Hydrangea serrata santiago planting and care in the open field

There is not a lot of information about the unusual garden decoration of the saw hydrangea, but meanwhile, it is worth paying attention to it. A variety of varieties, an easy planting procedure and ease of care make this plant a welcome guest of a flower garden.

Description of varieties

A compact, beautiful serrata hydrangea bush can be placed not only in the shade, but also on the sunny side. This increases the variability of the fit. Such a bush may well become the center of a mixborder. Almost all varieties of serrated hydrangea bloom for quite a long time: from mid-summer to mid-autumn.

When thinking about buying such a plant, you should first choose a suitable variety:

• Bluebird. If you need a bright blue accent in your flower garden, you can choose Bluebird serrated hydrangea. This variety is quite unpretentious, it has excellent winter hardiness, moisture-loving. It is worth considering that the composition of the soil can change the color of flowers.
• Koreana. Small (40 cm), compact shrub with white-pink flowers, collected in lush cone-shaped clusters.Doesn't need any special care. It will be an excellent solution for decorating a gazebo or entrance to the house.
• "Preciosa". Large (160 cm) beautiful shrub with spherical pink inflorescences. Hydrangea serrata "Preciosa" winters well, blooms for a long time, however, requires regular watering and acidic soils.
• "Santiago". Medium (130 cm), well-branched shrub with pink to red lace flowers. The leaves of this shrub also change color, turning red by the end of the season. Excellent frost resistance and abundant flowering make this variety very popular.

Planting flowers in open ground

Planting hydrangeas outdoors is best in mid-spring. The earth must thaw and warm up.

The optimal place for planting hydrangeas is light partial shade. It is with this type of lighting that the bush will bloom beautifully.

The culture feels best in acidic soil.

When planting, you need to prepare the following soil mixture (2: 2: 1: 1):

• fertile humus;
• rotted foliage;
• peat;
• sand.

It is necessary to place young plants at a distance of a meter from each other. The depth of the planting holes should be about 35 cm. The root collar of the young plant remains flush with the ground.

After planting the plant, it is good to add the mulching component (needles, sawdust) to a layer of about 10 cm. This will help to maintain moisture.

How to care for a plant

Hydrangeas do not require much maintenance. Their main need is daily watering.

• On ordinary summer days at a temperature of +25 ºС, they need to be watered 2 times a day: in the morning and in the evening. If the summer is hot and outside the window is more than + 30 ° C, you will have to water it 3 times a day.
• Hydrangeas do not like direct sunlight; it is better to create partial shade for the bushes.
• Loosening and weeding are carried out as needed. This improves the quality of flowering and is a good prevention of various diseases and parasites.
• Mature flowering bushes need fertilization. There are special liquid hydrangea products with the right balanced composition. It is better to adhere to the recommendations for the amount and time of dressings indicated on the package.
• Pruning is an important maintenance activity. Removing excess shoots brings not only an aesthetic effect, but also strengthens the bush. Every 2 years, it is recommended, without sparing, to cut off all excess shoots for prevention.

In order for the bushes to overwinter safely, they must be properly prepared:

1. Loosen the soil around the bush and remove dry branches and leaves.
2. Gently pull the branches to the center with a rope.
3. Cover with spruce paws and polyethylene.

Hydrangea serrata can withstand temperatures as low as -30 ° C.

Reproduction of serrata hydrangea

There are several ways to breed hydrangeas. The most popular is grafting. Cuttings are cut in summer from young strong bushes. These are the middle parts of the shoots, without flowering tops and lower leaves, with two leaf nodes.

1. For the formation of roots, cuttings must be held in water with a root former. A solution of 1 teaspoon of honey in a glass of water promotes root formation well.
2. Cuttings with formed roots are planted in the ground under a shelter. In a month they will take root. For the winter, young shoots are well covered.
3. In spring, young growth grows and in late spring - early summer they are planted in a permanent place.

The second method is reproduction by layering. In order to get high-quality planting material, an adult bush is also needed. In early spring, its lower branches are buried along the entire length, securing them with spears.

If you make wire ties on the branches in front of the buds, the roots form much faster.

By the beginning of autumn, young shoots grow on the layers and by May they will be ready for planting in a permanent place.

To root a hydrangea seedling in the autumn, you need:

• Free it from leaves and young shoots.
• Place in the soil at an angle so that the branches are higher than the roots.
• Cover the roots with earth.
• Fan the branches and sprinkle with earth too.
• Cover and leave to winter.

At the end of summer, young bushes with a developed root system will turn out.

But the easiest way is to divide an adult bush with already formed roots. This method is good for plant transplants.

Protection against diseases and pests

Hydrangea bushes are very attractive to insects and other pests:

• Hydrangeas fall prey to slugs and snails. To avoid this, you can lay out the "Thunderstorm" preparation in plastic cups under the bushes. You should not add the drug directly to the soil, as it is toxic and pollutes it. The easiest way is to mechanically collect these pests.
• To get rid of spider mites, plants can be treated with a solution of the drug "Fufan" or "Typhos". It is enough to dilute 5 ml of the product in 5 liters of water.
• Aphids can simply be washed off the hydrangeas with a strong jet of water.
• If the bushes are infected with root nematodes, the plants will have to be destroyed.

Possible growing problems

It should be remembered that the culture is capable of changing the color of flowers and leaves, depending on the composition of the soil.

If hydrangea bushes are the center of the mixborder and set the tone for the overall appearance of the garden, you should monitor the acidity of the soil.

To revive the bushes, you can use top dressing with an infusion of sorrel leaves (a small bunch per bucket of water).

If lime and manure get into the soil, the hydrangea may show signs of chlorosis: general wilting, the appearance of brown spots on the leaves, and falling flowers. To restore the plant, it is necessary to acidify the soil, spray it with iron-containing preparations and feed it with potassium nitrate.

If you are attentive to your hydrangeas, take care of them, take proper care of them, you can get a wonderful perennial garden decoration.

The closer to summer, the more a person begins to pay attention to garden plants and be interested in them. A good option for outdoor planting is serrata hydrangea. This is an unusually beautiful shrub up to one and a half meters high with spectacular spherical inflorescences. The edges of the flowers of this species are wavy, unlike other subspecies, for example, paniculate or tree-like, the ends of the petals of which are even. This is a distinctive feature of such a beauty as serrata hydrangea (her trademark). Her leaves are green with jagged edges. They are epileptic in shape, pointed to the ends, and no more than 10 cm in length.

Inflorescences are flat, in the form of a scutellum, up to 8 cm in diameter. The scutellum is a multi-flowered structure, similar to a brush. It has a main peduncle and a peduncle of the second order. One is shorter than the other, but each ends in flowers at the same height. The flowers of the varieties Hydrangea serrata are of a floating color - from bright blue to lilac shades. They are small in the middle of the head, and large at the edges. They are able to change their color. It all depends on the acidity of the soil. If the plant grows on acidic soil, then the brushes will be predominantly blue or blue, if on neutral, then greenish-white or pale beige, and if the soil is slightly alkaline, then they turn pink or lilac. Also, during the period of abundant flowering (approximately from July to September), the flowers themselves on the bush gradually change their color.

Varieties and varieties

Hydrangea serrata "Bluebird" Hydrangea serrata Bluebird

This is a low, vertically growing, spreading bush, up to 1.5 m, with pale blue flowers. Resistant to frost (down to -30 ° C). Flowering period: mid-July to September. Leaves are green ovoid. The flowers of the serrated "Bluebird" are flat, consisting of large sterile flowers at the edges, and small fertile (or fruiting) flowers are collected in the middle. The color during the entire flowering period changes from pale pink to blue. Fertile flowers in the middle of the inflorescence have a richer color.Annual shoots in an individual are green, and lignified ones are brown. Prefers slightly damp soil. Grows best in neutral and acidic soil. Plant, preferably in partial shade.

Hydrangea serrata "Sargent" Hydrangea serrata Sargentiana

This is a specimen characterized by stiff, sparsely branched shoots, with spiny bristles. Under natural conditions, the bush can grow up to three meters. However, it is better to create a decorative option no more than two. It was named after the American botanist C.S. Sargent. This serrata is from China.
The leaves are large. Their length is up to 30 cm, and the width is up to 15 cm. The front side of the leaf is slightly rough to the touch, and the bottom is velvety-rough. The brushes of flowers are flat and large, up to 20 cm. Inside its flowers are light purple or violet, which acquire a blue tint by the end of flowering. Outside, the flowers are white and large (up to 3 cm), consisting of four petals. On acidic soil, the color of the inflorescences is more saturated. It blooms, like any hydrangea, from July to September. Prefers neutral and acidic soil mixture.

Hydrangea serrata Preziosa Hydrangea serrata Preziosa

It is a dense, compact plant with a height of just over one meter. It is especially distinguished by its bright pink and purple inflorescences. Although at the beginning of flowering they are predominantly yellowish green. Then the flowers gradually turn pink, taking on a lilac hue in the fall. The acidity of the soil does not affect the color of the Preciosa hydrangea. It is frost-resistant. Prefers moisture. Blooms from mid-July to September. Landing site - partial shade.

Rosalba Hydrangea serrata Rosalba

It is a small shrub about one meter or more in height. Blooms in small flat umbrellas up to 8 cm wide. Fruiting flowers - small in the center of the head - usually pink, crimson, purple or blue. Sterile - large flowers around small ones - at first they are white, and then pale pink. On average, there are 6-7 of them per inflorescence. Rosalba is moisture-loving and very frost-resistant (down to -30 ° C). Flowering period: July to September.

"Koreana" Hydrangea serrata Koreana

One and a half meter bush. The leaves, like all hydrangeas, are epileptic in shape up to 10 cm. White, pink or blue flowers are collected in 8-centimeter scute-shaped inflorescences. They are able to change their color. It all depends on the acidity of the surrounding land. The beauty blooms from the beginning of July, August, and sometimes captures the whole of September. The specimen prefers moisture and grows well in neutral or acidic soil.

"Whirl" Hydrangea serrata Veerle

This is a two-meter shrub that grows up to one and a half meters wide. This variety is distinguished by long flowering. The flowers change color from blue to pink. Their color is due to the acidity of the soil. The bush grows very slowly. Flowering period: June to September.

Flowering and pruning

The garden beauty blooms on the top shoots. And the more there are, the more color forms there will be. Gardeners usually use one of two types of pruning. With deep pruning, 5-6 buds are left on the shoot. Then large inflorescences are formed, but there are few of them. With shallow pruning, remove the upper part of the shoot with 2-3 pairs of buds. After this, a bush is formed with a large number of small brushes. The pruning procedure must be done annually. Experts recommend rejuvenating the plant every 2 years.

Landing

When planting, it must be remembered that the shrub does not really like the sun. More precisely, its inflorescences sink in the sun, as if withering. And in the evening, when the sun goes down, a hat with flowers rises. It turns out that you can admire the beauty of your favorite only in the evening or at night. Therefore, it is better to plant your pet in partial shade (or diffused light). In full shade, the bush will be beautiful and green, but not blooming.

Hydrangeas are a whole type of tree-like shrubs with large decorative inflorescences.They are often used to create hedges and other landscape design elements.

One of the most prominent representatives is Bluebird serrated hydrangea, known for its winter hardiness and the beauty of the inflorescences.

Description of Bluebird serrated hydrangea

Hydrangea serrata varieties Bluebird was bred in Japan... The plant itself is a shrub with a strong, branched trunk, ranging in height from 100 to 120 centimeters.

The crown can grow up to 1.5 meters wide. The leaves have a rich green color and an oval shape, they have jagged edges at the edges.

The caps of the inflorescences are shaped like a flat umbrella and can reach 10 centimeters in diameter. Inside are located small pink or purple flowers with blue stamens.

At the edges, the flowers are already larger, they are characterized by a color from light purple to bright blue.

The color of the inflorescences can change depending on the quality of the soil, if it is acidic, then the petals will be painted in sky blue instead of bright blue.

An interesting feature of the variety will be shallow roots, only 40-45 centimeters. With proper care, this shrub will bloom from July to September.

Also Bluebird refers to winter-hardy shrubs and can withstand temperatures down to -20 degrees.

Advantages:

• gorgeous appearance and unusual shade of inflorescences;
• good frost resistance;
• immunity to pests and most diseases.

Flaws:

• high level of occurrence of the root system;
• whimsy to the composition of the soil and the quality of care;
• fear of direct sunlight.

Advantages of the variety: winter hardiness, chic appearance and unusual shade of inflorescences

Landing

Experienced gardeners recommend plant serrated hydrangea in late April-early May or mid-Septemberwhen the temperature becomes more moderate.

When choosing a place, it should be borne in mind that this species prefers to receive sunlight in a diffused form. You can also plant a shrub in partial shade.

On average, the size of the pit will be 50 centimeters in width and depth. While digging the soil into it the following fertilizers are applied:

• 2 parts of humus;
• 2 parts of leafy soil;
• 1 part peat;
• 1 part sand;
• 20 grams of urea;
• complex mineral fertilizers according to the instructions.

If you compose any composition of hydrangeas, it should be borne in mind that the distance between them must be at least 1.5 meters.

During landing the root collar should be flush with the ground... After the seedling is in the ground, it must be watered and mulched.

This species prefers to receive sunlight in a diffused form, you can plant a shrub in partial shade

Care

Caring for Bluebird Saw Hydrangea is very easy... The main thing to consider is that the plant is very fond of warmth and moisture, so it is recommended to water it every day.

Also, if the air temperature rises to 25 degrees, the soil is moistened twice a day, and if more than 30 degrees, then three times.

The ground around the shrub should always be moist, otherwise it may start to grow more slowly and bloom is no longer so bright and colorful.

So that the root system has faster access to oxygen and moisture, it is necessary to loosen the ground near the bush... But it should be borne in mind that this variety has a very high occurrence of roots and deep loosening is contraindicated for it.

In addition to timely watering, care must be taken to ensure that the shrub is not harmed by direct sunlight at midday. For this it is necessary to create artificial shading using a removable canopy etc.

Care includes watering, shallow loosening and shading

Hydrangea is fertilized according to the following scheme:

1. During the formation of buds and immediately after flowering, the shrub is watered with a mixture of a kilogram of peat, a kilogram of dry leaves and 500 grams of humus, which are then diluted with 2.5 liters of infused water.
2. Then, during the entire flowering, compost or dry foliage is added once a week to the root zone.

Hydrangea does not tolerate fertilizers such as lime, wood ash or chalk, so their use is contraindicated.

Handle nitrogen fertilizers carefully, with an overabundance of them, the flowering will be very abundant and can damage the shrub itself. Therefore, urea or rotted manure is applied only at the beginning of the growing season in moderation.

In addition to watering and feeding, serrated Bluebird hydrangea requires annual pruning, the best time for it is autumn.

In the course of work, dry, weak, uneven and dead shoots are removed. You should also clean the shrub from the remaining foliage and faded inflorescences.

To stimulate the growth and flowering of the plant, all shoots are cut into 2-3 buds.

Care for serrata hydrangea:

Growing problems

Bluebird serrata hydrangea lends itself very well to cultivation even among beginners. The main thing water, fertilize and protect the shrub from direct sunlight on time.

Usually, gardeners find it difficult to loosen the soil because the roots are very close and can be easily damaged.

To avoid situations like this the earth is loosened to a depth of 4-5 centimeters.

Preparing for winter

Bluebird serrated hydrangea enough tolerates cold weather well in central Russia, but it is necessary to build a shelter until the plant gets stronger, that is, up to 4-5 years.

Also, you will have to protect the shrubs for the winter in the northern and cold regions.

The work is carried out adhering to the following rules:

1. First you need to do sanitary pruning.
2. Then phosphorus and potash fertilizers are scattered under the bush.
3. In frosts down to -5 degrees, the shrub is spud and covered with polyethylene.
4. Up to -15 degrees, the hydrangea is tied with a rope, spudded, covered with spruce branches, and a film is wound on top.
5. At temperatures up to -20 degrees, the branches are bent to the ground and fixed with metal brackets, sawdust, coniferous branches, old blankets, etc. are placed on top.
6. In frosts down to -30 degrees, the shrub is wrapped in a metal grate, covered with bricks and covered with old warm clothes on top.

If you correctly prepare the hydrangea for winter, then in the spring the plant will start growing faster.

Protecting shrubs for the winter is necessary in the northern and cold regions.

Diseases and pests

Bluebird serrated hydrangea is resistant to almost all pests. Most often it is affected by Chlorosis or Powdery Mildew.

With chlorosis the leaves of the plant begin to lighten, while the veins do not change color. As a treatment and prevention, hydrangea is treated with a mixture consisting of 4 grams of potassium nitrate, 4 grams of vitriol and a liter of water.

When powdery mildew appears brown spots and silver bloom appear on the leaves. An effective measure of control will be a solution of 10 grams of laundry soap and 2 grams of copper sulfate, diluted in a liter of water.

Regular spraying of the shrub with insecticides will be a good prevention.

Bluebird serrated hydrangea is resistant to pests, but is affected by chlorosis and powdery mildew

Bluebird serrated hydrangea can be a decoration of any garden: its lush inflorescences will be visible even from the farthest corners.

Although this shrub requires a lot of attention, its cultivation will leave only positive emotions behind.

Do you want to decorate your garden with an unusual shrub? Try planting a hydrangea flower, planting and caring for which in the open field is simple, reproduction and growing of hydrangea is possible even for novice gardeners. You can find a fantastically beautiful flower by reading the description of the variety and considering its combination with other plants in landscape design. In the photo, the hydrangea looks like the queen of the garden.

Varieties and varieties of hydrangea

Hydrangea is an undoubted favorite among flowers in summer cottages.A long flowering period, a variety of shapes and tones attract special attention to it from gardeners and designers; more and more often, various varieties of this perennial are used in landscape design.

Blue hydrangea

Hydrangeas can be spherical, racemose, and white, lilac, red, two-colored in color. The most common in our latitudes is the tree hydrangea. Unpretentious, fairly easy to care for and grow, the plant is recommended for novice gardeners. Several varieties of shrubs have been bred by breeders:

• Bella Anna - a new variety of tree hydrangea, has rather large spherical inflorescences, the crown grows up to three meters in diameter, the color of the petals is from pale pink to purple-pink, blooms throughout the summer season and September;

Bella Anna variety

• "Anabel" - a lush blooming, spreading shrub about 1.5 m high, inflorescences in the form of a ball of snow-white color, blooms in early July and retains its color throughout the summer season until September. After the end of flowering, the leaves of the plant remain bright green throughout the fall. Variety "Anabel" is adapted for wintering, does not require special shelter for the winter, frost-resistant;

"Anabel"

• "Grandiflora" - differs in large crystal-white inflorescences, blooms for 4 months;

"Grandiflora"

• Invincibel Spirit - a new variety of hydrangea with pink petals;

"Invisibel Spirit"

• "Sterilis" - a variety with hemispherical, dense, heavy inflorescences, during the flowering period - from July to October - the petals radically change color: from pale green to crystal white.

"Sterilis"

Also, a fairly common perennial variety - Panicle hydrangea, planting and caring for which is quite simple. This flower is attractive with inflorescences of an unusual - paniculate - shape, frost-resistant, characterized by rapid recovery even in unfavorable climatic conditions. An interesting feature of this hydrangea variety is the particularly long flowering period, during which the inflorescence changes its color. Does not need mulching for the winter. The most common varieties of panicle hydrangea are:

• Vanilla Freise - variety with pale white and pink petals;

Vanilla Fries

• "Limelight" - the plant blooms in autumn, differs in large inflorescences of a pale lemon shade;

"Limelight"

• "Pinky Winky" - hydrangea with soft red petals.

"Pinky Winky"

How to plant correctly

Growing hydrangeas in the open field is possible even for novice gardeners. If a hydrangea is chosen for a flower garden, planting and caring for it will never be a burden, they will become favorite activities. The correct location should be chosen for planting the shrub. Hydrangea does not tolerate long shading, the best place to plant it is on the sunny side. Hydrangea propagation is carried out by separate bushes or cuttings. It is recommended to plant a flower in spring (in May) or in autumn (in warm September).

Even a novice gardener can plant a hydrangea

To plant a hydrangea with a bush in the open ground, it is necessary to dig a planting hole about 60 cm deep, about half a meter wide and long. The distance between the bushes is at least 1.5 meters. A flower, growing with proper care, will occupy a much larger area than when planted. The pits should be filled with a special mixture, including peat, sand, soil, humus (1: 1: 2: 2) and fertilizers (landscape design experts recommend combining 20 g of urea, potassium sulphide each, add about 60 g of superphosphate in granules and 10 kg of humus ).

Attention: do not add lime to the soil mixture for hydrangea - it is detrimental to this plant.

When planting, it should be borne in mind that the root collar of the plant should be at ground level. After planting the hydrangea in open ground, it must be watered abundantly.

Tip: For the first two flowering seasons, it is recommended to pick off the inflorescences.The root system of the plant will get stronger and grow, which will subsequently give the bush strength and splendor.

Suitable care

Hydrangea care consists in weeding and loosening the soil around it, organizing a timely and correct irrigation regime. In addition, to prevent rapid evaporation of moisture, it is recommended to mulch the bush in early summer with peat or sawdust.

Fading flowers must be cut off so that they do not pull strength from the plant.

A perennial needs proper pruning. The plant should be pruned in the spring before the beginning of the growing season, removing old shoots and leaving young and strong ones, shortening them by 3-5 buds. Faded and dried bush inflorescences must be removed. Old perennial bushes must be cut almost at the root, leaving only low stumps, from which young shoots will develop.

Fertilizing and fertilizing hydrangeas

The hydrangea planted in prepared and fertilized soil for the first two years can not be fertilized or fed.
Then the procedure for feeding hydrangeas is as follows:

• in the spring, it is necessary to apply a complex fertilizer containing micro- and macroelements (phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen) under each bush;
• the second time in a season, top dressing (potassium sulfate together with superphosphate) is applied during the period when buds appear on the bush;
• a couple of times it is advisable to feed the perennial with diluted chicken droppings or cow dung.

Hydrangea responds very well to feeding

Caution: Excessive fertilization of nitrogen can lead to greening of hydrangea petals and problems with the wintering of the plant.

It should also be borne in mind that hydrangea responds well to lactic acid, therefore it is important when growing it to periodically water the bush with soaked sour bread, milk whey, sour milk, kefir.

Propagation of hydrangea

Like other perennial shrubs, hydrangea can be propagated vegetatively (by cuttings, dividing the bush, layering) and seeds.

To grow shrubs from cuttings, it is necessary to cut the tops of young non-lignified shoots in mid-July and root them in specially prepared soil, consisting of coarse sand and peat. Experts recommend taking measures to increase soil moisture under the cuttings. For this, sphagnum moss is added to it. Cuttings are planted in such soil a little at an angle, at a small (up to 5 cm) distance and provide them with a temperature regime in the range of 16-20 ° C. For rooting, 4-5 weeks are enough. After that, the hydrangea is planted in a permanent growing area and provided with proper care.

Propagation of hydrangea by cuttings

When the hydrangea propagates by dividing the bush, part of it is separated, while it is important that there are 2-3 buds on the young shoots, they are dug up and transplanted to a new place.

For the propagation of hydrangeas by layering, it is necessary to bend one of the young shoots of the growing bush to the ground and dig it into a previously dug hole (up to 15-20 cm deep). In order to prevent the shoot from straightening, it can be fixed with staples. Experienced gardeners recommend making an incision on the part of the shoot that will be in the ground to speed up the rooting process. It is necessary to regularly water the branch, it can also be mulched. After the formation of its own root system at the branch, it is separated from the mother bush and planted in a new place.

Propagation of hydrangea by layering

Diseases and pests

As a rule, hydrangea is quite resistant to all sorts of pests and diseases. However, it can also become infected with chlorosis, downy mildew, spider mites, and green leaf aphids can appear on it.

Chlorosis is expressed in a sharp lightening of the leaves of the plant, the loss of their natural color. The reason for its development is the excessive content of lime or humus in the soil.To eliminate chlorosis, it is enough to water the plant with solutions of nitric acid potassium and copper sulfate in turn with an interval of three days.

Hydrangea disease - chlorosis

The cause of hydrangea disease with downy mildew is excess air humidity. For treatment, it is recommended to treat the hardwood surface with a solution of copper sulfate with the addition of soap.

Garlic infusion will help drive aphids from the plant. It is necessary to prepare a garlic infusion (200 g of chopped garlic in a bucket of water, let it brew for 2 days), add laundry soap (40 g) and irrigate the perennial with this infusion every 5-7 days until the aphids are destroyed.

Hydrangea: combination with other plants

In a flower garden or garden, hydrangea is quite effective both by itself and in combination with other flowers. For example, panicle hydrangea looks great next to clumps of purple-leaved barberries, viburnum vesicle. The beauty of the tree-like hydrangea is emphasized by daylilies, sheared barberry, undersized juniper.

Hydrangea in the design of the flower bed

Hydrangea in landscape design

Hydrangea is a fantastically beautiful flower that inspires beautiful compositions in landscaping. Taking into account the climatic conditions, in our latitudes it is recommended to plant a tree-like, paniculate and petiolate hydrangea. Hydrangea looks magical in the photo in large compositions when it grows in the squares, surprising everyone with the size and beauty of its inflorescences. To emphasize the beauty of hydrangea, you can surround it with borders of spirits, cotoneaster, and other shrubs. The hydrangea should be planted in a flower garden in the background so that it does not obscure other plants.

Hydrangea in landscape design

It is not recommended to combine hydrangea with yellow, red, orange flowers. Plants with bluish flowers, needles or leaves can successfully shade a shrub - for example, clematis, cereals, hosts, stunted junipers.
A classic landscape design is the combination of hydrangea with pink phlox with a round shape of inflorescences, thujas, microbiota. Also hydrangea is used in mixborders to create compositions along garden paths, can be grown as a hedge.

Hydrangea is the basis of a beautiful garden. With proper care, it will delight you for years to come. Experiment with different varieties of this shrub, try to decorate your gazebo with climbing hydrangea, plant a tree-like one along the paths, create a living fence using a paniculata.

Garden hydrangea care: video

Garden hydrangea: photo

Do you want to decorate your garden with an unusual shrub? Try planting a hydrangea flower, planting and caring for which in the open field is simple, reproduction and growing of hydrangea is possible even for novice gardeners. You can find a fantastically beautiful flower by reading the description of the variety and considering its combination with other plants in landscape design. In the photo, the hydrangea looks like the queen of the garden.

Varieties and varieties of hydrangea

Hydrangea is an undoubted favorite among flowers in summer cottages. A long flowering period, a variety of shapes and tones attract special attention to it from gardeners and designers; more and more often, various varieties of this perennial are used in landscape design.

Blue hydrangea

Hydrangeas can be spherical, racemose, and white, lilac, red, two-colored in color. The most common in our latitudes is the tree hydrangea. Unpretentious, fairly easy to care for and grow, the plant is recommended for novice gardeners. Several varieties of shrubs have been bred by breeders:

• Bella Anna - a new variety of tree hydrangea, has rather large spherical inflorescences, the crown grows up to three meters in diameter, the color of the petals is from pale pink to purple-pink, blooms throughout the summer season and September;

Bella Anna variety

• "Anabel" - a lush blooming, spreading shrub about 1.5 m high, inflorescences in the form of a ball of snow-white color, blooms in early July and retains its color throughout the summer season until September. After the end of flowering, the leaves of the plant remain bright green throughout the fall. Variety "Anabel" is adapted for wintering, does not require special shelter for the winter, frost-resistant;

"Anabel"

• "Grandiflora" - differs in large crystal-white inflorescences, blooms for 4 months;

"Grandiflora"

• Invincibel Spirit - a new variety of hydrangea with pink petals;

"Invisibel Spirit"

• "Sterilis" - a variety with hemispherical, dense, heavy inflorescences, during the flowering period - from July to October - the petals radically change color: from pale green to crystal white.

"Sterilis"

Also, a fairly common perennial variety - Panicle hydrangea, planting and caring for which is quite simple. This flower is attractive with inflorescences of an unusual - paniculate - shape, frost-resistant, characterized by rapid recovery even in unfavorable climatic conditions. An interesting feature of this hydrangea variety is the particularly long flowering period, during which the inflorescence changes its color. Does not need mulching for the winter. The most common varieties of panicle hydrangea are:

• Vanilla Freise - variety with pale white and pink petals;

Vanilla Fries

• "Limelight" - the plant blooms in autumn, differs in large inflorescences of a pale lemon shade;

"Limelight"

• "Pinky Winky" - hydrangea with soft red petals.

"Pinky Winky"

How to plant correctly

Growing hydrangeas in the open field is possible even for novice gardeners. If a hydrangea is chosen for a flower garden, planting and caring for it will never be a burden, they will become favorite activities. The correct location should be chosen for planting the shrub. Hydrangea does not tolerate long shading, the best place to plant it is on the sunny side. Hydrangea propagation is carried out by separate bushes or cuttings. It is recommended to plant a flower in spring (in May) or in autumn (in warm September).

Even a novice gardener can plant a hydrangea

To plant a hydrangea with a bush in the open ground, it is necessary to dig a planting hole about 60 cm deep, about half a meter wide and long. The distance between the bushes is at least 1.5 meters. A flower, growing with proper care, will occupy a much larger area than when planted. The pits should be filled with a special mixture, including peat, sand, soil, humus (1: 1: 2: 2) and fertilizers (landscape design experts recommend combining 20 g of urea, potassium sulphide each, add about 60 g of superphosphate in granules and 10 kg of humus ).

Attention: do not add lime to the soil mixture for hydrangea - it is detrimental to this plant.

When planting, it should be borne in mind that the root collar of the plant should be at ground level. After planting the hydrangea in open ground, it must be watered abundantly.

Tip: For the first two flowering seasons, it is recommended to pick off the inflorescences. The root system of the plant will get stronger and grow, which will subsequently give the bush strength and splendor.

Suitable care

Hydrangea care consists in weeding and loosening the soil around it, organizing a timely and correct irrigation regime. In addition, to prevent rapid evaporation of moisture, it is recommended to mulch the bush in early summer with peat or sawdust.

Fading flowers must be cut off so that they do not pull strength from the plant.

A perennial needs proper pruning. The plant should be pruned in the spring before the beginning of the growing season, removing old shoots and leaving young and strong ones, shortening them by 3-5 buds. Faded and dried bush inflorescences must be removed.Old perennial bushes must be cut almost at the root, leaving only low stumps, from which young shoots will develop.

Fertilizing and fertilizing hydrangeas

The hydrangea planted in prepared and fertilized soil for the first two years can not be fertilized or fed.
Then the order of feeding the hydrangea is as follows:

• in the spring, it is necessary to apply a complex fertilizer containing micro- and macroelements (phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen) under each bush;
• for the second time in a season, top dressing (potassium sulfate together with superphosphate) is applied during the period when buds appear on the bush;
• a couple of times it is advisable to feed the perennial with diluted chicken droppings or cow dung.

Hydrangea responds very well to feeding

Caution: Excessive fertilization of nitrogen can lead to greening of hydrangea petals and problems with wintering of the plant.

It should also be borne in mind that hydrangea responds well to lactic acid, therefore it is important when growing it to periodically water the bush with soaked sour bread, milk whey, sour milk, kefir.

Reproduction of hydrangea

Like other perennial shrubs, hydrangea can be propagated vegetatively (by cuttings, dividing the bush, layering) and seeds.

To grow shrubs from cuttings, it is necessary to cut the tops of young, non-lignified shoots in mid-July and root them in specially prepared soil, consisting of coarse sand and peat. Experts recommend taking measures to increase soil moisture under the cuttings. For this, sphagnum moss is added to it. Cuttings are planted in such soil a little at an angle, at a small (up to 5 cm) distance and provide them with a temperature regime in the range of 16-20 ° C. For rooting, 4-5 weeks are enough. After that, the hydrangea is planted in a permanent growing place and provided with proper care.

Propagation of hydrangea by cuttings

When the hydrangea propagates by dividing the bush, part of it is separated, while it is important that there are 2-3 buds on the young shoots, they are dug up and transplanted to a new place.

For the propagation of hydrangeas by layering, it is necessary to bend one of the young shoots of the growing bush to the ground and dig it into a previously dug hole (up to 15-20 cm deep). To prevent the shoot from straightening, it can be fixed with staples. Experienced gardeners recommend making an incision on the part of the shoot that will be in the ground to speed up the rooting process. It is necessary to regularly water the branch, it can also be mulched. After the formation of its own root system at the branch, it is separated from the mother bush and planted in a new place.

Propagation of hydrangea by layering

Diseases and pests

As a rule, hydrangea is quite resistant to all sorts of pests and diseases. However, it can also become infected with chlorosis, downy mildew, spider mites, and green leaf aphids can appear on it.

Chlorosis is expressed in a sharp lightening of the leaves of the plant, the loss of their natural color. The reason for its development is the excess content of lime or humus in the soil. To eliminate chlorosis, it is enough to water the plant with solutions of nitric acid potassium and copper sulfate in turn with an interval of three days.

Hydrangea disease - chlorosis

The cause of hydrangea disease with downy mildew is excess air humidity. For treatment, it is recommended to treat the hardwood surface with a solution of copper sulfate with the addition of soap.

Garlic infusion will help drive aphids from the plant. It is necessary to prepare a garlic infusion (200 g of chopped garlic in a bucket of water, let it brew for 2 days), add laundry soap (40 g) and irrigate the perennial with this infusion every 5-7 days until the aphids are destroyed.

Hydrangea: combination with other plants

In a flower garden or garden, hydrangea is quite effective both by itself and in combination with other flowers.For example, panicle hydrangea looks great next to clumps of purple-leaved barberries, viburnum vesicle. The beauty of the tree-like hydrangea is emphasized by daylilies, sheared barberry, undersized juniper.

Hydrangea in the design of the flower bed

Hydrangea in landscape design

Hydrangea is a fantastically beautiful flower that inspires beautiful compositions in landscaping. Taking into account the climatic conditions, in our latitudes it is recommended to plant a tree-like, paniculate and petiolate hydrangea. Hydrangea looks magical in the photo in large compositions when it grows in the squares, surprising everyone with the size and beauty of its inflorescences. To emphasize the beauty of hydrangeas, you can surround it with borders of spirits, cotoneaster, and other shrubs. The hydrangea should be planted in a flower garden in the background so that it does not obscure other plants.

Hydrangea in landscape design

It is not recommended to combine hydrangea with yellow, red, orange flowers. Plants with bluish flowers, needles or leaves can successfully shade a shrub - for example, clematis, cereals, hosts, low-growing junipers.
The combination of hydrangea with pink phlox with a round shape of inflorescences, thujas, microbiota is considered a classic of landscape design. Also hydrangea is used in mixborders to create compositions along garden paths, can be grown as a hedge.

Hydrangea is the foundation of a beautiful garden. With proper care, it will delight you for years to come. Experiment with different varieties of this shrub, try to decorate your gazebo with a climbing hydrangea, plant a tree-like one along the paths, create a living fence using a paniculata.

Garden hydrangea care: video

Garden hydrangea: photo

Hydrangea, planting and care are of no small importance when growing, since an unsuccessfully chosen place and soil composition of the soil can lead to diseases and poor development, in some cases death. In addition, after planting, you need to take care of the shrub correctly in order to achieve lush flowering and healthy growth ...

Site selection and soil preparation

When to plant a hydrangea? The best time for planting is spring, the moment when the earth thaws, the buds have not yet blossomed, and autumn is in the month of September. When choosing a place for an ornamental deciduous plant, keep in mind that it is better to plant a hydrangea in the shade or partial shade, since the bright sun causes slower growth, as a result of which the inflorescences become smaller.

Some types of hydrangeas can be grown in open, sunny areas, but abundant watering is required. It is advisable to protect young shrubs from the bright sun and strong winds. It is not recommended to be placed under trees that strongly absorb water.

The soil for hydrangea should be well-drained and moistened, consisting of a balanced mixture of humus, leafy soil, peat chips, river sand (2: 2: 1: 1). Regardless of the type and variety of hydrangea, remember that lime in the soil has a negative effect on development. The soil should have a Ph level of about 5.0.

Planting hydrangeas outdoors

In the northern regions of the country, it is preferable to plant hydrangea in open ground in the spring, in the southern regions, including the Kuban, the procedure is carried out in the fall. It is recommended to equip a planting hole for a beautiful shrub, the dimensions of which are 0.4 m in diameter and 0.4-0.5 m deep. When planting, be guided by the size of the root system, if too large, increase the volume of the hole. It is worth noting that the roots of the hydrangea are quite branched.

choosing a place and planting a hydrangea with a closed root system - in the photo

It is necessary to introduce the prepared soil mixture into the hole and make a small mound, on which the seedling is then carefully placed and the roots are straightened, they fall asleep without deepening the root collar, which should be flush with the soil.A slight deepening is permissible, but not more than 20-30 mm; too deep landing can subsequently lead to decay of the neck.

The soil in the near-trunk zone must be well tamped. Watering the hydrangea after planting is mandatory, it is necessary that the water seeps well to the depth of the roots of 30-40 cm. Watering is best done in the hole next to the plant.

Top dressing and mulching as the basis of care

To retain moisture after planting in a permanent place, the hydrangea is mulched in the trunk circle. Mulch also inhibits the growth of weeds and protects the roots from overheating. Peat chips, wood chips or bark are used as a mulching material, having a uniform layer of 8-10 cm.

Mulch will decompose over time and become part of the soil, slightly acidifying it. Mulch is best laid in late spring, when the ground is already well warmed up but still damp.

watering hydrangea - pictured

So that the shrub grows well and pleases with abundant flowering, the garden hydrangea is fertilized when planting, then in the spring in the third decade of May or in early summer - early June. Use a solution of mullein or chicken droppings diluted 1:10 with water. Do not forget to fertilize with a complex of mineral fertilizers or add at least the most basic components - 20 grams of superphosphate, 10 grams of potassium nitrate and urea each. Subsequent feeding of hydrangea is carried out with an interval of 17-20 days and ends at the end of July, so that the young shoots have time to woody by the winter period.

For strong and flexible shoots, an ornamental shrub is watered with a solution of potassium permanganate of a weak pink color. In addition, garden stores sell special fertilizers for hydrangeas, which include magnesium and iron, which the plant needs.

mulching hydrangea with wood chips - pictured

Panicle hydrangea, large-leaved and ground cover are predominantly pinkish, creamy colors that can be changed if desired. The color of the hydrangea is directly related to the acidity of the soil. If the soil is slightly alkaline, then the flowering will be pink and crimson; on acidic soils, the hydrangea blooms with blue flowers.

To obtain blue flowers in alkaline earth, the shrub is watered with solutions of iron salts. To obtain a more intense blue color, rusty metal cans should be buried under the hydrangea.

Pruning hydrangeas - continue to groom

Do I need to prune a hydrangea and how to do it? In order for the care to be correct, it must be remembered that pruning of hydrangea large-leaved, serrated, prickly, Sargent, liana-shaped, oak-leaved is carried out taking into account the fact that flowers appear on the shoots of the second year, which means that you need to cut off old branches and weak ones, to strong buds.

Pruning hydrangea paniculate and tree-like involves removing old and faded shoots, also weak. At the same time, experienced gardeners do not recommend removing a large number of shoots at the same time, it is better to stretch the procedure for a year or two so that the plant does not lose strength and does not die from excessive cutting operations. The main branches, as a rule, are not touched, only those that are bad and grow inside the bush are cut off.

autumn pruning hydrangea - pictured

You can prune hydrangeas in spring and autumn, but it is preferable in the fall, since sap flow slows down, and a haircut will contribute to lush flowering in spring. In the spring months, improper pruning can slow down growth and delay flowering. In addition, in the spring, the processes begin to actively start at the shrub, juice is released during pruning, so be careful not to harm the plant. In the spring, pruning is best done as early as possible, before the buds swell and constant heat is established.

Pruning hydrangeas for the winter is carried out as usual, with only one difference - it is better not to touch young shrubs and let them overwinter without surgery, otherwise you risk ruining the plant. Hydrangea, planting and caring for which is not at all difficult, will certainly delight with its lush flowering, if you suddenly decide to grow an unpretentious plant in your garden.

Gotense: related photos

Even in a very large garden area, it is impossible not to notice a flower bed decorated with large and multi-colored hydrangea caps. This wonderful beautiful plant is so mesmerizing to the eye that you simply cannot pass by it. Hydrangeas have more than 35 species, among which there are varieties that grow well and winter in the Urals and Siberia. But in whatever latitude of our country your garden is, before buying a beauty, you need to study all the features of planting, caring for and growing it.

Garden hydrangea: photos, types, varieties

Most hydrangea species are shrubs, but there are vines and small trees. All of them have beautiful large or small leaves, and flowers collected in paniculate or corymbose inflorescences. All inflorescences are located at the tops of the shoots and have sterile or fertile flowers. Most often, their color can be white, pink or blue.

Among them, only tree hydrangea and paniculate hydrangea are grown as perennial plants in the gardens of central Russia.

Hydrangea tree - photo

The shrub, which grows up to one and a half meters in height, has large oval leaves, the length of which reaches 20 cm. Slightly pubescent leaf plates are distinguished by a heart-shaped notch at the base and jagged edges along the edges. From above they are green, and from below they have a bluish tint. Large sterile and small fertile flowers are collected in corymbose inflorescences, which bloom in the first half of July.

Most suitable for planting in the garden the following varieties of hydrangea tree-like:

1. Variety "White House" is a bush with a height of one to one and a half meters. At the ends of its shoots, large thyroid inflorescences are formed, consisting of snow-white sterile and creamy white fertile flowers.
2. InvincibelSpirit grows up to 0.9-1.2 m. Its large inflorescences consist of sterile flowers. At first, they have a bright pink color, and over time they fade to light pink.
3. Variety "Incrediboll" is a bush that reaches a height of 1.2-1.5 m, and has large spherical white inflorescences.
4. Heis Starburst is a short bush with slender shoots that can break under the weight of large inflorescences. The inflorescences consisting of double flowers reach 25 cm in diameter.
5. The Annabelle variety blooms with white sterile flowers, which form large inflorescences with a diameter of up to 25 cm.

Hydrangea paniculata - varieties, photo

Panicle hydrangea differs from tree hydrangea in inflorescences, which consist of large sterile and small fertile flowers, and grow up to 20-25 cm in length... During flowering, they can change color. For the first time days, the petals of flowers are white, after a while they acquire a pink tint, and by the end of flowering they turn green. Large leaves of paniculate species are distinguished by an ovoid or elliptical shape. Below they are heavily pubescent, and slightly above.

Garden varieties bloom from June to July, and bloom for a long time. Among them are:

1. Variety "Vanilla Freise" grows up to two meters and is distinguished by a conical inflorescence on which flowers of a strawberry-pink color are densely located.
2. The Phantom variety is a bush with a spreading crown, growing up to 2.5 m. Its pyramidal large inflorescences have a creamy white hue at the beginning of flowering, and turn pink by autumn.
3. Variety "Pinky-Winky" is a bush up to 1.8 m high, on the shoots of which openwork conical purple-pink inflorescences are formed.
4. The Limelight variety is distinguished by dense greenish inflorescences, which turn pink by the end of the season.
5. The variety "Grandiflora" has been known among gardeners for a long time for its dense inflorescences, which consist of sterile flowers.
6. The Vims Red variety is a beautifully shaped bush that reaches a height of 2 m. From the ground to the very top, it is covered with delicate inflorescences that bloom in June. At first they have a white color, then they become deep pink, and after a while - burgundy-red.
7. The variety "White Lady" is distinguished by white inflorescences, which consist of a few flowers with jagged edges. Grows up to two meters.
8. The Kiushu variety is a bush with delicate inflorescences and erect shoots up to 2.5 m high.
9. The Great Star variety is a plant up to two meters in height. Its shoots are strewn with inflorescences, which consist of white flowers with petals in the shape of a "propeller".
10. Earley Sensation is distinguished by its early flowering and dark purple shoots. On its openwork, wide-cone-shaped inflorescences, purple-pink flowers are formed.
11. The variety "Diamond Rouge" is a bush up to 1.8 m high. Its dense, large inflorescences very quickly acquire a red hue.
12. The Daruma variety is a low-growing shrub with reddish leaves and small openwork inflorescences. The dark pink flowers become reddish over time.

Features of growing garden hydrangea

Those who decide to grow a hydrangea on their garden plot need follow certain rules her planting, placement and care. It should be remembered that only treelike and panicle hydrangeas grow in Siberia.

Planting and leaving

The plant loves well-lit areas with little shade. In sunny areas, hydrangeas grow well and bloom quickly, but from excessive heat they suffer from drying out of the soil and lose their turgor. Small inflorescences are formed in full shade.

The soil for planting shrubs must have an acidic reaction. Alkaline soil plant will suffer from chlorosis and bloom poorly... Neutral soil for hydrangea is unacceptable.

Hydrangeas planted on nutritious loams will take root well and will grow. Therefore, it is recommended to add clay during planting at the bottom of the pit.

Hydrangea belongs to moisture-loving plants, however, it is not recommended to plant it in areas with a high groundwater level. In addition, the wintering of the shrub directly depends on the moisture intake of the plant roots. The less moisture they accumulate in the fall, the better the plant will overwinter. That is why in autumn the soil around the bushes must be partially covered from precipitation.

Planting garden hydrangeas is done in the spring in pits, approximate the dimensions of which should be 50x50x70 cm... The plant is planted after the last frost has passed.

Store-bought plants with a closed root system can be planted until the end of summer, preparing deeper and wider pits for them. After planting, the bushes are well watered, and the soil around them is 6 cm covered with sawdust or peat mulch.

The distance between plants should be between one and one and a half meters. If the group planting was conceived as a "hedge", then the bushes are planted more densely.

Watering and feeding

During the season in the open field, the bushes are watered once a week. In hot months, the frequency of watering increases up to 2 times a week.

Hydrangea care includes mandatory feeding, which produced twice a year:

1. In May or June, during the budding period, the plant is fed with nitrogen fertilizers.
2. In summer, the bushes need potassium, which is added according to the instructions.

It is better not to apply ash under hydrangea bushes, since it reduces the acidity of the soil.

Pruning hydrangea

When caring for a hydrangea, you need to be especially careful about pruning a shrub. Pruning is done every spring. Some growers cut the bushes very short, as a result of which they are removed most flower buds... This cannot be done.It is recommended to approach each bush individually.

First of all, the frozen parts of the shoots are cut out from the plant. If after this there are enough powerful shoots, then last year's branches can be cut to the upper branch. With a small number of annual shoots, only inflorescences are removed from the faded branches.

Too old and thickening shoots are completely cut out. Annual shoots are not recommended to be cut out at all. It should be noted that inflorescences for bouquets can be cut during the entire period until autumn.

What to do to make the hydrangea change color?

Experienced flower growers know that by feeding bushes with pink inflorescences with certain fertilizers, as a result, you can get a plant, blooming with blue or blue flowers... To do this, starting in September, once every two weeks, the following is added to the soil:

• aluminum alum solution (2 pcs. for 1 liter of water);
• iron or aluminum sulfate (20-50 g).

If fertilizers are applied irregularly, then both blue and pink inflorescences will begin to form on the shrub.

Preparing hydrangeas for winter

Unfortunately, without shelter in the Urals and Siberia, hydrangea will not be able to overwinter. Therefore, caring for her in regions with cold winters includes preparing bushes for wintering.

Before sheltering the plant, it is necessary to feed it with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers and remove all the leaves from them, leaving only the upper ones. This will help speed up the process of lignification of the shoots.

Paniculate and tree hydrangea grown in the southern regions can be simply huddle high or cover with peat... For regions with unpredictable and cold winters, you can choose one of the proposed methods:

1. Cover the trunk circle with spruce branches. Bend the shoots away from the center, secure with staples and cover with spruce branches. Cover the center of the bush with peat. Lutrasil is laid on top, which is pressed with bricks or boards.
2. Young small bushes are tied with a rope and carefully, without haste, are attracted and tied to boards lying on the ground, into which nails are driven. From above, the plants are thrown with sawdust or spruce branches, and covered with spunbond, lutrasil or a sheet of iron.
3. It will be difficult to pull powerful bushes to the ground, so a different method of shelter is used for them. The shoots are wrapped in lutrasil, fixed with tape or rope. A metal mesh is installed around the bush. Dry leaves are thrown inside the armament, and everything is covered with polyethylene or roofing felt from above. The frame should be 10-15 cm higher than the bushes.

When growing hydrangeas, you should know that every year it winter hardiness increases... Therefore, in some regions, over time, you can refuse to shelter bushes for the winter. But it is imperative to cover young plants.

Diseases and pests of garden hydrangea

The plant is resistant to diseases and pests, however, may be amazed:

1. Aphids, which can be driven away by infusion of garlic. To do this, 200 g of chopped garlic is infused in a bucket of water for two days. You can add 40 g of laundry soap to the solution, and spray the plant once every 5-7 days.
2. Powdery mildew infects hydrangeas with excess air humidity. When it appears, the plant is treated with a solution of copper sulfate with soap or special fungicidal agents.
3. Sharply clarified hydrangea leaves indicate plant chlorosis. The leaves can lose their natural color due to the excessive content of humus or lime in the soil. Chlorosis is eliminated by alternately watering the plant every three days with copper sulfate and potassium nitrate.

The most beautiful hydrangea plant is excellent suitable for single and group plantings, goes well with low conifers and looks great against the background of stones. With proper planting and caring for it, you can admire the magnificent flowering and be proud of your flower garden all summer until autumn.

Garden hydrangea

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When choosing colorful and unpretentious plants for home growing, it makes sense to pay to garden hydrangea... This amazing creature can transform any garden beyond recognition. Gardeners from different parts of the world classify the flower as one of the most beautiful plants on the planet, highlighting incredibly lush flowering, an abundance of shades (pink, blue, white, red, yellow and others) and the absence of difficulties in independent maintenance.

The issue of caring for a garden hydrangea is of interest to many novice summer residents and gardeners., which is explained by the great popularity of this variety. By the way, all of them cannot resist the incredible beauty of blue shades.

Hydrangea garden planting and outdoor care

Back in the middle of the last century, all varieties of hydrangea could not withstand the cold winters of our regions and died at temperatures below -10 degrees Celsius. Because of these features, connoisseurs of the blooming "green friend" had to enjoy only a compact room "version" of the flower. " Over the past 20 years, the situation has changed a lot: as a result of the hard work of breeders, it was possible to breed a lot of amazing varieties with excellent frost-resistant performance. They easily survive in severe frosts, down to -25 degrees and below.

The efforts of the breeders have served to create magnificent shrubs with long and abundant flowering, which remains unchanged despite any climatic difficulties. Garden hydrangea is a deciduous shrub that grows from 50 to 150 centimeters. Luxurious flowers form large spherical inflorescences with a diameter of 18-20 centimeters.

At the beginning of the flowering period, the inflorescences acquire a light light green color. As it grows, the flowers turn bright blue, lilac, purple or pink. The flowering period lasts from early June to October.

Garden hydrangea is considered the undisputed leader among ornamental shrubs that are intended for landscaping city parks and garden plots.... This is due to the long flowering time of up to two months. Due to their aristocratic and graceful appearance, plants make every passer-by pay attention to them.

Garden hydrangea: All the features of planting and care in the open field

The plant is a perennial shrub that does not need replanting. Given this feature, the choice of a landing site should be treated with special responsibility. It is known that members of the species have a special love for slightly shaded areas. The best place for full-fledged growth is that part of the flower bed, where there is good contact with the sun, from morning to noon.

Good development activity is seen near small buildings in the garden or the front of the premises. Penumbra protects the flower from the aggressive effects of direct sunlight, which is very important. It also protects the plant from wind and frost in winter. However, you should understand that the less light falls on the place where the bush is planted, the slower the development of peduncles and flower buds will occur.

The plant is used as tapeworms in small green lawns, where it plays a key decorative role. As for the low varieties, they look very elegant, magnificent and graceful. The hydrangea hedge option looks very bright. To create a beautiful composition, you need to correctly combine contrasting flowers with different shades of the same tone. By the way, some varieties are also suitable for ampel cultivation in hanging pots or large pots, which are installed on open terraces or verandas.

Often, hydrangeas are planted at the entrance to the house or near the gazebo.This option looks very elegant and graceful. It also makes sense to place it on the banks of small garden ponds, because reflection in the water only improves the decorative effect of the view.

The choice of soil for planting a flower in the open field

An important condition for caring for a garden hydrangea is the choice of soil. Such a flower prefers weak or moderately acidic soils. But in the garden area, such compositions are extremely rare, therefore, before planting hydrangeas in the soil, you need to prepare a special mixture to fill the hole from equal parts of leaf and turf soil, peat and sand. Also, compost and some water should be added to the finished soil composition.

Asking the question: how to care for garden hydrangea, it is important to think about balanced watering... By the way, this procedure must be performed regularly, because lack of nutritious moisture will entail a number of irreparable consequences in the form of wilting of leaves and loss of natural shades on the inflorescences.

Watering should be maximum if you need to care for young plants at the age of two to three years. Abundant and balanced contact with water ensures the preservation of more or less stable temperature indicators in the upper layers of the soil, which is very important for the normal development of the near-stem part of the hydrangea. The next years of the flower's life should be accompanied by regular and sufficient watering. Lack of moisture or prolonged drought often cause dangerous marginal leaf burns or wilting of the entire leaf. Often the problem leads to the death of the plant.

Outdoor garden hydrangea care

In the spring, you need to care for a young hydrangea in a special way carefully and intensively. Like many other types of flowering plants, these individuals need complex fertilization, which should include feeding:

• nitrogen;
• potassium;
• phosphorus;
• as well as a mass of valuable microelements.

If you intend to grow a beautiful, lush and long-lasting flower, the use of top dressing will become an indispensable procedure..

One interesting subtlety is characteristic of hydrangea: when the inflorescences are covered with bright blue, pink or white flowers, new flower buds form on the stems. This indicates the need for enhanced feeding with nutrients. At this time, it is necessary to use preparations based on phosphorus-potassium substances, including superphosphate and potassium sulfate. But at this stage, you should abandon the use of nitrogen, otherwise the plant will begin to give new green shoots that will not be able to withstand the coming winter.

Such fertilizers have proven themselves very well:

• spoiled milk;
• serum;
• kefir;
• curdled milk.

When choosing a serum, spraying can be carried out several times per season, applying fertilizer to the leaves. An important secret of the correct use of bait is as follows: from time to time you need to feed your pet with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. This action will allow the plant to gain new strength and make the branches flexible.

Is hydrangea pruning necessary?

In contrast to other garden plants, the large-leaved garden hydrangea does not need regular pruning. This is due to the fact that representatives of a significant number of varieties are able to form new inflorescences on last year's shoots. Proceeding from this, it is necessary to save such parts and not cut them, with the exception of sanitary measures in the spring, when the plant is cleaned from frozen or damaged branches.

HoweverPeriodic pruning for minor thinning and rejuvenation of the bush will be indispensable. In the latter case, you will have to remove old shoots at the age of four years. Do not forget that after the end of the flowering season, wilted inflorescences must be carefully cut off. This is done gradually, when the flowers have just begun to wither, but have not yet dried up.Care and attention must be taken at different stages of sanitary work. The procedure should not be abused, otherwise you will mistakenly remove healthy peduncles and young shoots, which play an important role for the normal development of the plant.

Preparing hydrangeas for winter

It is difficult to imagine caring for a garden hydrangea without preliminary preparation for wintering. To keep the shoots of the last year from the aggressive effects of extremely low temperatures or frost, it is necessary to cover them with a film or cloth. Two to three-year-old shrubs need special protection, which are just beginning to adapt to new conditions, including the climatic features of the area, the intensity of the winds and the amount of sun received.

Also, re-planting in open ground in the spring can seriously worsen the condition of the flower, so you can't do without shelter for the winter.... When carrying out the action, it is necessary to mulch the earth with sawdust or spruce branches at the base of the bush, and then cover the plant with white agrofibre. If you bought a shrub with long branches, then just gently bend them to the ground and secure with metal pins. Many gardeners prefer ordinary plastic vegetable boxes, which reliably protect young shoots from the effects of wind, snow or frost. Such a simple option will allow you to keep the branches as they were without breaking.

As for adult varieties, they do an excellent job with very low temperatures, so sheltering such plants is an optional procedure.

Planting hydrangeas outdoors

If we consider all the features of the correct planting of a garden hydrangea in the ground, then they will include the following prerequisites:

• abundant and balanced watering;
• regular feeding;
• protection from external influences;
• the presence of nutrients in the soil.

Hydrangea is considered a very light-loving plant, therefore, special productivity of growth and development is noticed in sunny open areas. However, prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can be a nuisance. For this reason, on hot summer days, it is better to protect young shoots from aggressive contact with ultraviolet light. To provide ideal conditions for the growth and development of the flower, it is necessary to pay attention to the diffused light, which can be provided by shading the area in different ways.

The shrub grows excellently in the shade and light partial shade, however, in the latter case, flowering will begin too late, and the peduncles will not be able to get sufficiently rich and beautiful tones. An important condition for the comfortable growth and development of garden hydrangea is the presence of sunlight in the morning and in the morning. Better to give preference to the east side over the west.

It is knownthat planting a flower will be especially successful in the case of using fertile, humus-enriched soil compositions. Deteriorated germination is observed on red soil. In this case, the use of sandy soils is generally prohibited.

The acidity of the soil should be low, within the pH range of 5.2-6.0 (slightly acidic soil). The flowers become particularly vibrant when grown in acidic soil. Neutral slow soil results in light to pale leaf coloration. For this reason, try to acidify the soil in the absence of comfortable acidity with iron chelate. By the way, in the recent past, flower growers carried out the acidification procedure by burying various metal objects into the ground, including nails, cans, horseshoes and other things. Before planting, the soil must be treated with a special soil mixture with additional fertilizers.

What diseases and pests threaten garden hydrangea?

Despite the well-developed immunity and unpretentiousness to the conditions of detention, the garden hydrangea can be attacked by a variety of pests. Among them:

• powdery mildew;
• spider mite;
• and aphids.

A particular intensity of infestation is seen when grown indoors.

To combat various problems, you can use ready-made preparations bought in special stores, or homemade formulations that consist of folk remedies. Any florist can make them, even if he does not have much experience in this matter.

Following the basic recommendations of experienced flower growers, you can grow a truly beautiful hydrangea that will delight the world around you with its incredible appearance and longevity..

Hydrangea, planting and care are of no small importance when growing, since an unsuccessfully chosen place and soil composition of the soil can lead to diseases and poor development, in some cases death. In addition, after planting, you need to take care of the shrub correctly in order to achieve lush flowering and healthy growth ...

Site selection and soil preparation

When to plant a hydrangea? The best time for planting is spring, the moment when the earth thaws, the buds have not yet blossomed, and autumn is in the month of September. When choosing a place for an ornamental deciduous plant, keep in mind that it is better to plant a hydrangea in the shade or partial shade, since the bright sun causes slower growth, as a result of which the inflorescences become smaller.

Some types of hydrangeas can be grown in open, sunny areas, but abundant watering is required. It is advisable to protect young shrubs from the bright sun and strong winds. It is not recommended to be placed under trees that strongly absorb water.

The soil for hydrangea should be well-drained and moistened, consisting of a balanced mixture of humus, leafy soil, peat chips, river sand (2: 2: 1: 1). Regardless of the type and variety of hydrangea, remember that lime in the soil has a negative effect on development. The soil should have a Ph level of about 5.0.

Planting hydrangeas outdoors

In the northern regions of the country, it is preferable to plant hydrangea in open ground in the spring, in the southern regions, including the Kuban, the procedure is carried out in the fall. It is recommended to equip a planting hole for a beautiful shrub, the dimensions of which are 0.4 m in diameter and a depth of 0.4-0.5 m.When planting, be guided by the size of the root system, if too large, increase the volume of the hole. It is worth noting that the roots of the hydrangea are quite branched.

choosing a place and planting a hydrangea with a closed root system - in the photo

It is necessary to introduce the prepared soil mixture into the pit and make a small mound, on which the seedling is then carefully placed and the roots are straightened, they fall asleep without deepening the root collar, which should be flush with the soil. A slight deepening is permissible, but not more than 20-30 mm; too deep landing can subsequently lead to decay of the neck.

The soil in the near-trunk zone must be well tamped. Watering the hydrangea after planting is mandatory, it is necessary that the water seeps well to the depth of the roots of 30-40 cm. Watering is best done in the hole next to the plant.

Top dressing and mulching as the basis of care

To retain moisture after planting in a permanent place, the hydrangea is mulched in the trunk circle. Mulch also inhibits the growth of weeds and protects the roots from overheating. Peat chips, wood chips or bark are used as a mulching material, having a uniform layer of 8-10 cm.

Mulch will decompose over time and become part of the soil, slightly acidifying it. Mulch is best laid in late spring, when the ground is already well warmed up but still damp.

watering hydrangea - pictured

So that the shrub grows well and pleases with abundant flowering, the garden hydrangea is fertilized when planting, then in the spring in the third decade of May or in early summer - early June. Use a solution of mullein or chicken manure diluted 1:10 with water.Do not forget to fertilize with a complex of mineral fertilizers or add at least the most basic components - 20 grams of superphosphate, 10 grams of potassium nitrate and urea each. Subsequent feeding of hydrangea is carried out with an interval of 17-20 days and ends at the end of July, so that the young shoots have time to woody by the winter period.

For strong and flexible shoots, an ornamental shrub is watered with a solution of potassium permanganate of a weak pink color. In addition, garden stores sell special fertilizers for hydrangeas, which include magnesium and iron, which the plant needs.

mulching hydrangea with wood chips - pictured

Panicle hydrangea, large-leaved and ground cover are predominantly pinkish, creamy colors that can be changed if desired. The color of the hydrangea is directly related to the acidity of the soil. If the soil is slightly alkaline, then the flowering will be pink and crimson; on acidic soils, the hydrangea blooms with blue flowers.

To obtain blue flowers in alkaline earth, the shrub is watered with solutions of iron salts. To get a more intense blue color, rusty metal cans should be buried under the hydrangea.

Pruning hydrangeas - continue to groom

Do I need to prune a hydrangea and how to do it? In order for the care to be correct, it must be remembered that pruning of hydrangea large-leaved, serrated, prickly, Sargent, liana-shaped, oak-leaved is carried out taking into account the fact that flowers appear on the shoots of the second year, which means that you need to cut off old branches and weak ones, to strong buds.

Pruning panicle and tree hydrangea involves removing old and faded shoots, also weak. At the same time, experienced gardeners do not recommend removing a large number of shoots at the same time, it is better to stretch the procedure for a year or two so that the plant does not lose strength and does not die from excessive cutting operations. The main branches, as a rule, are not touched, only those that are bad and grow inside the bush are cut off.

autumn pruning hydrangea - pictured

You can prune hydrangeas in spring and autumn, but it is preferable in the fall, since sap flow slows down, and a haircut will contribute to lush flowering in spring. In the spring months, improper pruning can slow down growth and delay flowering. In addition, in the spring, the processes begin to actively start at the shrub, juice is released during pruning, so be careful not to harm the plant. In spring, pruning is best done as early as possible, before the buds swell and constant heat is established.

Pruning hydrangeas for the winter is carried out as usual, with only one difference - it is better not to touch young shrubs and let them overwinter without surgery, otherwise you risk ruining the plant. Hydrangea, planting and caring for which is not at all difficult, will certainly delight with its lush flowering, if you suddenly decide to grow an unpretentious plant in your garden.

Gotense: related photos

Even in a very large garden area, it is impossible not to notice a flower bed decorated with large and multi-colored hydrangea caps. This wonderful beautiful plant is so mesmerizing to the eye that you simply cannot pass by it. Hydrangeas have more than 35 species, among which there are varieties that grow well and winter in the Urals and Siberia. But in whatever latitude of our country your garden is, before buying a beauty, you need to study all the features of planting, caring for and growing it.

Garden hydrangea: photos, types, varieties

Most hydrangea species are shrubs, but there are vines and small trees. All of them have beautiful large or small leaves, and flowers collected in paniculate or corymbose inflorescences. All inflorescences are located at the tops of the shoots and have sterile or fertile flowers. Most often, their color can be white, pink or blue.

Among them, only tree hydrangea and paniculate hydrangea are grown as perennial plants in the gardens of central Russia.

Hydrangea tree - photo

The shrub, which grows up to one and a half meters in height, has large oval leaves, the length of which reaches 20 cm. Slightly pubescent leaf plates are distinguished by a heart-shaped notch at the base and jagged edges along the edges. From above they are green, and from below they have a bluish tint. Large sterile and small fertile flowers are collected in corymbose inflorescences, which bloom in the first half of July.

Most suitable for planting in the garden the following varieties of hydrangea tree-like:

1. Variety "White House" is a bush with a height of one to one and a half meters. At the ends of its shoots, large thyroid inflorescences are formed, consisting of snow-white sterile and creamy white fertile flowers.
2. InvincibelSpirit grows up to 0.9-1.2 m. Its large inflorescences consist of sterile flowers. At first, they have a bright pink color, and over time they fade to light pink.
3. Variety "Incrediboll" is a bush that reaches a height of 1.2-1.5 m, and has large spherical white inflorescences.
4. Heis Starburst is a short bush with slender shoots that can break under the weight of large inflorescences. The inflorescences consisting of double flowers reach 25 cm in diameter.
5. The Annabelle variety blooms with white sterile flowers, which form large inflorescences with a diameter of up to 25 cm.

Hydrangea paniculata - varieties, photo

Panicle hydrangea differs from tree hydrangea in inflorescences, which consist of large sterile and small fertile flowers, and grow up to 20-25 cm in length... During flowering, they can change color. For the first time days, the petals of flowers are white, after a while they acquire a pink tint, and by the end of flowering they turn green. Large leaves of paniculate species are distinguished by an ovoid or elliptical shape. Below they are heavily pubescent, and slightly above.

Garden varieties bloom from June to July, and bloom for a long time. Among them are:

1. Variety "Vanilla Freise" grows up to two meters and is distinguished by a conical inflorescence on which flowers of a strawberry-pink color are densely located.
2. The Phantom variety is a bush with a spreading crown, growing up to 2.5 m. Its pyramidal large inflorescences have a creamy white hue at the beginning of flowering, and turn pink by autumn.
3. Variety "Pinky-Winky" is a bush up to 1.8 m high, on the shoots of which openwork conical purple-pink inflorescences are formed.
4. The Limelight variety is distinguished by dense greenish inflorescences, which turn pink by the end of the season.
5. The variety "Grandiflora" has been known among gardeners for a long time for its dense inflorescences, which consist of sterile flowers.
6. The Vims Red variety is a beautifully shaped bush that reaches a height of 2 m. From the ground to the very top, it is covered with delicate inflorescences that bloom in June. At first they have a white color, then they become deep pink, and after a while - burgundy-red.
7. The variety "White Lady" is distinguished by white inflorescences, which consist of a few flowers with jagged edges. Grows up to two meters.
8. The Kiushu variety is a bush with delicate inflorescences and erect shoots up to 2.5 m high.
9. The Great Star variety is a plant up to two meters in height. Its shoots are strewn with inflorescences, which consist of white flowers with petals in the shape of a "propeller".
10. Earley Sensation is distinguished by its early flowering and dark purple shoots. On its openwork, wide-cone-shaped inflorescences, purple-pink flowers are formed.
11. The variety "Diamond Rouge" is a bush up to 1.8 m high. Its dense, large inflorescences very quickly acquire a red hue.
12. The Daruma variety is a low-growing shrub with reddish leaves and small openwork inflorescences. The dark pink flowers become reddish over time.

Features of growing garden hydrangea

Those who decide to grow a hydrangea on their garden plot need follow certain rules her planting, placement and care. It should be remembered that only treelike and panicle hydrangeas grow in Siberia.

Planting and leaving

The plant loves well-lit areas with little shade. In sunny areas, hydrangeas grow well and bloom quickly, but from excessive heat they suffer from drying out of the soil and lose their turgor. Small inflorescences are formed in full shade.

The soil for planting shrubs must have an acidic reaction. Alkaline soil plant will suffer from chlorosis and bloom poorly... Neutral soil for hydrangea is unacceptable.

Hydrangeas planted on nutritious loams will take root well and will grow. Therefore, it is recommended to add clay during planting at the bottom of the pit.

Hydrangea belongs to moisture-loving plants, however, it is not recommended to plant it in areas with a high groundwater level. In addition, the wintering of the shrub directly depends on the moisture intake of the plant roots. The less moisture they accumulate in the fall, the better the plant will overwinter. That is why in autumn the soil around the bushes must be partially covered from precipitation.

Planting garden hydrangeas is done in the spring in pits, approximate the dimensions of which should be 50x50x70 cm... The plant is planted after the last frost has passed.

Store-bought plants with a closed root system can be planted until the end of summer, preparing deeper and wider pits for them. After planting, the bushes are well watered, and the soil around them is 6 cm covered with sawdust or peat mulch.

The distance between plants should be between one and one and a half meters. If the group planting was conceived as a "hedge", then the bushes are planted more densely.

Watering and feeding

During the season in the open field, the bushes are watered once a week. In hot months, the frequency of watering increases up to 2 times a week.

Hydrangea care includes mandatory feeding, which produced twice a year:

1. In May or June, during the budding period, the plant is fed with nitrogen fertilizers.
2. In summer, the bushes need potassium, which is added according to the instructions.

It is better not to apply ash under hydrangea bushes, since it reduces the acidity of the soil.

Pruning hydrangea

When caring for a hydrangea, you need to be especially careful about pruning a shrub. Pruning is done every spring. Some growers cut the bushes very short, as a result of which they are removed most flower buds... This cannot be done. It is recommended to approach each bush individually.

First of all, the frozen parts of the shoots are cut out from the plant. If after this there are enough powerful shoots, then last year's branches can be cut to the upper branch. With a small number of annual shoots, only inflorescences are removed from the faded branches.

Too old and thickening shoots are completely cut out. Annual shoots are not recommended to be cut out at all. It should be noted that inflorescences for bouquets can be cut during the entire period until autumn.

What to do to make the hydrangea change color?

Experienced flower growers know that by feeding bushes with pink inflorescences with certain fertilizers, as a result, you can get a plant, blooming with blue or blue flowers... To do this, starting in September, once every two weeks, the following is added to the soil:

• aluminum alum solution (2 pcs. for 1 liter of water);
• iron or aluminum sulfate (20-50 g).

If fertilizers are applied irregularly, then both blue and pink inflorescences will begin to form on the shrub.

Preparing hydrangeas for winter

Unfortunately, without shelter in the Urals and Siberia, hydrangea will not be able to overwinter. Therefore, caring for her in regions with cold winters includes preparing bushes for wintering.

Before sheltering the plant, it is necessary to feed it with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers and remove all the leaves from them, leaving only the upper ones. This will help speed up the process of lignification of the shoots.

Paniculate and tree hydrangea grown in the southern regions can be simply huddle high or cover with peat... For regions with unpredictable and cold winters, you can choose one of the proposed methods:

1. Cover the trunk circle with spruce branches. Bend the shoots away from the center, secure with staples and cover with spruce branches. Cover the center of the bush with peat. Lutrasil is laid on top, which is pressed with bricks or boards.
2. Young small bushes are tied with a rope and carefully, without haste, are attracted and tied to boards lying on the ground, into which nails are driven. From above, the plants are thrown with sawdust or spruce branches, and covered with spunbond, lutrasil or a sheet of iron.
3. It will be difficult to pull powerful bushes to the ground, so a different method of shelter is used for them. The shoots are wrapped in lutrasil, fixed with tape or rope. A metal mesh is installed around the bush. Dry leaves are thrown inside the armament, and everything is covered with polyethylene or roofing felt from above. The frame should be 10-15 cm higher than the bushes.

When growing hydrangeas, you should know that every year it winter hardiness increases... Therefore, in some regions, over time, you can refuse to shelter bushes for the winter. But it is imperative to cover young plants.

Diseases and pests of garden hydrangea

The plant is resistant to diseases and pests, however, may be amazed:

1. Aphids, which can be driven away by infusion of garlic. To do this, 200 g of chopped garlic is infused in a bucket of water for two days. You can add 40 g of laundry soap to the solution, and spray the plant once every 5-7 days.
2. Powdery mildew infects hydrangeas with excess air humidity. When it appears, the plant is treated with a solution of copper sulfate with soap or special fungicidal agents.
3. Sharply clarified hydrangea leaves indicate plant chlorosis. The leaves can lose their natural color due to the excessive content of humus or lime in the soil. Chlorosis is eliminated by alternately watering the plant every three days with copper sulfate and potassium nitrate.

The most beautiful hydrangea plant is excellent suitable for single and group plantings, goes well with low conifers and looks great against the background of stones. With proper planting and caring for it, you can admire the magnificent flowering and be proud of your flower garden all summer until autumn.

Garden hydrangea

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