Hydrangea Anabel - tree species, description and care
Content:
Annabel is one of the most attractive varieties of tree hydrangea. The absence of difficulties in plant care is an undoubted advantage. Anabel tolerates Siberian frosts, so the shrub can be grown in any latitude.
Origin and description of appearance
China and Japan are considered the birthplace of the perennial. The height of the plant reaches 110 cm, and its diameter can exceed 3 m. A large number of shoots cannot form on thin branches and stems. The bark is colored brownish gray. The ornamental culture is developing rapidly, so it is important to cut the bush in a timely manner in order to form it.
Garden hydrangea Anabel
The large, slightly elongated foliage of the decorative culture is painted in a dark green palette. The length of the leaves reaches 20 cm. With the help of petioles, the green mass is attached to the branches of the shrub. Due to the large number of leaves, the bush looks very rich.
You can admire the gorgeous flowering from June to early October. The diameter of each flower barely reaches 10-15 mm. Each flower with a group of others is collected in a spherical inflorescence. The diameter of the inflorescences exceeds 22-24 cm. The flowers of the tree-like hydrangea Annabelle are white.
The variety, according to information from the characteristics, is capable of withstanding severe Siberian frosts. The most important advantage of the Anabel hydrangea is its longevity. The plant has been ready to delight with its flowering for more than 30 years. With the help of a spectacular shrub, you can decorate not only your own plot, but also public places. Bushes are often planted to create a living curb.
Transplant after purchase in open ground
Before you start planting seedlings, you should familiarize yourself with the recommendations of experienced flower growers regarding planting. The first step is to choose a place where the bush will be planted. After that, you can start preparing the soil.
Seat selection
First of all, you need to think about the place in which one or more hydrangea shrubs will grow. It is unacceptable to give preference to areas with frequent drafts. Despite the fact that the plant is thermophilic, it is better to plant it in the garden in partial shade, since direct sunlight on the foliage provokes burns. Frequent and abundant watering will help the shrub to endure a prolonged period of drought.
Suitable soil
The content of perennials in the soil of even a small amount of chalk and lime is unacceptable. It is best to use fertile soil with a good drainage layer and the presence of moisture for planting the Anabel variety. In too dry soil, the bush will grow slowly. Lush flowering in this case can not be expected.
Planting a tree shrub
Step-by-step planting process
Planting and caring for the Annabelle hydrangea (“Hydrangea Arborescens’ Annabelle ”in Latin) is easy. It is best to choose two- and three-year-old seedlings in a tube for planting on your own plot.It is better to postpone the planting process until the end of April or the beginning of May, when the threat of winter frosts has passed. If planting is still carried out in the fall, the root system must be insulated without fail.
- Dig a square hole 50-60 cm deep in the chosen place.
- Pour a drainage layer on the bottom based on broken brick, crushed stone and gravel. The thickness should be within 7 cm.
- The root system of the plant is placed in a depression and gently spread out.
- Cover the voids with soil. It is advisable to cover it with self-prepared soil. For this purpose, combine the dug soil with a small amount of sand and sawdust.
- The earth is filled up to the root collar of the plant.
- Water the soil abundantly at the site of the planting of the white Anabel hydrangea. It is advisable to pour at least 15 liters of settled rainwater under each bush.
Reproduction of hydrangea Anabel
There are several ways to propagate a flowering plant from the Hortensia family.
- Seminal. The prepared seed is sown into containers with soil. There is no need to deepen the seed. The container is covered with polyethylene material. If necessary, the soil is moistened, and the film is systematically removed for a couple of minutes for ventilation. Shoots will begin to appear 21 days after planting. After three years of growing seedlings, you can transplant them into open ground.
- Cuttings. This method is most popular among experienced florists who grow the Annabelle hydrangea and independently reproduce it. During the period when the buds have not yet had time to form, it is necessary to start cutting shoots, on which there are a large number of buds and foliage. The shoots are divided into three parts (at least one leaf should remain on each part). For several hours, the stalk is inserted into a glass filled with a growth stimulant. After a specified period of time, it is transplanted into a glass filled with moistened soil. If properly cared for, the cuttings will take root after 30 days.
- Layers. Having made grooves under the bush, lay the lower shoots in them. Fix securely. By doing a similar event in April, you can get young shoots at the end of summer.
- The method of dividing the bush. In the process of transplanting hydrangea, the root system is separated from the soil. The bush is divided into a couple of parts and planted as soon as possible in the prepared holes.
Tree Anabel
Anabelle hydrangea care
By properly caring for the plant, you can achieve abundant flowering and a chic appearance of the shrub. Below are the main steps for caring for the Anabel hydrangea variety.
Watering mode
Given the love for the moisture of the plant, it is necessary to moisten the soil at least 3 times a week. Pour 12-16 liters of water under each hydrangea. On especially dry days, you will need to moisten the soil in the place where Anabel grows in the morning and evening. Watering will require warm, settled rainwater. Once every 30 days, a small amount of potassium permanganate must be added to the water. Compliance with this rule prevents the occurrence of rot.
Loosening and mulching
The soil in the place where the hydrangea grows should be loose. It is very important to weed the soil from weeds in a timely manner. Due to loosening, moisture will remain in the soil, and air can flow freely to the root system. Given the fact that the roots of the perennial are located near the surface of the soil, it is possible to loosen the soil no deeper than 4-5 cm.
To protect the Anabel variety from overheating and retain moisture for a long time, you can mulch the soil. Peat and sawdust are excellent mulch options.The recommended layer thickness should be between 4-6 cm.
Pruning
Annabelle tree hydrangea needs sanitary and formative pruning. During the first procedure, you will need to cut off the broken and recovered branches. Dead wood is also removed. Branches during sanitary pruning are removed to the base.
Formative pruning of hydrangeas must be carried out in the spring months before the start of sap flow. The process speeds up and improves tillering. Cuttings can be used for propagation. To form a tree-like species of the Anabel variety, only one shoot must be left. The rest can be cut off without regret.
Top dressing
In order for the bushes to grow large, and the annual flowering is lush, it is necessary to make top dressing in a timely manner.
In mid-March, it is necessary to apply top dressing under the root system, which helps to accelerate growth. It should contain a large amount of phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium.
As soon as the period of inflorescence formation begins, it will be necessary to carry out a second feeding, containing a large amount of potassium and phosphorus in the composition.
In mid-spring, the bushes are sprayed with a solution of potassium permanganate several times in a row, which helps to strengthen the strength of the shoots. This is extremely important for hydrangeas, as the buds often bend the branches towards the ground.
Hydrangea Anabel in the garden
Preparing for winter
Hydrangea Anabel needs preliminary preparation for winter. From the 20th of September, all the foliage is raked up from under the bushes, which provokes the acceleration of the process of lignification of the shoots. Ornamental culture is fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizer.
After that, you can start covering the bush. Below are the most popular ways to prepare Anabel hydrangea for winter.
- In the southern region, the bush should be highlighted. A third of the height of the perennial is covered with a layer of peat, on top of which the film material is stretched.
- In colder regions, in the Moscow region and in the Urals, the bushes of a young plant are tied with a rope and with careful pulling movements they are pressed against the boards that were previously laid out on the ground surface. The plant binds to them. Next, you should throw the hydrangea with spruce branches and a large layer of sawdust. Top with old iron and spandbond.
- The trunk circles are covered with a layer of spruce branches. All shoots are gently pressed to the surface of the ground (radially to the sides of the central area). The bases of the shoots are fixed with wooden brackets (if you wish, you can use metal ones). The central parts of the bushes are covered with a layer of peat. Spruce branches are laid on top of the shoots. The plants are covered with spandbond, on top of which the boards are placed.
Paniculata hydrangea Anabel is a gorgeous plant that, with proper care, can annually delight you with lush flowering. Bushes can be planted either singly or in groups. It is best to plant lavender bushes near the hydrangea, the aroma of which will scare away pests. A perennial is able to decorate any site.
