Luxurious tree hydrangea shrub - planting and care. Tree hydrangea Pink Pincushion Hydrangea arborescens “Pink Pincushion”

Thanks to the wide color palette of flowers and the varied shape of inflorescences, as well as the abundant and long period flowering, tree hydrangea is increasingly used in landscaping local areas country house, summer cottage, park areas. However, the full beauty of hydrangea can only be enjoyed by observing a number of nuances regarding planting and caring for the plant.

General characteristics

Tree hydrangea is a spreading shrub, the height of which depends on the variety and varies between 1-3 m.

The crown of the plant is completely covered with impressively sized inflorescences, each of which is 20-30 cm. Moreover, in a separate inflorescence there are both small fertile flowers located in the center and larger sterile flowers. However, the size of the largest flowers of the inflorescence rarely exceeds 3 cm.

Voluminous leaves, ovoid or elliptical in shape, complement decorative characteristics tree hydrangea, the photo is a clear confirmation of this. In addition, in some varieties of hydrangea, the leaves retain a rich green color until frost, and for others, at the end of summer they acquire a reddish tint.

Tree hydrangea is ideal for creating hedges and flower arrangements, goes well with lilies, clematis and roses.

Varieties of tree hydrangea

To date, a fairly large number of tree-like hydrangeas have been bred. However, only the most decorative and frost-resistant tree hydrangeas are popular.

Plant varieties that use most in demand for gardeners:

• "Annabelle." White or cream flowers are collected in spherical inflorescences, the diameter of which reaches 20 cm. As a rule, the height tree hydrangea does not exceed 1.5 m, although in volume it quickly reaches 3 m. During the flowering period, which lasts from June to September, the stems of the plant gradually bend towards the ground, unable to withstand the weight of the flowers. An important feature of the variety is the constancy of the original color of the foliage until the onset of frost;

• "Grandiflora" - obtained by selecting the "Annabelle" variety. Distinctive features of the variety are the inflorescences formed by larger flowers and the cream or lemon color of the petals. At favorable conditions When grown, the height of the bush reaches 1.5-2 m. Flowering duration is observed from June to September;

• "Incrediball" - stands out for its even larger flowers in the inflorescence than those of "Grandiflora". However, the attractiveness of the Incrediball variety lies in the change in the initial color of the petals over time from greenish to pure white. The height of an adult bush varies between 1.5 -3 m. However, the stems of hydrangea do not have sufficient strength, so during the flowering period they begin to lie down under the weight of large inflorescences, sometimes reaching 30 cm in diameter;

• “Invincibelle” - among many varieties of tree hydrangea, stands out for its dark pink inflorescences, shaped like lilac branches. However, under the influence sun rays the inflorescences gradually lose their color saturation, acquiring a slightly pinkish tint;

• “Pink Pinkushen” is distinguished by its rather compact size, growing in width by only 1.5 m with a bush height of no more than 1.2 m. Pink-white flowers, collected in pyramidal inflorescences, retain color throughout the entire flowering period;

• "Sterilis" - has high viability of cuttings, accelerated growth rate and abundant flowering, lasting from July to October. Like the Incrediball variety, the greenish color of the petals gradually gives way to pure white. The height of the tree hydrangea “Sterilis” is about 2 m. At the same time, the bush grows in width up to 2.5 m;

• "Hayes Starburst" has good frost resistance and blooms from early June until the first frost. Characteristic feature variety is the dome-shaped inflorescences formed double flowers, against the backdrop of bright green leaves that remain decorative until late autumn. The height of an adult Hayes Starburst bush reaches only 1.2 m. At the same time, the hydrangea stems are strong enough to withstand a considerable volume of inflorescences.

Thus, the variety of shapes and colors of inflorescences can easily be chosen required variety, which will look perfect both in single execution and in garden compositions. However, the varietal characteristics of a plant largely depend on soil fertility, moisture level, timely pruning and other factors.

Planting tree hydrangea

Choosing a landing site

Abundance, along with the duration of flowering, depends not only on the plant variety, but also on the correctly chosen place for future planting, which should:

• be well lit - it is advisable that the hydrangea be in the sun in the morning and evening, and in partial shade during solar activity. If the plant is exposed to scorching sun rays all day, the flowering period will be shortened by 3-5 weeks. At the same time, hydrangea growing in constant shade will delight the owner with smaller inflorescences and flowers in relation to the varietal characteristics;

• protected from gusty winds. The stems of most tree-like hydrangeas, under the weight of huge inflorescences, eventually begin to lie close to the ground, and in an open space, a strong wind will immediately scatter the bush different sides rhizomes and the spectacle will be far from aesthetic;

• be located at least 2-3 m from neighboring trees that absorb the required water supply.

Thus, the most suitable place for planting hydrangeas - north side next to any building.

Soil preparation

Like any plant, tree hydrangea prefers a certain type of soil. On acidic or slightly acidic loamy soils The full splendor of the plant is observed, accompanied by abundant flowering, as well as the rich color of the leaves and petals. Alkaline soils are absolutely unsuitable for hydrangea, as evidenced by various plant diseases and poor flowering.

Today, you can acidify the soil and make it suitable for growing hydrangeas by adding pine bark, peat, sawdust and other organic matter to the soil six months, or even better, a year before the upcoming planting.

Preparation of planting material

Cultivation of tree hydrangea on a site is carried out in several ways:

• purchasing ready-made seedlings. Best time for purchase - early spring, when the buds have not yet begun to bloom. Before planting in the ground, the purchased seedling must be kept for about an hour in warm water with a small addition of potassium permanganate;

• cuttings. Cuttings are harvested at the end of June or beginning of July in the morning, when the leaves are sufficiently saturated with moisture. Non-lignified annual shoots are used as material; when cutting them, care must be taken that each cutting contains 1-2 internodes. The leaves of harvested cuttings are shortened by half to avoid excessive evaporation of moisture. The lower cut of the cutting is treated with Kornevin or another similar preparation that promotes rapid rooting. The prepared cutting is placed in a container with a substrate consisting of sand and peat in a ratio of 1:2, to a depth of 2-3 cm at an angle of 45°C. The distance between cuttings should be 7-10 cm, since the roots of the plant are located horizontally. If planting conditions are met, rooting of cuttings takes about a month, so in August they can be planted in the ground;

• layering. To obtain layering, lateral annual shoots are used, next to which a trench about 10 cm deep is dug. The selected shoot is placed in the prepared recess, secured with a pin made of wire, and sprinkled with a small layer of earth. The soil around the layer must be periodically loosened, watered, and in the spring next year the shoot will need to be separated from the adult bush and planted on permanent place.

Landing in the ground

It is necessary to start planting seedlings and cuttings of tree hydrangea early spring, when the ground has already thawed, but the buds have not yet bloomed.

The process of planting seedlings is as follows:

• dig a hole about 70 cm deep and 50 cm wide;
• when planting several seedlings, they must be placed at a distance of 1.5 m from each other, since the roots of the plant do not go deep, but are placed horizontally;
• fill the hole with pre-prepared soil, consisting of peat, humus, sand and black soil in a ratio of 1: 2: 1: 2;
• remove the soaked seedling from the water and slightly shorten the roots, and also get rid of damaged branches and leaves;
• place the seedling in the hole, carefully straightening the roots in different directions;
• cover with soil, deepening the root collar no more than 3 cm;
• compact the soil thoroughly to prevent the formation of voids near the root system, which lead to drying out of the roots;
• Water abundantly, moistening the soil to a depth of 40-50 cm.

If all conditions for preparing the starting material for planting are met, flowering is observed only in 4-5 years.

Thus, tree hydrangea, the planting of which is the same for any planting material, differs only in the period of planting in the ground, since layering is planted in a permanent place only a year after rooting.

Plant care

Like any plant, hydrangeas tree care in the form of fertilizing, mulching, watering and pruning is necessary constantly.

Feeding hydrangeas

The general condition of the plant, as well as the abundance of flowering, largely depends on the timeliness of fertilizing, especially with low soil fertility.

The necessary fertilizing can be divided into 3 stages:

• after 2 weeks from the moment the plant is planted in the ground, the plant is fed, consisting of a mixture of potassium sulfate (25 g), urea (20 g) and superphosphate (40 g). Frequency: annually in early spring, and when fertile soil it is enough to fertilize every other year;
• during the formation of buds, hydrangeas need to be fed with minerals and organic fertilizers. For this purpose, ready-made preparations such as “Kemira-floral” are quite suitable, which contain various macro- and microelements necessary for hydrangeas. An alternative option is a fertilizer containing 50-60 g of superphosphate and 30-40 g of potassium per 1 m². You should not exceed the dosage of nitrogen, since its excess leads to a change in the color of the petals with a predominance of a greenish tint. In addition, hydrangeas overfed with nitrogen significantly reduce frost resistance, which can lead to the death of the plant after a harsh winter;
• The final fertilizing at the end of August is the application of 15 kg of rotted manure to the soil per 1 m².

From the beginning of September, all fertilizing must be stopped so that the hydrangea stems have time to become lignified by winter.

Watering hydrangea

Despite the fact that the roots of the plant grow horizontally, on warm and especially hot days, hydrangea needs to be watered every 2 days, moistening the soil by 50-60 cm in a diameter of 1 m, thereby creating a small supply of moisture. In addition, once a month during the season, the bushes need to be watered with water with a small addition of manganese to increase the strength of the current shoots.

Mulching hydrangeas

An integral way to care for hydrangea is mulching, which prevents the plant from overheating in hot weather. In addition, by mulching it is possible to get rid of some of the weeds, which deprive the hydrangea of ​​its water supply and some of its nutrients.

When mulching in spring, it is advisable to add a small layer of peat, about 10 cm, or a mixture of compost and sawdust under the hydrangea bush, which increases the acidity of the soil, creating favorable conditions for growing the plant.

Pruning hydrangea

The hydrangea bush grows quite quickly, so the plant must be pruned in spring and autumn every year. Pruning is done no earlier than 3-4 years after planting, since young plants experience increased sap flow in the spring and any damage to the shoot can lead to the death of the entire plant.

There are 4 stages of spring pruning:

• prevention - inspection of the bush for the presence of broken, frozen branches and their removal;
• rejuvenation – intended for plants growing over 5 years. The rejuvenation process consists of removing old shoots that consume a large supply of nutrients and interfere with the normal development of new shoots;
• formation - the shoots of the previous year are subject to shortening to 3-4 pairs of buds;
• thinning - getting rid of small shoots that do not form inflorescences, but only thicken the bush and take away nutrients at the hydrangea.

Timely pruning of hydrangea is necessary to give the bush a certain shape, improve flowering, and also adjust the number of inflorescences.

lay boards around the bush and attach the plant stems to them with ropes;

cover with cellophane and cover with sawdust.

Such a shelter will definitely preserve the viability of the plant even in the harshest winter.

Thus, tree hydrangea, planting and caring for which requires a significant amount of time, will delight the owner with its decorative appearance for a long period.

Gardeners and simply flower lovers especially highlight the tree hydrangea among the variety of plants. The original name is hydrangea arborescens translated from Greek language means a container of water. This plant is very beautiful, with airy flowering and quite unpretentious in care. You don’t have to be a professional gardener to create magical beauty and beauty in your garden using this plant. bright colors, it is important to understand and adhere to a few simple rules.

Tree hydrangea belongs to the Hydrangeaceae family, which has about 35 plant species. She represents small trees or shrubs with rich green leaves and no less attractive inflorescence buds, consisting of many small flowers without a distinct odor. There is even a vine-shaped type of hydrangea, thanks to which you can provide yourself with a cozy shady nest in the yard or decorate a boring hedge. This plant is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and frost resistance, which is very convenient in winter period for our latitudes.

How to choose a landing site

Growing space new culture It’s quite difficult to find this type, but nothing is possible. To create comfortable conditions for healthy flowering plant, you need to know 5 basic rules, following which you can choose the right soil and terrain, so that you can then admire its beauty for many years.

1. If you decide to plant, then first you need to observe the area of ​​​​the garden or vegetable garden, and determine where the sun is during the day, and where the cozy, wind-free plots of land are located.
2. Hortensia loves the sun to shine on her in the morning, and in the afternoon she can hide in the shade.
3. Care must be taken to ensure that the place for it is draft-free and not exposed to strong wind. Otherwise, it will quickly begin to fade, crumble and cause you a lot of trouble.
4. You don’t have to worry too much about the composition of the soil for growing tree hydrangea; the plant is completely unpretentious, so you shouldn’t worry about whether it will take root or not. It is important that the soil is well moist and suitable for growing plants of any type. The nature of the soil in this case can only affect the subsequent color of hydrangea flowers.
5. Also, when choosing a location, you should take into account that hydrangea is an upright growing plant that can reach a height of 1–3 m. Therefore, find a place on the site so that the hydrangea can grow in all directions and take root.

When to plant

Now let's talk about the time of year when it is better to plant a plant.

1. In warm climates, tree hydrangea is usually planted in the spring or fall.
2. In the northern regions, it is better to plant shrubs mainly in early spring, when nature is just waking up. This way, it will be easier for the plant to prepare for frost and survive the next winter.

How to prepare the soil for planting

1. First on open ground you need to make small holes for planting tree hydrangeas.
2. Because root system The bush is shallow, but branched, which means that recesses should be made about 30x30x30 cm.
3. For poor and depleted soil, it is better to make the holes deeper in advance.
4. After this, it is necessary to fertilize the soil with minerals, peat and humus. If this is your first time planting plants, a consultant in a specialized store will help you choose the right fertilizers.
5. Next, we proceed to the landing itself. We place the seedling in the center of the hole and carefully distribute the roots evenly in all directions.
6. You need to carefully dig up the purchased seedling along with the soil. In the spring, before planting, shorten the roots a little and remove broken shoots, if any.
7. Then we fill the future shrub with soil and compact it tightly so that all the roots are securely hidden under the surface of the soil.
8. Be sure to water the seedling abundantly with water. We try to water under the plant and be sure to make sure that the root is sufficiently saturated with moisture.
9. If you are planning to make a whole flowerbed of hydrangeas, you should plant them no more often than 1 m from each other, so that during the growth process their root systems do not interfere with each other.

How to properly care for tree hydrangea

Caring for hydrangea consists of abundant watering and timely fertilizers. Organic and mineral substances used to improve plant nutrition are taken as a basis. It is important to apply them correctly and on time.

Fertilizer: option 1

1. So, at the end of May the following composition of fertilizers is used:
   • prepared bird droppings;
   • water in a ratio of 1:10;
   • substances high in potassium, iron and magnesium.
2. In the future, newly planted beds should be fertilized with these plant nutrients every 2 weeks until the beginning of August.
3. Starting in autumn, tree hydrangea goes into sleep and begins preparing for the winter period.

Fertilizer: option 2

Let's look at one more good example caring for hydrangea using fertilizers.

1. After several weeks of planting the seedling, during the growth period, we fertilize the soil with a mixture of 25 g of urea, 30 g of potassium and 35 g of superphosphate.
2. During the flowering period, add 60 g of superphosphate and 45 g of potassium to the soil where the plant grows.
3. And at the end of summer, we sprinkle the hydrangea with pre-prepared humus.

All these substances beneficial to plants can be purchased in special stores for professional gardeners and lovers.

Fertilizer for branch strength

Let's look at another secret for caring for tree hydrangea. To prevent the branches from breaking off under the weight of ripened inflorescences, the bush is watered from time to time with diluted potassium permanganate. At the beginning of spring, you should completely stop fertilizing the hydrangea and leave only regular watering. At this moment, the plant gains strength and goes into a dormant state before the onset of winter.

How to water hydrangea correctly

1. The plant should be moistened wisely, like most other flowering shrubs, because a lack of moisture has the same negative effect on hydrangea as its excess.
2. If you infringe on the plant during watering, the result will be disturbances in the hydrangea cells. metabolic processes, this, in turn, will lead to slow growth and wilting of the bush.
3. If you overwater the hydrangea, this will lead to rotting of the roots and death of the bush.
4. Before watering, the water must be heated to 20 - 25⁰С, since hydrangea does not tolerate cold temperature water. The best option will pre-settle the water for 24 hours.
5. Since tree hydrangea is a moisture-loving plant, in dry times it should be watered more often and ensure that the soil at the base of the roots is always slightly moist.

Rules for pruning branches

In order for tree hydrangea to annually delight its owners with beauty and splendor, it needs not only abundant watering, but also correct, regular pruning. This process depends on the required shape of the inflorescences and their number. Even large pruning is not dangerous for the tree type of plant, since even with a small number of shoots it will produce good flowering.

Pruning is usually divided into 4 types.

1. Sanitary pruning. This type of branch adjustment involves seasonal cutting of broken branches and dried inflorescences.
2. Major pruning. For weakened shoots, it is recommended to completely adjust the branches of the bush, right down to the base. It is usually recommended to do this when the plant reaches 3 – 4 years old. This way, you will allow the bush to rejuvenate and gain strength for subsequent growth in the new season.
3. Thinning out empty branches. It is also necessary to get rid of weakened shoots, which are often located closer to the center of the bush, where not much sun hits them. Typically, such branches do not produce inflorescences, so the plant must be thinned out regularly to make room for new, fruitful shoots.
4. Pruning to form a bush. In this case, only last year’s growths are shortened and only 2–4 pairs of young buds are cut off, which makes it possible to observe new flowering shoots this year.

When pruning, you can control the shape and size of the inflorescences. Usually after selective adjustment branches, the hydrangea is gaining momentum, and the buds are becoming even larger than the previous ones. Therefore, it is imperative to remove frozen shoots. The best time for any type of pruning is, of course, spring period. In the fall, only the previous withered inflorescences are cut off to develop new young shoots in the new year.

Propagation of tree hydrangea

The most simple method propagating a plant is buying a healthy seedling in a nursery, but such a pleasure is not always one of the cheapest, and not the most practical. Therefore, there are 5 more ways to propagate hydrangea, so to speak, in garden conditions.

Using seeds

1. Tree hydrangea seeds are planted immediately in small seedling boxes that do not require prior preparation.
2. After sowing, it is necessary to water the loosened soil and cover the surface with a special lid, which is sold complete with boxes or ordinary plastic film.
3. The first shoots can already be observed after 20 days.
4. For the bush to reach its peak, it needs to be closely looked after for 2 years, and at the onset of 3 years mature plant It will now be possible to transplant it to the garden plot.
5. By this time, the sprout should reach about 35–40 cm in height and become strong enough to change the soil and location.

This type of propagation is intended for natural tree hydrangea, but not for decorative varieties of this plant, specially bred by breeders.

Using cuttings

1. This method is popular among professional gardeners. For this you need to already have at least 1 fertile shrub on your site or know a trusted place where you can buy a healthy shoot.
2. Cuttings should be trimmed in mid-summer, when the buds of the inflorescences are just beginning to bloom.
3. A green stalk is the leafy part of a branch, on which there are usually several buds or an already ripe bud.
4. It is better to choose cuttings from the sides; the practice of gardeners has shown that they take root better.
5. It is better to start cutting shoots early in the morning, when there is still a lot of dew on the branches and the hydrangea is all saturated with moisture.
6. The cutting must be immediately placed in water and placed in the shade. The water for settling it must contain a special garden solution for root growth.
7. Correctly pruning new shoots is the key to a healthy and strong shrub. To do this we cut top part cutting with a bud and divide it into several parts. We remove the lower leaves and cut the rest only by half.
8. We plant the shoot only in properly prepared soil. We wrote above how to prepare the soil. After finishing the work we expect new shoots.

Reproduction by layering

1. In early spring, when the buds on the plant have not yet appeared, we dig in the bush from all sides and make furrows. We place branches from the bottom of the bush in them.
2. In the fall we dig them up and divide them into shoots. By this time they should reach about 40 cm in height.
3. We dig in the shoots and leave them for a year. Afterwards, they can be planted in a permanent place.

Reproduction by offspring

1. This type of tree hydrangea selection is quite scrupulous.
2. IN autumn period neatly removed top layer soil under the bush and the shoots are carefully separated. Then they are planted and left for 2 - 3 years to ripen.

Reproduction by bush

1. The entire adult plant is carefully dug out completely along with the root system. In this case, it is important not to damage the branched rhizome, otherwise there is a high probability that the shrub will not take root in the new place.
2. Before digging up a bush, you should water it well. warm water. This will make the plant easier to uproot.
3. Now we wash the roots and divide the hydrangea into several bushes.
4. Then we plant them in a permanent place, having previously renewed the roots and shoots.
5. This method of propagation is usually used in early spring.

Plant pest control

At this point, hydrangea shrubs and their owner-gardener are lucky, since there are only 2 pests to which a plant of this type is susceptible. So, hydrangea pests are green aphid and spider mites.

For prevention, various traditional methods, where with the help of solutions from dandelions, leaves and water they fight the appearance of spider mite, and with the help fresh manure– with a disease called “powdery mildew”.

Hydrangea: types and varieties

There are many varieties of tree hydrangea, and every year breeders develop more and more new varieties. Let's look at some of the most popular ones.

Hydrangea tree annabelle

This is one of the most popular varieties plants. It tolerates frost well and is easy to care for. Its compact size and beautiful, lush, round inflorescences have become a great success among gardeners. It has bright, rich colors and can even be tinted to the desired shade by spraying with special dyes.

Hydrangea tree grandiflora

This type of shrub has the same dimensions as the regular Annabelle hydrangea variety. The main difference is the color of the inflorescences; while in Annabelle it is richly white, in Grandiflora it is predominantly cream or creamy white. It blooms for a long time, from the beginning of summer until mid-September.

Hydrangea tree pink Pincushen

This is unusual and interesting plant, unlike other types. It is characteristic of her pink inflorescences and pyramidal shape buds.

Hydrangea arborescens incredibol

The shrub of this variety can reach a height of up to 7 m, and it is an exceptionally upright growing plant. At the beginning of the ripening of inflorescences, the shrub has a greenish color, and at the peak of flowering it turns white. This hydrangea variety is considered an improved version of the Annabelle hydrangea.

Hydrangea tree invincibelle

This is the first plant variety with pink flowers. During flowering, the shrub changes color from dark pink to transparent pink. Experts recommend planting this variety of hydrangea as a hedge. It blooms from early summer until the first frost.

In order to decide on the variety of tree hydrangea, stock up on information, talk to sellers, look at photos in magazines and the Internet to choose the type of shrub that you like.

Gardeners who think carefully appearance their plot, they know: without hydrangea in landscape design can't get by! The flowering shrub, which appeared in the 18th century, is today loved by flower growers all over the world, and the reasons for this are significant.

Tree hydrangea is a shrub of the hydrangea family. Growing up to 3 m in height, it attracts gardeners in many ways. The plant can be given different shapes depending on the wishes of the owner of the site and the surrounding interior. The shrub has good dense foliage of a pleasant green color; the leaves are large, with curly edges, and have a rounded shape, close to an oval.

Small hydrangea flowers have 4 petals, collected in inflorescences that different types and varieties have a variety of shapes, resembling a panicle, cone, ball or umbrella. Large hydrangea inflorescences, having a white, pink or blue color, are business card tree hydrangea.

Today, flower growers can choose suitable hydrangea varieties for themselves, and breeders who have been working on hybrids for many years have made sure that the results of their work can satisfy the most demanding tastes.

The most famous varieties of tree hydrangea

Belonging to the same species, various hybrid varieties differ in size, shape, color, growing season and flowering time.

Variety Annabelle unlike others, it is short in stature - up to 0.5 m, although in natural conditions There are shrubs up to 5-6 m tall. Another feature of it is its large inflorescences, reaching a diameter of up to 30 cm.

Tree hydrangea Annabelle has a number of advantages: the plant is frost-resistant, develops well in slightly shaded areas, is not susceptible to diseases and pests, and responds well to pruning and trimming. In addition, the bush is distinguished long flowering: from June to September. The shrub has large bright green beautiful leaves. Flower color is white.

Annabelle has several subspecies:

• Strong Anabel - exceeds the main variety in height (up to 1.5 m) and in the number of inflorescences, which are four times the number of inflorescences of the Annabelle variety;

• Pink Annabelle loved by flower growers for their special color - pink inflorescences on erect branches medium height(up to 1.2 m).

Hydrangea tree Incredibol- Very high grade, which without pruning reaches up to 7 m in height. And the flowers at the top of the plant are also impressive in size, reaching a diameter of 22 cm. The variety is also unusual in its color change during flowering: the greenish tint that the inflorescences have at the beginning of flowering changes to snow-white when the Incredibol hydrangea is in full bloom.

"Hayes Starburst" recognized by experts as one of the most sophisticated. Its superiority is not in its height (up to 120 cm), but in its properties - the shrub tolerates well harsh winters, and due to its high frost resistance, it is popular not only in middle lane, but also in the regions of the Urals and Siberia. But its main advantage is the type of plant. The shrub has very beautiful double leaves, and the white flowers are unusual: they have double petals forming a star-shaped shape.

Hydrangea tree Pink Pinkushen- is still quite a rare variety. However, it deserves the attention of gardeners for its uniqueness. In shape, it is compact and neat, the dimensions in height and width are approximately the same, up to 130 cm. Unlike many other varieties, the pink inflorescences of this one are shaped not like a ball, but like a pyramid or dome.

Reproduction

The ornamental hydrangea shrub is propagated by cuttings, sowing seeds or dividing the bush.

• When propagated by cuttings, they are prepared using shoots no older than one year. Cuttings are carried out during the flowering period of the plant, in June or July. When preparing the cutting, you must ensure that its lower cut is oblique, the upper cut is straight, and the cutting itself has one internode. The prepared cuttings are planted in the prepared mixture, consisting of two parts peat and one part sand. The cuttings sprinkled with sand are fed with root fertilizer. Within 20 days, the plantings will be completely rooted.
• A rarely used method of propagating hydrangea is by sowing seeds. Planting containers are filled with a mixture of soil and sand with the addition of peat and humus. The seeds are sown and then fertilized with a solution of complex fertilizers. Bushes that have grown to 30-35 cm in autumn are covered in preparation for winter.
• Another method of propagation is dividing the bush, carried out in spring or autumn. The bush removed from the ground is divided into several parts so that each has buds. Planting of divided bushes is carried out as standard.

Planting and caring for hydrangea

If you want tree hydrangea to grow and bloom on your site, planting it will not require any special approach from you. However, you need to know some specific features, inherent in the cultivation of tree hydrangea.

Choosing a place for flowering bush, it should be borne in mind that the plant prefers acidic soils.

If the acidity of the area intended for hydrangea is low, special preparation of the soil is necessary. For this you can use ready mixture for planting azaleas, and in addition - peat mixed with soil. Superphosphate and potassium sulfate must be added to this mixture. It is acceptable to use humus or compost.

Important: due to the fact that the shrub does not tolerate extreme heat, it is advisable to choose a place for it where it will be in partial shade during the day.

When preparing a hole for planting hydrangeas, the following dimensions are observed: the width and length of the hole are at least 60 cm, and the depth is 50 cm.

Preparing a seedling. Before planting, trim the shoot, leaving 3-4 buds on it. The roots of the seedling also need to be trimmed.

Hydrangea is planted in spring and autumn. Spring planting Possible after frost ends, when the ground is sufficiently warm.

Important: before planting, you need to add 50 g to the hole mineral fertilizers.

Before planting, the seedling is placed in warm water with the addition of a small amount of manganese.

A hydrangea seedling placed in a prepared hole is covered with soil mixture, spill well with water. It is necessary to ensure that root collar The seedling was buried no more than 3 cm. For good survival, mulching of the planting is mandatory. Traditional items are used as mulch: sawdust, pine needles, expanded clay, paper, film.

Watering hydrangea associated with its requirement for moist soil. The plant does not tolerate drought at all. Therefore, watering should be timely, regular, fairly abundant, but without overwatering.

Loosening bushes carried out three times during the season. To sufficiently saturate the plant roots with oxygen optimal depth loosening - 5 cm.

Mulching the plant start in May. Crushed peat is used as mulch, which is applied in a 10 cm thick layer to the soil. Before mulching with peat it is useful to use complex fertilizer, for example, “Kemira flower”.

Top dressing- a necessary process when growing hydrangea. Due to the fact that the plant prefers acidic soil, during the formation of buds the plant should be fed with fertilizers containing potassium, iron, phosphorus, and nitrogen. Manure is also used as fertilizer. Young plantings are fed more often, up to three times per season.

To enhance the strength of the shoots, hydrangea is watered three times a season with a weak solution of potassium manganese. The solution is applied at the root, and also applied to the crown of the bush.

Important: in the absence of mineral fertilizers, hydrangea can be fed with fermented milk products with or without the addition of small pieces of bread.

Tree hydrangea pruning is done in the fifth year of the plant's life, at the beginning of winter or early spring, in March. When pruning, 10 to 20 cm of the plant is removed.

Preparations for winter are carried out traditionally. You must first remove dry branches and foliage from the bush. Then the bush is thoroughly covered with fallen leaves, sawdust or peat. You can place boards on top, then for a variety with flexible shoots growing on the site, they are attached to the ground, pinned and covered.

Named after a beautiful girl ornamental shrub — bright decoration any area. It also feels great indoors, as an indoor flower.

Hydrangea is a minimum of care and maximum pleasure!

Tree hydrangea (lat. Hydrangea arborescens)- a shrub native to North America. IN natural conditions The hydrangea plant reaches 2 meters in height, but in our gardens (in the middle zone) it rarely exceeds 1.5 meters. The leaves of the tree hydrangea are oval-shaped, quite large, and have a bright bluish-green hue. Hydrangea flowers are sterile, collected in spherical inflorescences.

Tree hydrangea blooming in the garden

Popular varieties of tree hydrangea

• Hydrangea Annabelle– the bush reaches 1-1.5 m in height, and up to 3 m in diameter. The inflorescences of this tree-like hydrangea are large, the flowers white. The shrub is evergreen, the leaves do not turn yellow in autumn;
• Hydrangea Pink Pinkushen- a low shrub (only up to 1.2 m in height), up to 1.5 m wide. Can be planted both in sunny areas and in partial shade. Blooms with pinkish-white flowers;
• Hydrangea tree Grandiflora– blooms with cream flowers, numerous inflorescences. This should not be confused with the species Hydrangea grandiflora;
• Hydrangea Sterilis– the inflorescences are large, with white-green flowers, which become completely white over time. Blooms long and profusely.

Planting and caring for tree hydrangea

Lighting

Where to plant tree hydrangea? They grow best away from trees in areas where the sun's rays will hit the plant only in the morning and evening. Places exposed to direct sunlight are not suitable for hydrangeas.

Soil for tree hydrangea

Places with light soil are the best for growing tree hydrangea. For more active growth It is useful to add humus to the soil. As an option, you can add a little sand, peat and leaf soil to the hole when planting hydrangeas. You cannot add lime and ash to the soil - the hydrangea may get sick.

How to grow tree hydrangea in open ground

Watering tree hydrangea

Tree hydrangea is a very moisture-loving plant, so in the summer it is watered at least once a week, pouring 1-2 buckets of water under each bush. It is better to use rain water for irrigation, collecting it in tanks and letting it settle. If the area is not mulched, then the soil needs to be loosened and weeded to remove weeds. To ensure that the soil retains moisture for as long as possible, tree trunk circles plants can be mulched with sawdust or peat.

Planting tree hydrangea in open ground

When to replant tree hydrangea? Hydrangea bushes are replanted in the spring, at the beginning of March, but they must first be prepared for replanting (at the end of autumn). To make it easier for the hydrangea to endure this procedure, you need to dig a small trench around the bush and fill it with compost. In order for the compost to be better absorbed by the plant, the trench must be regularly filled with water.

Pruning tree hydrangea in the fall after flowering

Feeding tree hydrangea

For full development, active growth and abundant flowering Tree hydrangea must be fertilized. How to feed hydrangea? The first fertilizing is carried out in the spring at the beginning of the growing season - it is best to apply ready-made fertilizers similar to “Kemira-flower”. Next time the plant will need to be fed during the formation of buds, for which 25-30 g of potassium and 50 g of phosphorus are added. Can be applied to the soil as fertilizers fermented milk products(in small quantities and diluted with water). To reduce the likelihood of fungal diseases and strengthen the shoots, you can water the bush with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Tree hydrangea pruning

Only adult bushes – older than 4 years – require mandatory pruning. When to prune tree hydrangea? In adult specimens, shoots need to be shortened by 20 cm every spring, which stimulates the growth of new shoots and inflorescences. Up to 4 years, pruning is carried out exclusively for sanitary purposes, removing frozen and shriveled branches.

Propagation of tree hydrangea

How to propagate tree hydrangea? Most often they resort to vegetative methods reproduction, which allows maintaining varietal differences in shrubs. These include cuttings, dividing the bush and propagating hydrangeas by layering.

Propagation of tree hydrangea by division

When dividing a hydrangea bush, it is dug up and divided with a shovel into 2-3 parts, each of which should have shoots and a normal healthy root system. The cut areas must be treated before planting in a new location. charcoal. You can not dig up the entire bush, but simply separate a part with a sharp shovel, but do not forget to then spill the section with a solution of potassium permanganate. All these procedures are carried out in early spring before the sap begins to flow.

Cuttings need to be cut at the time of flowering of hydrangea. Young apical, non-woody shoots are suitable. Before planting them in a mixture of peat and sand for rooting, the cutting areas must be treated with a root formation stimulator. Tree hydrangea seedlings are planted in July, and already in August they can be planted in a permanent place.

Cuttings of tree hydrangea

Reproduction of hydrangea by apical layering

The easiest way and with the least harm to the plant is to propagate tree hydrangeas by layering. All you need to do is bend the hydrangea shoot to the ground, secure it with a pin and sprinkle it with soil. The shoot should stick out from the ground at an angle of 45º. For rooting, you need to periodically water the area and add soil. It will be possible to separate the rooted cuttings from the mother plant and plant them in a permanent place next spring. The young bush will bloom for 4-5 years.

Diseases and pests of tree hydrangea

The most common pest of tree hydrangeas is aphids. Please note: if there are ants on the site, there will also be aphids, so you need to deal with them comprehensively.

A common disease on hydrangeas is leaf chlorosis, which can be eliminated by treating the plant with a solution of iron salts.

Reasons why tree hydrangea does not bloom:

• young age - hydrangeas begin to bloom only at 4-5 years of age;
• freezing of shoots;
• improper care of hydrangea in the garden ( insufficient watering, lack of fertilizer and too much pruning).

Despite the fact that hydrangea requires attention and certain actions, it is becoming more and more popular with gardeners every year. And all because of its incredibly beautiful and numerous inflorescences that decorate the garden from June to September. Well, don’t forget about the frost resistance of tree hydrangea, which is another advantage.