The bulk of the varieties of hydrangea is intended for growing in flower beds and gardens, and not at home.
However, there are indoor species of plants, such as garden or large-leaf hydrangea. The birthplace of flowers is Japan, from which they were brought to Europe. In nature, it is a perennial shrub with large spherical inflorescences, which, when bloomed, acquire a pale green color, which subsequently transforms into white, blue or red.
Large leaf hydrangea is not suitable for planting in open ground, because unlike other varieties, it loves heat very much and will not be able to winter in the open air. For this reason, it is used as a pot plant. Distribution of forms with lilac, pink and white flowers. Hydrangea oval leaves, having notches along the perimeter, reach 10-15 centimeters in length. Inflorescences are presented in the form of a ball with a diameter of up to 20 cm.
Hydrangea room: care
Growing hydrangeas is not particularly difficult if certain rules are followed. The plant needs diffused bright light, although it also tolerates partial shade. Despite the fact that street hydrangeas tolerate negative temperatures well, some varieties need to be covered for the winter. Indoor hydrangea feels great in a dry room in which the air temperature does not fall below 5 degrees Celsius.
In summer, when rapid growth occurs, flowers should be abundantly watered with soft water, in which there is no lime. For these purposes, rain or melt water is suitable. During flowering, hydrangea needs to be fed every two weeks with mineral fertilizers for home flowers.
The best environment for the plant is open air. Indoor hydrangea is no exception. In warm time, flower pots must be taken out to the balcony.
In order to get mature shoots by autumn, during the period of maximum growth, the lateral processes (stepsons) and basal shoots are removed. In the autumn period, watering should be reduced, which will ripen the apical buds, from which new home flowers will bloom next year. Indoor hydrangea should remain in the open air until the leaves begin to fall off. After that, it should be returned to the room where the plant will winter.
If flowers are not brought into the house, then in any case they need to provide rest for three months. In this case, hydrangea is watered only to prevent drying of the roots.
In order to get early flowering, hydrangea in February is transplanted into pots in the new land. For the substrate, heather, clay, turf soil and sand or a mixture of deciduous and peat soil with sand are taken. In the same period, pruning is carried out. Weak stems are removed, leaving only up to 5 strong shoots. This is done to obtain large inflorescences. With proper care, indoor hydrangea begins to bloom in April-May.
Indoor hydrangea: reproduction
Division of the plant is carried out in spring by cuttings from root shoots. You can propagate by dividing the bush. Cuttings are planted in containers filled with a mixture of coarse sand with peat. They are covered with glass jars. To avoid root decay, do not water the soil abundantly. After rooting, lasting about 3 weeks, the plant is transplanted to a permanent place in the pot.
Hydrangea disease
The culture is resistant to disease, but very sensitive to violation of irrigation rules. Lack of water in summer leads to wilting of flowers and leaves, the plant is very difficult to recover. Excessive moisture in the winter leads to rotting of the roots and loss of the plant.