Hydrangea is a wonderful flower, which is not difficult to grow even for the most experienced gardener. This largely explains its high demand.
Origin history
Hydrangea as a species grew even during the tertiary period, when most of the northern hemisphere was covered with impenetrable forests. It was not about her cultivation. Excavations in Alaska and in some regions of the United States showed that the flower successfully grew more than 40-70 million years ago.
Hydrangeas come in many different colors.
Hydrangea came to Europe only at the beginning of the 14th century. Initially, the flower began to be grown for the rich and noble. It existed in two varieties: white and scarlet.
Today there are more than 70 varieties of hydrangea, it is available for planting in almost any region with fertile soil.
Flower description
Those who are interested in hydrangea garden planting and outdoor care in the Urals are well aware of what this flower looks like. It is a perennial that can grow to a height of 2 meters. The plant has bright green ovoid leaves and an upright stalk.
Flowers can be of different shades: from white to bright purple. They form at the ends of shoots and form into beautiful inflorescences in the form of caps. Hydrangea blooms in July and August.
Hydrangea inflorescences can not only have a spherical shape
Difficult climatic conditions have long been no obstacle to growing a flower. Hydrangea flower in the Urals cultivation in recent years is quite active. In order for the flower to feel comfortable in a rather harsh climate, it is important to choose the right variety for planting.
Panicled varieties for the Urals
In search of an answer to the question of which hydrangea is best planted in the Urals, it is recommended to pay attention to the following panicled varieties.
Dart's Little Dot (Dart's Little Dot)
This panicle hydrangea for planting and care in the open ground in the Urals is optimally suited. If desired, it can even be planted in a pot. This is a relatively low shrub, up to 1 meter high, with pale pink inflorescences.
Dart's Little Dot (Dart's Little Dot)
The flowering period of this Ural hydrangea falls in the summer (July and August), and often goes into autumn, if September is relatively warm.
Kyushu
Another excellent hydrangea cultivar in the Urals for cultivation in the garden is Kyushu. This is a three-meter shrub with a chic crown. The inflorescences of the variety have a white color, which closer to autumn acquires a light pink hue.
Caring for a variety is easy. Hydrangea tolerates both cold and drought. The main condition for full flowering is a sufficient amount of moisture.
Vanilla Fraise
The Vanilla Frize variety is also great for planting in harsh climatic zones. This is a powerful shrub growing up to two meters. It blooms for a very long time: from June to October. The flowers are usually white, at the end of the flowering period they begin to turn pink.
Vanilla Fraise
This type of hydrangea is very popular, is widely used for decorative purposes.
Unique (Unique)
Panicled hydrangea Unik also belongs to the frost-resistant varieties and is one of the most popular flower varieties. Its advantage is that it grows very well and fills all the available space. Unik variety is often used to create hedges. Hydrangea blooms with white inflorescences until the end of September.
Tree-like varieties for the Urals
For planting in the Ural region, some tree-like varieties of hydrangea are perfect.
Annabelle
The Annabelle tree-like hydrangea is a dome-shaped bush, the height of which can reach one and a half meters. At this large-leaved hydrangea, when planting in the Urals, flowers begin to bloom closer to mid-summer and continue to bloom until the end of September.
Annabelle
Thanks to good indicators of frost resistance, a perennial plant can survive even very severe frosts without problems and can decorate home countryside plots and flower beds for at least 40 years.
Sterilis
Hydrangea Sterilis is another successful variety for the Urals. The variety is characterized by a high survival rate of cuttings, as well as rapid growth with minimal care. Inflorescences of this hydrangea can reach 30 centimeters in diameter. Given the fact that flowering lasts from July to October, Stirilis is able to become a real decoration of landscape design.
Hayes Starburst
Hydrangea Hayes Starburst is a shrub whose height can vary from 1 to 3 m. Inflorescences can be spherical, flat pyramidal or spherical. The main characteristic of the variety is high winter hardiness. The plant is able to survive frosts up to -35 degrees.
The above varieties are not limited to those varieties of hydrangea that can grow in the Urals. The same list can include varieties Mirage, Pink Diamond, Nikko Blue and several others. Inflorescences can be selected in any color. It can be blue, white, pink, red or even a two-tone flower variety.
Open transplant
In open ground, hydrangea should be planted in the spring. Depending on the region, the time of planting work can vary, and quite significantly.
Hydrangea seedlings before planting in open ground should have time to get stronger
What you need for landing
In order to transplant a plant into the ground, it is not enough just to wait until spring comes. It is important to choose the right time period. For the Urals, the end of April or the beginning of May is best suited. Planting will require a viable seedling, fertile soil and a minimum list of garden tools.
Where better to plant
For planting hydrangea, you should choose a moderately moist land. Although the plant is considered moisture-loving, it does not tolerate moisture stagnation.
The landing site should be slightly shaded. It is optimal for the sun to illuminate it only in the morning or evening. During the day, the plant will be more comfortable in partial shade.
Landing process
A pit for planting needs to be prepared in advance: at least a month, but better in the fall.
Further, the algorithm of actions is approximately the following:
- Water the pit plentifully.
- Put the seedling in the center of the pit.
- Spread the roots of the plant.
- Fill the pit with soil from the upper fertile layer mixed with acid peat.
- Compact the earth.
- Abundantly water the seedling.
Important! Soil distribution in the planting pit should be uniform. You should especially try to avoid voids between the roots of the plant. This will allow to achieve the fastest possible adaptation of hydrangea to a new place of growth.
Breeding
Hydrangea propagation can be carried out in two main ways:
- from cuttings;
- from the seeds.
Cuttings
The best time for cuttings is in the middle of summer, when buds begin to appear on the plant. Cuttings should be cut from young plants, cutting off the leafy part of the stem with a pair of buds. Cuttings must be placed in a solution of the root growth stimulator so that leaves do not fall into it. You can plant the cuttings when the root system has developed sufficiently.
Seeds
Hydrangea seeds do not require any preplant planting, so they can be sown in boxes directly from the packaging. The box after sowing must be covered with polyethylene or glass. Despite the fact that the shoots appear in 20 days, within two years they will need to be grown at home and planted in the garden only for the third year.
Hydrangea seeds
In view of the complexity and duration, this method is rarely used. Most gardeners prefer cuttings.
Hydrangea Care
The most correct answer to the question of how to grow hydrangea in a garden in the Urals is to provide the plant with proper care. Discover America in this case will not have to. It is enough just to periodically feed the plant, add and properly cook for the winter.
Watering
Hydrangea is a moisture-loving plant, therefore it needs to be watered abundantly, especially in summer and in the heat. Water the plant should be directly under the root, preventing water from entering the foliage and flowers.
Top dressing
Hydrangea should be fed three times a year: in spring, summer and autumn. The first top dressing should contain a sufficient amount to form a healthy foliage of nitrogen. As a second, green organic fertilizer, such as nettle infusion, is best suited.
Inflorescence pruning - a mandatory autumn procedure
This will allow the plant to bloom faster. As for autumn fertilizers, they should contain potassium, which will allow hydrangeas to survive even the harshest winter.
Winter preparations
Preparing hydrangea for winter necessarily involves the removal of all faded inflorescences. In parallel with this, thinning and sanitary pruning is carried out.
Although the Ural winters are severe, woody and panicle hydrangeas are not necessary. They will survive the frost very well. You just need to spud every bush
Hydrangea is an excellent choice for any gardener. The plant is so diverse that it can be planted on the site at least in order to discover new varieties and enjoy their amazing beauty.
