[sal]

I saw a lovely deep maroon hydrangea recently with dark reddy leaves, can cuttings be taken from it? and when

[Greengage]

Select a 6" non flowering stem it will be lighter in colour than the others. With a sharp pair of secateurs and cut the stem off just below a leaf node. A leaf node is where a set of leaves will be growing from. The cutting should be at least 6 inches long and should contain at least one set of leaves above the leaf node.

Next, remove all of leaves except the top two from the cutting. You should now only have two leaves on your cutting. Cut the two remaining leaves in half crosswise ie straight across not along their length.

you can dip the end of the cutting in rooting hormone. While rooting hormone will increase the chances of successfully propagating it is not necessary.
Now, push the cutting into damp potting soil. Cover the pot with a plastic bag, making sure that the bag does not touch the leaves of the cutting otherwise it could rot..

Place the pot in a sheltered location out of direct sunlight. Check the cutting every few days to make sure the soil is still damp. In about three to four weeks, the cutting will be rooted and your hydrangea can be potted on into a larger pot and protected from frost until next spring.

[sal]

thank you,looking forward to seeing this grow, it really is an unusual hydrangea, never seen them before ,yet now I have seen them in a few places though must say they don't look as big and healthy as the usual ones, but maybe they need a different soil?

[Blowin]

Don't forget, Sal, that the colour of a hydrangea is affected by the alkalinity/acidity of the soil it's grown in. I don't want to rain on your parade but you may not get the carbon copy you're hoping for.

[Sue Deacon]