Hydrangea soil - how to acidify hydrangea soil
Content:
In its natural environment, hydrangea, or hydrangea, grows in Japan, China and America. Basically, the plant is a flowering tree-like shrub with large (up to 30 cm in diameter), beautiful, corymbose or paniculate inflorescences. There are also hydrangeas in the form of vines and trees.
The flowering period stretches from spring to mid-autumn. Usually the flowers are white, but large-leaved hydrangeas are also grown with blue, red, pink or lilac flowers.
Blooming hydrangea
The fruits are capsules containing small seeds.
The shrubs cultivated in the European part grow up to 3 meters. They can be grown both in the garden and indoors.
Hydrangea tree Anabel
In Russia, gardeners grow different types of hydrangeas in the open field:
- tree-like;
- paniculate;
- ground cover;
- Sargent;
- petiolate;
- large-leaved.
What kind of land does hydrangea love
The plant is not very picky about the quality of the soil. However, the size and color of future bush inflorescences depend on the soil.
What kind of soil does hydrangea like? It should be loose and breathable. In this case, the bush will develop normally and bloom luxuriantly. Therefore, after watering, it is recommended to loosen the ground around the bush.
Hydrangea prefers fertile soil. A shrub can also be grown on depleted land, but in this case the inflorescences will turn out to be small in size, and the bush will lose its decorative qualities.
The color of the flowers of the large-leaved hydrangea depends on the following factors:
- grade;
- the pH level of the earth;
- the chemical composition of the soil.
If the acidity of the soil is pH <5, then blue flowers are formed on the bush, if neutral (pH = 5 ¸ 6.5), then beige, if alkaline (pH> 6.5), then purple or pink.
Blue hydrangea flowers
When grown on neutral soils, flowers with blue and pink hues can bloom on the same bush at the same time. Thus, you can independently adjust the color of the flowers.
Why do blue inflorescences form on acidic soils in a shrub? In order for the flowers to acquire a blue tint, it is necessary that the aluminum, which is in the soil, is normally absorbed by the plant. This can only happen when grown on acidic soils.
If the soil for the hydrangea is acidic, but you need to get pink flowers, then chalk, dolomite flour or lime are added to the ground. Alkaline additives are introduced in the second half of March. However, when growing shrubs on lands with a pH> 7, the hydrangea is more likely to develop chlorosis.
It may happen that it is impossible to grow a shrub with blue inflorescences even on acidic soil. This happens when the soil contains an insufficient amount of aluminum, or the soil contains a lot of phosphorus, which interferes with the absorption of aluminum by the plant.
How to acidify hydrangea soil
When growing a shrub, a change in the acidity of the soil may occur over time. This happens due to frequent rains, watering, or the application of various types of fertilizers.
If the hydrangea had blue flowers, then they turned pink, then this means that the soil needs to be acidified.
Large-leaved hydrangea
To make the garden shrub bloom blue, the bush is mulched with sawdust, needles, peat, or aluminum sulfate or sulfur is added to the ground.
The amount of sulfur per 1 sq. meter also depends on the composition of the soil. So, for example, to reduce the acidity of sandy soil in the garden by 1 unit, you need to add 60 g of sulfur per square meter. 1 m, for clay - 160 g. For acidification, sulfur or aluminum sulfate is applied to a depth of 30 cm.
Also, to increase the acidity of the soil, you can carry out periodic watering with aluminum sulfate (15 g per 1 liter of water).
Acidic solutions can be used, for example:
- citric acid;
- oxalic acid;
- of hydrochloric acid;
- vinegar (grape or apple cider).
It is much easier to keep track of the pH level if the hydrangea is grown in a flower pot. In the case of indoor cultivation, the soil also needs to be acidified periodically.
Citric acid for soil acidification
How to make the soil acidic for hydrangeas with citric acid? For a garden plant, it is recommended to periodically water the bush with acidified water 1-2 times a month.
To acidify the soil for hydrangea with citric acid solution, use the following proportions: 1.5-2 tbsp. of crystalline powder on a bucket of water.
How to feed your hydrangea with vinegar
To acidify the soil with a vinegar solution, take 100 g of 9% vinegar or oxalic acid and dilute it in 10 liters of water. The prepared solution is poured around the barrel.
How to plant panicle hydrangea
If you plant a shrub in open ground, then spring is suitable for the northern regions of the country; in areas with a warmer climate, planting is done in spring and autumn.
So how to plant a panicle hydrangea in the open ground in the spring? Before planting, the root system of the shrub is pruned a little. Annual shoots are also pruned. No more than 4 pairs of kidneys are left on them.
Hydrangea paniculata
A drainage layer is first laid in the planting pit, on which fertile soil is poured on top, consisting of a mixture of peat and humus. If garden soil is used, then its composition is enriched with the help of mineral and organic additives. The soil is poured in the form of a hill with the top located at the level of the edge of the pit.
The prepared seedling is placed on top of a mound and the roots are carefully straightened. Next, sprinkle the root system with the remaining soil.
After planting, the soil is well tamped, spilled with water and mulched with a thick layer of peat or sawdust.
If you plan to grow a blue hydrangea, then you can place metal shavings or metal objects under the root to enrich the earth with iron.
Landing pit size
For seedlings, the planting pit should be dug to a depth of up to half a meter and a width of at least 40 cm.
How to plant panicle hydrangea correctly if the soil is poor in composition? In this case, the pit is prepared in large sizes. This is done so that more fertile land can be poured into it. The soil for planting is not limed.
Distance between hydrangeas when planting
If you plan to create a hedge of hydrangeas, then the shrubs are planted at a distance of 1.4 to 2.5 m from each other.
Hydrangea hedge
When planting seedlings, pits are prepared at a distance of 70 cm to 1 m.This is done so that when the plants grow up, it is possible to select and remove the weakest and most damaged seedlings.
Care rules
How to water hydrangea
The plant is watered with soft, settled water. Do not use hard water for irrigation.
How often to water
The shrub loves moist soil, so it needs to be watered frequently in summer. Watering hydrangeas should be abundant and regular, at least 2 times a week.
How to feed hydrangea in June
To stimulate the lush flowering of the hydrangea, it is periodically fertilized. Spring dressing begins in March and is intended to enhance the growth of the green mass of the bush. During this period, nitrogen-containing preparations are used. Usually urea and potassium sulfate are used.
To increase the number of flower buds, you need to change the dressing and use fertilizer mixtures containing phosphorus and potassium. Therefore, in the summer, superphosphate or complex mineral fertilizer is used as top dressing. To prepare the working solution, dissolve 1 tbsp. fertilizer in 10 liters of water.
Does hydrangea like dung
In the spring, you can feed the shrub with manure. To do this, insist 1 liter of mullein in 10 liters of water. It is not recommended to apply mineral fertilizers and organic matter in one feeding.
What peat is needed for hydrangea
Since hydrangea prefers acidic soils, high-moor peat should be used to create a soil substrate or for mulching, since its pH ranges from 2.8 to 3.6, as opposed to low-lying peat with a pH of 5.5 to 7.
Horse sour peat
Is it possible to fertilize hydrangea with ash
Ash is a good organic fertilizer rich in minerals and trace elements. However, it is not recommended to fertilize hydrangea with ash, as ash is an additive that increases the pH level. This can negatively affect the development of the plant.
Watering hydrangeas with potassium permanganate
For the prevention of fungal diseases, you can water and spray the plant with a weak solution of manganese. To prepare a working solution, 3 gr. potassium permanganate is dissolved in a bucket of water.
Gardeners recommend spraying with a solution of potassium permanganate at least 3 times per season.
Succinic acid for panicle hydrangea
When growing panicle hydrangea, a 1% solution of succinic acid can be used to acidify the soil. This solution is watered and sprayed with hydrangea seedlings, and also used when caring for weakened plants, since the drug is a good stimulant for the growth of new shoots.
As fertilizers in the summer, preparations are used, which include succinic acid, for example, Fertilizer for blue hydrangeas under the Bona Forte trademark.
Agrotechnics
The shrub prefers lighted places or partial shade. For hydrangea, direct sunlight is harmful. Under their influence, the inflorescences become smaller.
The plant is grown on clay or loamy acidic soils. It grows poorly on sandy soils.
The shrub likes the earth to be constantly wet, so the trunk circle is mulched or ground cover plants are planted in it. During the growing season, watering is carried out at least 2 times a week.
Indoor hydrangea
If the near-trunk circle is not mulched, then after watering the soil must be periodically loosened. The plant responds well to the introduction of mineral and organic fertilizers.
For bushes, pruning is carried out annually 2 times a year: in spring and autumn.
The soil for growing hydrangea in room conditions is used the same as for growing in open ground.
How to plant a hydrangea with seeds from China at home
It is worth considering how to grow hydrangea from seeds at home for seedlings. Some gardeners are trying to grow hydrangea from seeds, which are usually ordered in China, the homeland of the shrub. In obtaining seedlings from seeds, gardeners usually do not have any special problems. A novice gardener can also cope with this matter.
Process features:
- Before starting growing, you need to see how the acquired hydrangea seeds look like, pay attention to their appearance. They should not be damaged, diseased, covered with mold, wrinkled, etc.
- To speed up the emergence of seedlings, hydrangea seeds are pre-germinated. To do this, they are placed on a damp cloth and the landing is covered with a damp cloth on top. In the process of germination, the seeds are periodically washed to remove mucus.
- Prepare the soil for planting. To do this, take in equal parts leaf, sod and coniferous soils, as well as humus, peat and sand.
- The prepared earth is poured into a box.
- Swollen seeds are spread over the soil surface. From above they are covered with a small layer of soil.
- The box is covered with plastic or glass to create a greenhouse effect.
- Taking care of the crop is easy. Periodically, the earth should be sprayed with warm, settled water from a spray bottle. Regular airing is also necessary, for this you need to open the greenhouse for a while.
- After emergence, polyethylene is removed.
- When 2 leaves appear on the seedlings, they are seated in flower pots.
Hydrangea seeds
Hydrangea is a very beautiful flowering shrub. By performing simple agronomic techniques, you can grow a beautiful bush that will delight you with bright beautiful flowers.
