Hydrangea paniculata.

The owners of gardens and summer cottages have long gone beyond the cultivation of vegetable and berry crops alone. Flower beds, flower beds, lawns and other elements of landscape and garden design are confidently gaining more and more areas of our sites. The undisputed favorite among the ornamental plants that adorn our gardens is the hydrangea. This flowering shrub will fall in love with you the first time. The variety of varieties of hydrangeas and the method of planting these amazing flowers will be discussed in this article.

Description of the plant.

For those who have not seen this plant with their own eyes, its name, for sure, evokes associations with a small, graceful flower. It is easy to imagine their surprise when, freezing in front of a powerful bush, they simply cannot take their eyes off the huge lush inflorescences, strewn with many flowers.

The height of this ornamental shrub, cultivated by breeders, is 1-1.5 meters. In nature, by the way, the height of the bush can reach 3 meters, and the plant can also develop in the form of a small tree or lianas climbing tall trees for many tens of meters. In nature, hydrangeas are found in South and East Asia, South and North America. However, those that grow in Japan and China are especially diverse.

Such a vast geography of the habitats of hydrangeas testifies to the unpretentiousness of these plants to external conditions, and caring for them is not particularly difficult. It is for this reason that hydrangea is popular not only among experienced gardeners, but also among beginners.

Most of all, panicle hydrangea is suitable for planting in a summer cottage. The shrub grows quite quickly, and the paniculate inflorescences become more luxuriant and more elegant every year. During the period of active flowering, the diameter of one inflorescence can exceed 30 cm. In addition, the bush tolerates pruning well, which landscape designers actively use, giving the plant a shape that corresponds to the concept of the project.

Today, there are several dozen varieties of panicle hydrangea, although just a few years ago their number did not exceed five.

And when hydrangeas were first brought to Europe in the XIV century, to decorate the gardens of the English and French nobility, only two species of this plant were known.

Popular varieties of hydrangeas.

Breeders are constantly working on the development of new species and varieties of hydrangea, more and more expanding the palette of colors. New items appear almost every year, some of which, however, are still classified as experimental developments. However, on the sites of our gardeners, you can already see many varieties of hydrangea. Let's dwell on several already proven varieties that have earned a positive assessment.

Hydrangea called Bobo - the result of the work of Belgian biologists. Many gardeners are grateful to them, first of all, for the small size of the bush. The maximum plant height does not exceed 71 cm. After all, it is somewhat easier to allocate a site for such a bush than to provide suitable conditions for a shrub twice as large. In addition, this variety is early and the first flowers can be seen as early as May.

Hydrangea Rennie, known by another name - Vanilla Fries. This hydrangea grows up to one and a half, two meters. The variety is distinguished by large and dense inflorescences with a pyramidal shape. The shrub is very attractive for its colors. The inflorescences are painted in two colors - white at the crown and pink closer to the base. And by the end of the season, they acquire a rich pink color.

Variety Weems Red are among the most striking and decorative.Throughout the entire flowering period, the color of the inflorescences changes twice, first, turning from white to red, and then, to a burgundy color. Also, the hydrangea of ​​this variety tolerates low negative temperatures well, therefore, the shrub can be grown in regions with cold winters. However, in this case, it is still better for the plant to provide shelter.

Hydrangea Grandiflora it is characterized by late flowering, therefore it is more suitable for areas with warm autumn. The bush grows up to 2 meters in height, with a dense and rounded crown. At the beginning of flowering, the bush is painted in cream tones, and in the most active phase, the flowers become snow-white. Withering inflorescences acquire a noticeable pink color.

Shrub varieties Diamond Rouge rather spreading, no more than one and a half meters high. It blooms for almost the entire season, from June to October. During the flowering period, the color of the inflorescences changes from white to bright pink, and the foliage, with the arrival of autumn, acquires an orange color.

Hydrangea Little Lime belongs to the number of dwarf hydrangeas, its height does not exceed 70 cm, the crown diameter reaches one and a half meters. Inflorescences are light green or pale salad color. Closer to autumn, the color of the flowers becomes pink-green.

Variety Pinky Winky differs in the structure of inflorescences, they are not as dense as in most other varieties. Airy, they seem to be hovering over a bush. The inflorescences are painted in two colors - white at the tops and, almost purple, closer to the base. In Belgium, where the variety was bred, it is considered one of the best. Read more about this amazing variety here.

Bush Pink Diamond - this is a real giant among hydrangeas. The average height of the bush is 2 meters. Hydrangea of ​​this variety is planted in a fairly large area, and park areas. The color of the inflorescences practically does not differ from the previous variety.

Hydrangea Sunday Fries for a very long time and is well known to our gardeners. This shrub is quite compact, no more than one meter high and a crown diameter of 1-1.2 meters. By the way, in color and shape of inflorescences, this variety is very similar to Vanilla Fries hydrangea, only slightly smaller in size. In addition, the Sunday Fries have a longer flowering period, from June to October.

Variety Silver dollar is distinguished by a spreading crown up to one and a half meters high. Inflorescences are dense, pyramidal in shape. The inflorescence is almost completely white, only the top has a pale yellow or greenish tint.

Finally, hydrangea Phantom... It is a tall shrub, reaching 2.5 meters. The spreading crown with very large white inflorescences leaves an extraordinary impression. True, you can not enjoy this "powerful beauty" for a long time, since the period of its flowering lasts only from August to October.

Despite all the variety of varieties and species, the rules for planting and caring for these plants almost do not differ, and also do not require special knowledge. Therefore, even not too experienced, novice gardeners can grow hydrangeas.

Planting hydrangeas and caring for bushes.

Planting hydrangeas can be done both in spring and autumn. If you plant a shrub in the spring, then the plant will take root faster and have time to get stronger before the onset of cold weather. In the fall, experts recommend not taking risks and planting frost-resistant varieties. It is not worth delaying too much with the autumn planting in order to enable the plant to adapt and prepare for the winter period. Regardless of when the hydrangea was planted, young plants are advised to cover for the winter.

When choosing a place for planting hydrangeas, it is important to remember that the degree of illumination of the site affects the decorative effect of the shrub, which, in fact, attracts more and more gardeners and summer residents.Many varieties grow well in small partial shade, however, this should not be abused, since a lack of lighting will negatively affect the size of the inflorescences, the intensity of the color and the duration of flowering.

Hydrangea grows well and develops in soil with a low acidity level, loose and moisture-absorbing, but not sandy.

When planting or transplanting a shrub, you must ensure that a certain sequence of actions is followed and be prepared for the fact that this process will take you a couple of days.

The length, width and depth of the planting hole should be at least 50 cm.For hydrangeas, the height of which, based on the characteristics of the variety, will exceed one and a half meters, the size of the planting hole should be at least 80 cm, since the root system of such shrubs is more developed and powerful.

After the hole is dug, at least 3 buckets of water are poured into it and left until morning so that the earth absorbs all the moisture.

It is better to prepare the soil mixture in advance, since it contains many components and some of them may simply not be at hand.

In one container, you should mix one part of fertile soil and peat, in the other - sand and humus, in the same proportions. Then, you need to take two parts of the first composition and mix with one part of the second composition.

Further, fertilizers are applied to a well-mixed soil mixture. As a rule, being determined with the amount of fertilizers and their composition, they are guided by the characteristics of the variety. However, fertilization with such fertilizers as urea, potassium sulfate and superphosphoric acid is necessary for plants in any case. So, for example, urea is the most concentrated nitrogen fertilizer. The nitrogen content in the substance is about 50%. This important macronutrient contributes to proper plant nutrition, without which its normal growth and development is impossible. Potassium sulfate regulates the acid-base balance in the soil and helps plants resist various infections. This is very important for young seedlings. And superphosphate, especially introduced into the soil in autumn, will help plants adapt to the onset of cold weather.

After adding the necessary fertilizers to the soil mixture, it is poured into the planting pit. Then, a seedling is planted, the hole is filled with earth to the top and watering is carried out.

If you have to transplant a hydrangea, for example, due to an incorrectly chosen location or future development of the site, then you must follow the same recommendations. Transplanted shrubs, as well as only planted hydrangeas, should be covered for the winter.

Shrub care is necessary. Hydrangea, of course, can grow without it, however, in this case, it will significantly lose its decorative effect.

It should be noted that caring for a hydrangea is very simple, you just need to ensure the optimal level of soil moisture, make additional fertilizing and prune the bush.

Watering is very important for young plants, it will help the root system develop faster and, as a result, the seedling will take root more easily. In hot weather, the bush is watered once a week, but, quite abundantly, at the rate of at least 3 buckets per bush.

It is important to remember that the soil in the trunk circle must be moist. To keep the soil moist for as long as possible after watering, many gardeners resort to mulching the soil using sawdust or small pieces of bark.

Hydrangea is fed only four times in the entire season. The first feeding is applied when inflorescences begin to appear on the bush. At this stage, it is recommended to use organic fertilizers. Further, after the formation of buds and before flowering, the shrub is fed with a complex of mineral fertilizers containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. The third feeding is carried out when the shrub is already actively blooming. You can maintain the same mineral fertilizers by reducing only the amount of nitrogen-containing substances. Fertilization during this period will significantly increase the intensity and duration of hydrangea flowering.And the last time feeding is carried out in the fall, when preparing the shrub for winter. For these purposes, they use complex fertilizers designed specifically for hydrangeas, which can be easily found in any specialized store.

For the lush flowering of hydrangeas, pruning the shrub is important, otherwise, the inflorescences will begin to shrink, and the bush will no longer look so attractive.

Autumn pruning is more aimed at rejuvenating the bush. Old shoots are cut, leaving no more than 5 cm stumps in their place. Before spring pruning, the bush should be carefully examined, identify 6-10 strongest branches and shorten them, leaving only 3-6 buds on each. Such pruning will allow you to direct most of the nutrients for the formation and growth of new shoots that will bloom in the summer.

Many gardeners are wondering about the need to shelter hydrangeas for the winter. Despite the fact that the bush winters well, experts, nevertheless, are advised to cover the hydrangea. There is no particular need to use a covering material. The only exceptions are young plants planted in autumn. It is important for adult bushes to protect the root system, and it is not necessary to cover the crown. Peat, humus, coniferous litter, tree bark are used to cover the roots. It is important that the thickness of such a layer is at least 20-25 cm.

If, taking into account the forecasts for the winter, you nevertheless decided to cover the entire bush, then it is most convenient to do this by building a frame around the bush, on top of which you can already stretch the covering material. Such a frame will not allow the snow to break the branches, and the coating will create a kind of greenhouse.

By the way, if you want to plant hydrangeas in several corners of the garden, it is not necessary to buy new seedlings. Hydrangea, quite, it is possible multiply independently, for example, by cuttings. For this, the cut branches are placed in water for two, three days. Then, from above and below, oblique cuts are made, leaving at least three internodes between them. Further, the resulting cuttings are planted in pots, deepening by about two-thirds and left in the house, where they will grow until next spring. In the new season, with the establishment of warm weather, the grown plants can be planted in a permanent place. About a month before planting, it is advised to start hardening the seedlings, leaving them on an open veranda for several hours.

Panicle hydrangea is one of the most beautiful ornamental shrubs, which does not require special care, following the simple recommendations given by us, to ensure its lush flowering, which will decorate your garden for a long time.