Hydrangea Anabel

In order to beautifully decorate your personal plot, I really want to plant something exquisite and beautiful, some kind of charming plant. And it would also be a big plus for the sufficient unpretentiousness and not capriciousness of this plant. So many gardeners see this wonderful combination of all the qualities in hydrangeas. And in the opinion of many, the best variety for beginners, and in general, will be the tree hydrangea Anabel. It is just noted by the simplicity of sufficient care and minimal effort and cost. And in the end, your eyes are delighted with marvelous and excellent flowers that inspire you and convey a sense of calm and happiness. In this article, we will take a closer look at this hydrangea variety, as well as all the nuances associated with its cultivation and care.

Hydrangea Anabel: variety description and characteristics

Treelike hydrangea Anabel: flower photo

The hydrangea variety Anabel is characterized as a dome-shaped deciduous shrub. The maximum height reaches half a meter, the diameter of the crown is about the same as the height, although with age the width of this bush can approach the mark of three meters. The foliage of this bush is rather dense and has the shape of an oval. The color of the leaves is dark green. Also, the foliage is quite large, about 20 centimeters long, and with a sharpness at the ends. The edges of these leaves are irregular. And they do not lose their color until the onset of cold weather. The buds of the Anabel hydrangea bush begin to open in the middle of summer and fascinate with their marvelous beauty until October. The flowers are collected in rather large spherical inflorescences, in some cases up to 25 centimeters in diameter. And the flowers consist of four petals, which are collected in inflorescences with a circumference of two centimeters. At the very beginning of the flowering period, the flowers have a pale green hue, and after a certain time they change their color to ash white. The development of the bush occurs quite quickly, in one year it can grow by 20 centimeters. In general, the Anabel tree hydrangea can live up to 50 years.

Hydrangea Anabel: planting varieties

Treelike hydrangea Anabel: flower photo

The best time of the year for planting Anabel hydrangeas is spring. Although this can be done in the fall, but then you will have to leave time with a margin so that the bush can adapt and take root in a new place before the first frosts. This plant is very bad for transplants, so the site for planting is selected in advance. For such a plant with rather delicate inflorescences, an open enough space under the hot and scorching sun is not at all suitable, the flowers may suffer from this. The same effect will be from a sufficiently shaded area, where there will be a lack of light. Therefore, choose a landing site with small and light partial shade. A gentle light will be just the perfect option for the abundant and beautiful flowering of this variety. The bush of this variety is good for water, so plant it away from other large plants that can take all the moisture.

The basic scheme of planting tree hydrangea Anabel:

• Be sure to pre-disinfect the root system of the plant, for this, soak them for a short period in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
• Prepare a hole in advance for planting, approximately 40 by 40 centimeters in size, and the depth should be approximately half a meter.
• With insufficiently fertile soil, a special soil mixture is prepared in advance, consisting of humus, peat and fine river sand, all in equal quantities.
• The roots of the plant are evenly spread out in the hole and sprinkled with soil, while leaving the root collar on the surface. Further, the soil near the plant is slightly compacted.
• After planting, the bush is abundantly watered and the plant's trunk circle is mulched, so that the soil does not dry out.
• If it is necessary to plant several plants at once, a distance of e less than 50 centimeters and up to two meters is left between them, taking into account the growth of bushes in the future.
• It is definitely not allowed to fertilize the soil under the bush with lime or wood ash, as this can lead to an alkaline reaction, and the bush of this variety categorically does not tolerate this.

Hydrangea Anabel: variety care

Treelike hydrangea Anabel: flower photo

Finding and choosing the perfect place for planting Anabel hydrangeas is of course very important, but the subsequent care of the cousse is an important task for the gardener. This variety is considered quite unpretentious, but there are still some requirements for its care. If you follow simple rules, you can achieve excellent results, while making excellent compositions from flower beds or group plantings, as well as embody other fantasies and preferences.

The most important conditions in caring for Anabel hydrangea are properly pruned and fertilized. Although it is worth noting that even without performing these procedures, this plant will bloom beautifully and develop well enough, just its appearance will not be so well-groomed and decorative. Experienced gardeners, when using this bush on their site, use a little trick, because of which the inflorescences of this variety begin to be painted in various shades of color. To obtain this effect, the acidity of the soil simply changes. Although this method will not work for the Anabel tree hydrangea, a short-term effect is still possible. To do this, some dyes are added to the water for irrigating the plant. In addition, some people manage to achieve several shades at once on one plant, it looks very amazing and beautiful.

There are not many problems with the wintering of this bush, since these plants can safely tolerate the air temperature even -40 degrees. Young growth may suffer much more in case of frosts from -20 degrees and below.

The Anabel tree hydrangea variety is rather undemanding to care, this also applies to the irrigation procedure. The plant can withstand dry periods quite calmly. But the watering procedure for this bush should still be carried out periodically, otherwise the foliage of the plant may begin to fade. This is especially true for young shrubs, since during their active growth they require a regular irrigation system.
As mentioned earlier, even without watering and fertilizing, this plant will not stop growing and delight you with its flowering, but the flowers will be the least lush and large, their size will be quite smaller than possible. For the entire growing season, several fertilizing procedures should be carried out:

• The first is spring feeding, which should be carried out before the growing season. At this time, potash, phosphorus and nitrogen complex fertilizers are applied, which contribute to the best growth and development of the shrub. After this procedure, mulching is done around the trunk of the plant.
• The second top dressing is applied during the budding period and consists of potassium-phosphorus components.
• In addition, the plant is sprayed twice with a weak solution of manganese. This will help strengthen the stems of the plant.And for this plant, this is a fairly good and necessary procedure, since heavy inflorescences often pull branches down to the ground. Some farmers try to tie up the stems of the plant, but then this shrub greatly reduces its decorative appearance.

Hydrangea Anabel: pruning varieties

The main care for the Anabel hydrangea variety is most often in the pruning procedure. And it is here that it is worth trying, because an incorrectly performed pruning procedure can damage the plant and deprive it of its decorative advantages. At a young age, these shrubs do not need this procedure. They begin to carry it out only when the plant reaches the age of four years. Pruning is carried out in the spring, early enough. The branches should be cut about 15 centimeters from the end of the branch. And an adult plant is allowed to shorten the branches by one third. If you do not do such a pruning to the plant, then after a certain amount of time the flowers will begin to lose their size and splendor.

Preparation for wintering

As it was written above, the Anabel tree hydrangea variety is quite resistant to low air temperatures. Although at a young age, the plant needs to be pruned for the winter. Before the onset of cold weather, it is worth removing dried stems and old leaves. Afterwards, the mulching procedure is carried out with a rather thick layer of needles or sawdust. The branches should be bent to the ground and the shelter should be made with a special material.

Diseases and pests of hydrangea Anabel

The hydrangea variety Anabel is considered a rather unpretentious crop, but sometimes it is also infected with certain diseases. Often this is chlorosis and powdery mildew. If the soil during planting is quite alkaline, then the formation of chlorosis is quite possible. This is manifested by the lightest color of the foliage: they lose their bright shade and only the veins remain the most saturated color. If you do not notice this in time and do not start treatment, then the plant may simply die. To prevent this misfortune, timely prevention is carried out. This is done with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Powdery mildew appears as yellow spots on the leaves. After a while, the spots darken and the foliage dries out. Sometimes there is an attack of a spider mite on a plant, which makes itself felt by the presence of a very thin cobweb on the leaves.

Hydrangea Anabel reproduction

Treelike hydrangea Anabel: flower photo

To propagate hydrangea Anabel, it is not at all necessary to buy specially designed seedlings in a specialized store. It will be quite enough just to propagate the plant, for this you can take this material from another gardener. The plant has the ability to take root quite quickly and well, so there will be no problems with this. Reproduction methods do not differ from standard methods, these are: rooting of cuttings, division of roots and cuttings.

There is some risk when using the method of dividing the plant. Without special skills, we do not recommend carrying out such a procedure. The shrub can grow quite strongly with age and it will be likely to damage the main part of the shrub. The bush may simply die from this interference. The remaining methods should not cause certain difficulties even for a beginner in this business.

Cutting is carried out according to the following scheme:

• Cuttings are prepared in advance from young stems; for this, the upper part is cut off by 12-15 centimeters. The best time for such a procedure is the very beginning of spring, even before the growing season.
• In order for the cuttings to germinate, they should be placed in a jar filled with water for about two weeks, until the roots appear. Rooting of the plant can also be carried out in the soil.
• The temperature in the room at this time should be kept at about 22-25 degrees.
• The soil should be sufficiently moist, and regularly.
• Seedlings that have successfully rooted are grown for another two years, and after that they can be planted on flower beds and lawns.

The reproduction procedure using layering is considered even easier:

• In the spring, when buds are formed, the lowest and strongest enough branch is pressed against the soil.
• Next, attach in the center with a bracket.
• The area to be fixed is covered with soil.
• The soil should be regularly moistened.
• After one year after the formation of a new seedling, it is separated from the main bush and planted in a garden bed or flower bed.

Conclusion

Tree hydrangea Anabel: flower video

The Anabel tree hydrangea variety is not capable of causing great difficulties, even in growing, even in caring for it. And at the same time it will delight and delight with its stunning, romantic and magnificent appearance, and for very many years.