Splitting Hydrangeas

[katier72]

Hi Everyone,
I was wondering if you could tell me a bit about splitting hydrangeas? I have two plants established from splittings I received two years ago from a neighbor. They are still fairly small (24 inches high by 18 inches wide). Are they too small to split?

Another hydrangea question while I'm here: How do you prune them? Do you cut down the woody stems? Last year I just left the alone and let the new growth grow around them.....Is that the right or wrong route to take?

Thanks for any and all input!!

 

[ChanellG]

Hi, I'm surprised no one has answered you. I don't grow hydrangeas at the moment, but I often prune and divide my plants. I think from your description they are a good size for pruning or dividing, but it depends on whether you want to control their size or multiply them in order to have more plants. Are the plants in containers or in the ground?

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Ok, I will answer this question, just saw. First there are three groups of hydranges, knowing what group yours falls in will help. Number two, do not split any group. There are some hyranges that will spit up babies from themselves along the ground, you will see a runner coming from the mom, about good 6 inches from the base or more, It is that baby you can take and root somewhere else, a good sharp shovel to sever the connection into the soil, get as much as you can close to the mom but do not hurt the mom.
As far a pruning, it goes back to know your type. I have 13 varieties, rarely do I prune any of them. I think new gardeners are pruning happy. The ones that put up new growth from the soil up, I will cut back the old growth to about half the height, the old growth serves as a cage for the new to be supported on especially should their blooms get to heavy.
Rule of thumb for me, as a hydranga is considered a shrub, you do not split any shrub.

 

[IcyBC]

From what I see what my mom did, she just took a branch of the hydrangea and planted it directly into the soil. She has great success with this method and her hydrangea seems to bloom beautifully even when the plant was still little.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

was it an actual branch from the shrub or a branch at the base of the shrub, that is two different branches.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Right now, I have three hydrangeas that have made babies, of which are between 2 to 3 feet from the mom. It will be an easy thing to shovel down to brake the connection and get a nice amount of root material with the baby shrub and move to another location.