Hydrangea

Hydrangea (Hydrangea) is a flowering plant that belongs to the hydrangea family. This genus includes several dozen species of various colors. Among them there are both miniature trees and shrubs and lianas.

The main natural habitat of hydrangea growth is the southeast of Asia and the region of the Far East. The flower is also found in the countries of North America. The bushes were brought to Europe from China at the end of the 18th century. Due to their large size, most hydrangea varieties can only be grown in gardens. Only a few types are suitable for home use. Most often, large-leaved hydrangea is used for these purposes.

The word "hydrangea" is considered to be derived from hortus - garden, in addition, in the era when the flower was named, it was a common female name. According to one version, the beautiful hydrangea was named after one of the European princesses. The Latin name for the flower, Hydrangea, means "a vessel filled with water." It is associated with the flower's love for moisture and the pitcher-like shape of its seed pods. The Japanese call the plant Ajisai or "purple sun".

Description of hydrangea

In natural conditions, types of hydrangeas are usually large shrubs up to 3 meters high, small trees, as well as vines that can climb high tree trunks up to tens of meters.

Hydrangeas have evergreen and deciduous species, the latter are most often used for cultivation in mid-latitudes. The leaves of such plants are usually opposite and are large in size. Their shape is oval, with a slight sharpness on top and denticles along the edges.

The main feature of hydrangea is its beautiful flowers, collected in inflorescences-balls, panicles or having a corymbose shape. Each inflorescence contains two types of flowers: fertile (usually located in the center) and sterile (larger, located at the edges). In some types of hydrangeas, only fertile flowers appear.

The color of the flowers depends on the variety and external factors. Most varieties of hydrangeas have white inflorescences, but there are varieties with purple, cream, pink, blue or red flowers. In this case, the color of the same variety may differ depending on the composition of the soil on which the hydrangea grows. This plant is considered one of the few that can accumulate aluminum. Its compounds are responsible for the blue color of flowers. On a neutral soil, the flowers acquire a creamy color, on sour - blue, and on alkaline - pinkish-lilac. This is because the alkaline soil prevents the plant from absorbing iron compounds.To get flowers of blue tones on alkaline soil, you can water the ground near the shrub with a solution of crystals of iron or aluminum, or bury small iron objects under it. The pink color will help to obtain a solution of potassium permanganate.

The flowering period of hydrangeas is long. It usually begins in spring and lasts until autumn frosts. In this case, the plant forms fruits: capsules with tiny seeds.

Sometimes hydrangea is confused with its relative, the schizophragm. It is also called petiolate hydrangea or hydrangea schizophragm.

Hydrangea growing rules

To grow a hydrangea bush on a site, you need to know the basic rules for caring for it:

1. The optimal planting site should only be in the sun until noon. The bush prefers direct rays, but in strong sunshine, the flowers will quickly begin to fade and lose their attractiveness. That is why the planting area should be in a small shade during the heat. Moreover, adult plants are more photophilous than young ones.
2. The main requirement of a plant is a sufficient amount of moisture. It will appreciate abundant, but timely watering.
3. Excess organic fertilizer can result in a large number of non-flowering branches.
4. The shrub is not capricious and quite resistant to disease, but requires regular pruning.
5. Due to the ability of flowers to change color depending on the composition of the soil in which the bush grows, it is possible to create a soil for planting that combines different pH values. This will allow you to get spectacular and elegant shrubs with flowers of different colors. At the same time, soil with a high peat content can cause a brownish-blue tint of colors.
6. Hydrangea does not differ in strong frost resistance, therefore all its varieties, even unpretentious ones, require a full-fledged winter shelter. At the same time, the plant usually copes well with slight freezing, fully recovering over the summer.
7. Hydrangea is resistant to various diseases and pests.

Planting hydrangeas outdoors

Growing from seeds

Most often, hydrangeas are propagated by cuttings or dividing the bush, as well as by layering. At the same time, it is not difficult to grow species hydrangeas from seeds, it is this method that breeders usually resort to. The process is considered easy, but takes a long time. There is no consensus on the ideal sowing time, so sometimes it is not started in spring, but in autumn. For this, a container with earth is preliminarily prepared, including leafy soil, a 2 times smaller proportion of peat and a little river sand. The seeds are spread over the soil surface, lightly sprinkled and moistened with a sprinkler. To create a greenhouse effect, the planting is covered with polyethylene or glass and removed to a moderately warm (up to +20 degrees) place. Several times a day, the shelter will need to be removed so that the container has time to ventilate. At the same time, the earth should not be allowed to dry out - it should remain slightly damp.

It takes about a month for seeds to germinate. With the emergence of seedlings, the film is removed. As they grow, they will need two stages of the pick. The first is carried out after the formation of cotyledon leaves. The second is in March, when future hydrangeas will grow a little. At this time, they are transplanted into small individual pots with a diameter of about 7 cm. After this transplant, the seedlings must be hardened. To do this, in the summer they can be taken out on the street or on the veranda, in a rather warm and bright place, but protected from wind and precipitation. Direct rays of the sun and drafts during this period can also be dangerous for seedlings. At night, the pots are returned to the house.

In such conditions, young hydrangeas are recommended to be kept up to two years of age. The formed plants hibernate in a moderately cool but bright room, and they can spend the summer outdoors. The flowers that appear in the first year of the plant's life are recommended to be cut off - flowering can deplete a fragile bush.

Planting seedlings

When young hydrangea bushes are two years old, they can be planted in open ground. In warm areas, this is done in early spring, when the soil thaws, in cold areas - in autumn. The choice of the optimal planting site depends on the requirements of the particular variety. Most hydrangea varieties prefer bright sunlight, but there are more shade-tolerant specimens that can grow in light shade. In the bright sun, their flowers can become smaller.

The land for planting should be loose and fertile. Usually, a slightly acidic or neutral soil is selected for hydrangeas. You can make alkaline soil more acidic using peat additives or special preparations.

For replanting, a hole is prepared, the size of which is twice the size of the pot with the seedling. Usually its diameter is about 40 cm. Peat mixed with the ground and the necessary fertilizers are poured into it beforehand, and only then they begin to place the seedling. It must be removed from the pot, spread the roots a little and lowered into the hole, trying to prevent the bush from sinking too deep into the ground. It is best to put a small earthen mound in the center of the planting pit, and place the seedling already on it. The root collar may rise slightly above the soil level; you should not deepen it more than a couple of centimeters. The remaining space is filled with a mixture of earth and compost, the soil is compacted to prevent the formation of voids, the seedling is well watered and the adjacent area is mulched with needles or bark.

Avoid planting hydrangeas next to trees or shrubs whose roots are close to the soil surface. This arrangement will lead to a conflict over nutrients. For group plantings, a meter distance between seedlings must be observed so that the bushes do not drown out each other.

Hydrangea care in the garden

Caring for a hydrangea growing in the garden is easy, but requires adherence to the chosen schedule. The irrigation regime is of particular importance. In the summer heat, you will have to water the bush twice a week, using warm, settled water. At the same time, one adult plant can have up to five 10-liter buckets. If the plot is mulched, the amount of irrigation can be slightly reduced.

Faded stems should be removed regularly. From time to time, it is advised to loosen the soil around the hydrangea to a depth of 5 cm. This will improve the flow of oxygen to the roots. Typically, this procedure is carried out several times over the summer.

Top dressing

Hydrangea should be fertilized at least twice a year. The periods before and after flowering are best for this. At the end of spring, a urea solution is used for feeding in proportions of 2 g per liter of water. One bush takes 30 liters of solution. After flowering is complete, it is worth using a complex mineral composition. During the summer period, it is permissible to additionally feed the bushes with slurry. You can also use specialized formulations for hydrangeas, enriched with iron and magnesium.

When feeding hydrangeas, it is important not to overdo it. Substances that enhance flowering lead to the appearance of too voluminous inflorescences, under the weight of which the thin branches of the bush can break. To prevent this from happening, you can additionally tie up a bush.

Hydrangeas with woody shoots stop feeding at the beginning of August. This way they will be better prepared for frost.

Pruning

They start cutting off the branches of hydrangea when the bush reaches 3-4 years old. The features of the procedure depend on its type. In those varieties that form flowers on young stems, pruning is carried out at the very beginning of spring, while the plants have not yet fully woken up and active sap flow has not begun. At the same time, pruning too early will not allow the cut branches to be used as cuttings. For this, only stems with slightly swollen buds are suitable.

The earliest hydrangea - treelike - must be pruned first. Too long stems are cut at the height of the 3rd bud or slightly below.From such a branch, several cuttings can turn out at once. The shoots will then form fewer flowers, but the inflorescences will be much larger. The bush is able to transfer and deep pruning almost to the very ground. In panicle hydrangea, the stems are shortened by a third, they can also be used as planting material. From this species, you can form a standard tree.

Large-leaved hydrangea will require less trouble. Only a quarter of the stems are cut off from her, which grow in the wrong direction - inside the bush. It is also worth removing old or broken branches. In large-leaved hydrangeas that winter in pots, cuttings are cut in February. In the Sargent species, shoots without branches are cut off at a height of 30 cm.

Propagation of hydrangea by cuttings

The branches obtained after pruning can be divided into cuttings. For landing, each must have two knots. When cutting cuttings, the rule should be observed: about 3 cm should be retreated from the node, while the upper cut should be made even, and the lower cut oblique. As cuttings, you can use small young lateral shoots that do not break at the fold. Cutting is best done before the flowering of the bush.

Ready cuttings are planted in a sand-peat mixture, deepening by 3 cm. You can pre-treat the planting material with Kornevin. After watering, the seedlings are covered with polyethylene, forming a greenhouse, and removed to a slightly shaded place. From time to time, the soil in the container needs to be slightly moistened. After 3-4 weeks, as soon as the cuttings take root, they can be transplanted into open ground. In this case, by the winter they will be already strong.

Hydrangea care after flowering

After flowering, the hydrangea begins to prepare for the upcoming winter. All old inflorescences will have to be torn off - swelling in rain or snow, they can break off branches under their own weight. The root area is thoroughly spud and covered with mulch for insulation.

The most frost-resistant is the tree hydrangea, as well as the ground cover and paniculate plant varieties. During the summer season, their stems become stiff and become less susceptible to low temperatures, therefore, in areas with warm winters, these plants do not need to be covered.

Bushes grown in pots or containers are simply brought into the house.

Hydrangea in winter

Preparation for wintering

Almost all varieties of hydrangeas, including the most thermophilic, are able to easily endure a mild winter without severe frosts and with a lot of snow. But no one can predict such weather for sure. That is why it is easier to prepare in advance for possible frosts, so that later you do not worry about the risk of freezing plantings.

They begin to shelter plants in mid-autumn, when the first wave of frost has passed. Young low plants can simply be completely covered with spruce branches or covered with dry soil. Larger bushes are pressed against boards or spruce branches laid on the ground, covering them on top with sheets of roofing material or any suitable covering material. To prevent such a shelter from being blown away by the wind, it is fixed with a load - for example, bricks. The largest, adult bushes cannot be pressed to the ground, so it is somewhat more difficult to cover them. The branches of such bushes are tied up, and then closed on top with lutrasil or spunbond. After that, a reliable frame is created around the bush. Usually, for this, a metal mesh is taken, encircling the landing until a cylindrical structure is formed. The frame should be 25 cm wider than the bush and about 10 cm higher. The resulting voids are filled with dry foliage. Remove such a multi-layer protection with the onset of spring should be gradually. The mesh can be removed by April, and the rest of the covering material - after all the frosts are likely to pass. It is better to do this on a cloudy day so that overwintered bushes do not get sunburn.

Shelter for the winter

The quality and quantity of the covering material directly depends on the weather conditions of a particular region.Residents of areas with little snow, but harsh winters need to make maximum efforts to preserve the bushes. A milder climate will allow not to cover winter-hardy hydrangeas at all, and for thermophilic (serrate and large-leaved) - to be limited to light shelter. If frosts during this period are not considered a rarity, it is better to take care of the safety of the plantings in advance.

Types and varieties of hydrangea with a photo

The choice of plants for your own garden depends not only on their external characteristics. Different types of hydrangeas have their own characteristics and often require compliance with certain growing conditions and subtleties of care. Focusing on the degree of winter hardiness of these shrubs, you can choose the option that is optimal for your own site, which will cause less worries in comparison with the rest.

Hydrangea tree (Hydrangea arborescens)

One of the most popular varieties among mid-latitude gardeners, used both in single or group plantings, and as a hedge. Hydrangea arborescens is a shrub up to 3 meters high. In case of freezing, such a plant quickly recovers. Inflorescences appear only on young shoots of the current year. As the flowers open, they slightly change their color. From pale green, it becomes creamy, pinkish or white.

Some of the most sought-after varieties of tree hydrangea include:

• "Sterilis" - with snow-white inflorescences, when blooming, have a green tint. The variety is popular due to the large size of the flowers, although in comparison with other varieties it is less winter-hardy.
• "Grandiflora" and "Annabelle" also bloom white, but are notable for the large size of the spherical inflorescences. The latter grows rapidly in breadth and retains the rich color of the foliage until the onset of frost.
• "Invisible (Invincibel) Spirit" - with pink flowers, sometimes called "Pink Annabelle".

You should not choose varieties of hydrangeas just by name - they can be repeated in different species. So the white-blooming variety "Grandiflora" can be found in the panicle hydrangea.

Hydrangea paniculata (Hydrangea paniculata)

This species can be in the form of a shrub up to 5 m tall or a tree. In the latter case, it can reach a height of 10 m. The popularity of such a hydrangea is due to its winter hardiness, unpretentiousness and long life span. Without transplants, such a plant can develop normally for at least 40 years. The species owes its frost resistance to the stalks that become woody during the summer. Its flowers are located on the young upper parts of the shoots. Inflorescences are formed in large quantities, but they have a special property - the buds, tied at the end of June, bloom only by the end of summer. The name of the species is associated with the pyramidal shape of the inflorescences, the length of which reaches 30 cm.

The color of flowers depends on the time period. Blooming inflorescences have a greenish color, and then turn white. By the end of summer, the flowers begin to turn pink, then brownish, and towards the end of flowering they return to a light green hue again.

The most famous varieties of hydrangea paniculata:

• "Grandiflora" is a two-meter shrub with a rounded crown and creamy inflorescences.
• "Vanilla Freyz" ("Rennie") - with inflorescences of double color: bright pink and white.
• "Kuishu" - with long wide white inflorescences, dominated by fertile flowers.
• "Tardiva" is a late-flowering variety, the leaves acquire a yellowish or red tint by autumn.

Large-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)

This hydrangea is also called Japanese or garden hydrangea, although some varieties are suitable for container growing. Hydrangea macrophylla forms herbaceous stems during the summer, therefore it is less frost-resistant. The inflorescences are in the shape of an umbrella. The saturation and tone of their color depends on the acidity of the soil. It is believed that the large-leaved hydrangea, unlike other species, sets flower buds in the fall on the stems of the current year, but they grow only in the spring.Many varieties are capable of forming flowers on both old and new shoots. The foliage has a bright and deep green color.

New original varieties of garden hydrangea:

• "Renata Steinger (Steiniger)" with flowers turning blue.
• "Romance" and "Expression" with double bluish or pink inflorescences, reminiscent of water lily flowers;
• "Endless Summer" with large inflorescences up to 20 cm in diameter, characterized by long flowering.

Hydrangea oakleaf (Hydrangea quercifolia)

It is remarkable for its large carved leaves of an unusual shape, which turn red by autumn, but does not tolerate severe frosts. Hydrangea quercifolia has paniculate inflorescences up to 30 cm long. The growth of the bush itself reaches two meters. Flowers appear by July and are white in color, which changes to purple as they grow.

Ground cover hydrangea (Hydrangea heteromalla)

Ground cover or variegated hydrangea is considered one of the most winter-hardy. Hydrangea heteromalla grows up to 3 meters tall and is often grown as a standard plant. One of the names of this species is associated with the texture of its dark green leaves. They are smooth on the front side, and pubescent on the inside. As with flowers, during the growing period, the leaves can change color from green to yellowish brown. The size of each leaf reaches 20 cm. The inflorescences are corymbose and change color from greenish-white to pink or crimson. The flowering period begins at the end of June.

The most popular variety of ground cover hydrangea is Bretschneider with large milky inflorescences. It is drought tolerant and easily propagated by seeds. The middle flowers of this variety fall off quickly, but the marginal ones last for a long time.

The varieties of hydrangeas also include radiant (grows quickly, but does not tolerate frost), ash (sometimes used as a hedge), serrate (moderately hardy), Sargent (or rough) with central flowers that change shade.