When does home hydrangea bloom? Caring for hydrangea at home

Photos in the interior

Hydrangea (Hydrangea) is a beautiful flowering plant of the Hydrangea family, popular all over the world. It is grown in the garden and on the windowsill. Among the many species there are shrubs and trees. The homeland of hydrangea is the latitudes of Japan, China, South and North America with a temperate continental climate. Important conditions for good development include high air humidity, an abundance of diffuse daylight and moist nutrient soil.

It grows at home to a height of no more than a meter and has the appearance of a bush. The lush crown is filled with ovoid leaves with a jagged edge, the size of which ranges from 9 to 14 m in length. The most important advantage of the plant is its large spherical inflorescences of various shades of white, pink, and blue.

Be sure to check out the beautiful flowering plants and...

	High growth rate. The planted cuttings are already next year are blooming.
	Blooms from April to November.
	The plant is easy to grow.
	Perennial. Can be grown for one year and taken from cuttings.

Useful properties

Hydrangea in a pot. Photo

Possessing positive, bright energy, the flower spreads calm tranquility. From the point of view of Feng Shui, it has many useful properties:

• extinguishes mutual hostility, softens conflict in communication;
• normalizes in a home environment family relationships, helps to achieve mutual understanding;
• contemplation of hydrangea relieves mental fatigue after an incident or stress, helping to calm down;
• a flowering plant relieves bad mood, negativity of others, bad thoughts.

Did you manage to grow Hydrangea?

I'm still tryingYes, it was very simple!

Just a note. To beneficial properties fully opened, the flower is given optimal conditions for growth.

Features of growing at home. Briefly

In order for hydrangea to feel comfortable at home and systematically delight in flowering, it needs good care.

Temperature	In summer up to 23ºС, comfortable – from 18 to 20ºС, in winter not lower than 7ºС, comfortable – from 8 to 10ºС.
Humidity	Daily humidification of the air around the bush is necessary.
Lighting	In sufficient quantity. Prefers diffused light from eastern windows.
Watering	During the growth and flowering period, make sure that the soil is moist all the time. During the dormant period, watering is reduced to once every 8–10 days.
Priming	Light, well-drained soil with a high content of sand or perlite is suitable.
Feeding and fertilizer	The soil is fertilized from March to October once every two weeks with special liquid compounds diluted in water.
Transfer	An adult plant is transferred to a larger pot every two years after flowering.
Reproduction	Three methods are used: propagation by seeds, cuttings, and dividing the bush.
Features of cultivation	The indoor plant has retained some of the characteristics of a garden plant, and therefore requires special care during the dormant period (temperature no higher than 100C), as well as the formation of the crown.

Caring for hydrangea at home. Details

Bloom

At home, it blooms in April if it is provided with a dormant period from October to February..

From March, the air temperature is raised to 20 degrees, they begin to apply fertilizers, water and actively spray.

Such procedures allow you to bring the flower out of hibernation, encouraging it to bloom.

The bush blooms until November, revealing delicate buds collected in large inflorescences.

Depending on the variety, they come in several types:

• spherical;
• umbrella-shaped;
• racemose.

The flowers that make up the inflorescence vary in size. Larger ones bloom at the edges, and smaller ones fill the center.

Temperature

A flower at home needs to maintain the correct temperature conditions. If the apartment has hot and dry air, the plant will most likely lose its leaves and then die. The most comfortable temperature for growth and flowering is 18 – 20 degrees.

Important! When the plant finishes flowering, it is moved to a cool room and watering is reduced. At rest, the temperature should not exceed 10 degrees. If hydrangea is left in normal temperature conditions for the winter, it may not bloom in the spring.

Spraying

If kept near radiators or exposed to bright rays of the sun, it will not feel well. Dry air is detrimental to not. The leaves should be sprayed daily with boiled or filtered water so that it does not leave white plaque on the surface. It is advisable that splashes do not fall on the buds.

Lighting

A young specimen is placed on a windowsill, an adult plant is placed on a stand close to the window. Windows facing east are considered the most favorable conditions.. Northern windows require additional lighting, and southern and western windows require shading.

Watering

Sensitive to the composition and amount of water. It is watered with soft water. Filtered or thawed is best. Careful flower growers freeze the water, and then thaw it and water the capricious flower.. To prevent the color of the buds from fading, add a few drops of lemon juice to the water once a month in the spring and summer.

During the active growth stage, the soil in the pot should be constantly moist. It is watered every other day, immersing the pot in water for half an hour. Excess water is allowed to drain. In winter, the soil is moistened no more than once every 10 days.

Priming

In order for water to drain well from the soil during watering, it must be light and breathable. Part of the soil should consist of expanded clay, which is laid on the bottom of the pot. The soil must contain several components:

• turf land;
• vermiculite or perlite;
• peat;
• humus;
• sand.

Soil acidity is also important. It affects the color of the petals: in alkaline soil they become pale in color (from white to pink or cream depending on the variety); the more acidic the soil, the more the color of the flowers becomes purple or blue.

Feeding and fertilizer

In order for hydrangea to actively develop at home, it requires feeding. Compositions are best suited for plants that prefer acidic soil (azaleas, rhododendrons). Liquid fertilizer is diluted in clean water and applied to the soil at the end of February - beginning of March, when the first buds appear on the stems. With the onset of November, soil fertilization is stopped.

Transfer

If care is followed according to all the rules, the plant lives for at least 4 years. During this time, it is transplanted several times into a new nutrient substrate.

For replanting, choose a pot slightly larger than the previous one with large holes in the bottom. Nutrient soil is poured onto a layer of expanded clay, the plant is placed and its roots are sprinkled, pressing the soil well with your hands.

After transplanting, water the soil abundantly.

How to trim?

Indoor flowers must be pruned in the fall. After flowering, weak, dry branches are removed with a sharp sterile pruner or knife. Also cut off stems that are too elongated, which spoil the decorative appearance.

Hydrangea propagation

Considering short term life, propagate while the mother plant is not extinct. Three methods are used for reproduction.

Propagation by cuttings

When carrying out autumn pruning, long cuttings are not thrown away. They are good for rooting. The most acceptable length of the shoot is 8–10 cm. It should have 2–3 buds. Before planting, the base of the cutting is treated with a growth stimulator, the lower leaves are cut off, and the upper ones are shortened. The stems are planted in peat under a jar, providing high humidity and good lighting. When new leaves begin to appear on the stem, the jar is removed daily for 2 hours, and with the arrival of spring it is removed completely.

Reproduction by dividing the bush

An adult specimen at 3–4 years of age is suitable for this method. During transplantation, it is divided into several parts. It is important not to damage the delicate roots, otherwise new plants will not grow well. After transplantation, all specimens are watered with Kornevin. This method is the easiest and gives good results.

Growing hydrangea from seeds

You can grow a flower from a bag of seeds.

To do this, a fertile mixture with a high peat content is watered warm water, lay the seeds on top.

The container is covered with glass. It is important that the soil is constantly moist. If it dries out, the seeds will not germinate.

When the first shoots appear on the surface, the glass is removed. The young ones dive when the true leaves appear.

Diseases and pests

Dry air, excessive waterlogging or proximity to diseased specimens provokes the appearance of spider mites, thrips and aphids on stems, leaves and roots. At the first signs of the disease, the flower is treated with a specialized remedy.

If not proper care the plant is sick:

• the leaves wither hydrangeas — possible with insufficient watering;
• light spotting indicates overwatering;
• edges of leaves dry out hydrangeas are evidence of low humidity and poor soil moisture.

Varieties of home hydrangea with photos and names

Varieties differ in the size and shape of the flowers, as well as their color.

"Red Sensation"

One of the most popular varieties. The bright burgundy-red color of the petals makes it stand out from others. The inflorescences are large, reaching up to 20 cm in diameter.

"Goliath"

It stands out among others with its large spherical inflorescences. Adult specimens reach a height of up to 70 cm. In neutral soil, the variety is pink in color.

"Europe"

It is distinguished by the abundance of flowers on the bush. The medium-sized plant is covered with large pink inflorescences, the diameter of which is at least 25 cm.

"Early Blue"

This is one of the common blue varieties. It grows up to a meter in height and requires systematic fertilization.

Develops well in a city apartment. At good care and daily spraying, it blooms for a long time, enchanting everyone with its unearthly beauty.

Hydrangea, or hydrangea (Hydrangea) is a perennial ornamental plants hydrangea family (Hydrangeaceae). Hydrangeas are widely distributed in natural conditions in East Asia, North and South America. Among them there are shrubs and subshrubs, and there are also vines. Most species are deciduous.

Hydrangea first appeared in Europe in 1820 and was brought from Japan. Then it was grown as a pot plant, since the varieties known at that time were not frost-resistant enough.

IN open ground hydrangea can reach 1-2 m in height. Its leaves are green and ovate. The flowers are collected in large, dense, spherical inflorescences formed at the ends of the shoots. The color of the flowers is white, blue, pink, greenish. Moreover, it is known that on acidic soil the flowers are blue, and on alkaline soil they are pinkish. At home, hydrangea blooms from spring to autumn, during which time it produces 3-5 inflorescences.

How houseplant Large-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) is usually grown. It has succulent, dark green, serrated leaves. Inflorescences are formed at the ends of the shoots.

Hydrangea is considered a capricious plant that is difficult to grow indoors. This is not true at all. You just need to know some of the features of caring for hydrangea at home.

Firstly, hydrangea loves moisture, abundant watering (probably why it Latin name Hydrangia), but at the same time it is a plant resistant to overdrying. If it has dried out, then you just need to water it with water, and it is very likely that the hydrangea will come back to life.

Secondly, hydrangea is a deciduous plant; with the arrival of winter, it sheds its leaves, preparing for a period of dormancy, and should not be thrown away - in the spring it will be reborn and bloom again. Many lovers of indoor flowers believe that since the plant has lost all its leaves, it is dead; all that remains is to empty the pot.

Thirdly, indoor hydrangea needs pruning. To ensure that it does not lose its decorative appearance and blooms, it needs to be trimmed on time.

Caring for hydrangea at home

Lighting. Hydrangea does not tolerate the hot sun in summer, so at this time southern windows are not for it. It is better to place this plant in a well-lit room, but in partial shade. But at the end of winter, when the hydrangea comes out of the dormant period and its buds form, on the contrary, it is recommended to place it in the most illuminated, sunny places.

Temperature. Hydrangea prefers cool weather. She grows beautifully on outdoors. In summer, it is recommended to take it out into the fresh air and place it in a cool, shaded place. Hydrangea is a deciduous plant, so it can overwinter in a dark place, in the basement, for example, at a temperature of 5-8°C. At the end of winter or early spring, it is moved into the house, but too high a temperature in the room is not desirable for hydrangea - it can shed its leaves from the heat.

Hydrangea does not like drafts and sudden temperature changes.

Humidity. Hydrangeas are plants in humid climates, so they prefer high air humidity.

Watering. In spring and summer, hydrangeas need to be watered abundantly. In autumn, watering is gradually reduced. During the winter dormant period, hydrangea sometimes needs to be watered a little to prevent the soil from completely drying out. This is not necessary in the basement. When leaves appear, watering is gradually increased. Water with soft water, preferably rainwater.

Fertilizer. With the appearance of buds, indoor hydrangea begins to be regularly fed complex fertilizer for flowering plants 2 times a month.

Rest period. Like all deciduous plants, hydrangea has a dormant period in winter. At this time, she sheds her leaves. After flowering, the hydrangea must be trimmed and placed in a cool place. Pots should be stored in dry, cool rooms; light does not matter. The rest period usually lasts 2-2.5 months.

Trimming. After flowering, the hydrangea is pruned, leaving a few of the strongest shoots. When the plant fades, you need to cut the shoots to about half their length. In most varieties of hydrangea, flowers appear on 2-year-old shoots.

In spring, it also needs to be partially pruned and weak and elongated shoots removed.

Transfer. Young indoor hydrangea is replanted annually, it loves fertile land. This is usually done after flowering or in early spring. Indoor hydrangea lives in a pot for 3-4 years, and then it needs to be replaced with a young plant.

The pot is chosen to be wide and large enough, because its roots mainly spread out wide. It is believed that the size of the root part of the plant should correspond to the size of the above-ground part. When planting, the root collar of the hydrangea should not be covered, it should be at ground level. When growing hydrangea, it is a good idea to mulch the soil in a pot with peat so that the moisture does not evaporate quickly.

Soil. Hydrangea grows well in acidic soils. When growing hydrangeas, it is necessary to use soil rich in fertilizers. The following mixture can be used as soil: 1 part peat soil, 1 part coniferous soil, 1/2 part sand with the addition of humus. Hydrangea prefers clay soil, but does not like sandy soil.

The acidity for blue hydrangeas should be higher than for pink ones.

Reproduction. Hydrangeas are propagated mainly by cuttings, but they can also be propagated by seeds or by dividing bushes.

Green cuttings for propagating hydrangea are prepared in July, using green branches that thicken the crown. Cuttings are cut with 2-3 internodes, the lower oblique cut is 3-4 mm below the node. Leaf blades are shortened by a third or half. They are planted deepening them into light soil by 1.5-2 cm.

The cuttings are usually not covered with film or glass, but they are sprayed several times a day. After 5-6 weeks, well-rooted cuttings with a lump of earth are planted in 7-9 cm pots. In May, cuttings are pinched for bushiness.

Diseases and pests. Hydrangeas are affected by spider mites and aphids. In case of pest damage, the plants must be treated with an insecticide in a timely manner.

False powdery mildew affects the leaves and stems of hydrangeas. If oily spots that later turn yellow appear on the leaves, this is the first sign of infection. The development of the disease is promoted by a temperature of 18-20 ° C and high air humidity. Affected plants are treated with a liquid containing 150 g of green soap, 15 g of copper sulfate per 10 liters of water.

Difficulties in growing.

If there is a lack of nutrients, hydrangeas develop poorly in the spring and do not bloom.
When there is too much sunlight, light spots appear on the leaves.
If the air is too dry, the tips of the leaves dry out.

Garden hydrangea is grown at home. This is a perennial flowering shrub. Prefers watering, moisture and acidic soil (pH 4.0-5.2). For its love of water, it has a second name - hydrangea.

Inflorescences up to thirty centimeters in diameter are formed at the ends of annual shoots.

The flowers are small, with inconspicuous petals, collected in inflorescences. Hydrangea is decorative thanks to sepals of various colors: pink, white, red. Fruit-box.

From one to seven inflorescences are formed on one bush. The fewer there are, the larger they are. There are flowers in the room in spring. The flowering time of an individual bush is from one and a half to two months.

The life cycle of hydrangea is divided into four stages:

• reproduction;

• summer maintenance of plants;

• rest period;

• forcing (growing to produce flowers).

  Care

  To prolong the flowering of store-bought hydrangea, you need to care for it as follows:

  • place the pot with the plant on the north or east window;
  • water abundantly during the flowering period;
  • remove young root shoots (leave three to four strong shoots).

  The cut shoots are used for further propagation by cuttings. Flower buds are formed on the left shoots. In each subsequent year, the number of shoots is gradually increased, bringing it to six to eight.

  Trimming

  In July, after flowering, hydrangea is pruned.

  Remove shoots with faded inflorescences.

  Important: If you are late with pruning, the plant may not bloom next year.

  The trimmed bush is placed in a sunny window or taken outside.

  In weak partial shade, pots with hydrangea are dug 3/4 into the ground. To avoid leaf burns, the bushes must be covered from direct contact for the first time. sun rays, for example, gauze.

  Plants during this period need abundant watering and spraying.

  One to two weeks after pruning, the plant is fertilized. For 1 liter of water take:

  • 3 g ammonium nitrate;
  • 5 g superphosphate;
  • 2 g potassium chloride.

  One liter of solution can feed 5-6 plants. For feeding, you can also use a commercially available flower mixture. It is better to apply it dry: 1–2 g of this mixture is mixed with the top layer of soil in a flowerpot, then the plants are watered.

  After a week, fertilizing is repeated.

  Autumn care

  From September, watering of hydrangeas is reduced. If autumn is rainy, then it is better to remove the pots with plants from the ground.

  At this time, frosts are possible, from which the hydrangea may suffer, so if it gets significantly colder, it is better to bring it into the room.

  This is usually done in the second half of September. Place it on bright windows.
  

  Please note: Watering the plants is gradually reduced to a minimum so that the earthen ball is almost dry.

  Hydrangea gradually stops growing, the leaves turn yellow and fall off.

  Wintering

  After a significant part of the leaves have fallen, the plants are transferred to a dry basement until January - February. There they winter well at a temperature of 6–8°.

  But hydrangea tolerates more high temperature, so you can leave it in the room.

  The main thing at this time is proper watering, very weak, so that the lump of earth in the pot does not dry out, but is almost dry.

  Bloom

  From the second half of January, the plants are placed in bright windows and begin to be watered regularly.

  Flowering begins in May. Throughout flowering and before it, it is advisable to water the hydrangea with a solution of mineral fertilizers according to the above recipe.

  During this period, hydrangea needs shading. It is protected from direct sunlight or pots of flowers are placed on northern windows.

  Transfer

  Every two to three years, usually in March, the hydrangea is replanted. To replant a plant, take a pot slightly larger than the old one and remove some of the soil.

  Composition of soil for replanting:

  • turf - 6 parts;
  • leaf soil or aged lowland peat - 2 parts;
  • sand - 1 part.

  With proper care, hydrangea grown indoors blooms profusely.

  Reproduction

  Seeds

  Hydrangea seeds are very small. They belong to the category of seeds with forced dormancy. Under favorable conditions, they are able to germinate without prior preparation.

  Hydrangea can be sown immediately after collecting the seeds.

  Sow them on the compacted surface of the earth.

  Sprinkle the top with a loose mixture (peat with sand, peat-turf substrate, clean peat). The thickness of the surface layer of mulch should be no more than 0.5 cm.

  Sowing is carried out in February. Substrate composition:

  • leaf soil - 4 parts;
  • peat - 2 parts;
  • river sand - 1 part.

  The containers are covered with glass or a transparent plastic bag. Water by spraying water from a spray bottle. The soil (read about what kind of soil hydrangea likes) should be constantly moist.

  Picking is done after the appearance of the second true leaf. When the seedlings grow up, they are planted in cups or pots.

  By layering

  Hydrangea can also be propagated by layering.

  Young semi-lignified shoots take root better.

  Perennial branches practically do not produce roots.

  By division

  During transplantation, the bush is cut into several parts.

  Each of them must have roots and growth points.

  These divisions are planted in separate pots, watered and mulched.

  Plants propagated in the spring using this method take root by autumn.

  Lignified cuttings

  One of the methods of propagation is by mature lignified cuttings.

  Well-calcined sand or pebbles are poured into the bottom of the glass. Add water.

  The thickness of the water above the sand should be approximately two centimeters.

  The cuttings are placed on the sand. The water is changed once every two to three days.
  

  Green cuttings

  The main method of reproduction. Cuttings from hydrangea room conditions in the spring. To do this, choose powerful basal shoots with healthy leaves. Root cuttings in flower pot or in a bowl filled with earth. Planting depth 1–2 cm.

  1. The cuttings are cut with a sharp knife slightly below the eye. The cuttings should be 5–6 cm long and have two to three pairs of leaves.
  2. The cut is dusted with crushed coal to protect the cutting from rotting.
  3. The two bottom leaves are cut off.
  4. The ground is covered 2–3 cm with well-washed sand, which is leveled and somewhat compacted.
  5. Using a peg, make a hole in the sand where the cuttings are planted.
  6. Water regularly to keep the sand always moist.

  The cuttings should be sprayed twice a day. Keep them in a bright window, shading them from direct sunlight until they take root. Cuttings usually root well.
  Grown rooted cuttings are planted in 7–9 cm pots. They need turf, leaf and sand soil (4:2:1). Leaf soil can be replaced with well-aged lowland peat.

  Plants are kept in a bright, sunny window and watered abundantly.

  After the frost has passed, the pots with plants can be taken outside by digging them into the ground.

  When the roots have well entwined the earthen ball in the pot, transfer them into 11–13 cm pots. The composition of the soil mixture is the same as for replanting adult plants.
  Further care is similar to the care of faded and already pruned hydrangea.

  Pests and diseases

  The most common:

  • greenhouse aphid. Lives on the underside of leaves, on stalks and buds. The affected parts of the plant become deformed and curled.
    Control measures: treatment with Fitoverm, Tanrek, Biotlin;
  • spider mite Sucks juice from plant cells. It settles on the underside of leaves, causing them to dry out and fall off. It entwines plants with cobwebs. Spray with the following preparations: Vertimek – 0.8–1.2 l/ha, Fitoverm (2 g/l) – 0.1%;
  • downy mildew. The appearance of yellow oily spots on leaves and shoots, darkening over time.
    At the first signs, treat with one of the following drugs: Acrobat MC (0.2%), Previkur (0.2%), Strobi (0.02%);
  • chlorosis. Leaf discoloration.
    Control measures: watering with a solution of iron sulfate (40 g per 10 liters of water) or iron chelate.

  We looked at planting, propagation and further care of hydrangea at home. As you can see, it is no more difficult than caring for it in the garden.

  The main thing is to regularly fertilize, trim on time, water depending on the time of year, and then indoor hydrangea will be able to delight you for more than one season.

  From this video you can learn more about hydrangea:
  

Hydrangea attracts attention with its beauty and long flowering. When grown in open ground, luxurious bushes with a large number large inflorescences, and in a potted plant the plant is much more compact, but this makes the inflorescences look no less impressive.

Hydrangea: flower description

Hydrangeas are beautiful and varied. Among the representatives of the genus there are vines, small trees and shrubs. Deciduous and evergreen species are known. The plants owe their popularity to their beautiful large inflorescences of spherical, corymbose or paniculate shape.

Features of growing hydrangea

Hydrangea cannot be called a problematic or difficult to care for plant, but still the flower makes a number of requirements for the conditions of its maintenance, without which it is impossible to achieve active growth and lush flowering. Particular attention must be paid to soil acidity and watering. Most species are grown in open ground, but there are also indoor plants that are considered as such due to their low frost resistance.

Planting hydrangea

Proper fit is key successful cultivation plants. Most species, subject to abundant watering and proper preparation soil mixtures tolerate the procedure well, but when choosing a location you should definitely take into account the species characteristics of the plant.

Attention! Hydrangea paniculata does not tolerate transplantation very well, so it is important not to make a mistake and immediately choose the optimal place for planting.

Planting methods

Hydrangea is grown both in open ground and in pots. After planting, the soil must be mulched. Some species are recommended to be buried deep when planting to stimulate the formation of adventitious roots, but most plants require the root collar to be higher than the soil.

Attention! It is not allowed to bury paniculata hydrangea.

Optimal time for planting

Both spring and autumn are suitable for planting hydrangea in the garden, but when choosing the optimal time, you need to pay attention to the climatic features of the growing region. Plants grown indoors are best replanted in the spring.

Soil for the plant

The plant prefers humus-rich, water- and breathable, acidic and slightly acidic soils. Neutral and alkaline soils lead to chlorosis of leaves and a decrease in the decorativeness of the plant. At self-training soil mixture must use the following components:

• Leaf soil;
• Acidic high peat;
• Sand;
• Humus.

Advice! For planting hydrangeas, ready-made soil mixtures for rhododendrons and azaleas are suitable.

Planting hydrangeas in autumn

Carry out in open ground autumn planting It is only possible in regions with a warm climate so that the plants have enough time to take root. With such planting, sometimes you can admire the flowers the next year.

Planting hydrangea in spring

Spring planting of hydrangea is preferable for both indoor and garden plants. The optimal time for such a procedure is late April - early May. Annual shoots are pruned, leaving 3-4 buds. It is recommended to trim the roots only if there is damage.

Features of caring for hydrangea

Caring for hydrangea is not complicated and consists of timely pruning, watering and fertilizing. However, when choosing a location when growing in open ground, it is necessary to take into account the species characteristics.

Location and lighting for the plant

In the apartment you need to choose a bright place for the plant. Short-term exposure to direct sunlight on the leaves is allowed only in the morning and evening. Insufficient lighting affects the flowering of the plant. In the summer, it is recommended to take indoor hydrangeas outside.

In the open ground sunny places Only paniculate hydrangea is preferred. Other species prefer light partial shade, and some species, such as tree hydrangea, are considered shade-tolerant.

Advice! Most species can grow in sunny areas if watered regularly and abundantly.

The planting site should not be windy, and in indoor conditions the plant should be placed away from drafts.

Humidity

This indicator is especially important for indoor hydrangeas. The plant loves high air humidity, in the range of 50-60%. Particular attention must be paid to increasing air humidity during the operation of radiators. At this time, it is better to place the plant on a tray with wet pebbles or expanded clay. In summer, no special measures are required to maintain humidity. It is not advisable to spray the plant, because when droplets of moisture come into contact with the flowers, red spots remain.

Content temperature

All hydrangeas are heat-loving, but can also withstand frost. However, there are species that, due to their low winter hardiness, are grown as indoors. During the period of active growth, the optimal temperature is 2224 °C. During the dormant period, it is very important to provide the plant with a lower temperature, since the flowering of hydrangea depends on this. After the leaves fall, the pot with the plant is placed in a cool, dark place with a temperature of 810 °C.

How to water correctly

The scientific name of hydrangea is Hydrangea, which translates as a vessel with water. This name reflects the plant's relationship to moisture. Most species require constantly moist soil. For example, in large-leaved hydrangea, even short-term drying of the soil leads to the falling of flowers and leaves.

Advice! If maintaining regular humidity is difficult, you should give preference to paniculata hydrangea, which does not react so sharply to drying.

For irrigation you need soft water with a minimum calcium content. It is good if the water was softened and acidified by infusing it with acidic peat.

Feeding and fertilizing the flower

Intensive growth and long flowering require a lot of nutrients, which means fertilization is necessary. During the period of active growth and flowering, fertilizing should be regular and carried out every 2-3 weeks. In open ground, adult plants are fed during the formation of buds, and young plants are recommended to be additionally fed in early spring.

The optimal fertilizing option is complex liquid fertilizers. Fertilizers for azaleas and products for flowering plants are suitable.

Attention! Fertilizing with organic fertilizers should be very moderate, since overfeeding enhances plant growth but prevents flowering.

Trimming

Most hydrangeas require regular pruning, but the specifics depend on the species.

Trimming methods

Before pruning, you need to understand why it is done and know the characteristics of the species. We can roughly distinguish 3 types of pruning:

• Sanitary. Faded inflorescences, frozen, weak and dried shoots that spoil appearance plants;
• Regular. This pruning is carried out annually in order to stimulate flowering. Species that bloom on annual growths (paniculata hydrangea) are pruned by 3-4 buds to encourage the growth of young shoots. Species that bloom on perennial growths (large-leaved hydrangea) are not pruned.
• Rejuvenating. Anti-aging pruning is applied to species flowering on perennial shoots. In bushes that are too dense, ¼ of the shoots are cut out, i.e. every fourth. Old bushes are sometimes cut into stumps to achieve complete rejuvenation. In this case, flowering will occur only in the second year.

Interesting! Varieties of large-leaved hydrangea have been developed that are capable of blooming on annual growths. Such plants are pruned every spring.

Pruning hydrangea in autumn

In autumn, all inflorescences are pruned. They weigh down the bush and can cause damage to branches during heavy snowfall.

Pruning hydrangea in spring

Spring pruning is considered the main one. First of all, in the spring, all frozen and damaged shoots are cut back to living wood, and regular pruning is also carried out in accordance with the species or varietal characteristics.

Transfer

The need for replanting depends on growing conditions and species. Large-leaved hydrangea, when grown in a pot, needs annual replanting. Garden hydrangeas are replanted if necessary. There may be several reasons for a transplant:

• Poorly chosen landing site;
• An overgrown bush that needs division.

Transplant methods

Transplantation must be carried out with minimal damage to the roots. After flowering, indoor plants are simply cut off and transferred to a larger pot. Garden hydrangeas are dug up with a lump and moved to a new place. It is recommended to combine replanting and radical pruning to the stump.

It is advisable to prepare old bushes for replanting in advance. To do this, dig a trench around the plant, which is filled with a light substrate such as humus. In this zone, the plant will form a large number of young roots, which will allow you to painlessly move the bush next year by digging it along the outer perimeter of the trench.

Transplantation in autumn

Transplantation in autumn is possible only in warm regions. Sometimes it is carried out in early spring, or even in summer, immediately after flowering.

Transplantation in spring

Spring replanting is easy for most plants. It is recommended to combine this procedure with regular or anti-aging pruning. To determine the optimal time for replanting, it is necessary to correctly assess the condition of the plant. Bushes that are dormant can be replanted immediately after the soil thaws. Plants with swollen and blossoming buds are transplanted only after the threat of frost has passed.

Plant propagation

The need to propagate hydrangeas arises if you want to get another specimen of a certain variety or rejuvenate the plant, which is often necessary for indoor hydrangeas.

Reproduction methods (Basic techniques, subtleties)

All methods of plant propagation are suitable for hydrangea:

• Seeds;
• Cuttings (green and lignified);
• By layering;
• Root suckers;
• Dividing the bush.

Propagation of hydrangea by cuttings

For propagation, you can use winter (lignified) and summer (non-lignified) cuttings. Winter cuttings are harvested in early spring, before growth begins, and summer cuttings immediately after the formation of young buds.

Each cutting must have 2 internodes. For summer cuttings, the leaves at the bottom of the shoot are removed and the leaves at the top are pruned. For rooting, cuttings are planted in a light substrate in a greenhouse with high humidity.

Propagation by seeds

The seed method is not complicated, but it is used quite rarely. Sowing of seeds is carried out in February. No pre-sowing preparation or treatment is required. The first shoots appear after 3 weeks. At first, young plants are kept at high air humidity in a seed box or greenhouse. Only after the appearance of the first true leaf is the plant transplanted into individual pots.

Reproduction by layering

Simple and effective way. Early spring A young annual shoot of the plant is pinned to the ground and sprinkled with a little soil. At the point of contact with the soil, the bark of the twig is slightly damaged to stimulate the formation of roots.

Reproduction by root suckers

Mature bushes often form shoots that can be separated painlessly for the mother plant. To do this, the soil around the shoot is raked and the cuttings with roots are separated from the mother plant.

Dividing the bush

Adult bushes can be divided into several parts during transplantation. Each division has its shoots and roots shortened before planting in a new location. At first, the plants need to be provided with abundant watering.

Hydrangea blossom

It is for the sake of flowering that various types and varieties of hydrangeas are grown. The efforts of breeders are aimed at developing new varieties with different colors of petals, transitions from one color to another, shape and size of inflorescences.

When a plant blooms, the shape of the flower

Flowering of some species begins in July and can continue until October. The flowers are small and of two types: small fertile and sterile, surrounded by large sepals resembling petals. The shape of the inflorescence depends on the type of plant. Large-leaved and tree-shaped hydrangeas have spherical inflorescences, paniculate hydrangeas are cone-shaped, groundcover and petiolate umbellate.

Features of changes in the color of inflorescences

The plant has a characteristic unusual feature. Hydrangeas change color depending on the acidity of the soil and the presence of certain chemical elements. For most species, the natural color of the inflorescences is pink or white. However, by adding aluminum compounds, iron alum or organic matter By changing the pH (pine sawdust, coniferous bark, acidic peat) you can turn white hydrangea blue and pink hydrangea purple.

Interesting! Sometimes by adding substances that cause color changes, only in small areas of the soil, you can achieve the appearance of inflorescences of different colors on one bush.

Problems, diseases and pests of a flower

In indoor conditions, hydrangea can be affected by aphids, spider mite and stem nematode. Under unsatisfactory conditions of detention, various diseases can occur:

• Gray rot;
• Ring spot;
• Powdery mildew.

Popular types

The genus Hydrangea has slightly more than 50 species, but give them general characteristics It's unlikely to work. Various types genera can differ greatly in growth patterns and other characteristics.

Hydrangea paniculata

It is grown in open ground and can reach 10 m. Standard formations are often used for this species. This hydrangea owes its name to the shape of the inflorescences, which can reach 25 cm in length, and in some varieties up to 30 cm.

The hydrangea vanilla ‘Vanille Fraise’ deserves special attention, which means vanilla horn. The shape and color of the flower resemble ice cream. Immediately after blooming, the inflorescences are white, but gradually the petals begin to turn pink.

Hydrangea largeleaf

The second name of this species is garden hydrangea, but its low winter hardiness forces it to be kept as a houseplant. Numerous varieties of this plant are known, distinguished by the color of the inflorescences, color combinations, and the presence of a white or pink border on the petals. This species is best used to produce blue inflorescences.

Several new varieties deserve special attention, which are not only able to winter under cover in the open ground, but also bloom on annual shoots. These varieties include ‘ Hovaria Mirai'.

Hydrangea oakleaf

The species owes its name to the leaves, reminiscent of a majestic tree. More often this species is grown for its unusual foliage. In open ground it can reach 2 m, but overwinters only under cover.

Hydrangea

This shrub has been cultivated for almost 300 years. Good winter hardiness makes it a garden decoration. The natural shape of the inflorescences is thyroid, but varieties with spherical inflorescences are more often cultivated. Numerous varieties have been developed, but special attention deserves the hydrangea ´Annabelle´. The main advantage of the variety is its bright green leaves, which do not change color even in autumn.

Hydrangea petiolate

This species is considered a shrubby vine. The length of the lashes can reach 25 m, and the suction cups allow you to climb any wall. In the absence of support, it behaves like a ground cover. There are only a few varieties.

Difficulties in growing a plant

Most often, questions arise related to the lack of flowering of hydrangea. However, if you know agricultural technology, difficulties with growing plants, as a rule, do not arise.

The use of organic mulch (peat, sawdust, bark) will help cope with the increased need for moisture. Mulching the soil under hydrangea helps retain moisture, prevent the substrate from drying out and correct the acidity of the soil.

Answers to readers' questions

Plant lifespan

When kept at home, the life expectancy of the plant is not long. Due to the reduction in the size of the inflorescences and the loss of decorativeness, the bush has to be re-rooted. In open ground, life expectancy is 30 years or more, and paniculate hydrangea has 60.

Why doesn't the flower bloom?

Lack of flowering can be caused by the following reasons:

• During the rest period there was no necessary decrease in temperature;
• Overfeeding with organic fertilizers;
• Incorrect trimming.

Why do the tips of hydrangea leaves dry out?

Dry leaf tips indicate insufficient humidity air. But do not forget that in deciduous species the leaves turn yellow for natural reasons.

Flower care in winter

In winter, the temperature of indoor hydrangeas must be reduced to the recommended temperature. garden plants should be provided with good dry air shelter.

When grown and cared for at home, indoor hydrangea is a semi-shrub spreading plant, reaching a meter in height, with large oval leaves (10-15 cm long) with jagged edges. Large inflorescences (about 35 cm in length) are umbrella-shaped and consist of sterile small flowers at the edges and fruit bearings in the central part.

The color palette can be adjusted using the soil: more acidic soil colors the flowers blue, neutral soil gives them a white or beige color, and alkaline soil gives them a lilac or pink color. The hydrangea fruit is a capsule with a large number of seeds.

Types and varieties of indoor hydrangea

White and cream hydrangeas

• Hydrangea Mme E. Mouillere – inflorescence diameter up to 20 cm, flowers from 1-5 cm, leaves narrow.

• – flowers of regular shape, inflorescence diameter up to 20 cm, bush height – 35-40 cm. Blooms early.

Hydrangeas Pink

• - a bush, up to 70 cm high, the inflorescences are quite large (30 cm) of a dark pink hue, the edges of the sepals are deeply cut. Starts to bloom late.

• – has small flowers (up to 5 cm) pink color, collected in an inflorescence with a diameter of 16-18 cm. The bush reaches a height of 40 cm.

• – the bush reaches a height of 50 cm, blooms large flowers(up to 6 cm) in inflorescences with a diameter of about 25 cm. Has abundant flowering.

Red hydrangeas

• – burgundy-red inflorescences. It is possible to obtain a purple-burgundy color if you add iron salts or aluminum sulfate to the soil.

• – the diameter of the inflorescences is up to 18 cm, while the flowers themselves are small – no more than 3.5 cm, the height of the stem is 20-25 cm.

Blue hydrangeas

• - a tall bush with bright blue inflorescences.

• – This variety is distinguished by its compactness. Inflorescences with a diameter of up to 20 cm have a peculiarity: over time, the tips of the petals turn green.

Indoor hydrangea care at home

For hydrangeas, the correct temperature regime is very important. On the hottest days of summer, the temperature should not exceed 20°C, and in winter, not lower than 10°C.

Indoor hydrangea does not like direct sunlight, so the most comfortable place will be the south side of the apartment, at a distance of 1-2 meters from the window.

If you have garden variety, then you can familiarize yourself with the rules for planting and caring for hydrangeas in the open ground.

Watering hydrangea

In summer, frequent and abundant watering is required, in spring and summer it is reduced, and in winter it is practically eliminated (just moisten the soil a little, avoiding drying out).

Water for irrigation should be settled or frozen (thawed), at room temperature. In addition, we must not forget about regular air humidification. Spray with a spray bottle.

Fertilizer for hydrangeas

Fertilizers are added once every two weeks during periods of active growth (the appearance of new shoots) and flowering. Suitable mineral fertilizers for flowering indoor plants.

Hydrangea changes color

Indoor hydrangea has another unusual feature, namely the ability to make a colored bush.

This can be done using different compositions of the substrate, for example, adding a solution of ammonia-potassium alum (4-5/l) or iron salts, which will color the inflorescences blue, lime gives a pink or purple color, and white or cream flowers usually grow in neutral soil . Thus, you can make a colorful bush by adding different fertilizers to different parts of the pot.

Hydrangea transplant

The indoor beauty is replanted every year, increasing the size of the pot by a couple of centimeters. Replanting should be done with caution.

Place drainage at the bottom of the new pot, sprinkle a little new soil, then carefully remove the flower from the old pot, along with all the soil, and place it in a new place of residence.

Fill the voids with fresh substrate and water. After which a layer of peat is laid on top for mulching (slows down the rate of moisture evaporation).

Do I need to prune hydrangeas for the winter?

Pruning hydrangeas is required. It is held twice a year.

• The first, after the end of flowering, before wintering, when weak, withered shoots are cut to the ground, and strong ones - by half.
• The second time, in the spring, when new shoots become very long, they are shortened so as not to weigh down the plant.

Hydrangea preparing for winter

The hibernation period for hydrangeas begins after the end of flowering. At this time, it must be removed to a darker and cooler place.

Having fulfilled this condition, the flower will have time to rest and gain strength after abundant flowering, and already in February the buds will begin to awaken (the plant can be returned to its usual place). Otherwise, the next flowering will occur no earlier than in a year.

Propagation of hydrangea by cuttings in the fall at home

Cuttings are the most reliable method of propagation. If you carry out this procedure in January-February, then by next autumn there will be a real bush of 3-4 shoots, and if later, the plant will put out only one stem. Cuttings with at least three internodes are cut from the root shoots. The lower leaves are torn off, and the upper leaves are cut by half (for large leaves) or by a third (for small ones).

A shoot approximately 8 cm long, placed in a prepared substrate of peat and sand, watered and covered glass jar or a cut plastic bottle to provide moisture. Ventilate every day and do not allow the soil to dry out. After about a month, the plant takes root and can be transplanted into a separate pot; for starters, 8-9 cm in diameter will be enough.

Dividing a hydrangea bush

The easiest way to divide a hydrangea bush. This procedure is carried out during the annual transplant.

To do this, the bush is carefully removed from the pot and divided into parts (the number of parts depends on the thickness of the rhizome), so that each remains sufficient quantity roots and shoots. In each divided area, the roots and shoots are shortened and placed in new pots with prepared soil.

Hydrangea from seeds at home

Hydrangea seeds are sown at the end of winter, on a substrate previously prepared and poured into seedling boxes: a mixture of leaf, turf soil, humus, sand and peat (1: 1: 1: 0.5: 0.5). There is no need to sprinkle soil on top.

Moisten and cover with glass or film. Ventilate every day and moisten as necessary. With the emergence of seedlings, the glass (film) is removed and the seedlings are thinned out. As soon as leaves (2-3) appear on the young shoots, they are transplanted into separate pots (7-8 cm in diameter) with the same soil.

Diseases and pests

• Gray rot – affects the plant when the humidity is too high. Treatment: treatment with Bordeaux mixture.
• Spider mites and aphids – affects the bush with insufficient humidity. Treatment: wipe the leaves and shoots with a soapy solution and a sponge; if that doesn’t help, then treat with Actellik after a week.
• The leaves are turning yellow – insufficient watering, lack of nitrogen in the soil or the soil is too alkaline, which causes chlorosis. To restore their strength and color, iron sulfate (10 g/l) or iron sulfate (2 g/l) is added to the water for irrigation.
• Indoor hydrangea begins to dry out (tips dry) - due to insufficient moisture and watering, as well as lack of fertilizers. Correct the shortcomings, otherwise the next consequence will be the falling of leaves and buds. So remember to water, spray and fertilize as needed. Follow the plant, it will tell you.
• Indoor hydrangea does not bloom - this is a consequence of the fact that the plant did not rest in winter, but continued to grow and bloom, spending a lot of energy. At the end of autumn, the bush must be pruned and placed in a cool, dark place for wintering. And in the spring, take it back and continue caring, then the hydrangea will definitely bloom again.
• Brown spots appear on leaves - lack of watering.
• Light spots on leaves - excess light. Move the flower into the shade. Hydrangea is afraid of direct sunlight.
• Slow flower growth – insufficient amount of fertilizers. Worth feeding.