Oakleaf hydrangeas can add a touch of elegance to any garden center.
If you’re a gardening enthusiast looking to expand your collection, you’ll be pleased to know how to grow oakleaf hydrangea from cuttings.
With the proper techniques, you can easily DIY and enjoy its stunning blooms later. Lucky you, we’ll guide you through the step-by-step process of growing and pro tips without breaking the bank.
Dig in and get started on this exciting gardening journey!
How To Grow Oakleaf Hydrangea From Cuttings: A Step-by-step Guide
How to propagate oak leaf hydrangeas?
After picking the optimal time for rooting and preparing enough tools, get the cuttings early in the morning and treat them with a specific hormone.
Then, just plant and transfer them to new homes or gardens.
Choose The Optimum Time For Rooting
Regarding how to plant oakleaf hydrangea, pinpointing the suitable rooting time is the first step.
Hydrangeas are woody-stemmed plants with a different root system than soft-stemmed and non-woody ones. Thus, trying to root hydrangeas in water, like many houseplants, rarely works.
To best plant hydrangea stem cuttings, pick the right time with potting mix.
You can root the “hardwood” cuttings when the new stems have developed solid, in early winter months or late fall. It may take a long time for hardwood cuttings to root.
Also, many seasoned hydrangea growers employ “softwood cuttings” as they root more quickly with superior results.
It’s ideal for propagating softwoods when the new stems begin to harden, early summer or late spring. In most regions, the perfect time is from May to mid-July.
At this point, cuttings tend to thrive, and new hydrangea stems bend yet snap off readily.
To this end, make the most of a high-quality rooting hormone, like RootBoostTM Rooting Hormone, to boost solid root formation even more.
Gather The Tools Before Starting
Before propagating, prepare the items below to help you move fast and effectively:
- Adopt sharp pruners or a knife for clean and sharp cuts.
- A container filled with lukewarm, shallow water to halt your cutting from drying out.
- A mini dipping bowl with RootBoostTM Rooting Hormone.
- Cup-like containers or a planting tray filled with dampened potting mix.
- A pencil-sized stick or garden dibble to make planting holes.
- Use plastic bags to create tiny greenhouses for your cuttings.
Get The Cuttings In The Early Morning
For the optimal root, collect the cuttings early before the day’s heat sets in. At that moment, plants are most hydrated and refreshed.
It’s vital as hydrangea cuttings taken during such early hours work better than hot and dried stems.
Pick the fresh stems from the year’s growth. Their hue will be paler than that of older ones. Beyond that, pick non-flowering pieces with many leaves for optimal outcomes.
You can utilize numerous stems or one only for several cuttings.
Cut your stems into 4-6 inch sections using pruners or a knife. Create stem pieces just above their nodes with green leaves attaching. New hydrangea roots will begin to form at these nodes.
Eliminate all leaves except one setting at the cuttings’ top. Afterward, submerge all cuttings in shallow and lukewarm water to keep them hydrated.
Treat The Cuttings With Particular Hormone
The rooting hormone encourages the development of sturdy, uniform roots of cuttings. It can help you hit the goal easier, and all plants can have rigid hydrangea roots.
Just added a proper amount of RootBoostTM Rooting Hormone to the dipping bowl. Never dip cuttings straight in the product container unless you want to pollute the entire fluid.
Work on every cutting at a time. If needed, rehydrate all cuttings for the best oakleaf hydrangea propagation. Then, thoroughly dip the stem’s bottom halves in the rooting hormone.
Set your eyes on the root nodes until they grow roots. Gently tap the stems to let off the extra hormones, then your cuttings are good to go. It’s the ideal planting time.
Plant The Cuttings Promptly
Create planting holes in the prepared potting mix using the stick or dibble. These holes must be at least 2 – 3 inches thick and large enough to fit a cutting in without displacing your rooting powder.
Insert your cutting with the potting mix covering at least 2 bare nodes and the stem’s bottom half. Mildly firm your potting mix around your cuttings afterward.
With the cuttings having enormous leaves, you can clip off these leaves’ top half to reduce moisture loss or water loss.
To form a little greenhouse and retain humidity, wrap plastic bags around the container holding each cutting. If necessary, use a stick to reinforce your bags so they won’t rest on the leaves.
Give Them New Homes
After completing propagating oakleaf hydrangea, celebrate your success with the new hydrangeas having robust and healthy growth.
Finally, transfer your little creations into larger containers or gardens.
How To Grow Oakleaf Hydrangea From Seed
Collecting Hydrangea Seeds
Hydrangeas produce tiny seeds through their massive long-stem flowers.
After the mature plant blooms, it takes 8-12 weeks for the blossom to start fading and drying.
Once this time passes, cut these flower heads and put them in brown paper bags. Keep them inside the bag for a further 3–7 days.
When the oakleaf hydrangea flowers are prepared, hold the bag tightly and shake it. The florets’ seeds will start to come off as a result.
Germinating Hydrangea Seeds
After gathering hydrangea seeds in the fall, you may sow them right away. Alternatively, you can keep them in plastic bags in a cool setting and wait until spring for seed germination.
Stick to these steps regardless of the time frame you choose.
- Scatter your seeds on the surface of a flat filled with potting soil. Just spread them over the soil’s top and do not mix with dirt or bury them.
- Keep your soil evenly moistened and well-drained.
- Position the flat in a wind-protected area with sufficient sun. The whole process may take 14 days.
- For seeds having grown into little plants, you can apply the same procedures on how to propagate oakleaf hydrangea cuttings as stated above.
How To Care For Oakleaf Hydrangea Plant
Light
Sufficient sunlight is required for all plants.
Being an understory species, oakleaf varieties benefit from afternoon shade, particularly in southern regions where nearly complete shadow may be required.
Still, hydrangeas living in the North can tolerate direct sunlight.
Soil
Grow beautiful hydrangeas on well-drained acidic soil with a pH range of 5.0 to 6.5 and have been heavily composted.
Water
Like cultivating wild blackberries in your garden, water is core in planting oakleaf hydrangeas.
These plants prefer moisture content and require more water as their exposure to sunshine increases. A dense layer of mulch covering the area beneath the bush will aid in preserving moist soil.
Bottom Lines
Oakleaf hydrangeas are a gorgeous addition to any woodland garden or landscape with their large, showy blooms and vibrant foliage.
With that in mind, if you’re looking to expand these drop-dead plants, stick to the steps on how to grow oakleaf hydrangea from cuttings.
Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a beginner, this guide is worth referring to for optimal success.
So, grab your gardening gloves and get started! Share this post with other gardeners as well!
