Bush hydrangea: description, planting, care and reproduction

A plant such as bush hydrangea is well suited for decorating areas near private houses, as well as for creating a special atmosphere in various public gardens and parks. This plant is presented in various forms, but not all gardening lovers know exactly how to plant, care and propagate hydrangeas. All these and other nuances of keeping such a representative of the flora on the site will be discussed in detail in this article.

Bush hydrangea is subdivided into 3 varieties, such as paniculate, treelike and large-leaved. Each of the shrub varieties has a number of unique characteristics.

Panicle hydrangea is a very popular plant for decoration. Its height ranges from 3 to 3.5 m, but there are also semi-shrubs that do not exceed 1 m in growth. The shoots of such a hydrangea grow straight, and can also have a branchy structure. The shape of the leaves of the shrub is oval and the color is dark green.

The flowering period of such a hydrangea begins in mid-June and ends at the end of October. The plant has a lot of flowers, while their shade can change over time, becoming brighter and more saturated. Popular varieties of panicle hydrangea include Silver Dollar, Vanille Fraise, Pink Daymond.

The tree-like hydrangea variety looks no less attractive. The size of the bush reaches 3 m, while the growth rate is from 20 to 25 cm per year. The shoots grow straight, the leaves on them are dark green, oval-shaped and long petioles. This species is distinguished by a long flowering period, which ends in late autumn. The shade of the flowers is usually cream or white, and the inflorescences themselves are round in shape.

Important advantages of this perennial plant are its resistance to frost, as well as its general ease of maintenance. Among the varieties of hydrangea tree, especially popular are "White Anna", "Annabel", "Invincibel Spirit", "Grandflora".

Another street decoration is perennial bushes such as large-leaved hydrangea. Shrubs that are three meters in the wild grow in a garden about 2 m high, and even smaller varieties of the large-leaved type reach only 80 cm.As the name implies, large leaf plates are a characteristic feature of such bushes with strong crowns. Also, the shrub is classified as deciduous.

As for flowering, it is for this species that a very wide variety of flowers is characteristic. In many ways, the shade is influenced by the soil composition in which the hydrangea grows. If you want a more intense tone of the inflorescences, then the soil should be made more acidic, and the bushes growing in a neutral soil environment will have flowers in pastel shades. The shape of the inflorescences is either hemispherical or umbellate. At the same time, the flowers grow quite large.

The process of planting hydrangeas for a summer residence is a very important procedure, which is carried out in two stages. At the first stage, it is necessary to prepare and grow the seeds of the bush at home, and at the second, to plant young plants in the garden. It is important to strictly follow a certain algorithm in these processes.

• At the end of autumn or the beginning of winter, the seeds must be placed in plastic containers, the depth of which is at least 15 cm.The soil mixture consists of the following components, taken in certain proportions: 2 parts of sod land, humus and leafy land, as well as one part of peat and sand.
• After the soil is moistened and leveled in the container, you need to sow the seeds. They do not need to be powdered, but the container should be covered with glass or foil, and then placed in a place where the temperature is about 20 degrees Celsius.
• For 4-5 weeks, until the seeds have germinated, the container should be aired daily and sprayed as needed.
• As soon as a pair of cotyledon leaves is formed, it is necessary to transplant into another container, where the seedlings should be located at a distance of 3 to 4 cm from each other. Further, do not forget to moisten the soil composition in time.
• Plant the seedlings in small pots at the end of May. After a while, you can take them out into the air during the day, without placing them in open sunlight. And in the evening, take the pots back to the room.

Ideally, the planting of hydrangeas in the ground is carried out after 3 years. This period helps the bushes to gain leaf mass and strengthen the root system (taking into account the timely application of fertilizers, as well as cutting the buds).

Before planting a bush, which is carried out in late spring, it is necessary to prepare a hole in which the hydrangea will grow. Its diameter should be greater than its depth, since the root system has a surface structure. For medium-sized seedlings, the optimal pit parameter will be a depth of 40 cm and a diameter of 60 cm.

The made hole must be well moistened, and a day later, after the water is absorbed, a third of the depression is filled with an earthen nutrient mixture, which includes humus, sand, garden soil and peat. In case of stagnation of water, 10 cm of the drainage layer is placed on the bottom of the pit.

Granular superphosphate will be an excellent fertilizer. A handful of this substance must be added to each pit.

Young hydrangeas need to be installed in the center of the pit, spread the roots, and then add an earthen mixture so that the entire pit is filled. However, the root collar of the plant must remain at ground level.

Sometimes they prefer to plant seeds directly in open ground. In this case, in early or mid-May, it is necessary to sift them in a high, sun-warmed garden bed. To avoid dispersion by the wind, the seeds are covered with a thin layer of sand. The pick is carried out at the same time as in the container. For the winter, young hydrangeas are carefully covered, in the second year, fertilizers can be applied to the soil, and in the third year, young bushes become a permanent decoration of the garden, being located in certain areas of it.

Hydrangea quickly adapts to open ground, grows well, but it will regularly delight you with its beauty only if certain procedures for caring for such a plant are followed.

• Since it is considered moisture-loving, it is advisable to mulch the soil so that it does not dry out. Mulching is done on previously loosened soil around the trunk using peat, hay, and chopped bark of fruit trees. The mulch layer should be 8-9 cm thick.
• Watering is carried out as the soil dries up. But in hot weather, the plant should be watered 2 times a week - under each bush at least 10 liters of water. In this case, the indicators of water hardness should be small. Rainwater is ideal. However, during rainy periods, stop watering to avoid stagnant water in the soil.
• Shade the bush as it does not tolerate direct sunlight.This should be taken care of even at the stage of planting a plant in open ground.
• In order for the hydrangea to delight you with abundant flowering, it is necessary to fertilize the soil in a timely manner. During the growing season, fertilizers are applied to its composition 1-2 times a month. In this case, nitrogen components are added before the buds are formed, and when they bloom, you should pay attention to the potassium and potassium-phosphorus compositions.
• In winter, it is important to insulate the hydrangea. To do this, the branches of the bush must be bent to the ground, tied up and covered with spruce branches or leaves. Roofing material or film becomes the top layer of the shelter. If you are afraid of breaking the plant, then build a frame around it, fill the voids with leaves, and then use a film layer. At the same time, do not forget to shake off the snow from the covered bush in time so that the branches do not break off under its weight.
• When the hydrangea is over 3-4 years old, it should be pruned regularly. This process is best done in the spring after the buds are slightly swollen. In tree hydrangea, long stems are cut, which are located at the level of 3-4 buds.

Hydrangea can be propagated independently. A popular way to do this is by using cuttings. You can cut them in the process of spring pruning, and it is also permissible to take annual cuttings in the summer. Further, the process is carried out as follows:

• add a substrate of peat and sand, taken in equal quantities, to the containers prepared in advance;
• each stalk must be treated with a stimulant to form a root system;
• after the cuttings are rooted in the substrate, dropping;
• watering is carried out as the soil dries up;
• over the course of two years, young plants will strengthen the root system and build up leaf mass, while in winter they should be in a warm room.

Hydrangea is a very disease-resistant plant, but among possible ailments there are, for example, downy mildew and gray rot. It is better to carry out preventive treatment of plants, and these troubles will not bother you. However, pests are worth paying special attention to, as they pose a great threat to hydrangeas. These parasites include:

• spider mites;
• aphid;
• weevils;
• gastropods.

Hydrangea is often used in landscape design, decorating gardens and public places. The following options for the location of the bushes can be cited as examples:

• bushes planted in one row along the garden path give the landscape additional neatness and at the same time dilute the green shades;

• hydrangeas can be at equal intervals from each other, the space of which is filled with smaller garden flowers and bushes;

• placing a bush hydrangea at the entrance to the house is ideal: it will not go unnoticed, will make a pleasant impression on guests and create a good contrast with the general landscape.

See below for proper hydrangea care.