Hydrangea pink - how to care for a pink hydrangea in the garden
Content:
Hydrangea is an elegant shrub that has gained wide popularity in the temperate climate zone. Its characteristic feature is inflorescences in the form of bright caps covering the flowering stems. This ornamental plant will be a wonderful decoration for any garden. There are two main types of hydrangeas: treelike and paniculate. At the first, umbrella hats have a rounded flat shape. In the panicle type, the inflorescences resemble panicles, which bloom for a long time.
Origin and description
Both varieties of pink hydrangea are worthy to be planted in the garden, but recently the tree-like one is most often cultivated.
Pink hydrangea is an incredibly beautiful shrub
A key feature of pink hydrangea is the ability to change the tone of flowers depending on the fertilizer used and the acidity of the soil. The plant contains anthocyanins, which make the inflorescences blue in acidic soil, but when the reaction decreases to slightly alkaline, the color turns pink.
This deciduous shrub is native to North America. Under good conditions, its height can reach 1 m. The characteristic features of the shrub are straight basal shoots, oval-shaped leaves with a pointed end.
Pink hydrangea tree
Large-leaved pink hydrangea can be grown both independently and in combination with other ornamental plants, while it stands out favorably against their background. It looks great as a road border or hedge. The shrub is compact, this is one of the reasons for its popularity.
Flowers are connected in large, umbrella-shaped inflorescences. The time of the beginning of flowering is mid-summer and up to a significant cold snap. There are small flowers in the center, large ones around the circle. The former can bear fruit.
The most beautiful varieties of pink hydrangeas
Garden hydrangea pink is such a popular plant that many varieties have been bred.
Invincible beauty
It is a large variety with large spherical inflorescences measuring 15-20 centimeters. The flowers themselves do not form fruit. The shade can vary from ash pink to deep pink. The variety thrives best in the sun, but it can also be grown in partial shade.
The first flowers begin to appear in June and finish in September. The plant does not tolerate winter well. The maximum height of the shrub is 1.2 meters, the width of the crown is one and a half meters. It is possible to grow pink hydrangea. Invincible beauty in a container. The plant is deciduous.
Red baron
A beautiful flowering shrub of bright crimson color. The variety is four-petal. As soon as the Red Baron dissolves, its center is green. But after a while she turns pale. The ideal soil acidity is neutral. Resistant from winter, but mulching must be carried out in order to preserve soil moisture and ensure resistance to frost.
Matte pink
Hydrangeas of this species are similar to lilacs. Its inflorescences are striking in their large size and majesty.Ideally, this variety should be planted in the sun, but the matte pink hydrangea thrives in partial shade. It can be planted as a single bush or with other plants or varieties.
Beautiful pink inflorescences bloom on last year's shoots and on those that appeared this year. This ensures a beautiful, lush bloom. The optimum soil is acidic. The plant is resistant to winter, so it does not need to be hidden in a warm place.
Papillon
A beautiful winter-hardy shrub with stunning double flowers. The plant is small. Its maximum height does not exceed 80 cm. The shape of the flowers resembles a rose, and the similarity can be seen in color with the naked eye. It blooms luxuriantly, as last year's shoots also bloom. To achieve maximum decorativeness, plants need shelter for the winter.
Pink hydrangea flower
Pink Diamond
This is a variety of panicle hydrangea that has the ability to regenerate. If the flowers are mechanically damaged, they can recover. This requires constant and abundant watering, since the root system is shallow underground. A characteristic advantage of the grade is its immunity to vehicle exhaust gases. Therefore, it is good to grow the plant along the road near the city.
The plant tolerates the cold season well, so no special care is required at home. At the same time, hydrangea does not like the wind; it should be grown directly in the sun.
Vanilla Fries
Why is this street variety called that? It can be literally translated as "vanilla frost". Based on the name, it becomes clear that this variety has exceptional frost resistance. It is able to withstand temperatures down to -40 degrees. Therefore, shelter for the winter is not required. Even if some branches freeze, the flower can quickly recover.
It is quite impressive in size. The height of this hydrangea variety can reach 2 m, and in a fairly short time. It begins to bloom in July. The inflorescences are the same as those of other hydrangeas: pyramidal in shape, and the flowers are sterile. But they have very interesting colors. One bush can have both white and bright red flowers. Over time, a pink border appears on them, and towards the end of flowering, they turn crimson. Thus, you can see the entire palette of hydrangea colors.
Open ground transplant
It is necessary to grow hydrangea in soil that gives an acidic or slightly acidic reaction. Some varieties like neutral soil, but this is less common.
Beautiful pink hydrangea
The hydrangea should be planted in a bright place, but not in direct sunlight. The plant will not die if it is in the sun, but it will lose its decorative qualities. Its flowers will become small, and the inflorescences will be loose. In addition, the sun dries out the soil quickly, so you will have to water the hydrangea more often. Given that the plant loves moisture, exposure to the sun only exacerbates the effect.
Planting time is spring, but if it was previously grown in a container, then you can transplant during the entire growing season.
Reproduction of pink hydrangeas
All hydrangeas are propagated by cuttings, cuttings and seeds. Rthe variety considered in this article is no exception:
- Cuttings. Young tops of the bush with two or three knots of leaves are cut off from the plant, leaving 2-3 centimeters of a bare stem below. The cut is made at an oblique angle.The first node must be completely removed from the leaves, in the rest, cut off half. It is strongly recommended to leave the leaves in the cuttings, as they carry out photosynthesis. With this approach, the roots will grow faster. You also need to cut off the top of the cutting, but here you need to make a right angle. Infertile soil or sand is poured into the container, the stalk is lowered there by 3 centimeters. Then it must be sprinkled with water and covered with something. The container hides in a place that only partially transmits light. Once rooted, can be planted in a larger pot.
- Layers. This method is best practiced in spring or early summer because the plant must take root before the cold weather sets in. It is necessary to dig out a small hole, up to 5 centimeters wide, and lower last year's shoot with unopened buds there. It must be covered with earth and secured. This is done to prevent the plant from rising. Growing vertical shoots, the layering will need to be earthed. In the fall, he will release the root. This means that the cuttings can be separated from the mother plant and planted in the ground.
- Seeds. The hardest way. The seeds are in small boxes, which serve as a kind of analogue of the fruit. They need to be planted at the same time when they appear.
The most common method is propagation by cuttings.
Caring for pink hydrangeas
Watering mode
Watering is the main component of plant care from the first days after planting it in the ground. Each bush should receive 20-25 liters of water. Before watering, once a month, you need to loosen the soil.
Top dressing
It is recommended to mulch the soil to avoid drying out the roots. To do this, you need to mix freshly cut grass, needles, semi-rotten leaves and wood chips.
Inflorescences of pink hydrangea
Top dressing is carried out in the spring, when the temperature rises above + 10 ° С. Shoots grow quickly: in a season they can reach half a meter. It is recommended to fertilize the plant with nitrogen fertilizers. They are done as follows: 1 tablespoon of calcium nitrate is diluted in 10 liters of water. Water the plant with this mixture.
Dung, superphosphate, urea and potassium nitrate are also used for fertilization. At first, the frequency of feeding the plant is once every two weeks, then you can reduce the frequency of fertilization to once every three weeks until the end of July.
Flowering care
It is very important to actively water the hydrangea correctly during the flowering period. Also at this time it is necessary to fertilize the soil with a weak solution. In this case, you cannot overdo it, otherwise the leaves will turn yellow, and the plant will get sick.
Preparing for winter
For the winter, the hydrangea must be transplanted into tubs and transferred to a cool room. But this does not apply to frost-resistant varieties.
Thus, pink large-leaved hydrangea is an excellent plant that can be grown both independently and in an ensemble with others. It is not very difficult to care for it, although it blooms incredibly beautifully.
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