Detailed Explanation of the Key Propagation Techniques for Bigleaf Hydrangea

The flowering bigleaf hydrangea is commonly propagated by three methods: cuttings, layering, and division.

① Propagation by cuttings. Between April and May each year, select vigorous young shoots of the current year's growth (suckers growing from the base of the plant are even better), cut them off just below a node near the base, and trim them into cuttings about 6 cm long (the cut surface should be smooth). Then insert them into loose soil to a depth of one node, water thoroughly, and place them in a shaded spot for care, misting frequently to keep them moist. Plant them out in autumn, and they will bloom the following year.

② Propagation by layering. Before or after spring growth begins, wound a two-year-old branch with a knife, wrap soil around it, and once it has rooted, cut it off and transplant it in the summer of the same year. If layering is done in mid-June, young shoots of the current year should be used. Layering can also be done by the method of removing the top portion without wounding, and roots generally form after about 1 month.

③ Propagation by division. This is done in early spring before growth begins, when the pot is being repotted: cut the root crown of the plant into several sections and plant each one separately. Bigleaf hydrangeas propagated by this method can bloom in the same year.