Spring Report Card

Don't give up and don't give it away. It's a learning lesson for all of us.

In case I forget, which is not uncommon, the cuttings you'd take for rooting would be those that have not flowered. You'd want the top leaves plus three nodes down and just insert them into a good (purchased) soil mix adding some builder's sand (not play sand or sand from the beach). Then you sit and wait and wait. By November you should see roots - plant them!

Or try a Rooter Pot and speed things up.

http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&p=46938&cat=2,47236

Good idea, Victor. I made my own two years ago (looked awful) and it worked.

My goodness, Victor! What's the new bump on your head? Looks like a golf ball!

Ha ha ha! Good one Pirl!

I bought those rooter pots... one of each size... still haven't tried them though

Speaking of rooting, One of the branches of my hydrangea has touched the ground, and seems to have put down roots there. I can now cut the branch and dig that part up and replant it, right?

Yes, you should be able to do that Noreaster. I would wait until early Fall, myself.

My mother and I were just discussing propagation methods yesterday. Her favorite method is to just put a brick or board over a low branch on a shrub or bush (without cutting it) so it sitting on the ground until it roots. What is nice about this is that there is no risk, and you do it early, leave it alone and try to forget about it. She said she's done roses that way, too. Most plants and shrubs have plenty of axillary buds in the stems and this is a way to awaken them. Since the buds aren't pre-programmed, if they're in the ground, the become roots. These are the same buds that will suddenly sprout leaves when you trim a plant back.

As for a report card... I made an exciting (and surprising) discovery yesterday - at least some of my glads are coming back, and the yellow-center/pink edge ones have new youngins' coming up. Those are my favorites and got them at the Dollar Store! After such a cold winter, I was pleasantly surprised to see they have survived! I actually found them while removing bishop's weed yesterday. I hope I didn't disturb their roots enough to bother them, but the bishop's weed has to go!

Noreaster - you might have to wait a while. Look at the size of the branch vs. the root size. If it just started recently and the roots are still small, I would let them develop more before cutting.

The latest word on cutting baby off of mother is to let it remain the first year and then make the cut (be sure you cut it all the way through) and at the end of year two you can transplant it with as much of the soil as you can. It's the way I did it last year and it works.

I'm honestly not sure how long it's been rooted there....didn't notice it until I was doing the Spring cleanup of the leaves around the base. But, it's probably got a lot of branch above it at this point. Naked branch, of course, lol. How does a plant know to start putting out new roots when a branch touches the ground? Just like I'll never understand how a plant knows it's been moved from one spot of dirt to another.

I'd ask mine but it never responds anyhow.

I think it's the contact with the soil that must send a signal that there's a chance to clone itself. That's my best guess. The brick idea to insure it stays put is one I've used with great success.

The axillary buds in the stems activate it, Noreaster. Same way you cut a bush back and new leaves pop out of no where below. A really good book is called "Botany for Gardeners" and it explains a lot of those mysteries. I was afraid that when I learned some of those mysteries that it wouldn't seem as exciting to me, but I appreciate the plants even more.

Noreaster - if you want to learn about starting hydrangeas from cuttings do a google search. I found info on some nut on Nantucket that started and could not stop. apparently Hydrangeas are one of the easier plants to do this with.

Nantucket also has a perfect climate for the lacecap type that I love but don't do well in my yard.
Hydrengea and Privit hedges ate trademarks after the grey shingle cottages.
Good luck, hope there will be pictures.
Jo Ann

I never had any problems with any hydrangeas. I love them.

i've given up on my smokebush coming back to life. Off to find a replacement and put the current one in sick bay for a possible resurrection. Just tired of looking at a brown stick bush in my front yard.

Dunno,I spent Mothers Day weekend on Nantucket many years ago and six years ago stayed in Sconset for a wedding, Everywhere I went there were Hydrengeas and privits were 12 feet tall as privacy hedges in front and around the big cottages.Looked like a maze.