Gardeners take note – here’s a quick and easy way to take cuttings from hydrangeas to keep your favourite plants coming back for years without ever having to buy new ones
A savvy gardener has shared a super easy way to take hydrangea cuttings to give yourself new plants for years.
Dave the Plant Man, who has over 70,000 followers on TikTok, showed off the trick after being asked to talk many times about the garden favourite, and said “Everyone’s asking me about hydrangeas”. The shrubs are a highly popular choice due to their striking appearance and the ability to produce large, showy flower clusters in a variety of colours. They are also relatively low maintenance, requiring regular watering and some occasional pruning, but not being overly demanding compared to other ornamental plants.
Dave revealed that the secret to everlasting hydrangeas is to propagate them by carefully chopping off one part of the plant, before placing this cutting in water to grow new roots. You then plant this in soil once the roots have fully developed. This way, you can propagate the plants and get new ones without ever needing to return to the shop for more.
He explained: “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 then demonstrated using the knife to chop away the leaves further down the stem below the nodes.
If the leaves just before the tip are large, it’s fine to cut them down as well, he said – and you can simply cut them down to the desired size with your knife. He then placed the newly cut hydrangeas into a glass milk bottle filled with water. “Just put them in water like that, and that will root”, he said, and he showed how you can stick more cuttings into the same bottle to get the most out of the process. But don’t place the cuttings in the harsh light of sun, he warned, as this can make them dry out – instead, put them “somewhere shady and humid but warm”.
The best time to take cuttings is in the summer through to early autumn. Be aware however that in autumn the stems will have become ‘hardwood’ as the plant has matured further, and will take a bit longer to root.
Another vital part of getting the most out of your hydrangeas is pruning. To keep them flowering at their best, it’s important to deadhead the plants by removing wilted flower heads. This helps shrubs to focus their energy on root and leaf health rather than producing seeds.