The EASIEST way to propagate Limelight Hydrangeas!!

[@Williamleebowman]

Another good video, i love hardwood cuttings. I found a alternative method a. few years ago when i was going to be laid up due to knee replacement. I took all my hardwood cuttings in late November after dormancy and before my knee replacement and dipped them in root and grow, used a rubber band to hold them in bundles and buried them in a half barrel of slightly moist peat moss until march when i was back on my feet and then put them out in my bottom heated propagating bed, they had huge calluses and some even already had small roots. Had nearly 100% success rate and great roots before much top growth really quick. You've became one of my favorite u tube sources.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

I've heard of that... never tried it though. Thanks for the idea!

[@generationshomestead]

Hey there savvy dirt farmer! I just found your channel yesterday. It was recommended to me by a friend. I’ve already watched a bunch of your videos. You’re doing a great job! My wife and I are doing similar down here in Alabama. God Bless!!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

We’re from Alabama originally! Best of luck on your growing

[@robcutlip1909]

What part of Alabama are you from? We are living in Southside near Gadsden.

[@Cherryparfait41]

Such perfect timing! I have a low branch that I was having a hard time sacrificing. Freaky 65° day here in southern Ohio and I’m taking care of some roses. Now, I know just what to do to get more plants instead of simply wasting that limb! 😃

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Might as well try it! Nothing lost if it doesn't work. As your weather warms, keep the cuttings moist (not soaked) and in the shade for best results.

[@Cherryparfait41]

@@savvydirtfarmer Yes, and will do! I have a spot that’s perfectly protected. Been able to start a variety of things right into the rich ground, covered with large jars. Thanks!

[@thatlittlevoice8292]

I love winter.

[@merediths.8597]

Wow, thanks for the great video!I sold my house and am sadly leaving behind my beloved Limelight. I can't wait until winter to take cuttings/dormant stems. Could I cut some now(while in bloom) and let them dry out, then plant in soil?please & thanks

[@savvydirtfarmer]

The cuttings need to be fresh. They won't work dried out. But - they will work as hardwoods or as softwoods in SPring/summer.

[@JeffSueBell195]

Can you use other hydrangeas or just limelight? So cool!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Can use others

[@userhandle1234]

After they take root and start growing is there anything you need to do to encourage more branching?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Prune as they grow

[@nativegardenangel]

Great tips for propagating Hydrangeas! Will be starting some soon!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

thanks Marilyn. Will be getting some more content out soon!

[@gerbasia309]

I learned a lot from this video, thank you!🤩 will try this tomorrow with my vanilla strawberry hydrangeas 🙌

[@savvydirtfarmer]

sounds good!

[@jkkelley7582]

Sounds like a great project for me! It is a little warm this year, I may wait a week or two!

[@joshg9143]

Thanks for another video, one thing I'm wondering about is what to do when the hardwoods start leafing out? I've collected some this past winter, and some leafs growing, but some wilting. Keep under shade? How often you water? Keep updating, thanks!!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

The two keys with hardwood propagating is keeping them moist, but not soaked, and shade... fulls shade, or very close. Looks like I've lost most of mine this Spring. I usually root them in the shade of a large dogwood tree, but most of that tree looks to be dead this Spring and hasn;t provided the needed shade. So, I'll have to do more as softwoods starting in a few weeks. Not a big setback, really.

[@joshg9143]

@@savvydirtfarmer thanks man, yeah mine are in similar- prob exposed to too much sun/wind. I might try a shade cloth over remaining to hopefully minimize both. Softwood seem trickier without the misting system. Hope to see your technique in upcoming vids..

[@savvydirtfarmer]

@@joshg9143 I'll do a video on my summer propagation soon... the time of year is coming quickly!

[@jparks7874]

Hey, just watched the latest video and came back to watch one of your older videos. I stuck a lot of hydrangea hardwood cuttings in January and February. Most of them have leafed out over the past month, it is mid April here in Alabama. But they don’t have roots, how long will it take for roots? When can I pot up?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Leave them alone this entire season, at least until early fall. FULL SHADE for now, keep them moist. They'll start rooting in a few weeks.

[@graciegrace8681]

Whats the brand of the fine mulch (or what ever you call it) that you use growing cuttings? I plan to propagate my roses.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

I use miracle grow and pine bark. Or if propagating in dish pans, sand w/ pine bark

[@raefaulkner5497]

Excellent thank you, really helpful and so easy

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@pedropereira8924]

Thanks again!!!

[@tifflet818]

Can I do this currently as it’s June and 110 degrees here in Texas? Is that too hot to take a cutting and try to root it? Also these cuttings would be taken from currently blooming Lime Lights. Does that make a difference?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

I would. And, I would do them under mist. If you don't have mist, you have to have high humidity (plastic, ventilated enclosure) or full shade. Worse thing that happens is they all die. You lose nothing by trying.

[@lizrose9981]

Great info re propagation…could I just put them in the ground instead of planting them into something? I am doing the propagation just for myself to enlarge my hydrangea!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Never tried, but can't see why it wouldn't work.

[@harjindersaroya6604]

Hi, thank you so much for all the great tips. I propogated some hydrangeas at the end of July and, five weeks later, they are nicely taking root. The weather here will quickly turn frosty overnight and our winter temperatures will hit -25° Celsius and colder. We are in zone 3b. I currently have my five outside in disposable drinking cups, covered in plastic bags. Any suggestions for what I should do with them over the winter? Our temps for the rest of Sept should be around 16 Celsius and Oct will definitely get quite frosty overnight. By Nov, we will be well into 4-5 months of winter. Thank you

[@savvydirtfarmer]

If they are hardy in your zone, you shouldn't need to do anything to them to overwinter. Maybe get them out of the wind.... Place them against against a South facing wall (warmer)... maybe cover them with some white plastic. Any of those would help. Me? I don't do anything with mine.. but then again, I am in zone 7.

[@harjindersaroya6604]

@@savvydirtfarmer thank you so much for the quick reply!

[@attktitan6057]

Can you do this method in early spring? If so how?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Exactly as shown. But you have to get it done before they start leafing out…. Then place in full shade

[@attktitan6057]

@@savvydirtfarmer ok thanks!

[@BooYahPower]

I have access to a greenhouse…can I forgo sitting them outside, put them in the greenhouse, and get a jump on them growing?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

That's probably fine, but let them be dormant for a while first. They need a dormancy period.

[@travelingwiththeragans]

When can I do this, anytime of the year?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

This is a winter method, but very similar to warm weather method

[@EveBrandy]

Your poor hands🥶 Thank you so much for the information. Hydrangeas and Hostas by the hundreds...I can see it now. Ok I can see it in June😎

[@savvydirtfarmer]

By the THOUSANDS. 🙄 Thanks for watching!

[@EveBrandy]

@@savvydirtfarmer I feel faint from the thought of all that potential🌺🌼 Bring it on. Thousands it is!

[@liemnguyen5264]

I have a few "very young Limelight" from cuttings. I've transplanted them into small pots. Winter is coming (I am in zone 7), do I need to bring them inside or can I just leave them outdoors? Thanks,

[@savvydirtfarmer]

As long as they can harden off and go dormant in a relatively normal manner (just meaning they don't go from 80 degrees with fresh green growth to 20 degrees and frozen over night) they should be fine.

[@BooYahPower]

How long do those take to become sellable 1 gallon plants?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

About 1.5 years.

[@gabbysgoods827]

Hi. I want to do this and I’ve been trying to do this. Not during the winter 🥶 weather

[@hosta127]

I watched you stick arbor vitae cuttings very close together in a dish pan of sand and soil conditioner in another video. Could I do multiple hydrangea cuttings the same way as long as I keep them watered? I may have access to hundreds of cuttings very shortly.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Yes… the soil conditioner just makes the pans lighter. Pure sand works fine with hydrangeas too. Make sure you know exactly what variety of hydrangeas you’re dealing with

[@hosta127]

@@savvydirtfarmer Thank you! I may not be able to determine the variety because they are freebies. I can identify oak leaf hydrangea, and some others are all white and grow in full sun. Others may be a guess. I plan to let them grow out for a couple seasons so I can at least see the color of the blooms.

[@rondam987]

Love your watering bottle, it looks familiar where did you get it? New subscriber, love you videos!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Thanks for watching! Water bottle? No idea where that came from

[@jeffmeyers3837]

@@savvydirtfarmer It's the water bottle visible in the video at 7:33. I'd also like to know, that looks useful.

[@jessicavalentin6031]

It's a perineal irrigation bottle for postpartum

[@Whipporwhill]

Will this work with viburnum family shrubs (Snowball bush) as well? And what about with lilacs?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Yes and yes

[@Whipporwhill]

@@savvydirtfarmer Great, thank you!

[@melissabrown3863]

Does it have to be in the winter from last year's growth? Can it be done in the Spring/Summer on fresh green wood?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

These can be done in winter via hardwood cuttings (previous season's growth) or as softwoods, under mist, on current season's green growth.

[@kennyjohnson6875]

Thanks

[@evanillasky]

Would tgis work if your winter goes down to -40C below freezing?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

It should work if whatever plants you're working with are hardy in your particular growing zone.

[@jeanbowman1322]

Can you propagate Crape Myrtles this way?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

I've never tried, but they seem like the kind of plant that would work. If you try, let me know how it works.

[@nicomyth]

I have more success with the early semi hardwood growth. I propagate my mophead Nikkos this way but my limelight seem to fare better from the young growth. I am in a warmer zone 8.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

The reason I even bother with hardwoods in winter is because the hydrangeas need to be hard pruned anyway, and all those cuttings, many hundreds or thousands, are going to waste. So, why not make baby plants with them? I do them as hardwoods in winter and under mist in late SPring/early summer.

[@angrydwarfofdoom]

Just to confirm: you can keep these fittings outside in the winter? I personally have hydrangea along with mulberry, dogwood, hosta, and japanese maple cuttings. Can these all be kept outside even in the cold?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

I keep all my plants out in the weather all winter - cold, rain, snow, pots frozen solid, whatever. Lose very few plants.

[@angrydwarfofdoom]

@@savvydirtfarmer Wow, that’s amazing. I don’t have much space inside and was going to just take a few. But if I can leave them outside all winter, that opens up so many options! I’m zone 6, so we do get weather in the 20s, but normally we average in the 30s. Can the cuttings handle that?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

@@angrydwarfofdoom Yes. Our coldest weeks here we are below 10, occasionally as low a 0, and I've never lost big numbers of plants due to the cold.

[@angrydwarfofdoom]

@@savvydirtfarmer This comment has rocked my world. Subscribed. And now I need to go out and find some arborvitae to propagate.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

@@angrydwarfofdoom One thing you may do is just cover your cuttings with some white plastic during winter. You're fine without it, but it does add some peace of mind. It just moderates the climate a bit. Definitely no need for a greenhouse or bringing things inside - nothing like that.

[@gardengnome7788]

Is there a follow up for this

[@savvydirtfarmer]

I burned these getting them too much sun too soon last Spring. The new crop looks great though... I'll have a follow up on them eventually.

[@terrystevens8890]

Can you show the results?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

I made a mistake in early May... they leafed out nicely, but most of the leaves burned before they rooted. I didn't give enough shade.

[@mommaoinnh2674]

What if you left them inside near a window for a month?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

May work for a few. On a large scale, just doesn't make sense. Would probably work though.

[@Froggy81385]

Do you have a follow up to this to show the growth?

[@Froggy81385]

Also, I was thinking of making a hedge of limelight and vanilla strawberry alternating. Would that look weird?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

I killed them all with too much sun too soon. Lesson learned. Had better success this year.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Sure, why not!! Would definitely be unique.

[@fordguyfordguy]

where is the follow up!!!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

I killed them all... too much sun, not enough water. This year's crop is looking much, much better.

[@zuzzzer]

This will not root. You need two pairs of buds on your cuttings at least. One in the soil as roots will sprout from that location, one above soil level to have leaves from.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Negative. Hydrangeas do not require a bud below soil level to root at a VERY high percentage. Most plants do. Hydrangeas do not.

[@louisfarrer3962]

"False" this reply reminds me of Dwight from the office 😆 😂

[@donthompson4912]

Your dog looks very cold.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

What about my dog looked cold?