How to cover a hydrangea for the winter. What will happen if the hydrangea is not securely covered. Shelter tree hydrangea for the winter

Pleased with its beauty, it must be covered for the winter. Many varieties of this flower are able to winter without shelter, but there is a possibility 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 tolerate 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 not grow well in the spring, and it is unlikely to bloom.

Therefore, the protection process must be carefully thought out, and from September it is already necessary to remove the lower leaves, leaving only the upper ones, this is done so that the shoots become woody faster.

What varieties should be covered?

Most varieties need shelter for the winter. The cold-resistant ones include paniculate hydrangea, tree-like, but gardeners recommend covering them for the winter.

Varieties of hydrangeas that need winter shelter:

Shelter methods

There are several proven ways to hide:

With the onset of warm spring days, you should not immediately open the hydrangea, as it can be harmed by relapsing cold and even slight frosts. If a small mold appears during opening, it just needs to be washed 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 a reliable shelter, otherwise the flower will weaken or not overwinter at all. With the onset of autumn, the seedlings need to be cut, leave about 10 cm and you need to cut all the leaves.

Several ways to hide:

Cover the whole bush with dry leaves with healthy trees or sawdust. Cover with a film on top and fix it with stones or boards.
Protect a young flower with boards, nets. Fill the space inside the fence with leaves or sawdust, add a little earth, and wrap everything on top with polyethylene and fix it well.

Hydrangeas that bloom are beauty from which it is impossible to take your eyes off. Therefore, if you properly organize their wintering, they will delight the grower 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 sheltering flowers for winter, it is imperative to take into account the characteristics of the type of this flower, each type must be taken carefully. Gardeners advise how to properly cover the hydrangea:

treelike

Inflorescences before shelter is better to cut

This species has corymbose white flowers, acquiring a greenish tint with flowering. 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, then this will not affect the development of the flower.

Many do not recommend cutting faded inflorescences for the winter, But experienced gardeners assure that in November it is better to cut them, because under the weight of snow and frost, the shoot may break. Also it is recommended to cut and not lignified shoots because they are unable to overwinter.

Paniculata

Representatives of this variety are taller in comparison with 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 they turn white, and at the end of flowering they are pink. This feature is very attractive to flower growers.

Before wintering from a flower, you need to cut off the lower leaves and spud it with earth to preserve the root system.

large-leaved

Large-leaved hydrangea - fastidious look

The most fastidious of all types of hydrangeas. A lot of attention needs to be paid to shelter for the winter, because if this is done incorrectly, then there will be no more pink and blue inflorescences, and it is with very low winter hardiness.

Flowering takes place on last year's shoots. Flowering is so beautiful that gardeners are ready to make every effort to preserve it in winter.

This species must be completely sheltered from the winter cold. Since the buds are formed on current shoots, they must be saved.

Hydrangea (Hydrangea) is a beautiful ornamental shrub, there are several common species of this plant. Depending on the species, the bush is covered for the winter. We will analyze in detail each option for preparing for wintering.

Large-leaved garden hydrangea needs the most careful care and warm shelter for the winter. G. paniculate is less in need of this, and G. tree-like and can do without any shelter at all.

Large-leaved hydrangea shelter

I bought this bush 4 years ago. I bought it as a garden large-leaved hydrangea of the Hamburg variety (Hamburg), the bush did not grow above 50 cm, the shoots are brittle and almost lie on the ground. I manage to grow it 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 following summer, it bloomed very weakly and almost did not grow. So I advise the owners of low-growing species to be more careful and not cut the branches of this plant, as the next year's flower buds are laid on them.

Cut only dry branches before winter. If you have a 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 ground around the plant.

Then pour some sawdust or wood shavings under the bush on the roots of the plant. I do not recommend falling asleep with earth, as it will lie too heavy on the base of the branches. You can use peat.

Fill the entire bush with needles or put 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), tightening the rope at the base.

I tried to put a bag of lutrasil on the bush, but the bush no longer fit into it. I won't worry about it, as the needles do their job perfectly, being a warm hygroscopic "blanket" for my large-leaved hydrangea. The needles also contribute to the acidification of the soil, which is very fond of the plant.

Then put a few dry branches of a tree (any) 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.

Panicled Hydrangea Shelter

I also grow G. paniculate Grandiflora. I cover it like this: I pour a hill of apple leaves and needles into the center of the bush, slightly crushing them with a few dry branches of any tree.

The bush can be cut into three buds, but I prefer to leave a few dry inflorescences for the winter. They look beautiful against the backdrop of sparkling snow cover.

I do not cover the tree-like hydrangea, except that I throw a couple of shovels of earth into the bush during autumn digging. This species perfectly tolerates winter even without shelter - after all, lignified shoots are more frost-resistant.

plant description

Hydrangea is one of the most common flowering plants to decorate the garden. In total, there are about 70-80 species of this. The shrub can grow up to 2 meters in height.

It is a deciduous shrub with erect shoots and ovoid leaves bright green.

The plant begins to bloom from the beginning of summer. The flowering period continues until late autumn with proper care. At the ends of the stems are formed lush inflorescences of spherical shape. The color of lush inflorescences is bright and can be different:

lilac;
white;
pink;
blue;
red.

And shade may change at will, 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 formulation will produce beige buds.

Garden varieties are different abundant flowering and pretty unpretentious in care. With such qualities, hydrangea has always attracted lovers to grow flowers on personal plot. The most popular varieties for growing in Russia include hydrangea paniculate, tree-like and large-leaved.

Most of the care has to do with protecting the plant in the winter. The most winter-hardy is hydrangea paniculata. Varieties of this species are able to survive the winter at minus 30 degrees. This is due to the fact that its natural habitat is Sakhalin. To protect it from frost, it is necessary to cover only the root system. The plant almost never freezes and endures harsh conditions, after which it blooms luxuriantly and profusely.

In many gardens summer cottages you can see the beautiful hydrangea. Hydrangea varieties from the Endless Summer, Forever & Ever and You & Me series are especially popular. 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 shelter has been made for the winter. But many summer residents do not know about this.

We have studied in detail the question of how to cover the hydrangea for the winter and want to give you some tips. Then in your garden this plant will bloom in due time and delight you.

Do I need to cover the hydrangea for the winter

Be sure to cover the hydrangea bushes for the winter, if this is a variety on which flowers bloom only on the shoots of last year. They must be carefully covered. After all, if they freeze, then 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 in mid-September), it is recommended to remove the lower leaves. Inflorescences should remain in place. This technique allows you to achieve stiffening of the shoots. They become more resistant to low temperatures.

How to cover panicle hydrangea for the winter

Best of all, a hydrangea bush can be wrapped 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. Such a shelter is well ventilated and protects the flower buds from the first frosts.

Two or three days before the onset of persistent frosts at night, the next stage of warming begins. To do this, the covering material must be removed. Remove the remaining leaves from the branches. Inflorescences are supposed to be left.

Now the bush will have to be tied up and wrapped again with lutrasil. Lay a bunch of spruce branches near the hydrangea. Bend a bush prepared for wintering to it. The spruce will play the role of a substrate and provide springiness. That will not allow the snow to break the branches.

An additional substrate is needed at the base of the bush. It is recommended to place a log or a roller from spruce branches there. He won't let the branches break.

Thus, a securely fixed large-leaved hydrangea is obtained, the shelter for the winter ends only with a mound of dry leaves or spruce needles. It is recommended to lay a film on top of them so that excess moisture does not enter the plant. A few spruce branches will help to fix it. They will also help keep the snow out.

Such a shelter for the hydrangea for the winter manages to achieve its flowering as early as the end of May or the first days of June. In this case, the buds will form on shoots that have survived over the winter.

What to do with hydrangea in spring

accustom the plant to the temperature environment is due gradually. First you have to remove the film. In this case, it is better to leave the spruce. After all, it will create the shadow necessary for hydrangeas.

Two days later, release the bush from under the spruce branches, raise it. Rake leaves and needles to the base of the hydrangea. Do not remove covering material yet.

Lutrasil can be removed when the threat of a sharp drop in temperature has passed. At this point, the plant will begin to actively grow. This is a signal that the hydrangea needs to be fed. Spring if needed

What will happen if the hydrangea is not securely covered

It will bloom only in August. The same situation is observed when the bush is cut for the winter and covered with foliage or needles. Moreover, on the stumps left from the branches, there should be 2-3 buds.

How to cover hydrangea for the winter - some gardeners use combined type hydrangea shelters. They shorten the branches only 2-3 buds from above. Then the bush is covered as described above. If the branch dies during the winter, then it can be removed.

It turns out that the overwintered branches bloom by the beginning of summer, and new shoots will come from the root, the buds on which will bloom by the last summer month.

Hydrangeas are indispensable ornamental shrubs For landscape design garden plot. Romantic and modern, with large flowers, they have become a real decoration of garden design. But this beauty must be maintained, and with careful care to achieve beautiful flowering. They do not have good resistance to winter cold, therefore they require special frost protection, which must be carried out according to the rules. But the beauty of hydrangea flowers is worth the effort. How to cover large-leaved hydrangea for the winter, and other types of hydrangeas, will be discussed in the review.

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How to winterize hydrangeas

The shrub begins to prepare for the cold already in early September. But this does not require much maintenance. You only need to complete some operations in a timely manner, and do others. Let's consider everything in order.

1 Hydrangea pruning is done only in early spring. However, the shrub needs care on the eve of the winter period. For hydrangea the best care before winter there will be sanitary pruning. This is the removal of damaged and dry branches, the processing of cuts protective composition or garden pitch.
2 Under the bushes on the ground, dry leaves must be collected and burned. In September, large-leaved hydrangeas need to remove the leaves at the bottom of the bush. This will stimulate an increase in the resistance of shoots to frost, covering them with bark. Before the start of frost, the leaves on the shrub 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 beautify your garden. They look beautiful under the snow cover, and surprise the eyes of people even when dry. Therefore, if there are no other reasons for cutting flowers, and if the bush does not cover all before winter, then do not cut the flowers. Leave them to decorate the winter landscape in the garden. If you have large-leaved hydrangea, then before frosts, all flowers must be cut.
4 In summer, hydrangea is treated only with potash and phosphate fertilizers.
5 From the second half of September, the hydrangea is no longer watered. Before winter, abundant watering for such shrubs is not done. It is better to create protection from excess moisture for large-leaved hydrangeas by constructing a film protection over the bushes. It will not allow water to get into the soil where the shrub grows.

What types of hydrangeas require shelter for the winter

Of all types of hydrangeas suitable for cultivation in middle lane 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 early 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 normally tolerate winter frosts.

How to cover hydrangea for the winter

The difference between hydrangeas and other frost-resistant garden shrubs, is that she does not swell. 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 damp under the film. Such unpretentiousness greatly simplifies the work of sheltering the bush.

Mostly shelters require flower buds. For example, large-leaved hydrangea needs to preserve the tops of the shoots. This procedure is carried out by bending branches to the ground. They will not break, since the flexibility of the shoots is high enough, and the 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 shrub in October, after night frosts, or before the onset of permanent frosts. Hydrangeas can be closed at once the entire bush. But for ventilation, it is recommended to leave small openings, and close completely only when severe frosts occur. In winter, when thaws sometimes come, you can ventilate the bushes.

How to protect a young hydrangea from the cold

Hydrangea, which is planted in the soil this year, needs protection, and it is also better to cover shrubs for two years. Here we are not talking about complicated ways of hiding. Conventional measures will suffice to mitigate the abrupt change in temperature and the lack of snow.

To prepare the bushes for the winter period in the first years, do at least the following work:

2 Mulch the trunk circle with dry leaves.

How to cover Sargent's hydrangea and tree

Sargent hydrangea bushes will require the same protection by analogy with 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 work:

1 Mulch the near-stem circle of the bush with dry leaves.
1 Spud the base of the shrub with dry earth.
3 Around the hydrangea crown, set cardboard box, or cover the bush with a cloth, wrap it with paper.

Tree hydrangea recovers well after frost, and quickly grows. But best of all, the shrub will bloom if it is previously sheltered from the cold. The main event in this case is hilling the trunk. Large bushes are tied to a strong peg, but do not bend to the ground. Around the trunk, the soil can be insulated with leaves and spruce branches.

How to cover large-leaved hydrangea for the winter

This is the most time-consuming type of flowering shrub in preparation for the cold weather. It requires protection from both winter temperature fluctuations and spring frosts, sudden weather changes in warm weather. Protection of this type requires timely start of preparation, as well as mandatory binding of branches.

Experts suggest protecting large-leaved hydrangea in the following order:

1 After cutting the flowers and removing the foliage, you need to collect the branches of the bush in one bundle and bend it to the ground, being careful not to break it. It is recommended to install on wooden planks so that there is no contact with cold ground. The branches are fixed with ropes or other improvised material.
2 A shrub bent to the ground must be covered with dry foliage, earth and sawdust. First, you can put wooden boards on the bush or stretch some canvas, and then backfill. This results in several layers of protection with interlayers of air that protect against sudden changes in the weather. The bush will not come into direct contact with the insulating material, it will not get wet. It also reduces the chance of pests and diseases spreading.
3 In the upper part of the bush, it is better to close it with polyethylene, securely fixing it on the sides. Ventilation holes must be taken care of. 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 it can be additionally poured.

Alternative ways to hide

In addition to the above methods, there are other options for sheltering large-leaved hydrangeas:

How to properly remove insulation

Like the others who require good insulation plants, hydrangeas can not be opened immediately completely. This should be done gradually, opening one layer after another. It is important to gradually remove the shelter specifically for the large-flowered hydrangea.

You need to start removing the shelter when the thaw comes. nonwoven fabric or polyethylene film removed for a while, with the ability to close the bushes again if unexpected frosts come.

The foliage with which the shrub was insulated 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 cultivated trunk circle are removed last. When the earth is all removed, the bushes are unpacked immediately, but after a few days they inspect and, if necessary, trim.

How to cover a hydrangea for the winter in the suburbs

Experienced gardeners are anxiously watching autumn events such as sheltering hydrangeas for the winter. The shrub must first be cut off from damaged shoots. It blooms beautifully, and for a lush spring color, it requires proper care. In the suburbs, gardeners also grow a lot of hydrangea bushes. And many of them are interested in the features 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 was fed in a timely manner, and various microelements were introduced into the soil, will endow you with beauty during the flowering period.

Attention! In autumn, hydrangea bushes should be carefully cleaned of dry flowers, small shoots. Only healthy branches should remain for the winter.

How to cover panicle hydrangea for the winter

The most stable type of hydrangea is paniculate, which is able to overwinter even at thirty-degree frosts. This variety can not be completely closed and not too insulated. You can only close the trunk circle. So the root system will be protected from frost. Therefore, panicle hydrangea for the Moscow region will be an ideal variety, as well as for the entire central strip of Russia.

Work on the shelter of paniculate hydrangea consists of the following works:

1 Pour loose, dry earth 20 cm thick around the bush.
2 The combined shelter will be a 10 cm layer of humus, a layer of foliage alternating with a layer of earth.

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 endures winter, but it is better to close it completely. In the south, the tree-like hydrangea is not closed for the winter. It is simply cleared of overgrowth before winter, or these procedures are done in the spring.

Hydrangea is a moisture-loving plant, but when it rains a lot in autumn, it is better to cover it with something from water. For this, you can sew a kind of roof over a bush from a film or waterproof fabric. This will prevent water from entering the root system.

Important! Excess moisture often contributes to the freezing of the roots, which is most important for regions with a sharply continental climate.

Before covering the bush, tie the branches in several bundles and bend to the ground. Before that, lay spruce branches, branches or something on the ground. Also cover the bush with spruce branches or other improvised material for insulation. The last layer will be a well-fixed polyethylene film.

Annual seedlings need special shelter for the winter:

1 First, the root circle must be covered with dry, loose soil.
2 Next, carefully close the young branches, as they can freeze in severe frosts. Close them with coniferous spruce branches or branches, and then with a 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.

In the spring, it is necessary to remove the insulation not immediately, but with short breaks. Remove one layer every week. At the end, remove the hilled earth around the trunk. Before the beginning of May, it is not worth opening a bush from warming. It must be remembered that frosts often return.

When to cover hydrangea for the winter

It is impossible to give an unequivocal answer to this question, since the shelter time depends on the region in which the hydrangea is grown. There are many varieties of hydrangeas that can easily tolerate frost. Therefore, their protection can be postponed until the time when the air temperature approaches zero.

If you have a large-leaved hydrangea growing in your garden, it is best 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 whimsical plant, but it reacts to the lack of warmth and care of a person. If a flowering shrub is not covered before the winter cold, then next year it will “answer” you with a lack or poor-quality flowering.

If you need a beautiful landscape in the garden, take care of hydrangeas with all care, and in time.