Recycle Water Cans To Make Hydrangea Root Fast, by GREEN WORLD on YouTube. 4 min 50 s.
- Video length
- 4 min 50 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes plus 4 to 6 weeks t
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Pick a healthy shoot that is not flowering and take your cutting in the cool of the morning, when the stems hold the most water.
Cut a 4 to 6 inch (10 to 15 cm) piece just below a leaf node. Strip the lower leaves and keep two or three leaves at the top.
Cut large leaves in half so the cutting loses less water. Make every cut with clean, sharp pruners.
Rinse an empty water bottle and cut it in half across the middle. Poke three or four drainage holes in the base half.
Fill the base with a light mix of half potting soil and half perlite or coarse sand. Water it until it drains.
Dip the cut end in rooting hormone if you have it. Push a pencil into the mix and slide the cutting in so two nodes sit under the surface.
Firm the mix around the stem and water again. Turn the top half of the bottle upside down over the cutting as a mini greenhouse.
Leave the bottle cap off for airflow. Keep the bottle in bright, indirect light at about 65 to 75 F (18 to 24 C).
Mist when the mix starts to dry and check after three weeks. Tug gently: a cutting that resists has roots.
Pot the cutting up once roots are 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) long, and harden it off by opening the dome a little more each day.
Tips and common mistakes
Never let the cutting sit in soggy soil, since rot kills more cuttings than dry air does.
Direct midday sun will cook a cutting inside a closed bottle, so shade it on hot days.
A soft, black stem base means the cutting has rotted, so start again with fresh material.
Wipe your pruners with rubbing alcohol between cuttings to avoid spreading disease.
Questions
How long do hydrangea cuttings take to root?
Usually three to six weeks in warm weather. Slow varieties can take eight weeks, so wait for new leaf growth before you give up.
Can I root hydrangea cuttings in water only?
Yes. Stand the stem in a bottle of clean water and change it every few days. Roots grown in soil are stronger once you pot them on.
When is the best time to take hydrangea cuttings?
Late spring to early summer, using softwood shoots. Early autumn cuttings from semi-ripe wood also root well.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
