a hydrangea:
  • Tips for Growing Hydrangeas
  • How To Prune Your Hydrangeas
  • Panicle (H. paniculata) and Smooth (H. arborescens) hydrangeas
  • Big leaf (H. macrophylla), Oakleaf (H. quercifolia), and Mountain (H. serrata) hydrangeas
  • Soil, Sunlight, and Fertilizer Needs of Hydrangeas

How to Grow Hydrangeas from Cuttings

The most popular way to propagate hydrangeas, growing new plants from cuttings is simple and relatively quick. Experiment with your soil or soil-less medium to see what works best for your setup–Perlite, Vermiculite, moist sand, seed starting mix, or some combination of your own making.

Pair of plant scissors with hydrangea cuttings and rooting hormone
Growing hydrangeas is quick and easy, and you can grow countless new bushes from just one healthy hydrangea.

To Propagate Hydrangea Plants from Cuttings

  1. Select a piece of stem 4-6 inches long that is from this year’s growth. It should be green, not brown and woody.
  2. Trim it off with sharp scissors or secateurs just below a node.
  3. Gently remove the leaves from the bottom two or three nodes, leaving only the top two leaves. These stripped nodes are where roots will develop.
  4. Since the leaves are usually large, use scissors to snip them in half, reducing the surface area the new roots will have to support. If they are small, it is okay to leave them as is.
  5. Keep the cuttings in water after harvesting them from the plant. Don’t let the freshly cut ends dry out while you work.
  6. Moisten the end of the stem and dip it in a rooting hormone. Skipping this step with hydrangeas will lower your success rate.
  7. Fill a container or pot with a well-moistened medium of your choice.
  8. Poke a hole with a pencil or stick and then carefully place the hydrangea cutting down into the hole to avoid brushing off the rooting hormone. Multiple cuttings can be placed several inches apart in the same container and repotted later once they have rooted.
  9. Firm up the medium around the stem and place it in a bright location out of direct sunlight.
  10. In 2-3 weeks, you can check the progress of your new hydrangea’s roots by gently giving the stem a little tug. If there is resistance, your hydrangea cutting has grown roots.
Related Reading  7 Reasons to Grow A Modern-Day Victory Garden + Tips

Continue to let it grow until well established. Plant your new hydrangea out in time for it to develop its root system before the end of your growing season. Try to get them in the ground a month and a half before the ground freezes up in your area.

How to Propagate Hydrangea Plants by Division

Many shrubs cannot be propagated by division, but some hydrangeas can.

If you see new suckers sprouting up near the base of your hydrangea, you are in luck. Once these are a year or two old, they often have their own root system.

They can be dug up and transplanted like any other baby plant. They will need attention and watering during the first growing season as they develop roots and mature.

Potted young hydrangea plants in white and blue
Check to see if there is more than one hydrangea plant in your pot.

If you purchase a new hydrangea, check to see if there are two or more obvious “clumps” or crowns. Sometimes growers will place multiple baby hydrangeas in one larger pot so it will look more full and command a higher price. These can be divided by breaking apart the root ball and planting them in separate pots or locations.

How to Propagate Hydrangeas by Layering

Image showing how roots form on a layered hydrangea
Layering is an easy and effective method of propagation.

Hydrangeas will also root from a method called layering. Essentially, you are just bending an existing low-growing stem to the ground and holding it there until it roots.

To layer a hydrangea:

  1. Select a low-hanging and flexible branch.
  2. Bend it gently to the ground and see where it will easily make contact. Dig a shallow trench, about two inches deep and six inches long in that location. This is where the branch will lay.
  3. Remove the leaves from the portion of the branch that will be in contact with the ground.
  4. Using a knife or the edge of your scissors, scrape off the bark along what will be the underside of the branch for two or three inches around a node. Optionally, dust this area with rooting hormone powder.
  5. Bury the branch length and use a rock or brick to hold it down. Keep the soil moist. The branch should start to root in a four to six weeks. You can do the tug test to check.

If you layered your hydrangea in spring, the new plant could be dug up and transplanted by late summer. Or, it can be left over winter and moved the following spring.

Tips for Growing Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are a low-maintenance plant but do require some annual care.

Woman pruning dead flower heads from her hydrangea
Watch how your hydrangea blooms to determine whether or not to prune it.

How To Prune Your Hydrangeas

Some hydrangeas can be pruned, and some should only be deadheaded. Follow the recommendations below if you know what type of hydrangea you have.

Related Reading  A Comprehensive Guide To Potting Up Garden Plants

If you aren’t sure, watch it bloom this summer. Did it bloom on old wood or this year’s new growth? While that won’t tell you what specific hydrangea you have, it will tell you how to prune it.

Cone-shaped hydrangea flowers
Some hydrangeas bloom on old wood, and some on the year's new growth.

Panicle (H. paniculata) and Smooth (H. arborescens) hydrangeas

  • These all flower on new wood, i.e., this year’s growth.
  • Prune in early spring after the buds have begun to swell
  • Prune down as far as a third of the branch length, one-quarter inch above a fat, healthy-looking bud (called a heading cut).
  • Prune out any dead branches
  • Prune any crossing branches that might rub on another branch. Keep the healthier branch and cut the offending stem at its origin (thinning cut).

Big leaf (H. macrophylla), Oakleaf (H. quercifolia), and Mountain (H. serrata) hydrangeas

  • These all flower on old wood. If you prune these as above, you will remove most of your flowering buds.
  • Big leaf, Oak leaf, and Mountain hydrangeas should only need deadheading. Snip the old flower off right above the next fat bud. This can be done in fall after flowering or in early spring.
  • As above, also remove dead wood and crossing branches.

Soil, Sunlight, and Fertilizer Needs of Hydrangeas

A flourishing hedge of hydrangea in hues of purple, pink, and dark magenta
Hydrangeas bring light and color to areas with partial and dappled shade.

Hydrangea likes locations with partial sun or dappled shade and well-drained soil. They are tolerant of many different soil types but do not do well in heavy clay.

Compost worked into a new hydrangea bed is recommended. If your soil is nutrient deficient, a general-purpose fertilizer can be applied in spring.

More Propagation

  • How To Propagate Philodendrons From Cuttings and Air-Layering
  • How to Propagate Lavender from Cuttings and Seed (+Growing Tips)
  • How To Propagate Hibiscus From Cuttings And Seed + Growing Tips
  • 3 Ways To Propagate Purple Coneflowers + Mistakes to Avoid

Sharing is caring!

7.6K shares
  • 7.0K

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Barbara

    June 11, 2022 at 10:57 pm

    I'd like to print this article but it will not allow me to do so. WHY?

    Reply
  2. Linda

    June 12, 2022 at 12:38 pm

    A Rose of Sharon Bush is growing up in the middle of my Hydrangea!!
    It is smothering my beautiful Hydrangea out!
    HELP PLEASE!

    Reply
  3. Judy

    June 12, 2022 at 2:13 pm

    Thank you so much for all the information you have given me on rooting. Plant these beautiful flowers cause they are very exspensive.

    Reply
  4. Martha B.

    June 12, 2022 at 3:26 pm

    Very interesting & hopefully helpful article—I will try the suggestions. I have put egg shells in dirt under my hydrangeas to change their color.

    Reply
  5. Mary Raynor

    October 20, 2022 at 9:00 pm

    I bought a oakleaf hydrangea this year and planted. It is about 3 feet high, but I only have the 1 branch? Do I prune it to promote growth for more shoots in fall or spring? Thanks.

    Reply
  6. Mary Raynor

    October 20, 2022 at 9:08 pm

    It was a bare root plant . It never got any other shoots, it is just the 1 main shoot,3 ft high. I dont know if I should prune it to promote other shoots? If I do prune it should I do it in fall or spring, as it flowers on old wood? Any help appreciated. Thanks

    Reply
    • Mary Ward

      October 26, 2022 at 10:10 am

      Hi Mary. Yes, pruning your young plant will trigger it to send its energy and growth to the plant's roots. This should help grow more roots and thus more stems and encourage more bushy growth. It will eventually do this on its own (for the most part), but it can take a long time to get there--years. It may mean sacrificing flowering for the first year or two if you prune now, but the bush will be better and healthier with stronger root stock and in time it will mean more flowering. Typically fall is not the best time to prune hydrangeas because the flower buds have already set for the coming year. So if you fall prune you cut away most or all of next year's flowers. The best time to prune hydrangea is in August immediately after flowering has stopped. HOWEVER, this is a different case because your goal is bush growth, not flowers (just yet). Either way, you're cutting off the flower heads because even if you wait until Spring to prune back for bush growth, you'll still be cutting those out. So in this case, fall pruning can work and if the plant is not entirely dormant, it might trigger some late fall root growth. Typically plants like to grow their roots in cool weather (fall or spring) and focus on leaf and flower production as temperatures warm. In my opinion, you want the bush in this instance trimmed to push root growth while you still have cool weather. Of course you probably won't see flowers next year, but it's a matter of patience and management that will pay off later in a larger, bushier, healthier, stronger plant.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Gardening site avatar

Hi, Fellow Gardeners! Welcome to the world of gardening. Enjoy the growing guides and growing tips our team of professional gardeners carefully selected.

Recent

  • What Are Determinate, Indeterminate, and Semi-Determinate Tomatoes?
  • Square-Foot Gardening: The Complete Guide
  • How to Use Photo Storage Boxes to Store Seeds
  • The 5 Best All-Purpose Tomato Varieties

Popular

  • 15 Zucchini Growing Mistakes New Gardeners Often Make
  • 11 DIY Homemade Plant Fertilizers (With Recipes)
  • 14 Tomato Growing Mistakes New Gardeners Make
  • Onion Growing Hack: How to Trim the Starts for Stronger Bulbs

gardening.org is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Gardening site avatar

Hi, Fellow Gardeners! Welcome to the world of gardening. Enjoy the growing guides and growing tips our team of professional gardeners carefully selected.

Recent

  • What is “Workable” Soil, Exactly?
  • 14 Tips to Control Tomato Hornworms in your Organic Garden
  • How to Make and Use Worm Tea on Houseplants and Outdoor Plants
  • 20 Best Trees for Small Gardens + Caring Tips

Popular

  • How to Grow Garlic: Complete Guide to Planting and Growing Garlic
  • How To Maintain Your Asparagus Bed For Long Life And Productivity
  • How to Grow an Endless Supply of Raspberries and Blackberries
  • How to Use Paper as Weed Control in the Garden

gardening.org is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Footer

About

  • Privacy Policy

Contact

  • [email protected]

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2023 Gardening LLC.