Rules for planting and caring for hydrangeas at home, especially growing

The hydrangea, belonging to the hydrangiaceae family, is a popular ornamental flowering plant. It grows both in the garden and indoors. The plant is adapted to the temperate continental climate, but requires high humidity and abundant diffused light. Care for hydrangeas at home should include regular watering, nutrient saturation of the soil and ensuring peace in the winter months.

Distinctive features of the room hydrangea

In Latin, the name of a perennial flower sounds like hydranthea - “a vessel with water”. Hydrangea needs a lot of moisture, does not tolerate drought. The large-leaved hydrangea is suitable for indoor maintenance.This species is the basis for breeding new varieties.

Feature of indoor plant:

• bushy sinuous shape;
• height - no more than 1 m;
• the leaf plates are ovoid, with serrated edges, reaching 12-14 cm in length;
• the inflorescences are large, spherical or elongated, up to 30 cm in diameter;
• flowers consist of large sepals and small petals located inside;
• depending on the variety, the flowers have a different shape and color, they are smooth and double;
• flowering occurs all summer until late autumn;
• small seeds;
• the older the plant, the lusher the flowering.

Caring for hydrangea at home is quite difficult. The plant is capricious, requires certain conditions, in the absence of which it becomes ill.

varietal variety

Countless varieties of hydrangeas have been developed. There are monochromatic and variegated flowering plants. Some varieties are capable of discoloration due to chemical changes in the soil. For this ability, the hydrangea has been nicknamed phytochameleon.

Light

Among the varieties with light flowers, it is worth noting:

1. Mrs Molier. The inflorescences reach 20 cm in diameter, the petals are first snow-white, at the end of flowering they acquire a pale pink or pale blue color.
2. Sister Therese. The inflorescences are large, up to 30 cm in diameter. The flowers are white, with a barely noticeable lilac tint, but before they fade, they acquire a pinkish-green color.

Blue

Popular varieties with blue flowers:

1. Earley Blue. A neat little bush with a developed root system. The diameter of the inflorescences is 30 cm. The petals are blue with a purple tint. Until full bloom, they have a greenish tone.
2. Niko Blue. The variety is characterized by rapid growth.The flowers are dark blue in color, which becomes brighter in acidic soil.

Pink

Among the pink varieties, the following are popular:

1. March. The inflorescences are large, up to 30 cm in diameter. The flowers are light purple with a white border. As they fade, the petals take on a greenish hue.
2. Miss Saori. The inflorescences are small, up to 20 cm. The petals are milky white with a pink border. The color is constant, does not depend on the level of soil acidity. The leaves are dark green with a purple tint.

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red

Of the common red varieties, it is worth noting:

1. Pleasure. A bush with a lush crown. Inflorescences - up to 20 cm. The flowers are dark red.
2. Red's movement. The bush is lush, but the inflorescences are small, up to 15 cm in diameter. The petals are red, but with an increase in soil acidity they acquire a purple tone.

Multicolor

Of the variegated varieties, it should be called:

1. Wackerbart Castle. The diameter of the inflorescences can reach 30 cm. The flowers are pink with a blue core and a green border. Clear stamens are visible.
2. Bavaria. Inflorescences - 20 cm. The flowers are lemon-yellow with a blue-violet core and a white border.

Basic detention conditions

In order for a capricious hydrangea to bloom regularly and stay healthy, it must be well cared for.

Temperature regime

The flower does not tolerate heat and dry air. In such conditions, it loses its foliage and quickly dies.

The usual room temperature is optimal for the full development of the plant - 18-22 ° C.

air humidity

The hydrangea cannot survive in arid conditions. The owner must constantly maintain high humidity. For this you need:

• spray the crown in the morning, especially in the summer heat;
• in hot weather, place a container of water near the plant.

In order for the flower to constantly receive a sufficient amount of moisture, you can place the pot on an expanded clay drainage of 2 cm in a bowl filled with water.

Lighting

Young hydrangeas can be placed on the windowsill. And an adult plant is placed so that diffused sunlight falls on the crown.

The optimal side of the world for the hydrangea is the east. On the north side, the plant will suffer from a lack of light, phytolamps will be needed. And in the south and west you will need to shade the flower.

Watering and spraying

Water the hydrangea with plenty of settled fresh water. In the phase of active growth of the plant, watering should be regular. It is performed every two days. The pot is immersed in a bowl of water for 30 minutes, then lifted so that the moisture can drain. During the winter months, the hydrangea is watered every 10 days.

If the flower stands next to a heating radiator, the crown should be sprayed daily with settled or boiled water, trying not to touch the buds. Fresh tap water is not used, otherwise a white flower will appear on the sheet metal plates.

Priming

The soil should be airy and permeable to moisture. Expanded clay drainage should be placed at the bottom of the pot.

The hydrangea substrate should include the following components:

• grass;
• peat;
• humus;
• vermiculite;
• sand.

When growing hydrangeas, it is important to take into account the acidity of the soil, since the shade of the petals depends on it. The more alkaline the soil, the paler the inflorescences. And as the acidity of the soil increases, the flowers take on a blue or purple hue.

top dresser

As a fertilizer for hydrangeas, complexes are used for azaleas and other species that prefer acidic soils. A liquid top dressing is applied to the root at the beginning of March, when the flower awakens.

Features of care during flowering and wintering

In indoor conditions, the hydrangea begins to bloom in April, if from November to February it was at rest.

In winter, the plant is sleeping, during this period the optimum temperature for it is + 5-8 ° C. To ensure such temperature conditions, it is advisable to put the flower in a dry cellar, water it from time to time in time so that the roots do not dry out. If there is no basement, the hydrangea is placed in the coolest corner of the house.

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At the end of February, the plant wakes up. It is taken from the cellar to a room with normal room temperature. Watering, spraying, standard top dressing are resumed.

If the above conditions are not created in winter, the hydrangea will not bud in spring.

How to Trim and Shape Properly

If a slow-growing variety is selected, pruning is rarely done. The inflorescence of the hydrangea is located at the top of the shoot, which cannot be cut off. Shoots are cut only from recently planted cuttings and plants of the remontant variety. This allows for active branching.

If an ordinary hydrangea does not branch well, then you need to cut off the flowering shoots. They can be placed in a vase of water. They stand for a long time, they can even sprout. Wilted inflorescences are cut above the upper bud.

When pruning hydrangeas, observe the following rules:

• in a plant under 4 years old, only dried shoots are cut off;
• be sure to remove old and diseased branches, as well as those that create thickening;
• the plant is thinned in the spring and healed in the fall;
• before pruning, the hydrangea is not watered for 2-3 days.

Use clean scissors or secateurs for pruning. To prevent infection, sections are treated with powdered charcoal or brilliant green. Water the flower in a day, when the surface of the slices dries.

The plant should have no more than 8 shoots with 4-5 branches.

Plant propagation

Hydrangea does not live long, so you should not hesitate with reproduction. The optimal age of a flower for reproduction is 3-4 years. The procedure takes place in three ways.

Divide the bush

When transplanting, the plant is carefully divided into two or more parts. The main thing is not to injure the roots, otherwise they may not take root. After transplanting, the new plants are watered with a root growth stimulator.

Seeds

The florist sells a packet of hydrangea seeds.

Sow the seed as follows:

• prepare a container with a fertile peat substrate, water it;
• achenes are laid on it;
• the container is covered with glass to form a greenhouse effect;
• after the appearance of the first shoots, the glass is removed;
• the picking of seedlings is carried out after the opening of the first true leaves.

Cuttings

After autumn pruning, the longest cuttings (about 10 cm long, with 2-3 buds) are left. Before planting, the lower part of the cutting is immersed in a root growth stimulator. The lower leaves are removed, and the upper ones are cut in half.

Cuttings are planted in a peat glass, provide regular watering and a sufficient level of lighting. Cover the glass with a glass jar to create a greenhouse effect.After the appearance of new leaves, the pot is removed daily for a few hours. In the spring, young hydrangeas are transplanted to a permanent place.

Solving Common Growing Problems

By the external state of the hydrangea, you can immediately understand what is wrong.

The leaves are fading

Withered foliage can be the result of lack of moisture, dry air. Correct the problem with regular sprays (preferably twice a day). A container of water is placed next to the flowerpot so that the evaporation goes to the crown.

light area

It's either sunburn or chlorosis. In the first case, the plant is placed further from the window. In the second case, watering is carried out using ferrous sulfate - 2 g of the substance per 1 liter of water.

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Dry the edges of the leaves

Hydrangeas lack moisture or nutrition. The next stage of death will be the dropping of buds, then foliage. The flower is treated with fertilizer. A mineral complex is used.

Spider

The parasite appears if the air in the room is too dry. They fight insects by treating the plant with soapy water. In an advanced case, the powerful drug Actellik helps.

Thrips

The affected hydrangea is treated with a systemic insecticide. Aktara approaches. Make a solution - 4 g per 5 liters of water. The crown is sprayed and the soil surface is moistened. For wetting, prepare another solution - 1 g of the drug in a 10-liter bucket of water.

The buds of a sick hydrangea will have to be cut: they most often hide thrips larvae.

Aphid

Like a tick, it appears when the air is excessively dry. To destroy aphids, use a non-concentrated soap solution.In a neglected situation, you need to use strong insecticides - Karbofos, Actellik.

Whitish flowering

This is a sign of powdery mildew or gray mold. For the treatment of the first disease, copper-containing fungicides are used, with the second - Bordeaux solution.

Lack of flowering

This is a consequence of the fact that in the winter period the flower was not peaceful. They solve the problem like this: during the summer the hydrangea rests, and before winter it is cut. This annual feast guarantees lush flowering the following season.

The trunk turns black below

This is a black leg - a disease caused by low temperature engorgement. The plant is dug up, rotten shoots and roots are cut off. If there are no more healthy roots, then the hydrangea is dead, it will be eliminated. If healthy roots remain, they are treated with Fitosporin (several grams per 1 liter of water) and an immune stimulant (6-8 drops).

As an additional agent, you can use metronidazole - one tablet per 1 liter of water. The treatment is carried out twice a week.

The shoots dry up and break off

This is a sign of root drying. It is necessary to improve the quality of irrigation.

On the leaf growths, white fluff, cobwebs

These are parasites: mealybugs, mealybugs and mites. The foliage is carefully cleaned by hand, then the crown is treated with a complex insecticide.

Holes in the leaves

The weevil leaves them. Fitoverm insecticide is effective against this.

Movements of microworms are visible

This is a sign of threadworm infestation. It is impossible to save a sick plant, we get rid of it.

Additional tips and tricks

To successfully grow a wayward hydrangea, you need to follow these guidelines:

1. Avoid exceeding the concentration of lime in the soil.
2. Do not move the pot. It's stressful for the hydrangea.
3. Cut hydrangea varieties, in which flowers appear on the shoots of the current season, only after the end of the growing season.
4. To prevent yellowing of the leaves due to insufficient acidity of the soil, periodically water with water acidified with lemon juice - 5 drops per 1 liter.
5. To stimulate flowering, add Gibberellin growth stimulator to irrigation water - 0.1 g per 1 liter.

If you want to change the color of the flowers to room conditions, you can add a little lime to the substrate - for pink, aluminum citrate (50 g per 1 liter of water) - for blue. The acidic environment makes the petals brighter. Peat and pine needles are used to acidify the soil.