Hydrangeas are really nice plants that many people love to keep in their garden areas. These are shrubs that produce absolutely beautiful flowers during the spring and summer months.
They’re actually pretty easy to grow as well, and this makes them very appealing to those who aren’t incredibly experienced gardeners. If you’re looking for a shrub that will produce beautiful blooms and make your yard look prettier than ever, then it makes sense to plant a hydrangea.
If you want to have more hydrangeas in your yard, then you can get some without having to go out and buy more. You can simply take the time to grow them from a cutting.
This is a great way to get more shrubs for your yard and it isn’t that hard to do overall. How fast do hydrangea cuttings grow, though?
Read on to learn more about these beautiful plants and how fast they grow.
How Fast Hydrangea Cuttings Can Be Expected to Grow
The good news is that you’ll be able to start seeing results when growing hydrangea cuttings pretty quickly. Cuttings should start forming roots after two or three weeks.
Exactly how fast things will grow will depend on various factors. For example, both the temperature and the humidity levels will play a role.
If you’re experiencing warm weather, then it’s likely that the hydrangea cutting will grow faster. There have even been instances of hydrangea cuttings rooting within one week.
This doesn’t mean that you should expect things to go that fast every single time. Understand that it might take up to three weeks for roots to form under certain conditions.
You’ll be able to tell that a hydrangea cutting is rooting properly when you tug on it. If the cutting resists you when you tug on it lightly, then that shows you that the cutting is rooting as it should.
Now that you know roughly how long it’ll take to get hydrangea cuttings to root, it’ll be important to understand what goes into growing hydrangea cuttings. Read on to get advice about how to propagate them.
How to Take a Cutting
When you’re preparing to take a cutting so that you can attempt to propagate a hydrangea, it’s going to be important to get things right. If you want to get the best results, then you should take a cutting from a branch that is around six inches long.
It’s also good to try to look for a branch that didn’t flower this year if possible. Experts have said that you’ll get the cutting to grow better if it comes from a branch that didn’t flower.
Take your time to look for a branch that fits the bill nicely. Once you have the right branch, you’ll be able to take your cutting.
Preparing the Hydrangea Cutting
Once you have the cutting that you need, it’s going to be necessary to remove the bottom leaves. The lower leaves from the bottom two leaf nodes need to be removed for this process.
If you don’t know what a leaf node is, then you should know that it’s just a term that refers to where the leaf sprouts out of the branch.
Typically, roots are going to form from the leaf node. It’s also going to be best to try to cut down the largest leaves on the branch to about half of their current size.
With this done, you’ll want to take the time to dip the cutting in rooting hormone. Technically, this is an optional step, but it is going to help you to get better results.
After dipping the cutting in rooting hormone, you’re supposed to insert the cutting into damp vermiculite. Once the cutting is in the pot, it’ll be necessary to water the soil well and you should then allow it to drain.
Ideally, the soil should be moist without being overly soggy. The cutting needs to be covered in plastic at this point along with the pot that you’re using.
You can use a standard plastic bag and get good results. Just try to keep the plastic from touching the leaves.
You can do this by adding some stakes to the pot. It’s easy to keep the bag from touching the leaves if you have small stakes in the soil poking out in the right directions.
Where to Put the Cutting
Knowing where to put the cutting is going to be important when you’re trying to make things go right. Try to find a bright spot that also has some shade.
If you try to place the cutting directly in the sun, then it isn’t going to do well at all. In fact, it could easily burn the cutting and keep it from being able to grow properly.
You want to keep an eye on the cutting to see how it’s doing. Don’t water it again until the top of the soil has started to dry out.
It’s going to be necessary to physically check the top of the soil with your fingers to see if it has started getting dry. Once it’s dry, you’ll be able to water it again.
This is an important step because if you water the cutting too much, it’s going to wind up rotting. If this occurs, then all of your work to get it to grow will be for naught.
When to Root Hydrangea Cuttings
Of course, you’re not going to want to take hydrangea cuttings at any time of the year. If you try to do this during certain seasons, then you’re not going to get good results.
Wait until the spring when the hydrangeas are at peak growth and metabolism. When the conditions are right this way, you’ll be able to take cuttings as described earlier.
If you propagate hydrangeas in the spring, then you’ll be able to give cuttings the right amount of time to mature into a full plant. It’ll be able to go through a whole normal growing season and you’ll get the best results.
Also, you’re probably going to want to take the hydrangea cutting sometime in the early morning or evening. So long as you follow this advice, it should be easy to propagate them successfully.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know more about hydrangeas and hydrangea cuttings, it’s going to be easier to feel confident about finding success. You can start to see the them grow in two or three weeks after preparing the cutting.
In some cases, hydrangeas cuttings might root in a week, but that depends on factors such as temperature and humidity. Expect the process to take up to three weeks and be happily surprised if things go more quickly than that.
Remember that you’re supposed to take hydrangea cuttings in the spring to get the best results. This gives them the chance to go through an entire growing season so that they can mature into full plants.
As long as you follow the advice above about how to take hydrangea cuttings and how to prepare everything, it’s going to be easy to get consistent results. You’ll be able to enjoy having more hydrangeas in your yard soon enough.
These shrubs are truly stunning and they can add so much beauty to your property. Understanding how to propagate them will increase your enjoyment of caring for the plants that much more.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.