Over the years, hydrangeas can develop into powerful bushes that take up a lot of space in the garden. It may then become necessary to dig up and divide the plant. With our instructions, this small feat of strength is guaranteed to succeed and you will soon be able to enjoy two wonderfully blooming hydrangea bushes.
How to divide and propagate hydrangeas?
To divide a hydrangea successfully, dig it up in autumn or spring, carefully saw the rootstock into two or three parts and plant the parts in soil suitable for ericaceous plants. So you can enjoy several flowering hydrangea bushes in the garden.
When is it allowed to share?
You should preferably divide the hydrangea during dormancy, as you can shorten the shrub by a good third at this time without weakening the plant too much. This measure also makes the hydrangea easier to transport, as annoying branches and a lot of weight have fallen victim to the scissors.
A good time to divide the hydrangea is autumn, after the hydrangea has shed its leaves. You can still divide the hydrangea in early spring. However, it will then use all its strength to form new roots and therefore will not produce any flowers in the year after division.
Dig up hydrangea
Do the following:
- Make a ring-shaped trench around the plant. The diameter roughly corresponds to the crown.
- Dig up the root ball as extensively as possible.
- Carefully pry the hydrangea out of the ground.
Share rootstock
Depending on the size of the root system, you can now divide the plant into two or three sections. In contrast to many other perennials and shrubs, this cannot be done with a spade or digging fork. The hydrangea forms an extremely hard root piece that can only be divided with a saw.
So that the hydrangea root is not damaged during this care measure, the saw should be very clean and, if possible, even disinfected. After sawing, it is recommended to dust the wound with a little charcoal. Wrap the rootstock tightly in burlap and transport the hydrangea to its new location.
Inserting the hydrangea
The new planting hole must be significantly larger than the roots. When planting very large specimens, it is helpful to have a second person level the hydrangea while you fill the planting hole with soil. Treat the soil well and wash in the hydrangea thoroughly.
Tips & Tricks
Hortensias are among the ericaceous plants. It is therefore preferable to place the divided hydrangea in special hydrangea soil. Alternatively, rhododendron or azalea substrate is suitable.
