I have rooted 6-8 hydrangea cuttings about 8 weeks ago in zone 6b. Can I plant these in the ground yet? They are growing in a clear plastic bin with a cover in mostly shade, some filtered sun, 1 is getting too tall for the bin, others are bright green instead of dark. Every time I try to take the lid off to harden them off to the sun, they wilt or leaves start to turn brown. I've also tried lightly fertilizing recently. I understand for the winter I need to heavy mulch, can that be leaves or wood chips? Does the entire plant get covered, stems and all? If I sink them in pots, should they be clay, or will the plastic ones do it? Last year I had a bunch rooted with the same method & decided to bring them into the garage & keep in the covered bin, they were all very hardy for a month or two, then lost their dark green color. I brought them into the basement when it was really cold out & they all died, I was hoping they were just dormant. I'd like to try them outside this time. These are from my mother's large hydrangea & since she passed I really want to carry this plant on to the family. Thank you in advance for any advice.

once you have decent roots, they can (and I think should) go outside.. the caveat is you must water if mother nature doesn't co-operate with rain. hydrangeas are very good at taking in water from leaves- so a quick spritz from a cold hose should perk them right up. Rremember, you're growing a new plant, so roots are much more important than how the foliage responds, and dead leaves doesn't mean dead plant.

these are shade plants, they should be planted away from direct sun, at all times, newly rooted or not. and until they have significant root systems they need to keep from a hard dry-out. otherwise, easy peasy. you'll probably loose some green growth, but it's not a big deal if you keep the root healthy. try very hard to not overwater. A 10 second spray will help perk up foliage- not all of that foliage will survive, and you really want to just develop health roots so next year it rages.

they are also very prone to wilt in hot temperatures.. don't assume your roots are dry and you need to water because the leaves are floppy. I have hydrangeas that were mature when my parents bought this house in 1980 that are still going strong. a very hot day will cause them to wilt, even in 90% humidity, be careful not to overwater and rot the roots. they probably won't bloom this year no matter what, and if they do send up a flower bud, cut it off. it wont be much and it will tax the plant.

With my mild winters, it would make sense to plant them in the ground outside. However, I would prefer to wait until hostile summer temperatures recede as the 8-weeks old cuttings are not able to handle summer conditions very well with their puny root systems. I am not sure if an 8-weeks old cutting can be planted in the ground now and handle a Zone 6 winter. Maybe acclimate the pot this year very slowly to receive bright shade outside and then some morning sun while still potted but bring it inside for winter 2022-2023 and plant it in the spring 2023.

I split this off to it's own thread since it was not related to the original poster's plant from 2018.

luis_pr said:However, I would prefer to wait until hostile summer temperatures recede as the 8-weeks old cuttings are not able to handle summer conditions very well with their puny root systems. I am not sure if an 8-weeks old cutting can be planted in the ground now and handle a Zone 6 winter.

I hate killing cuttings that I spent months and months rooting!

You said they wilt anytime you take the clear cover off, and that's normal- they're used to high humidity now, but need to be 'hardened off' enough to be outside in your garden. Slowly, over a week or two, keep always shaded and moist, remove cover for an increasing period of time each day or two.

Best of luck!