Any summer cottage will be transformed beyond recognition for the better, if it is ennobled by plantings of magnificent hydrangea. This plant is unpretentious, demonstrates lush and bright flowering, therefore, it is popular with many gardeners. Practice shows that growing beautiful bushes in the open field is a simple and time-consuming task. However, knowledge of the nuances and features will protect against errors and death of the bushes. Consider how to care for hydrangea in the country, so that it causes pride in their work and envy of the neighbors.
First step: choose the type of hydrangea
In fact, the family of hydrangea flowers is quite extensive. Most often, deciduous species are cultivated. They feel great in open ground in the Russian climate. Varieties, as well as species, are also very many. For planting in the country or in the garden, they recommend large-leaved (loosestrife), paniculate and tree-like hydrangea. They are very beautiful, perfectly take root and practically do not bring problems. However, before looking after a hydrangea tree-like, large-leafed or panicled hydrangea in the country, you need to familiarize yourself with their features. Perhaps some variety will not suit one or another grower.
Tree hydrangea
There are many subspecies of this plant, but any of them is very simple to care for. The height of the bush can reach from one to three meters, and inflorescences-balls in diameter are almost thirty centimeters. The leaves are smooth and large, can take various forms: dentate, ribbed, ovoid or heart-shaped. Inflorescences grow in the form of umbrellas, bear fruit at the end of the season. The flowers most often have a purple-pinkish color.
Panicle hydrangea
It can grow in the form of a large bush up to three meters in height or a ten-meter tree on the stem. It all depends on how to form the crown. Buds appear in the second half of summer, inflorescences acquire a conical elongated shape. There are early varieties, representatives of which bloom in June.
A feature of panicle hydrangea is the ability to change the color of flowers during the season. For example, at the beginning they can be whitish, and towards the end - transparent light green. This type of plant has pyramidal inflorescences with a wide base. Buds most often have white, lilac, pink or burgundy color. Breeders annually develop new varieties. Among them, it is worth noting the hydrangea Kiuszu, which is one of a kind has a smell.
This species is the most frost-resistant and unpretentious. If you know how to care for panicle hydrangea in the country, then its planting will be crowned with success.
Leaf hydrangea
When talking about hydrangeas, it usually appears large-leaved species, which are planted everywhere. Inflorescences are quite impressive in size, in diameter can reach thirty centimeters. Petals are painted in snow-white, blue or pink tones. Flowers begin to appear in the middle of summer, and fade at the beginning of autumn.
The leaves are large, wide, have an egg-shaped, and this is a bit like willow. As the practice of gardeners shows, this species perfectly survives both at home and in the open ground.
Consider how to care for hydrangeas loosestrife, paniculate, and tree-like hydrangea in the country.
Second step: determine the method of reproduction
Modern flower growers, as a rule, practice only two methods of propagating hydrangea. This is the seed and cuttings method. The first is considered very time-consuming and is suitable, perhaps, for experienced florists. It is mainly used by breeders to conduct their experiments. Nevertheless, it is worth paying attention to both methods.
Propagation of the plant by cuttings
When friends engage in hydrangea pruning at their site, you can join them to collect future planting material. At the same time, they can be asked how to properly grow and care for hydrangea in the country.
So, from the remote shoots you need to prepare pieces that have two nodes. They are planted in a container with a sand-peat mixture. The lower part of the plant should be deepened into the ground by about three centimeters, and then watered. After that, shelter is built over the sides of the temporary pot from a plastic film. Periodically, it will be necessary to spray the soil with water so that it is always in a wet state. After the shoots take root, they can be planted in open ground in the country.
Propagation of hydrangea seeds
In order not to miscalculate with growing a plant, first it is better to make sure what hydrangea seeds should look like. For them, you need to prepare a nutritious and loose substrate. Grains are placed in the soil about half a centimeter in depth and sprinkled with a thin layer of substrate. After this, the earth must be moistened by spraying with water from a spray bottle. The container with seedlings can be covered with glass or film for a month and a half. The temperature in the room should be maintained at fourteen to twenty degrees of heat. Only in this case can one count on the emergence of seedlings.
Third step: choose a place on the site
In deciding on how to care for hydrangea in the country, the choice of planting location is almost the most decisive. Abundant flowering and good growth, a shrub plant will demonstrate only in the area with good lighting. In extreme cases, a penumbra may become a compromise option. But the rays of the sun should still fall on the plant most of the day.
Colored varieties need a little shade at noon. The best place would be a flower bed in the country, to which the sun's rays fall only before lunch. After it, hydrangea should be in the shade. It is also important that the bush is protected from drafts.
Fourth step: plant hydrangea in the ground
Planting and care of hydrangea in the country usually begin in early May or late September. First, pits are prepared by digging indentations in the area. Their diameter should be fifty centimeters and a depth of one meter. It is also important to observe the interval between the excavated excavations. Usually it is made not less than one and even one and a half meters.
Soil mixture is poured into prepared pits. It should include two parts of leafy land, two parts of humus, one share of peat and one share of sand. Experienced flower growers add fertilizer to it. For ten kilograms of humus, twenty grams of potassium sulfate and urea, as well as sixty grams of granular superphosphate, are taken.
When planting, much attention is paid to the root neck. She should protrude a little over the soil. Otherwise, during its subsequent settlement, an important part of the plant will be underground. After planting, the soil must be compacted and well watered. How to care for hydrangea in the country after that? For the first time, it is protected from the daytime hot sun. For the warmest hours, seedlings are covered with agrofiber, which perfectly reflects at least part of the rays. It is also necessary to protect hydrangea from strong gusts of wind. To do this, the stem is fixed to the peg, tied up with some kind of tape.
Fifth step: regular watering
Hydrangea is exactly the plant that loves water very much. Not without reason in his Latin name is part of the "hydra". These flowers need to be watered abundantly and every week. Two large buckets of water must be poured under each bush. This is about fifteen to twenty liters per one-time consumption for each instance. In rainy weather, the frequency of watering is reduced. The previous irrigation regime can be resumed if the last rainfall was a week ago. To improve resistance to infections and improve the growth of hydrangea bushes, it is recommended to add a pinch of potassium permanganate into the water for irrigation.
Sixth step: periodically loosen the soil
Now let's move on to how to care for hydrangea in the country during its active period. During the season, you need to loosen the soil around the plant twice with a depth of about six centimeters. This is best done after weeding and watering. Usually used choppers with long teeth, which provide air flow to the roots.
To preserve moisture, gardeners practice mulching the trunk circle. It is recommended to use old sawdust, needles, peat and moss. They will save moisture, and rid of weeds. Each layer should be about five centimeters thick. For example, if you fall asleep mulch in the spring, then it will perfectly retain its properties until the fall. Experienced gardeners prefer this particular method of soil care. Since it is guaranteed to relieve from constant loosening and weeding. It will only be necessary to water and fertilize.
Seventh step: color hydrangea
This item is not required to be implemented, but it does have a place. But often the care of hydrangea in the garden and in the country implies this action. It is surprising that, depending on the chemical composition of the soil, the flowers of this plant will change their color. This sometimes does not work with specimens having white petals. But with the rest you can freely experiment.
Inflorescences will acquire a pink hue if acidity is increased in the soil. For this, gardeners usually make phosphate top dressing. You can water the bushes with a solution of aluminum alum. Pink hydrangea petals can turn purple, and white - blue. Usually, forty grams of the substance is taken per ten liters of water. Under each bush you need to pour two buckets. The procedure is repeated after ten days.
Eighth step: prune the plant
If the plant was planted in the spring, then in the fall you need to prune. After the summer, all faded parts must be removed. They can not be left for the winter. Caring for hydrangea in the spring at the cottage also includes pruning. The best time for this procedure is March. As a rule, up to ten to twelve strong and healthy shoots are left as much as possible.
If the bush is already old, then it can be easily rejuvenated with strong pruning. The root hydrangea system is particularly powerful, so this will only benefit the plant. Initially, young growth will be lively and strong. Usually all trunks are trimmed to such an extent that stumps about six centimeters high remain. Later, fresh and young shoots will appear from them, which will please with large caps of flowers in the next season.
The ninth step: to feed
In general, hydrangea, which is planted in a new hole, does not need additional nutrition for two years. If this time has already passed, then fertilizers should be applied four times a year.
How to care for hydrangea in the country in the early spring to stimulate growth? To do this, use a special solution. For ten liters of water, 25 grams of urea, 35 grams of potassium sulfate and forty grams of superphosphate are taken. Instead, you can use complex mineral dressings with trace elements. They take about thirty grams per ten liters of water.
The second top dressing is carried out during the formation of buds. Fifty grams of potassium sulfate and eighty grams of superphosphate are applied per square meter of soil under the bush.
The third top dressing is carried out in the summer, in July. Ten liters of mullein solution are poured under each bush. Sometimes they use liquid infusion of any herb. In any case, ten parts of water are taken per part of the additive.
For the fourth time, hydrangea is fertilized in August. The recipe can be taken the same as for the third top dressing.
It is important to remember that lime for hydrangea care in the country in the spring, summer and generally in any period is categorically not suitable! Such fertilizer can completely destroy the whole plant.
The tenth step: to shelter hydrangea for the winter
Treelike hydrangea is excellent without shelter. But panicle and large-leaved species can no longer survive without it in winter. So that the roots do not freeze, they perform hilling with rotted manure. Some gardeners equip a fifteen-centimeter protective layer of dry leaves, needles, moss and peat. After it, agrofibre is laid on it. In such "clothes" hydrangea perfectly wintered.
It is important to remember that young plantings of any variety need to be wrapped up for the winter. Because they are not yet strong enough to combat frost. The coating is the same - leaves and agrofibre.
Now you know how to care for hydrangea in the country, so that it delights everyone with its large and bright inflorescences.