Hydrangea planting and care in the open field in the suburbs

Large-leaved hydrangeas Endless Summer

For several years of my stay on the site, I met questions in which people often asked why their hydrangea does not bloom or how you can change its color. The correct answer, and even in a nutshell, can be difficult to give if you do not know what kind of hydrangea we are talking about. Often a person buys a plant without knowing the variety, not knowing its genetic predisposition and not always understanding how it will grow in its specific conditions and on its specific soils.

I myself have been dealing with these issues for a long time and now I decided to share some of my knowledge and my modest experience with you.

There are five main types of hydrangeas

which are grown in gardens: paniculate, treelike, petiolate, ground cover and large-leaved. Large-leaved hydrangea (lat.

Hydrángea macrophýlla

) are also called "broadleaf", "garden" and "macrophile".

This post will talk about large-leaved hydrangeas - macrophiles,

blooming on the shoots of the current year

that grow in our garden near Moscow.

Large-leaved hydrangeas Endless Summer

I will tell you about my experience in growing these wonderful flowers. I will tell you about the successes and failures that I had to face, and thanks to which I gained my personal experience. You can successfully grow macrophiles if you understand the nature of these plants.

In regions with warm winters, there are no problems with growing and flowering large-leaved hydrangeas, but our winters make their own adjustments to the growing conditions for these wonderful flowers.

The first unsuccessful attempts to grow these beautiful flowers in the garden were made by me 20 years ago. These were large-leaved hydrangeas that bloomed

on the shoots of last year

and which, in spite of all my tricks with the shelter of plants for the winter, refused to bloom in the summer. The problem was the preservation of flower buds in winter. In these macrophiles, a flower bud, laid down this year, blooms only for the next (second) year, which is just what it is difficult to preserve in winter. The tops, where the flower buds are located, are the most immature part of the plants, and in winter they often froze over and they had to be cut off along with the dead flower buds.

However, world selection does not stand still and in recent years large-leaved hydrangeas have appeared on the market, blooming on

shoots of the current year.

With the advent of these varieties, most macrophile lovers have a real opportunity to see their lush bloom in their garden.

Large-leaved hydrangeas Endless Summer

In these macrophiles, a flower-bud, laid on a young shoot in spring, blooms in the same year in the second half of summer. This aroused great interest in them, since there was no need to preserve the entire shoots at all costs in the winter. Even if in winter it is not possible to preserve the entire shoot and in the spring it is necessary to remove the dead part of the plants, then after such pruning from the sinuses of the remaining lower part of the old shoot, young shoots of the second order with flower-buds begin to grow, which will bloom in the same year.

In addition, these new varieties of macrophiles blooming on the shoots of the current year, as a rule, have increased winter hardiness (up to -30˚).

However, frost resistance up to -30˚ refers to frost resistance

root system

but not to flower buds. They also freeze, like all other macrophiles. But the aforementioned varieties have a much faster flower bud ripening rate than other varieties. The bud, formed in the spring on the shoot of the current year, has time to ripen and bloom by the end of the same season. That's the whole trick.

At the dawn of my fascination with macrophiles, I accidentally came across a book about the cultivation of hydrangeas by an American author, Dr. Michael Dirr from University of Georgia, which in many ways helped me understand these plants and find a common language with them. The author of the book is called “

Hydrangea guru

"- Guru in the field of hydrangeas. It is a pity that we do not sell these books in translation yet, there is a lot of interesting and useful information on growing hydrangeas.

Chromaticity macrophile  

The chromaticity of macrophiles depends on their genetic predisposition.

Genetically red and white hydrangeas do not change color

... That is, you cannot make red from red or make red from white. Depending on some features of the soil and air temperature, these hydrangeas can only change the color saturation. In addition, as the flower ages, the color from red (at the beginning of the season) may change to red-purple (at the end of the season).

But those hydrangeas that were originally pink or blue can change color in one direction or another.

The color of such hydrangeas is affected by:

- soil acidity (pH)

- the presence or absence of free aluminum in the soil

- the presence of soluble iron in the soil

It is very difficult for a non-specialist to understand the chemical processes in the soil, for this there are “smart” people who write “smart” books, and we, gardeners, have to trust them and check their conclusions in practice in our garden.

“The lowest levels of soluble iron (assimilable) are found at alkaline pH values. Therefore, acidic soils are more enriched in soluble inorganic iron than neutral and alkaline "(Kabata-Pendias, Pendias, 1989" Trace elements in soils and plants ").

Since there is little soluble iron in alkaline soils, and aluminum in an accessible form is practically absent in them, hydrangeas in such soils will be pink. Moreover, due to a lack of iron, they can suffer greatly from chlorosis.

In acidic and weakly acidic soils, more enriched with soluble inorganic iron, aluminum in an accessible form can be either a lot or a little. If there is a lot of aluminum, the flowers will be blue-blue, and if there is little aluminum, the hydrangea will show pink or a mixture of pink-blue flowers.

Simply put, in order to get a blue hydrangea from a pink hydrangea, you need a combination of acidic soil and the presence of aluminum and iron ions in the soil in an easily assimilable form. Aluminum helps the gland to go into a soluble state, thereby enabling the plant to assimilate it. In other words, in order for the pink hydrangea to turn blue, you need to lower the soil pH, add aluminum sulfate (aluminum alum) and iron chelate (for example, Ferrovit).You can also use special fertilizers for blueing macrophiles.

To get pink hydrangea from blue hydrangea, it is necessary to increase the pH of the soil, but this is fraught with chlorosis.

In general, hydrangeas can grow in soils with different pH - from acidic to neutral and even slightly alkaline. But the latter will have to try very hard and run around "with tambourines."

It is good to change and maintain the desired color of macrophiles when grown in a pot culture. In the garden, due to the leaching of trace elements from the soil, this is more difficult to achieve, it is necessary to constantly maintain the desired pH of the soil and add the necessary trace elements. It is quite difficult to get very blue from a pink macrophile, as they sell in a garden center. My color changes, but not so much. More often the bushes are in pink-blue and pink-lilac shades.

Macrophile with pink flowers on one side of the bush.

Macrophila with pink flowers on one side of the bush

A macrophile with lavender flowers on the other side of the bush.

A macrophile with flowers of different colors looks very attractive and picturesque.

Large-leaved hydrangeas Endless Summer

If someone in the garden grows a blue-blue hydrangea without any tricks, this means that he initially has acidic soil in the garden with the necessary content of aluminum salts and iron ions in it.

I once planted Endless Summer blue hydrangea. Our soils are sod-podzolic, slightly acidic, and in the first year after planting, it bloomed with beautiful blue caps.

Large-leaved hydrangea Endless Summer

The next year I had to transplant it, and it immediately bloomed with pink flowers. And this despite the fact that I prepared acidic soil for planting. I realized that only acidic soil by itself does not provide a blue color, iron and aluminum ions are needed. Cuttings from blue hydrangea, planted in regular garden soil, also bloomed with pink flowers.

Blue hydrangea, after transplant, bloomed with pink flowersPlanting and leaving  

It is better to plant macrophiles in the sun, but it should be remembered that these are very moisture-loving plants and they will have to be watered much more often and more abundantly in the sun. Here they grow where the sun is from lunch to evening. It happens that on very hot days, even their flower "caps" hang, but in the evening after watering they quickly recover. I want to try to solve this problem by planting in a substrate with a hydrogel.

Macrophiles, despite their small stature, have a large root system. I found out about this when I needed to transplant a 5-year-old bush to another place. There were no assistants at that moment. I decided that I can handle it myself. Having dug in the plant, I could not pull it out. It turned out to be overwhelming for me. Then a "little mouse" came running to my aid in the form of a healthy man-neighbor, and together we pulled out this "turnip". He dragged the bush onto a sheet of iron and on this sheet he dragged it to a new planting site. Since then, I have not been transplanting adult bushes. And I prepare holes for new plantings ~ 60 cm wide and ~ 50 cm deep.

I prepare an acidic substrate for my hydrangeas. I usually put a mixture of high-moor peat, sand, humus and leafy soil or forest litter into the planting pit. If there is a special soil for rhododendrons, then I add that too. I added a complete mineral fertilizer to the soil mixture and added colloidal sulfur to ensure a longer acidification of the soil (1 sachet - "Teovit Jet"). Since I like to have flowers of different shades on one bush, I also added iron chelate - this is the drug "Ferrovit" (1 sachet) and aluminum sulfate - these are aluminum alum. I buy aluminum alum in a pharmacy, it is a remedy for eliminating sweating))) and is called "Burnt alum".

I water the planted bush well and mulch it with coniferous litter from the forest, since it is a summer cottage in the forest. Mulch is needed to keep the soil moisture. In the future, I try to water it with acidified water.

If the plant is potted, then I plant it in the same way as rhododendrons, after soaking the roots in water and spreading them.

I try to water it with rainwater from a barrel or acidified water with the addition of apple or 9% vinegar (30-40 ml per bucket), citric acid (3-4 g per bucket of water), etc.

To maintain the blue color on the flowers, no more than 1 time a week I water them with a solution of aluminum alum (1 tablespoon per bucket of water) or special fertilizers for blue hydrangeas (according to the instructions).

As necessary, I feed the plants with fertilizers with microelements. I try to buy instant fertilizers made specifically for hydrangeas.

Just like with rhododendrons, once a year, in the spring, under an adult bush (around), I pour 1 packet of colloidal sulfur - "Teovit Jet".

With such agrotechnology, chlorosis does not occur in plants. But if someone's plants grow on neutral or even weakly alkaline soils, then in case of chlorosis, they must be watered with acidified water with the addition of aluminum alum. Alum helps the iron in the soil go from a bound state to a digestible state. You can also add phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.

Wintering macrophile   

As I already wrote, the frost resistance of the root system in those macrophiles that grow in our garden up to -30C, but this does not apply to flower buds. I cover hydrangeas in October, without waiting for severe frosts. I cut off all the flowers and leaves (I do this not in one go) and then, I pin the shoots to the ground in thin arcs, placing pieces of lutrasil under the arcs so that the iron does not touch the branches. Bending down the shoots, I tie them into bundles with a ribbon and lay them out on two sides (left and right), that is, it turns out, as it were, a line. I put arcs along the line and cover with double lutrasil. I tried to leave macrophylls to winter with foliage - I didn't like the result, all the stems under the shelter were covered with slippery, rotten leaves. I open it in the spring when the threat of frost has passed. Freshly opened hydrangeas are not very presentable, but you should not be intimidated.

Macrophile winter shelter Immediately, after opening the plants, I do not perform any pruning. I wait until the buds begin to move forward, then it becomes clear which part of the shoot has overwintered and which has not. I usually have to trim the tops to the first (top) strong green bud. And as I wrote above, from the axils of the remaining lower part of the shoot, young shoots begin to grow, which will bloom in the same year.

Regardless of what sellers or producers say about the variety, in the conditions of central Russia, macrophiles must be sheltered for the winter.

As an example, I will give a couple of cases from my own practice.

A few years ago, I came to the dacha for a weekend in early May, opened the hydrangeas to see how they overwintered. They were in normal condition, the kidneys had awakened and already started to grow. While I was going about my business, I decided to leave them for several hours without shelter for ventilation. But just before leaving, friends came in and, distracted from my daily affairs, I completely forgot to cover the bushes back. I got into the car and drove away. And on weekdays there was a severe frost. This frost killed all the awakened buds, and the stems died with them. For dormant buds, frost is not terrible, but for those who started the growing season it turned out to be fatal. The bushes themselves did not die, but they took a long time to recover from the root, spending all their strength on it, and as a result, at the very end of summer, they gave out a couple of small flowers.

In the case of a snowless winter, even those covered with double lutrasil, the kidneys may die. I also have my own sad experience. For the kidneys, it is not so much frost that is terrible as fluctuations in temperature, the transition from plus to minus and vice versa, when the kidney cannot "fall asleep."

This is how the dead stems of Endless Summer macrophylls looked in the snowless winter 2015-2016.

Dead stems of macrophylls Endless Summer in the snowless winter 2015-2016 By the end of summer, hydrangeas fully recovered, new shoots grew from the root, but did not bloom.

I hope someone will find my experience of growing large-leaved hydrangea in a garden near Moscow useful.

I myself continue to study, update my knowledge and follow with interest the experience of other gardeners, but experience most often comes through the "rake". It’s not without reason that A.S. Pushkin wrote: "And experience is the son of difficult mistakes."

We describe planting and caring for hydrangeas in spring and autumn (tree, large-leaved (garden), paniculate and petiolate). Consider the place, soil, planting rules and step-by-step instructions, as well as watering, feeding, pruning and preparing for winter (Moscow region, North-West, Ural, Siberia and southern regions).

Planting hydrangeas in open ground: location, soil, distance and depth

The plant is thermophilic, fast-growing and needs fertile soil and sufficient moisture.

We describe planting in open ground for any type of hydrangea: oak-leaved, large-leaved (garden), paniculate, serrate, treelike, petiolate, Sargent and others.

Pick-up location

Hydrangea (all types) is a light-loving plant, it grows well in a sunny and open place, but bright sun and strong winds should be avoided. Therefore, at the peak of the heat, light shading is necessary, she very much loves diffused light.

At the same time, the shrub is able to grow well in light partial shade, in this case it later blooms with fewer flowers. It is very important to have sun rays in the morning, in the morning. Therefore, the east side is better suited than the west side.

Soil and acidity

Hydrangea grows well on fertile, humus-rich clay soils. It develops worse on red earth, and sandy soils are contraindicated.

The optimum acidity level is pH 5.2-6.0 (slightly acidic soil). The maximum brightness of inflorescences is observed precisely on acidic soil, and on neutral soil, slow development and pale color.

Alkaline soil leads to chlorosis (yellowing of the leaves). When the bush grows on alkaline soil, there is often a lack of iron and magnesium, which is manifested by light and pale color of the leaves.

Therefore, acidify the soil or treat the bush with iron chelate. In past centuries, gardeners buried iron items (nails, a bank, a horseshoe).

When planting, prepare a special balanced soil mixture with fertilizers.

Soil mix

Compound: humus, sod land, leafy soil and peat - equal parts or humus, garden soil (black soil), peat and sand - 2: 2: 1: 1. And also nutrients: 20-25 grams (tablespoon + teaspoon) of carbamide (urea), 24-29 grams of potassium sulfate (two tablespoons) and 60-70 grams of superphosphate (150-250 grams of bone meal).

If spruce and pine trees grow nearby, then under them you can dig up light, loose and slightly acidic soil. Some gardeners successfully grow flowers in such soil, even without fertilizing when planting.

A complete ban is lime, chalk and wood ash.

Landing distance

Large-leaved - 120-160 cm, and paniculate 140-240 cm between bushes, and from the nearest large shrubs and trees - 230-300 cm. If you want to plant hydrangea in a row (hedge, "mixborder"), you can dig a trench wide 90-110 cm.

If you want to achieve an earlier flowering, then when planting, dig holes closer to each other (70-80 cm), and after 2-3 years, thin out the bushes if necessary.

Landing pit

Depth - 36-45, width - 51-65 cm. Roots grow mainly in breadth, extending much further than the crown.

Planting depth

The root collar should be at the level of the soil, a maximum of 2-3 cm lower, otherwise the flower will develop poorly.

Step-by-step instructions for planting hydrangeas

1. Dig a hole to the correct size 15-30 days before planting.
2. Prepare the potting mix and fill in the planting hole.
3. Dig a hole and place the seedling at the desired depth on the cone of the potting soil and spread the roots. Refill the hole gradually and compact the soil.
4. Water the bush with 8-12 liters of water and sprinkle with bark, sawdust or peat - 6-8 cm thick and 16-20 cm in diameter.
5. Protect the flower from direct sunlight during the day and strong winds.

When is the best time to plant hydrangea? Spring or Autumn?

Best planting time: spring - early May and autumn - September. At the same time, the most favorable period to plant hydrangea in cold climates is only spring, and in more southern regions it can be planted in spring and autumn.

Hydrangea care after planting

Preparing for flowering

For the first two years, cut the inflorescences at the bud stage (“pea”). And then the plant will direct all its forces to the development of the root system and the aboveground part, which will ensure better flowering in subsequent years.

• Watering, feeding, pruning and preparing for winter - see the relevant sections.

Hydrangea garden care: growing secrets

Flower care consists of watering, fertilizing, pruning and preparing for winter. Spring is the best time to add mulch to the trunk circle for more moisture retention. Spread sawdust, peat, pine needles or chips 7-8 cm in a layer, with a diameter of 24-30 cm.

Top dressing

When planting hydrangeas in a soil mixture with fertilizers, you do not need to feed for the first two years. The general rule of dressing until July is acidic fertilizers (ammonium sulfate, potassium sulfate), and from July to October potassium-phosphorus fertilizers (bone meal, superphosphate).

The plant's nutrient requirements are high as it grows rapidly and blooms vigorously.

1. Complex food for growth. In the beginning - mid-May, feed with a complex mineral fertilizer - 25-35 grams per 10 liters of water. Or separately a tablespoon (15 grams) of urea + 25-30 grams of superphosphate (2 tablespoons) and a tablespoon (15 grams) of potassium sulfate.
   Mineral fertilizers can be supplemented with organic: infusion of mullein or bird droppings - 1:10. Repeat feeding after 13-16 days.
2. Potassium-phosphorus fertilizing for flowering. 12-16 days before flowering (beginning - mid-June) liquid feeding is carried out: dissolve 65-75 grams of superphosphate and 41-49 grams of potassium sulfate in water and pour over the bush.
3. During flowering. Repeat the previous feeding, at the time of mass flowering, to prolong it and ensure the establishment of new flower buds.

• For feeding, it is not recommended to use wood ash. Fertilizers work well for heather species and rhododendron.
• Avoid an excess of nitrogen, which leads to a decrease in winter hardiness, deterioration of flowering and promotes the development of rot. Apply only in April - May.
• Important! An excess of fertilizers, especially organic fertilizers (mullein, droppings) will do more harm than a lack.

Watering hydrangea

The flower is moisture-loving and needs regular watering. Drought is contraindicated, the lack of a sufficient amount of moisture leads to developmental disruption.

In dry and hot weather, water every 7-8 days with 15-20 liters of water. The usual schedule is 15-25 liters of water every 13-16 days, and if it is rainy summer, then 4-5 times per season.

The lack of moisture in the fall reduces the winter hardiness of the plant, so if there is little rain in the fall, then additional watering is required.

Periodically add 2-3 grams of potassium permanganate to the water for irrigation to prevent the development of rot. Soft water works best for watering.

We recommend reading: "WATER FOR IRRIGATION OF PLANTS, WHICH IS BETTER?»

It is better to water in the morning or in the evening in the trunk circle, when there is no scorching sun. After each watering, it is advisable to loosen the soil 5-6 cm deep around the plant.

Pruning hydrangeas correctly: spring and fall

All species tolerate pruning well and need it, but each has its own characteristics. Pruning in the spring can only be carried out from 3-4 years of age. The most common types of hydrangeas in Russian gardens are divided into two groups according to the type of pruning.

Group No. 1 (large-leaved hydrangea (garden), prickly, serrate, oakleaf, Sargent and petiolate)

These species bloom on last year's shoots and need sanitary and cosmetic pruning. The optimal pruning time is as soon as the buds are a little swollen, there is no active movement of juices, plus such trimmed shoots can be rooted. Let's talk about the example of a garden hydrangea.

Large-leaved hydrangea (macrophile) cannot be cut off, but can only be rejuvenated. Every spring, prune every fourth branch over 3 years old, especially the one growing inward, so that the bush does not thicken, as well as dead, weak (thin) or broken stems at the root. Such pruning, in addition to giving a more decorative shape, improves flowering.

Spring pruning of garden hydrangea (large-leaved)

An exception: modern varieties from the series "Forever and ever", "You & Me", as well as varieties "MiniPenny", which bloom on the shoot of the first and previous years. They are pruned depending on the condition of the plant and the past wintering.

• Petiolate hydrangea is poorly pruned: long stems are shortened for better branching.

Group No. 2 (tree and paniculate)

These species blooming on young shoots (current season) are pruned every year before bud break. Best moment: mid to late March (as soon as the snow melts). An annual formative pruning is required, as if the flower thickens, the inflorescences will become smaller.

1. Hydrangea treelike wakes up first. Shoots are cut to 2-3 buds from the ground. On a powerful and mature bush, sometimes only one pair of buds are left. To form a decorative form of the bush, cut off the weak and growing inward shoots.
2. Panicle hydrangea needs more gentle pruning. Last year's shoots are shortened by a third.

Tips

• To thin out the bush, remove the old, weak and growing inward shoots completely annually.
• Cut off the frozen stems to the first living bud.

Bush rejuvenation

It is easy to rejuvenate an old bush with the help of special pruning: cut off all shoots at a height of 5-7 cm from ground level ("under the stump") or to the level of perennial wood. Next spring, young shoots will begin to grow, and the decorative effect of the bush will be restored.

Should I prune my hydrangea for the winter?

In the fall, the faded inflorescences are cut off at the hydrangea without fail, so that the branches do not break under the weight of the snow.

Stamp form

Paniculata hydrangea can be grown in the form of a tree - a low bole. Choose one of the most developed shoot on a two-year-old plant grown from an apical cut, and cut off the rest. Then cut this shoot to the strongest bud each year in the spring, until it reaches 100 cm in height.

To form the crown in the following years, pinch the top of the shoot, and remove the new shoots completely. In the future, weak shoots are cut off annually and only 4-5 strongest branches are left for bushiness.

An example of a standard form of hydrangea paniculata

Hydrangea care in the fall and preparation for winter

After flowering, care for hydrangea in the fall consists in removing faded inflorescences and preparing for winter.

• Treelike hydrangea can not be covered for the winter, mulching is enough - it has high winter hardiness.
• In the conditions of the Middle Belt, Moscow Region, North-West, the Urals and Siberia, be sure to cover the hydrangea for the winter, and it is better to dig up the large-leaved hydrangea, transplant it into pots and bring it into the house.
  Since this species can be grown in areas where the temperature in winter is not lower than -23.5 ° C. The exception is some modern winter-hardy varieties mentioned in the "pruning" section.
• In more southern and warmer areas, hilling and mulching can be dispensed with.

Preparing for winter and sheltering hydrangeas

Inflorescences appear on last year's shoots (large-leaved hydrangea), and the goal is to completely preserve them from frost and damping.

Since the leaves and flowers of large-leaved hydrangea die from small frosts at night, preparations for winter begin in mid - late October (after the first frost).

• Hydrangea garden paniculate and large-leaved must be covered for the winter.

1. To do this, they spud the bush with earth, and the trunk circle is mulched with rotted manure, needles or peat.
2. Then the stems are bent to the soil and covered with sawdust, spruce branches or dry leaves. And on top of the bush they put a box (box).
3. After the end of the spring frost (April), the winter shelter is dismantled and pruned.
4. It is better to carefully tie a large bush and make a frame shelter ("hut") above it by 8-12 cm and pour dry foliage inside it.

Preparing hydrangeas for winterShelter hydrangea for the winterTop layer of winter shelter for hydrangea

In case of short-term frosts, it is convenient to cover with lutrasil, white burlap or a double layer of film.

Shelter of a large-leaved hydrangea for the winter from a gardener from the Moscow region

1. In the fall, before the arrival of night frosts, cut off all the leaves from the bush. If you leave them, the flower will start to rot. Leave only flower buds at the tips of the branches, with a maximum of two leaves protecting them.
2. Tie all branches on the bush, 3-4 pieces of approximately the same size, into separate bundles with elastic material (elastic, tights, strips of fabric).
3. Bend the bundles as low as possible to the soil and secure with metal staples (electrodes, thick wire). It is necessary to bend the hydrangea to the ground carefully so as not to damage the shoots. In some varieties, they are very lignified and it is better to bend them down gradually, starting with a slight slope.
4. Before the cold weather begins (mid-November), cover the hydrangea with any non-woven material (burlap, agrofibre).
5. Before the onset of severe frosts, remove the cover and cover the flower with dry peat, compost or leafy soil. The base of the bush is less afraid of frost than the fragile tips of the shoots, so it is sprinkled quite a bit.
6. Place arcs over the plant and stretch the covering material again, and put a piece of film on top so that the ends remain open and there is no high humidity inside the winter shelter.

Shelter for the winter of a young hydrangea

Young seedlings are not cut off, but simply brought into the house in pots for the winter or covered with earth and additionally covered with a layer of peat, dry foliage, needles or sawdust for the winter.

When can you open a hydrangea after winter?

In the spring, you need to remove the winter shelter from the hydrangea at the right time to prevent the shoots from drying out.

1. In mid-March, remove the film and covering material, scoop up the peat or soil and cover again with burlap.
2. In early April, when the night frosts end and a stable heat comes, remove the cover from the large-leaved hydrangea completely.

The approximate dates for the Moscow region are indicated.

Hydrangea winter hardiness

Now the large-leaved hydrangea is increasingly grown in the conditions of central Russia and in the Moscow region, in the Urals and Siberia. However, not all winter-hardy varieties are able to bloom in any area due to the different microclimate.

The plant can withstand up to -23 ° C, and the most winter-hardy are treelike, paniculate and ground cover hydrangeas.

The winter hardiness of a plant increases if it received a sufficient amount of water in the fall, as well as potassium-phosphorus fertilization.

Diseases and pests

Hydrangea is very resistant to diseases and pests, but sometimes it is still affected by powdery mildew, spider mites and aphids (more often in greenhouses).

1. HOW TO FIGHT MEALY DEW? INSTRUCTIONS, MEANS AND FUNGICIDES.
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Why doesn't hydrangea bloom in the garden? What to do?

We will list the most common reasons for not blooming.

1. Deficiency or excess of nutrients, especially nitrogen. With excessive feeding, especially with organic fertilizers, flowering is very difficult to achieve. Apply nitrogen only during active vegetation (April - May).
2. Improper pruning or winterization. The plant blooms on last year's shoots (upper buds). They often suffer from winter chills and are sometimes removed if over-pruned. If you have a large-leaved hydrangea, then read how to properly prune it - the "Pruning" section.
3. Excessive direct sunlight. Diffused light is ideal for hydrangea, but if it grows in a sunny place without shading in the midday heat, then flowering worsens and shortens.

How to speed up hydrangea flowering?

To make the bush bloom faster, sprinkle it as soon as the inflorescences become 2-4 cm in diameter twice with an interval of 5-7 days with gibberellins - 50 mg / liter of water. This treatment allows you to bloom 2-4 weeks earlier and get more massive and decorative flowering.

How to change the color of hydrangea flowers?

The flowers of the plant can change their color depending on the acidity of the soil and the ability to accumulate aluminum.

Water the bush with a solution of potassium alum (100 g / 10 liters of water). To change the color, you need to spend 3-4 waterings every 12-15 days. Therefore, watering begins 50-70 days before flowering.

After that, the white or pink flowers (slightly alkaline soil) will turn blue or blue, depending on the concentration. At the same time, alum reduces acidity, so you need to use them carefully. The price of 100 g of alum is about 30-50 rubles.

Helpful Tips for Hydrangea Care

• If you want to dry hydrangea inflorescences for the winter, then cut them off immediately after all the flowers bloom. Tie in small bunches and hang flowers down in a dark place to dry.
• Hydrangea can be grown at home as a pot culture. In the fall, it sheds its leaves, for the winter it is cut off and transferred to a cool place (+ 4-6), and in late February - early March, it is placed in a bright and warm place without direct sunlight. In summer, the flower can be taken out into the open air and left until September.
• Experts advise planting ground cover species in the near-trunk circle: stonecrops, bryophyte saxifrage and others.

ADDITIONS TO THE ARTICLE:

1. REPRODUCTION OF GARDEN HORTENSIA: ALL WAYS!

2. TYPES AND THE BEST VARIETIES OF HORTENSIA WITH PHOTOS AND TITLES!

We wish flowers to cheer you up and make you a little happier!

Hydrangea is the name of a whole genus of tree-like shrubs, whose representatives are valued for their decorative qualities. Although this plant loves warmth and moisture, planting a serrated hydrangea - one of the species - is widespread in the middle lane. The Blue Bird variety is very beautiful. These sprawling bushes, abundantly decorated with large caps of blue inflorescences, are used to decorate parks and gardens.

Description

Hydrangea serrata (Hydrangea serrata), like the entire family, comes from Japan. The width of the undersized bush of the Blue Bird variety is about 1.5 m and the height is 1–1.2 meters, which makes the plant look like a green ball. This species is loved by gardeners for the bright colors of the inflorescences and the attractive appearance of the shrub, in addition, it requires simple maintenance. A remarkable feature is that the intensity of the color of the inflorescences can change when the acidity of the soil changes.

The Blue Bird variety, among others, is distinguished by its memorable color scheme: in the center there are small fertile pink, lilac flowers with blue stamens, and at the edges there are large sterile flowers (up to 3 cm in diameter), having a color from pale lilac to bright blue. On acidic soils, the petals become a delicate heavenly shade. The caps themselves have the shape of a flat umbrella, reaching a diameter of 10 cm. The serrated hydrangea has oval leaves serrated at the edges, for which it got its name.

Let's name other features of the plant's appearance.

1. The hydrangea bush is deciduous and quite spreading. He likes the abundance of light and moisture.
2. It has a sturdy and branched trunk that is hidden under lush foliage and inflorescences.
3. By the way, even young plants planted quite recently bloom profusely.
4. The root system of this variety is wide, it is located in the ground at a shallow depth, about 40 cm. Due to this, the plant reacts quickly enough to the application of mineral fertilizers and organic fertilizing.

If you take proper care of the hydrangea, then it will delight the eye and decorate the site with flowers from July to September. This plant is quite frost-hardy - it can withstand frosts down to -18 ° C and even up to -20 ° C, so it can winter in the ground.

Landing

Planting hydrangeas begins with choosing a suitable location. These are light-loving plants, so they grow well in open spaces, but direct sunlight is destructive for them. Diffused light and partial shade are ideal. Therefore, they can be planted from the southern, eastern and western sides of fences and walls of buildings, which will help decorate and decorate them. It is important that no other plants that love moisture grow within a radius of 3 meters from the hydrangeas, so that there is enough for everyone.

The time should also be chosen correctly - the planting of this shrub should take place in the spring, at the end of April or at the beginning of May. Some gardeners also plant hydrangeas in September when the heat subsides.

Dig a hole 0.5 × 0.5 × 0.6 m in size.If these are group plantings, then the bushes should be at a distance of at least 1.5 m from each other so that each of the plants does not interfere with its neighbor. The pits are filled with soil consisting of the following components:

• humus earth;
• leafy land;
• peat;
• sand.

It is recommended to observe the proportions of the components - 2: 2: 1: 1. Additionally, fertilizers are applied: urea (20 g), mineral complexes and organic matter. It is strictly forbidden to add lime, because hydrangea does not tolerate this type of feeding. When planting, the root collar should be at ground level. Young plants need special care: within 2 years, inflorescences should be removed from them so that nutrients and forces are spent on the formation of green mass. It is also recommended to shelter the seedlings from direct exposure to sunlight, wind and frost.

Care

Hydrangea care is quite simple. It does not require any special skills or knowledge in the field of gardening. This plant is very fond of warmth and moisture, which must be taken into account. In order for more water to get to the root system, it is recommended to regularly loosen the soil around the bush, together with weeding, to a depth of about 5 cm. This will also provide a constant flow of oxygen, which will have a positive effect on the condition of the bush.

Bluebird hydrangea care includes other aspects as well.

1. Correct watering. For normal development and abundant flowering, the hydrangea must receive a sufficient amount of water, so it should be watered daily. On hot summer days, when the thermometer rises above + 30 ° C, watering should be carried out three times a day, and if the air warms up to 25 ° C, then twice (in the morning and in the evening). It is important to ensure that the topsoil is always moderately moist.
2. Protection from direct sunlight. Although serrata hydrangea is a fairly light-loving plant, the bright sun can harm it, like most plants. In this case, the earthen lump dries up faster, the flowers become small and pale, and ugly burns appear on the leaves. If the plant is in an open space, then at noon it should be artificially shaded. For example, a removable canopy. Such care allows you to maintain a decorative look.
3. Fertilization of a plant occurs in three stages: at planting, when it begins to pick up buds, and at the beginning of flowering. In the last two cases, liquid fertilizers are applied at the root. For example, you can make organic fertilizing by mixing compost diluted in water. The optimal time between feeding is 2 weeks. Fertilizers containing nitrogen and a complex of minerals should be used according to the instructions.

This plant is quite resistant to pests. But it needs to be examined regularly, because there is a risk of infection with aphids or powdery mildew.

In addition to these basic rules, caring for hydrangea cannot do without pruning and preparing for wintering.

Pruning

Hydrangea serrata requires annual pruning. The best time for this is autumn, when the plant has already bloomed and enters a state of dormancy. You need to use a garden pruner. With the help of such a tool, the upper 2-3 nodes of the shoot are cut off, while trying to give the shrub an elegant "hat" shape. All branches without flowers, dry leaves and dead branches should be removed.

Such care is useful in that after pruning, the area from which moisture evaporates during the winter decreases. Summer trimming of the branches is also allowed to make the bush more branched, lush and even. Also, every two years, a "radical haircut" should be carried out, removing all dead, weak and uneven shoots - this will only benefit the plant, and the hydrangea will be transformed next year.

Preparing for winter

Hydrangea serrata becomes more resistant to frost over time, but at a tender age, these plants need special attention before the onset of cold weather. First you need to cut the bush, it is also recommended to feed it with fertilizer based on phosphorus and potassium.

There are several ways to protect the shrub from cold temperatures.

1. Spud the plant and cover with polyethylene (up to -5 ° C).
2. Tie the branches with a rope, spud and insulate with spruce branches. For additional protection, you can use several layers of polyethylene, fixed on top with boards (down to -15 ° C).
3. Bend bunches of 2 branches to the ground and secure with staples. Then insulate with sawdust, coniferous branches or unnecessary warm things. Withstands temperatures down to -20 ° C.
4. Wrap the branches of the bush with a metal mesh or line with bricks, and throw old warm clothes on top (up to -30 °).

Correctly and timely performed procedures for preparing hydrangeas for winter will guarantee that the plant will wake up healthy with the spring rays of the sun, and will delight you with its flowering caps in the summer.

Hydrangea serrata Blue Bird is a wonderful plant. Correct fit and maintenance is simple enough. With the onset of July, this bush will bloom with bright caps of amazing shades, and will certainly become the main decoration of the garden.

Hydrangea belongs to the family of shrubs, famous for its beautiful spherical inflorescences. It grows in Asian countries, China and Japan. There are more than 70 types of decorative trees and lianas. In Russia, compact garden large-leaved species are most often grown.

Types of hydrangeas for summer cottages

Not all species and varieties are suitable for Russian gardens. Plants are classified as deciduous and evergreen. The latter grow only in regions with a warm climate.

Deciduous species are distinguished by large oval leaves with a pointed tip. The edges of the foliage are flat or jagged, depending on the type of plant.

Inflorescences are divided into types:

• with small petals of both sexes, forming seeds;
• with 4-5 large petals which are sterile.

Hydrangea care includes regularly moistening the soil, fertilizing and pruning the shoots. It is better to plant young plants in early spring, so that they have time to take root and better survive the first winter. Cuttings planted in the fall may die.

The shape of the inflorescences differs depending on the type of flower: in the form of a pyramid, ball, hemisphere or flat. Fertile inflorescences are located in the center, and sterile flowers are located at the edges. There are varieties in which all inflorescences form seeds, or vice versa, are sterile.

Hydrangea paniculata

Panicle hydrangea came to us from the Far East. It is a shrub, about 150 cm high. This species grows well in the regions of central Russia, and is often used for landscaping and decoration of garden plots.

Hydrangea flowers reach sizes up to 30 cm in diameter. Bisexual petals are small, after pollination they quickly fall off. Fruitless petals grow up to 3 cm, bloom for a long time, gradually change color from light beige to greenish-pink with a reddish tint.

For full growth, the soil must be clayey, acidic. An alkaline environment leads to disease.

The plant loves moisture, the earth is moistened within a radius of 1.5 m from the trunk. Regular fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers is required.

Panicle hydrangea is planted in areas with good sunlight, protected from the winds.

In late February or early March, the branches of the bush are pruned. In order for the shoots to grow faster, their tips are cut off. In order for the plant to bloom magnificently, you need to cut the shoots as short as possible.

Do not prune when buds and leaves appear. Pruning during the period of juice movement weakens the hydrangea, the plant is sick and does not bloom in the current year.

Reproduction of panicle hydrangea

This plant does not lend itself well to reproduction, in order to achieve a positive result, growth stimulants are used.

Hydrangea paniculata propagates:

1. Layers. A deepening is made, the branch is bent to the ground. Throw in a thick layer of soil so that the top remains on the surface. She is tied to a vertical support. After a year, a root system is formed and the seedling can be transplanted. This operation is carried out in the spring or early autumn.
2. By cuttings. After pruning, branches are selected that have from 3 to 5 nodes. They are placed in an aqueous solution of weak potassium permanganate for several days. Before planting in the ground, the lower sections are treated with a growth stimulator. Shoots are planted in prepared soil, deepening by 2/3 of the length. Cuttings can be cut from green shoots and planted in pots. The containers are covered with plastic wrap to create a greenhouse effect.

The soil for planting cuttings is prepared from a mixture of 2 parts of peat and 1 part of sand. Peat is poured at the bottom of the container, and sand is poured onto it. The stalk is inserted so that it does not reach the bottom layer.

Pots with planted shoots are placed in the basement, the soil is regularly moistened. In the spring, young shoots appear on the cuttings, after which they are planted in a permanent place of growth.

The first three years require more serious care of the hydrangea. Young plants are sheltered for the winter. They are gradually hardened, becoming resistant to subzero temperatures.

If the hydrangea is frozen, it departs well enough and releases new shoots in the spring.

Hydrangea

The birthplace of the tree hydrangea is North America. The plant is a shrub, reaching a height of 1 to 3 m. It is distinguished by large inflorescences in the form of a ball or triangular panicle. The color is most often white, but it can be cream, pink, blue, depending on the variety and degree of acidity of the soil.

Hydrangea tree has many varieties. Their types, characteristics and photographs are presented in the table:

As you can see in the photo, hydrangea varieties differ in shade, shape and size of inflorescences.

Growing a tree hydrangea

Treelike hydrangea grows well in shady areas with loamy acidic soil. For a group planting of garden hydrangea, the space is marked out so that around each bush there is 2 m of free area.

The plant reproduces:

1. By dividing the bush. You need to be careful not to damage the entire bush. The soil is moistened. 15 cm from the stems, dig in the ground with a pitchfork. The shrub is tilted without removing it from the planting hole. Part of the shoots is cut off along with the root using a sharp knife or a sharpened shovel.
2. By cuttings. The cut cutting is placed in water with a weak solution of potassium permanganate for several days. Then they are planted in a soil well fertilized with humus and watered abundantly.

When planting hydrangeas in the ground, the lower 2 leaves are cut off, and the upper shoots are cut off by 2/3.This will prevent excessive evaporation of moisture and the plant will quickly take over.

For faster adaptation, a small greenhouse is built from metal or wooden rods, on which a dense plastic wrap is stretched.

Pruning of garden hydrangea is carried out in autumn and spring, all cut sites are treated with a manganese solution, and covered with wax on top.

The hydrangea is planted in a permanent place of growth in the third year.

Nitrogen fertilizers are used with caution, with their high content in the soil, the stem weakens, the plant's resistance to subzero temperatures decreases, and leads to diseases of the shrub.

Petiolate hydrangea

An interesting variety of shrubs is the petiolate hydrangea. It differs in that it does not have a trunk, it belongs to the varieties of liana. It is popular in landscape design.

There are many varieties that differ in leaf shape, color and height. Planting and caring for petiolate hydrangea in the Moscow region is carried out according to the general rules. The plant loves moist acidified soil, does not tolerate the sun's rays, so it is better to plant it in partial shade.

The most popular varieties of hydrangea, their photos and characteristics are presented in the table:

Variety	Characteristics	Photo
Petiolaris	The tallest hydrangea with glossy green leaves. It can spread up to 25 m in height. In the absence of support, it spreads along the ground, and upon reaching an elevation creates a semblance of a bush. Inflorescences with a diameter of 20 cm, light cream, corymbose. Looks beautiful as a hedge.
Cordifolia	A dwarf variety, shoots are capable of reaching a height of 1.5 m. In a year it grows by 10 cm. Inflorescences of a white shade have the shape of a panicle. In the center there are smaller flowers, and larger ones at the edges. The color is distinguished by a pronounced honey aroma.
Climbing vine	Reaches a height of 3 m. White inflorescences are in the shape of umbrellas. Flowering begins in early June. It is used for landscaping gazebos, low walls, balconies.
Miranda	Reaches a height of 10 m. Differs in wide leaves, with pointed tips decorated with a yellowish or cream edging. There are pale white streaks in the center of the leaves. White flowers have a sweet scent.

Liana can creep along the ground or envelop vertical surfaces. It is used to decorate arches, fences, facades of country houses.

The place for landing is chosen very carefully, after a few years it will be very difficult to tear off the shoots from the support along which they creep.

The optimal soil for petiole hydrangea consists of mixed in equal proportions:

• peat;
• sand;
• turf land.

Like the varieties described above, petiole hydrangea propagates by cuttings and branches.

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To prevent the plant from freezing and getting sick, it is covered for the winter. Well-rooted plants tolerate cold quite well, but can freeze on the windy side. In this case, the flowering will not be as lush. To remedy the situation, damaged shoots are pruned in late winter or early spring.

The root system of the plant is not able to feed on its own, therefore, it is required to fertilize the soil with mineral and organic compounds 4 times a year. To acidify the soil, a mulching layer is poured from rotted leaves, tree bark, needles, sawdust.

Influence of soil composition on hydrangea color

The shade of the inflorescences depends on the level of acidity of the soil. Pink predominates in plants growing on low acidity soil, the higher the PH, the more blue is present in the inflorescences.

If you add alum or iron salts to the soil 2 times a month, the inflorescences will change their shade to bluish or blue.

To achieve a change in hydrangea color, you need to increase the PH value to 6.5. When acidity is less than PH 6, a lack of iron is formed in the soil.

Hydrangea is grown to decorate houses and parks. This plant is indispensable for landscape design.The ornamental shrub exudes a wonderful honey aroma and pleases those around it with lush large flowers. Hydrangea care is not difficult, even a novice gardener can grow a beautiful bush.

About popular types of hydrangea - video

Large-leaved hydrangeas Endless Summer

For several years of my stay on the site, I met questions in which people often asked why their hydrangea does not bloom or how you can change its color. The correct answer, and even in a nutshell, can be difficult to give if you do not know what kind of hydrangea we are talking about. Often a person buys a plant without knowing the variety, not knowing its genetic predisposition and not always understanding how it will grow in its specific conditions and on its specific soils.

I myself have been dealing with these issues for a long time and now I decided to share some of my knowledge and my modest experience with you.

There are five main types of hydrangeas

which are grown in gardens: paniculate, treelike, petiolate, ground cover and large-leaved. Large-leaved hydrangea (lat.

Hydrángea macrophýlla

) are also called "broadleaf", "garden" and "macrophile".

This post will talk about large-leaved hydrangeas - macrophiles,

blooming on the shoots of the current year

that grow in our garden near Moscow.

Large-leaved hydrangeas Endless Summer

I will tell you about my experience in growing these wonderful flowers. I will tell you about the successes and failures that I had to face, and thanks to which I gained my personal experience. You can successfully grow macrophiles if you understand the nature of these plants.

In regions with warm winters, there are no problems with growing and flowering large-leaved hydrangeas, but our winters make their own adjustments to the growing conditions for these wonderful flowers.

The first unsuccessful attempts to grow these beautiful flowers in the garden were made by me 20 years ago. These were large-leaved hydrangeas that bloomed

on the shoots of last year

and which, in spite of all my tricks with the shelter of plants for the winter, refused to bloom in the summer. The problem was the preservation of flower buds in winter. In these macrophiles, a flower bud, laid down this year, blooms only for the next (second) year, which is just what it is difficult to preserve in winter. The tops, where the flower buds are located, are the most immature part of the plants, and in winter they often froze over and they had to be cut off along with the dead flower buds.

However, world selection does not stand still and in recent years large-leaved hydrangeas have appeared on the market, blooming on

shoots of the current year.

With the advent of these varieties, most macrophile lovers have a real opportunity to see their lush bloom in their garden.

Large-leaved hydrangeas Endless Summer

In these macrophiles, a flower-bud, laid on a young shoot in spring, blooms in the same year in the second half of summer. This aroused great interest in them, since there was no need to preserve the entire shoots at all costs in the winter. Even if in winter it is not possible to preserve the entire shoot and in the spring it is necessary to remove the dead part of the plants, then after such pruning from the sinuses of the remaining lower part of the old shoot, young shoots of the second order with flower-buds begin to grow, which will bloom in the same year.

In addition, these new varieties of macrophiles blooming on the shoots of the current year, as a rule, have increased winter hardiness (up to -30˚).

However, frost resistance up to -30˚ refers to frost resistance

root system

but not to flower buds. They also freeze, like all other macrophiles. But the aforementioned varieties have a much faster flower bud ripening rate than other varieties. The bud, formed in the spring on the shoot of the current year, has time to ripen and bloom by the end of the same season. That's the whole trick.

At the dawn of my fascination with macrophiles, I accidentally came across a book about the cultivation of hydrangeas by the American author, Dr. M. Dyrr (Dr.Michael Dirr from University of Georgia), which helped me a lot to understand these plants and find a common language with them. The author of the book is called “

Hydrangea guru

"- Guru in the field of hydrangeas. It is a pity that we do not sell these books in translation yet, there is a lot of interesting and useful information on growing hydrangeas.

Chromaticity macrophile  

The chromaticity of macrophiles depends on their genetic predisposition.

Genetically red and white hydrangeas do not change color

... That is, you cannot make red from red or make red from white. Depending on some features of the soil and air temperature, these hydrangeas can only change the color saturation. In addition, as the flower ages, the color from red (at the beginning of the season) may change to red-purple (at the end of the season).

But those hydrangeas that were originally pink or blue can change color in one direction or another.

The color of such hydrangeas is affected by:

- soil acidity (pH)

- the presence or absence of free aluminum in the soil

- the presence of soluble iron in the soil

It is very difficult for a non-specialist to understand the chemical processes in the soil, for this there are “smart” people who write “smart” books, and we, gardeners, have to trust them and check their conclusions in practice in our garden.

“The lowest levels of soluble iron (assimilable) are found at alkaline pH values. Therefore, acidic soils are more enriched in soluble inorganic iron than neutral and alkaline "(Kabata-Pendias, Pendias, 1989" Trace elements in soils and plants ").

Since there is little soluble iron in alkaline soils, and aluminum in an accessible form is practically absent in them, hydrangeas in such soils will be pink. At the same time, due to a lack of iron, they can suffer greatly from chlorosis.

In acidic and weakly acidic soils, more enriched with soluble inorganic iron, aluminum in an accessible form can be either a lot or a little. If there is a lot of aluminum, the flowers will be blue-blue, and if there is little aluminum, the hydrangea will show pink or a mixture of pink-blue flowers.

Simply put, in order to get a blue hydrangea from a pink hydrangea, you need a combination of acidic soil and the presence of aluminum and iron ions in the soil in an easily assimilable form. Aluminum helps the gland to go into a soluble state, thereby enabling the plant to assimilate it. In other words, in order for the pink hydrangea to turn blue, you need to lower the soil pH, add aluminum sulfate (aluminum alum) and iron chelate (for example, Ferrovit). You can also use special fertilizers for blueing macrophiles.

To get pink hydrangea from blue hydrangea, it is necessary to increase the pH of the soil, but this is fraught with chlorosis.

In general, hydrangeas can grow in soils with different pH - from acidic to neutral and even slightly alkaline. But the latter will have to try very hard and run around "with tambourines."

It is good to change and maintain the desired color of macrophiles when grown in a pot culture. In the garden, due to the leaching of trace elements from the soil, this is more difficult to achieve, it is necessary to constantly maintain the desired pH of the soil and add the necessary trace elements. It is quite difficult to get very blue from a pink macrophile, as they sell in a garden center. My color changes, but not so much. More often the bushes are in pink-blue and pink-lilac shades.

Macrophile with pink flowers on one side of the bush.

Macrophila with pink flowers on one side of the bush

A macrophile with lavender flowers on the other side of the bush.

A macrophile with flowers of different colors looks very attractive and picturesque.

Large-leaved hydrangeas Endless Summer

If someone in the garden grows a blue-blue hydrangea without any tricks, this means that he initially has acidic soil in the garden with the necessary content of aluminum salts and iron ions in it.

I once planted Endless Summer blue hydrangea.Our soils are sod-podzolic, slightly acidic, and in the first year after planting, it bloomed with beautiful blue caps.

Large-leaved hydrangea Endless Summer

The next year I had to transplant it, and it immediately bloomed with pink flowers. And this despite the fact that I prepared acidic soil for planting. I realized that only acidic soil by itself does not provide a blue color, iron and aluminum ions are needed. Cuttings from blue hydrangea, planted in ordinary garden soil, also bloomed with pink flowers.

Blue hydrangea, after transplant, bloomed with pink flowersPlanting and leaving  

It is better to plant macrophiles in the sun, but it should be remembered that these are very moisture-loving plants and they will have to be watered much more often and more abundantly in the sun. Here they grow where the sun is from lunch to evening. It happens that on very hot days even their flower "caps" hang, but in the evening they quickly recover after watering. I want to try to solve this problem by planting in a substrate with a hydrogel.

Macrophiles, despite their small stature, have a large root system. I found out about this when I needed to transplant a 5-year-old bush to another place. There were no assistants at that moment. I decided that I can handle it myself. Having dug in the plant, I could not pull it out. It turned out to be overwhelming for me. Then a "little mouse" came running to my aid in the form of a healthy man-neighbor, and together we pulled out this "turnip". He dragged the bush onto a sheet of iron and on this sheet he dragged it to a new planting site. Since then, I have not been transplanting adult bushes. And I prepare holes for new plantings ~ 60 cm wide and ~ 50 cm deep.

I prepare an acidic substrate for my hydrangeas. I usually put a mixture of high-moor peat, sand, humus and leafy soil or forest litter into the planting pit. If there is a special soil for rhododendrons, then I add that too. I added a complete mineral fertilizer to the soil mixture and added colloidal sulfur to ensure a longer acidification of the soil (1 sachet - "Teovit Jet"). Since I like to have flowers of different shades on one bush, I also added iron chelate - this is the drug "Ferrovit" (1 sachet) and aluminum sulfate - these are aluminum alum. I buy aluminum alum in a pharmacy, it is a remedy for eliminating sweating))) and is called "Burnt alum".

I water the planted bush well and mulch it with coniferous litter from the forest, blessing the dacha in the forest. Mulch is needed to keep the soil moisture. In the future, I try to water it with acidified water.

If the plant is potted, then I plant it in the same way as rhododendrons, after soaking the roots in water and spreading them.

I try to water it with rainwater from a barrel or acidified water with the addition of apple or 9% vinegar (30-40 ml per bucket), citric acid (3-4 g per bucket of water), etc.

To maintain the blue color on the flowers, no more than 1 time a week I water them with a solution of aluminum alum (1 tablespoon per bucket of water) or special fertilizers for blue hydrangeas (according to the instructions).

As necessary, I feed the plants with fertilizers with microelements. I try to buy instant fertilizers made specifically for hydrangeas.

Just like with rhododendrons, once a year, in the spring, under an adult bush (around), I pour 1 packet of colloidal sulfur - "Teovit Jet".

With such agrotechnology, chlorosis does not occur in plants. But if someone's plants grow on neutral or even weakly alkaline soils, then in case of chlorosis, they must be watered with acidified water with the addition of aluminum alum. Alum helps the iron in the soil go from a bound state to a digestible state. You can also add phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.

Wintering macrophile   

As I already wrote, the frost resistance of the root system in those macrophiles that grow in our garden up to -30C, but this does not apply to flower buds. I cover hydrangeas in October, without waiting for severe frosts.I cut off all the flowers and leaves (I do this not in one go) and then, I pin the shoots to the ground in thin arcs, placing pieces of lutrasil under the arcs so that the iron does not touch the branches. Bending down the shoots, I tie them into bundles with a ribbon and lay them out on two sides (left and right), that is, it turns out, as it were, a line. I put arcs along the line and cover with double lutrasil. I tried to leave macrophylls to winter with foliage - I didn't like the result, all the stems under the shelter were covered with slippery, rotten leaves. I open it in the spring when the threat of frost has passed. Freshly opened hydrangeas are not very presentable, but you should not be intimidated.

Macrophile winter shelter Immediately, after opening the plants, I do not perform any pruning. I wait until the buds begin to move forward, then it becomes clear which part of the shoot has overwintered and which has not. I usually have to trim the tops to the first (top) strong green bud. And as I wrote above, from the axils of the remaining lower part of the shoot, young shoots begin to grow, which will bloom in the same year.

Regardless of what sellers or producers say about the variety, in the conditions of central Russia, macrophiles must be covered for the winter.

As an example, I will give a couple of cases from my own practice.

A few years ago, I came to the dacha for a weekend in early May, opened the hydrangeas to see how they overwintered. They were in normal condition, the kidneys had awakened and already started to grow. While I was going about my business, I decided to leave them for several hours without shelter for ventilation. But just before leaving, friends came in and, distracted from my daily affairs, I completely forgot to cover the bushes back. I got into the car and drove away. And on weekdays there was a severe frost. This frost killed all the awakened buds, and the stems died with them. For dormant buds, frost is not terrible, but for those who started the growing season it turned out to be fatal. The bushes themselves did not die, but they took a long time to recover from the root, spending all their strength on it, and as a result, at the very end of summer, they gave out a couple of small flowers.

In the case of a snowless winter, even those covered with double lutrasil, the kidneys may die. I also have my own sad experience. For the kidneys, it is not so much frost that is terrible as fluctuations in temperature, the transition from plus to minus and vice versa, when the kidney cannot "fall asleep."

This is how the dead stems of Endless Summer macrophylls looked in the snowless winter 2015-2016.

Dead stems of macrophylls Endless Summer in the snowless winter 2015-2016 By the end of summer, hydrangeas fully recovered, new shoots grew from the root, but did not bloom.

I hope someone will find my experience of growing large-leaved hydrangea in a garden near Moscow useful.

I myself continue to study, update my knowledge and follow with interest the experience of other gardeners, but experience most often comes through the "rake". It’s not without reason that A.S. Pushkin wrote: "And experience is the son of difficult mistakes."

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 may vary depending on the quality of the soil, if it is acidic, then the petals, instead of bright blue, will be painted in sky 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 grow slower 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 like lime, wood ash or chalk, so their use is contraindicated.

Carefully handle nitrogen-containing fertilizers, 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, the 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 of 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 behind only positive emotions.

Hydrangea is a beautiful garden flower with fluffy multi-colored caps. They are represented by several types: by the type of shrubs up to 3 m high, small trees and vines, which can braid a tree up to 30 m in height. The hydrangea will bloom from spring to frost, delighting with its globular inflorescences. However, there are species for which this time is shorter.

Hydrangea planting rules

You can plant a hydrangea in early spring or fall. In this case, the first option will be preferable. For hydrangeas, you need to choose the right planting site. She prefers acidic soil with good moisture. With regard to lighting, these flowers can feel comfortable both in the sun and in partial shade.

The whole planting process can be divided into several stages:

1. It is necessary to dig a hole 40-50 cm deep and 40 cm in diameter. If the hydrangea bushes or outgrowths are small, you can make the hydrangea slightly smaller.
2. Now you need to prepare a soil mixture consisting of fertile soil, humus and peat. It is advisable to add 50 g of mineral fertilizer to it. If possible, such a mixture is left in the pit for 15 to 30 days. If the soil at the planting site is rich and fertile, then the plant can be planted directly into it without prior preparation.
3. The prepared seedling must be placed in the center of the planting pit so that its root collar is not deeply buried.Around the plant, you should carefully cover it with soil and tamp it so that the roots are well pressed and there is no void around them.
4. The planted bush should be watered abundantly. It is advisable to additionally sprinkle the soil on top with sawdust, bark or peat.

After planting a hydrangea bush, it is better to cover it from sunlight for a few days. This will allow the plant to take root faster. Hydrangea can be planted both singly and in groups. In this case, the distance between the bushes should be about 1 meter.

Basic rules for caring for hydrangea

Hydrangea care comes down primarily to proper watering, timely feeding, pruning and loosening. If you do everything right, the bushes will be lush, and the inflorescences will be large and bright.

Watering

Hydrangea is a moisture-loving plant that requires frequent watering. It should be plentiful, 15 - 20 liters for each adult bush. In hot weather, this should be done once a week. In hot and dry summers, watering can be increased up to twice a week. In this case, you need to focus on the condition of the soil, given how quickly it absorbs moisture and dries out.

For watering, it is best to use settled soft water at room temperature. Periodically, you need to add a little potassium permanganate to it, which will prevent the appearance of rot. Water the hydrangea in the morning or evening, when it is not too hot.

Top dressing

For good development and lush flowering, hydrangea needs to be fed. For this, both organic and mineral fertilizers are suitable. Their use is especially important during periods of intensive growth. You can buy ready-made fertilizers that are rich in magnesium and iron. Feeding in the form of a solution of poultry droppings with water in a ratio of 1:10 in combination with a mineral composition of 20 g of superphosphate, 10 g of nitrate and 10 g of urea has a good composition. You can use any slurry as a fertilizer, just observe the measure, otherwise the buds will be too large, which can cause fragile branches to break.

It is necessary to fertilize hydrangea not only during planting, but periodically as it grows. The first such feeding should be done at the end of May. It should be repeated after two weeks. You can fertilize flowers throughout the summer, but in August it is advisable to stop feeding so that the shoots can become woody for winter.

Mulching

Thanks to the mulching of the trunk circle, the roots of the hydrangea will be protected from overheating and rapid growth of weeds. You must first make an organic mulch consisting of wood chips or peat. It should be scattered evenly around the bush. This will help make the soil more acidic, which is what hydrangeas need. This mulch will gradually become part of the soil.

It is best to apply mulch under the bushes in late spring, when the soil is well warmed up. Mulching is also possible in late autumn, when temperatures are below zero. Periodically, the shrubs need to be loosened so that the soil is more moisture-permeable.

Pruning

Pruning is done on plants that are 3 to 4 years old. This should be done in early spring - before sap flow and budding begin. If done too early, the cuttings will be unsuitable for further rooting, and if it is too late, the plant may die. This is why it is important to prune when the buds are just starting to swell.

When pruning in mature plants, cut 3/4 of the height of each shoot with a pruning shear. In this case, 2 - 3 pairs of kidneys should remain on them. Old bushes can be renewed at the root. Everything will depend on the condition of the bush or tree. You need to cut off old or frozen shoots. During pruning, you can form a beautiful small tree with a certain shape. In the first year of the hydrangea's growth, its flowers should be removed. this will encourage more abundant flowering next year.

Preparing hydrangeas for winter

Hydrangea belongs to heat-loving plants, so it must be protected in the winter season. Young shoots and insufficiently winter-hardy varieties need special protection. If the bush is very young, you can simply cover it from above with earth, fallen leaves or sawdust. Older plants must be bent to the ground and covered with roofing material or lutrasil. To prevent the wind from blowing it away, you need to press down the covering material with bricks.

Mature bushes require more cover. We must try not to break them. The bush should be tied up, and then covered with spunbond or lutrasil, after which a frame of metal mesh or other materials at hand can be built around it. It should be about 20-25 cm away from the bush. The free space must be filled with dry foliage. Such an insulated frame will protect the hydrangea well even in severe frosts. You can remove it in the spring, when there is a stable above-zero temperature.

Propagation of hydrangea

Hydrangea is propagated in several ways:

1. Cuttings. Reproduction in this way is best done in mid-spring or early summer. One-year lateral shoots must be used as blanks. They should be about 10-12 cm long. Cuttings should be cut at right angles. From below they need to remove the leaves. To root cuttings, you need to prepare the soil. For this, a light substrate is used, consisting of fertile soil, peat and sand. You need to plant cuttings in it, placing them at an angle. Each individual plant should be 5 cm apart. It will take about a month to root the shoots.
2. By dividing the bush. It can be propagated both in spring and autumn. To do this, the plant must be dug up and divided into several parts so that each individual bush has a bud of renewal. After that, the plant is simply planted in the prepared places.
3. Layers. For the propagation of hydrangeas by layering, you need to select young shoots, which will not be more than a year old. They should be bent to the ground and dug in so that a small top of 20 cm remains on top. The next year, the shoot will take root and it can be separated from the main bush and planted in another place.
4. Seeds. This is a rather troublesome process, so this breeding method is rarely used. The seeds need to be grown at home. To do this, they are planted in pots and only lightly sprinkled with sand. They need to be watered and fertilized frequently as they grow.

Popular types of hydrangea

Before planting a hydrangea, you need to decide on the choice of a suitable type. Each of them has its own growing characteristics that must be taken into account when planting and caring for. The most popular among gardeners: Large-leaved Hydrangea, Panicle Hydrangea, Petiole Hydrangea, Treelike Hydrangea.

Large-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)

It will delight with flowering in July-August. This hydrangea has bright, dense foliage. The shoots of the current year look herbaceous, which is why the plant has a low cold resistance. Flowers have an umbrella shape. They can have different colors depending on the variety, the intensity of which depends on the acidity of the soil. The more acidic it is, the brighter the hydrangea will be. The height of the bush reaches up to 2 m.

Hydrangea paniculata (Hydrangea paniculata)

It blooms from mid-summer until the onset of cold weather. Inflorescences of this type have a pyramidal shape. They can reach a length of up to 30 cm. Panicle hydrangea grows as a shrub, which can reach a height of 5 m or as a small tree up to 10 m. This species is considered more frost-resistant and unpretentious.

Stalked hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris)

It is a shrub vine. It will require an additional support to which it will be attached with air suction cups. In length, it grows up to 25 m. This is a suitable species for planting near arches and arbors. Inflorescences have a corymbose shape up to 25 cm in size.

Hydrangea tree (Hydrangea arborescens)

It grows up to 3 meters in height. The flowers are predominantly white or cream in color. There are several varieties of this species, differing in different colors. In winter, the plant can freeze slightly, so it must be carefully wrapped. In April, the bushes need to be heavily pruned. The flowers grow in large fluffy inflorescences.

Ground cover hydrangea (Hydrangea heteromalla)

It is also called the Bretschneider hydrangea. This species is considered hardy and unpretentious. The bush reaches 2 - 3 m in height. The inflorescences are corymbose. At first they are white, and at the end of flowering they turn pink. Such a hydrangea blooms in the middle of summer.

Recommendations for planting and caring for hydrangea in the garden - video