Hydrangea

The tree hydrangea plant (Hydrangea arborescens) is a perennial winter-hardy flowering shrub, one of the species of the Hortensia family. In its natural environment, it is found in the eastern regions of the North American continent. Such hydrangeas are considered the most common in gardening: they are distinguished by their unpretentiousness and resistance to frosty winters.

Description of the treelike hortesia

Treelike hydrangea forms round bushes, the size of which is about 1-3 m. Their shoots are covered with pubescence. Foliage, ovoid or elliptical, reaches 20 cm in length. It has jagged edges along the edges and a heart-shaped base. The underside of the foliage plates is bare and has a bluish color. The outer part of the leaf is colored green.

The scutellum inflorescences reach more than 15 cm in diameter. They are made up of sterile flowers up to 2 cm in diameter, as well as small fertile flowers. Opening, they have a white color with a slight green, but this shade gradually changes to pink. After flowering, boxes are tied on the shields. The flowering of such hydrangeas is very abundant and lasts from the first half of summer to October.

Of all the types of hydrangeas, it is the tree-like one that is considered less demanding in terms of care and maintenance conditions. It tolerates frost well, has a fast growth rate and more easily accepts planting in unsuitable soil. But, like other species, it is very hygrophilous.

Brief rules for growing tree hydrangea

The table shows brief rules for growing tree hydrangea in the open field.

Planting a hydrangea tree in open ground

What time to plant

The timing of planting tree hydrangea is determined based on the characteristics of the climate and the location of the site. In the northern regions, planting begins in the spring - after the snow melts and before the sap flow begins. In warmer areas, in addition to spring planting, you can also practice autumn planting - after dropping the foliage.

For growing tree hydrangeas, a corner is well suited, illuminated only in the morning. After lunch, the bushes should be in shade, otherwise the soil near them will dry out too quickly. Planting should also be protected from the wind - otherwise, it will lead to faster wilting of inflorescences. Treelike hydrangea prefers moist soil, so it is not recommended to plant it next to competing species. To prevent neighboring large bushes or trees from drawing all the water out of the soil, a distance of 2 m or more should be maintained between them and the hydrangea. The soil structure must be loose. Acidic clayey soils are considered preferable. At the same time, a small content of lime will not damage the bush. Peat, coniferous soil or sawdust will help acidify the earth.

Landing features

For planting tree hydrangeas, as a rule, seedlings of 3-4 years old are used. If such a seedling has an open root system, it is important to evaluate its quality. But the best preserved specimens are those whose roots are closed.

Water the seedling abundantly before planting to make it easier to remove from the container. The roots of the extracted plant are cut to a length of about 25 cm. Affected or dried out areas are removed.

The size of the seedling hole depends on the fertility of the soil. On poorer soils, the pits should be deeper (up to 70 cm) - fertilizers necessary for hydrangea will be laid in them. If the soil is sufficiently nutritious, the depth of the hole, as well as its width, will be about half a meter. The size of the root system of the bush and the surrounding land should also be taken into account.

In the center of the prepared hole, a mound is poured, consisting of a mixture of double parts of black soil and humus with sand and peat. You can also add about 50 g of mineral supplements to this mixture. The seedling is placed on the resulting mound, spreading the roots, and the voids are covered with the same fertile substrate. After that, the soil around the bush is tamped and watered well.

Hydrangea tree care

Watering

Caring for tree hydrangea involves systematic and abundant watering. The roots of the plant are located shallow, developing along the line of the ground, so they dry out quickly enough. It is especially important to keep track of your watering schedule during long periods of drought. After moistening, the soil near the bushes should be loosened, preventing the soil from hardening and simultaneously getting rid of weeds, as well as periodically fertilizing, trimming and monitoring for signs of diseases or pests.

Watering the hydrangea tree should be up to 2 times a week, using warm (about 20-25 degrees) water. Pour up to 4 buckets of water under each bush. The soil in the trunk circle should not dry out. If the plantings do not have enough moisture, their foliage will begin to droop, and the flowers will become smaller or even dry out. But waterlogging should also not be allowed - watering is carried out when the earth dries up a few centimeters.

After watering or past rains, the ground next to the hydrangeas is carefully loosened, trying not to touch their roots with the tool. Along the way, this area is cleared of weeds. A layer of humus or peat mulch can reduce the rate of soil drying. After that, watering, loosening and weeding will need to be carried out only once a decade.

Subcommons

Regular feeding will help preserve the beauty of treelike hydrangeas for the entire warm season. You can use both mineral compositions and organics. At the beginning of spring, the trunk circle of the bush is sprinkled with dry mineral fertilizers (for example, Kemira flower), which include the substances and trace elements necessary for the plant. The second time, the bushes are fed during the formation of buds, adding superphosphate (50 g) and potassium sulfate (30 g). Until autumn, the bushes can be fed 2 or 3 more times, but during this period it is important not to use too much nitrogen. Its excess will lead to the appearance of a pronounced greenish color of flowers, as well as to a deterioration in frost resistance of plantings.

As part of caring for the tree hydrangea bushes in the spring, the crown should be periodically (2-3 times) sprayed with a pale solution of potassium permanganate, and also shed the soil near the bushes. This will make their branches stronger and help them hold onto their large flower caps. If, under their weight, the shoots begin to lie down, supports can be used, but they often make the bush less decorative.

Pruning

Treelike hydrangea begins to need pruning only from the fifth year after planting - younger plants are considered more sensitive to this procedure. Without proper pruning, the bush grows, loses its appearance, and its shoots thicken too much. Pruning should be done twice a year. In the spring, before the plants wake up, sanitary pruning is carried out: at this time, weakened, broken, frozen or dry shoots, as well as branches directed to the center of the bush, are removed from the hydrangeas. Shoots of the last year should be slightly shortened, leaving about 3-5 buds on them. It is on the fresh shoots that have appeared from them that the largest inflorescence shields will form - hydrangea flowers are formed only on young branches of the current year. Cropped crops can be fertilized. In the fall, all wilted inflorescences are cut from the bushes.

Tree hydrangea can be rejuvenated about once every 6 years. In early spring, all shoots older than 5 years are cut at a level of 50 cm. Such a hydrangea should bloom for the next season. If the hydrangea is too old, this process should be carried out gradually, removing such shoots in parts over 3 years, otherwise the plant may not recover from deep pruning.

Wintering

Although in general, tree hydrangeas are the most cold-resistant and unpretentious of the entire species diversity of the genus, some varieties may require a little shelter in winter. Plants bred in the southern regions are most often considered to be more sensitive to frost. Such bushes should be huddled high, and then covered with foliage or spruce branches. They also do the same with young, insufficiently matured bushes under 4 years old. To prevent the branches of hydrangeas from breaking under the load of snow, it is recommended to tie them in advance. But even in the event of a breakage or freezing of the branches, due to the rate of its growth, the bush is able to quickly recover.

As a preparation for wintering, the tree hydrangea should be well watered with warm water. This is done at least a week before frost, otherwise the root system may freeze. The moisture reserve created in this way will be enough for the bushes until spring. For reliability, you can cover the root area with foliage or rags, and in winter sketch a snowdrift near the bush.

Diseases and pests

Treelike hydrangea bushes can be attacked by insects that feed on plant juices. Among them are spider mites and green aphids. If there is no time left for using folk remedies, specialized drugs should be used against them.

Planting can affect chlorosis, as well as fungal infections - powdery and downy mildew, also called peronosporosis. A fungicide prepared strictly according to the instructions will help against fungi. For example, from powdery mildew, foliage is sprayed with Fundazol or Topaz. Gamarin or Fitosporin will help against peronosporosis.

The development of chlorosis is not associated with infections, but with a violation of the rules for keeping hydrangeas. Most often, light spots on the leaves of a bush arise from the fact that the soil contains too little iron or an excessive amount of humus.

Breeding methods for hydrangea tree

For the propagation of treelike hydrangeas, gardeners usually use the division of bushes, the formation of layers or cuttings. You can also get new plants using seeds or grafting, but due to the complexity and lack of a guaranteed result, only breeders usually resort to them. Plants obtained from cuttings or cuttings will begin to form buds in the 4th year of growing.

Dividing the bush

Treelike hydrangea does not like transplants, but if necessary, its bushes can be divided into several parts. The division can be carried out in spring or autumn, but hydrangeas, divided at the beginning of the season, will have time to take root in a new place by the end of the season. Before transplanting, you can prune by shortening the branches by a third.

The selected bush is dug out of the ground and divided into parts with a sharp tool (from a pruner to an ax) so that each has renewal points and roots. Slices can be processed with crushed coal. The resulting divisions are placed in pre-prepared holes. The first few weeks after planting, the bushes should be shaded.

Reproduction by layering

This method is also not difficult. In the spring, a one-year-old branch is selected on the bush and bent to the ground, placing it in a pre-prepared groove about 10 cm deep. The upper 20 cm of the shoot should remain above the ground. The future layering is fixed and covered with fertile soil. Throughout the growing season, the pinned branch is watered and fertilized along with the main bush. At the beginning of the next season, the cuttings can be separated and deposited to the desired location.

Cuttings

Cutting tree hydrangeas is considered the most common method for obtaining new bushes. Material for this is prepared in the first half of June (these cuttings are considered spring) or in July. Spring cuttings should have a "heel" - an area of ​​a more mature shoot. Summer, July segments are taken from the tip of the branches, which did not have time to stiffen. Each stalk should have 1 or 2 internodes. The lower leaves are removed from them, and the upper ones are cut in half. You can treat the lower end with a growth promoter.

The sections are planted in soil, including peat and half of the sand or leafy soil, covered with a sand layer up to 4 cm thick. Cuttings are placed at an angle. High humidity is required to root them. To do this, you can use a fog generator, or at least just cover the seedlings with a transparent cap, periodically airing them. Until the seedlings take root, they should be protected from direct sun. After rooting, the cuttings should overwinter in a frost-free room - a basement or a cool greenhouse. In the spring, these plants can be planted in the garden. Before next winter, they need to be covered with foliage and spruce branches. In the future, they will not need shelter.

Treelike hydrangea varieties with photos and names

Treelike hydrangeas look incredibly impressive and often become the basis for breeding new, even more decorative varieties.

Incrediball

A common winter-hardy variety. Plants form rather strong branches, holding large inflorescences-shields. Despite their severity, the shoots of the Incrediball do not break. The crown of this variety is spherical, and the height is small - even adult specimens rarely outgrow 1.5 m.The flowers are collected in numerous lush balls up to 22 cm in diameter.When the inflorescence opens, they have a light lemon color, which gradually changes to cream, and then to greenish ... The buds begin to bloom in June, and the bush itself retains its decorative effect until the onset of frost.

Sterilis

In this variety, the inflorescences have a hemispherical shape and are painted in a greenish tint.Sterilis blooms from June to October. The shrubs reach a height of about 1.3 m, prefer sunny or semi-shady placement and are considered resistant to winds and pests.

Hayes Starburst

The rate of development of this variety lags behind the others, but its slow growth pays off for its attractiveness. Hayes Starburst has large globular inflorescences collected from white double flowers. The diameter of such balls reaches 25 cm. Moreover, as the bushes grow, the flowers on them become larger. The variety has thin branches, so it needs a garter during the flowering period. It lasts from early summer to September. Plant height reaches 1.2 m with a diameter of about 1.5 m. The bushes are sensitive to moisture stagnation and can withstand frosts down to -30 degrees.

Invincibelle

One of the younger varieties with pink flowers. As the inflorescences develop, they change color from dark pink to brighter and lighter. The average size of the inflorescences is 15 to 20 cm, but with proper care of the bushes, flower caps can become larger. In this case, the size of plants usually reaches 1.2 m. They have strong shoots that do not bend to the ground under the weight of flowers, even in a downpour. Invincibelle is also remarkable for its ability to withstand severe frosts down to -34 degrees. In warm regions, such bushes are planted in partial shade, in more northern regions - in the sun.

Annabelle

Another winter-hardy variety that grows well in the middle lane. Annabelle bushes are moderately large (up to 1.5 m in height and up to 3 m in width) and light globular inflorescences. Their sizes reach 25 cm. Branches with flowers can descend to the ground. Flowering lasts about a couple of months, starting in June, but sometimes a second wave comes in the fall. Such plants do not tolerate drought well, they love the sun, but they allow for partial shade placement. It is recommended to mulch the roots for the winter.

Pink Pincushion

The sizes of such hydrangeas vary from 1 to 1.5 m both in height and in width. Pink Pincushion inflorescences resemble pyramids, and the color of the flowers includes shades of pink that change as they grow - "pink cushion", this is how the name of this variety is translated. This hydrangea attracts with its frost resistance and good immunity, which allows the plant to fight back many diseases. It also tolerates drought and air pollution more easily.

Bounty

An elegant variety with small snow-white flowers, which, when opened, have a pale greenish color. The sizes of dense inflorescences reach 35 cm. Bounty is photophilous, therefore such plants are recommended to be grown only in open sunny areas. In shading, the bushes will not be able to show themselves in all their glory. Their height reaches 1.4 m with a comparable diameter. Strong shoots, changing color from green to brownish as they grow. In too cold winters, the bushes can freeze slightly.

The following varieties are also popular:

• Bella Anna - Plants up to 1.3 m in height, up to 2.5 m in diameter. The color of the flowers is pinkish-crimson.
• Magic Pinkerbell - bushes up to 1.4 m in size with purple-pink flowers.

Tree hydrangea in landscape design

In the garden, tree hydrangeas are capable of performing several landscape tasks at once. Thanks to their large flower caps, these shrubs usually become one of the main centers of attention. Despite the fact that the color of the inflorescences of this species is limited to shades of white, green and pink, their numerous delicate flowers still look very impressive. In addition, frost resistance allows such plants to be used for garden decoration more often than other types of hydrangeas.

High varieties of tree hydrangea are usually used as single plantings. Low to medium sized varieties can be used to create hedges that frame any part of the garden. If desired, the bushes can be formed, although most often they have a spherical crown by nature.

Not only monotypic group plantings, but also combinations of several varieties with inflorescences of different colors will look unusually elegant. You can also combine tree hydrangeas with other garden plants that prefer acidic soil.