EASY STEPS TO PROPAGATE HYDRANGEAS

This is best done in spring or early summer when life again begins flowing through the stems.

Gather your supplies

• Rooting hormone powder or gel

• Quality propagating mix

You’ll also need

Clean bypass secateurs; clean plastic pots

Here’s how

STEP 1 If you haven’t done so already, deadhead the flowers down to where you get living stems.

STEP 2 Cut healthy pieces of stem about 15–20cm long, positioning the top cut above a pair of emerging leaves, close to the node, and the bo„om cut also just above a node.

STEP 3 If lower leaves are mature, remove all but the top 2 and cut these in half to reduce water loss as roots eventually begin to form.

STEP 4 Dip the cu„ings into rooting hormone gel or powder and insert into pots filled with propagating mix so about a third to a half of

the cu„ings are buried. STEP 5 Water well and put pots in a protected spot, out of direct sunlight. Keep your cu„ings moist but not soggy.

STEP 6 Roots should emerge and be strong enough for transplanting to your garden or another pot in about a month.

You can let cut hydrangeas dry out. Even though they go papery, they keep their shape

STEP 4

STEP 1

STEP 2