Propagating hydrangeas is easier than you think. Learn how with these easy steps to have your own free hydrangea bushes.

Like many garden lovers, I can’t get enough of hydrangeas because they come in so many beautiful shapes and colors! I love getting clippings of plants from neighbors and other gardeners to grow new plants in my yard.

Hydrangeas are probably my favorite flower and are perfect for just about any landscape in Zones 3-9. I live in Zone 9 and have 2 beautiful hydrangea plants.

And hydrangeas or no exception when it comes to easy propagation. Yes, you can propagate bushes for your yard too. Bushes you buy from the local big box store can be very expensive and also not guaranteed that they will survive. By propagating your own, if you lose one in the process, you won’t lose anything or money.

The best and easiest way to do this is by using cuttings straight from the bush. Let me show you how.

• Supplies consist of scissors, water, a growing container that drains with potting soil
• Cut off a nice healthy branch from a bush. The best time to do this is on a spring morning
• Cut between the leaves on the branches as shown in the 2nd picture

• Next cut off any leaves except one
• Cut the top off of the one leaf to look like the first picture
• Place those cuttings in water to get hydrated before planting

After the stems have soaked in the water for a while, then place each stem in some good potting soil. Keep it moist and sit where there is filtered light. Make sure one of the nodes goes into the dirt. That is where your roots will come from. You can use Rooting Hormone to stick the stem in before you place it in the dirt, but I never really noticed any difference between using it or not. It will take about 4 – 6 weeks to see the roots.

That’s it! Just place it in a larger pot to grow larger before placing it in your landscape. These would also make great gifts for gardeners, new neighbors, teachers, etc.

Hydrangea Growing Tips:

• When choosing a bush from a store or garden center, make sure you get one for your area. Read the tag carefully.
• Before planting, read the label on how large it will get. Some hydrangeas can grow up to 15 feet tall to 12 feet wide. So they need room to grow.
• Hydrangeas love compost and they hate when their feet stay wet. So be sure to plant where there is good drainage. Under a tree is not recommended because their roots will compete too much with the tree roots.
• Most hydrangeas do best in shade. Especially the further south you go. My two bushes are on the north side of my home so they are in the shade most of the day.
• New bushes need a lot of water to get them established. If it’s really hot in the summer, they may wilt but will come back after some water.
• Fertilize hydrangeas with an acid fertilizer, such as azalea food. I keep pine straw is also a great source of acid for your bushes and looks nice in your landscaping. A favorite of mine.
• Usually bloom in summer, with some blooming earlier in the season and some later. When I lived in Missouri, they bloomed most of the summer. But down here in Florida, they only bloom in May for me.
• After the hydrangeas have bloomed and are done for the season, this is the time to prune. Don’t prune late in the year or in the spring or you will cut off all the blooms. Once the weather gets really cold, they will drop their leaves.
• Generally not affected by serious disease or insect problems.
• The color of the flowers on the bigleaf variety can be manipulated to be more blue, pink, or purple depending on soil composition and soil pH levels. I see this often on my bushes because I add fertilizer but don’t spread it out evenly and I will have all 3 colors on one bush.

Types of hydrangeas:

• Bigleaf or French (the ones I have and very common)
• Oakleaf
• Climbing
• Panicle
• Smooth
• Mountain

Varieties of Hydrangeas:

• Limelight – Zone 3 – 9 Lime green blooms and does really well in the south (my next bush)
• Little Quick Fire – Zone 3 – 8 grows well in pots
• Tuff Stuff Ha-Ha – Zone 5 – 9 Mountain Hydrangea
• Lets Dance Blue Jangles – Zone 5 – 9 Bigleaf smaller hydrangea
• Endless Summer – Zone 4 – 9 very popular choice Bigleaf
• Vanilla Strawberry – Zone 4 – 8 Panicle that turns a strawberry red color
• Climbing Hydrangea – Zone 5 – 9 Can grow up to 80 feet with beautiful white blooms

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