Grow more hydrangeas with 'super easy' method to ensure free plants for life
A gardener has shared a simple way to take hydrangea cuttings and grow new plants - and it means you'll never need to buy the colourful shrubs again as you can keep propagating them.
A savvy gardener has unveiled a brilliantly simple method for acquiring new hydrangea plants that will flourish for years to come.
Dave the Plant Man, a TikTok sensation with over 70,000 followers, revealed the tip following multiple requests to divulge the secrets behind the garden favourite, stating: "Everyone's asking me about hydrangeas".
The shrubs are known for their eye-catching aesthetic and the capacity to produce voluminous, vibrant flower clusters in various hues.
In addition to their striking beauty, hydrangeas are comparatively effortless to maintain, necessitating consistent hydration and occasional pruning, without the high maintenance demands of other decorative flora.
Dave disclosed that the trick to endless hydrangeas lies in propagating them by precisely snipping a segment of the plant, subsequently submerging this cutting in water to sprout new roots.
Once roots have robustly formed, the cutting is then ready to be planted in soil.
By adopting this method, enthusiastic gardeners can propagate the plants indefinitely, negating any need to purchase additional ones from retailers, reports the Mirror.
Sharing his expertise, he advised: "You find a tip that's got no flower on it. You then cut it again just below the [leaf] node, with a sharp knife."
He illustrated this technique with the use of a knife to pare away the leaves beneath the nodes on the stem.
He advised that if the leaves just before the tip are large, it's perfectly okay to trim them down - simply cut them to your preferred size with a knife.
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After cutting, he placed the hydrangeas into a glass milk bottle filled with water, stating: "Just put them in water like that, and that will root".
He demonstrated how additional cuttings could be inserted into the same bottle to maximise the process. However, he cautioned against placing the cuttings in direct sunlight as they may dry out; instead, they should be kept "somewhere shady and humid but warm".
The prime time for taking cuttings is from summer to early autumn, but be mindful that by autumn, stems turn to 'hardwood' due to the plant's maturation, which means they'll take longer to root.
Pruning is also crucial for maintaining your hydrangeas. To ensure they continue blooming magnificently, it's essential to deadhead the plants by removing any wilted flower heads, allowing the shrubs to concentrate their energy on developing strong roots and healthy leaves rather than seed production.
