How to grow hydrangea in the garden

Hydrangea (lat. Hydrangea) belongs to the Hortensia family, and has more than 70 species. It is valued for its variety of colors and unpretentiousness and many ways of self-breeding.

How to propagate hydrangeas

There are several ways to breed hydrangeas: green cuttings, layering, dividing the bush. The seed method is less commonly used, since growing a seedling takes about 2 years.

Propagation of hydrangeas with green cuttings

The cuttings are cut in July, when the buds are formed:

• choose the lower lateral last year's shoots;
• cut the rod in the morning;
• then the shoot is divided into parts, leaving 2-3 pairs of leaves on each;
• finished cuttings are placed in a solution of a root growth stimulator for a couple of hours;
• then they are planted in peat soil, and covered with glass jars.

Cuttings should be watered regularly. In a month, new leaves will appear on them.

Reproduction of hydrangea by layering

Layering is recommended to be done in the spring, before bud break. The soil around the bush is dug up and leveled, furrows are formed into which the lower side shoots are laid. They are pinned to the ground, and sprinkled with povoi. By October, the layers will form roots and sprout young shoots - then they can be separated.

Division of a hydrangea bush

The method is not applicable to paniculate hydrangea. In early spring, the bush is well watered, dug up, and washed off the soil from the roots. Then it is divided into several parts, and immediately planted in a new permanent place.

Seed propagation method

Growing from seeds begins in the fall:

• garden soil, peat and sand 4:2:1 are used as a substrate;
• sowing is covered with a thin layer soil mixture, moisturize, and cover with glass;
• planting is regularly ventilated and irrigated;
• the first shoots appear after 4-6 weeks;
• at the stage of development of the first leaves, the first pick is carried out;
• in May, a second pick is carried out, planting the plants in individual containers with a diameter of at least 7 cm.

During the summer, young sprouts are hardened in the fresh air, but without drafts and direct sunlight. So the seedlings grow for 2 years, regularly removing the buds - this will preserve the strength of the young sprout. AT winter time flower seedlings are kept in a bright, cool place.

Growing hydrangeas in the garden

You can start boarding in early spring when the soil is warm enough. Depending on the climate, this period may occur in late April - early May, and in northern regions autumn planting of seedlings in the ground is recommended - in September.

Choosing a place to grow hydrangeas

Culture loves moisture and sunlight. Well, if close to the surface of the soil are located ground water. Nutritious clay soil is ideal for growing, unlike sandy soil.

The best neighbors for a sprawling flower garden will be shrubs and trees. The lower tier can be filled with hosta and ferns.

Having chosen a place, you can begin to prepare the soil, oxidizing or deoxidizing it to the required level, and introducing the necessary minerals. This is done to change the color of the hydrangea buds to suit overall design garden.

Soil preparation for hydrangea

The most main feature plants in that inflorescences can change their color depending on the acidity of the soil:

• the plant may have white and beige flowers - if the soil has a neutral pH level;
• lilac and pink inflorescences are characteristic of alkaline soil;
• blue and blue - for sour.

The brightness of blue hues depends on the level of iron in the soil, the more it is, the more saturated blue the flowers will be. To enhance the shade, the soil under the bush is watered with solutions of iron salts, and sprinkled with metal shavings.

In alkaline soil, iron is not absorbed by plants, so flowering becomes tender. pink tones. White inflorescences practically do not change their shade.

Planting hydrangea seedlings

Seedlings are placed in the soil along with an earthen clod, respectively, the size of the hole should be 2 times larger than it. A mixture of peat and soil is added to the recess with the addition of minerals and organics.

The roots of the seedling are slightly straightened, and planted so that top part The root system was just above ground level. Then the planting is sprinkled with soil, watered and mulched with bark.

How to care for hydrangeas in the garden

The soil under the hydrangea bush should always be moist. In hot summer time, irrigation should be carried out twice a week with warm settled water in the amount of 30-40 liters under an adult bush.

Using mulch will retain moisture longer, so you can reduce the frequency of watering. The surface root system needs oxygen, so in spring and summer the soil should be loosened several times to a depth of 5 cm.

Fertilization under hydrangeas

• before flowering: 20 g of urea per bucket of water, the consumption rate is 3 buckets per mature plant;
• after flowering: top dressing with a complex mineral composition.

During the summer it is good to fertilize the soil with organic matter. It is important not to overdo it, as plants can activate uncontrolled growth.

Pruning various types of hydrangea

Plants that have reached 3-4 years of age are subject to pruning. The procedure is carried out in the spring before the start of active sap flow.

Tree-like varieties are pruned earlier than others: shoots are shortened at a height of 3-4 buds. The cut remains can be used as cuttings.

In paniculate hydrangeas, only last year's shoots are cut, shortening them by a third. plant residues used for reproduction.

Large-leaved subspecies slightly rejuvenate and thin out: every 4th shoot is cut out to avoid thickening. Remove diseased, broken and growing shoots inside the bush.

Diseases and pests of hydrangea

Growing hydrangeas in the garden is rarely accompanied by disease. They are mainly associated with improper care, or depleted soil.

Hydrangea diseases

Hydrangea chlorosis - occurs when there is a lack of iron in the soil. The leaves turn yellow, the buds shrink. With chlorosis, the bushes should be watered with soft rainwater, and fed with iron-containing preparations.

White rot - fungal disease, leading to rotting of the plant, the leaves and shoots become brown, and are covered with a white bloom, similar to cotton wool.

With the defeat of septoria on the leaves, brown spots of a rounded shape are formed, which gradually merge. The affected leaf dies.

In case of fungal diseases, plants are treated with Fitosporin or copper sulphate.

Ring spot: a viral disease. Black spots of necrosis in the form of rings protrude on the leaves. There is no cure for viral hydrangea diseases.

Hydrangea pests

The most common hydrangea pests:

• snail grape and amber;
• spider mite;
• gall nematode.

Insects feed on leaves, buds and roots of plants. To combat them, insecticides and acaricides are applicable: Typhos, Lightning, Vermitek. Snails and their clutches are destroyed mechanically.

Prevention of diseases and pests of hydrangea

• compliance with the rules of care;
• acquisition of quality planting material;
• timely removal of dried and diseased plants;
• weed control;
• processing in the spring with 1% Bordeaux mixture.

Preparing and sheltering hydrangeas for the winter

The culture has a superficial root system, which is prone to freezing. In autumn, it is necessary to prepare the flower garden for wintering. Bushes should be high up and well mulched.

In October, you need to take care of winter shelter. Young bushes are bent to the ground, and covered with roofing material, pressing the edges of the sheet with stones or bricks.

Adult bushes are tied and wrapped with spunbond. Around them, frames are constructed from a grid in the form of cones. The space between the net and the shelter is filled with dry leaves.

Outcome

Growing hydrangeas in the garden is very easy. The unpretentious culture develops well on different soils, has high winter hardiness, and does not get sick much. Unique feature plants - change the color of the inflorescences depending on the acidity of the soil, allows you to use it in the design of any garden design.

A shrub strewn with amazingly beautiful inflorescences can mainly be found in the southern regions of our country. It is believed that garden hydrangea is very sensitive to cold winters, characteristic of the regions of central Russia, and in most cases simply dies. In fact, there are dozens of winter-hardy varieties of a beautiful plant, wonderfully cultivated in home gardens in the Central region.

Description of an ornamental shrub

Garden hydrangea came to Europe in the 18th century. According to one version, the plant was brought to the Old World French sailors who participated in world tour. Having visited about Mauritius in the governor's gardens, they were so fascinated by the beauty of the bush, strewn with luxurious flowers, that they begged for several seedlings.

The name hydrangea in Latin Hydrangea means "a vessel with water", as the plant is very moisture-loving. Found in nature various forms of hydrangea: climbing like creepers, ornamental shrubs and even small trees. The countries of Southeast Asia - Japan, China, as well as North and South America. On the territory of Russia, individual varieties grow even in the gardens of the Far East.

Hydrangea, also called hydrangea, belongs to the genus of decorative flowering shrubs of the Hortensia family. The leaves of the shrub are large, with noticeable veins, have a pointed top, the edges are finely serrated, sometimes wavy. Paniculate or corymbose inflorescences with 4 sepals are quite large, the flowers collected in them are distinguished into two main types: fertile (small fertile) and sterile (large barren).

The hydrangea flower is mostly a shrub with white flowers, but there are varieties with purple, pink, blue inflorescences. flowering period begins in the second half of summer and lasts until mid-autumn, although some varieties are able to bloom from spring to the first frost. The plant forms a fruit - a small box consisting of several chambers with tiny seeds.

Growing, propagating and caring for garden hibiscus

known evergreen and deciduous varieties shrub. The beauty familiar to everyone, growing in apartments and garden plots, belongs to the latter type.

Gallery: garden hydrangea (25 photos)

Popular types

Before decorating your household plot luxurious plant, the gardener should familiarize himself with the information about the main varieties of ornamental shrubs. Thanks to this, it will be selected best option, and hydrangea will truly be the pride of its owner:

Crassula plant care at home

Secrets of Growing in the Garden

Having decided on the type of hydrangea that you would like to have in the garden, you should carefully consider the location for the shrub. Mostly an exotic guest prefers partial shade, negatively referring to the rays of the scorching sun. The flower will suffer from bright sunlight - hence the burns of the leaves, and the constant demand for abundant watering. The best choice for planting hydrangeas, shaded areas of the garden are considered, where the scorching sun's rays do not fall.

A plus will be protection from the winds, which will help the young seedling to get stronger and not deform in the first year after planting in a permanent place.

Another nuance when choosing a place for planting - do not place the hydrangea next to large water-loving trees or bushes. Due to such proximity of water cultivators, frequent and plentiful watering of all plants will be required.

Recommended ornamental bush irrigation schedule depends on weather conditions. In a hot dry period, the frequency of watering will be 1-2 times a week. In other cases, 1 time in 7-10 days is enough. It is desirable that the water be warm, settled, ideal option accumulated rainfall is considered.

How to propagate hydrangeas

A lush flower can be planted with seeds, cuttings, or buy a small bush in a bowl from a greenhouse.

Seeds are sown on a fertile layer of soil without a hit, superficially. After that, the landing site is irrigated from the spray gun and lightly sprinkled with sand. Sand is needed as drainage to prevent the seeds from drying out. Sowing in open ground is usually done in May, when the soil warms up enough. The first shoots should appear after 3-4 weeks.

Care for hatched sprouts consists in careful loosening and the introduction of the necessary dressings to strengthen and grow the shoots. But many gardeners consider growing hydrangeas from seeds a rather time-consuming method that does not always bring the expected result. Therefore, most prefer to purchase an already formed flower bush. Growing a seedling will not be difficult even for a beginner grower.

Plant hydrangea (lat. Hydrangea) belongs to the genus of flowering plants of the Hortensia family, which, according to various sources, includes from 30 to 80 species of shrubs, lianas and small trees. In nature, most often hydrangea can be found in East and South Asia - in Japan and China. It also grows in the Far East and North America. The hydrangea flower got its name in honor of the princess of the Holy Roman Empire, and the Latin name Hydrangea was given to the plant by taxonomists for its exorbitant moisture-loving nature (hydrangea is translated as “vessel of water”). The Japanese call the hydrangea "ajisai", which in Japanese means "flower - purple sun." Of the large variety of types of hydrangea in room culture, only garden hydrangea, or large-leaved, compact forms, is grown, all other types and varieties of hydrangea in our latitudes are grown in gardens.

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Planting and caring for hydrangea (in brief)

• Landing: in autumn, sowing seeds for seedlings, followed by planting seedlings in open ground in early spring in two years. In the south, seedlings can be planted in the ground in the fall.
• Bloom: from early summer to late autumn.
• Lighting: partial shade in southern area, bright sunlight in middle lane and more northern regions.
• The soil: rich and moist, lime-free (pH 5.0).
• Watering: weekly and plentiful, water consumption - from 15 to 20 liters per plant.
• Top dressing: in early spring - with a solution of urea, after flowering - with complex mineral fertilizer.
• Pruning: annually from 3-4 years. Paniculate and tree-like - in March-April.
• Reproduction: seeds, dividing the bush, grafting, layering and green cuttings.
• Pests: spider mites.
• Diseases: peronosporosis, chlorosis.

Read more about growing hydrangeas below.

Hydrangea flowers - description

Hydrangea flowers in natural conditions are shrubs up to 3 m tall, medium-sized trees and vines that can climb tree trunks to a height of up to 30 m. In addition, depending on the species, they can be both evergreen and deciduous plants, and in our climate flower growers prefer to grow deciduous. Hydrangea leaves are usually large, opposite, oval with a sharp apex, often with serrated edges and prominent venation. Hydrangea blooms from spring to frost with large spherical inflorescences, corymbose or paniculate, consisting of flowers of two types: small fertile (fertile), usually located in the middle of the inflorescence, and large sterile (sterile), blooming at the edges. There are, however, species in which all the flowers in the inflorescence are fertile. Most of the hydrangeas bloom with white flowers, but such a species, for example, as large-leaved hydrangea (or large-leaved hydrangea), blooms not only with white and cream, but also with red, blue, lilac and pink flowers, and the color directly depends on the pH of the soil (level pH): on neutral soil, hydrangeas grow with beige and cream flowers, on alkaline soil with lilac or pink flowers, on acidic soil with blue ones due to the aluminum contained in the soil, which the plant can absorb. The fruit of the hydrangea is a 2-5-chamber box with small seeds. Sometimes plants from the closely related genus Schizophragmatic are confused with hydrangea, but you should know that the so-called petiolate hydrangea is actually a schizophragma.

Growing hydrangeas - features

Well, now we can talk about the features of growing hydrangeas in the garden. So:

• The color of large-leaved hydrangea flowers depends on the pH of the soil in which it grows: in neutral soil, the flowers will be white or cream in color, in acidic soil they will be blue or blue, in neutral soil they will be pink or lilac. Therefore, to create multi-colored bushes, it is enough to change the acidity of the soil under each of them;
• hydrangea is very moisture-loving, so take watering the plant seriously;
• bright light is very important for hydrangea, but in direct sun, delicate petals quickly burn out, so it is best to plant it where there will be light partial shade on a hot afternoon;
• the most important factor in caring for hydrangeas after a watering regimen is timely proper pruning;
• do not overfeed hydrangeas with organic matter, otherwise they, growing rapidly, will almost certainly not bloom;
• even cold-resistant varieties of hydrangeas need warm shelter for the winter, but if your beauty is frozen, do not despair: most likely, she will recover during the growing season;
• hydrangea is very rarely affected by diseases or pests.

Planting hydrangeas

Hydrangea from seeds

The seed method (generative) successfully propagates species hydrangeas. Apply method seed propagation and for breeding purposes. How to grow hydrangea from seeds? Very simple, but you will need time. Hydrangea seeds are sown in autumn: hydrangea seeds are sown in a nutritious loose substrate, consisting of a mixture of leaf and peat soil with river sand in a ratio of 4: 2: 1, which are then covered with a light layer of the same mixture and moistened from a sprayer. The container is covered with glass or film, which is periodically removed to ventilate the crops and moisten the substrate, which should be slightly damp at all times. The temperature required for germination is 14-20 ºC. As soon as shoots appear (this usually happens after a month and a half), the glass can be removed. Hydrangea seedlings should be dived twice: the first time at the stage of development of cotyledon leaves, the second - in May. Moreover, during the second picking, each seedling is planted in a separate pot with a diameter of 7 cm. After the second picking, young hydrangeas for hardening are exposed to fresh air during the day in a place where direct sunlight, rain moisture and drafts do not reach. In the evening, seedlings are brought into the room. At home, hydrangeas are grown for two years, in winter - in a bright, cool room, and in summer, exposing them to fresh air as much as possible and removing emerging buds so as not to weaken young plants with flowering.

Hydrangea seedlings

Two years later, in early spring, and if you live in a region with a cold climate, then in the fall, the grown seedlings are planted in open ground in a permanent place. When choosing a site for hydrangeas, keep in mind that all species of this plant, without exception, love sunlight, but species such as rough hydrangea, ground cover, treelike and Sargent feel good in light shade. The soil is preferably neutral or slightly acidic, loose and rich in organic matter. Alkaline soil can be acidified with high-moor peat or Acid plus acidifier. Make sure that shrubs or trees do not grow near the area allotted for hydrangea with the same superficial root system as that of hydrangea, since in the future there may be a struggle between them for moisture and nutrients in top layer soil. Planting a hydrangea begins with digging a hole, which should be twice the size of an earthen coma of a hydrangea seedling. In the finished pit, add peat, mineral and organic fertilizers mixed with soil. Remove the seedling with the clod from the pot, carefully shake off the soil, straighten the roots, lower into the hole and cover with soil mixed with compost so that the root ball protrudes slightly above the level of the site. Tamp down the soil, water the plant and mulch the area with needles or bark.

Hydrangea care in the garden

How to care for hydrangea

Caring for hydrangeas in the garden is not difficult at all, but there are mandatory items that must be followed strictly. by the most important condition hydrangea care is properly organized watering - it should be plentiful, approximately 30-50 liters of warm settled water for each adult plant twice a week in hot weather. If the soil is mulched with peat, then you can water less often, because the peat stays wet for a long time.

To improve the aeration of the roots, it is necessary to loosen the soil around the bush several times during the spring-summer period to a depth of about 5 cm. Do not forget to cut off faded shoots.

Hydrangea fertilizer

If you want the hydrangea to bloom in full force, it is necessary to carry out complex top dressing at least twice a year - before and after the hydrangea flowering period. In early spring, the hydrangea is fed with a solution of 20 g of urea per bucket of water, on the basis that three buckets of such a solution will be needed to feed an adult plant. After flowering, the hydrangea is fed with complex mineral fertilizers. Throughout the summer, you can fertilize the hydrangea from time to time with slurry, but follow the measure so as not to overfeed the plant, otherwise large inflorescences can break fragile branches with their weight. Just in case, tie up the shoots so that this does not happen.

Hydrangea pruning

Hydrangeas that have reached the age of three to four are subject to pruning. Those species that bloom on the shoots of the current year are pruned in early spring, before bud break and sap flow begins, so that the plant does not expire with juice and die. But too early pruning makes cuttings obtained after it unsuitable for rooting. Therefore, you need to guess for pruning such a time when the kidneys only swell a little and take on a “live” appearance. The tree-like hydrangea is cut first - it wakes up earlier than other species. Its long shoots are cut off at a height of three or four buds, the cut off parts are cut into cuttings. Panicle hydrangea is cut much more carefully: last year's shoots are only a third, but excellent cuttings are obtained from these segments. The large-leaved hydrangea is practically not pruned, only slightly rejuvenated, removing every fourth shoot annually, especially if it grows inside the bush, and, of course, dead or broken branches.

Reproduction of hydrangea cuttings

From the shoots you got after pruning, cut the pieces with two knots so that there is an oblique cut under the lower knot, and a straight cut above the top one. There should be a distance of 2-3 cm from the node to the cut. Plant the cuttings in a container-greenhouse with peat-sandy soil, immersing the lower part in the soil by 3 cm, water well. Then cover the greenhouse with a "house" made of polyethylene. Spray the cuttings with a spray bottle to keep the soil moist at all times. As soon as the cuttings take root, they are planted in open ground in a permanent place, where they will have time to grow enough before the fall to courageously survive the coming winter.

Hydrangea after flowering

When the hydrangea has faded, it's time to prepare the plant for winter. Young seedlings growing in pots are transferred to the room, and garden species hydrangeas remove wilted inflorescences so that suddenly falling wet snow does not stick to them and break the fragile branches of the plant. In addition, you will need to pile up the base of the hydrangea bushes high and mulch the area where they grow in order to reliably protect their surface root system for the winter. The most cold-resistant of hydrangeas are paniculate and ground cover. Their shoots become completely lignified by autumn, so it is easier to endure winter cold even without shelter, if you do not live in a cold climate. It can endure a harsh winter without shelter and tree hydrangea.

wintering hydrangeas

Preparing hydrangeas for winter

In warm snowy winters, even heat-loving large-leaved and serrated hydrangeas can winter without man-made shelter, but no one will tell you for sure to what temperature the thermometer column can drop in winter and how high the snow cover will be in the coming winter. Believing in assumptions and making a mistake means ruining your garden, so it’s better to be vigilant and maybe even distrustful of forecasts, but sleep peacefully on frosty nights, knowing that your plants are also fast asleep under their warm shelter. So, how and when to cover hydrangeas for the winter? It is better to do this after the first frost, during October. Very young bushes simply fall asleep with dry earth to the top. Older bushes are bent to the ground and covered with lutrasil or roofing material, which are pressed down with bricks so that the wind does not rip them off. Adult bushes will require a lot of effort from you: the bush is carefully tied and wrapped with lutrasil or spunbond. Then a frame is built around it in the form of a cylinder of metal mesh at a distance of 20-25 cm from the bush, and the frame should be 10 cm higher than the plant. The space between the mesh and the hydrangea is filled with dry foliage, which at this time of the year in the gardens is more than enough. In the spring, in April, the frame with foliage can be removed, and when a stable positive temperature is established, the spunbond is also removed.

Hydrangea in winter

It is up to you to cover your hydrangeas for the winter or not. We offer shelter options in the event of a harsh, and most importantly, snowless winter. If there are no severe frosts in your area, then the shelter may be symbolic, and if your hydrangea also belongs to winter-hardy species, then it may not need to be protected from frost. But if the hydrangea in your garden is not a cold-resistant species, and winters in your area are unpredictable, use our tips in the fall to sleep peacefully in the winter, see how the hydrangea awakens to life in the spring, and admire its incomparable, beautiful flowering in the summer. .

Types and varieties of hydrangeas

Before you plant a hydrangea in your garden, you need to know which of its types is right for you, since each of them has its own requirements in agricultural technology. Growing hydrangea paniculata, for example, in some important points(pruning, preparing for winter) is different from growing a tree or large-leaved hydrangea, so the more you know about the species, the easier it will be for you to care for any of them. So...

Hydrangea tree (Hydrangea arborescens)

A species widespread in the gardens of our climatic zone. Tree hydrangea is a shrub that reaches a height of one to three meters. Inflorescences are formed at the ends of annual shoots, at the beginning of flowering the flowers have a greenish tint, but when they bloom, they become white or cream. Popular garden forms are Invisible Spirit - pink hydrangea, Sterilis - white hydrangea, characterized by abundant flowering, Annabelle hydrangea and Grandiflora hydrangea with large snow-white inflorescences (just do not confuse this variety of tree hydrangea with the paniculate hydrangea variety of the same name).

Hydrangea paniculata (Hydrangea paniculata)

In nature, it grows as a shrub or tree with a height of two to five meters. AT garden culture is one of the most popular types. In one place paniculate hydrangea can grow for more than forty years. Its shoots become woody quickly, which makes this species resistant to cold. Inflorescences are formed on the tops of the shoots of the current year, so the flowering is very plentiful, although the buds that appear already at the end of June open only by August or September. Hydrangea inflorescences are paniculate pyramidal in shape, the flowers at the very beginning of flowering have a greenish tint, then turn white, become pink in the fall, then brick, and at the end of flowering again become greenish. The most famous garden forms: Grandiflora, hydrangea Vanilla Fraze, Kuishu, Tardiva.

Large-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)

Which is called garden, most often grown in the garden, but there are compact varieties that can be grown in containers on terraces and even in room conditions. This species has dense foliage of bright green color, the shoots of the current year are herbaceous, so the plant has a very low cold resistance. However, the buds for the shoots of the current year, at the ends of which the inflorescences bloom, are laid the previous autumn, so it is believed that the large-leaved hydrangea blooms on last year's shoots. The shape of the inflorescences is usually umbellate, viburnum, which is commonly called Japanese, or hemispherical. The color of the flowers depends on the pH level of the soil. For example, such varieties from recently bred cold-resistant varieties are interesting: Endless summer - blue hydrangea if it grows on acidic soil, and lilac if it grows on neutral soil; Renata Steinger - blue hydrangea; variety forms with double flowers Romance and Expression.

Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)

A very attractive look, but, unfortunately, not winter-hardy at all, therefore, it requires thorough warming for the winter. She impresses not only lush bloom, but also with leaves unusual for hydrangea beautiful shape. Oakleaf hydrangea grows up to two meters in height, has paniculate inflorescences 10-30 cm long with white flowers at the beginning of flowering, and eventually purple flowers that bloom in June-July.

Ground cover hydrangea (Hydrangea heteromalla)

Or hydrangea - frost-resistant species, reaching in nature two to three meters in height. Often used in culture for education standard form. Dark green leaves 20 cm long have a smooth surface and a woolly, pubescent underside, the inflorescences are loose, corymbose, white at first, but turning pink towards the end of flowering. Blooms in late June or early July. Especially popular is Bretschneider's ground cover hydrangea, which blooms profusely with large milky-white inflorescences.

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Highly beautiful plant! The garden is transformed when garden hydrangea blooms! Landing, care, how difficult are they? This plant has another name - hydrangea macrophylla (hydrangea macrophylla). Gardeners around the world rightly consider it one of the most beautiful flowering plants. Even in the middle of the XX century. all varieties of this species were characterized by low frost resistance: they withstood frosts as low as -10°C. Therefore, lovers of hydrangeas had to be content with their reduced room "copies".

Photo of blooming hydrangea:

Abundant flowering shrubs, photo

For the past 20 years, breeders have been actively working on breeding frost-resistant varieties hydrangeas that would withstand frosts of -25 ° C or even lower.

Thanks to the efforts of breeders, these magnificent shrubs today delight us with long, abundant flowering in different climatic conditions.

What is hydrangea, what does it look like

Garden hydrangea is a deciduous shrub. The height depends on the variety - from 50 cm to one and a half meters. Its flowers are collected in very large spherical inflorescences, 18-20 cm in diameter.

At the beginning of flowering, the inflorescences often have a barely noticeable light green color. And when flowering is gaining strength, they acquire bright blue, pink, lilac, purple, snow-white shades. Blooms depending on the variety from early June to October.

Hydrangea bush, photo

Among flowering ornamental shrubs that are used for landscaping gardens, parks and summer cottages, hydrangea is - undisputed leader according to the duration of flowering. This period lasts for a plant on average about two months. These are real aristocrats who reign in the gardens all summer. It is simply impossible to indifferently pass by this magnificent flowering shrub! The variety, the beauty of the shades of its flowers is really amazing.

Planting a garden hydrangea, how to choose the best place

This is a large long-lived shrub that does not tolerate transplantation, so the place for it must be chosen especially carefully.

What does garden hydrangea love? How to grow hydrangea so that it brings joy? Unlike most species, the garden prefers partial shade. The best place for a hydrangea in the garden - one that is illuminated by the sun from morning to noon. It grows well, this shrub develops near the house or small garden buildings that protect it from the hot afternoon sun. In addition, in such a place in winter it will be sheltered from cold winds. It must be borne in mind that the less light enters the area where the plant is planted, the later flowering occurs, the fewer inflorescences will be.

AT landscape design hydrangeas are most often used as tapeworms in small green lawns, and low varieties look very beautiful, elegant as a hedge along the borders. A hedge of bushes looks especially bright, elegant, if you choose varieties with contrasting flowers or different shades of the same tone.

Some large-leaved varieties can be grown not only outdoors in the garden, but also in large pots or tubs on terraces or verandas.

Very often, a plant is planted at the entrance of a house or gazebo, where they look very festive, elegant. It looks great, this shrub also feels great on the banks of small natural or artificial reservoirs, because its decorative effect doubles due to reflection in the water.

When to plant hydrangea

The preferred timing for planting hydrangeas in the garden depends on the region where you live.

Here, in the Kuban, it is better to plant in the fall, around the first half of October. The heat is gone, the seedlings will feel great and have time to take root before the onset of cold weather.

In central Russia, it is preferable to plant it in the spring, around the second half of April, when the earth thaws and warms up well.

In more northern regions best timing for planting will be the month of May, approximately the middle of the month.

When choosing a seedling, pay attention to the root system. It must be well developed. Even better, if you purchase a seedling with a closed root system - the plant will be able to take root well in a new place without experiencing stress.

Seedlings with a closed root system in a nursery

What kind of soil does hydrangea like?

This shrub prefers slightly to medium acid soils. However, they are not always found in garden plots, so before planting a shrub, prepare a special mixture to fill the planting pit from equal parts of leafy and soddy soil, peat and sand. After planting in the soil, the plant must be watered abundantly and, if possible, mulched with compost.

How to water garden hydrangea

This is a very moisture-loving plant, it is not for nothing that in Latin it is called hydrangea.

First of all, young plants (up to 2-3 years) need a lot of water. Frequent, plentiful summer watering of the shrub during this period allows you to maintain a more or less stable temperature on the soil surface of the near-stem circle. In subsequent years, watering the shrub should be sufficient and regular. Moisture deficiency or drought can cause marginal leaf burn, wilting of the entire bush, even its death.

Hydrangea fertilizer, top dressing, than to fertilize

In the spring, before the appearance of buds, like most flowering plants, it requires complex fertilizer, in particular nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, essential trace elements. Fertilizer, top dressing is required if you are counting on a lush, long flowering shrub.

Hydrangea has one feature - during flowering, new flower buds are laid. This means that the plant requires twice as many nutrients, which must be given to it during this period. Feed the shrub at this time with phosphorus-potassium fertilizer (superphosphate and potassium sulfate), but you can not add nitrogen. This is necessary for the normal preparation of plants for wintering.

How to care for garden hydrangea? Garden hydrangea will gratefully respond to such care: watering with sour milk - whey, kefir, yogurt. Serum can be sprayed a couple of times per season on the leaves. It has already been said above that the plant prefers slightly or medium acid soils. And if the soil in your garden is neutral, then watering with sour dairy products or spraying with whey will respond with more abundant flowering, the bushes will become more magnificent.

What does a hydrangea flower look like, photo

And one more secret - periodically water your pet with a weak solution of potassium permanganate - this will give strength to the plant, flexibility to the branches.

Hydrangea pruning, is it needed?

Unlike other species, large-leaved garden hydrangea does not require pruning, since most varieties of inflorescences form on last year's shoots. That is why it is important to preserve them. The exception is spring sanitary pruning of frozen or damaged branches in winter.

Do not forget to carefully cut off the withered inflorescences immediately after the end of flowering. It is better to do this gradually, during the entire flowering period. Don't wait until the flowers are completely dry. This is best done after the inflorescences have completely withered.

Hydrangea care in autumn, preparation for winter

Since it blooms primarily on the last year's shoots, it is important to preserve them from cold or frost. To do this, we recommend covering young plants for the winter.

Firstly, within 2-3 years, the planted shrubs adapt to a new place, get used to the soil, winds, and the amount of sun received.

Secondly, transplanting a bush from a container into open ground is a kind of stress for him. Therefore, it is better to play it safe - to cover the plant for the winter. To do this, first we mulch the ground at the base of the bush with spruce branches or sawdust, and then we cover the branches with a special white agrofibre.

If you purchased a shrub with long branches, you must first gently bend them to the ground, secure with metal studs, and then cover them. Some gardeners use regular plastic vegetable crates to protect young plants from strong winds or a large number snow. Such a simple shelter allows you to save the branches without breakage.

Mature shrubs of new varieties can withstand fairly low temperatures, so it is not necessary to cover them.

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Hydrangeas are amazingly beautiful and diverse shrubs.

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In horticulture, hydrangeas are valued for the variety of inflorescence forms, an extensive palette of flowers, large curly leaves, interesting bark, as well as for their unpretentiousness and abundant flowering. An unusually spectacular spectacle of hydrangeas is presented in the fall, when on one plant you can simultaneously see buds, seed heads and leaves of different colors.

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Hydrangea, Latin - Hydrangea, folk - flower-life.

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The botanical name of the shrub - hydrangea - is known only to specialists. Meanwhile, in translation from Greek, it means "a vessel with water" and speaks of a very important quality of the plant - it loves moisture very much.

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Most of the species are bushes 1-3 m high, some species are small trees, the rest - creepers, climbing the trunks of other trees to a height of up to 30 m.

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Plants can be either deciduous or evergreen., however, the widely cultivated temperate species are deciduous.

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Hydrangeas bloom from spring to late autumn. The flowers are collected at the end of the stem in beautiful spherical inflorescences - a shield or panicle.

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In most species, the flower heads contain two types of flowers: small fertile (fertile) flowers in the middle and large sterile (sterile) flowers at the edges. In some species, all flowers are fertile and have the same size.

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The overwhelming majority of hydrangea flowers are white, but some, such as large-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), can be blue, red, pink and lilac.

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In these species, the color often depends on the pH level (hydrogen index) in the soil: in acidic soils, the petals become blue color, in neutral - pale beige, and in alkaline - pink or lilac.

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Hydrangeas are one of the few plants that can accumulate aluminum in themselves, which is released from acidic soils and in some species forms compounds that give them blue hues.

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The main types of hydrangeas

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The total number of species is from 70 to 80; we list here only the main ones.

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Hydrangea tree (Hydrangea arborescens).

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Kind, in vivo growing in eastern North America. Inflorescences are white. Flowering in July-August. In late autumn, faded inflorescences are recommended to be cut. Pruning of frozen, thickened and weakened shoots should be carried out either before the start of sap flow, or after the leaves have fully bloomed. One of the famous varieties is Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ with dark leaves and very large greenish inflorescences.

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Bretschneider's Hydrangea (Hydrangea bretschneideri).

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View from China. Large shrub up to two and a half meters high. The leaves are large oval, dark green. Inflorescences are broad corymbs. Blooms from early July; at the beginning of flowering, the flowers are white, by the end of July they turn pink, and in August they acquire a rich crimson color. In the conditions of the European part of Russia, the plant does not require shelter for the winter.

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Large-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla).

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View from South Japan. The leaves are bright green and large. Lilac inflorescences bloom in August. Winter hardiness is low; in the conditions of the European part of Russia, only some especially cold-resistant varieties do not freeze out, for example, Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Blue Wave’ and ‘Endless Summer’. This species is also grown as a houseplant.

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Hydrangea paniculata (Hydrangea paniculata).

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The natural range of the species is East China, Korea, Japan, Sakhalin. Plants about one and a half meters high. Green buds appear in mid-July, by the end of the month they turn white; flowering - from August throughout the autumn; inflorescences - with a smooth transition from white to crimson and crimson with purple tint. Hydrangea paniculata has a high winter hardiness. In autumn, pruning of faded inflorescences is recommended, in spring - sanitary and formative pruning. Known varieties are Hydrangea paniculata ‘Kyushu’, ‘Pinky Winky’, ‘Grandiflora’.

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Landing

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Before planting cuttings of Hydrangea arborescens in early April, it is necessary to dig a hole with a diameter of 50 cm and a depth of 60-70 cm. Next, you need to place a cutting in the hole and fill it with a mixture of humus, black soil, peat and sand prepared in advance in a ratio of 2: 2: 1: 1. It is also necessary to add 20 g of urea and 30 g of potassium sulfate and superphosphate. Repeat a similar complex top dressing after 2 years.

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Top dressing with mineral fertilizers or manure can be carried out at the beginning of growth, during the formation of buds and 1-2 times in summer in smaller doses. Plants should be planted at a distance of about 150 cm from each other. Do not place the plant next to trees, as they actively absorb moisture from the soil.

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It is not required to cover for the winter. Thanks to a powerful root system, in case of freezing, the plant is restored to its previous state. It starts blooming at 4-5 years.

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Panicled hydrangea seedlings planted in a permanent place at 4-5 years of age. To do this, prepare a hole with a depth of 35-40 cm, a width of 50 x 70 cm. And for a free hedge, they dig up a meter strip. The distance between adult plants should be up to 2.5 m, but in order to have a “bouquet” earlier, the pits are marked out after 0.7-1 m, and after a few years the group is thinned out. In the northern regions, it is better to plant hydrangea in spring, in more southern regions - in spring and autumn.

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The roots are slightly shortened, and if it happens in the spring, then all annual shoots, leaving 3-4 pairs of buds on each. Plantings are mulched with peat, a compost layer of 5-8 cm. Since autumn, they are fed with mineral fertilizers, and in early spring - with a solution of urea at the rate of 18-20 g per bucket, 2-3 buckets per plant.

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Hydrangea macrophylla relatively photophilous, but it can be planted in light partial shade, however, the less light, the later flowering occurs and the fewer inflorescences. The soil is preferably slightly or medium acidic (pH 5.5); one of the compositions: sheet, sod land, peat and sand in the ratio 1:1:1:1. On alkaline soil, hydrangea suffers from chlorosis (leaves begin to turn yellow). In order to avoid chlorosis, watering with a solution of salts containing iron is carried out once every 10 days.

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Depending on the acidity of the soil, you can change the color of the flowers. With a slightly alkaline reaction of the medium, they are pink, with an acidic reaction they change color to blue or blue. To obtain blue and blue inflorescences, it is necessary to add iron salts and alum to the soil every two weeks: 3-5 potassium alum or ammonia-potassium alum per 1 liter of water. For one plant, 2 liters of such a solution are needed.

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To accelerate flowering, the plant is sprayed twice with an aqueous solution of gibberellins with an interval of 4-7 days at a concentration of 50 mg / l. Then the hydrangea blooms 2-4 weeks earlier. This technique also increases the decorativeness of plants. The flowers are getting bigger and there are more of them. Processing of plants is carried out when the inflorescences reach 2-4 cm. It grows quickly, thermophilic, demanding on soil and moisture, does not tolerate lime. Reconciles with slight shading, low frost resistance (up to -18 ° C).

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Hydrangea serrata "Miyama-kuro-hime"

Easily propagated by dividing the bush and green cuttings. In Russia, large-leaved hydrangea grows in open ground only in the south. When cultivating in a greenhouse or in a room at the very end of the growing season, when the hydrangea begins to shed its leaves, the shoots must be cut short. In winter, during the dormant period, the plants are kept in a cool, but non-freezing room (+5 ° C), and at the end of winter, when the buds swell, they are transferred to a warmer and brighter room, but without direct sunlight. Also, this species can be cultivated as a container culture, which is kept outdoors only in the summer.

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Recently, with the development of agricultural technology and climate warming, large-leaved hydrangea began to be cultivated in the open ground of central Russia. In garden hydrangea, inflorescences are formed on last year's shoots. Therefore, the main problem is to keep them whole so that the flower buds do not freeze and rot.

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Covering methods are the same as for roses. Among the varieties of garden hydrangea there are more winter-hardy varieties and those that can be grown in central Russia only with the introduction of plants for the winter indoors. Even relatively winter-hardy varieties of garden hydrangea, due to the characteristics of the microclimate, may not grow and bloom in all areas.

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Large-leaved hydrangea bushes tolerate frost better if they receive enough moisture in the fall. Flowers and leaves large-leaved hydrangeas perish even with weak night frosts, so it is recommended to cover them already in the second half of October. You can cover the bushes from short-term frosts with a covering material and a greenhouse film, always in two layers. In winter, the plants are covered with peat at the base, the branches bend down to the ground and fall asleep with dry leaves, spruce branches.

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The soil

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For successful abundant flowering are necessary fertile soils . Hydrangea prefers clay structural ground, also grows on red soils, but does not like sandy ones.

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By the way, the color of the flowers becomes brighter in the hydrangea paniculata, growing on acidic soil., and on neutral it not only turns pale, but the whole plant has a hard time. Therefore, if the soil on the site is not acidic enough, when planting, it is necessary to add brown peat, coniferous soil (spruce, and preferably semi-rotted pine litter), sawdust. Ash, lime, chalk and other deoxidizers are contraindicated for all hydrangeas. root system lies shallow. The roots mainly spread in width, and as a result, their border significantly exceeds the crown border.

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They need moist soil to thrive. good decision it can be planting ground cover plants in near-stem circles, for example, mossy saxifrage, various stonecrops.

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Growing conditions

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Hydrangea is propagated mainly by herbaceous cuttings from basal shoots. Cuttings from lateral shoots produce weaker plants, so they are avoided.

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Cuttings of large-leaved Hydrangea grown in the house are carried out in February-March (even until April 15). Hydrangeas rooted in February-March can be grown in 4-5 stems, rooted later should be arranged in one stem.

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Cuttings of large-leaved Hydrangea grown in the garden are carried out from June to July inclusive, until woody shoots. Depending on the availability of wiring material, the cuttings are cut with 2-4 knots with a sharp and clean knife. Cuttings with small leaves take root more successfully. You need to cut the cuttings just before planting them. You can not bring the cuttings to wilting.

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In the latter case, withered cuttings should be immersed in water for a while. The leaves are shortened by one third or half.

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Cuttings are rooted in reconnaissance boxes, on racks, in greenhouses. Good results are obtained by rooting cuttings in coniferous soil; the cuttings are not covered with anything, but only often sprayed with water. Rooting cuttings are planted to a depth of 2 cm, but cuttings lower leaves do not sink into the soil. Planting distance 4-5 cm.

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After planting, they should be watered, bearing in mind that withered cuttings of hydrangeas are difficult to restore turgor and take root worse. Wilting of cuttings is very often the cause of poor rooting. Hydrangeas need to be shaded from bright sunlight. Some growers root hydrangea cuttings under glass, but this method often causes the cuttings to rot.

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The rooting temperature is maintained at about 14-17 ° C. Lower temperatures lengthen the rooting period and therefore provide more possibilities for rotting cuttings. When cutting hydrangeas, cleanliness must be observed.

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Rooted cuttings (this usually takes 15-20 days) are planted in boxes or on racks at a distance of 8 × 8 cm or in 7-9 cm pots.

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Growing hydrangeas in pots is uneconomical: required more area and labor costs. The soil for hydrangea cuttings should be acidic, consisting of swamp and compost soil. If the compost soil does not have acidity, then peat is used. For white, pink and red hydrangeas, slightly acidic soil (pH 5-6) is recommended, for blue and lilac - more acidic (pH 4-4.5). With insufficient acidity, the leaves of the hydrangea turn yellow. To avoid this, the soil is watered with a weak solution of sulfuric acid (5 g per 100 liters of water).

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Planting plants in boxes or on racks makes it easier to care for plants, they grow and develop better. The cuttings are watered with water that does not contain lime, which neutralizes the acidity of the soil. Do not use manure that is not completely rotted, which can cause yellowing of the leaves. The same phenomenon can occur from an excess of lime in the soil, since with insufficient soil acidity, hydrangeas will not be able to absorb potassium, magnesium, and iron.

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It is advisable to prepare the soil in the previous autumn or in early winter, so that the applied fertilizers can decompose sufficiently. For 1 m3 of soil, 2 kg of bone meal, 0.75 kg of potassium sulfate, 1.5 g of ammonium sulfate are added. Thomasslag and other alkaline fertilizers are not recommended.

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Rooted plants are fed weekly in the spring. full fertilizer with a predominance of nitrogen fertilizers. The temperature should be around 14°C. In May, boxes with hydrangeas are transferred to cold greenhouses. Early varieties with a short growth period, which form flower buds faster, are pruned in the first half of June, and late varieties in May. Pruning is done over two pairs of normally developed leaves. These plants will have 3-4 shoots.

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Do not prune plants of late cuttings, as they usually bloom in one cap. To get low indoor plants You need to make sure they don't stretch. The cut tops of the plants are rooted to produce single-stemmed plants. Two weeks before pruning or two weeks after it, the plants are planted in pots in which they should bloom.

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Elongated hydrangeas, when planted in pots, are planted deeper than they sat to reduce their height. Hydrangeas form roots even on lignified stems.

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Single-stemmed plants are planted in pots with a diameter of 10-12 cm, and two-to-four-stem plants are planted in pots with a diameter of 12-14 cm. At first, plants in greenhouses after planting are shaded from bright sunlight. After rooting, plants do not need shading: it can even lead to stretching of plants.

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Plants that are still weakly rooted in pots should be protected from heavy rains., so they are not immediately taken out of the greenhouse to the ridges open ground. All weak shoots of hydrangeas are cut out, since only large hats of flowers are considered decorative.

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Hydrangeas are moisture-loving plants, so they need to be watered and sprayed in a timely manner.. To obtain ornamental plants, hydrangeas are systematically fed alternately with a solution of mullein and a mixture of mineral salts. Early varieties of hydrangeas finish their growth by August, so from this month they stop feeding them and reduce watering, and then even dry them a little to ripen the buds. Late varieties finish growing a month later, after which they are also watered less frequently.

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During the ripening of the buds, the plants are sprayed so as not to cause severe wilting.. In early September, hydrangeas of early varieties are given pre-harvest top dressing, which brings the flowering time closer. In winter, plants are best kept in cool greenhouses, basements, greenhouses.

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With insufficient light, the temperature in the greenhouse should be about 2-4 ° C. In order for the hydrangea to bloom in December-January, it has been provided with additional electric lighting since October. Additional lighting of hydrangeas brings the onset of flowering much closer.

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Hydrangeas are placed under lamps with rudimentary buds and provide additional lighting in winter for 8-10 hours. The best result is observed at night lighting. It accelerates flowering by 7-20 days. Daylight is less effective.

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Under the condition of good natural illumination of the greenhouse, the earliest suspension of growth is carried out in November-December for flowering only in early March. For this, early varieties with well-ripened buds are used. With a lack of light, plants are grown at a relatively low temperature of about 10 ° C, which prolongs the flowering period.

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To accelerate the flowering of hydrangeas, apply warm baths: plants are kept in water at a temperature of 35 ° C for 12 hours. After the bath, hydrangeas are placed in greenhouses with a temperature of 15-16 ° C.

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Good results are also obtained by spraying plants twice at a temperature of 12-14 ° C with heteroacusin.(100 mg of heteroacusin per 1 liter of water). With the appearance of leaves, hydrangeas begin to water more. On sunny days, the temperature in the greenhouse can rise to 20 °C. At this time, you need to carefully monitor that the plants are sufficiently well supplied with moisture. In the greenhouse, hydrangeas should stand freely, without shading each other.

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When hydrangea buds appear, weekly they are fed alternately with mullein infusion and a solution of a mineral mixture with a predominance of nitrogen. The surface of the soil in pots should be loosened. When flowers are formed, hydrangeas are tied to pegs. To obtain exhibition bushes of hydrangeas with large and abundant flowers, the following method can be used.

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Old hydrangeas, cut 25-30 cm from the ground, are planted in the ground so that the root neck is covered with earth. For the winter, plants bent to the ground are covered with spruce branches, dry leaves, etc. In the spring, old stems are cut to the ground. During the summer, multi-stemmed bushes are formed. Plants are watered abundantly.

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Within 5-6 years, you can grow tub hydrangeas with several dozen umbrellas. With an increase in the number of shoots, it is necessary to take larger pots with a diameter: with one shoot - 10 cm in diameter, with two or three shoots - 12-13 cm in diameter, with more shoots, pots with a diameter of 15-18 cm are taken. Hydrangea usually has pink flowers. However, in some areas, peat and heather soils cause the flowers to turn blue. The same phenomenon can be caused by the use of conventional alum (25-30 g per 10-12 liters of water), aluminum and iron sulfates. But not all varieties of hydrangea change the color of the flowers to blue.

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The best variety for this purpose is the Blue Prince. Suitable soil for hydrangeas with blue flowers is a soddy land with swampy meadows. The presence of iron and aluminum in this soil gives the blue color to hydrangea flowers. Watering with a solution of alum begins 2-2.5 months before flowering.

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Hydrangea Care

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Lighting: Bright diffused light. In summer, you can take it out into the garden, gradually accustoming it to direct sunlight, and then, when the plants get used to it, the pots are dug into the ground and left until autumn.

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Watering: Abundant from spring to autumn. Hydrangeas love when they are watered when the earth in pots dries up a little, but not allowing the entire earthen clod to dry out. Does not tolerate hard water well.

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Air humidity: spray from time to time.

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Top dressing: Fertilizer dressing is carried out with liquid mineral and organic fertilizers after watering. Feed in summer and at the end of winter before flowering. After pruning, do not feed until new shoots appear.

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Undercut: halfway after flowering.

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Diseases and pests

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Spider mite. It affects the leaves from the underside, causing them to turn yellow and marble, then dry and fall off. At the optimal temperature for the tick (29-31 °C) and humidity (35-55%), the cycle of its development takes 7-9 days. The tick covers the underside of the leaf with a brown cobweb. For a year it gives 12-15 generations. At low temperatures (10-12°C) and high humidity(80-85%) its activity is significantly reduced.

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Control measures: spraying plants with thiophos (5-7 g per 10 l of water).

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Downy mildew. It affects the leaves and stems of hydrangeas. Its first signs are the appearance on the leaves of oily, later turning yellow spots, gradually darkening and increasing in size. A yellowish coating appears below the leaves, the same coating can be on young stems. The development of the disease is facilitated by a temperature of 18-20 ° C and high humidity.

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Control measures: treatment of affected plants with copper-soap liquid (150 g of green soap, 15 g of copper sulfate per 10 liters of water). This liquid is harmless to plants, and its use in the early stages of development helps to completely get rid of the disease.

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Chlorosis. A sign of chlorosis is the lightening of the leaves, only the veins on them remain dark. Plants growing on soils with a significant amount of lime are more susceptible to chlorosis. An excess of humus in the soil also leads to chlorosis.

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Control measures: Pour 2-3 times with a solution of potassium nitrate at the rate of 40 g per 10 liters of water and three days later - with a solution of ferrous sulfate, also 40 g per 10 liters of water.

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Leaf aphid. In closed ground conditions, when forcing plants, hydrangea can be affected by green leaf aphids.

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Control measures: a good means of its destruction is a double spraying of plants with a solution of anabazine sulfate. To do this, 15-20 g of anabazine sulfate is dissolved in 10 liters of water. This serves as a radical remedy in the fight against leaf aphids.

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How nice it is to have such a variegated set of these wonderful flowers in the garden! But the best part is that the hydrangea is not too difficult to care for and in the fall it will be able to please you with an abundance of rich colors and shapes.

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