Hydrangea arborescent - planting and care

Hortensia is a tree-like tree from North America. There, in natural conditions, it grows to 2 m, and in the garden area - only up to 1.5 m. Hortensia is a shrub with beautiful large oval two-colored leaves (bright green and bluish) and small infertile flowers collected in inflorescences with a diameter about 15 cm.

There are three varieties of hydrangea tree:

1. Grandiflora-pleased with a large number of large cream-colored inflorescences.
2. Annabel - can reach 1-1.5 m in height and 3 m in diameter, blossoms with white large inflorescences. Its peculiarity is that the leaves do not turn yellow in autumn.
3. Sterilis - differs more abundant and long flowering very large inflorescences, first white-green, and then - white.

In this article we will consider the basic rules of care for a tree hydrangea after planting, how it can be propagated and what are the main problems that arise during cultivation.

Cultivation of hydrangea in a tree

1. Location . For planting hydrangeas the best place is in the penumbra, so that the sun illuminates the bush only in the morning and in the evening, and since this is a moisture-loving plant, it should not be planted very close to the trees.
2. The soil . For shrubs well suited rich, but light humus soils, as well as leaf land with the addition of peat and sand, do not use soil with lime and ash.
3. Care . Hydrangea is very fond of moisture, so water at least once a week, and to conserve moisture, you need to grind the trunk of the hydrangea bush with a 6 cm layer of peat or sawdust. Mild rainwater is best for watering. Weeding and weeding are carried out simultaneously with irrigation.
4. Transplantation . It is better to transplant annually in early spring, but to prepare for the transplantation to begin in the autumn: dig a ring trench beyond the root system, fill with compost and water constantly. After such preparation, the hydrangea trees of the tree tree easily tolerate the transplant.
5. Top dressing . For good growth and full bloom under the hydrangea, fertilizers must be regularly applied. The first fertilizing is carried out with the Kemira-flower preparation in the spring, before the mulching of the bush, the second during the bud formation with phosphorus and potassium (50 g and 25-30 g, respectively). As a top dressing, you can still use dairy products (diluted whey, sour milk or kefir) or a weak solution of potassium permanganate, which strengthens hydrangea shoots.

Reproduction of treelike hydrangea

Before you multiply a tree hydrangea, you should choose which way to do it better: cuttings, the division of an old bush or layers.

Reproduction by division of an old bush is carried out before the movement of juices:

• dig out a bush;
• shovel into parts with roots and shoots;
• put in a new place.

You can not dig out the entire plant, and separate only a part of the lateral shoots with roots.

For the reproduction of hydrangea with treelike cuttings, they are harvested during flowering of the bush, cutting off the apical parts of the non-stiff shoots of this year. For better survival, treat them with "Kornevin" and place them in a fertile substrate with sand at the top, the cuttings will take root within a month. In the open ground, rooted cuttings are planted in August.

But it is easiest to multiply by layers:

• In the spring, run one sprout and lay it in a prepared groove 8-10 cm deep;
• pinned it and sprinkled with a layer of soil 1-1.5 cm;
• tip of the shoot bend upwards (at an angle of 45 °);
• regularly loosen, water and for a season 2-3 more times to pour the land;
• to separate from the big bush with the help of a pruner only for the next spring and immediately transplant it with a lump of earth to a permanent place;
• blossom begins for 4-5 years.

When to trim a hydrangea tree?

Young hydrangea bushes do not undergo tree pruning, removing only the frozen tops of shoots. After the age of four they begin to cut off in the beginning of spring, removing from the ends up to 20 cm, this contributes to the enlargement of the inflorescences.

Diseases and problems of hydrangea in a tree

Hydrangea tree is prone to chlorosis (leaf disease), from which a solution of iron salts helps. And on young and strong shoots can settling aphids .

Many gardeners often do not understand why the hydrangea tree tree does not bloom. There are several reasons for this:

• too young (blossoms in 4-5 years);
• improper growing conditions (poor pruning, top dressing, insufficient watering);
• freezing of shoots.

Due to its frost resistance and prolonged abundant flowering from June to September, the hydrangea is very popular among gardeners.