What hydrangeas bloom. Indoor hydrangea: home care, varieties and photos

Until recently, garden hydrangea was not very popular among domestic gardeners. However, in last years Hydrangea flowers are increasingly appearing not only in the summer cottages of amateur gardeners, but also in landscape projects of professional designers.

In recent years, flowers have increasingly appeared in landscape projects of professional designers.

Breeders regularly delight connoisseurs of this plant with new varieties of incredible shapes and colors that can become a worthy decoration for any park or flower garden. In this article we will introduce you to the most popular specimens suitable for Russian gardens, and also consider basic recommendations regarding cultivation and care.

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Most hydrangeas are shrubs, but there are also vines and even standard trees. They can be deciduous and evergreen, huge and dwarf. On the territory of Russia, mainly tree-like and paniculate species are grown that can withstand the harsh Russian winters.

Petiolate hydrangea is used for vertical gardening

Many gardeners have successfully grown petiolate varieties suitable for growing in the milder climate of East Asia. This species is used for vertical gardening; its stems grow in the form of vines that firmly entwine supports, gazebos or walls of buildings. To protect plants from freezing at low temperatures negative temperatures, you should remove the stems in winter and carefully insulate them with covering material.

Hydrangea paniculata is in most cases a deciduous shrub with wide pyramidal inflorescences about 25 cm long, but it can also grow as a tree. However, in recent years, breeders have developed varieties with larger panicles, sometimes reaching 40 cm. The leaves are green, oval, 10-12 cm long.

Tree hydrangea- a shrub reaching 3 meters in height, with inflorescences of spherical or hemispherical shapes.

Popular varieties

Let's look at the most popular types and varieties:

Sometimes the tree-like deciduous hydrangea Pinky Winky, bred in 2003 by breeders from a Belgian university, is called Sakhalin. Over the course of a decade and a half, it has gained incredible popularity among gardeners. Unlike other varieties, paniculata hydrangea has strong stems that do not bend under the weight of large inflorescences. It absolutely does not require the installation of supporting elements during the flowering period, which has a positive effect on appearance plants.

The crown is dense, spherical, holds its shape well, with a diameter of up to 200 cm. The height of the plant reaches 200 cm, the average annual growth is about 30 cm.

The cone-shaped inflorescences, which bloom in early June, gradually change their creamy white color to purple. The rich green foliage takes on a red tint in autumn, and the bush stands out as a bright fiery spot against the background of the entire garden.

Another new variety tree hydrangea, the spherical inflorescences of which are painted bright pink. Flowers bloom in early summer and bloom until the onset of autumn frosts.

The bush is compact, the height rarely exceeds 130 cm. The crown is rounded, dense, dark green oval leaves on the underside are lighter in color. In autumn the foliage turns bright yellow. The plant is frost-resistant and does not require shelter during the cold season.

Anabel

An old variety, well known since 1746. Deciduous shrub with a spreading crown up to 300 cm in diameter and about 250 cm in height.

The flowering period is from July to October, the inflorescences are massive, hemispherical, up to 25 cm in diameter, milky white in color. Under the weight of the branches, they sink to the base of the soil and require the installation of supports.

Vanilla Fraise

The brainchild of French breeders. Hydrangea paniculata is 200 cm high and has a similar diameter. Vanilla Fraise is a frost-resistant variety that can withstand snowy winters down to -29 degrees without shelter.

Anabelle is an old variety of hydrangea, well known since 1746

The pyramidal inflorescences are white at the top and strawberry-pink at the base. The brushes are massive, some reach 40 cm in length.

Jomari

A low shrub, rarely exceeding 80 cm, with rounded lilac-colored flower stalks. Pink colour.

Limelight

An old variety, known since 1829. Wide-pyramidal inflorescences of white color with a slight lime tint change their color to soft pink with the onset of autumn. Limelight withstands partial shade well, being in most daylight hours in the shade does not affect the quality of flowering.

Nikko Blue

A medium-sized variety with a height of 120-150 cm. The inflorescences are spherical, slowly changing color during the season from white to blue.

The soil

Hydrangea Nikko Blue

In order for a flowering bush to delight you with long-lasting flowering, you need to provide it with comfortable conditions for growth. All varieties are very demanding on the composition and acidity of the soil; they absolutely do not tolerate alkaline and slightly alkaline soils. They bloom profusely only when growing on acidic substrates with a pH of more than 6. Otherwise, the quality of the inflorescences deteriorates, the hydrangea flowers become smaller, and their color does not correspond to that characteristic of this species.

Therefore, before landing on summer cottage It is imperative to check the acidity of the soil. Now in any gardening store you can buy litmus indicators, with the help of which you can easily determine the pH at the planting site. If the indicators do not correspond, acidifying components should be added. Of the most commonly used, you can use citric acid, dissolving 1 gram in 1 liter of water, a weak solution of potassium permanganate. If for some reason this method does not suit you, you can add part of the soil from the territory of coniferous plantations to the substrate.

The flower should be planted in sunny areas. In some cases, it is allowed to plant hydrangeas in open ground in light partial shade, but the period of shading should not exceed more than half of the daylight hours. It is advisable that the period of exposure of the plant to the sun's rays should be in the first half of the day.

Watering

If the soil is poor, preliminary application of mineral and organic fertilizers is required.

Hydrangea responds well to watering and does not tolerate drying out of the top layer of soil very well. During dry periods, it is necessary to irrigate the plant once a week, and young seedlings may need more frequent moistening of the root zone. The best option for retaining moisture would be to pre-mulch the area around the trunk.

However, when the rainy season approaches, the mulch layer should be removed to prevent rotting of the root system.

Trimming

Pruning hydrangea is a prerequisite for high-quality flowering of the bush. In addition, regular trimming of the bush gives it a neat appearance. decorative form and increases the density of branches.

Standard forms are cut not only at the end of the season. To maintain the decorative shape of the tree, the basal shoots are regularly cut out.

Wintering

Pruning hydrangea is a prerequisite for high-quality flowering of the bush.

In central Russia, most hydrangea varieties are susceptible to freezing during snowless winters. Ice rains during periods of temporary warming can also cause significant damage to the integrity of the plant. To minimize the likelihood of seedling death, a set of measures should be taken to insulate it.

Hydrangea prefers soils with high acidity, so covering with spruce branches will come in handy. In addition to preserving it in the cold, fallen needles will significantly improve the quality of the soil in the root zone.

Warming procedure:

The tree trunk circle is mulched with a layer of sawdust or bark.
Lay a layer of spruce branches near the trunk.
The branches of the plant are bent, laying them on spruce paws.
Cover the branches of hydrangea with spruce branches, straw, stalks of corn or Jerusalem artichoke.
Additionally, they are covered with a layer of agrofibre, fixed around with stones and left in this form until the cold weather stops.

Reproduction

Garden hydrangea flowers can be propagated without much difficulty:

bends;
cuttings;
division.

Bends

Reproduction by cuttings does not present any difficulties for almost any summer resident. The strongest healthy branch is chosen for this. However, if there is a desire or need for rapid propagation, several branches can be pinned on one plant at the same time. Rooting work begins in the spring.

Rooting order:

Dividing the bush

You should not be at all afraid to plant this on your site. amazing plant with a beautiful name. Garden hydrangea, planting and caring for which does not require special agronomic knowledge, will decorate any area.

Propagation by dividing the bush is usually carried out at the beginning of the summer season, before the leaves appear. In this case, it is absolutely not necessary to dig up the entire bush, which is almost impossible when the plant reaches a significant size.

To divide, it is necessary to separate part of the branches and cut them off with a shovel at the junction. When digging out the separated part, it is necessary to exercise maximum caution, because the root system protrudes far beyond the crown. And the more carefully a fragment of a plant is separated, the faster it will take root in a new place. If possible, the roots are not freed from the remaining soil, but are transplanted to a prepared place along with a lump of earth.

Cuttings

Hydrangea propagation

Young side shoots are chosen for cuttings. Moreover, you can choose both branches with inflorescences and without them. Divide each branch into fragments of 3 internodes in each. The uppermost part is usually not used, since their likelihood of rooting is very low.

The 2 lower sheets are carefully separated, and the top one is shortened.

For better survival, use a root formation stimulator (Heteroauxin or Kornevin), treating the lower cut of the cuttings with it according to the instructions. The most commonly produced form of Heteroauxin is 0.1 gram tablets. One such tablet is dissolved in 5 liters of water and the prepared cuttings are immersed in it for 12-15 hours.

Rooting is carried out in a mixture of sand and peat or in a regular container with water.

If you choose a method with a sand-peat mixture, be sure to ensure that the substrate does not dry out. Otherwise, the likelihood of the formation of a full-fledged root system is reduced.

Reproduction by cuttings has a fairly high survival rate and is about 80%

To create a humid microclimate favorable for the formation of roots, each container is covered on top glass jar or a plastic cut bottle. To create a mini-greenhouse, you can use a transparent container in which all containers with cuttings are placed simultaneously, and the top is covered with glass or a sheet of transparent polycarbonate.

In the evening hours, mandatory ventilation, watering and spray irrigation are carried out in order to increase humidity.

After 3 weeks, the seedlings can be transplanted to an experimental bed for growing. Young rooted shoots should not be placed in a sunny area to avoid burns. The flower is transferred to a permanent place at the age of 3-4 years.

The beauty of the flowering hydrangea shrub can indeed be compared with the magnificent dresses of princesses. You just can’t take your eyes off the balloon-shaped inflorescences in the most delicate pink, lilac and blue tones, which are scattered among the lush green foliage. In this article we will look at how to plant and care for hydrangea.

European botanists called the culture Hydrangea (that is, a vessel filled with water), this name was given, firstly, for its moisture-loving nature, and secondly, because the seed pods resemble pitchers in shape.

The Japanese, who especially revere hydrangea, call it “purple sunny flower" - ajisai. In Japan, wild hydrangea leaves are used to prepare sacred Amacha tea, which is brewed and drunk on April 8 - the day when, according to legend, Buddha was born.

Curious information about hydrangea

Two types of flowers coexist in hydrangea inflorescences.
1. The first type consists of small flowers, usually densely located in the core of the inflorescences; in their place, seed pods are formed.
2. In the form of a terry ruffle along the edges of the inflorescence there are more large flowers, which are actually overgrown petal-like sepals. They are sterile and do not set seeds. Nature created them to decorate and attract pollinating insects. In some varieties, sterile flowers are scattered over the entire surface of the inflorescence.
Soil acidity affects the color of flowers. If the soil has a weak alkaline reaction, the flowers become pink, and if the soil is acidic, the inflorescences become blue and light blue. However, plants that bloom white remain almost unchanged.

From alkaline soil, the roots of the plant cannot absorb iron, which affects the color, so on such soils, to obtain inflorescences in blue tones, the bushes are watered with solutions of iron salts. The blue color will be richer if you dig rusty nails into the circle around the tree trunk. It happens that on the same bush blue flowers appear on one side and pink flowers on the other. This circumstance can be used when creating unique landscape designs.
Metal salts - alum, which are sold in the same place as fertilizers, are also used to change color. High-moor peat is also used to oxidize the soil, which is used to mulch tree trunk circles or the infusion of which is used to water plants.

Varieties of garden hydrangea grown in Russia

Unfortunately, in cold Russia, this amazingly beautiful heat-loving plant can be grown in open ground mainly by gardeners in the middle zone, and even then only a few species: Sargent hydrangea (Hydrangeasargentiana); tree-like (Hydrangea arborescens); large-leaved (Hydrangeamacrophylla); paniculata (Hydrangeapaniculata); petiole (Hydrangeapetiolaris); ground cover (Hydrangeaheteromalla).

Hortensia Sargent

The shrub attracts with its unusualness - it has dark red thick shoots, as if covered with felt, and beautiful velvety dark green leaves.
It grows to a height of about one meter.
Blooms from mid-July. The purple-lilac inflorescences have a shield-like shape - among the densely located small flowers, large light sterile flowers are scattered like stars. Using this species, they create spectacular hedges.
The plant is thermophilic and loves well-lit areas.
Of all the species, it is the most drought-resistant, but it still likes moist soil better.
Due to the tendency of Sargent hydrangea to freeze, in the fall the stems are pruned for roots and cover. The next year the bushes are restored.
They are propagated mainly by root shoots or by dividing the bush, since the seeds do not have time to ripen well.

Hydrangea

This species comes from North America, so he tolerates not too well harsh winters. And even if it freezes a little, then when correct pruning and feeding finds strength for a quick recovery.
Grows quickly. During the season, an upright bush with a rounded crown can reach 2 meters in height.
Its leaves are large, spherical inflorescences of white or cream color. Blooms in July. The varieties of this species Sterilis and Grandiflora are distinguished by the special beauty of the massive caps of snow-white sterile inflorescences.

Large leaf hydrangea

Through the work of breeders around the world, many magnificent varieties of large-leaved hydrangea have been created, without which almost no European garden can do. Russian gardeners are forced to choose only varieties that can withstand cold winters. This is a limiting factor for the spread of shrubs in regions with harsh climates. However, in the middle zone it has been grown since ancient times; luxurious bushes served as decorations for landowners and noble estates.
The inflorescences of large-sized hydrangea are unusually beautiful. Countless large sterile flowers make them look like balls. It is delightful in single plantings or in the center of flower beds.
New renovating winter-hardy varieties They can bloom both on last year’s shoots and on newly grown ones. Therefore, they are guaranteed to bloom every year, even if last year’s shoots freeze.
They winter well, and popular varieties bloom beautifully every year: EarlySensation, RedSensation (Red Sensation) with bright scarlet inflorescences and burgundy branches, Peppermint with soft pink inflorescences and white sterile flowers, double-blooming pink or blue variety Expression.

Hydrangea paniculata

In the native forests of China and Japan, shrubs of this species can grow up to 10 meters in height. These plants can also be seen in the Far Eastern regions of Russia. The temperate climate of the middle zone allows the bushes to reach a height of two meters.
The rounded crown consists of large oblong foliage, velvety to the touch.
The elongated inflorescences have a pyramidal shape. The panicles contain both sterile white flowers and fruit-forming flowers of a delicate greenish hue.
Bees and bumblebees flock to the pleasant aroma. Closer to autumn, the outermost white flowers change color to pink with a greenish tint. The seed pods begin to ripen towards the end of September. This species can grow in the polluted air of cities, and prefer slightly shaded areas.
The Floribunda variety, which has large pyramidal white-cream inflorescences, has become very popular. Such a bush, strewn with flowers, will look beautiful anywhere in the garden, for example, in the center of a flower garden, at the entrance to a house or gazebo.
The Grandflora hydrangea (Grandiflora) is widespread and loved by gardeners, originally blooming with light cream panicles, which are then painted in White color, and by the end of the season - red with greenish tints.

Hydrangea petiolate

Lovers vertical gardening Petiolar hydrangea (H.petiolaris), which is a woody deciduous vine, is successfully used. It grows under natural conditions in China, Korea, Japan, Sakhalin, Kuril Islands. This species is widely distributed as an ornamental plant throughout the world.
The red-brown shoots of the vine have aerial roots with which it holds onto supports and creeps upward or clings to the soil. Its dark green foliage is smooth and shiny with an elongated oval shape. In autumn the leaves turn yellow and fall off.
This honey plant is characterized by early flowering - from June to July. It blooms profusely with fragrant white or pale pink loose inflorescences.
The plant has good winter hardiness, but in severe frosts the stems freeze, and therefore require the construction of shelters.
Young, slow-growing seedlings need about two to three years to gain strength. Only then do they turn into a powerful plant capable of covering a vast area with a green flowering carpet.
Petiole hydrangea decorates walls, gazebos, pergolas, dried trees, and fences. These vines also feel great on the ground as ground cover plant. They can be used to decorate, for example, the shore of an artificial reservoir. At the same time, they will strengthen the soil with their sucker roots.
The recently appeared variety Miranda (H.petiolarisMiranda) has already gained popularity, as it has more decorative leaves and grows quickly.

Hydrangea groundcover

This species includes Bretschneider hydrangea (H.Bretschneideri), which is a deciduous shrub with dark red hairy branches and a wide rounded crown. The foliage is wedge-shaped with toothed edges and dark green. The leaves are smooth on top and fleecy underneath.
The sterile flowers of the umbellate inflorescences are white at first and turn purple towards the end of the season. Flowering is abundant and very decorative. It begins to bloom only in the fifth year.
This shrub is the most winter-hardy and drought-resistant of all types of hydrangeas, and also tolerates shade well.
Perfect for decorating green hedges, it looks impressive in group and single plantings.

Growing hydrangea

Planting hydrangea

To plant this heat- and light-loving shrub, you need to choose a place on the site that is closed from the winds and well lit. Light partial shade is also suitable, and for some varieties it is even preferable.
The soil chosen is fertile with an acidic reaction of at least pH 4.5, so it should contain leafy turf soil, high peat, humus, and sand.
Planting holes measuring 50 x 50 x 50 are prepared in advance so that the soil mixture settles well in them and all the components “make friends” with each other.
Landings are being made in early spring. The plant is planted so that the root collar is not buried, but is above the soil level. After watering the newly planted plant, the root zone is sprinkled with peat or crushed pine bark.

Hydrangea care

Hydrangea is very moisture-loving and requires regular watering. With a lack of moisture, it suffers greatly, loses color or does not bloom at all. Under no circumstances should the soil be allowed to dry out.
At the first spring feeding use potassium sulfate or ammonium sulfate. Then they are fed at the beginning and at the end of flowering with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. The shrub responds well to monthly watering with a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate, this helps strengthen the tissues.
In spring and autumn, it is necessary to carry out peat mulching of the soil in tree trunk circles in order to preserve moisture and acidify the soil. The thickness of the mulch layer should be at least 7 cm.

Formation of hydrangea bushes

The formation of bushes begins in the third or fourth year after planting.
Paniculata and tree hydrangeas bloom on current shoots, so in the spring they are pruned, leaving 8 - 10 buds, and weak and old branches are cut out.
Of the paniculate varieties, many form standard trees, for which all shoots on a two-year-old plant are cut off except for one of the strongest ones. Next year this shoot is cut back by a third. Then, when young shoots grow out of it a year later, two or three of them are left and shortened, and the rest are removed. And so on, for several years. The result is a branched, beautifully flowering tree.
On petiole and groundcover species, light spring pruning is done, cutting off the ends of long stems at the buds. As a result, the shrub will begin to branch more and bloom more profusely.
Large-leaved hydrangea lays inflorescence buds on last year's branches. That's why spring pruning consists in removing old inflorescences, weak and damaged shoots.

Harmful insects and diseases

The plant may be affected spider mite . At the same time, the leaves turn yellow and dry out, as the insect settles on the back side of the leaf and sucks all the juices out of it. They fight this scourge by spraying hydrangea with special chemicals, especially on the underside of the foliage.
If gradually yellowing and darkening oily spots appear on the leaves, this may be a sign downy mildew. In such cases, an aqueous solution is used copper sulfate(a teaspoon per bucket of water) with the addition of 150 grams of green soap. It is important not to start the disease, but to begin treatment at the initial stages of its appearance.
Plants may get sick in alkaline soils chlorosis, this can also happen if there is an excess of humus in the soil. The leaves begin to lighten and thin out, and their veins darken. In this case, the soil is spilled with potassium nitrate (2 tablespoons per bucket of water), and three to four days later - with iron sulfate in the same proportion.

Shelters for the winter

Basically, all types of hydrangea are heat-loving and need winter shelters. Constructing shelters does not require much work, but it greatly increases the chances of plants surviving the cold.

The simplest thing is to mulch the tree trunk circles with a thick layer of peat, sawdust, straw, leaves or spruce branches when the first frost occurs. Tree-like and paniculate species are insulated in this way.
Rigid branches can be wrapped with covering material or heat-resistant paper.
The flexible stems of large-leaved or petiole hydrangea are carefully laid on boards or flat boxes, and then pinned to the ground through the cracks. Cover the top with spruce branches or use any non-woven material. Frost-resistant material is placed on the material plastic film and secure it with stones or other heavy objects.
Around mid-April, as soon as severe night frosts stop, the shelters are removed.

home garden

Home hydrangea can decorate an apartment with its magnificent blooms from May to the end of September.

Although the plant is light-loving, you should not expose it to the burning effects of direct sun rays. Otherwise, the leaves will begin to fade. The optimal temperature is considered to be up to 20°C.
In autumn, when the flower enters a dormant period, you will need to find a dark and cooler place for the pot with a temperature no higher than 8-10°C.
In winter, the soil should be kept lightly moist by watering approximately once every 10 days. When leaves begin to appear in February, place the pot in a bright place and increase the frequency of watering. At the beginning of budding, fertilize with a special complex fertilizer for hydrangeas.
Since the plant loves water, it is often watered and sprayed in the summer. If there is a lack of moisture in the soil or the air is too dry, the tips of the leaves will begin to dry out. For more luxuriant flowering, mineral fertilizing is done once every 10 days.
The plant must be replanted annually after it has finished flowering, cutting off the stems by half. The soil should be acidic. You can purchase a ready-made soil mixture specifically for hydrangeas or rhododendrons. If the soil is not acidic enough, the leaves will begin to turn yellow.
To propagate hydrangeas, freshly cut cuttings are used, which are stuck into damp sand and covered with a glass jar until the first leaf appears. When transplanting into a permanent pot, pinch out the seedling.

Bouquets in summer and winter

Caps of hydrangea flowers look very beautiful in bouquets. If, before placing in a vase, the tips of the branches are split and burned, and the foliage is removed, then the inflorescences will not lose their freshness for a long time.

Another technique for long-term preservation of a bouquet is to preserve branches using a solution of glycerin in hot water in a ratio of 6:4. Freshly cut shoots are lowered into the solution to a depth of 5 cm, after first refreshing the cut under water and splitting the ends. The stems should stand in this solution for about three weeks. After the procedure, the shoots and leaves will become elastic and slightly change in color.
You can’t part with hydrangea all year round, since excellent dry bouquets are made from its inflorescences. The bouquet is cut in mid-September. The branches are placed for drying in a ventilated dark room, hanging with the inflorescences down and removing the foliage. You can add other dried herbs to the compositions, they will only benefit from this. For example, dry mother-of-pearl lunaria will perfectly complement the bouquet and make it more original.

Hydrangea photo

Hydrangea flowers attract attention with their chic umbrella inflorescences. Each individual bud is nothing special. But when they are collected into a large ball, it is a magnificent sight. Planting hydrangea flowers and caring for them require some attention, since the crop is demanding of soil and the application of mineral fertilizers. Most often, propagation of hydrangea by cuttings is used, since in this case the seedlings retain all decorative properties mother plant. This material discusses all aspects and features of organizing the care of hydrangeas in the garden and at home. It tells how to choose the right varieties for cultivation in open ground in Russian gardens and in the rooms of the house.

What a homemade hydrangea flower looks like and blooms: photo and description

Family Hydrangeaceae – Hydrangeaceae

In the gardens of our ancestors home flower hydrangea was an obligatory plant and decorated every garden. But then people lost interest in her, and there was no time for her for 70–80 years. But now interest in it has been revived, and hydrangea is again winning its rightful place among other shrubs in gardens.

Many species are deciduous plants, but there are also evergreen species in this family, although they are not cultivated here. The way hydrangea blooms is an unforgettable sight of beauty.

Look at the description of hydrangea and the photo on this page below - the desire of gardeners to grow shrubs both in the garden and at home will become clear.

Hydrangea - perennial. The above-ground part develops depending on the growing method with 1-3 stems or more. The leaves are large, opposite, oval-ovate, dark green.

The flowers are false umbels of spherical shape, red, pink and white, collected in inflorescences, mostly pyramidal or corymbose of varying density. In the center of the inflorescences, as a rule, there are small bisexual flowers that produce seeds, and large sterile flowers that are located along the periphery of the inflorescence. But there are varieties with a chaotic arrangement, and there are also purely sterile inflorescences that do not produce seeds at all. When a solution of aluminum sulfate and iron salts is added to the soil, pink flowers take on a blue color.

In terms of hardiness, duration of flowering and beauty of flowers, hydrangea occupies one of the first places among early flowering plants. Hydrangea is cultivated not only in greenhouses, but also in rooms, and in the south in open ground. Blooming hydrangeas are a good decoration for rooms; they are widely used in flower beds.

See what hydrangea looks like in the photo illustrating different stages shrub development:

Conditions for growing garden hydrangea plants in open ground

The location for growing garden hydrangea is very important, since they are all shade-tolerant, they do not require a sunny place, and this is a definite plus for small garden. Besides, everything garden plants hydrangeas need.

Landing. The root system of hydrangeas is shallow, and therefore there is no need to dig deep holes (40 cm is quite enough), but since the root system gradually grows in breadth, the required feeding area is 50 × 50 cm at a minimum, and even better 80 × 80 cm. Although hydrangeas grown in open ground and are moisture-loving, but when high level groundwater they must be planted on a hillock or artificial elevation, because the plant cannot tolerate stagnant water.

To create suitable conditions for growing hydrangea, the planting hole is filled with a mixture of acidic (high) peat and sand in a 3:1 ratio. Neither manure nor lime (or ash) should be added to the planting hole. You can add humus in small quantities.

Dig planting pits it should not be done in clay, since the clay will swell during the autumn rains and will not allow excess moisture to pass through at all, and therefore the hole will gradually fill with water, which in frosts can freeze through, which will cause the death of the roots. In this case, you need to pour a hillock on top of the clay, in which to plant the hydrangea.

Caring for hydrangea in the garden: how to grow and breed

If there are a large number of pests, hydrangeas are sprayed with preparations such as Karbofos, Fitoverm, Actellik. It is recommended to use the drug Meta against slugs.

All parts of the plant contain cyanogenic glycosides and are therefore considered poisonous - eating them is contraindicated. However, cases of poisoning are rare as the plants do not appear attractive as a food source.

Caring for a hydrangea flower in a pot at home

To carry out proper care, it is advisable to place a hydrangea in a pot at home in a bright, cool room, protected from direct sunlight. However, it can grow near a window facing east and even north.

An important condition for caring for a hydrangea flower is high humidity. Watering should be regular and plentiful, with the exception of a short dormant period (January, February), when watering should be reduced to moderate. Only settled water should be used.

Feeding. Feeding should be done monthly.

Transfer. After flowering, you need to remove the inflorescences, shorten the long shoots and transplant the plant into a new pot. When shoots appear, the weak ones should be cut out, leaving 3-5 of the strongest stems. If you do not prune, the hydrangea will bloom poorly next year.

To plant hydrangeas, you should prepare a soil mixture consisting of three parts turf, three parts leaf soil and one part sand.

Wintering. After flowering, shoots should be cut to half their length. In autumn, hydrangea sheds almost all its leaves; during this period it must be moved to a dry cellar, basement, or placed between window frames, covering with dark paper. During this period, you need to water the plants sparingly to prevent the roots from rotting.

Caring for a hydrangea houseplant

The houseplant hydrangea grows well in an acidic substrate, at a pH of 4–5, in an earth mixture of turf (preferably from lowland meadows), leaf soil and sand (2:1:1), or leaf soil, turf, peat and sand (1:1 :1:1), or heavy turf, peat soil and sand (4:2:1).

When caring for indoor hydrangea, in order to grow a new plant, the side shoots should be rooted in peat or a mixture of peat and turf soil, taken in equal parts. The soil substrate must be covered with a layer of coarse river sand. After 17-22 days, the cuttings should be planted in pots with a diameter of 7-9 cm. The soil mixture should consist of one part peat and one part turf soil with the addition of sand and horn shavings.

If during the growth period the leaves begin to turn yellow, the plants must be watered once every ten days with a solution of salts that contain iron. Two or three feedings are enough to acidify the soil and stop chlorosis (leaf discoloration). It should be replanted annually in the spring.

How to prune hydrangea correctly

Before you prune your hydrangea, you need to know that there are 2 groups of hydrangeas, each of which requires special pruning.

The 1st group includes all varieties and forms of large-leaved, or garden, and serrate hydrangea, as well as oakleaf hydrangea, prickly Macrophylla, Sargenta and petiolate vine hydrangea. New flower buds are formed at the ends of last year's shoots. Therefore, group 1 hydrangeas require only light sanitary pruning. Old, broken, dried inflorescences and frozen shoots are removed from them. Last year's inflorescences are cut back to the 1st pair of healthy strong buds. Weak, old, diseased and damaged branches are cut out completely. If pruned too heavily, the hydrangea will bloom only the next year.

It is carried out in the spring, during the swelling of the buds or even when the first green buds appear.

It is not recommended to trim a young petiolate hydrangea plant, as it grows very slowly. Mature plant, on the contrary, needs pruning. It provides dense branching and reduces the load on the stem.

Hydrangea variety Endless Summer belongs to large-leaved forms. However, unlike other hydrangeas of this variety, it blooms on both new and last year’s shoots. Therefore, in hydrangeas of this variety, the inflorescences are cut off as they fade to ensure re-blooming during the season.

Before you properly prune your hydrangea, remember that in the fall the roots stock up on nutrients, some of which the plant draws from its own leaves. Therefore, most perennial flowers are pruned when their leaves begin to dry out, or after the first frost.

The 2nd group includes forms and varieties in which flower buds are formed on the shoots of the current year. This is a tree-like and paniculate hydrangea. They are pruned in early spring (March) or late autumn. Spring pruning is carried out before sap flow begins. All last year's shoots are shortened, leaving one pair of buds. Thanks to this, the number of shoots doubles every year. Over time, the bush becomes denser, then curved and weak branches, as well as shoots that violate the silhouette of the bush, are cut off.

Types and varieties of hydrangeas for Russian gardens: names and photos

Types and varieties of hydrangea for Russian gardens are presented in specialized catalogs in a wide variety. When choosing them, you need to pay attention to frost resistance. Look at the main types and names of hydrangeas on this page below - the most suitable varieties for the climatic conditions of our country are presented there.

Garden hydrangea

Exported from China more than two centuries ago. This is an excellent forced ornamental flowering and ornamental foliage plant, widespread throughout the world. A shrub 50–60 cm high, undemanding to growing conditions, can be driven into different terms and therefore have flowering plant for 6–8 months a year.

Large pink, red and even blue inflorescences appear at the top of each strong shoot of the current year. One bush can have up to six such “caps” of inflorescences. What we are usually accustomed to consider as flowers, in this case are not flowers, but strongly overgrown sepals. The real hydrangea flowers are small, inconspicuous, greenish balls in the center of the false flower. They are formed by four small petals, tightly covering 10 stamens and an underdeveloped pistil.

Hydrangea paniculata

Hydrangea paniculata is a tall shrub or tree, reaching a height of 2.5 m, with dense dark green leaves. Green buds appear in mid-July; by the end of the month they turn white; flowering - from August throughout autumn; inflorescences - with smooth transition from white to crimson and crimson with purple tint. Inflorescences are broadly pyramidal, erect or drooping, 10–35 cm long.

Hydrangea paniculata is durable, frost-resistant, and grows quickly. In the southern regions the plant bears fruit. In autumn it is recommended to prune faded inflorescences, in spring - sanitary and formative pruning.

Tree hydrangea

This type of hydrangea is the easiest to care for, and therefore widespread. Although it is called tree-like, it is by no means a tree, but an erect shrub about 1.2–1.5 m high, which came to us from North America. It blooms very profusely with large, dense snow-white caps of flowers that turn green towards the end of flowering and remain decorative until late autumn. If they are left before winter, they retain an attractive appearance all winter and spring due to the fact that the flowers, dried to a parchment state, do not fall off and give the inflorescence an openwork appearance. They are often used in winter bouquets and for compositions in floristry.

This type of hydrangea is the most common in our conditions because it is the most unpretentious, tenacious, quite cold-resistant and even frost-resistant, although in snowless, frosty winters, young shoots that have not yet had time to ripen may freeze. In late spring, even at the very beginning of summer, the dried ends should be cut off and the bush will easily recover, since flowering occurs on the shoots of the current year.

Even with severe freezing, the plant will still recover from the buds on the lower part of the stem, just like a “vanka-vstanka”. Don't rush to prune in the fall or early spring. Hydrangea is a “sleeper” and wakes up late, at the beginning of summer. Of course, it’s not very pleasant to see bare, protruding shoots all spring, but be patient until buds appear on them. Then you can clearly see how much the shoots need to be trimmed. If pruned too heavily, the bush will lose some of its flowers, but then the inflorescences on the remaining shoots will be larger. You should cut out outdated, shriveled, too thin and flimsy shoots, as well as shoots that thicken the crown too much. Tree hydrangea prefers light shade.

Advice! Serrated hydrangea, oak-leaved hydrangea, rough hydrangea, ashy hydrangea, radiant hydrangea are non-frost-resistant species that do not overwinter in Middle lane Russia and those in need of shelter.

Look at the types of hydrangea in the photo, the names and descriptions of which can be found above on the page:

What colors does hydrangea come in?

Many gardeners ask about what colors hydrangeas can be and how to achieve blue blooms.

Note: There are many varieties of bigleaf hydrangea, and the original color can be either pink or blue. But any color can be repainted using the method described below.

Watering hydrangeas to change color

If you want to change the color of the hydrangea, for example, make the pink one even brighter, and repaint the blue one pink, then water it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and add ash, chalk, and lime to the soil.

You can use watering hydrangeas to change color: if you want to make the blue one even brighter and repaint the pink one blue, then acidify the soil with pine sawdust, add peat, water it with a weak solution of ammonium sulfate or citric acid. In this case, with the original pink hydrangea, you will get a rather lilac color with blue veins.

How to water hydrangea to make it change color

We continue the conversation about how to water the hydrangea so that it changes color and maintains it for a long time. If you want a really bright blue color, add a special hydrangea fertilizer with aluminum (available at garden centers).

It should be noted that all pink hydrangeas can be easily dyed blue, and the resulting color is pure. But if, on the contrary, you want to repaint blue hydrangea into pink, it will be more difficult - it won’t turn out truly pink, but it will turn out lilac. The reason is in the properties of the plant’s original pigment. Pink pigment is not as durable as blue pigment.

Large-leaved hydrangea is more demanding than paniculate and tree-like ones. It should not be planted in cold lowlands or near foundations. It needs to be covered for the winter. It often does not bloom for gardeners for years. This happens because it is not covered well enough. Blooms large leaf hydrangea only on last year's shoots. And if they freeze, there will be no flowers.

More than 100 varieties of hydrangea are known. The best of them are:

"Goliath"– with bright pink inflorescences up to 23 cm in diameter, with jagged petals;

"Tamburg"– with light pink inflorescences with a diameter of 15–18 cm;

"Europe"– with pink inflorescences with a diameter of 18–20 cm, with dark pink veins on the petals;

“Mad. E. Mulier"– with white inflorescences with a diameter of 18–20 cm;

"Prima"– with red inflorescences with a diameter of 15–17 cm;

"Sir Therese"– with white inflorescences with a diameter of 15–18 cm.

Growing and propagating hydrangea from cuttings

Hydrangea is propagated by green cuttings. Cutting dates are January - March. The starting material for growing hydrangea by cuttings is old plants placed in greenhouses for forcing. To propagate hydrangeas from cuttings, the tops of the basal green shoots at the base of the bush are used. Such cuttings take root better than those taken from hardwood. Cuttings are cut with two pairs of leaves. If the leaves are large, they are cut in half. The cuttings are planted in exploration boxes. The practice of Soviet flower growers has shown that hydrangea cuttings take root well on open shelves. This method is widely used in industrial floriculture. A 3-5 cm layer of lumpy turf soil is poured onto the rack intended for cuttings. This layer is covered with a 2-3 cm layer of finely sifted turf soil, mixed in half with peat or leaf soil. Washed coarse river sand is poured on top in a layer of 2-3 cm. After compaction and abundant watering, the cut cuttings are planted using a pointed small peg, so as not to injure the heels of the cutting, to a depth of 2 cm, at a distance of 5-7 cm from each other.

After planting, watering is carried out. Further care for cuttings consists of spraying 3-4 times a day, maintaining the temperature at 15-18° and moist air in the greenhouse by watering the walkways. On sunny days, at first the cuttings are covered with paper to prevent them from withering. Rooting of cuttings usually occurs after 15-20 days. Well-rooted and growing cuttings are planted in 7-9 cm pots filled with an earthen mixture consisting of 2 parts turf and 1 part peat, 1 part leaf or humus soil and x/2 parts sand.

Watch how to propagate hydrangea from cuttings in the video, which clearly illustrates the whole process:

How to root and propagate hydrangea by cuttings (with video)

Before rooting hydrangea with cuttings, the potted plants are placed on racks and watered abundantly. To create the necessary air humidity, plants are periodically sprayed. Over time, spraying is stopped, and watering is increased to twice a day.

The temperature in greenhouses is maintained within 17-20°. In sunny weather, planted hydrangeas provide shade. Rooted plants are gradually accustomed to the sun and the flow of fresh air by ventilating the greenhouses. 20 days after planting, the plants develop quite strongly and they are pinched - trimming the tops, leaving 3-4 internodes.

The cut tops of the shoots are used as cuttings. After some time, new shoots develop from the axillary buds of the pruned plants, after which the plants are transferred to 12-13 cm pots. Hydrangeas should not be transferred to larger pots to avoid strong growth and weak flowering. Plants intended for transshipment must be well watered. When transshipping, it is necessary that the old lump be covered with a 2 cm layer of fresh soil. The space between the lump and the pot is filled with earth and compacted with a peg. To make watering easier, the pot is not filled with soil by about 2-3 cm. After transferring, the plants are well watered and placed in a semi-warm greenhouse. Here, pots with plants are buried in the ground at ground level almost close to each other, pot to pot. The greenhouse is covered with frames and slightly shaded. In a greenhouse, plants are sprayed with water several times a day. After some time, when the plants become stronger, the shade is reduced, gradually accustoming the hydrangeas to the sun, after which the frames are removed. Throughout the summer, plants are watered abundantly: in dry weather, 2 times a day - in the morning and in the evening. In August, watering is reduced, which ensures the ripening of the shoots. With the onset of the first autumn frosts, the plants are covered with frames to prevent the tops from freezing. On rainy days, frames protect greenhouses from excess moisture.

For forcing, hydrangeas are brought into greenhouses in December - January and placed closely on racks. Here they are systematically sprayed and kept at a temperature of 8-10°, gradually increasing. By March it is brought to 18-20°. As the stems and leaves grow, the pots are spaced further apart. With the appearance of buds, watering should be increased more often and fertilizing should be given. Hydrangea flowering begins in March - April and lasts up to two months.

In indoor conditions, plants should be kept near a bright window and watered abundantly. Faded plants can be left for the second year. To do this, after trimming the flowers, they are trimmed, replanted and buried with pots in open ridges, providing watering and fertilizing in the summer. In August, watering is reduced. With the onset of frost, hydrangeas are transferred to a cool room, where they are kept until forcing.

Watch how hydrangea is propagated in the video, which shows all the intricacies of the technology:

Popular questions from gardeners about hydrangea

I brought pink hydrangea from the south, but it died in winter. What hydrangeas can be planted in the Northwest?

In this region, ordinary hydrangea (gray) grows and blooms well; it is sometimes called umbrella hydrangea because of the shape of the inflorescence, which resembles an open umbrella. It blooms with large caps of white inflorescences. In the same way, our paniculate hydrangea freezes slightly, but recovers well, usually having pink or white panicle-shaped inflorescences. Hydrangeas should be planted under cover from cold northern winds, in a sunny place. Bushes near paniculata hydrangea more spreading than the umbrella type.

You can even grow a broadleaf southern plant, but it will have to be covered for the winter, like a climbing rose.

After a harsh winter, the hydrangea froze. How to save?

She will save herself. Freezing is not fatal. The dried ends of the branches will need to be pruned in the spring. Just take your time to do this before the leaves appear. Then it will become clear to what point the stems have dried. Branches immediately appear from the lower part of the stems, on which flowers bloom in the same summer. The stem is simply not long enough to cut.

Do I need to cover paniculate hydrangea for the winter?

It freezes to the level of snow cover only in severe winters. And since the bush itself is spread out, it is enough to plant it in the place where there is a high snowdrift, and put a not very heavy wooden lattice on the bush itself in the fall.

I brought ash under the hydrangea, and brown spots appeared on its leaves. Is one connected to the other somehow or is it just a coincidence?

Hydrangea grows exclusively in acidic soils. It cannot be fed with ash. Fertilizer should be given that acidifies the soil (azofoska, nitrophoska, ecofoska, “Kemira”). Fertilizing is done before budding, and humus is added in the fall. It’s good to sprinkle pine needles (at least from a New Year’s tree), fallen twigs of thuja under the plants, or acidify the soil with citric acid (1 teaspoon per 10 liters of water), pink potassium permanganate (a bucket per bush) once a season.

I heard that hydrangea can be made to change color. Tell me how to do this.

If you water your hydrangea with a slightly pink solution of manganese, the flowers will turn pink, but only temporarily. Stop watering and they will turn white again. If you water with a weak 0.1% solution (1 teaspoon per 7 liters of water) iron sulfate(or add metal shavings to the soil under the bush), the flowers will turn purple, and when watered with a weak alum solution, they will turn blue. But in fact, only the veins of the flower are colored, and the petals themselves practically remain white. So the color is uneven and, in my opinion, ugly.

I bought a climbing hydrangea, I’ve had it for several years now, but it doesn’t even think about blooming. What's the matter?

Climbing hydrangea (also called climbing, climbing, petiolate) blooms only when large leaves begin to grow, and while they are small, the plant does not bloom. It develops extremely slowly and does not particularly like regions with winter thaws and spring frosts (for example, the North-West).

Where and how to plant hydrangea?

Hydrangea should be planted under cover from northern winds, in a sunny place. Since it is easy to remove from walls or supports, do not be lazy to do this in late autumn. Then it will be very easy to cover it with spruce branches for the winter so that it does not freeze. And in the spring, until the return frosts have passed, replace the spruce branches with lutrasil, since young leaves do not tolerate negative temperatures well.

I really want to have a pink hydrangea. How to propagate it?

Any hydrangea can easily be propagated by layering (to do this, press one of the lower stems to the ground in the spring). Cover this area with either sphagnum moss or just a piece of film to keep it constantly moist. Next year, plant it by separating it from the bush. In addition, you can take root suckers, but before separating them from the mother bush, you need to dig up the soil under them all the way to the mother bush and separate them where your own roots are, at least small ones. You can also use stepsons at the beginning of summer, just like dahlias.

What and when to feed hydrangea?

After the end of frost, feed with any complex fertilizer. By the way, all hydrangeas are responsive to the application of AVA fertilizer, although it does not acidify the soil. It is applied once every 3 years, incorporating less than a tablespoon of granules into the soil along the perimeter of the crown of the bushes. In this case, you can not give any other mineral supplements. To increase the resistance of plants to the climate of the North-West, spray them on young foliage with Zircon, Epin-extra or Novosil (formerly Silk). The climbing hydrangea is evergreen; in the spring, as soon as the snow melts, its green foliage is revealed to the eye.

Why did dark spots and even a border along the edges of the leaves appear on the hydrangea leaves at the height of flowering?

The plant complains of a lack of potassium. Don’t be greedy - feed with any potash fertilizer (1 tablespoon of any potash fertilizer per 10 liters of water, and a bucket under the bush). I emphasize once again - under no circumstances use ash instead of potassium.

GROWING HYDRENSA

Even those who do not know the name of this magnificent flowering bush, I’ve probably come across hydrangea in botanical gardens, dendoparks, dachas, garden plots or indoors in pots.
But flower lovers may not realize that there are more than 70 types of hydrangea that grow in different climatic conditions. They all make up the genus Hydrangea. Each of them, when cultivated, needs individual approach. Based on the Hydrangea macrophylla species alone, breeders have created hundreds of varieties, and the number of varieties of all types is difficult to imagine. All of them may also require compliance with some nuances in care that are specific to them.
From the lips of gardeners who have successfully grown hydrangea, diametrically opposed opinions are often heard. Some argue that hydrangea prefers to grow in partial shade and shade, others say that only in direct sunlight does hydrangea bloom most profusely and does not suffer from this at all. Where is the truth? Under what conditions is hydrangea growing most successful?
Photo: Hydrangea paniculata, frost-resistant species.

A BEAUTIFUL LEGEND ABOUT HYDRANGEA

According to Japanese legend, hydrangea is a gift given for loyalty and love.
One day in the garden, a brave warrior who had known battles, victories and glory met a beautiful girl and immediately fell in love with her. But the girl disappeared as suddenly as she appeared. The next day the guy again came to the garden, located not far from the temple, hoping to meet a beautiful stranger and waited for her! The girl suddenly appeared again, but this time she did not disappear, but spoke to the warrior. They met and fell in love with each other, and the warrior could no longer imagine life without his beloved. Each time she said goodbye to him without leaving the garden, and disappeared as soon as the sun began to set.
A persistent guy, who did not know how to lose and was accustomed to achieving goals, wanted to marry the girl at all costs, but first decided to find out her secret. Having said goodbye and pretending to leave, he hid in the dense thickets and began to observe. He noticed how the girl walked towards the temple and rushed after her. When the beloved had already crossed the threshold, the warrior caught up with her and grabbed her hand. At that moment, the last ray of the sun disappeared over the horizon, and the girl disappeared into the air along with it, becoming just a drawing on the wall. Finally, her lips said: “Farewell, beloved, we will not meet again!” As a memory of myself and our love, I will leave you a flower.” The grief-stricken warrior left the temple and saw that a magnificent bush with soft pink inflorescences, reminiscent of the skin of his beloved, had blossomed on the empty green lawn. It was a hydrangea.

CONDITIONS FOR GROWING HYDRANGEA

Temperature Photo: Large-leaved hydrangea, requires shelter for the winter
Hydrangea, including evergreen species, is a seasonal plant. She needs a period of rest. At this time, its growth partially or completely slows down, it does not form flowering shoots and does not bloom. This fact is also important when growing hydrangeas in apartments or houses. One of the reasons why the plant does not bloom indoors may be precisely the lack of a dormant period with a low temperature of +10-13°.
Hydrangea definitely cannot be classified as a heat-loving or frost-resistant plant, since some species begin to freeze already at -3-5°, while others, for example, paniculate hydrangea, can withstand temperatures down to -40°.
Most popular among decorative species Large-leaved hydrangea is the most demanding of temperatures. Even specially bred cold-resistant varieties need to be covered in winter. They can only tolerate temperatures of -8-10°C without harm to their health and can withstand a short-term drop to -20°C in snowless winters. Growing heat-loving hydrangeas is impossible without covering them for the winter. Like roses, long shoots are bent to the ground and covered with spruce branches or covering material.
However, hydrangea also does not like extreme heat, which can cause the plant’s leaves to droop and buds to fall off. The temperature considered comfortable for her is +20-23°.

Lighting
Without exception, all types of hydrangeas are loved good lighting, although they can grow in partial shade. Despite their love of light, most cannot tolerate direct sunlight. Summer midday sun can be dangerous for the plant; it causes burns on the leaves.
A good option for placing hydrangeas is under the protection of neighboring plants in light shade. Growing hydrangea near buildings is also justified. In this case, the hydrangea should be planted in such a way that it receives maximum morning or evening sunlight, but not midday.
When growing hydrangea on a south-facing window in the summer, it should be shaded; a transparent curtain is suitable for this. When growing hydrangeas in greenhouses in the summer, a special net is stretched over them or the glass is whitened with lime.

Substrate
Successful cultivation of hydrangea is possible in certain soil. For normal growth, good development and abundant flowering hydrangeas need a rich nutrient substrate, loose enough to avoid stagnation of water, but not sandy. Otherwise, the water will immediately go deeper, bypassing the roots of the plant.
Hydrangeas are pronounced mycotrophic plants. They grow well only in the presence of soil microscopic fungi, which in turn require an acidic reaction of the substrate. Therefore, the acidity of the soil for growing hydrangea must be below 7, optimally pH 5.0 - 5.5.
If you make the substrate yourself, you will need peat, humus (or compost), leaf soil (or forest soil), and sand in a ratio of 2:2:2:1. Ash never added to the soil, it reduces acidity.

HYDRANGEA CARE

Humidity and watering Photo: frost-resistant tree and paniculate hydrangeas

Hydrangea loves moist soil, but, as befits a princess, it is very capricious:
The water should not be too cold;
The water should not be hard, since when watered with such water, the soil may gradually change its acidity (become neutral or alkaline);
Water should not stagnate so as not to cause rotting of the roots;
You need to water only when the sun is not too active (in the evening or in the morning);
When watering, water should not fall on flowers and buds;
Water should not be from the tap; even standing water causes chlorosis of leaves in hydrangea due to the high chlorine content.
Mulching makes caring for hydrangea easier and reduces the frequency of watering. To avoid moisture loss, the soil under the bush is mulched with hay, chopped straw, sawdust or pine needles. Mulching is usually carried out in early spring, after the first fertilizing with fertilizers. Plants planted nearby by covering the soil with leaves to prevent moisture evaporation also help conserve moisture.
Caring for hydrangeas in the fall may include re-mulching. This will retain moisture in the spring when the snow melts.
If hydrangea is grown indoors, watering should be reduced if the air temperature drops.

Fertilizers
Growing hydrangea requires the application of fertilizers; they improve the decorative qualities of the plant and contribute to the formation of beautiful inflorescences. Adult hydrangeas must be fertilized with mineral and organic components. They begin to feed in early spring, but not before the plant begins to vegetate. Complex fertilizers add in liquid form, watering the hydrangea with dissolved potassium sulfate and superphosphate. Organic fertilizers deposited a week or a week and a half later.
During active growth it is advisable to add buds again mineral fertilizers.
You need to be very careful with the introduction of nitrogen and nitrogenous compounds; they can cause the growth of green mass to the detriment of flowering. They are applied mainly in early spring.

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Pruning hydrangea
When growing hydrangeas, the bush must be pruned. In different types of hydrangeas, flowers can form on different shoots: last year's and this season's. Depending on this, pruning hydrangeas is possible in spring or autumn.
In large-leaved, Sargent and serrate hydrangeas, inflorescences grow on the shoots of the second year. Therefore, when pruned in spring, the bush will not bloom. Pruning of these types of hydrangeas is carried out in the fall, and in the spring they only remove dead or damaged branches and last year’s dry inflorescences.
Drooping (paniculate) and tree hydrangeas form inflorescences at the ends of new shoots. These hydrangeas require spring pruning to stimulate shoot growth and increase the number of inflorescences.

HYDRANGEA REPRODUCTION

Photo: Large-leaved hydrangea, varieties with pink and blue inflorescences

A beautiful plant that has taken root in your garden will definitely want to be propagated. Like all flowering plants, hydrangeas have two main types of reproduction: vegetative (using vegetative organs) and generative (using seeds).
Growing hydrangea from seeds is a very long and labor-intensive method. In addition, many hydrangea seeds do not have time to ripen due to the cool climate. And most importantly, most varietal hydrangeas do not have fertile flowers from which seeds are formed. This happened because, as a result of selection, scientists created more decorative inflorescences with a predominance of sterile flowers. They are brighter, larger, and attract insects and human attention. Generative propagation of hydrangea is mainly carried out by scientists who create new hybrids and varieties.
Vegetative propagation of hydrangea is an easy and quick way to get a seedling. It could be:
Dividing the bush;
Cuttings of annual green shoots ();
Cuttings of lignified shoots (2-3 years old);
Cloning (carried out only in the laboratory).
It is better to divide the bush in the fall, and then plant it in a new place. But you can first plant the hydrangea in a container, and in the spring plant it in open ground.
If, when planting hydrangeas, mineral fertilizers were added to the substrate (and it is advisable to do this), then for the next year or two the hydrangea is not fed, only mulched and organic matter is added to the soil.

Video: Growing hydrangea

PROBLEMS WHEN GROWING HYDRENSA

With proper care garden hydrangeas rarely get sick. With increased humidity and decreased temperature, they can become infected with fungal infections that mainly affect flowers and leaves. The most common fungal disease is powdery mildew, downy mildew, rust fungi.
For preventive purposes, hydrangea can be treated Bordeaux mixture. But to treat an already diseased plant, a more effective specialized fungicidal drug .
When growing hydrangea in open ground, the plant can be affected by aphids. In this case you can use traditional methods: treatment with infusion of tobacco or garlic (100 g per 5 liters of water, leave for two days). It is better to add a little soap to such tinctures so that the solution sticks to the leaves. If you don’t want to bother with tinctures, you can use a modern insecticidal preparation.
Slugs and snails can be a real nuisance. The best way fight against them - mechanical collection and destruction.
When grown indoors, hydrangea is often affected by red spider mite . This pest is very dangerous and is difficult to destroy even by special means. In this case it is important preventive measures: take the hydrangea out into the fresh air, spray it with water, ventilate the room.
Knowing types and varieties of hydrangea , and following the rules of caring for them, growing hydrangea will be a rewarding experience for you - a garden princess under the name Hydrangea will demonstrate its beauty every year and bring aesthetic pleasure to you and guests at home.

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Another name for this plant - hydrangia - translated from Greek means “vessel of water,” which reflects its need for abundant watering.

Story beautiful bush began many years ago in the vastness of Southern Japan. At the end of the 19th century, representatives of the species appeared in France, where they were bred various varieties garden hydrangea.

Today ornamental plant, characterized by its non-standard bush shape and bright flowering, is actively used in the design of gardens and parks.

The shrub is distinguished by large, bright green, ovoid leaves with slightly pointed edges. Large-leaved hydrangea inflorescences are lush clusters formed by flowers of white, pink, lilac or blue color. Volumetric corymbose “caps”, slightly reminiscent of lilac inflorescences, can reach 10-15 cm in diameter. Garden forms inflorescences, formed at the ends of the shoots, have a spherical appearance and a diameter of 20-25 cm.

With proper care, garden hydrangea blooms from July to early autumn. With the arrival of the first autumn chills, its leaves acquire a reddish-bronze hue.

Unfortunately, compared to other species of the family, large-leaved representatives of hydrangeas have low winter hardiness. This fact obliges all admirers of this plant who live in the European part of Russia and grow it in their garden, either to provide it with the necessary protection from low temperatures, or to come to terms with the idea that the bush has practically no chance of surviving the winter safely.

Garden hydrangea is a light-loving plant, so in order for growth to take place in the most favorable conditions, it is best to plant it in light partial shade. If direct sunlight hits the bush, the soil may dry out, the shade will lead to late flowering, and the inflorescences themselves will not be as lush as in semi-shaded places. Bushes should not be planted close to trees, as the latter actively absorb moisture contained in the soil.

Large-leaved hydrangea is quite demanding in terms of growing conditions: it prefers medium or slightly acidic soil with good air and water permeability and a rich humus content. Alkaline soil can lead to chlorosis, which is characterized by yellowing leaves.

Garden hydrangea grows quickly, it is thermophilic and very sensitive to soil moisture. It should be remembered that the plant does not tolerate lime, so you need to exclude the possibility of it getting into the place where the shrub grows. Frost resistance is quite low - hydrangea cannot withstand temperatures below 18°C.

To improve the fertile properties of the soil, you can use additives - leaf soil, good decomposed compost and red high-moor peat. It is advisable to loosen it regularly. When planting the plant in garden soil, it is recommended to add a small amount of coarse sand. Mulching (surface covering of soil) will have a beneficial effect on development various materials) around the base of the bush. It is best done immediately after watering, which will help reduce the evaporation of moisture, which is so necessary for the growth of garden hydrangea. Peat, pine needles, sawdust, and compost are perfect as mulch.

Each bush needs abundant watering - they need to receive at least two buckets of water per week. When using mulch or during periods of active rainfall, the plant will only need one watering per month. It is advisable to use soft water, ideally rainwater. In the absence of rain, you can use tap water, but it must warm up and settle before watering. However, it is important to remember that prolonged use of tap water can lead to chlorosis. To avoid such consequences, you can add vinegar or lemon juice to the water as a softener.

Large-leaved hydrangea is propagated by dividing the bush and using green cuttings. It is best to plant the plant in open ground in the spring, when there is no threat of frost and the soil has warmed up well. When planting in the garden, the distance between large-leaved hydrangea bushes should be at least one meter.

It is important not to forget about such a procedure as cutting the pagons. Only young hydrangeas need it; it is better not to subject adult bushes to frequent operations of this kind. For plants older than three years, some of the old stems can be cut off in the spring to stimulate the formation of young, strong shoots. Wilted flowers cannot be removed, since in winter they serve the function of protecting vegetative and flower buds from frost. They can be removed in the spring.

As for overwintering, garden hydrangea will withstand the cold better if it receives a sufficient amount of moisture in the fall. Leaves and flowers are very sensitive even to light night frosts, so it is recommended to prepare a shelter already in October. In winter, the shrub needs more reliable protection. From short-term frosts, the plant can be covered with two layers of greenhouse film or special materials made of polypropylene fiber. For the winter, the base of the bush must be covered with peat, and all the shoots must be collected in a bunch and bent to the ground. Then they should be covered with dry leaves, if desired, also covered with a film that needs to be fixed around the edges. With the arrival of spring, the shelter can be gradually removed, carefully ensuring that spring frosts do not harm the awakening plant. Around May, when the buds begin to grow, all protective equipment can be removed and the bush can be untied.

Hydrangea has a peculiarity: it has the ability to change its color depending on the acidity level of the soil in which it grows. Thus, a slightly alkaline reaction promotes the appearance of a pink color, and an acidic reaction provokes the coloring of inflorescences blue or dark blue. You can artificially obtain blue inflorescences using the following method: before flowering, the plant should be watered with aluminum alum, which, having enriched the soil with iron salts, will give the flowers a heavenly hue.

With proper care, large-leaved hydrangea annually pleases the eye with its rich and beautiful flowering, being perhaps the main decoration of the garden.