She was pleased with her beauty, she needed to be covered for the winter. Many varieties of this flower can survive the winter without shelter, but there is a chance that the flower will freeze. It is necessary to take into account the climatic features of the region.
The need to protect hydrangeas for the winter
During the onset of cold weather, the flower must be protected from frost, wind, snow and rain. Since no variety can withstand winter, it is a heat-loving plant.
If the flower is not protected, then young shoots, stems and even the root system may freeze. In this case, the flower will begin to grow poorly in the spring, and it is unlikely to bloom.
Therefore, the protection process must be thought out carefully, and from September it is necessary to remove the lower leaves, leaving only the upper ones, this is done so that the shoots become lignified faster.
What varieties need to be covered?
Most varieties need shelter for the winter. Cold-resistant ones include paniculate hydrangea and tree hydrangea, but gardeners also recommend covering them for the winter.
Varieties of hydrangeas that need winter shelter:
Covering methods
There are several proven methods of shelter:
With the onset of warm spring days, you should not immediately open the hydrangea, as returning cold and even slight frosts can harm it. If a small mold appears when opening, you just need to wash it off with water - it will not harm the plant.
Shelter for young plants
The most difficult period of life for any variety and type of hydrangea is its first wintering. It is imperative to provide reliable shelter, otherwise the flower will weaken or not survive the winter at all. With the onset of autumn, the seedlings need to be trimmed, leaving about 10 cm and all the leaves need to be trimmed.
Several shelter methods:
- Cover the entire bush with dry leaves and healthy trees or sawdust. Cover the top with film and secure it with stones or boards.
- Protect a young flower with boards or mesh. Fill the space inside the fence with leaves or sawdust, add a little earth, and wrap everything on top with polyethylene and secure it well.
Hydrangeas that bloom are a beauty from which it is impossible to take your eyes off. Therefore, if you properly organize their wintering, they will delight the gardener with their beauty for many years.
How to cover a hydrangea?
In order to prepare this flower for winter, you must follow the following tips from experienced gardeners:
When covering flowers for winter, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the type of this flower; each type must be treated carefully. Gardeners advise how to properly cover a hydrangea:
Tree-like
It is better to cut off the inflorescences before covering This species has corymbose white flowers that acquire a greenish tint as they bloom. Despite the fact that many varieties are resistant to cold, they require hilling.
Flowering occurs only on the shoots of the current year, so if the old shoots freeze a little, this will not affect the development of the flower.
Many people do not recommend cutting faded inflorescences for the winter, But experienced gardeners they assure that It's better to cut them in November, since under the weight of snow and frost the shoot may break. Also It is recommended to cut off non-lignified shoots, because they are not able to survive the winter.
Paniculata
Representatives of this variety are taller than other hydrangeas. It blooms in the form of pyramidal flowers. During the entire flowering period, the color changes: at the beginning the flowers have a greenish tint, then become white, and at the end of flowering pink. This feature is very attractive to gardeners.
Before wintering, you need to cut off the lower leaves of the flower and cover it with earth to preserve the root system.
large-leaved
Large-leaved hydrangea - a finicky species The most fastidious of all types of hydrangeas. It is necessary to pay a lot of attention to sheltering for the winter, because if this is done incorrectly, then there will be no more pink and blue inflorescences, and it has very low winter hardiness.
Flowering occurs on last year's shoots. The flowering is so beautiful that gardeners are ready to make every effort to preserve it in winter.
This species must be completely protected from winter cold. Since buds form on current shoots, they must be preserved.
Hydrangea (Hydrangea) is a beautiful ornamental shrub; there are several common types of this plant. Depending on the type, the shrub is covered for the winter. We will analyze in detail each option for preparing for wintering.
Garden large-leaved hydrangea needs the most careful care and warm shelter for the winter. G. paniculata is less in need of this, and G. tree-like can do without any shelter at all.
Shelter of large-leaved hydrangea
I bought this bush 4 years ago. I bought large-leaved hydrangea of the Hamburg variety as a garden, the bush did not grow higher than 50 cm, the shoots are brittle and almost lie on the ground. I manage to grow it like garden plant(can also be grown in a pot).
Once I cut it off, leaving branches 20 cm long from the ground, no more. The next summer it bloomed very weakly and hardly grew. So I advise owners of low-growing species to be careful and not to prune the branches of this plant, as next year’s flower buds are laid on them.
Cut only dry branches before winter. If you have tall large-leaved garden hydrangea, then you need to cut it at a height of no more than three buds from the end of each branch.
So, at the end of October (for central Russia), I recommend carefully digging up the soil around the plant.
Then sprinkle some sawdust or wood shavings under the bush on the roots of the plant. I do not recommend filling it with soil, as it will place too heavy a load on the base of the branches. You can use peat.
Cover the entire bush with pine needles or place spruce branches between the branches of the plant, covering the base of the bush.
You can cover the large-leaved hydrangea with lutrasil, or put a special bag of covering material on top of the bush (if the size of the bush allows) by tightening a string at the base.
I tried to put a lutrasil bag on the bush, but the bush no longer fit into it. I won’t worry about this, since the pine needles do an excellent job of being a warm, hygroscopic “blanket” for my large-leaved hydrangea. The needles also contribute to acidification of the soil, which the plant loves.
Then place several dry tree branches (any kind) on top of the bush.
In winter, the bush will be covered with snow, which will sometimes thaw, forming a heavy ice crust. Dry branches will take the load and the bush will not break. This is important in order to preserve next year's flower buds.
Shelter paniculata hydrangea
I also have G. paniculata Grandiflora growing. I cover it like this: I pour a pile of apple leaves and pine needles into the center of the bush, lightly pressing them down with several dry branches of any tree.
The bush can be pruned into three buds, but I prefer to leave a few dry inflorescences for the winter. They look beautiful against the background of sparkling snow cover.
I don’t cover the tree hydrangea, unless I throw a couple of shovels of earth into the bush during autumn digging. This species tolerates winter well even without shelter - after all, lignified shoots are more frost-resistant.
Video on the topic
In order for perennial flowering shrubs to survive the cold safely, they must be covered for the winter. Such plants include large-leaved hydrangea, the flowers of which practically freeze out and flowering does not occur.
In order for such a bush to become a real decoration of any garden, you need to prune the hydrangea for the winter and properly prepare it for winter.
Description of the plant
Hydrangea is one of the most common flowering plants for garden decoration. In total there are about 70–80 species of this. The shrub can grow up to 2 meters in height.
It is a deciduous bush with erect shoots and egg-shaped leaves bright green color.
The plant begins to bloom in early summer. The flowering period lasts until late autumn with proper care. At the ends of the stems are formed lush spherical inflorescences. The color of the lush inflorescences is bright and varies:
- lilac;
- white;
- pink;
- blue;
- red.
Moreover shade may vary optionally, if you change the composition of the soil in which the shrub grows. For example, in sour inflorescences there will be blue color, and with an alkaline soil composition it will bloom pink. A neutral composition will lead to the flowering of beige inflorescences.
Garden varieties differ abundant flowering and quite easy to care for. With these qualities, hydrangea has always attracted lovers of growing flowers. personal plot. The most popular varieties for growing in Russia include paniculate, tree-like and large-leaved hydrangea.
Most of the care hassle is associated with protecting the plant in winter. The most winter-hardy is hydrangea paniculata. Varieties of this species are able to survive winter at minus 30 degrees. This is due to the fact that its natural habitat is Sakhalin. To protect it from frost, only the root system needs to be covered. The plant almost never freezes and withstands harsh conditions, after which it blooms luxuriantly and profusely.
In many gardens summer cottages you can see the beautiful hydrangea. Particularly popular are hydrangea varieties from the Endless Summer, Forever & Ever and You & Me series. This is due to the fact that they bloom not only on last year’s shoots. The branches of the current year are also covered with buds. This feature guarantees. However, the timing of the appearance of flowers will depend on whether the hydrangea was covered for the winter. But many summer residents do not know about this.
We have studied in detail the question of how to cover a hydrangea for the winter and want to give you some tips. Then this plant will bloom in your garden in due time and make you happy.
Do I need to cover hydrangea for the winter?
It is imperative to cover hydrangea bushes for the winter if it is a variety in which flowers bloom only on last year’s shoots. They must be carefully covered. After all, if they freeze, there will be no flowers. Even if only the top of the branch dies. Since it is on it that flower buds are laid.
When to cover hydrangeas for the winter
Work begins in the first autumn months. 21 days before the onset of frost (approximately mid-September), it is recommended to remove the lower leaves. The inflorescences should remain in place. This technique allows you to achieve woodiness of the shoots. They become more resistant to low temperatures.
How to cover paniculata hydrangea for the winter
The best way to wrap a hydrangea bush is with a double layer of lutrasil. It makes it possible to ventilate the branches of the bush. In this case, the plant is protected from the first night frosts. This shelter is well ventilated and protects flower buds from the first frosts.
Two to three days before the onset of stable frosts at night, the next stage of insulation begins. To do this, the covering material must be removed. Remove remaining leaves from the branches. The inflorescences should be left.
Now the bush will have to be tied and wrapped again with lutrasil. Place a bunch of spruce branches near the hydrangea. Bend a bush prepared for wintering to it. The spruce branches will act as a substrate and provide springiness. This will prevent the snow from breaking the branches.
Additional support is needed at the base of the bush. It is recommended to place a log or roller of spruce branches there. It will not allow the branches to break.
Thus, a securely fixed large-leaved hydrangea is obtained; shelter for the winter is completed only with a mound of dry leaves or spruce needles. It is recommended to lay a film over them so that excess moisture does not reach the plant. Several branches of spruce branches will help to secure it. They will also help retain snow.
This type of shelter for the hydrangea for the winter makes it possible to achieve its flowering already at the end of May or the first days of June. In this case, buds will form on shoots that have been preserved over the winter.
What to do with hydrangea in spring
Accustom the plant to temperature environment relies gradually. First you have to remove the film. In this case, it is better to leave the spruce branches. After all, it will create the shadow the hydrangea needs.
Two days later, free the bush from under the spruce branches and lift it. Rake the leaves and needles to the base of the hydrangea. Do not remove the covering material yet.
Lutrasil can be removed when the threat of a sharp drop in temperature has passed. At this point, the plant will actively begin to grow. This is a signal that the hydrangea needs to be fed. In spring if necessary
What happens if the hydrangea is not reliably covered?
It will bloom only in August. The same situation occurs when a bush is pruned for the winter and covered with leaves or pine needles. Moreover, the stumps remaining from the branches should have 2-3 buds.
Another way to cover hydrangea for the winter - some gardeners use combined type hydrangea shelters. They shorten the branches by only 2-3 buds on top. Then the bush is covered as described above. If a branch dies in winter, it can be removed.
It turns out that overwintered branches will bloom by the beginning of summer, and new shoots will come from the root, the buds on which will bloom by the last month of summer.
Hydrangeas are irreplaceable ornamental shrubs For landscape design garden plot. Romantic and modern, with large flowers, they have become a real decoration of the garden design. But this beauty must be maintained, and beautiful flowering must be achieved with careful care. They do not have good resistance to winter cold, so they require special protection from frost, which must be carried out according to the rules. But the beauty of hydrangea flowers is worth a lot of effort. How to cover large-leaved hydrangea for the winter, and other types of hydrangeas, will be discussed in the review.
- 1 Hydrangea pruning is done only in early spring. However, the shrub needs care even before the winter period. For hydrangea the best care before winter there will be sanitary pruning. This is the removal of damaged and dry branches, processing of cuts protective composition or garden varnish.
- 2 Dry leaves must be collected and burned under the bushes on the ground. In September, large-leaf hydrangeas need to remove the leaves at the bottom of the bush. This will stimulate an increase in the resistance of shoots to frost and cover them with bark. Before frost begins, the leaves on the bush must be removed, except for the upper leaves that protect the flower buds.
- 3 Pruning hydrangea flowers before cold weather should be carried out by experienced workers. Dried hydrangea flowers can also decorate your garden. They look beautiful under the snow cover, and surprise people's eyes even when dry. Therefore, if there are no other reasons for cutting flowers, and if the bush will not cover itself before winter, then do not cut the flowers. Leave them to decorate the winter landscape in the garden. If you have large leaf hydrangea, then before frost, all flowers need to be cut off.
- 4 In summer, hydrangea is treated only with potash and phosphate fertilizers.
- 5 From the second half of September, hydrangea is no longer watered. Before winter, such shrubs are not given abundant watering. It is better to create protection for large-leaved hydrangeas from excess moisture by building a film protection over the bushes. It will not allow water to enter the soil where the bush grows.
- 2 Mulch the tree trunk circle with dry leaves.
- 1 Mulch the trunk circle of the bush with dry leaves.
- 1 Cover the base of the bush with dry soil.
- 3 Place around the crown of the hydrangea cardboard box, or cover the bush with a cloth, wrap it in paper.
- 1 After trimming the flowers and removing the foliage, you need to gather the branches of the bush into one bunch and bend it towards the ground, being careful not to break it. It is recommended to lay on wooden boards so that there is no contact with the cold ground. The branches are secured with ropes or other available material.
- 2 The bush, bent to the ground, must be covered with dry leaves, earth and sawdust. First, you can put wooden boards on the bush or stretch some kind of fabric, and then backfill it. This creates several layers of protection with layers of air that protect against sudden weather changes. The bush will not be in direct contact with the insulating material and will not get wet. It also reduces the likelihood of pests and disease spreading.
- 3 In the upper part of the bush it is better to cover it with polyethylene, securing it securely on the sides. It is necessary to take care of ventilation holes. They should be closed only in extreme cold.
- 4 If there is little snow in winter, then the film is covered with branches and spruce branches. If there is snow, then you can add it additionally.
- 1 Apply 20 cm of loose, dry soil around the bush.
- 2 The combined cover will be a humus layer of 10 cm, a layer of foliage, alternating with a layer of earth.
- 1 First, the root circle needs to be covered with dry, loose soil.
- 2 Next, carefully close the young branches, as they can freeze in severe frosts. Cover them with pine spruce branches or branches, and then with film.
- 3 Hydrangeas do not tolerate wind well, so the edges of the film must be sprinkled with earth so that the wind does not penetrate under the shelter. Place old warm clothes or a blanket on top.
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How to prepare hydrangea for winter
The bush begins to be prepared for cold weather in early September. But this does not require much care. You just need to complete some operations in a timely manner and do others. Let's look at everything in order.
What types of hydrangeas require shelter for the winter?
Of all the types of hydrangeas suitable for cultivation in middle lane In Russia, only two types need to be covered for the winter: large-leaved (garden) and Sargent. But the tree-like Hydrangea also needs protection.
Over time, the winter hardiness of shrubs changes. In the first years, all types of hydrangeas must be protected before winter. Mature shrubs, except for the two species mentioned above, do not require any protection and tolerate winter frosts normally.
How to cover hydrangea for the winter
The difference between hydrangea and other frost-unresistant plants garden shrubs, is that it does not weather out. Hydrangeas are heat-loving plants, and they can be covered with any materials, even those that do not allow air to pass through. Hydrangeas can overwinter under leaves that are damp under the film. This unpretentiousness greatly simplifies the work of covering shrubs.
Mainly flower buds require shelter. For example, large leaf hydrangea needs to preserve the tips of the shoots. This procedure is carried out by bending the branches towards the ground. They will not break, since the flexibility of the shoots is quite high, and branches will not break.
For shelter it is important to choose right time. It is better to do this in advance, before the onset of cold weather, and cover the bush in October, after night frosts, or before the onset of permanent frosts. Hydrangeas can be covered over the entire bush at once. But for ventilation it is recommended to leave small openings and close them completely only when severe frosts occur. In winter, when thaws sometimes occur, you can ventilate the bushes.
How to protect young hydrangea from the cold
Hydrangea that is planted in the soil this year needs protection, and it is also better to cover the shrubs for two years. Here we are not talking about complex methods of shelter. Normal measures will be enough to mitigate the sudden change in temperature and insufficient snow.
To prepare the bushes for winter in the first years, do at least the following work:
How to cover Sargent and tree hydrangeas
Sargent hydrangea bushes will require the same protection as young hydrangeas. The only difference is that it is also necessary to protect the crown of the bush.
To protect the plant from frost, do the following:
Tree hydrangea recovers well after frost and grows quickly. But the bush will bloom best if it is first protected from the cold. The main activity in this case is hilling the trunk. Large bushes are tied to a strong peg, but not bent to the ground. The soil around the trunk can be insulated with leaves and spruce branches.
How to cover large-leaved hydrangea for the winter
This is the most labor-intensive type of flowering shrub to prepare for cold weather. It requires protection from both winter temperature changes and spring frosts, sudden changes in weather during warm times. Protection of this type requires starting preparation on time, and also necessarily tying branches together.
Experts suggest protecting large-leaved hydrangea in the following order:
Alternative methods of shelter
In addition to the above methods, there are other options for covering large-leaved hydrangea:
How to properly remove insulation
Like the others who demand good insulation plants, hydrangeas cannot be opened completely at once. This should be done gradually, opening one layer after another. It is important to gradually remove the cover specifically for large-flowered hydrangeas.
You need to start removing the shelter when the thaw arrives. Non-woven fabric or plastic film removed for a while, with the possibility of closing the bushes again if unexpected frosts come.
The foliage used to insulate the bush should be dried in the middle of the spring season. Leaves are removed from the bushes when the buds begin to bloom. The soil that was hilled up trunk circle, are removed last. When all the earth has been removed, the bushes are unpacked immediately, but after a few days they are inspected and, if necessary, pruned.
How to cover hydrangea for the winter in the Moscow region
Experienced gardeners carefully monitor such autumn events as covering hydrangeas for the winter. The shrub must first be pruned from damaged shoots. It blooms beautifully, and for lush spring color, it requires proper care. In the Moscow region, gardeners also grow a lot of hydrangea bushes. And many of them are interested in the specifics of working with shrubs, in particular, how to cover hydrangeas for the winter.
A shrub without constant feeding will produce only a few inflorescences on one bush. On garden plot there will be no beautiful landscape. A bush that has been fed in a timely manner and various microelements added to the soil will give you beauty during the flowering period.
Attention! In autumn, hydrangea bushes should be thoroughly cleaned of dried flowers and small shoots. Only healthy branches should remain for the winter.
How to cover paniculata hydrangea for the winter
The most resistant type of hydrangea is considered to be paniculate, which can survive the winter even at thirty-degree frosts. This variety need not be completely covered and not insulated too much. You can only close the trunk circle. This way the root system will be protected from frost. Therefore, paniculata hydrangea will be an ideal variety for the Moscow region, as well as for the entire central zone of Russia.
Work on covering paniculate hydrangea consists of the following:
After such protection, your flowering shrub will easily overwinter even in severe frosts.
How to cover a tree hydrangea
This type of flowering shrub also withstands winter, but it is better to close it completely. In the south, tree hydrangea is not covered in any way for the winter. It is simply cleared of growth before winter, or these procedures are done in the spring.
Hydrangea is a moisture-loving plant, but when it rains a lot in the fall, it is better to cover it with something to keep the water out. For this purpose, you can sew a kind of roof over the bush from film or waterproof fabric. This will prevent water from penetrating the root system.
Important! Excess moisture often contributes to the freezing of roots, which is most important for regions with a sharply continental climate.
Before covering the bush, tie the branches in several bunches and bend them to the ground. Before doing this, lay spruce branches, branches or something else on the ground. Also cover the bush with spruce branches or other available material for insulation. The last layer will be a well-fixed polyethylene film.
Annual seedlings need special shelter for the winter:
In spring, insulation should not be removed immediately, but with short breaks. Remove one layer every week. Finally, remove the mounded soil around the trunk. It is not worth opening the bush for insulation before the beginning of May. It must be remembered that frosts often return.
When to cover hydrangea for the winter
It is impossible to give a definite answer to this question, since the covering time depends on the region in which the hydrangea is grown. There are many varieties of hydrangea that can easily tolerate frost. Therefore, their protection can be postponed until the air temperature approaches zero.
If you have large-leaved hydrangea growing in your garden, it is better to prepare it for winter as early as possible. The main point in this matter is to have time to close the bush before the onset of frost.
In general, hydrangea is not considered a whimsical plant, but it reacts to the lack of human warmth and care. If a flowering shrub is not covered before the winter cold, then next year it will “respond” to you with the absence or poor quality of flowering.
If you need a beautiful landscape in your garden, take care of your hydrangea with the utmost care and on time.
