Grow Hydrangeas from Cuttings Using One Veggie for Better Success

If you're the proud owner of a hydrangea plant, you'll know how stunning they can be with the right care. Besides pruning, there's one crucial task that gardeners should never overlook: propagation.

As spring and summer approach, many gardening enthusiasts will be keen to get their hydrangeas in top condition. Propagation, or increasing the number of plants, can help rejuvenate your garden after a long, harsh winter. And according to experts, there's one vegetable that can assist with propagating your hydrangea cuttings, reports the Express .

Elise Harlock, floral expert at Prestige Flowers, revealed: "Potatoes are a surprisingly simple tool to use in your garden. It can be disheartening to see your plants and flowers dwindling after winter, propagation is the best way to bring your garden back to life. By inserting flower cuttings into a potato before planting in soil, it creates a stable environment and keeps the cutting hydrated."

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Plants like hydrangeas and roses can greatly benefit from this method, as potatoes act as a natural moisture reservoir, keeping cuttings hydrated while they develop roots. These plants require consistent moisture to thrive in their early stages.

How to propagate with potatoes

For this technique, use a medium-sized potato and take a screwdriver or pencil to make a hole in the potato, deep enough so the end of the plant stem can fit snugly.

You may utilize clippings of various sizes; however, a stem between 6 to 8 inches tends to be more efficient. Should you opt for shorter stems, make sure to resize your potato correspondingly.

Elise suggested that dipping the stem in a rooting hormone prior to placing the cutting inside the potato can help with root growth, though it’s not mandatory.

Once you have inserted the stem into the potato, proceed to plant the potato in soil that drains well, ensuring that just the cutting remains exposed above the surface.

Elise elaborated: "Maintain dampness in the soil without causing waterlogged conditions. A few weeks later, test the cutting by giving it a gentle tug. Resistance indicates that rooting has occurred."

After the roots have formed, you can transfer your young plant either into the soil outdoors or into a container. While some horticulturists opt for letting the potato break down on its own, others choose to take out the cuttings and cultivate them separately.

Elise cautioned, "Remember that your plant will remain young and delicate, so monitor it closely, particularly if you plan to put it outdoors."

Potatoes serve as an effective means of propagating plants, enhancing your chances of successful growth. They are straightforward enough for gardeners to try out different types of plants, herbs, and flowers.