Propagating Native Oakleaf Hydrangeas (Hydrangea Quercifolia Harmony) from cuttings

Allen shows us how he propagates native harmony hydrangeas from cuttings.

[@goodwinezone2320]

You may notice I took some cuttings from above, rather than below the leaf node. The “proper” method is below the node, and this is what I have done in the past. There is something about the biology of the plant that makes this the best place to start new roots. This year I am trying some cut just above the node. I want to see the difference, if any. I’ll update with the results in a few months. Maybe in a new video. Thanks, Allen

[@limitlessends]

Just wanted to say I really appreciate the kind hearted banter about missing kitchen items. “Hey are those my kitchen shears?” 😆

[@goodwinezone2320]

Ha! Thanks for watching and your comment. Banter is what I do! Also, need to show an update… the deer got to this crop and annihilated it!

[@limitlessends]

Noooo! I’ve been watching so many native gardening videos and the deer find native plants to be a tasty snack.

[@goodwinezone2320]

@@limitlessendsyep! And guess what happened to all of these cuttings…! That’s why I haven’t filmed an update. They came and ate all of the cuttings!

[@heartofdixieprepping4797]

I'm from South Alabama. I have the native Oakleaf hydrangeas. I have a very old plant. Its not putting out as many flowers as I think is normal. So I've decided to try for new plants. So glad I found you in my research for propagating these beautiful plants.

[@goodwinezone2320]

Thanks! I am overdue for an update on this… hopefully will get it posted soon. Best of luck on your cuttings. Did you have some cold weather down there this year? A lot of the hydrangeas did not bloom as normal because the cold zapped the bloom buds. But you may be far south enough it didn’t get to you. But I also agree with your assessment, that you will generally have fewer blooms on older plants. I’ll bet you have some very large beautiful leaves though! Thanks for your very nice comment. Allen

[@TheMag20]

You cut below the node because it produces the roots when propagating. You can also do air layering by stripping the outer layer around the node and place a cut bottle with soil around it. When it roots you can then just cut it and plant it

[@TheTwistedarm]

RIP Sandy.

[@goodwinezone2320]

Thanks. Never replace Sandy, but we have three new dogs running around the place!

[@bonnieclagg5858]

Do you put them in shade or sun? And do you put them under a plastic bag?

[@goodwinezone2320]

The area I place them is mostly shade. I don’t put the plastic on top, but you certainly can. In fact there are some commercial mini-greenhouses that are tall enough to start them.

[@donniemcphail694]

Great video! Pruning my Oak Leaf hydrangea this morning. Can you take longer cuttings? Cutting off a couple feet.

[@goodwinezone2320]

Thanks Donnie. Great question. Remember you are going to cut and stick cuttings from the new growth this year. Green/ soft stems, not woody. Just want to mention that. I think you would have trouble with two issues: 1. such a tall cutting will have trouble standing up while it develops roots. I am afraid it would fall over/ bend, and cut off the conduit for nutrients to go up and down the stem. 2. It may have a hard time getting enough nutrients up and down a tall stem, to support the top and new root development. The tiny plant will struggle to stay alive anyway while it has no roots. So it’s making new roots, and I think it would be taxing it a lot to keep a long top alive while doing so. Does that make any sense? Just kind of theorizing here. Instead, what you might try, is… if you have leaves at several nodes up and down this stem, you can cut just below each node, and thus have maybe two (maybe 3 if you’re lucky) cuttings from the one long stem you cut. Does that make sense? Just make sure you have at least a couple of leafs for each node. I have done this before, but usually when I take cuttings, I’ll stick at least 36, so I have never kept up with whether these particular cuttings rooted. It’s a great question! And I am going to do that myself and I’ll make a video on it. But hey… if you have a lot of plant to take cuttings from, why not try a couple long ones like you’re talking about? Would be a neat experiment. And if you have a lot of stock plant, no big deal if you lose some. Please keep us posted, here in the comments, on how yours turn out. Thanks! Allen

[@goodwinezone2320]

And I’ll tel you the one more way you can absolutely develop new roots on a long stem like that… if you can bend that stem over where it will touch the ground, without breaking it, scuff it up just a bit, you can add a touch of rooting hormone, but you don’t have to, and put a brick on it, to keep that stem in contact with the ground. It will develop new roots at that spot. Then you can cut the stem and transplant the new plant! Awesome, and very easy way, to propagate hydrangeas!

[@donniemcphail694]

Thanks for the info. I was able to get ten cuttings from the new growth. Very happy with the results! Crossing my fingers that they start to root. Have a swell day! Happy 4th of July!!!

[@goodwinezone2320]

Great. Let us know how they do. Remember to keep them moist, but not soggy, where the stem will rot before it gets roots. They probably all won’t root, for some reason. I usually have about a 75% success rate. Thanks again for watching the video.

[@jewellrose5072]

What time of the year do you take cuttings (in Knoxville, Tennessee)

[@WannabeOperator]

I have an oakleaf hydrangea that I bought from a local store. It's got brown spots that come up on the leaves. I pruned all the bad leaves off, plant went dormant thru winter, now it's healthy and blooming like crazy but it's still having those brown spots pop up on the leaves and slowly kill them. Kinda reminds me of blight on tomatoes. Any tips to fix it?

[@goodwinezone2320]

Two ideas come to mind…1. Maybe a fungus. Brown spot is a common name for a particular fungus. (has an official Latin name, Tinnea something?)…Daconil is a good fungicide, but there are others. Certainly will not do any harm to spray a fungicide, just as a preventative. And if you spray fungicide you need to rotate chemicals. Don’t stick to the same one. 2. Look at the underside of the leaf. On some plants, azaleas especially, an insect will suck the sugar out of a leaf, and then a fungus/disease will grow on the damaged areas. My best advice is to take a leaf to your local nursery and have them look. Or take it to your local state coop office. Please keep us posted, this will be helpful to everyone. Thanks!

[@mayiles6082]

Can't see off camera.

[@pamelawinfield9211]

There are growth hormones in nodes

[@goodwinezone2320]

Cool, I was not aware of that. I do know you take the cuttings below the nodes. I took some above, wanted to see if any rooting from such, but I am afraid I created some confusion in the video. I am going to try and post an update…. But great comment, I very much appreciate that.