Hydrangea garden planting and care 1. Garden hydrangea: features of growing in open ground

Hydrangea refers to brightly flowering plants. According to taxonomy, hydrangea is a representative of the dicotyledonous class, the dogwood order, the hydrangea family. Translated from Latin, hydrangea means "vessel of water."

Hydrangea in the country is popular as an ornamental plant. It can reach a height of 4 meters, it is actively used to decorate parks and gardens, thanks to large bright inflorescences. Hydrangea planting and caring for it does not require much effort. Hydrangea grows quite quickly. Growing a plant begins at home. For 2 years, the seedling will delight at home with the first buds. After this period, the bush should be transplanted into open ground conditions.

It is known that hydrangea is a photophilous plant, and the composition of the soil should contain an abundance of organic matter and have a neutral or slightly acidic pH.

Planting hydrangeas

How to plant hydrangea? To plant hydrangeas, you should purchase a bush seedling. However, you can grow a seedling from seeds. This method will take much more time.

How to plant hydrangea seeds? Sowing seeds should be carried out in the autumn. For planting, you must choose a soil rich in organic matter. You can independently prepare the soil mixture from peat, leafy soil and river sand in a ratio of 2: 4: 1. The prepared land must be carefully loosened. After sowing the seeds, they need to be sprinkled with a thin layer of soil, which should be moistened with a spray bottle.

After planting the hydrangea, the container should be covered with a film or glass, removing it several times a day to ventilate the soil. Maintaining soil moisture is also important.

Planting bushes

The ideal temperature range for seed germination is 14-20°C. After the appearance of seedlings, the shelter must be completely removed.

Picking is carried out in 2 stages. The first time to dive seedlings should be when the cotyledons appear, the second time - in early spring. During the second pick, you should choose a small size of pots.

After the second transplant, young plants need to start hardening procedures. To do this, the pots in the summer can be taken out into the fresh air. You should choose places protected from direct sunlight, drafts and precipitation. At night, hydrangeas must be returned to the room.

Growing at home lasts for 2 years. During this period, you can keep pots outside in summer, and in well-lit, cool conditions in winter.

Important! During this period, all buds should be cut off, as they take away strength from the young bush.

At the age of 2 years, seedlings are ready for transplanting to the main growing site. How to plant a hydrangea in open ground?

It is better to transplant in early spring. Proper choice of growth site is the key to good plant growth.

How to grow hydrangea in the garden? Hydrangeas are demanding on lighting conditions, they need to choose places with indirect sunlight. The soil for the seedling should be chosen as rich as possible in organic matter, with a neutral or slightly acidic pH.

Attention! With a clear alkaline reaction, the soil should be acidified. To do this, you can use peat or a commercial preparation, for example, Asid plus.

Planting hydrangea bushes next to other plants with a superficial root system is undesirable. This neighborhood will lead to the development of competition for nutrients and moisture.

When is the best time to plant hydrangeas in autumn or spring? Spring planting will help the seedling get stronger for winter.

For landing, it is necessary to prepare a landing pit. Its size should be 2 times larger than the size of the root system of a young plant, together with an earthen clod adjacent to it. After that, you need to make complex fertilizers, both organic and mineral. In addition, it is necessary to make a peat mixture mixed with the ground.

Remove the sprout from the pot along with the soil. After shaking and straightening the roots, lower them into a hole and cover them with soil with compost.

Note! It should be ensured that the root system is elevated above the soil surface.

Having buried the roots, the soil covering them must be carefully compacted, watered and mulched with needles around the trunk circle.

Hydrangea Care

Hydrangeas in the garden are demanding on compliance with the irrigation regime. They almost always need moist soil. Planting next to Erica and crowberry will allow you to constantly maintain a slight acidity of the soil for hydrangea.

Growing on dense soils imposes the obligation to loosen frequently. The introduction of organic matter stimulates the growth and development of shrubs. To aerate the soil, loosening should be carried out to a depth of 5 cm.

Street hydrangea bushes are characterized by poor drought resistance. In hot conditions, weekly abundant watering is required at the rate of 15-20 liters of water per 1 plant. In normal times, it is enough to water 1-2 times a month. Mulching the soil with needles, wood chips or bark helps to maintain soil moisture and maintain the acid balance.

Hydrangeas in the garden

As a rule, hydrangea does not have good frost resistance. Although there are varieties that calmly endure the winter season. For the period of cooling, it is necessary to use special covering materials to prevent freezing of the bush.

To obtain maximum flowering, it is worth feeding the bush at least 2 times a year. It is worth feeding during the period of the beginning of flowering and after the fall of the last flowers. In early spring, a urea solution is suitable as top dressing. It should be prepared according to the scheme of 2 grams per 1 liter of water. One plant requires 30 liters of this solution.

After the end of flowering, minerals must be used as top dressing. In the summer, it is better to use slurry.

Important! For beginners, it is important to avoid overfeeding hydrangeas. Because of this, unnecessarily large inflorescences are formed, breaking young branches with their weight. Timely garter will help keep the shoots intact.

Sanitary pruning of shoots is required for bushes older than 3-4 years after planting. Pruning, that is, taking care of the shrub, cutting off the flowering stems of the current year, should be at the beginning of the summer season.

Note! In order to avoid the death of the plant from the loss of juice, pruning must be carried out before the opening of the kidneys.

The optimal time is when the kidneys swell and begin to look alive. Excessively long stems should be cut at the level of 3-4 buds. In addition, it is necessary to cut off damaged and dried branches.

After the procedure for cutting the branches, an excess of various segments remains. They can be used to propagate hydrangeas from cuttings. To do this, each cutting must have at least 2 knots. To form a cutting, it is necessary that the cut above the knot is straight, and under the bottom it is oblique. For a competent cut, it is necessary to measure 2-3 cm from the node. To plant such a cutting, it is necessary to equip a greenhouse container. As a soil, choose a mixture of peat and sand. The cuttings are planted to a depth of 3 cm, after which it is necessary to water the soil abundantly.

Important! After planting, the greenhouse container should be covered with a film like a "house". Cuttings are demanding on soil moisture, so you need to regularly moisten it with a spray bottle. After rooting, cuttings can be planted in open ground in spring. By next winter, they will already be strong.

The ability to bloom directly depends on the development of the root system. Therefore, it is necessary to properly follow the fertilizer and watering scheme. Excessively overfed plants form the root system for an order of magnitude longer, which will lead to no or very poor flowering.

Types of hydrangeas

A variety of bred species allows you to choose a variety that suits the given conditions.

Tree hydrangea is popular among garden owners. The plant has the appearance of a shrub, 1-3 meters high. Inflorescences are formed at the tips of annual branches. The color of the flowers is usually light green when opened, but cream or white when fully bloomed.

Hydrangea arborescens Annabelle

Paniculata hydrangea is a tree-like shrub. Its height can vary between 2-5 meters. Under favorable conditions, such a plant can last for more than 40 years. Lignification of stems occurs in a short time. This quality makes the plant hardy. Inflorescences are formed in the upper parts of young stems. A characteristic feature is the presence of foliage inflorescences. The flowering period falls on August-September. The shape of the inflorescence resembles a pyramid. Interesting color change. At the beginning of flowering, the inflorescences are pale green in color, after full disclosure they become white. At the end of summer, the flowers become light pink, and after - brick. By the end of flowering, the inflorescences turn white again.

Large-leaved hydrangea or garden broadleaf is often used for growing in the garden. Certain varieties can be grown in pots. The leaves of such a hydrangea are rich green in color, quite dense. The stems that have grown this year are herbaceous, and therefore the bush has practically no frost resistance. Inflorescences are formed on last year's stems, since budding occurs in the autumn. The inflorescences themselves are of a viburnum-shaped umbrella, otherwise called hemispherical. The color of the inflorescences depends on the pH of the soil: in an acidic environment - blue, in a neutral one - lilac.

Note! Hydrangea Oakleaf is a shrub up to 2 meters in height. Blooms profusely with paniculate inflorescences, 10-30 cm long. The flowering period falls on June-July. In the process, the color changes from white to purple. The shrub does not tolerate sub-zero temperatures, requiring high-quality insulation.

Ground cover hydrangea is a winter-hardy species. In height reaches 2-3 meters. Often used to form a standard form. Long green leaves are smooth on the front side, pubescent on the inside. The corymbose inflorescences are white at the beginning of flowering, then changing color to pink.

Growing hydrangeas in the suburbs

How to grow hydrangea in the suburbs? In the central zone of the Russian Federation, for example, the Leningrad or Moscow region, planting hydrangeas requires preparation. It is better to place the seedling in a shaded place. Having planted a bush under the scorching sun, it is necessary to shade. Otherwise, in conditions of moisture deficiency, it will not work to get a viable plant.

On a note! Wet soil with a slightly acidic reaction is preferable for the plant. It will not be easy to grow on clay or sandy soils. Before planting, complex fertilizers must be applied to the soil.

Creating favorable conditions for wintering will allow you to get rich flowering. Proper feeding will allow the plant to develop a root system. For the first fertilizer, you should take urea with a high percentage of nitrogen in the composition. After 2 weeks, you need to feed with a complex organomineral fertilizer. In the process of bud formation, you can feed the bush with a complex of organic and mineral substances.

Summing up, we can say that the hydrangea is rightfully considered an excellent ornamental plant, pleasing to the eye with lush and bright flowering. By following the prescribed care conditions, you can get a strong plant, whose life span will be more than 40 years.

Hydrangea is a popular culture for landscaping parks, gardens and home gardens. There are over 70 species in total. Most of them are shrubs, although there are also climbing varieties, as well as low trees.

In landscape design, bush hydrangeas occupy one of the leading places. With their help, it is possible to create unique and diverse compositions that enliven the area with the bright colors of their inflorescences.

Types of bush hydrangea for the garden and their description

The most common types of bush hydrangeas are:

Hydrangea;
Hydrangea paniculata;
Large-leaved hydrangea.

tree hydrangea- flowering shrub with upright shoots. It can reach a height of 3 m. Its shoots are covered with large dark green oval leaves. Leaf blades are attached to shoots on long petioles. This species grows very quickly, the annual growth is 20-25 cm. Flowering is very long, it usually lasts until late autumn.

White or cream flowers are collected in inflorescences of a rounded shape. Differs in unpretentiousness and frost resistance. The most common varieties of tree hydrangea:

"Grandiflora";
"Bella Anna";
"Invincible Spirit".

Paniculata hydrangea considered one of the most decorative types of shrubs. This shrub grows up to 3-3.5 m in height, although there are also dwarf varieties that do not exceed 1 m. The shoots of the plant are upright, in some varieties they branch intensively. The leaves of this species have a dark green color and an elongated oval shape.

Blooms from mid-June to late October. Small flowers form very large cone-shaped inflorescences, which often reach a length of 30 cm or more. It blooms profusely and brightly, the inflorescences change color over time, acquiring new, more saturated shades. The most famous varieties of hydrangea paniculata:

Hydrangea macrophylla- deciduous flowering shrub, known for a wide variety of colors of its flowers. In the wild, this plant reaches 3 m in height. In horticultural culture, it rarely exceeds 2 m. Compact varieties do not grow more than 80 cm. This species is distinguished by fairly large leaf blades that have a bright green tint. Famous for its long flowering.

Inflorescences consist of rather large flowers and have an umbrella or hemispherical shape. Their color is highly dependent on the acidity of the soil. So on acidic soils, flowers can have an intense blue color, and on neutral soils they become pink. The most common varieties of large-leaved hydrangea:

"Forever & Ever";
"expression";
Ever Peppermint.

Sometimes gardeners can see other varieties of bush hydrangea:

Hydrangea Bretschneider;
Hydrangea serrate;
Ash hydrangea.

This article is often read.

Hydrangea , or Hydrangea ( lat. Hydrangea) a genus of flowering plants in the family Hydrangea (Hydrangeaceae). Some authors include this genus in the family saxifrage (Saxifragaceae).

According to various sources, the hydrangea genus consists of 35–80 plant species, the habitat of which is South and East Asia, North and South America, with the highest species diversity in East Asia, especially in China and Japan. Several types of hydrangea grow in Russia in the Far East.

Name "Hydrangea" was given in honor of Princess Hortensia, the sister of Prince Charles-Heinrich of Nassau-Siegen of the Holy Roman Empire in 1768. Later, European botanists-systematists gave the plant a name Hydrangea, which can be translated as "vessel of water" (other -Greek. ὕδωρ - water, ἄγγος - vessel). According to one version, the name was given to hydrangeas for the shape of seed pods resembling a jug, according to another - for moisture-loving.

For the first time, hydrangea was brought to Europe from Japan in 1820. Since 1900, its selection began. These were mainly varieties obtained from a slightly winter-hardy type of large-leaved hydrangea, or garden hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla, Hydrangea hortensis). Therefore, at first, hydrangea was grown only as a houseplant.

Already by the 60s of the XX century. Approximately 100 varieties have been bred. The plant is one of the most common garden plants in the world.

Most species are shrubs 1-3 m tall, some species are small trees, the rest are lianas that climb the trunks of other trees to a height of up to 30 m. Plants can be both deciduous and evergreen, but widely cultivated species of the temperate zone are deciduous. .

Hydrangeas bloom from spring to late autumn. The flowers are collected at the end of the stem in beautiful spherical inflorescences - a shield or panicle. In most species, flower heads contain two types of flowers: small fertile (fertile) flowers in the middle and large sterile (sterile) flowers at the edges. In some species, all flowers are fertile and have the same size.

The vast majority of flowers are white, but some, such as the large-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), can be blue, red, pink, and lilac. In such species, the color often depends on the pH level (hydrogen index) in the soil: in acidic soils, the petals become blue in color, in neutral ones - pale beige, and in alkaline soils - pink or lilac. Hydrangeas are one of the few plants capable of accumulating aluminum, which is released from acidic soils and in some species forms compounds that give them blue hues.

Hydrangea fruit is a 2-5-separate box with numerous small seeds.

Plants from another closely related genus Schizophragma (Schizophragma) also sometimes called hydrangeas. Among climbing plants, the most famous Schizophragma hydrangea (Schizophragma hydrangeoides) and Hydrangea petiolaris (Hydrangea petiolaris).

Hydrangeas- excellent unpretentious and hardy ornamental plants with a beautiful variety of colors and a long flowering period of its large hemispherical inflorescences. Hats of white, red, pink, blue hydrangeas decorate rooms in early spring, and gardens in summer and late autumn.

For successful flowering of hydrangea, two basic requirements must be met: coolness, in winter 10-12 ° C, not lower than 8 ° C, and constantly moist soil.

Hydrangea types

Hydrangea macrophylla , or garden (Hydrangea macrophylla) . The homeland of the plant is China, Japan. Beautiful ornamental shrub. In the subtropics, it reaches 4 m in height, but with the advancement to the north it “decreases in growth” to 1-2 m. It is distinguished by upright shoots. The leaves are simple, ovate, bright green. Barren flowers are large, pink, with dark carmine strokes up to 3.5 cm in diameter, fruiting lilac, sometimes blue, rarely white, in flat wide corymbs (10 x 15 cm). In garden forms, inflorescences are spherical, up to 20-25 cm in diameter, they are formed at the ends of the shoots. Blooms in July-August.

A plant with flat inflorescences, along the edges of which there are large sterile flowers, and the middle is occupied by fertile ones. Plants with corymbose flowers are very elegant.

A very original variety of hydrangea. The flowers are constantly changing color - at first they are lemon-greenish, then turn pink and then become pink with a green border. On some petals, the edging is missing. Hundreds of small flowers form large, almost spherical inflorescences. The bushes are very compact, 90-120 cm high, 60-90 cm wide. Flowering in July-September, a little later than other varieties from the "Magical" series.

Great for cutting into vases and as dried flowers. The place for growing is sunny or semi-shady. The soil must be fertile and must be kept moist. Good drainage is also required. The variety is highly resistant to powdery mildew. Requires shelter for the winter. The temperature should not be lower than -23 0 С.

Another beautiful representative of large-leaved hydrangeas of the “magical” variety, similar in its “character” to the previous variety - magical amethyst. The flowers are similar - initially pale green, then coral pink to pink with purple edges, then green with white edges. Flowering is very plentiful, in July-October. The flowers are collected in large inflorescences with a diameter of 20 cm, which are excellent for cutting. Bushes 100-120 cm high, 100 cm wide. Shoots are thick, strong. The leaves are dark green.

The place for growing should be semi-shady. The soil is acidic, fertile, with good drainage. Requires shelter for the winter. The temperature should not be lower than -23 0 С.

Varieties of hydrangea differ in terms of flowering.

On the territory of Russia, large-leaved hydrangea can be grown as a houseplant or used as a container culture, which is kept outdoors only in the summer.

. The natural range of the species is Japan, Korea, Sakhalin. Leaves are small, glossy, dark green. Stems are flexible; due to the presence of special air roots, they are able to climb walls, trellises, trees. The flowers are whitish-greenish, collected in shields, scattered along the entire length of the vine. In the first years of life, it grows slowly.

. A species naturally growing in eastern North America. Inflorescences are white. Flowering in July-August. In late autumn, faded inflorescences are recommended to be cut. Pruning of fallen, thickened and weakened shoots should be carried out either before the start of sap flow, or after the leaves have fully bloomed. One of the famous varieties - Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' with dark leaves and very large greenish inflorescences. Another well-known variety ‘Grandiflora’.

. View from China. Large shrub up to two and a half meters high. The leaves are large oval, dark green. Inflorescences are wide corymbs. Blooms from early July. At the beginning of flowering, the flowers are white, by the end of July they turn pink, and in August they acquire a rich crimson color. In the conditions of the European part of Russia, the plant does not require shelter for the winter.

. The natural range of the species is East China, Korea, Japan, Sakhalin. Plants about one and a half meters high. Green buds appear in mid-July, by the end of the month they turn white. Flowering - from August throughout the autumn. Inflorescences - with a smooth transition from white to crimson and crimson with a purple hue. Hydrangea paniculata has a high winter hardiness. In autumn, pruning of faded inflorescences is recommended, in spring - sanitary and formative pruning. Known varieties - Hydrangea paniculata ‘Kyushu’, ‘Pinky Winky’.

. View from the south of the USA. Plants are a little over a meter tall. The leaves are similar to oak leaves, dark green above (reddish-bronze in autumn), below - with whitish pubescence. Flowers - in paniculate inflorescences, similar to panicle hydrangea inflorescences, but more elongated, with rare sterile flowers, which in autumn, like leaves, acquire a crimson hue. In the conditions of the European part of Russia, the plant often freezes slightly.

Hydrangea sargentiana (Hydrangea sargentiana) , or Hydrangea Sargent . View from Western China. In the conditions of the European part of Russia, the plant is actually grown as a perennial herbaceous plant, since its aerial part freezes almost every year.

Hydrangea Care

Lighting. Hydrangea prefers partial shade, the plant does not tolerate direct sunlight. Suitable for growing on windows with western and eastern exposure. It can grow on a north window, but due to lack of light it stretches and blooms worse. When the plant is located near the windows of the southern exposure, it is necessary to place them at some distance from the window, creating shading from the direct sun. In summer, a pot with a plant is best taken out into the open air and kept in the shade.

If during the active growing season the hydrangea cannot be kept in the sun, then in winter, from mid-January (the beginning of bud development), it is recommended to place the plants in the most lit, sunny places.

Temperature. Hydrangeas need maintenance at a moderate temperature (18-22 ° C in spring and summer). The plant overwinters well on the windowsill, under which there is no heating battery (the temperature at this time can vary between 8-12 ° C, but not lower than 5 ° C).

Watering. Watering for hydrangeas is necessary from spring to autumn, plentiful, as the top layer of the substrate dries up, and then gradually it must be reduced. In winter, the plant is occasionally watered - as the earth dries up, but so that the substrate does not dry out. Watering is increased when leaves appear, usually in January-February, and with the development of buds, the plant is fed with complex fertilizer.

Growing features. The plant has a pronounced dormant period in winter. For the winter, hydrangeas shed their leaves and go into a dormant period for 60-75 days. They should be stored in dry, cool and ventilated basements or on cool windowsills.

Pruning. In the spring, it is necessary to prune the plant to trim it and remove those stems that are too weak for the development of inflorescences on them. In addition, it contributes to a good growth of shoots, increased flowering and the formation of larger inflorescences. Pruning is done deep, leaving 2 to 6 eyes on the branch.

Air humidity. Hydrangeas prefer high humidity. To maintain the appropriate humidity throughout the year (both summer and winter), the plants must be sprayed. You can place pots with hydrangeas on pallets with wet expanded clay or peat. In this case, the bottom of the pot should not touch the water.

Fertilizer. With the development of buds, hydrangea is fed with complex fertilizer. During the growing season, hydrangeas need to be well fed weekly; they do not feed during the dormant period.

In the book Indoor Floriculture. Authors R. Milevskaya, Yu. Vies advise feeding plants with pink flowers - liquid mineral fertilizer for indoor plants, with blue ones - fertilizer for heathers that love acidic soil. In order to cause lush flowering on old bushes, in the spring it is necessary to apply organic and mineral fertilizers, preferably in liquid form.

Bloom. With good care, hydrangeas bloom from April to October - November. Umbrellas of hydrangea inflorescences can be spherical or corymbose, with large marginal flowers that have overgrown sepals instead of petals. The corolla of a developed flower is 4-5-petalled with 8-10 stamens and a 2-4-nested ovary with 2-4 columns. The fruit is a multi-seeded box, the seeds are small.

Large hemispherical hydrangea inflorescences are most often formed at the ends of the shoots of the second year.

The color of hydrangea sepals can be artificially changed: when watered with aluminum alum before flowering (5 g per 1 liter of water), white flowers turn blue, pink flowers turn lilac. If iron salts are added to the soil, the flowers will be blue. Blue color can be obtained from some red or pink hydrangeas by watering the ground with aluminum sulfate or potassium salts.

Transfer. Hydrangeas are transplanted annually. After flowering, you can remove the old inflorescences, cut the shoots to half the length and transplant the plants into a fresh soil mixture.

When transplanting in the spring for white, pink and red varieties, low-acid soil should be taken, and blue varieties should be planted in soil with high acidity (for example, for).

The soil. The soil for hydrangeas is suitable with high acidity, (pH 5.5). For plants with blue flowers, the recommended pH is 3.5-4.5. You can use turf, leaf, peat, earth and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 0.5 or a ready-made soil mixture for azaleas. Humus soil is not used in the culture of hydrangeas, as it can cause chlorosis.

Reproduction. Hydrangeas are propagated mainly cuttings. For room culture, you can use both adult plants and apical cuttings. For cuttings in March, take young lower shoots with leaves 4-6 cm long with 2-3 internodes. They are planted at a distance of 4-5 cm from each other in deep bowls, deepening into the sand by 1.5-2 cm, and covered with glass. After 10-15 days (after rooting), they are planted in pots. In May, you need to cut the tops so that the plants grow bushy.

Cuttings in March, hydrangeas will bloom in May - June next year. Annual plants form 1-3 inflorescences.

Root shoots and small lateral shoots must be removed, leaving 3-4 of the strongest root shoots for flowering in the coming years - flowers in hydrangeas form only last year's mature stems.

Hydrangea also reproduces seeds, but less often dividing bushes, offspring and layering, grafting.

Precautionary measures

The leaves of the large-leaved hydrangea are quite poisonous, causing contact dermatitis.

Possible difficulties

Hydrangeas are susceptible to chlorosis- most often this happens from lime water and humus soil.

With too much light light spots appear on the leaves.

With insufficient watering and dry air dry ends of the leaves.

When there is a shortage of food plants develop poorly and do not bloom.

Damaged

Useful properties of hydrangea

The name "hydrangea" in Greek means "water vessel", and reflects not only the love of hydrangea tree for water, but also its beneficial effect on the human body - the normalization of water-salt metabolism.

Hydrangea tree has useful properties. The root of the hydrangea tree has been used in medicine since ancient times for inflammatory diseases of the urinary organs. The root extract has a mild diuretic and wound-healing property, has a cleansing effect on the genitourinary system, helps to eliminate harmful substances from the body, and reduces swelling.

The active substances of Hydrangea arborescens promote the excretion of uric acid from the body, preventing the deposition of sand and stones in the urinary tract, and have an antimicrobial effect.
Hydrangea relieves spasms in the urinary organs, providing an analgesic effect. The root is also used to relieve premenstrual syndrome. Hydrangea arborescens has proven itself as an adjunct to alleviate the condition in diseases of the prostate gland. Hydrangea arborescens has a tonic effect on the kidneys, improves their function.

Hydrangea tree is used for:

- cholelithiasis;
- chronic pyelonephritis;
- kidney stones;
- chronic cystitis;
- diseases of the joints;
- chronic inflammation of the female genital area;
- edema and obesity;
- Diseases of the prostate.

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Flower growers have been growing white hydrangea for several centuries. She is the absolute queen of gardens. Her huge hats made of snow-white foam simply captivate the eye, leaving no one indifferent.

Story

The first varieties of hydrangeas that were brought to Europe were large-leaved and had only two colors: red and white. Other sources state that they were pink and blue. As a result of many years of selection, many other species have appeared.

It is still not known exactly how the plant got its name. There are several versions. One of them is connected with Prince Nissau-Siegen and his sister. Allegedly, he named the flower in her honor. Another legend tells that the French doctor Commerson named a hydrangea bush after his beloved.

Hydrangea white spherical

There is a more plausible explanation. The plant is very moisture-loving, its second name is Hydrangia, which in Greek sounds like a “vessel of water” (hydor - water, aggeion - vessel). Yes, and seed boxes resemble small jugs. And the Japanese call the flower Ajisai - the purple sun.

Hydrangea's natural habitat is Japan, China, India, North America.

Hydrangea white: varieties

The most popular among gardeners are tree and paniculate hydrangeas. The first is characterized by huge snow-white spherical inflorescences, large leaves (their length reaches 20 cm). The second has inflorescences like panicles, its leaves are slightly smaller (12 cm).

The most common varieties of tree hydrangea with white flowers:

white house;
Stirilis;
Anabel (at the beginning of flowering, her inflorescences are pale green, then they become boiling white);
Invinsabel Spirit;
Incredibol;
Hi starbest.

Paniculata hydrangea with white flowers:

White Lady;
Limelight (at the beginning of flowering, the inflorescences are lemon-greenish, in autumn they turn pink);
Grandiflora;
Vinyl Freyze (creamy white pyramids of inflorescences turn dark red);
Kyushu (white inflorescences, slightly pinkish tones appear on them in autumn).

Description

Globular white hydrangea is considered a native of the Northern States of America. It has good winter hardiness. It can be grown in the Middle lane, Siberia, the Urals, the Far East.

Note! In severe winters, the threat of freezing bushes may remain.

Spherical hydrangea is distinguished by low shrubs (2.5 m). The leaves of plants are large, opposite, elliptical, ovate, have heart-shaped notches, their edges are serrated. They grow on slightly lowered shoots. From above, the leaf plates are rich green, on the reverse side - gray. The crown is rounded, lush.

Inflorescences are large (20 - 25 cm). They grow at the ends of young shoots (annual). Flowers are large (sterile), small (fertile), arranged randomly. At the beginning of flowering, the inflorescences are pale green, when they open, they acquire creamy, milky colors. Later they become white. Seed pods are miniature (3 mm), ribbed. In early July, flowering begins, which continues until frost.

reproduction

Reproduction by layering

You can breed hydrangea in several ways:

Seeds. In February, they are sown in loose nutrient soil. After 4-6 weeks they will sprout. Seedlings are planted in separate pots. When real leaves appear, dive. The following spring, they are planted in open ground.
cuttings. They take green or lignified twigs, cut petioles from them. There should be one internode. The processes are treated with root, seated in different containers. Rooting occurs after 3-4 weeks.
The division of the bush. In the spring, the bush is divided into several parts.
layering. Young branches (age 1 year) are bent to the ground and covered with soil. Leave one process (20 cm). The rooted bush is planted the next year.

Where and when to plant

Globular hydrangea, like all white varieties, prefers slightly acidic, neutral, loose, fertile, moist, but not waterlogged soils. Poor sandy, alkaline, acidified lands do not suit her.

Important! You can not lime the soil to change its acidity.

For white hydrangeas, sites moderately lit by the sun, well protected from winds and drafts are chosen. The east side of the suburban area is best suited. There the sun rays are in the morning. The nearest distance from the bushes to the building or fence is 1.5-2 m.

In regions with cold climatic conditions, hydrangea is planted in the spring (May) after the earth warms up, the threat of return frosts has passed so that it can safely winter. In the southern regions, the plant can be planted in autumn (September).

Training

The landing pit is made in advance (20-30 days before the start of work) . Dimensions: depth 35-50 cm, width - more than 0.5 m. It all depends on the roots. They should fit freely in the hole.

Landing hole is made in advance

Prepare the soil, pour it into the hole. You need to mix:

turf / leaf soil, humus or peat with humus (equal proportions);
urea, potassium sulfate (1 tablespoon);
superphosphate / bone meal (250 gr.).

You can take the land under the conifers.

Landing

Before planting a bush, annual shoots are shortened (by 3-4 buds).
They put the seedling on a mound of soil mixture. If necessary, straighten the roots, cover with earth, tamp.
Plentifully water the plant (at least 12 liters of water).
Mulch with sawdust, peat, bark. Shade from sun and wind.
They make space between hydrangea bushes (120-160 cm), and the distance from other plants should be 300 cm.
For early flowering, seedlings are planted from each other in a step of 80 cm. Then the plants are thinned out (after 2-3 years).
Root necks are not buried, they are left at the level of the soil.

Care, cultivation

Garden hydrangea is very moisture-loving. In drought, heat, it is watered every week (at least 20 liters). It is advisable to irrigate with rainwater. If the summer is damp, you can water 5 times / season.

Note! The soil must not be allowed to dry out. This will negatively affect the development of hydrangeas, as well as reduce its winter hardiness.

It is advisable to irrigate with rainwater

For prevention, it is better to add potassium permanganate (3 gr.) to the water. Watering is preferable in the morning. If the autumn is dry, the plant is additionally irrigated. Mulch to retain moisture.

Loosen the ground around the bushes at least three times per season (depth 10 cm). The procedure is carried out after watering.

The first two years, the plants do not feed. For the third season, microelements (nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus) are introduced in the spring. At the beginning of summer - mineral compositions (without chlorine, calcium). During the period of primary budding, they are fed with superphosphate, potassium sulfate. By the end of August, potassium sulfate is added. You can take liquid mullein or chicken manure diluted with water, but no more than 2 times / season. Lactic acid is also used (kefir, sour milk, whey (1 tablespoon / bucket of water)).

Important! It is unacceptable to "overfeed" hydrangea with nitrogen, organics, minerals. The use of wood ash is categorically excluded.

Pruning hydrangeas depends on the season, the age of the plants. This is best done in the spring when the buds swell. In order for the flowering to be lush, the first couple of years after planting in open ground, all small buds are removed from the bushes or the inflorescences are cut off. Excessively thick bushes are regularly thinned out (April-May). Adult plants do sanitary pruning.

Bushes older than three years are “rejuvenated” by removing diseased, old, dried branches (shortened by 5 buds). They can also be cut at the root, leaving stumps. Young shoots will begin to grow from them.

How to prepare for winter

In autumn (September-October), when the first frosts appear, all faded flower caps are removed, and branches are also bent low to the ground (they are previously tied with soft strips of fabric, 3-4 each). Otherwise, branches will break under the load of snow cover. Young seedlings cover. Root zones are sprinkled with dry leaves. If a tree-like, paniculate hydrangea is grown in the Middle lane, the Moscow region, the North-West, Siberia, the Far East, the Urals, it must be wrapped.

In autumn (September-October), all faded flower caps are removed

For the winter, the bushes are covered (in cold regions) with agrofibre, burlap. Before the onset of frost, you can fall asleep with dried compost, peat. Then the covering material is pulled over the pre-set arcs. The ends should remain open so that the bushes do not trample. In mid-March, the film is removed, the mulch is raked off, covered with one burlap. When the frosts recede, shelters must be opened completely.

Plants that do not differ in winter hardiness are transplanted into pots, flowerpots. Leaves are removed from the bushes. Leave buds of flowers and two leaves at the ends of the branches. Containers with plants are transferred to the greenhouse, then to the basement.

Diseases, pests

Hydrangea has good immunity. Diseases can be provoked by insect pests or “wrong” soil.

Chlorosis. It appears as a result of excess lime, humus. Every three days, the plants are irrigated with copper sulfate, potassium nitrate.
Powdery mildew. The reason may be high humidity. Treated with a soapy solution, to which copper sulfate is added.
Green leaf aphid. Apply garlic infusion. Ingredients: finely chopped garlic (200 gr.), Laundry soap (40 gr. / 20 liters of water). Insist for 2 days. Spray until insects disappear (about 7 days).

White hydrangea has long been loved not only by gardeners, but also by employees involved in landscape design. Snow-white hydrangea decorate parks, squares, streets, sections of country houses. It is grown in gardens, in summer cottages. Hydrangea looks good against the background of boxwood, spirea, conifers, next to phlox, daylilies, geraniums, astilba. You can plant one hydrangea bush or in a group composition.

Hydrangea white is a beautiful plant that can please for many years. Moreover, it is not so difficult to take care of her.

Hydrangea is a widely used culture for decorating a personal plot or garden. There are many types of this plant. Among them there are shrubs, and weaving species, and even dwarf trees. The hydrangea bush flower grows very quickly and blooms for a long time. In most cases, it blooms with white or cream inflorescences. Hydrangea white bush does not require special care, it is resistant to low temperatures. Shrub hydrangea planting and care will not bring any power costs to the gardener. Bush hydrangea will bloom even in the harsh climatic conditions of the Urals.

Culture propagation methods

Reproduction of hydrangea can take place in several ways. When asked: “how to plant a hydrangea from a large bush?”, You should know that it can be propagated both by cuttings and layering.

Cuttings of this perennial take place, as a rule, in the summer. The most optimal time will be the beginning of sap flow and the formation of buds. A green shoot is cut off from the bush flower, which has not yet had time to become stiff. Only the lower part of the young shoot is allowed to be lignified. The shoot is cut off with three pairs of leaves. The bottom two are immediately removed, and the upper part is cut off from the rest. After that, the cuttings are lowered for a short time into the diluted growth stimulator. Then the cuttings are planted in a container with sand and covered with a film. It will take a month to form the root system. After the roots appear, the plant can be planted in open, well-moistened soil, in partial shade.

Hydrangea bush perennial

The method of reproduction by layering is most relevant to use in the summer, before bud break. For layering, the lowest branches are selected and dug to a depth of 10-15 cm. At the beginning of the shoot, an incision can be made, this will help the rapid formation of roots. You should constantly ensure that the land in which the bush hydrangea is planted is moist. In autumn, the cuttings are dug up and transplanted into a container for growing in greenhouse conditions. This happens because the layers are not yet strong enough to overwinter in the open field. But during the development in greenhouse conditions, it will gain strength, and already in the middle of spring it can be planted in a permanent place on the site. Planting and caring for perennial bush hydrangea will not take much time from the gardener.

Hydrangea seed planting

Hydrangea seeds are selected only fresh. They should be purchased from trusted sources or certified centers.

Important! Before planting, the seeds are not soaked in water, as they are too small.

They are sown at the beginning of winter, in special containers filled with a suitable substrate. You can prepare the ground for hydrangea seeds yourself.

This will require the following ingredients:

2 pieces of turf;
2 parts of leaf land;
2 parts of humus;
1 part sand;
1 part peat.

Before sowing the seeds, the substrate is sprinkled with water. Seeds are not sprinkled on top. After sowing, the containers are covered with glass or film to create a greenhouse effect.

Note! Remove the film or glass from the container once a day, for ventilation.

It is recommended to ensure that the earth does not dry out. If necessary, the substrate is watered again. When two full-fledged leaves appear, the sprouts are transplanted into small peat cups. There they are until the month of May, until they need to land in open ground. Sprouts are transplanted to the site when the temperature returns to normal. Before that, they can be tempered. This process consists in taking the sprouts to fresh air for 15 minutes a day.

culture care

For abundant flowering of bush hydrangea, you need to monitor the main indicators, such as:

soil moisture;
Penumbra;
Soil composition;
Fertilizers.

Hydrangea is a moisture-loving plant, so the soil should not dry out.

In strong sun, the leaves of the hydrangea will burn, and with a lack of sunlight, the growth of the bush will slow down. Therefore, partial shade is considered the optimal landing site.

Hydrangea needs care

With increased acidity of the soil, hydrangea flowers will be cream-colored, and with neutral soil - white.

Fertilizers should be applied no more than once a year. As a rule, this happens in the fall.

If it becomes necessary to transfer perennial bush hydrangea, certain knowledge will be required when planting and caring for the plant. She can delight with her color in one place for many years, she does not tolerate transplantation very well. How to transplant a hydrangea bush to a new place with the least loss for a flower? The place to which the bush is transferred should be equivalent to the one on which it has grown for several years. If the transplant takes place in the spring, then the soil should be fertilized in the fall. If the bush needs to be transplanted in autumn, then the soil is prepared at least one month before planting. Mineral fertilizers should be applied to it and watered well. Also, drainage must be introduced into the planting pit. The bush can be deepened by 20 cm, and the root neck should be turned to the northwest and be above the ground. After planting, mulch should be added to the root hole. It will protect the soil from drying out, and the roots from the sun's rays.

Preparing hydrangeas for winter

In autumn, after the plant has faded, it can be prepared for winter frosts. There are types of hydrangeas that are resistant to low temperatures, and there are those that do not tolerate frost.

Preparing hydrangeas for winter

Depending on the type of hydrangea on the site, the care of the plant varies. If a frost-resistant species is planted in the garden, then preparation for winter will consist only in pruning old flower branches. Throughout the winter, after heavy snowfalls, it will be necessary to ensure that there is not a lot of snow on the branches of the flower, as they often break under its weight. If a frost-resistant type of hydrangea is planted on the site, it will need to be covered. To do this, the branches of the plant are pressed to the ground and sprinkled with foliage or dry grass. If the flower is weak, then it would be best to put a barrel on it, in which there is no bottom, and cover it with polyethylene or agrofibre from above. At the beginning of spring, when the danger of severe frosts has passed, the barrel should be opened.

Note! Whatever the variety of hydrangea on the site, if the plant is not three years old, it needs shelter for the winter.

Caring for hydrangea is quite easy. It is necessary to constantly ensure that the soil does not dry out. If you follow the basic rules for caring for bush hydrangea, it will bloom luxuriantly for a long time, until late autumn, and delight the gardener with the bright colors of its flowers.