How to Propagate Hydrangea M. Lacecap

Lacecap hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla normalis) is grown just like its more popular cousin, mophead hydrangeas. They differ in their foliage and flower form. Lacecaps may sometimes produce variegated foliage, and the flowers are flatter than the familiar, round pom-poms of the mopheads. Lacecaps are just as easy to propagate as mopheads, however, using cuttings taken in early summer.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

• Planting pot
• Vermiculite
• Pruning shears
• Scissors
• Rooting hormone
• Craft sticks, chopsticks or small plant stakes
• Plastic bag

1. Fill a planting pot with vermiculite and pour water over it until it is uniformly moist. Create a planting hole in the middle, using a pencil, wooden chopstick or your finger.

2. Take a 6-inch piece of branch from the lacecap hydrangea. For best results, choose one did not flowered in the current year. Make the cut at a 45-degree angle.

3. Remove the bottom two leaves from the cutting. Use scissors to cut the remaining leaves in half.

4. Dip the angled end of the lacecap hydrangea cutting into rooting hormone and stick it into the planting medium, deep enough so that the bottom two leaf nodes are buried. Water the medium again until the water drains from the bottom of the pot. Use your hand to pack the vermiculite around the cutting.

5. Place craft sticks or wooden chopsticks into the vermiculite, at the perimeter of the pot. Place the plastic bag over the pot, guiding it over the sticks. Use the sticks to hold the plastic away from the lacecap cutting’s foliage.

6. Place the cutting in a bright area, but not in direct sun. You will probably not need to water again, but check the soil periodically and if it appears to be drying, use a spray bottle filled with water to spritz the soil. The cutting should root within three weeks.

7. Remove the cutting from the bag and place it in a lightly shaded area outdoors.

Tips & Warnings

• Protect the new lacecap hydrangea cutting in the winter by covering it with a larger clay pot.