HYDRANGEA

Ingat lagi tak cik rin buat n3 pasal cik rin berkebun, ha! cik rin dah rajin menanam pokok-pokok bunga kat rumah ni. Terutama hydrangea.......menarikkankan bunga dia, seperti kumpulan rama-rama kecil yang comel sedang berkumpul hinggap didahan. Hydrangea cik rin yang dulu tinggal cenonet jer. Baru nak naik membiak. Sebabnya tak terjaga. Sekarang ne mood gardening dah mula tersemai dalam diri cik rin. harap-harap rajin cik rin  memanjang. Ni ada petua cara nak tanam hydrangea. Tak susah pun, ikut saja langkah-langkah kat bawah ni.

(Cik rin pun bukan fasih sangat bahasa English ni, skit2 boleh ler)

 




ROOTING CUTTINGS IN FIVE EASY STEPS

1. Take a cutting from a branch of the hydrangea shrub about 5-6" long. Most experts say the cutting will work best if taken from a branch that did not flower this year.



2. Remove the lower leaves of the bottom two leaf nodes.(see pictures #3 and #4)



3. Cut largest leaves down to about half their size



4. Dip cuttings in rooting hormone (this is entirely optional) and insert into damp vermiculite, coarse sand or other sterile medium.



5. Water pot well and allow to drain. Make sure soil is moist but not soggy. Cover cuttings and pot with plastic. Try to keep plastic from touching leaves by adding stakes (#5) or



6. See some short-cut methods below sent to me by visitors to this site.

O.K., I admit I stuck three steps in number 5, but this really is simple.

TIPS: Place cuttings in bright light. NEVER PLACE NEW CUTTINGS IN THE SUN. They will cook in the plastic. And even if they are not in plastic, they should be placed in a bright shady area.

Do not water again until top of soil begins to feel slightly dry. Overwatering will cause cuttings to rot.

Expect cuttings to begin to form roots in 2-3 weeks depending on temperature (faster in warm weather) and humidity. Some cuttings root in as little as one week. If a tug on the cutting resists the pull, it is rooting.


NOTE on overwintering cuttings: Getting cuttings through the first winter without a greenhouse is the hardest part of starting new hydrangeas from cuttings. Start new cuttings early in the summer to give them the best chance for surviving the winter.

While some people manage to take cuttings through the winter indoors, in general, this does not work well. Hydrangeas do best if grown outdoors. Here are two suggestions for getting cuttings through the winter: (1) sink pots of cuttings into the ground and cover well with lightweight mulch, and (2) put smaller pots of cuttings next to a foundation and cover them with large clay pots for the winter.