propagation – Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Durham County

By Jeff Kanters, NC State Extension Master Gardener^SM volunteer of Durham County

A cluster of white hydrangea flowers against a leafy background.

Hydrangeas, including the variety ‘Annabelle’ seen here, are beloved plants in many Triangle-area landscapes. This showy shrub is right at home in a pollinator, rain, or shade garden and supports wildlife. (Image credit: Elsa Spezio CC-BY-SA 2.0)

As a Durham County Extension Master Gardener^SMvolunteer, I’ve had the chance to dive into the world of plant propagation, learning and honing my skills in growing plant cuttings from various plants. The process of taking and rooting cuttings from a plant to get a new plant genetically identical to the parent plant is termed asexual propagation. This offers an advantage in creating more plants with the exact same characteristics as the parent plant. However, there are also other ways of asexually propagating plants besides taking cuttings. One that I have found useful is called tip layering¹ and worth trying.

The Art of Tip Layering For Plant Propagation

Tip layering is a propagation method whereby a portion of a flexible limb or stem of a plant still attached to the parent plant is secured a few inches into the soil with the tip exposed above the soil, and the stem under the soil is allowed to root. This method of layering reduces water stress and maintains high carbohydrate and nutrient levels on the stem. Once fully rooted in the soil, the stem is cut from the parent plant and allowed to grow and develop separately on its own.

A hand-drawn illustration of a green plant with two leaves emerging from the soil, featuring a curved stem and roots visible below the surface.

Illustration of the parent plant (right) and one of its stems (left) secured under the soil with tip exposed. Note that the buried portion of the stem begins to take root in the soil. (Image credit: Jeff Kanters)

One advantage of tip layering is that you may get a larger plant established more quickly than a smaller rooted cutting. Also, plants propagated by this layering technique generally form roots more quickly with greater overall success than when they are propagated by cuttings. Not all plants respond well to this layering method, but many plants, like some vines or shrubs, such as azaleas, viburnum, climbing roses and native honeysuckle, have a natural ability to root easily if a portion of a limb or stem remains in contact with the soil for a period of time. How many of you may have left a lower hanging limb or vine touching the ground, only to find that after a year or so the limb had rooted on its own? Viola! Nature has been doing this as long as plants have been on the earth.

One group of plants that I have had success with easy tip layering are hydrangeas, especially the Hydrangea arborescens, ‘Annabelle.’ But first a simple word of caution: before you propagate, check for an active patent. When considering propagating any plant, especially a newer cultivar, you must first check the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database to determine if that specific type of plant is under an active patent. Plant patents are 20 years in duration from the time of application acceptance to its expiration date. If a plant is under an active patent, it is considered illegal to propagate for personal use or to sell until that patent expires and the plant then enters the public domain.

Fortunately, the hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ is not a patented hydrangea as it was discovered and propagated by gardeners around 1910 long before it was introduced into the nursery trade.

A lush bush of white hydrangea flowers surrounded by green leaves, with a wooden fence and a window with flower boxes in the background.

An impressive flowering Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ I like to call “Miss Annabelle” in my own landscape. Last year, I recorded a step-by-step process as I used tip layering to propagate a clone plant from this grand specimen. (Image credit: Jeff Kanters)

Key Components to Propagation through Tip Layering

When thinking about tip layering, remember it’s all about timing and the age of the plant stem. Timing in any type of propagation is important to successfully root many plants. The active growing period between spring and summer is the most ideal time for most plants as they are actively growing and the plant hormone levels are high. Also, the age of the stem makes a difference. A stem from last season’s growth or the current season’s growth are the best. Because of their youth and vigor, they may root more easily than an older woody stem.

As my hydrangea rapidly put out new growth last spring (2025) I continued to monitor it. By mid-summer I noticed a couple stems from last year’s growth or of the current season’s growth that would be worth propagating on the hydrangea. Let me take you through my process for performing tip layering on one of the stems of “Miss Annabelle.”

Assemble Your Tools

Three U-shaped landscape staples (a rock or small brick would work also).
Garden trowel.
Propagating knife (similar small garden knife works).
Powdered rooting hormone. I prefer powder because liquid hormones are difficult to apply. A quick note on storing powdered rooting hormones: store powdered rooting hormones in their original containers in a cool, dark location. After about two years, they lose most of their potency and should be replaced.
Small plastic cup to hold powdered hormone.
Q-tip.

A collection of tools on a dark countertop, including three U-shaped metal stakes, a small plastic cup with white powder inside, a container with a purple lid, a knife with a purple handle, and a cotton swab.

Tools for tip layering as outlined above. All that’s missing in this photo are the gardening trowel and the gardener. (Image credit: Jeff Kanters)

Simple Tip Layering Process

A person with a hand reaching down to touch a green plant leaf in a garden area, with a checkered tray and a shoe visible in the background. — 1

A close-up of a person's hand holding a gardening tool, digging into the soil among green plant leaves. — 1

Steps and image numbers correspond. (Image credit: Jeff Kanters)

Step 1: First, I chose a low hanging stem of the new season’s growth that has put out about two feet of growth over
the season. Then, I inspected the stem to ensure that it was flexible enough to bend to the ground without it breaking.

Step 2: I determined the location at the soil level where to best bend the stem down to anchor it and dug out a about three-inch-long and three-inch-deep trench in the soil with a trowel.

Step 3: I then set the stem in the trench to test placement.

Step 4: I poured less than a quarter teaspoon of rooting powder into a little plastic cup. Less is more. Used hormone is discarded and never returned to the original container to reduce contamination. Then, I sprayed 70% alcohol over the propagation knife to sanitize it before use. Spraying with Lysol also works. (Note: no corresponding photo)

Step 5: I tested the placement of the stem at the trench spot and then identified a location under a node on the stem to lightly scrape the surface of the stem, about an inch long, just enough to rough the surface and expose the inner layer.

A hand holding a small knife, cutting a green plant stem while surrounded by soil and leaves. — 5

A close-up image of two hands holding a green plant stem, demonstrating the process of splitting or examining the stem close to the soil. — 5

(Image credit: Jeff Kanters)

Step 6: I swirled the Q-tip in the small cup of rooting hormone powder, then I lightly rubbed the Q-tip of rooting powder along the scraped surface of the stem.

Step 7: I placed the stem section with rooting hormone along the bottom into the trench, set the three landscape staples to secure the stem to the soil

Step 8: Finally, I backfilled the trench with the surrounding soil.

A hand using a small tool to dig into dark soil among green plant leaves. — 7

Close-up of green leaves on the ground with soil and small twigs visible. — 7

(Image credit: Jeff Kanters)

Care After Plant Stem is Set for Tip Layering

I watered the area to ensure good soil-to-stem contact and kept the area deeply watered weekly when there was no rain for the following few months. I placed a marker at the site of the propagation. I left the stem in place over the remainder of the growing season, through fall and winter.

Close-up of green leaves on a small hydrangea plant, showcasing their texture and vibrant color, with a background of soil and mulch.

Success! Now in May of 2026, the stem I used for tip layering appears to be thriving. I will continue to monitor root development through this growing season. (Image credit: Jeff Kanters)

This spring, as the plant puts out new growth, I will inspect the buried stem for rooting. When rooted, I will cut off the stem from the parent shrub and either allow another year of growth and further root development in that location, or transplant to a gallon pot to establish and grow more before transplanting to a new site or passing on to other interested gardeners. Be patient. I’ve learned from experience that hydrangeas tend to benefit by allowing them a full year from summer through winter to the following spring for best root development and successful transplanting. Every plant is different though.

Give this propagation method a try. It’s a great way to produce more and bigger plants!

Notes

1–Tip layering is one layering method for plant propagation and probably one of the simplest for homeowners to try. Other methods include air layering, mound layering, and compound layering.

Resources and Additional Information

Plant Patent Laws and Propagation
Layering Propagation for the Home Gardener
Pruning Hydrangea

Edited by Melinda Heigel, NC State Extension Master Gardener^SM volunteer of Durham County

Article Short Link https://wp.me/p2nIr1-7uD

By Peter Gilmer, NC State Extension Master Gardener^SM volunteer of Durham County

(Image credit: University of New Hampshire Extension)

The “dead of winter” is an expression understandable when we had two weeks of cold and a touch of snow, not so understandable with temperatures in the 70s. For plants, the winter is a time of dormancy, both for deciduous as well as evergreen shrubs and trees. This time of year for gardeners often means planning, ordering seeds, and waiting for the soil to warm. It is also the right season for hardwood cuttings, a simple but often forgotten plant propagation technique.

Hardwood cuttings (also known as scions) are taken during the dormant stage of a woody plant, including both trees and shrubs, usually involving last year’s growth, and can be considered from the first hard freeze (late November for us?) through bud break in early spring. The technique is simple, fun, and often considered for a favorite plant or when seed propagation for a specific plant is difficult or slow.

(Left) A healthy donor plant, red twig dogwood (Cornus sericea), showing last year’s growth as the reddest of the stems, each about the diameter of a pencil. (Right) Five cuttings, ready to be dipped in planting hormone powder. Each is cut horizontally just below a bud, and at an angle just above an upper bud. (Image credit: Peter Gilmer)

Where, When, and How to Take Cuttings

To be successful, the donor plant must be healthy. The cut is made just below a bud, often near the base of the plant and should be done with the health and final appearance of the donor plant in mind. The stem should be about the diameter of a pencil, and length does not matter initially as the stems taken will be cut again before sticking. The term sticking is used to describe the simple act of pushing the cut stem into the growing media. Plants with suckers and shoots are often good candidates, and juvenile stems do better than more mature ones.

Cuttings are best taken in the early morning on a cloudy day, to minimize sun exposure, and should be placed in an opaque plastic or paper bag, with a moist cloth or paper towel around the base. A cooler (without ice) may be helpful if many cuttings are being taken. Remember, cutting a stem is an injury to the donor plant, and should be done with a sharp tool cleaned with alcohol or a bleach solution to avoid disease transmission.

Once the long stem is taken from the donor plant, that stem is cut again with attention paid to the final stem length, bud locations, and polarity. In general, final cuttings should contain at least one bud that will be below ground, and at least one above ground. The bottom cut is generally made transversely just below a bud, and the upper cut made at an angle just above a bud. Polarity is easier to maintain if the angled cut is always up, and this also keeps moisture from potentially sitting in droplet form on the top of the stem. Stems will not root if planted inverted. The cuttings at this point are generally six to ten inches long, although this depends on the arrangement of the buds. Note that no terminal buds are kept in this technique, as the stems are usually too small in diameter near the top of the stem.

Rooting and Care of Hardwood Cuttings

Some cuttings can be stuck directly into the planting media, but most authors recommend dipping the base of the cut stem into rooting hormone prior to sticking. Rooting hormone can be purchased at most big box stores, usually in a powder form, and should be handled with gloves and eye protection, as the hormone can be caustic to eyes and to skin. Never dip the cutting into the original container to avoid contamination, and don’t use too much. More is not better, and in fact can inhibit root development. The planting media required is not unique or specific. Any commercially available planting soil or seed starting mix will work. It may be important to not have fertilizer already in the media, as new roots form more easily without initial fertilizer exposure. Most media options contain two or more of the following: perlite, pumice, peat, sand, and fine bark chips.

Taking care of the cuttings is relatively easy. The media should be kept moist, but not soggy. It is essential to avoid desiccation of the new cuttings, but cuttings are more commonly injured by being too wet (for example, in soil that does not drain well). The cuttings will need protection from direct sun, temperature extremes, and animal predation. For some this may be as easy as a container on the north side of the house, perhaps with chicken-wire on the top, with the option to move the container indoors during very cold nights.

Roots can take several months to form, so patience is required. The best way to assess root development is to tip over the container, gently dumping the contents. A cutting with generous fibrous root formation will maintain the entire planting media, while minimal or no root formation will allow the media to fall away. The cuttings can be fertilized once root formation is confirmed, and hardened off by gradually increasing sun exposure as leaves begin to form.

Have fun with this technique. It is fine to experiment. If you wonder “Can I take a cutting of this plant?”, give it a try. It is quite useful to research the potential donor plant using basic cell phone techniques. Simply ask Google “What is the best way to propagate “X” plant?”. We recommend searching for research-based information on sites with the domain .edu– such as https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu. For example, the best propagation technique for red twig dogwood is a hardwood cutting, while the best technique for white oak is an acorn. Enjoy this propagation technique in the dead of winter.

Resources and Additional Information

Hartmann and Kester’s Plant Propagation: Principles and Practices, 9th Edition. Pearson, 2018.

NC State Extension Gardener Handbook online chapter on propagation, 2018. https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/13-propagation

Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center online fact sheet.

Hardwood Cuttings for Shrub & Tree Propagation

Article Short Link: https://wp.me/p2nIr1-5B7

Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Durham County

Category: propagation

Easy Tip Layering: A Guide to Hydrangea Propagation