Today in residential premises you can find a huge number of various plants that delight with their beauty. The scientific name for hydrangea is hydrangea macrophyll. The plant belongs to the Flowering department, the Hydrangea family. In total, it has about 80 species, among which there are both large shrubs and small trees. Under natural conditions, this flower can be found in China, Japan, America, as well as Southeast Asia. Every year there are more and more hybrid varieties. Today, many people prefer to grow hydrangeas in pots on balconies, terraces and verandas. Let's take a closer look at what hydrangea is, care at home for this flower, as well as other issues related to its cultivation.
Indoor Beauty: Description
Home hydrangea is a perennial shrub with large serrated leaves. The inflorescences of this plant resemble balls in their shape. They are quite large and can reach a diameter of 35 cm. Usually, inflorescences consist of two types of flowers: they are large along the edges, and small in the middle. Their color is determined by the type of soil. In acidic soil, the inflorescences will have a bluish tint, and in alkaline soil - lilac or pink. Hydrangea fruits are small boxes with seeds. The plant can reach about a meter in height. What needs to be done to please hydrangea? Home care and photos will be discussed later.
What is hydrangea needed for?
Let us dwell on this in more detail. Many today want to grow such a bright and wonderful flower as hydrangea on their balcony in the summer. Care and growing at home are not particularly difficult. A spacious, bright place is best for a flower. At the same time, hydrangea should not be exposed to direct sunlight. For proper growth and development of the flower, the optimal temperature will be 20 degrees. Try to avoid sudden changes and drafts.
Immediately after flowering, the plant falls into a dormant state. During this period, it is better to put the flower pot in a cool place, the temperature in which does not rise above 10 degrees. There, the flower should be left until the buds begin to wake up. After that, you can return it to familiar conditions. Wintering in a cool, dark room will help the plant better restore the energy spent on flowering. In case of non-compliance with this requirement, the next appearance of buds should be expected only after a year.
Watering scheme
So what do you need to know about this? An important part of hydrangea care is watering. It should be regular. In summer, it must be carried out as often as possible. In spring and autumn, the flower should be watered sparingly. During periods of rest, hydrangea is moisturized purely symbolically. For irrigation, a settled or filtered liquid is best. If you live in an ecologically clean area, you can use rainwater. It is recommended to pour the flower about once a month with liquid with lemon juice. Hydrangeas require not only moist soil, but also air. For this reason, do not place the flower next to heating appliances, try to spray it as often as possible.
How does the fertilizer process go?
What do you need to know? At home, hydrangea must be fertilized. Feeding is best done during the period of active growth. Fertilizers are applied once every two weeks. Comprehensive nutrients for flowering plants are best suited as top dressings. They can begin to be used in February. It was at this time that new shoots of plants formed. In winter, when the flower is resting, it is not necessary to feed it.
Pruning
On the windowsills of many city apartments today you can see such a flower as indoor hydrangea. Home care (there is a photo in this article) is what interests beginner gardeners. An obligatory step in the cultivation of hydrangea is pruning. It is carried out twice a year. The first time pruning is carried out in the fall, after the plant fades. In this case, it is necessary to remove weak shoots under the root, and more developed ones to halve. In spring, the plant must be rid of too elongated weak shoots.
Home culture transplant
How should hydrangea grow? Home care must necessarily include the annual flower transplant procedure. As a houseplant, hydrangea lives 3-4 years. After that, you can plant a new flower. Fertile soil is best suited. For growing hydrangeas, soil consisting of one part of sand and three parts of leaf and turf soil is suitable. The pot should be wide and spacious. This is due to the fact that hydrangea has a horizontal root system. The flower is transplanted by transshipment. This method reduces damage to the roots. At the bottom of the dishes for planting, plants lay a thick layer of drainage. When the plants are replanted, fresh soil must be added to the new container so that it fills all the voids. The root neck of the flower should be flush with the surface of the soil. When hydrangea is transplanted and the soil is moist, it is worth covering the soil with a layer of peat mulch. This will create the necessary humidity. The liquid will not evaporate quickly from the substrate.
Hydrangea propagation by cuttings
This issue should be given special attention. The easiest way to propagate hydrangea with the help of cuttings. They can form a bush with a large number of stems until next fall. If you prepare the cuttings in the spring, then most likely you will get only a single-stem plant.
Many beginner gardeners are attracted by chic hydrangea. Home care, photos and reproduction are discussed in this article. For harvesting cuttings, root shoots of 7-8 centimeters long are used. The selected segment must have at least three internodes. Leaves that are located on the bottom of the cuttings must be removed. The upper parts are made two or even three times shorter.
A root stimulant can be used to process the lower cut of the cuttings. After that, they should be planted in a substrate consisting of peat and sand. For some time, the cuttings are kept in the light. The temperature should not fall below 18 degrees, and humidity - below 75%. To create such conditions use glass jars. Every day they are removed for ventilation. The soil must be moistened. Cuttings will give roots after about 3-4 weeks. After that, they can be seated in separate containers.
Seed use
Today, hydrangea flower is very common. Home care for this plant largely depends on the method of reproduction. For example, if you use seeds for planting a crop, you need to carefully approach the choice of soil. It should consist of equal parts of leaf and turf land. Additionally, you can add more on the part of sand and humus. Small hydrangea seeds are best sown at the end of winter. For this purpose it is better to use a small capacity. From above they need to be covered with a film or glass. Every day, planted seeds should be aired. Moisten the soil as needed. As soon as the first shoots appear, the glass must be removed. When the first real leaves appear in the seedlings, they can be transplanted into deep containers. After the plants are finally strong, they should be moved to larger pots.
Bush division
Here is another option for propagating hydrangea at room. A home grower will also master home care. This method of reproduction is considered quite simple. However, some dexterity is required to complete it. The hydrangea bush during transplantation must be divided so that each split has its own growth point and a certain number of roots. Shoots and roots before planting should be slightly shortened. After this, the plants must be planted in separate containers and watered. It is desirable to cover the soil on the surface with peat mulch. It is best to deal with this method of propagation of hydrangea in the spring. Then by the fall you will receive well-rooted delenki.
What are the diseases and pests
Many dream that they have hydrangea in a pot on their windowsill. Home care for this plant includes the fight against infections and pests. Quite often, the flower is affected by gray rot. The reason may be too high humidity. To cope with this ailment, it is necessary to use Bordeaux fluid.
Another disease that can develop as a result of high humidity is powdery mildew. To combat it, you will have to use preparations containing copper, as well as fungicides.
With insufficient moisture, hydrangea can be affected by a spider mite. To destroy these pests, it is necessary to use a soap solution or Actellik.
If you notice that the plant begins to turn yellow, then most likely you do not follow the rules of care.
A similar sign may indicate:
- insufficient watering;
- low nitrogen content in the soil;
- high concentration of alkali in the soil.
If you quickly eliminate these causes, you can cure the plant.
At home, hydrangea sometimes begins to dry.
This may occur for the following reasons:
- lack of nutrients in the soil;
- insufficient watering;
- damage to the roots during transplantation.
To eliminate these problems, just follow the rules for caring for the plant. Try increasing the amount of watering and humidifying the air more often.
Why can not jasmine indoor hydrangea bloom? Home care must necessarily include rest in the winter. The plant must properly gain nutrients. Otherwise, he simply will not have the strength to bloom. In winter, it is necessary to provide the flower with a good rest in a dark room. Hydrangea can simply be taken to the basement or other room. Experts recommend removing all leaves from the plant, and cut the shoots in half. It is best to carry out this procedure in December. Then in February hydrangea will be able to return to life. If you follow this simple rule, then hydrangea will bloom in due time.
As a result of exposure to sunlight, hydrangea can become stained. Therefore, it is recommended to place pots with these flowers on the western or eastern side. Hydrangea will grow well and away from windows, especially if the room is located on the south side. The plant will have enough diffused light. To avoid breaking thin stems, sometimes you need to maintain heavy inflorescences. You can use special props for branches for this purpose.
How should jasmine hydrangea grow? Home care should from time to time include moving the plant to open air. At positive temperatures, it is best to keep the culture on the veranda or balcony. If this is not possible, try to ventilate the room as often as possible.
Change color
Why do many gardeners today want to grow a plant like hydrangea? Home care and photo flowers - all this interests the housewives who want to decorate their garden with magnificent inflorescences. This plant attracts many for the simple reason that with the help of special tools added to the soil, the color of the inflorescence can be changed. We are talking about drugs that change the acidity of the soil. A neutral soil is characterized by a pH of 7.0. If the value is lower, then the soil is acidic, if higher - alkaline.
In acidic soil with a pH level of 3 to 6, inflorescences will have blue, blue and purple hues. In neutral soil, hydrangea will have a white and light color. In alkaline soil with a low aluminum content, the flowers are red and pink.
In what land is hydrangea better growing? Planting and care at home should be carried out in soil with acidity in the range from 5.5 to 6.0 pH. Hydrangea does not tolerate strongly alkaline soil. In it, the plant may not absorb iron, which threatens leaf chlorosis. To maintain the desired level of acidity, it is recommended to use coniferous litter, horse peat, pine bark, citric acid and potassium permanganate. You can measure the pH level a few days after the application of special products. If the acidity is still less than the required value, it is worth repeating the procedure.
Thus, you can easily recolor red and pink flowers in purple and blue. If you pour only one side of the plant with the prepared solution, a very interesting effect can be obtained. That is what beginner growers usually want to achieve. It is possible to verify everything before planting if you look at the photo of the hydrangea at room. Home care was presented in the article.
When processing, be sure to ensure that the composition does not fall on the flowers and leaves. Remember that the color of the plants will not change instantly.
Conclusion
As you can see for yourself, growing a chic flowering hydrangea bush is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. Many terms and conditions must be observed. However, if you familiarize yourself with all the questions in advance, you will have a gorgeous hydrangea flower. Home care is not very difficult, you can grow a beautiful bright bush in your apartment.