Hortensia is a beautiful, richly flowering shrub that has a variety of flowers - white, pink, blue, purple. This heat-loving plant has grown fond of our florists for a long time. But in order to successfully cultivate it on its site, a hydrangea needs a certain care, not only in summer, but in autumn and winter.
There are special frost-resistant varieties, which include a tree-shaped hydrangea . But even she will not suffer a winter without shelter in the northern region. Therefore, you should learn in advance how to prepare hydrangeas for winter in the garden, so that the bush can tolerate low winter temperatures well.
Autumn watering
Like many inhabitants of the garden and flower garden hydrangeas requires a sufficient amount of moisture throughout the flowering period. But the closer the matter moves to the autumn, the less water the bush needs to receive. Immediately before frost, it is once again abundantly watered and on this watering should stop. If the wet autumn turned out, then it would be inappropriate to water the plant.
Fertilizer hydrangeas
In order to bright clusters of small flowers luxuriantly blossomed in the next season will require nutrients for the development of the kidneys. For this purpose hydrangeas in the autumn period are fed with various fertilizer complexes, excluding nitrogen fertilizers. Like most garden inhabitants, this chemical element is contraindicated in autumn.
But potassium-phosphorus fertilizers in the form of granules will be very appropriate, because they will prepare the plant for wintering and allow to restore the strength after the summer flowering.
Pruning of bushes
Care for garden hydrangeas in autumn in preparation for winter includes mandatory pruning . Do it right, so as not to harm the plant. This is necessary for the sanitary cleaning of the bush from unnecessary growth, as well as to remove all damaged and unhealthy branches.
Young bushes are cut only by a third, and also remove all the lower and middle leaves, on which there may be disease-causing spores of fungi. Leaflets on the ends of the shoots do not tear, as they protect the kidneys from freezing and damage.
Old plants for rejuvenation are pruned more thoroughly - a large bush is left with only the five most healthy and powerful shoots, and the rest is cut to the root.
Shelter of hydrangeas
The main work on hydrangea care in autumn in the garden is reduced to its careful shelter. It should not be airtight, so that the accumulated condensate during thaw did not give impetus to putrefaction of buds and shoots.
It is best to use spunbond or lutrasil, which simultaneously protect the bush from severe frost, and allow the plant to breathe, getting rid of excess moisture under cover.
As a natural covering material, spruce or pine lapnik, as well as all kinds of wooden or arched frames made of polypropylene pipes, are suitable.
With the onset of cold weather after preliminary pruning, hydrangeas should be gently tied. Near the bush, as a springing layer, lapnik is lined or small logs are laid, which will not allow the branches to contact the soil.
After this, the associated bush is wrapped in two layers with a synthetic non-woven
In this position, the plant hibernates before the spring thaw in March. If the winter is very severe or snowless, then in addition to the shelter, it is possible to pellet hydrangea with lapnik also over the entire structure.
As soon as the first sun comes out in the spring, you should gradually disassemble the shelter to make the plant wake up. If some of the twigs are frozen, then cut them with a pruner before the sap move.