Genus Hydrangea (Hydrangea Hydrangea) includes 35 species. Motherland - Southeast Asia, North and South America. Among the representatives of the genus are mainly deciduous shrubs, with long semi-ampelous shoots, less often small trees. The name from the Greek words "hydor" - water, "aggeion" - a vessel, developed in view of the obvious moisture-loving nature of this plant.
Hydrangea belongs to ornamental flowering shrubs, inflorescences are mostly corymbose, as a rule, they consist of two types of flowers: small fruit-bearing, located in the middle of the inflorescence; marginal - large, barren, from 4-5 petaloid sepals, for the most part snow white, blue or pinkish. The fruit is a capsule with numerous small seeds.
Hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens - in nature grows up to 3 meters tall, forming thick bush with large whole leaves - about 20 cm long, with a serrated edge. It blooms with white flowers without aroma, about 2 cm in diameter, collected in corymbose inflorescences about 15 cm in size. Breeders have bred varieties with double (completely sterile) flowers, inflorescences of which are more than 25 cm in diameter, of a wide variety of shades. This hydrangea easily winters in middle lane Russia, well formed by pruning, including cardinal. It grows very fast.
Hydrangea macrophylla Hydrangea macrophylla is somewhat more modest - in nature it grows up to 2 meters tall, has broadly ovate large leaves (about 15 cm). It is this type of hydrangea that is called garden hydrangea; several dozen varieties can be found on sale. Shield inflorescences up to 20 cm in diameter, there are varieties with extremely spherical large inflorescences up to 30 cm in diameter, sterile white, pink, red or blue flowers each flower up to 7 cm in diameter.
Have large-leaved hydrangea decorative forms with variegated leaves, for example, the Tricolor variety is a white stripe along the edge of the leaves, the leaf plate itself is light green.
Large-leaved hydrangea is more thermophilic than tree-like; in central Russia, winter shelter from frost is required (winter hardiness down to -15C).
Often large-leaved hydrangea is grown as a tub or greenhouse plant (for winter garden). At the same time, the height of the bushes reaches a maximum of one and a half meters in height, more often no more than 1 meter in height. Grows well under artificial light.
Decorate your garden and Hydrangea paniculata Hydrangea paniculata - Oriental beauty originally from South Sakhalin, Japan and China. This is a taller, frost-resistant shrub - about 2.5-3 meters in height, in the wild up to 10 meters, has elliptical leaves up to 15 cm in length with a velvety surface. Inflorescences are dense pyramidal (panicles) up to 30 cm in length. Flowering is long, from mid-summer to mid-autumn.
Hydrangea Bretschneider Hydrangea bretschneideri is a medium-sized shrub with a spreading crown up to 3 meters high, very frost-resistant (homeland - Northern China, adapts in Siberia and the Urals). The stems are reddish, with thin peeling bark on young shoots. The leaves are ovate, fluffy on the reverse side, 10-12 cm long. Inflorescences are umbellate about 15 cm in diameter, with small flowers, which change color from white - at the beginning of flowering, to red at the end of flowering. On the inflorescences, fruits form over time.
Another Far Eastern hydrangea - petiolate hydrangea Hydrangea petiolaris comes from South Sakhalin, Kuril Islands and Japan, is rather an ampelous form - the plant has aerial measles with suckers, which allows the shoots to cling to rocks or tree trunks. Without support, the shoots spread along the ground, forming a ground cover form. As a shrub, this species must be grown, fixing the stems to the support. The leaves are broadly ovate, long-petiolate, smooth, with a finely serrated edge. Inflorescence corymbose, 20-25 cm in diameter. Despite the fact that the petals of the central fertile flowers do not last long, the inflorescences are quite decorative, and the shrub is a real decoration of the walls of houses, arbors and other buildings. Despite the origin, the petiolate hydrangea is less frost-resistant than the previous species; it needs shelter in harsh winters.
Location
AT southern regions Russia, choose light, but protected from afternoon scorching sun place (partially shady). From the eastern, northwestern part of the gazebo, walls of the house or barn.
In the central regions of Russia and the northern regions, choose a place that is drier and more open, warmed by the sun, but keep in mind that hydrangeas do not like prolonged exposure to direct sunlight (south and southwest side). Try not to plant hydrangeas next to other plants, water lilies or large shrubs and trees - there is competition for moisture, the plants will often have to be watered.
soil for hydrangeas
Hydrangea is considered one of the most unpretentious garden shrubs, however, only if it is planted on soil suitable for its needs: nutritious, with a sufficient proportion of humus, containing many draining particles, well-filled with moisture.
If you have an uncultivated piece of land, you need to prepare a mixture of earth in a hole dug for planting, consisting of 2 parts of humus, 2 parts of leafy soil, one part of peat and sand.
If vegetables grew in the same place, under which manure was applied, the humus part must be reduced. Hydrangea does not like dense clay soils- they are moisture-intensive, but dry out for a long time and are poorly supplied with oxygen, such soil must be diluted with peat. Sandy soil is poor in the humus component, and it also needs to be enriched with humus and peat.
You can not plant hydrangeas on alkaline soils, with an acidity pH higher than 6.0, the optimum pH is about 5.0.
Planting hydrangeas
It is best to plant hydrangeas in the spring, when the threat of a return frost has passed. In the southern regions of Russia, you can plant in the fall.
When planning a place for planting hydrangeas, it is necessary to take into account the size of an adult bush, leaving a distance of about 1 meter between plantings.
The size of the dug hole is about 50-60 cm wide and deep. Fill it 20-30 cm with soil, then put a 5 liter bucket (empty) inside and fill around with earth. Tamp down the soil. Now remove the bucket - you will get a neat hole with a diameter of 25-30 cm wide and deep. In it, and place a hydrangea bush or a rooted cutting, without deepening the root collar. Sprinkle the roots with earth, not strongly compacting. Water.
For 3-5 days the earth will settle, after which peat.
How to care for hydrangea
Hydrangeas need to be watered regularly, especially in dry, hot weather. Water for irrigation should be taken soft, better than rain, hard water with a high proportion of hydrangea lime is contraindicated, if this is the water in the well, just save rain water in barrels.
If the weather is rainy, precipitation often falls, you need to loosen the soil around the hydrangeas at least once a week, to a depth of 7-10 cm, in order to improve the aeration of the roots.
In late spring, early summer, fertilize hydrangeas with diluted mullein (ratio 1:10), and two weeks later with complete mineral fertilizer for flowering plants(for example, Fertika Lux), or make fertilizer yourself from 1 tbsp. spoons, 1 teaspoon of potash and 1 teaspoon per 10 liters of water.
In the future, you do not need to fertilize more often than once a month, it is enough to periodically mulch the soil under the bushes with humus or peat.
Hydrangea color change
Many gardeners know that when flowering, hydrangeas easily change color when the acidic composition of the soil changes. So, watering with alum gives the flowers a blue color, for this you need to dissolve 5 g of the product in 1 liter of water. Alum is sold in flower shops or pharmacies. For reference, the composition of alum: heptahydrate of aluminum and potassium salts.
In order for hydrangea flowers to change color, you need to shed them with alum once a week for a month.
If the acidity of the soil is insufficient, then hydrangeas tend to acquire a pink tint, and some varieties simply lose their color - fade and discolor. In acidic peat, the flowers turn purple or blue tint, so you can water the bushes with peat-infused water.
In order, on the contrary, to enhance the intensity of the pink color of hydrangea flowers, you can pour them with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate).
pruning hydrangeas
Hydrangeas form dense lush bushes, and they bloom on the shoots of the current year. Therefore, the more branches a plant has, the more magnificent the flowering will be. Strong pruning should be carried out in the fall, after flowering along with the peduncle (cardinal pruning is acceptable, especially in the case of diseases or pests, when it makes no sense to leave and try to cure diseased branches).
But young hydrangeas that have not yet formed many shoots, for better branching, should be cut in the spring, before the buds open, shortening them by 2-3 buds, no more (otherwise, they are greatly depleted from abundant sap flow).
Very old hydrangea bushes (and they are long-lived plants) are updated with pruning at the root. So the bushes can be preserved for decades, not forgetting to improve the soil under them by introducing humus and mulch (including leaf humus).
Young plants are ready to bloom profusely in the first year after planting. However, abundant flowering can severely deplete hydrangeas. Therefore, it is better to leave no more than 2-3 inflorescences on a bush about 50 cm high, and cut off the rest.
Shelter of hydrangeas for the winter
The most popular hydrangeas in our gardens - tree-like and large-leaved, show good frost resistance. The most popular Annabelle hydrangea winters beautifully in the Moscow region and Leningrad region without additional .
Some varieties of large-leaved hydrangeas of Dutch origin are somewhat more tender, like any young hydrangeas grown from cuttings and cuttings - they must be mulched in the fall with peat, leafy soil, humus or a mixture of humus and sawdust to protect against freezing. Cover the bushes themselves with spruce branches. But do not forget to remove the shelter in the spring to avoid damping out.
In regions with severe winters, it is necessary to additionally cover hydrangeas for the winter with a film or spunbond. With the onset of frosty weather, bend the shoots to the ground, mulch, cover with a film of leaf litter. It is better not to use straw, because. mice love it.
In the spring, after the snow has melted, remove the film cover, tie up the hydrangea shoots in an upright position, but before the onset of warm days (until the threat of return frosts has passed), keep the burlap cover (there is no dampening under it).
Reproduction of hydrangea
Garden hydrangea is easily propagated vegetatively - cuttings and layering of the bush.
For propagation by cuttings, it is necessary to cut off still green branches during flowering from the ends of non-lignified shoots of the growth of the current year. The size of the cuttings is about 15-17 cm. Tear off the lower leaves, dip the tip of the cutting in a root or other root formation stimulator and immerse it in a container filled with a mixture of vermiculite and peat soil for rooting. Better than hydrangeas take root in the conditions high humidity air (in a mini-greenhouse or under the package).
If the cuttings rot, cut fresh ones, and sterilize the rooting substrate by frying on a baking sheet.
Abundant and lush flowering from rooted branches can be expected no earlier than in 4-5 years.
Large-leaved hydrangea is often grown as home plant, therefore, it can also be propagated before winter - by separating small layering from the mother bush and planting it in a regular flower pot. Contain garden hydrangea in a pot in winter period you need it in the coldest place - on an unglazed balcony before frost, or on a cold window sill with an ajar frame or window, where the temperature is not higher than 15 ° C, although the optimal wintering of hydrangeas at home occurs at a temperature of + 2-7 ° C.
The composition of the soil in a pot for hydrangeas: 2 parts of soddy land, 2 parts of peat, 1 part of coarse-grained river sand or fine gravel.
Sometimes flower growers call hydrangea a chameleon, because the color scheme flowering shrubs easily changes depending on the pH level of the soil. Having acquired a new instance, one should not rush to experiment. The seedling should be planted in the soil of the optimal composition. After waiting for the first flowering, you can make adjustments to the pH of the earth mixture.
It should be mentioned that flower growers successfully grow hydrangeas both in gardens and in rooms. The rules for planting, growing and caring for indoor and garden shrubs are somewhat different.
What kind of soil do garden hydrangeas need?
Hydrangea can easily cope with the role of the queen of the garden, if you put some effort into planting the seedling. There is an opinion that an ornamental shrub does not show high demands to agricultural technology and care. However, the plant gratefully responds to the correct composition of the soil, delighting with abundant flowering.
Hydrangea soil must meet certain requirements according to the criteria:
- Mineral composition;
- aeration level;
- Water permeability;
- acidity level.
Mineral composition
The soil mixture for planting hydrangeas should be prepared long before planting the seedling. Having decided on the landing site, they dig a landing hole. On heavy soils, a hole is dug a little deeper than necessary for arranging the drainage layer. Large gravel, broken shards are perfect as drainage. The drainage layer will not allow water to stagnate.
Separately prepare an earthen mixture for backfilling planting pits. A nutrient substrate is obtained by mixing an equal amount of black soil, leafy, soddy soil, coarse sand, humus and peat. As a top dressing, rotted manure or superphosphate is added. The resulting earth mixture is poured into planting pits for two to three months for the complete synthesis of mineral and organic components.
Soil aeration for hydrangeas
Coarse sand added to the substrate improves soil ventilation. Additionally, the agricultural technology of hydrangeas includes loosening the earth, mulching to eliminate oxygen starvation of the root system.
Great importance for successful cultivation ornamental shrub has soil permeability.
Hydrangeas do not tolerate heavy loamy soil, which retains moisture for a long time and is prone to waterlogging. Also, the culture does not take root in sandy areas due to the low content nutrients.
The water permeability of the planting substrate is maintained due to the content of peat and sand. These components allow water not to linger in the upper layers, it is easy to penetrate deep into, reaching the roots. It is recommended to loosen the surface layer after each watering of the hydrangea.
Acidity level
Hydrangeas prefer medium to slightly acidic soil.
The most acceptable pH level is 5.5. It is strictly forbidden to lime the soil. The acidity of the soil will gradually decrease in the process of absorption of nutrients by the root system, which is a natural process. 
Organic and mineral fertilizers acidify the soil. Ammonium sulfate, urea, saltpeter, inkstone excellently raise the pH of the substrate.
If necessary, additional acidification can be carried out by adding ten grams of any food acid to ten liters of water.
Hydrangea itself informs the gardener about the change in the acidity of the nutrient medium.
The plant, like a litmus strip, changes the color of the spherical inflorescences depending on the level of acidity.
Instances growing on acidic soil bloom in blue, purple and blue. While in the alkaline area, the bush pleases the eye with clusters pink flowers. White flowering brushes are characteristic of hydrangeas growing in soil with a neutral reaction.
Experienced gardeners use unique property plants for experiments. The soil is acidified on one side of the hydrangea bush, while alkalizing on the other to get brushes of different colors on one copy.
Substrate preparation for room hydrangea
Flower growers who do not have summer cottages successfully grow indoor hydrangea. flowering bush serves wonderful decoration spacious room or balcony. indoor hydrangea requires a slightly different composition of the substrate than a horticultural crop.
The optimal soil mix for a home specimen is prepared by mixing equal amounts of the following ingredients:
- Leaf land;
- rotted humus;
- Peat crumb;
- Coarse sand;
- Pine needles.
Indoor hydrangea also loves slightly acidic soil, so be sure to add peat and pine needles. The sand must first be calcined in the oven or placed in the microwave for a few minutes.
When choosing a planting capacity, it should be remembered that the flowerpot should be rather wide than high. Indoor specimens form spreading low bushes. Wide floor decorative flowerpots are perfect for planting room hydrangea.
Pay special attention to the drainage layer and drainage holes on the bottom of the pot. Small pebbles, small pieces of polystyrene, broken shards are used as a drainage mixture. broken brick and expanded clay accumulate moisture and are not suitable for planting hydrangeas. The topsoil must be loosened and mulched to maintain an optimal level of aeration for the root system.
Indoor hydrangea is also sensitive to the level of soil acidity and responds to experiments with obtaining multi-colored spherical inflorescences. Alum, ferrous sulfate, mineral additives are used as an oxidizing agent.
In autumn, the plant stops flowering and prepares for winter rest.
The last top dressing is carried out in early to mid-September, after which watering is gradually reduced. The rest period begins in November and lasts until February. For this period, the flowerpot is transferred to a cool, lit room, while maintaining moderate watering. The first fertilization is carried out in early to mid-February to awaken the hydrangea.
Why hydrangeas do not take root
Despite the general unpretentiousness of decorative flowering shrubs, sometimes flower growers fail. Checking the substrate for acidity will help eliminate the cause of stopping the growing season. Hydrangeas, both garden and indoor, react extremely negatively to alkaline soils, high lime content, and a lack of iron.
Not all types of hydrangea form flower stalks on the shoots of last year. Inexperienced flower growers often show irrepressible enthusiasm when pruning shrubs, depriving the plant of flowering shoots. Hydrangea pruning is recommended in early spring until the kidneys awaken. Top dressing is stopped in September, and watering is kept in the same mode until early October, depending on weather and climatic conditions.
Instruction
Hydrangea is recommended to be transplanted annually for better flowering, each time replacing the soil in the pot. It should be fertile, not sandy, and the pot should have good drainage. This flower prefers acidic soils to all others and will not grow in alkaline soils. On poor, sandy soils, growth will slow down and flowering will most likely not occur. For indoor hydrangeas, a wide pot of small depth is chosen, since root system hydrangeas are fibrous and superficial. You will need to transplant the plant immediately if you purchase it in a store. Hydrangea is very often affected by a mealybug, and it is necessary to exclude the fact of its presence by reviewing the roots immediately after buying the plant. A special soil for azaleas is suitable for transplanting, and expanded clay balls should be used as a drainage layer.
A planned transplant is carried out in early spring, until the period of active growth begins. Before transplanting, choose a suitable pot, 1-2 cm larger than the previous one, and dry the soil of the transplanted hydrangea for 3-4 days. Then on the work surface, wide window sill, a table or directly on the floor spread newspapers, polyethylene or paper, in order to subsequently easily collect all the spilled land. The pot with the plant is placed in the center of the place prepared for transplantation and the hydrangea is carefully taken by the base of the trunk. At the same time, the pot is tilted, removing the plant along with a clod of earth. If for some reason the hydrangea remains in the pot, you need to separate the earth from its walls. To do this, the pot is placed on its side and lightly tapping on the side walls helps to extract the plant. You can use a thin ruler or knife for this, carefully inserting them between the earthen lump and the edge of the pot and drawing in a circle.
After removing the hydrangea from the old pot, you can not shake the earth from its roots. If the hydrangea is bought in a store and the roots need to be checked, it is placed in a basin of water and very carefully washed off the ground from the root system. During a planned transplant of hydrangea, it is transferred to a new pot along with a clod of earth from the old one, unless the dry earth has crumbled itself. A drainage layer at least 3 cm thick is laid at the bottom of the new pot, and a layer of chopped sphagnum or neutral peat is sometimes placed on it. Soil is poured onto peat with a layer of about 1 cm and an earthen lump with hydrangea is placed in the center. After that, holding the flower at the base of the stem, you can add soil to right level. At the same time, you should not deepen the hydrangea more than before, because of this its stem may rot. In no case should the earth be tamped after planting, this can damage the roots of the flower. Hydrangea is sprayed and placed in a permanent place, starting from the next day, water a little.
Sources:
- Indoor hydrangea - care, reproduction, transplant
Hydrangeas need to be repotted every year, best time for this it is considered early spring. Adult bushes are prepared for transplanting in the fall, they are tied with a rope, then a trench is dug around them and filled with compost.
Instruction
If you properly prepare for transplantation, the plant will transfer it painlessly and quickly take root. First, you need to tie the branches with a rope so that they do not interfere. After that, outside the root system, an annular trench should be dug, in length and width it should be equal to the bayonet of a shovel.
The trench needs to be filled with compost and moistened. After this procedure, the hydrangea will take new roots in the compost. Before transplanting, the plant must be dug along the outer edge of the trench, and then the bush should be removed, being careful not to damage the young roots.
For hydrangeas with pink, red or white flowers, soil with low acidity is suitable, for blue varieties it is better to prepare a high-acid one. If the land on the site is not acidic enough, before transplanting it is necessary to add brown peat, sawdust or coniferous soil, it is best to use semi-rotted spruce and pine litter. Lime, chalk, ash and other deoxidizers are contraindicated for all varieties of hydrangeas.
If the land into which you are going to transplant the plant is heavy clay or loamy, it is first dug up, after which a bucket of peat is added, river sand and bedding softwood. You should also add one tablespoon of potassium sulfate and superphosphate.
decorative perennial grows as a bush, and sometimes in the form of a tree that adorns borders, lawns, houses. Has flowers of two types: small fruiting? located in the middle of the inflorescence, and large marginal - barren. The first years after planting, the plant is low in stature and other undersized flowers can be planted on it.
Place and soil
The place and soil for planting hydrangeas should be very high in humus, loose and permeable. Mandatory compliance with pH, it must be within 5.5. It is quite easy to control the pH of the soil; with a slight deviation, hydrangea flowers change their color. With increased acidity of the soil, the flowers turn blue, and if the level deviates to the alkaline side, the flowers have a pink color. How to determine and adjust the acidity of the soil, you can read the link.
For good growth plants and flowering requires partial shade, but in no case direct sunlight. Since the soil on them dries out very quickly, and the flowers themselves become much smaller. It is not recommended to plant hydrangea under trees and shrubs, as the root system will not have enough moisture.
Planting hydrangeas
You can plant hydrangea in the fall only if the seedlings have a good root system. Otherwise better fit practice in the spring. Before planting, it is recommended to add a sufficient amount of sand, needles, and ash to the soil. It is also necessary to install drainage system. The depth of the pit for planting should be at least half a meter, this is in order to protect the root system from damage. When filling the pit, sawdust must be added to the soil, they will help maintain soil moisture.
soil fertilization. Before planting, it is necessary to introduce organic and complex fertilizers in sufficient quantities. mineral fertilizers mineral fertilizers. In the spring, additionally add urea to the soil. Be sure to moderate the introduction of manure. Since with its overabundance there will be very large inflorescences that can break off branches.
Dissolve 8-10 gr. ammonia-potassium or potassium alum in 2 liters of water. This solution is enough to feed one bush. Also for coloring hydrangea flowers in blue color you can use a bluing agent, which is sold in flower shops.
It is better to immediately forget about feeding hydrangeas with ashes. In addition to alum and iron salts, mineral fertilizers are suitable for heather crops, rhododendrons and azaleas.
In the first year of planting large-leaved hydrangea in the ground, the plant can be watered with a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate. This measure will prevent damage to the bases of the shoots by rot. Also for this purpose, you can use fungicides, for example, Fitosporin.
When caring for a hydrangea, it must be remembered that the plant responds well to all top dressing. In the spring, at the beginning of growth, the Riga mixture with microelements is added or per 1 sq. m give 20 - 25 g of urea, 30 - 40 g of superphosphate and 30 -35 g potassium sulfate. During the budding period, a second top dressing is done at the rate of 60 - 80 g of superphosphate and 40 - 45 g of potassium sulfate per 1 sq. m; the third and fourth top dressing - in the summer. Hydrangeas are moisture-loving: 15-20 liters for each plant are given once a week, when it rains, 1 time per month is enough. To enhance the strength of the shoots of the plant, it is recommended to water it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
When caring for hydrangeas, it should be noted that it is advisable to mulch the soil with peat or sawdust with a layer of 6 cm and leave them for the summer, raking them from the stems of the plant. Loosening to a depth of 5 - b cm is carried out together with weeding and watering 2-3 times per season.
There are two ways to artificially turn hydrangea flowers from white to blue. First, aluminum sulfate is poured around the roots. The second - the bush is watered with a special bluing agent, which can be bought at a gardening store.
Pit. It should be of sufficient size so that the root system is not damaged during planting. For a seedling that is about 5 years old, the depth should reach up to 40 cm, and the width should be at least 50 cm.
Creating a hedge. If you are creating hedge, then the distance between the seedlings themselves should be about one meter. After a few years, it is necessary to prune the plant and thin it out.
planting season. It doesn't really matter if your area doesn't have harsh winters. Otherwise, transplanting is best done in the spring.
spring planting. Has its own characteristics. First of all, you need to remove annual shoots(leaving only a few buds), then shorten the roots of the seedlings. Mandatory abundant watering after planting and mulching the soil with peat.
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