Propagation of hydrangeas by cuttings: mechanism of action

Hydrangeas are shrubs from the hydrangea family with stunningly beautiful flowers, for which they were especially fond of landscape designers, flower shop owners involved in the implementation of bouquets and flower arrangements, and ordinary flower growers. There are several ways in which hydrangea propagates: cuttings, layering and offspring, dividing the bush and even seeds. Among them, the vegetative method - lignified or green cuttings - the most common, and giving the greatest survival rate of young plants.

If you decide to start preparing hydrangea planting material in the fall, be prepared for the fact that you will not only need to cut suitable cuttings, but also keep the young plants in the room until spring. In this case, the propagation of hydrangeas by cuttings occurs as follows:

1. In autumn, before covering adult plants for the winter, cuttings are cut from them. In this case, you should choose only strong, well-developed shoots. Each stalk should contain two leaf nodes. The cut line should pass (both above and below) obliquely and at least 1 cm from the kidney. The lower leaves are removed, leaving a small stalk of the petiole in the sinus, and the upper ones are cut in half.
2. In order to disinfect, the prepared cuttings are soaked for about an hour in a solution of baseazole. Then, the upper cut of the stem is treated with brilliant green, and the lower is sprinkled with a means to stimulate root formation.
3. In a container with loose, fertile soil, pits are made in advance, which can be sprinkled with a composition against the formation of rot. A stalk is inserted into the hole, slightly compacted and sprinkled with earth.
4. The container with cuttings is wrapped in a plastic bag, forming a semblance of a greenhouse, and put in a bright place. Several times a week your “little boy” needs to be aired and soil moisture checked. As the young leaves take root and form, the time spent by the cuttings in the open air is increased, while carefully observing that the shoots do not dry out or freeze. In winter, you can organize additional illumination of shoots with fluorescent lamps.

If you decide to start preparing cuttings in the spring, then you need to get down to business in March-April, when hydrangea has just emerged from a state of dormancy and begins to grow with green shoots. The sooner you cut the cuttings, the more branched the young plants will turn out, and vice versa, late cuttings produce predominantly single-stem plants. Planting material is best cut from bushes older than 1-2 years: so the cuttings will be strong, and this will not harm an adult plant. So, the propagation of hydrangeas by cuttings in the spring involves the following stages:

1. 
   The strongest basal shoots are selected, since the probability of their survival is highest. Cuttings from the lateral shoots enter the flowering phase faster, while not having time to form a strong root system.
2. In contrast to the autumn preparation of planting material, during spring propagation, the upper growth point is not cut off. Otherwise, the mechanism for preparing cuttings and their rooting is almost the same.
3. After a few weeks, when young plants take root well and release 6-5 pairs of new leaves, the tip can be pinched to form a lush bush. However, it is important not to overdo it, because hydrangea releases inflorescences only at the top of the shoot.
   
   So, the right choice of planting material and creating comfortable conditions for young plants is the key to success, whether it is the propagation of hydrangeas by cuttings in water or in the ground, in autumn or spring. So good luck with your endeavors!