Hydrangea paniculata little lime care and planting and care

Types and varieties of hydrangeas in the photo

The genus of hydrangeas contains several dozen species (botanists still have no consensus on the number of species) and belongs to the family of the same name Hydrangeaceae.

Most species are shrubs with large leaves, less often they are small trees or vines.

As you can see in the photo, all types of hydrangea have flowers collected in large corymbose or paniculate inflorescences and are usually located at the ends of the shoots.

In most types of hydrangeas, the inflorescences contain two types of flowers: small, fertile (fertile) flowers and large sterile (sterile) flowers, which are usually located at the edge of the inflorescences. Most species are white or pink in color.

Correct care

When the plant reaches the age of 3 years, mulching is no longer required. Having grown, the hydrangea will provide itself with shade and retain moisture. However, if there is extreme heat and drought, mulch should still be used. Strong, straight-growing branches eliminate the need for auxiliary supports. Young hydrangeas are required to be covered before the beginning of each winter.

Young hydrangea should be watered very abundantly. For her, moisture and looseness of the earth in a circle near the stem is especially important.

The first feeding is done immediately after the snow melts. For this, it is recommended to use slurry. For the second time, it is necessary to feed the bush with useful substances against the background of the ripening of the buds.

Then potassium superphosphate is laid in the ground, as well as urea. Noticing that "Little Lime" begins to bloom profusely, the flower must be fed with mineral compounds. In the last days of August, it is required to use a special composition for feeding hydrangeas. Before that, you need a neat pruning of the plant for:

• improving the sanitary state of culture;
• giving it the necessary form;
• rejuvenation of the bushes.

Sanitary pruning, like molding, should be done in the spring before the buds have come to life. Hydrangea rejuvenation is done in September or October. Without this procedure, it is difficult to expect healthy and strong young shoots to appear in the spring. After all, the strength of the plant will then go to the sterile replenishment of the faded parts.

Be sure to remove all diseased and broken branches. By trimming the main shoots, growth on the sides is activated... During flowering, the smallest unpromising inflorescences are removed.

Branches in late autumn are tied like bunches and pressed to the ground. It is also recommended to cover them with spruce branches or build a frame covered with old bags; modern nonwovens can serve as an alternative to burlap.

It is important to remember that hydrangea loves water. Specifically, this variety is watered every 7 days, consuming 20 liters of water

It is not recommended to use more liquid even during drought. If there is a lot of rainfall, irrigation is reduced or even stopped altogether. After each watering or rain, the soil is loosened up to a maximum of 0.06 m in depth, while weeding the plantings.

Some gardeners believe that feeding hydrangeas should be done every 14 days. They alternate mineral and organic supplements:

• urea;
• superphosphate;
• potassium nitrate;
• ammonium nitrate;
• manure diluted with water.

Some growers believe that when the cold weather approaches, the land around the "Little Lime" should be huddled up to 0.3 m.

Landing

The optimal time for planting is late spring, when the snow has melted and the ground has warmed up enough. However, in the southern regions, hydrangeas can also be planted in the fall, before the onset of frost.

Although hydrangea "Vanilla Fraz" is not very demanding on the conditions of keeping and will grow in places with any light, it is still better to choose a penumbra zone for it.Under too aggressive sun the bush takes longer and slower to form. And the lack of light will affect the appearance of the buds - they will be smaller in size and less bright and saturated in color. Ideally, the first half of the day, the hydrangea should be in the shade, and the second - under the sun, better diffused rays. When choosing a landing site, it is also worth considering the climatic zone. In the south of Russia, more shady areas are preferred, and in the northern regions the hydrangea will feel better under the sun, which compensates for the lack of heat.

Undesirable for hydrangea is the proximity to apple, pear and other fruit trees - they will take too much water from the soil. However, excess moisture is also harmful to Vanilla Freis, so choose a moderately humid planting site, and always protected from the wind.

The main requirement for the soil is that it must be fertile, loose and low acidic (for example, neutral pH). Sandy and calcareous soils are absolutely unsuitable for hydrangeas due to the lack of nutrients in them.

Before planting, the soil must be prepared - supplied with organic and mineral fertilizers. But chalk, ground limestone and ash cannot be used as top dressing.

Landing algorithm.

1. Dig holes 50 cm deep and 30 cm in diameter.There should be a distance of at least 1 m from one bush to another.
2. So that the water in the roots does not stagnate, the bottom is lined with a layer of drainage. As such, you can use expanded clay or pebbles mixed with sand.
3. Soil is poured over the drainage layer. The easiest way is to buy a ready-made hydrangea substrate. But you can prepare the soil mixture yourself by mixing peat and humus in equal proportions and adding leafy or soddy soil with sand to them.
4. Fertilizers with a high content of phosphorus and potassium are applied to the wells.
5. Moisten all pits generously with water. Seedlings can be planted only 10-14 days after soil preparation.
6. Before planting, the sprouts are "trimmed". On each seedling, the roots are slightly pruned, and no more than 3 buds are left on the outer part of the shoot.
7. The sprouts are carefully placed in the ground, straightening the roots. In this case, the root collar is left on the surface.
8. Having covered the pits with soil, young plants are watered, loosened and mulched with needles or sawdust.
9. Provide them with reliable protection from direct sunlight and wind.

From a bush, it turns into a tree with a long bare trunk, which is crowned with a lush bright crown. If you do not want to go the easiest way and purchase such an option in the nursery, but prefer to grow a standard hydrangea on your own, you will have to be patient - you will need about 7 years for this. But the resulting copy will not leave anyone indifferent and will make your garden royally luxurious!

Here's the easiest way to get a Vanilla Freise stock. The stem of the cutting is tied to a wooden post dug into the ground. Each year, the side branches are removed to the most developed bud and the growing top of the plant is tied up. After the hydrangea reaches the desired height, pinch the crown of the crown.

You can also get a standard tree by grafting, but this is a more complicated and time-consuming method.

Hydrangea care

Panicle hydrangea "Limelight" is an unpretentious plant. It is not difficult to look after and it does not take much time. But to get lush flowering, the plant must provide:

• Regular watering;
• Top dressing with fertilizers;
• Formative and sanitary pruning.

The shrub needs to be watered periodically so that the ground under the bush always remains moist. In spring and autumn, watering is carried out every 2-3 weeks. In the summer, in the heat, you need to water more often - 1-2 times a week.

Hydrangea Limelight is fed for proper development and annual flowering. Without feeding, flowering can be poor, and sometimes the bush refuses to bloom at all.

Top dressing begins in May during active growth.Before the first buds appear, I fertilize with nitrogen compounds. Good results are obtained with the usual infusion of mullein. With such feeding, the bush increases its leaf mass and prepares for flowering.

You can read more about feeding hydrangeas here.

With the appearance of the first buds and until the end of flowering, fertilizing with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers is carried out. Particularly popular are special fertilizers for hydrangeas, which can be purchased at flower shops or garden centers.

An obligatory procedure in the care of Limelight panicle hydrangea is its pruning. There are the following types of trimming:

• Formative;
• Sanitary;
• Anti-aging.

Form a bush in early spring before bud break. At the same time, you need to try to leave all the shoots of the last year intact, since it is on them that the buds will be laid.

The rest, if they are very long, are shortened by 2/3, others by 1/3 or less. In this case, the bush is given the desired shape. You should also cut out the branches growing inside the crown so that it is not thick with a rumor.

Sanitary pruning is carried out in the fall at the end of October. All damaged, dry and diseased shoots are removed. All weak branches and old inflorescences are also cut off, shortening the shoots by 2-3 buds.

For very old bushes, rejuvenating spring pruning is carried out. All old branches are cut out, leaving 4-5 youngest ones. They are shortened, leaving 4-5 buds. Sometimes they carry out radical pruning "on a stump".

Limelight hydrangea care

Panicle hydrangea Limelight: photo of the variety

Limelight panicle hydrangea is considered a non-capricious herbaceous. The agricultural technology behind it is simple and it will not waste all your time. However, in order to have an abundant flowering process, the herbaceous one must be endowed with:

• constant hydration.
• fertilization with dressings.
• trimming and sanitary trimming.

The bush must be moistened in a timely manner so that the soil under the bush is constantly moistened. In the spring and autumn seasons, moisture is produced every fourteen to twenty-one days. In the summer season, on hot days, it is necessary to moisturize more than one or two times every seven days.

Hydrangea Limelight is fertilized for proper development and stimulation of the flowering process every year. Without fertilization, the flowering process can become weak, and sometimes the shrub has no flowering process at all.

Fertilization is started in the last spring month in the process of abundant growth. Before the formation of the first buds, they are fed with nitrogen fertilizers. An ordinary infusion of cow dung brings excellent performance. With this fertilization, the shrub forms a green mass and prepares for the flowering process.

With the formation of the first buds and until the end of the flowering process, fertilization is carried out with potash and phosphorus fertilizers. Specialized feeds for Limelight hydrangea are very well known, which can be bought in special supermarkets and flower farms.

A necessary process in agricultural technology for a given plant is its pruning. The following pruning classifications are known:

• sanitary.
• formative.
• anti-aging.

The shrub is made out at the beginning of the spring season before the buds open. In this case, it is necessary to try not to touch all the branches of last year, because it is on them that the buds will form.

Others, if they are rather elongated, are reduced by two-thirds, others are reduced by one-third or less. In this case, the required shape is given to the shrub. It is also worth cutting off the shoots growing in the center of the crown in order to reduce its thickening.

Sanitary pruning is performed at the end of the second autumn month. All wounded, dried and infected branches are removed. All thin shoots and adult flowers are still pruned, reducing the branches by two or three buds.

For fairly adult shrubs of panicle hydrangea, Limelight produce rejuvenating pruning in the spring season. All adult shoots are pruned, without touching four to five of the youngest. They are reduced without touching four to five buds.Sometimes radical pruning is done.

Hydrangea flowers in the garden

The nature of central Russia is not rich in flowering shrubs. This gap is filled by winter-hardy plants introduced from other places. Some of them (like lilacs, wrinkled roses) are so fond of and widespread in Russian gardens that one gets the feeling that they are our "native" plants

Others are undeservedly overlooked and are still quite rare guests in the gardens. These include the flowers of garden hydrangea, although it is difficult to find a shrub that would differ in such a duration of flowering in the second half of summer

In addition, among the garden hydrangeas there are species that perfectly tolerate a temperate climate and are distinguished by their unpretentiousness in culture. Therefore, it is difficult to explain our “disfavor”. But the active selection of this culture, which gives us more and more diverse varieties, contributes to the fact that various types and varieties of hydrangeas in the gardens of the middle lane appear more and more often.

Description of hydrangea Little Lime

Hydrangea Little Lime - differs in that they did not work on the breeding of this variety purposefully. But despite this, its appearance is quite luxurious and is not inferior in external parameters to other subspecies.

Hydrangea in the garden

Describing this variety, it is worth noting the following features:

• The shoots are strong enough to provide stability to the entire bush. Its branches do not fall apart.
• The height is small, only 0.8 m maximum, and then, when creating favorable conditions for the plant. Thus, the Little Lime bush can be classified as a dwarf hydrangea.
• The foliage is ovoid, with a standard deep green shade. It is slightly velvety to the touch, which is provided by small villi that cover the greenery.
• It blooms with rather large brushes of slightly elongated conical shape. They are white with a slightly lemon-yellow tint.

Note! When it gets colder, in the autumn, the flowers change color to greenish. Sometimes a pink border appears

Pinkish shade of Little Lime flowers in autumn

Due to these characteristics of appearance, this variety of hydrangeas is often used to form green hedges. In addition, it is frost-resistant, which makes it possible to plant this plant in Central Russia without any additional protective measures.

It is interesting! Due to the external similarity, hydrangeas of the Jane Paniculata and Little Lime varieties are often confused. However, these are different varieties with slightly different inflorescences.

Care

It is not difficult to care for young plantings and mature bushes. However, in order to obtain lush flowering, hydrangea requires adherence to certain care rules. These include regular watering, fertilizing, loosening and mulching.

Watering mode

The moisture-loving hydrangea plant requires abundant watering. Do not allow the soil around the bush to be dry. With weekly morning or evening watering, up to 30 liters of water should be poured under an adult bush. In cool rainy weather, the rate should be reduced to 10 liters.

Complex fertilizer in granules for hydrangea

It depends on high-quality watering how the inflorescences will form, and whether the whole bush will develop. After each watering, you need to loosen the ground. To prevent the roots from opening, sprinkle them with a mixture of dry leaves or sawdust, peat and humus.

Top dressing

The roots of the pink lady hydrangea are close to the surface, so they cannot get their food from the ground. Therefore, the decorative bush must be supplied in a timely manner with both organic matter and minerals. You need to feed the plant 4 times a year, applying a variety of fertilizers to the soil. Meals are carried out according to the following scheme:

1. spring feeding (before the opening of the first buds) consists of bird droppings or mullein in a ratio of 1:15;
2. summer fertilization during the period of inflorescence formation (ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and water in proportions of 35 g: 20 g: 10 l);
3. in late July - early August, feeding from special granules (30 liters of a solution prepared according to the instructions for each bush);
4. in the fall, at the end of flowering, add 50 g of superphosphate and potassium salt under each plant.

Important! Do not use nitrogenous fertilizers

During flowering

In the phase of active color, the main task of the grower is to create comfortable conditions for the preservation of bushes and inflorescences. In addition to complying with all agrotechnical requirements, plants must be protected from pests and diseases. During summer cold snaps and rains, the bushes are affected by powdery mildew. Sick leaves and branches should be sprayed with a solution prepared according to the instructions from the drug "Fundazol".

The most harmful enemy for hydrangeas is aphids, which can be eliminated by an infusion of garlic or onion peels.

On a note. One of the important aspects of hydrangea care is pruning. Only it is usually carried out in the spring, towards the end of March, to stimulate growth and the formation of larger buds during flowering. In the summer season, the pruning procedure is not carried out.

During the rest period

In late autumn, when the Pink Lady panicle hydrangea is preparing for winter, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work with its bushes:

• Cut off dried inflorescences and remove dry leaves.
• Correct bushes by pruning and removing broken branches and shoots.
• Reduce the watering rate and gradually stop altogether.
• Where necessary, prepare shelters, especially for young seedlings.
• Hydrangea roots can become bare over the summer and autumn, so you need to insulate them with a layer of dry leaves and humus.

Preparing for winter

Hydrangea Pink Lady is bred in all regions of Russia, including Siberia and the Urals. Although this plant tolerates low temperatures well, it is necessary to create light shelters, especially if frosty winters with little snow are expected. You need to carefully insulate the root system.

Hydrangea paniculata Pink Lady in landscape design

Cover the shrub with a special cover or just a bag. Throw the first snow that fell, creating a kind of snowdrift. Such events are usually not held in the south.

Hydrangea paniculata Pink Lady is widely known not only for its excellent agricultural characteristics, magical beauty and delicate aroma of flowers. This ornamental shrub can decorate any site both independently and in a compositional solution.

Looks great next to evergreen and coniferous trees. It will be a good neighbor to the plant that shares its requirements for light and shade, the composition and moisture of the soil.

Description of hydrangea Limelight

The main value of this variety lies in the presence of shoots in it, the strength and rigidity of which easily allow you to keep on weight a huge number of inflorescences formed during the period of active flowering. It is this property that makes it possible for the Lime-light panicle hydrangea to maintain its decorative shape and extremely compact dimensions.

Hydrangea paniculata blooms longer than other varieties of the genus

Note! Florists prefer this type of hydrangea for a fairly long flowering period, as well as for the presence of a truly unusual color. By its biological appearance, a variety of panicle hydrangeas called Limelight, or, as it is also called, Little Light hydrangea is a flowering deciduous shrub, the size of which can reach 2.5 m in height

The development and growth of hydrangeas is extremely active, the annual growth in height can reach up to 25 cm

In terms of its biological appearance, a variety of panicle hydrangeas called Limelight, or, as it is also called, the Little Light hydrangea, is a flowering deciduous shrub, the size of which can reach 2.5 m in height. Development and growth of hydrangeas are extremely active, the annual growth rate is the height can be up to 25 cm.

Important! The main feature of many paniculate hydrangeas is in a spreading crown. By pruning it, the bush can be given a more decorative look.

The branches of the shrub are straight and have good rigidity, due to which during flowering it is not required to tie up the plant, as well as provide it with any support. Lime hydrangea has dark brown shoots. The leaves are also dark green in color, slightly velvety and very pleasant to the touch. The green mass is quite dense, it is difficult to notice the shoots behind it. During the fall season, the leaves change their color, acquiring lilac tones. It is because of this feature that many people love Limelight so much.

A fairly tall bush of panicle hydrangea

Peculiarities

Created by Dutch breeders, the Limelight hydrangea is a panicle type of shrub that grows up to 2.5 m in height. Lush inflorescences appear on hard stems in July, completely covering the foliage surface. The description of the variety always reminds that Hydrangea paniculata originally belongs to the plants characteristic of the nature of Japan. Hydrangeas came to Europe only in the 19th century and immediately impressed local gardeners.

The Limelight variety was created in Holland in the 20th century and today it is grown both as a shrub and as a compact tree for breeding in containers. The height on the trunk is about 55 cm, while the plant does not lose its decorative effect. It takes about 3 years to form the trunk - most often this option can be found in nurseries.

The size of an adult Limelight hydrangea in the form of a bush reaches 180-240 cm in height and up to 180 cm in diameter. The crown has a spherical shape, thick, dense. The annual growth is 25-30 cm, the shoots are erect, have a brown tint, the leaves are slightly pubescent. The plant has surface-type roots that tend to grow beyond the crown. The leaves are green at first, acquire a lighter color by autumn, and then turn yellow.

Hydrangea varieties "Limelight" bloom since July, at first its inflorescences in the form of lush panicles have a pale green hue, similar to a juicy lime. Lush broad-pyramidal bunches have a delicate aroma, densely arranged, close to each other. In the shade, they remain green until October. In the sun, they first become white, and then acquire a pink tint. But breeders recommend initially shading the plant in order to ensure the most correct development for it.

The most popular varieties of hydrangea paniculata

Description

Hydrangea paniculata Little Lime (Hydrangea paniculata Little Lime)

A variety of hydrangeas characterized by small growth and abundant flowering. Very decorative. A truly dwarf shrub with dimensions not exceeding 70 cm in height and 70 cm in diameter. Very similar to the Limelight hydrangea variety. A mutation of the dwarf form of this variety. It has the same compact bush with erect, tough shoots. The leaves are large, broadly ovate with a jagged edge, green, in autumn, burgundy-purple shades are possible. Inflorescences are hemispherical, large, dense. The flowers are whitish-pistachio at first, slightly pinkish towards the end of flowering. Abundant flowering, long lasting. During the flowering period, from July to October, the bush is completely buried in huge caps of lush inflorescences. The color of the inflorescences depends on the location of the plant. So, if you plant them in a sunlit territory, then the inflorescences will initially be light green (even light green), over time they will acquire more cream, and at the end of flowering they will become greenish-pink. In the shade, the flowers of the shrub are whitish-pistachio, slightly pinkish towards the end of flowering. A very unpretentious variety, it is perfectly cultivated in a container, does not require a garter, almost every branch ends with an inflorescence.

Unlike most plants, hydrangea loves openwork shade and partial shade, it suffers from direct sunlight, slows down growth and development, its inflorescences become small. They can grow in an open, illuminated place, but they do not like bright sun. The landing site should be protected from the bright midday sun and wind.Due to the increased need for moisture, hydrangea should not be planted under trees that absorb moisture in large quantities. Well, if you have already planted a hydrangea in the sun or close to a tree, then do not forget to water it abundantly. It is not for nothing that the name of this moisture-loving shrub is translated as "a vessel with water." Hydrangea also loves moisture very much, so after watering it is better to mulch the soil, so the soil will stay moist longer. As mulch, you can take sawdust, pine needles, peat. Prefers well-drained, moist, fertile soil. The optimum acidity is pH 4-6.5. Hydrangea does not like lime and ash very much, as it prefers acidic soils. Mulching the trunk circle helps to protect the roots of hydrangea plants from overheating, reduces the growth of weeds. Organic mulch in the form of wood chips, bark or peat is scattered in an even layer (7-10 cm thick) around the shrub

As it decomposes, this substrate will become part of the soil and acidify it to some extent, which is very important for hydrangeas. The root system is shallow and spreads wide

The roots go far beyond the crown projection, this should be taken into account when planting. The root collar should be at ground level after soil subsidence. The peculiarities of the wintering of hydrangeas is that we must try to preserve last year's shoots, since the flowers will be on them in the spring. A shelter is built over the hydrangea bushes or the branches are bent to the ground. A reliable way of wintering hydrangeas under a flat, dry shelter.

Hydrangeas are good for single plantings and in groups. If your entrance is located on the north side, then you can safely plant it at the entrance, in the front garden. But remember that over time, she needs a fairly large place - about one and a half meters. For mixborders, you need to select plants with similar environmental requirements (moisture, lighting and acidity). Hosts, astilbe, cuffs are well suited for combination. For large areas, compositions for a mixborder will be successful, where three or more hydrangea bushes are included in the border. With their natural spreading shape, they create a unique undulating accent in the garden landscape, beautifully emphasizing the size of the plot. Their air caps of various colors and shades look great against the backdrop of green conifers. They will easily fit in and bring a variety of colors to life in any corner of your garden. Hydrangeas are very expressive plants that bring joy in their appearance for many years. They are perfect for a variety of garden styles. Caring for hydrangeas does not require a lot of effort, with the right choice of place and provision of moisture, they are very unpretentious. And if you are not yet a fan of this wonderful plant - try it, plant at least one hydrangea bush in your garden and, I assure you, after its first flowering you will want to plant another one.