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Ideal Home’s November gardening guide recommends taking hardwood cuttings from five plants while many are dormant: hydrangea, forsythia, dogwood, roses and fruit bushes. The method can produce new plants from existing ones, but success and the time needed before planting out depend on the variety and growing conditions.
Ideal Home has highlighted five plants gardeners can propagate from hardwood cuttings in November: hydrangeas, forsythia, dogwood, roses and fruit bushes. The seasonal advice offers a way to raise plants from existing garden stock, though rooted cuttings may need months of care before they are ready for a permanent position.
The guide describes hardwood cuttings as sections taken from firm, mature growth while plants are dormant in late autumn or winter. This differs from softwood cuttings, which use soft new growth in spring. For deciduous plants, the report says to take cuttings just after the leaves have fallen and before winter frosts arrive.
For most plants, the recommended approach is to select healthy, pencil-thick growth from the current year and cut it into sections about 15 to 30 centimetres long. Make the bottom cut straight, just below a bud or leaf node, and the top cut at an angle just above a node. The angled top helps identify which end should face upward.
Insert cuttings into potting mix in a deep pot or trench, leaving about two-thirds of each stem below the surface. Keep them in a sheltered spot, check that the mix does not dry out, and prevent pots from becoming waterlogged. The report says roots develop over the following months; cuttings can be moved to their permanent positions the next spring or autumn, depending on the plant.
How November Cuttings Can Add Plants
Taking cuttings gives gardeners a way to make additional plants from shrubs and other established growth, rather than buying every new plant. That can help fill borders over time, particularly when the source plant is already growing in the garden. The guide presents the work as a low-effort seasonal task, but it does not promise that every cutting will root or that the method will produce plants at no cost: pots, compost and other supplies may still be needed.
The timing matters because hardwood cuttings are taken while suitable plants are dormant. The advice also sets expectations: this is not an immediate way to fill a garden. Cuttings need a period to develop roots and may not be ready to plant out until spring or autumn, with timing varying by variety.
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Dormancy Shapes the November Method
The guide is an Ideal Home gardening report focused on propagation during the quieter late-autumn period. It contrasts hardwood cuttings, taken from mature dormant stems, with softwood cuttings taken from fresh spring growth. The advice is specific to the seasonal method and the plants listed; it is not a claim that November is suitable for every plant or climate.
For hydrangeas, the report gives a separate technique. Gardening expert Craig Wilson, co-founder of Gardeners Dream, recommends a healthy stem section about six inches long, with lower leaves removed and at least one leaf node below the compost. He says a plastic bag over the pot can provide humidity, while the pot should be kept warm but out of direct sunlight. Wilson estimates rooting may take four to six weeks, after which the cutting can be repotted and kept away from frost. The report says planting in the garden is an option when spring arrives.
““Woody-stemmed hydrangeas are the perfect plant to take hardwood cuttings from in November.””
— Craig Wilson, co-founder and gardening expert at Gardeners Dream, as quoted by Ideal Home
Rooting Rates Depend on Conditions
The report does not give a success rate for the five plants or compare how reliably each roots. It also does not specify regional climate conditions, so the suggested timing may need adjustment where frosts arrive earlier or later. Wilson’s estimate of four to six weeks applies to hydrangea cuttings in the conditions he describes; it should not be read as a timeline for every plant in the list.
The source excerpt names five plants but provides detailed step-by-step instructions for hydrangea, forsythia and dogwood. It does not include the corresponding plant-specific passages for roses and fruit bushes, so their best varieties and any special handling guidance are not established in the material provided. The advice also does not state how many cuttings gardeners should take to account for failures.
Care for Cuttings Through Winter
Gardeners following the guide should keep newly planted cuttings in a sheltered location through the colder months, checking moisture and drainage periodically. For hydrangeas, Wilson advises protecting rooted cuttings from frost after repotting. As growth develops, gardeners can assess whether each cutting has established roots before moving it into a larger pot or its permanent position.
The report says hardwood cuttings may be ready to lift and plant the following spring or autumn, depending on variety. It gives no later update or guarantee of results; the next practical milestone is whether each cutting roots and survives until a suitable planting period.
Key Questions
Which plants does the November guide recommend?
It lists hydrangeas, forsythia, dogwood, roses and fruit bushes as plants to take hardwood cuttings from in November.
What is a hardwood cutting?
It is a section of mature, firm growth taken while a plant is dormant, usually in late autumn or winter. The guide distinguishes it from a softwood cutting taken from new growth in spring.
How long should most cuttings be?
The general instructions recommend sections about 15 to 30 centimetres long, from healthy, pencil-thick growth of the current year. The hydrangea advice gives a separate length of around six inches.
When can the cuttings be planted in the garden?
The guide says rooted hardwood cuttings may be planted in a permanent position the following spring or autumn, depending on the variety. It does not give one date that applies to all five plants.
Source: idealhome.co.uk
