The main task of a gardener in the fall is to prepare the garden and plants for winter. Autumn work include pruning trees and shrubs, fertilizing, preventive treatment from diseases and pests, moisture-recharging irrigation and organizing the protection of plants from the oncoming cold. We will tell you in this article how to prune hydrangeas for the winter, how to prepare the plant for the dormant period and how to cover it for the winter.
Autumn pruning of hydrangea
Tree hydrangea pruning
Preparing hydrangea for winter involves a procedure such as pruning. Three types of hydrangea are grown in our gardens: paniculate, tree-like and large-leaved (garden). Each type of pruning is performed in accordance with its characteristics.
For example, tree hydrangea forms large number shoots, both zero (those that grow from the root) and on skeletal branches. Due to severe overgrowth, the plant needs all types of pruning: formative, sanitary, thinning and rejuvenating. Autumn - good time for any of them.
For sanitary purposes, in the fall, cut out broken, dried, pest-damaged branches and shoots, and be sure to remove dried inflorescences and all leaves from the tree, except the top ones.
For the purpose of rejuvenation, branches older than four years are cut to zero, especially if the shoots on them are weak and thin.
When thinning, thin zero shoots and all those that thicken the crown, that is, those directed outward and deeper into it, are removed.
And only lastly is the hydrangea pruned for flowering: tree-like hydrangea blooms on the shoots of the current year, so all the main branches are shortened to 2-3 pairs of developed buds, from which new lush branches will grow next season.
Pruning paniculate hydrangea
Autumn pruning will be beneficial and paniculata hydrangea, which also blooms on the shoots of the current year. This procedure will not take you much time, since this species does not produce abundant growth and forms significantly fewer zero shoots than tree hydrangea. In addition, almost every shoot growing from each bud of the skeletal branches ends in an inflorescence, and if the plant is not pruned, in a few years the crown will turn into wilds, while the inflorescences will become smaller and weaker with each season.
Cut off all inflorescences, remove weak, thin, non-viable and zero shoots, and shorten the skeletal branches to 1-3 pairs of buds.
Pruning large-leaved hydrangea
Trimming large leaf hydrangea depends on its variety, age and climatic conditions of the region. This species blooms on the current year's shoots that grew on last year's branches, and the closer the shoot is to the top, the greater the likelihood that inflorescences will form on it. Therefore, when pruning, caution is needed: it is important to preserve those shoots that appeared in the spring and have not yet bloomed, but the bush will no longer need woody branches that are four to five years old, so they can be safely cut out. And, of course, faded inflorescences, broken, diseased, thin shoots and shoots must be removed.
By the way, not so long ago in garden culture varieties of large-leaved hydrangea appeared that form inflorescences on both old and young shoots: Green Shadows, Endless Summer, Freepon, Hanaby Rose and Hopcorn. These plants are pruned in the fall only for sanitary purposes.
Autumn feeding of hydrangeas
In autumn, the growing season of hydrangea does not subside: the plant actively grows its root system and accumulates for the winter nutrients. In order for hydrangeas to have something to eat in winter, you need to add them to the soil. potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. Nitrogen is no longer introduced into the hydrangea tree trunk since mid-summer, since it provokes rapid growth shoots that will not have time to ripen and will certainly freeze in winter, but before that they will take a lot of strength and a significant part of the plant’s nutrients.
At the end of the season, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied to the soil twice: at the very end of summer and in mid-September: the granules are scattered in the tree trunk, using two handfuls of fertilizer for a large bush, and small bush One handful will be enough. Then dry fertilizer you need to mix it thoroughly with the soil, taking care that the granules do not end up too close to the base of the hydrangea, as the plant may get burned.
Pre-winter watering of hydrangeas
If you think that with the onset of autumn you need to stop watering the hydrangea, then you are mistaken: until it gets steadily colder root system should absorb the maximum amount of moisture and nutrients. The plant spent a lot of effort on flowering, and it weakened, especially if the flowering was abundant, so the hydrangea needs to restore its water and nutritional balance.
Watering is especially important if it is a dry autumn, because hydrangea is one of the most moisture-loving shrubs. Always keep the soil in the tree-trunk circle in a slightly moist state and at the same time monitor the thermometer readings: as soon as the temperature at night drops below 5 ˚C, water consumption when watering hydrangeas should be reduced, and when the thermometer shows 0 ˚C at night, soil moisture in hydrangeas are stopped around the tree trunk.
Which hydrangeas require shelter?
As for the question of whether to cover hydrangea in the run-up to winter, the answer depends on factors such as:
- climatic conditions region;
- type and variety of hydrangea;
- air humidity.
Large-leaved hydrangea, which does not have high cold resistance, needs shelter more than others for the winter: even with careful and conscientious wrapping, it still early spring You can find several frozen shoots on the plant.
Tree hydrangea is more frost-resistant: under light cover and under snow, it can withstand cold temperatures down to -25˚C. The most frost-resistant is paniculata hydrangea, which overwinters in the middle zone without shelter. How to prepare these types of hydrangeas for winter? Insulate the tree-trunk circle of plants with a thick layer of dry leaves, and bend the tree-like hydrangea, if possible, to the ground. Even if some shoots of these plant species freeze in winter, after spring pruning the hydrangeas will quickly recover.
How to cover large-leaved hydrangea for the winter
There are two ways to cover hydrangeas: with and without bending to the ground. However, no matter which method you use, be sure to remove all but the top 3-4 leaves from each shoot.
Standing usually cover those plants that are difficult to tilt without damaging them. The crown of such hydrangeas is carefully pulled together with twine, then the bush is wrapped in 1-2 layers of lutrasil, a circular frame made of plastic or metal mesh is installed around the bush, which should exceed the height of the hydrangea by 15-20 cm. Free space inside this mesh cylinder is filled to the very top with dry leaves, after which the entire structure is wrapped in lutrasil, spunbond or burlap. In an area with very harsh winters The hydrangea is additionally covered with roofing felt on top of everything.
Well-bending hydrangea for the winter lay on the ground , covered with a layer of pine paws, or even better - with dry boards without signs of rotting, into which several large nails need to be driven. The hydrangea laid on the floor is tied to nails with twine, and covered with lutrasil or burlap on top. In the middle zone, such shelter will be sufficient for large-leaved hydrangea and seedlings of any type of plant.
In the Urals and Siberia, hydrangea laid and tied to boards is covered with spruce branches, then with burlap, then covered with sawdust and only then covered with roofing felt.
It is better not to use fallen leaves either for bedding or for covering hydrangeas, since they get wet and begin to rot even at low humidity levels.
With the onset of spring, all these layers of cover are removed from the hydrangea in stages, at certain intervals, as the air and soil warm up.
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Different types and varieties of hydrangea tolerate differently winter cold. In addition, they can grow in different climatic zones, therefore, there are nuances of caring for them in the fall in preparation for the upcoming cold weather.
Below you will find information about autumn care and preparing the plant for winter, about pruning hydrangea in the fall and covering it for the winter, which will be useful for both beginners and experienced gardeners who have recently planted this perennial in their summer cottage.
How to care for hydrangeas in the fall: secrets of care and preparation for cold weather
Hydrangea care activities in the fall include the following:
- Eradicating autumn spraying(treatment) from diseases and pests(alternatively, you can use a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture).
- Transfer(but only paniculate or tree-like varieties; large-leaved varieties are best replanted in the spring).
- Reproduction(by dividing the bush or digging up layering, but cuttings are carried out only in the summer).
By the way! You can replant a shrub by propagating it by dividing the bush.
- Feeding and watering (more on this later).
- Trimming.
- Shelter for the winter.
Moreover especially important properly prepare hydrangea for winter, namely autumn pruning and winter shelter.
Autumn feeding of hydrangea and its watering regime
When the hydrangeas finish flowering and their buds begin to gradually dry out, it’s time for autumn feeding, which should help the shrub go into winter in strong condition, having successfully established vegetative and flower buds for future growth and flowering in the new year.
In the fall, it is necessary to add potassium-phosphorus fertilizers to the soil; hydrangeas are no exception. During this period, it will be good to feed them with potassium sulfate - as potash fertilizer, superphosphate - as a phosphate fertilizer. Or you can buy ready-made autumn fertilizer.
Remember! None nitrogen fertilizers V autumn period, and also no ash as a potash fertilizer, because it alkalizes the soil, while hydrangeas, on the contrary, need fertilizers that acidify the soil.
But watering in the fall is practically stopped (especially if the weather is cloudy and/or rainy), although, as you know, hydrangea loves moisture very much, so it is very important to water it regularly during the hot periods of the year during abundant flowering.
Features of autumn pruning hydrangea
Many lovers of this wonderful flower often have questions about this procedure: when is it better to prune - in autumn or spring; and is it necessary to prune hydrangeas for the winter? It is worth looking into these issues in more detail. In addition, if this procedure is carried out incorrectly, the shrubs may bloom poorly and, in principle, leave the gardener without their beautiful flowers throughout the entire season.
Pay attention! Details about pruning hydrangeas in autumn you can read
Should I prune for winter?
In the fall, it is imperative to remove all faded (dry) inflorescences, otherwise in winter, under the weight of snow, hydrangea bushes may simply break. It also does not interfere with sanitary and thinning pruning.
When is it better to prune - autumn or spring?
It is believed that paniculate and tree-like hydrangeas can be pruned both in autumn and spring, or pruning can be carried out in several stages (cut some of it in the fall, and then finish what you started in the spring). But, as a rule, they try to prune the large-leaved variety only in the spring. Pruning of young bushes 2-3 years old (which still have thin stems) is most often left until spring.
Features of autumn pruning of plants depending on the type
Let us consider separately how tree-like, paniculate and large-leaved varieties, because each of them has its own characteristics.
Pruning the paniculata variety
As a rule, in the fall, paniculate hydrangea cut off only faded inflorescences, and in the spring they carry out complete (final) pruning, that is, pruning is carried out in 2 stages.
However, the flowering of paniculata, like a tree-like hydrangea, occurs on the shoots of the current year, which means that making a mistake when pruning is not at all scary. That's why In autumn, you can completely prune tree hydrangeas., but leaving some margin. For example, when pruning for flowering, you should leave 3-4 pairs of strong buds.
Video: pruning paniculate hydrangea in autumn
Tree species pruning
Pay attention! Autumn pruning of tree hydrangea running similar to paniculata, but with some nuances (due to the structure of the flower). Naturally, you can do full pruning in the fall, because... it also blooms on the current year's shoots.
Video: how to prune tree hydrangea for the winter
Pruning the large-leaved variety
Large-leaved hydrangea blooms on last year's shoots, so it requires a completely different pruning. And if you do standard pruning, you can simply deprive yourself of flowering next year.
So, in the fall large-leaved variety Only faded two-year-old shoots are pruned; all other pruning procedures are postponed to spring.
Pay attention! Many gardeners prefer not to touch large-leaved hydrangeas at all in the fall, but to do everything in the spring.
But you can still cut off the inflorescences in the fall. Moreover, it is recommended to cut the inflorescences to the first pair of buds at the end of the branch, that is, they (the buds) should never be touched. In addition, a stem of approximately 1.5-2 cm (a long stump) should be left above them.
Sheltering hydrangeas for the winter
Many novice gardeners are interested in covering this perennial for the winter, namely: when and how to do it correctly.
Pay attention! There is already one on the site that you can find.
Features of frost resistance of each type of hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculata is one of the most frost-resistant species; it can withstand frosts down to -30-35 C.
Slightly less resistant to frost tree variety, whose young shoots may freeze in the cold season. But the plant usually recovers very quickly during the next season.
And the most unstable to cold weather is the large-leaved hydrangea. The fact is that this perennial blooms on the shoots of the previous year. And if the flower buds freeze over the winter, then next year there will be no flowering.
Is it necessary to cover for the winter?
Thus, not all varieties of hydrangea need to be covered during the cold season, or rather only tree and paniculate varieties, since they are highly frost-resistant. It will be enough to lightly hill each of the bushes.
But large-leaved hydrangea is strongly recommended to be carefully covered for the winter, since it is a very heat-loving species. Therefore, if in the middle zone and cold northern regions If you do not cover this shrub, it will definitely not bloom.
Video: how to properly cover large-leaved hydrangea for the winter
Features of covering hydrangeas depending on the region
In the Urals and Siberia experienced flower growers manage to grow large-leaved hydrangea, many varieties of which are valued for their beautiful decorative look foliage, as well as beautiful flowers different colors. To provide good cover for the winter for this heat-loving variety in the northern regions, it should be planted separately from other plants so that its shelter does not interfere with the development and growth of other flowering perennials. Some gardeners sometimes even grow this type of plant in large tubs, which are put away in a greenhouse for the winter or to the greenhouse.
As for how to cover large-leaved hydrangeas in the middle zone (Moscow region), an air-dry shelter is used here (however, it can be used in Siberia and the Urals), for example, like this:
- The perennial shoots are tied together, wrapped with lutrasil, and a mesh frame the size of which is built around more height shrubs by 10-12 cm. Dry foliage is poured inside the frame to the very top. Then the resulting structure must be wrapped with any material that does not allow moisture to pass through. In this way, young seedlings of all types of hydrangeas should be covered for the winter.
Attention! Already on the site detailed article on covering hydrangeas for the winter which you can read.
These wonderful shrubs are actively grown in landscape design for decoration park areas. But more and more often they are found on the most ordinary summer cottages and in the gardens of private houses. However, gardeners need to remember that these perennials require special treatment in preparation for the cold period.
Video: preparing hydrangea for winter: pruning and covering
Caring for hydrangeas in the fall is very important, since with proper preparation of the shrub for winter, it allows it to survive cold conditions and grow painlessly in the spring.
How to care for hydrangea in autumn
A long time ago they were brought to our country from China and Japan. beautiful plants– hydrangeas. Naturally, the prevailing climatic conditions are not suitable for such flowers, but with skillful organization and care it is possible to ensure comfortable conditions growth. This applies not only to watering and fertilizing summer time, but also mandatory care for shoots in the fall. Proper preparation shrubs for winter includes:
- watering;
- feeding;
- pruning and replanting shoots.
Let's look at how each of these stages is carried out.
Pre-winter watering
Hydrangea is one of the most beautiful crops with a wide distribution area in our country. At the same time, she is very capricious and needs special care, for which you should properly prepare. In autumn, the bush requires a certain amount of moisture in order to accumulate the strength to survive the harsh winter conditions. Helps replenish these forces additional care in the form of watering the root part.
During the summer, all the moisture absorbed by the roots was used to form lush and delicate flowers, so by the onset of autumn the plant became weak. Autumn watering allows you to restore the normal balance of moisture inside its tissues. This should not be done cold water, and water at room temperature. Boiled water It is not suitable for such purposes, since it contains a minimal amount of oxygen. On average, one bush requires about 0.5 liters of liquid. Be sure to monitor the condition of the soil under the plants. It should always be damp. Depending on the prevailing weather conditions, additional irrigation is recommended.
Important! When watering, try not to flood the root, this can lead to the death of the plant from lack of oxygen.
Preparing plants for watering in the fall requires monitoring night temperatures. Their drop to 0˚C signals the need to stop watering, since at such a time frosts are possible, which can disrupt the integrity of the root walls. Because of this, the bush can become very weak in the spring. long time do not wake up from the period of winter dormancy.
Autumn feeding
Preparing hydrangeas for winter includes mandatory feeding of the bushes. Autumn feeding involves the introduction of phosphorus-potassium nutrition, which helps strengthen the root system.
It is best to apply nutrition high in potassium and phosphorus ions in the last ten days of August and mid-September. This will allow for even distribution nutritional elements among the root tissues, strengthening its strength before the long winter.
It is better to fertilize using the dry method, scattering granulated food near the trunk of the plants. The volume of fertilizer applied directly depends on the size of the bush. So, in the fall, hydrangeas of significant size need two handfuls of feeding, while small young plants need one handful. After scattering dry fertilizer near the bushes, mix it evenly with the soil so that after rain, the nutrients dissolved in the water can quickly get into the roots. This preparation of bushes for winter allows you to strengthen the underground part before a period of long dormancy.
How to replant hydrangea in the fall
Caring for shrubs in the fall may include transplanting plants to areas with a moderate amount of sunlight and lack strong winds. Therefore, before transplantation, thorough preparation is necessary, which involves choosing just such a site. The selected soil should be loose and varied in structure, which ensures good air and water permeability for the roots. Optimal composition are loam soils with a neutral or acidic environment.
In autumn, in temperate Russia, hydrangea bushes are best replanted in the first ten days of September. In more northern regions of the country, where winter is long and autumn is short, it is better to replant shoots in the spring. Residents southern regions can be transplanted ornamental shrub until the end of September.
Rules for pruning hydrangeas in autumn
Activities for caring for and preparing hydrangeas for winter also include mandatory pruning of its shoots. This allows you to prevent the consumption of nutritious sap for the formation of the above-ground part in the fall and make the bush more compact for protective cover. Proper care of shoots depends on the variety, since each of them has its own characteristics.
Large leaf hydrangea
It is best to prune this crop in the spring. This allows you to determine the presence of healthy leaf buds on the shoots, necessary for normal growth.
Bookmarking inflorescences of this flower occurs on last year's shoots, so if you cut them in the fall, you may not get lush buds at all in the spring.
Tree hydrangea
Preparing tree hydrangea for cold weather includes pruning its shoots in autumn or spring. It is advisable to do this when the bush is four years old. Its inflorescences form on the shoots of the current year, so when pruning, you can safely remove dry perennial branches.
Caring for shrubs includes removing dry branches, and you don’t have to worry about the plant running out of juice, since in the fall all processes of movement inside the tissues are greatly inhibited. Cosmetic care involves removing old and unsightly shoots from tree hydrangeas. This allows you to form correct form the crown of the entire bush. Cosmetic pruning can begin in the fall and end in the spring, additional training it is not required.
In addition to cosmetic care, there is also radical pruning of bushes, which is carried out on shoots whose age has exceeded ten years. This cleaning allows you to rid the plant of old shoots and preserve its strength for the formation of a new above-ground part.
Paniculata hydrangea
Paniculate hydrangea buds form on the surface of shoots formed last year. Pruning of such plants in the fall is carried out carefully, avoiding the removal of skeletal branches. Inflorescences are also removed to lighten the load of snow cover on the branches.
Be sure to shorten the annual growth of plants to three buds. If there are a lot of thin and weak shoots on the bush, then they should also be removed.
Ground cover hydrangea
Luxurious branches of groundcover hydrangea should also be pruned in the fall. Pruning is carried out cosmetically, the length of high branches is shortened. Thanks to this, the bush becomes more lush, and its crown takes on the correct shape.
Radical pruning of plants of this type is carried out if there is an emergency or when its flowering stops in the spring. If there are broken branches on the bush, then sanitary pruning of the shoots must be carried out.
climbing hydrangea
Climbing hydrangea can also be pruned autumn time. In this case, the following types of shoot removal are allowed:
- cosmetic;
- sanitary;
- thorough (radical).
Serrated hydrangea
With the onset of autumn, obligatory pruning of old, broken and weak shoots should be carried out on serrated hydrangea bushes. Its flowering buds form on last year's branches, so removing old branches serves as a guarantee active growth bush in spring.
Autumn pruning of such plants is cosmetic in nature. More thorough pruning of shoots of serrated shrubs is recommended in the spring.
How to prepare hydrangea for winter
Preparing plants for winter period should be carried out from the beginning of September. It is recommended to remove from the bush lower leaves and be sure to spud the base of the stem. After fertilizing, you should begin covering aboveground shoots. And you definitely need to cover the hydrangea for the winter.
How to cover large-leaved hydrangea
Large-leaved hydrangea needs complete shelter of the shoots from the winter cold, as it is characterized by low frost resistance. On initial stage shelters are covered with dry soil and leaves trunk circle. This allows you to protect the underground parts of the plant from low temperatures.
Next, along the entire circular perimeter of the bush, short boards (about 50 cm) are placed, to which branches bent to the ground are tied with a rope. Shoots fixed near the surface of the ground can be covered with dry leaves and covered with spunbond. For more information on covering hydrangeas for the winter, watch the video:
Preparing tree hydrangea for winter
This type of plant is distinguished by high frost resistance, so it does not need particularly strong shelter for the winter. After autumn pruning plants should be well hilled. It would be a good idea to cover the root part with sawdust or dry leaves.
The young crown can be additionally tied with rope and covered with spunbond on top. This is especially important during frosty and little snowy winters.
Caring for paniculate hydrangea
Shoots of paniculata hydrangea must be covered, especially for young plants. In this case, the territory of the tree trunk circle is covered with spruce branches, and young shoots are bent to the soil. Next, the bases of the laid branches are fixed with staples, and the central part is covered with peat.
Then the laid branches are covered with spruce branches on top, and the entire structure is wrapped on top with lutrasil. To prevent the latter from being blown away by the wind, it is pressed down with boards or stones. Such preparation for winter always gives positive result in the spring.
Rules for unwrapping hydrangeas
It is important not only to properly cover the shoots for the winter, but also to unwrap them. This should be done sequentially, starting from the surface layers and ending with the lower ones. Absence preliminary preparation can break young shoots of the plant.
Unwrapping should be carried out with the arrival of the first positive temperatures. In this case, it is recommended to remove the covering material for a day, and return it back when frost returns. In April, the covering material can be removed for the whole day to allow the sawdust and leaf litter protecting the roots to dry.
Important! The bushes should be fully opened no earlier than mid-April, when night temperatures rise and the air warms up significantly during the day.
It is recommended to remove covering leaves from the moment the leaf buds awaken. At the final stage of care, the earth to be covered is cleaned. Next, the tied bush is freed from the ropes and fastenings securing the shoots. It is recommended to leave the flower in its free form for several days in order to then identify the need to trim weakened shoots.
Conclusion
Caring for hydrangea in the fall is the basis for the plant’s full growth throughout spring and summer. If it is not properly prepared and carried out, you can not only lose abundant flowering next year, but also lead to the death of the shrub. Preparing for winter does not require enormous effort; it is only important to monitor the timing of the main events and do them on time. Only in this case ornamental culture will delight the eye throughout the summer.
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Hydrangea - beautiful flowering shrub- cannot be called the most unpretentious. If grown incorrectly, it may refuse to bloom, and plants unprepared for winter may freeze and die. That's why autumn chores, although they are simple, are required.
Caring for hydrangea in the fall, preparing the bush for winter
There are 3 types of hydrangea growing in our gardens: large-leaved, tree-like and paniculate. Significantly different from each other in appearance, they require generally the same care in the autumn. These are several measures without which the shrub may not survive the winter, especially in harsh climatic regions.
Autumn watering
Hydrangea is a water-drinker by nature; it feels uncomfortable in open sunny areas; it needs to be watered throughout the season. Autumn is no exception, although, it seems, after flowering the life of the bush freezes. This is not the case, the root system and aboveground part must be constantly filled with moisture, and watering continues until winter, albeit less intense than during the flowering period.
Hydrangea and watering can go together throughout the season
Of course, when prolonged rains occur, watering is stopped, but in dry weather you need to make sure that the soil around the bush is moderately moist. And only when night frosts occur should watering be stopped.
Hydrangea does not like waterlogging, therefore, if it rains constantly in cool weather, it is even advisable to install some kind of “umbrella” over the bush (at least cover it with plastic film).
Top dressing
The bush, which blooms intensively in the summer, consumes a lot of nutrients, and by autumn the soil is depleted. Feeding hydrangeas after flowering is necessary, but they should not include nitrogen, so as not to cause additional growth of green mass to the detriment of preparing the bush for winter. At this time, the roots grow most actively, requiring potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.
When the flowers have already withered, the bushes need phosphorus and potassium
It is better to apply these fertilizers in two portions: at the end of summer and another 20–25 days later. Enjoy in the fall mineral fertilizers: superphosphate and potassium sulfate. They are scattered dry and embedded shallowly in moist soil, after which the bush is watered again. For young bush 2-3 tbsp is enough. spoons of each fertilizer, for large ones - a good handful.
Trimming
Sometimes hydrangeas are pruned in the spring, but it is better to do it in the fall. Spring pruning more dangerous because it often falls during the period of sap flow. Of course, in the fall, only those species and varieties that bloom on annual shoots are pruned; they are the most common. Those that bloom on last year's plants are pruned in the fall only cosmetically, removing excess, broken and dried stems. Otherwise, you can mistakenly cut out what should bloom on next year.
First of all, cut off the inflorescences and shoots that thicken the bush
Shortly before the onset of cold weather, the bushes are freed from unnecessary shoots. The oldest ones are removed, freeing up space for new ones next year. Shoots that are more than 4 years old can be considered old, but even on neglected bushes no more than 2–3 of them can be removed annually. Thin out the bushes so that closely spaced branches do not shade each other. All this is done with a sharp, clean pruning shears or, if the shoots are already very thick, with a garden saw. The stumps are kept small: the shoots are cut out as close to the ground as possible.
Sheltering bushes for the winter
Not all gardeners cover hydrangeas for the winter. Indeed, in relatively warm regions there is no need for this. But in most areas, starting from middle zone and in more severe climates, bushes that are not covered for the winter run the risk of freezing, especially with unfavorable conditions weather conditions: lack of snow cover, strong wind and high humidity. This is especially true for young plants, up to 2–3 years old.
You can cover the bushes already in the middle or end of October. Since, unlike most plants, hydrangeas are not afraid of damping off, the choice of materials is practically unlimited, even polyethylene film. Flower buds are the most sensitive to frost, so it is important to tilt the shoots as close to the ground as possible.
In the coldest regions, all available materials can be used for shelter
The easiest way to do this is with young bushes: bent stems can be mulched with a thick layer of foliage and pulled over any suitable material. In adult bushes, the stems are collected in bunches, lightly tied and laid on substrates made of boards or plywood, and then boxes are constructed from boards, wire, etc., onto which, after filling with foliage, spunbond or film is stretched. Additional shelter with coniferous spruce branches is built in the absence of snow for a long time.
Video: preparing hydrangea for winter
It is not difficult to prepare hydrangeas for winter, but it is necessary to do this. The shrub's inflexibility with regard to damping off makes it possible to carry out preparatory work at any time convenient time, and the procedure for preparing for winter only includes feeding, pruning and actually covering the bush.