Hydrangea is a flowering plant native to South Asia and North America. This representative of the Gortenziev family was brought to Europe from China in 1789 by Joseph Banks and became a popular decorative flower among gardeners.
Description
Hydrangea is most often represented by branching shrubs up to 3 m in height. There are also large vines capable of growing up to 20 m, and small trees with characteristic features of the bush, such as strong branching.
Most species are deciduous plants, but there are evergreen representatives grown in the southern strip.
Hydrangea blooms in spring and autumn, releasing large rounded inflorescences - panicles, scutes with two types of buds: small in the middle, large on the edge. A bright dome forms, which with proper care remains until the end of September. Almost all species forms have snow-white petals, but pink, blue, red and purple are also found. The leaves are heart-shaped, slightly elongated to the end, pointed, saturated dark green in color with prominent veins. The edges of the leaf plate are serrated and the surface is rough. The fruit is a box containing many small black seeds.
Paniculate, tree-like, large-leaved and oak-leaved hydrangea
Hydrangea is very popular among breeders, so at the moment several species and varieties of shrubs are bred.
| View | Description | Inflorescences | Varieties |
| Tree-like | Compact shrub reaching 300 cm. The stems are straight, strong. The leaves are wide, rounded, light green with serrated edges and a pointed tip, slightly lowered down. The root system is well developed, therefore vegetative propagation is characteristic of the plant. This species is often used on the site as hedges. | Small flowers of 1.5-2 cm are collected in a rounded dome at the top of the stem. The panicle in diameter reaches about 15 cm. The petals are shiny, ovate. Color is white or beige. | Invisible Spirit, Sterilis, Annabel, Grandiflora. |
| Panicle | A branching tree growing up to 10,000 cm in the wild or a compact shrub of 500 cm tall on the site. Distributed in China, Japan and southern Sakhalin. The leaves are opposite, ellipsoidal, about 12 cm, pointed. The root system is not deepened. Most often propagated by layering. Many varieties (for example, Unique) are able to withstand severe frosts: up to -34 ° C. | Paniculate, 20-25 cm, characteristic pyramidal shape. Flowers of two types, small - white or grayish; large (up to 2.5 cm) - barren, with 4 pink, beige petals. | Brussels Lace, Dart's Little Dot, Limelig, Mathilda, Kyushu, Vanille Fraise, Unique. For the Moscow region, the best varieties will be Bobo, Vanilla Frize, Phantom, Limelight, Pinky Winky, Daruma, Wims Red. |
| Large leaf | Shrub about 400 cm tall, often planted in parks and squares or used as a houseplant. Bright green leaves are slightly elongated, sinewy, rough, bright green. Branches are fragile, bend under the weight of inflorescences. The roots are sufficiently developed for vegetation. Low frost resistance: up to -18 ° С. | Differs in plentiful blossoming. Shields about 10-15 cm in diameter. The flowers are large, 3 cm, in the center are snow-white, with a pink tint on the edges. | Endless Summer, Renata Steinger, Romance, Express, Nikko Blue. |
| Dubolistnaya | It reaches 300 cm in height, the stalks are branching, elastic, stiff at the base. The leaves have a characteristic shape with large carved edges, reminiscent of oak, rough, rich green. Unstable and even with small frosts can die. Propagated by all means, including seed. | Long panicles with white small flowers 1.5-2 cm. In the middle, the fruitful buds have a beige hue, with a white edge with a pinkish tint. | Floribunda, Pink Diamond, Tardiva, Rgaesokh. |
Seed cultivation
A fairly easy and affordable method of reproduction, used, as a rule, by breeders when breeding new varieties, but it is quite feasible at home. Although this method is very time-consuming.
- Prepare a container or separate containers with drainage holes.
- Prepare the substrate from peat, sheet soil and sand 2: 4: 1. You can add organic matter, for example - humus, needles, sawdust.
- Sowing should be done in autumn.
- The seeds should not be buried, but simply sprinkled on top with a small layer of soil.
- Moisten the soil thoroughly. It is recommended to spray, not water, so as not to wash the seeds.
- Cover the container with plastic wrap or glass, which must be removed several times a day for ventilation.
- Place the containers in a well-lit, warm place with temperatures of + 14 ... +22 ° С.
- Moisten the substrate as it dries.
- When the first shoots appear, the shelter must be removed.
- Pick-up is carried out about 2 times: during the development of cotyledon lobes and in early spring.
- In this case, hydrangea can be transplanted into standard individual pots (about 7 cm in diameter).
- The plant must be hardened, taking out in the summer to an open area in a place protected from direct sunlight and bad weather.
- In the evening, the pots need to be brought back.
- Hydrangea should be grown at home for about 2 years until fully ripened.
- Emerging buds must be carefully removed so that they do not interfere with development.
Hydrangea seedlings
After 2 years, seedlings need to be planted in open ground. It is better to carry out this event in the spring or in the fall before the onset of severe frosts. Hydrangea should be placed in a well-lit place, where there is access to direct sunlight. Some species (for example, tree-like) can grow in shaded areas. To determine that a seedling is ready for planting is simple: just make sure that there are several branching shoots and healthy leaves on the stem.
It is also necessary to inspect the plant for infections, because infected bushes can spread the disease to other plants. Still weak seedlings are most vulnerable to parasites. If pests are found, stems and leaves should be sprayed with insecticides. For a full-fledged formation, young hydrangea should be fertilized with mineral (phosphorus or potash) top dressing in spring, and in winter, slightly lower the air temperature: to about + 12 ... +18 ° C.
Outdoor hydrangea planting
Hydrangea planting on the site is not difficult, but you should follow a certain procedure for the implementation of relevant measures:
- First you need to carefully weed the soil from weeds and loosen it so that it becomes loose.
- Acidity must be neutral.
- The landing pit must be dug so that it is 2 times the length of the root of the sprout, given the earthen lump.
- Between the holes you need to leave gaps of the order of 100 cm.
- Near the hydrangea, it is not recommended to place any trees or shrubs with external roots, otherwise the nutrients will be distributed unevenly and one of the plants will die.
- Organics must be added to the hole: peat, compost, humus, sawdust, needles, ash and mineral fertilizers.
- Provide drainage to the bottom of the pit by putting polystyrene, broken brick or eggshell there.
- Before planting, it is necessary to shake off excess soil from the seedling and level the root system.
- Gently lower into the hole, while gently shaking the hydrangea to fill the cavity.
- Top also add compost and humus.
- Thoroughly water and compact the substrate.
- Cover the flowerbed with mulch, needles or ash.
- After a successful planting of a seedling, it must be covered from the sun for 2-3 days, so that the plant takes over faster.
Outdoor hydrangea care
Hydrangea is demanding for proper care and constant attention from the gardener, therefore certain rules should be followed when growing it.
| Factor | Condition |
| Location / Lighting | Flowerbeds with hydrangea should be located from the southern or southwestern part of the site, and it is necessary to ensure direct access of sunlight to the bush. Some species grow comfortably under a canopy or in greenhouses. Young hydrangea is quite sensitive to drafts, strong winds and precipitation (degrees, rainfall), so it should be covered with flooring in bad weather. |
| The soil | No need to plant a shrub in clay soil or a substrate with high acidity. The soil must be prepared, thoroughly scrubbed and rid of unwanted weeds and residual root systems of other plants. Also, the soil in the flowerbed can be mixed with sand, ash or peat for greater nutrition and saturation. If the hydrogen content is neutral, the color of the hydrangea flowers will be beige or white, blue or blue buds will bloom in acidic soil. |
| Watering | Moisturizing and demanding. Up to 50 liters twice a week is the norm for hydrangea. However, too frequent watering and stagnation of water in the soil can cause the disease by rot or fungus, so you should always monitor the water level in the soil. The lack of moisture is manifested by yellowing and the death of young shoots, leaves. |
| Fertilizer | The minimum number of dressings is 2 (before flowering and after). The first in spring, in April-May, a urea solution: 20 g per 1 bucket of running water. Each adult bush needs about 3 such buckets. The second should be carried out after flowering, that is, in September-October. Complex fertilizers containing mineral substances, for example, nitrogenous or phosphorous, are well suited for this. In the summer, you can also feed the substrate with slurry, compost or humus. However, it is worth remembering that too frequent top dressing negatively affects hydrangeas: the branches can break, due to too heavy inflorescences. |
| Pruning | Spend only 3-4 years after planting. In early spring, before buds open and new shoots are formed, the tree-like hydrangea is cut first. Leaving 3-4 buds on the stems, and the removed parts are used as cuttings for reproduction. Another species - panicled hydrangea - is cut by a third, as it is longer restored and more capricious to environmental conditions. In large-leaved species, only every 4 shoots are removed. Pruning should not be done too soon, when the buds have just begun to form, otherwise the shrub may not survive, late pruning also affects negatively: the plant runs out of sap and dies. |
Hydrangea after flowering
After the end of the active flowering period, a number of activities are carried out to prepare the bush for wintering:
- Seedlings grown in pots are brought into the insulated room.
- Shrubs on the site are carefully cut, removing dried branches, shoots and inflorescences.
- Then they hydrate hydrangea well and cover the flowerbed with mulch to protect the root system from severe frosts.
- The shrub is covered with flooring or film, and they also cover the soil around with dry foliage and a thick layer of needles.
Some species, such as paniculata, tolerate winter well without additional shelter, however, in areas with a cold climate and sudden changes in temperature, for example in Siberia, the bush should still be provided with flooring. In the southern regions, a tree-like hydrangea can overcome wintering without shelter.
Hydrangea wintering
Cover hydrangea for wintering immediately after the onset of the first frost, no later than October. If the bush is young, it must be completely covered with dry soil. Adult plants must be gently tilted to the ground, put on top of the roofing material, lutrasil or ordinary plastic film, crushing the edges. If hydrangea is large enough and it is impossible to bend to the soil, then the shoots should be tied together, wrapped with spanbondon, to protect from snow. Around the shrub, it is necessary to put a frame made of metal wire or mesh so that it rises above the hydrangea by at least 10 cm.The gap between the shrub and the frame should be filled with dry foliage, straw, adding humus.
Such a construction will provide hydrangeas with a warm wintering and preserve plants until spring. In April-May, after the snow melts, the net must be removed, the flooring removed only when stable warm weather is established. Proper wintering will positively affect flowering and the formation of new shoots.
Propagation by cuttings
This method has many advantages: firstly, the material is collected during the pruning of the plant, which facilitates the further adaptation of hydrangea, and secondly, almost all cuttings quickly take root and begin to develop.
- You must leave at least 2 nodes on each branch.
- It is important that the upper cut must be made straight and the lower cut oblique.
- The tank must be prepared in advance by making drainage holes.
- The soil mixture can be prepared independently: mix peat, sand and universal soil.
- Deepen the shank no more than 3-4 cm.
- Thoroughly water and compact the substrate, sawdust, wood bark or needles can be added on top.
- From above, the container must be covered with plastic wrap or glass, providing hydrangea with greenhouse conditions.
- The soil must always be kept moist, it is best to spray from a spray bottle.
- Also, the containers should be ventilated daily and placed in a well-lit, warm place.
- When the root system is finally formed, the cuttings can be planted on the site.
- This should be done in the spring, so that the young hydrangea has time to adapt and begin to winter.
