Hydrangea is one of the long-flowering plants belonging to the hydrangea family. The flower has another name - hydrangea. There are many varieties of it. Some people feel great in room conditions, others grow and bloom only in open ground. To grow hydrangea on your site, you need to study the needs of the bush, determine the type, prepare optimal conditions for growth and development.
Shrubs are mainly grown in Russia. Although in nature you can find curly hydrangeas, and even trees. The gardener can choose an evergreen hydrangea or deciduous variety. Despite the fact that all species belong to the same family, caring for each of them has its own nuances and features.
Hydrangea room
You can propagate the flower by cuttings, seeds, dividing the bush, layering. Growing hydrangea from seeds is difficult and time-consuming, so most often amateur gardeners do not use this method. In the spring time, cuttings are planted in open ground.
Hydrangea seedlings come with a bare root system and a closed one. Bare roots adapt longer to new soil. A good stalk will have a powerful developed root system.
Different varieties of plants have different resistance to low temperatures. Most frost-resistant varieties belong to panicled hydrangea. They do not require shelter for the winter. Some other types of hydrangeas will not survive air temperatures below -5 ° C.
Planting hydrangea in spring in open ground
Planting panicled hydrangea in open ground is carried out in spring and autumn. As a rule, in the southern regions of the Russian Federation, shrubs are planted in early October. In the north of the country, hydrangea is planted in the spring. This is due to climatic conditions, namely low soil and air temperatures.
Powerful panicled hydrangea root system
In order for the plant to take root and take root, it takes time. The period from mid-April to October is considered sufficient to adapt the flower to the conditions in which it was placed.
Many gardeners try to plant hydrangea closer to the ponds. The plant is very fond of moisture. Translated from Latin, the name of the flower means "a jug of water." Scientists came up with such a definition for a reason. Hydrangea is a very hygrophilous plant.
Choosing a place and soil for planting
The choice of place for planting hydrangeas should be taken very responsibly. The plot should be in the shade during midday hours. Otherwise, the plant will later release color, the inflorescences will not be so full, and they will not last on the branches for such a long time.
Hydrangea prefers acidic soil. For this reason, the flower is not fertilized with ash.
Important! The color of the inflorescences depends on how acidic the soil is. On one bush there may be several buds of different colors. Some gardeners contribute to discoloration on their own by watering hydrangea with sulfate water.
Before planting, the soil is prepared. For the good development of hydrangea, it must be loamy. In most cases, it is mixed with peat or sand. A drainage layer consisting of expanded clay or crushed stone is laid at the bottom of the landing pit. The drainage layer will not allow stagnant water.
Landing pit and soil
For hydrangea, a planting pit is excavated with a diameter of about 60 cm. Its depth can be approximately 30 cm, but much depends on the volume of the root system. The roots in the landing pit should be located freely. Fertilizers are introduced into an empty pit. They can be both mineral and organic. The earth is covered with peat and sand.
Expanded clay, crushed stone or pebbles are laid out at the bottom. Before planting hydrangea, its roots are trimmed a little. As a rule, no more than 2 cm is trimmed. After shortening the roots, they must be carefully placed on the drainage in the pit and covered with earth. At the same time, the earth must be compacted by hand to prevent the formation of air voids.
Note! At this point, you can add a hydrogel to the well. It will help maintain moisture in the absence of watering. During planting, it is recommended to ensure that the root neck does not go deep into the ground, but is immediately above the surface. After planting, the ground in the root hole is mulched, the plant itself is abundantly watered.
How to plant a plant
If a young plant is planted, special attention should be paid to creating diffused light for the flower. Older hydrangeas better perceive a large amount of sunlight.
It is not recommended to plant hydrangea next to other shrubs or trees. In such conditions, hydrangea will not receive enough moisture and light necessary for its harmonious development. A distance of about 3 m will be suitable for plants.
Outdoor hydrangea planting
If the hydrangea roots, which must be planted in open ground, are dried up, the cuttings can be lowered into a bucket of water. Growth stimulants can be added to water. In the bucket, cuttings can be up to 12 hours. Can be left overnight.
What to do if hydrangea froze in spring
If hydrangea was planted in open ground before the last frost, and after planting, the bush was not covered or insulated, the plant could freeze. What to do if hydrangea froze in spring? In order to prevent the bush from dying, a number of activities should be carried out, such as:
- Cover the root circle with a dry mulch consisting of peat or compost;
- Cover the seedling itself with a plastic box in which air circulates. It is recommended to cover the box with agrofibre. Once the threat of frost has passed, the fiber can be removed;
- All the time that hydrangea is under agrofibre, it needs abundant watering;
- It is advisable to ensure that direct sunlight does not fall on the plant.
By following these steps, you can watch how sleeping buds release greenery. With severe frostbite after resuscitation enterprises, hydrangea can shoot arrows from the root.
Fertilizing hydrangea paniculata and tree-like in spring
Hydrangea well accepts various kinds of top dressing. In the spring, they use manure, phosphorus-potash fertilizers, nitrogen, humates, etc. Particular attention should be paid to iron, in the absence of which hydrangea is attacked by a disease called chlorosis.
A common hydrangea disease is chlorosis
Properly selected top-dressing of hydrangea paniculata in the spring will help the plant bloom magnificently for a long period of time.
Note! If fertilizers were introduced during planting in the planting pit, the plant will not need to be fertilized in the next 2 years.
To feed tree and panicle hydrangea, you can use organics. It is necessary to increase the immunity of the plant, the color saturation of leaves and buds, as well as to increase the diameter of the inflorescences.
Important! Too large a dose of fertilizer can lead to abundant and lush flowering, as a result of which the branches of the plant can not stand and break. All fertilizers must be applied dosed, including organic.
Outdoor cold preparation
After hydrangea fades, you can begin to carry out the necessary measures to prepare the plant for the cold. First of all, it is recommended to introduce fertilizers into the basal circle. For the autumn period, potassium sulfate and superphosphate are suitable.
Note! In the autumn period of time, any additional feeding should be excluded, in which nitrogen is present, as it contributes to the vegetation process. It is also not recommended to bring ash into the soil. Ash reduces soil acidity, which is almost fatal for hydrangea.
Shrubs stop watering, because at this time of the year air humidity and the amount of rain increase.
Pruning and shelter for the winter
In mid-autumn, hydrangea needs pruning. Pruning is necessary so that in winter the branches under the snow layers do not break. Also in autumn, shrubs thin out, remove all dry and diseased branches.
Important! Not all species of hydrangea need autumn pruning. Most often, only panicled and tree-like species are pruned. Other species need spring gradual pruning.
In autumn, panicle hydrangeas remove only faded inflorescences. Treelike hydrangea is never cut to the very root. Large-leaf hydrangea needs only pruning inflorescences. If you cut the shoots of the past or this year, you can easily lose flowering in the next season.
Panicled Hydrangea for Siberia
In Siberia, panicled hydrangea varieties are widespread. Its peduncles are conical in shape. The height of the plant is about 1 m 60 cm. The panicle hydrangea bush is not as lush as in other varieties, but each of its shoots ends with branches with lush inflorescences. Panicled hydrangea in Siberia blooms from mid-July to October. At the end of September, flower stalks acquire a pink hue.
To frost-resistant varieties of panicled hydrangea include:
- Vanilla Fresh. In height reaches 1 m 50 cm. Cone-shaped inflorescences have a color "gradient". The base of the inflorescence is most often creamy, the middle is pink, the pointed end is raspberry. It blooms from mid-summer to early October. Withstands temperatures up to -22⁰С. In cold winters, it must be transplanted into a pot and left to winter in the basement.
Color inflorescences varieties Vanilla Fresh
- Limelight - a variety that can withstand up to -30 ° C frost. A decorative variety whose inflorescences have a lemon color. In severe winters, the plant is sheltered. Limelight hydrangea grows up to 1 m 80 cm in height and up to 1 m 20 cm in width.
Other frost-resistant varieties of hydrangea for Siberia
Not only panicled hydrangea is suitable for Siberia. There are frost-resistant varieties both among treelike hydrangea, and among large-leaved.
Varieties of hydrangea trees that are resistant to low air temperatures:
- Annabelle - a low plant, not more than 120 cm, blooming with white inflorescences. It transfers the temperature to -28⁰С. At lower temperatures, it needs to be transplanted into a separate container and transferred to the basement.
Annabelle spherical inflorescences
- Strong Annabelle is a common hydrangea variety in Siberia. The shape of the inflorescences differs from the standard ones. Most often they look like a dome. The flowers are large, white. Towards the end of flowering, they acquire a slightly greenish tint. It transfers temperature to -34⁰С. The plant is 1 m 50 cm high.
Varieties of frost-resistant large-leaved hydrangea:
- Schloss Wackerbarth - tolerates temperatures up to -28⁰С. In open ground, it is grown in the southern part of Siberia. It does not require a transplant for a colder period, it will be enough to provide the plant with dry shelter. In height reaches 1 m 30 cm. The color of the plant changes constantly. The flowering period is 2.5 months, from mid-summer to the end of September.
- Forever & Ever - reaches a height of 1 m. At the beginning of flowering, it has a bluish tint, which becomes saturated blue by mid-September. For the winter period requires transplanting into a pot or shelter. Withstands temperatures up to -25⁰С.
Color inflorescences varieties Forever & Ever
You should not be afraid to plant these varieties in the Urals. Due to similar climatic conditions, they will bloom well.
Landscape Hydrangea Compositions
Gardeners very often use hydrangea in order to arrange their site. Its advantage is the variety of forms of inflorescences, which makes it possible to effectively combine with many plants, making composition with hydrangea unique in landscape design.
Curly hydrangea varieties are used to create vertical flower beds. In addition to the decorative design of the site, climbing varieties provide additional protection to other plants during low temperatures. Recently, curly varieties of hydrangea have been successfully used in landscape design by residents of the Moscow region.
Hydrangea and hosta
In landscape design, hydrangeas are often combined with a hosta. These two plants are very fond of humidity, so their combination is very important in any area. In addition, tall bushes of hydrangea create partial shade for the hosts, in which the latter develops well.
Hydrangea and hosta
Since hydrangea has a bright green color of leaves, next to it is a host, which has a gray and light green color. For contrast, hydrangea varieties with white or cream peduncles are planted next to the hosts.
Hydrangea Garden
Hydrangeas can be planted as single bushes, and group plantings. In order for the plants to look spectacular and not interfere with each other's growth, they are planted at a distance of 1 m from each other. You can dilute the hydrangea garden with roses, irises, astilbe.
Curly species will stand out well against clematis. In the design of the garden, hydrangeas select plants with different colors. The most important thing is to decide which variety is most suitable for a particular site.
Hydrangea is able to decorate and highlight any corner of the site. The riot of colors helps to focus on a specific area. Hydrangea is one of 10 plants in Russia that can withstand low temperatures, therefore it is used in different climatic zones of the country.
