Tree hydrangea: agricultural technology and the best varieties

Tree-like, or as it is also called smooth hydrangea, is gaining more and more popularity among gardeners every year. Now she is found in very many areas. With regard to the natural environment, this shrub can be found on wooded slopes in eastern North America, as well as in many countries of Southeast Asia. This shrub has flowers of absolutely any color and shade. And also it blooms for a very long time and abundantly, which is why gardeners love it very much and plant it to decorate their site. Its huge advantage is that it is practically not whimsical, and also grows very quickly and beautifully. This shrub does a very good job of hedging and goes very well with any other plant.

Briefly about hydrangea

As for the tree hydrangea, this shrub is very tall, grows well and, during flowering, is almost completely covered with beautiful, large flowers.

One flower of such a hydrangea can reach a diameter of 30 cm and the height of the bush can grow up to 3 meters. It all depends on the type of flower.

The flowers on the bush can be of completely different colors, and the leaves of the bush itself look very impressive and unusual. Very often in the fall, closer to frost, they can become covered with red spots, but this is rather rare, because mostly the bushes are bright green until winter.

Breeding hydrangea

When growing hydrangeas, the most important task for a gardener is to choose the right variety that will grow well on your land.

Much also depends on the correct choice of the landing site. It is imperative to take into account that alkaline soils do not suit her at all, but on the contrary she loves sour soils.

If the place, and the land itself on the site, is well suited for hydrangea, then it will bloom longer and more abundantly. And the flowers themselves will be larger and brighter. But if the land does not suit her, then she begins to ache and soon wither and die altogether. If, after all, the land on your site is alkaline, and you still really want to plant this flower, then you definitely need to prepare for planting it in advance. At least six months before planting in the ground, it will simply be necessary to apply organic fertilizers.

If in the spring you add peat or sawdust under the hydrangea bush, then you will kill two birds with one stone: mulch the soil so that moisture evaporates less and the weed does not grow, and you will also increase the acidity of the soil that this shrub loves so much.

Mulching is also very useful because in summer the roots that are very close to the surface of the earth simply do not overheat from the summer sun. But it should be borne in mind that when mulching, oxygen is practically not supplied to the roots of the plant. That is why mulch needs to be removed several times per season, and the ground around the plant is well, but gently loosened.

Choosing a place for flowers

When you choose a place to plant, first of all, you need to pay attention to what the tree hydrangea itself loves. And she, as you know, refers to light-loving flowers. So the place where it grows should be constantly well lit, but the rays should not be straight, but there should also be no shadow. If the rays are straight, then the tree hydrangea will bloom in a shorter time. And in the shade, its flowers will be much smaller.

Since the flowers of the shrub are very heavy, the lower branches lie almost on the ground, so the bushes should not be in a draft, much less in the wind, otherwise the bush may simply break.

And it is best that trees and other shrubs do not grow nearby. This is necessary so that the hydrangea always has enough water.

Before planting this shrub on your site, you must always take into account all its preferences. And since he does not like transplants at all, he will have to grow in one place for many years. That is why you need to think carefully before planting so that the flower is comfortable.

Competent bush care

By itself, the tree hydrangea is very fond of moisture, in principle, its name came from the Latin language, and in translation it is already clear even by the name itself. If there is not enough moisture, then the bush will develop poorly, which will accordingly affect flowering. The plant needs regular watering, and its schedule is developed individually, it depends on your area and climate. Each bush needs a lot of water, not only so that the water gets to the roots, but also so that a small supply remains for them, just in case. Sometimes manganese can be added to the water during watering. This will only benefit the plant.

But you should always remember that the water after irrigation should not stagnate. If this happens, the roots of the hydrangea can very quickly begin to rot, from which the plant can die very quickly. Also, so that this does not happen, before planting a shrub in the hole, it is imperative to pour something, for example, stones. This is done so that there is drainage. The plant also needs feeding. Almost all growth processes of this wonderful plant depend on the quantity and quality of feeding. In total, there should be three dressings per season. 1. Two weeks after planting, the plant needs to be watered with a mixture of potassium sulfate, urea and superphosphate. In general, such a top dressing is necessary for the shrubs every year. 2. This dressing should be carried out just before the flowering of the shrub. It was at this time that he just needed macro and microelements. After all, it is on them that the flowering of hydrangeas depends. But nitrogen at this time in no case should fall into the ground, because otherwise the plant will begin to actively gain a large amount of foliage, and all its strength will be spent on it. And there will be practically nothing left for the flowers. So in the second feeding, there must be phosphorus and potassium, but not nitrogen.

At the very end of the season, the plant needs organic matter. So under each bush you need to bring manure or humus.

Correct fit

To plant this plant on your site, seedlings can not only be bought at a gardening store, but also cuttings or cuttings from any adult plants can be taken.

But keep in mind that you need to plant hydrangeas in the spring. And before planting, the roots of the plant are best treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. If you decide to cut off cuttings from an already adult plant, then the shoots must be annual. They need to be cut in July, and they do it early in the morning, when there is a lot of dew on the bush and it has enough moisture. Cuttings must be trimmed carefully, and the end of each cutting must be treated with a preparation that stimulates root growth. And after that it can be planted in the ground. Moreover, it should be made of perk and peat. Peat, by the way, should be twice as much.

The stalk must be planted to a depth of no more than three cm and a distance of at least 10 cm.With regular watering and the correct temperature regime, in a month, the root system will grow to the required size and they can be planted in open ground. Also, hydrangea can be easily propagated by layering, by the way it is very simple. To do this, you just need to bend the one-year-old shoot to the ground and bury it with earth.Throughout the summer, the cuttings must be thoroughly watered, and the next year it can be cut off from the plant itself and the rooted cuttings can be transplanted to a permanent place where it will grow for many years.

The shrub should be planted in the spring, when repeated frosts are no longer expected and the ground has completely thawed and warmed up. Also, keep in mind that the root system of the plant needs enough space for full development, so the distance between the bushes should be at least a meter, and preferably one and a half.

A hole for planting a shrub must be prepared in advance, its depth should be at least half a meter, as well as its width. It is necessary to fill it with black soil, sand, humus and peat in a ratio of 2: 1: 2: 1. Before planting a seedling, it is advisable to cut its roots so that they are shorter. It is also necessary to remove all dried and withered leaves, and all non-viable shoots. After that, the seedling is carefully placed in the center of the pit and covered with earth. At this time, great attention should be paid to the root collar, because it should not be buried. After the pit with the seedling is covered with earth, it must be tamped well and spilled very heavily with water, so that the earth is soaked at least half a meter in depth. Young plants begin to bloom no earlier than 4 years after planting.

Pruning and insulation

Hydrangea pruning should only be done in the fourth year of life, before it begins to bloom for the first time. In general, this should be done twice a season, in spring and autumn. If you start pruning a shrub at a younger age, then it simply may not die. During autumn pruning, all wilted flowers should be removed from the bush. But as for spring, pruning must be done very carefully, preferably before sap flow begins, if you did not have time before this moment, then you need to wait until it stops and young foliage begins to grow on the bush. First of all, you always need to cut off those branches and shoots that have suffered during the winter. And after that, the old ones, which interfere with the development of young shoots, and also take all the strength from the bush. Also during the season, the bush needs to be periodically thinned out. It is necessary to remove those processes that will not bloom, this is done so that they do not take away the extra strength of the plant. You can also form the shape of a bush at any time, for this you need to cut off all the old processes, leaving several buds on them. All inflorescences and buds of hydrangea are formed only on last year's shoots. But the more inflorescences, the smaller the flowers themselves will be.

As for autumn, the plant needs to be insulated before the first frosts come. But before you cover the bushes, you need to prune. All inflorescences that have already faded are cut off, and all foliage is cut off. The ground around the bush also needs to be insulated with something, sawdust is perfect for this. Around the bush, you need to make a kind of fence of boards and all the stems are best fixed to it. After all this is done, the bush can be covered with a film or similar material and sprinkled on top with sawdust, well, or whatever. If the shelter of the plant is done well, according to all the rules, then the plant will easily endure absolutely any winter, even the most frosty one.

The most popular varieties with a description

The most popular varieties among gardeners are:

Treelike hydrangea: Anabel

Anabel - growing up to 1.5 meters in height and blooming absolutely all season. The flowers of this variety are very large, growing in diameter up to 20 cm. The color of these flowers can be either white or cream or beige. This variety needs a lot of moisture and partial shade. Since its flowers are very heavy, it is best to use props so that the stems do not break. But you can also trim.

Grandiflora - this variety has good frost resistance and grows up to two meters in height. It blooms for a very long time and the flowers are very heavy.The shrub itself has the shape of a ball that looks very impressive and original.

Sterilis - a very unusual variety due to the fact that its flowers initially have a green color, and then gradually turn white. But it also has its drawbacks, for example, it does not tolerate wind and drafts at all. Therefore, he simply needs drainage and the place for planting must be chosen with great care.

Invincibelle - this variety has pink flowers that are somewhat similar to lilacs. The color changes from dark to light during the season. This variety withstands absolutely all climatic conditions and is excellent for hedges.

Shallow - this variety can grow up to five meters in height. But when growing it, pruning must be done without fail.

Incredibol - this variety has just huge flowers growing in diameter up to 30 cm. In height such a bush can grow more than three meters. This variety is very fond of shade, it is not whimsical at all, but loves moisture very much. He begins to bloom no earlier than two years after planting.

Bella Anna - this variety is relatively young. It tolerates absolutely any frost very well. Its shoots are very strong and tough, so they do not bend to the ground.

Treelike hydrangea: Hills of Snow

Hills of Snow - this variety has just a huge number of flowers on the bush. His flowers are dazzlingly white throughout the season and only in autumn, before frost, change their color to pink.

White House - shrubs of this variety are distinguished by their short stature and a huge number of large, white flowers.

Treelike hydrangea: Pink Pinkushen

Pink Pinkushen - this undersized shrub is not whimsical at all, it blooms for a long time, but it is very hard to tolerate frosts, so it needs to be insulated as best as possible for the winter.

Hayes Starburst - this variety is undersized, but its inflorescences are simply huge. This variety is very good because it is not whimsical, at the same time it is frost-resistant and blooms for a very long time. But he also loves feeding very much and he just needs spring pruning.

Conclusion

Treelike Hydrangea itself is a unique flower that can bring not only beauty to your garden design, but also useful functions in the form of a hedge. Due to its enormous height, it will perfectly hide you from prying, neighborly eyes. If you have chosen the right variety. took into account the composition of the earth and all preferences hydrangeas when planting, as well as taking proper care of this shrub, although it is not whimsical at all, but still requiring some attention, then soon after planting it will delight you with abundant and very beautiful flowering. Subject to all the simple rules, absolutely everyone will be able to grow this wonderful shrub, regardless of whether he has experience in growing plants. And remember, never be afraid to start something new, it only initially seems difficult, but in reality it turns out to be simpler than ever.