Hydrangea - planting and care, growing in the garden. Growing blue hydrangea in room conditions: the basic rules of care and reproduction.

Hydrangeas will bloom with blue flowers (and not pink) if they are grown on acidic soil. Sometimes, hydrangeas can change color over time if the level of soil acidity changes. Therefore, if you want to constantly have blue flowers, you will need to monitor the pH of the soil and take measures to maintain its acidity. This is done quite easily - go to Step 1 to get started.

Steps

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

• If you change your mind and want to return from blue to pink, apply dolomite lime or high phosphorus fertilizer to the soil. Do this regularly throughout the life of the plant.
• If the flowers of your hydrangea have a mixed color - pink and blue on one inflorescence, or purple, then the soil in your garden has a neutral reaction. To change the color of flowers to completely blue, use aluminum sulphate, as described above, dissolving 1 tablespoon in 4.5 liters of water. Gradually the color turns blue.

Warnings

• Unfortunately, it is not too easy to change the intensity of the colors of hydrangea flowers. Their brightness depends on many factors, such as temperature, humidity, general condition of the plant. Therefore, the only way to get bright beautiful flowers is to regularly feed the plant in order to maintain overall health.

Pink, blue, white, mauve? What do you expect?
   Hydrangeas have a reputation as a chameleon, but not all species change color. Although many hydrangeas become pinkish-purple with age, if you have beautiful white fluffy inflorescences, you will not be able to change them to pink or blue. To get pink or blue inflorescences you need a large-flowered hydrangea, Hydrangea macrophylla.
   You can control the color of your hydrangea. To do this, you do not need to become a chemist, you need to understand why hydrangeas change their color.

How to make hydrangea blue?

Hydrangeas turn blue in response to aluminum in the soil. This requires two conditions:

1. The pH of the soil should be slightly acidic (5.2-5.5).
First, perform a soil test to determine the existing pH. Adding aluminum sulphate to the soil will help lower its pH if necessary. Caution: Not all plants tolerate acidic soil, and nearby growing plants may suffer. Always follow the instructions on the packaging when adding to the soil.

2. Aluminum must be present in the soil.
   If aluminum is in your soil and its pH is low, your hydrangeas are likely already blue. But if you have only naturally acidic soil, you may need to add aluminum sulphate.
   Fertilizer - Fertilizer with a high content of potassium and low phosphorus content will help maintain the blue color. Avoid superphosphate and bone meal, which are sometimes used for more flowering.

How to change the color of hydrangea to pink?

Hydrangeas turn pink when they are deprived of aluminum. This can be done as follows:

1. Add dolomitic lime (lime with magnesium oxide) to raise the soil pH to 6.0-6.5. In this period, hydrangeas cannot obtain aluminum from the soil, but do not suffer due to the lack of other nutrients and chlorosis. You absolutely do not need to make the soil truly alkaline, as many mistakenly believe.

2. Grow hydrangeas in containers. Speaking seriously, in potting mixes that do not contain soil, aluminum is usually absent, so your hydrangeas do not have a chance to turn blue.
   Fertilizer - Use a fertilizer with a high phosphorus content, since phosphorus prevents hydrangeas from producing aluminum.

When your hydrangeas turn blue or pink, adding additional additives to the soil will not help increase the depth of color. Color may vary from season to season due to weather conditions, stress experienced by plants, and the environment. Plants planted near a concrete foundation or a concrete path may never turn blue due to lime, which is washed out of concrete.

Changing the soil for the color of hydrangea is not a one-time job. You will have to maintain the altered state of the soil.

The most interesting

Not all beginning growers know that the “natural”, natural color of hydrangea is white or pink. But other colors can be obtained artificially. And it is not difficult at all. At the very beginning of flowering, all its flowers have one color - pale green. It is at this stage that you can intervene to change its color. However, it should be noted that white flowers, due to lack of pigment, rarely change color. But with pink you can experiment successfully.

Many gardeners love the blue hydrangea, others prefer pink. But today we will talk about how to grow blue hydrangea. In nature and on flower beds, hydrangeas reach a height of up to three meters.
   The color of spherical flowers captivates with its beauty. It so happens that you have purchased a blue or blue hydrangea, and a pink hydrangea has grown. Now we will share tips - what to do, so that you still bloom blue hydrangea.
   Great value on the color of hydrangea has a soil composition.
   If you work a little on changing the chemical indicators of the soil, you can easily change the color of these amazing colors.
   Here are some tips on how to change the white color of the hydrangea to blue, and pink to lilac.

1. Before the flowering of hydrangea, water the plants with aluminum alum. Dosage -5 grams of alum per 1 liter of water. Iron salts, enriching the soil, give the colors of hydrangea shades from blue to blue.
   2. With the same success, aluminum alum can be replaced with iron filings, or simply stick old nails into the ground next to a hydrangea bush.
   With such simple methods you can change the color of gorgeous hydrangea balls.

Hydrangeas have a reputation as a chameleon, but not all species change color. Although many hydrangeas become pinkish-purple with age, if you have beautiful white fluffy inflorescences, you will not be able to change them to pink or blue. To get pink or blue inflorescences you need a large-flowered hydrangea, Hydrangea macrophylla. In hydrangea, you can change the color (white to blue, and pink to blue). To this end, aluminum sulphate or iron is added to earth mixtures when transplanting plants - up to 15-20 g per 1 kg of soil.

What's better? Aluminum alum or aluminum sulphate? They write about iron, which does not always color.

To obtain blue flowers, water the pink hydrangea with a solution of potassium alum (5-10 grams per liter of water). If the same solution is watered with dark pink specimens, then the flowers will turn purple, and the red ones - purple. When using aluminum sulphate or iron, you can get a blue color. A good effect is obtained when spraying a solution of aluminum citrate (50 g. Per liter of water), once a week since the appearance of the buds. Also, the color may change when the soil pH is reduced to 4.5 (at a normal 5,5).

Meas pink color Change to blue and blue

Hydrangea will have pink flowers if it cannot form a blue pigment, for which aluminum is needed. That is, aluminum in the ground must be converted to a form inaccessible to plants. For this, the pH of the soil must be higher than 6.5.

To obtain blue hydrangea flowers, aluminum must be present in the soil in a form that is accessible to plants. This is possible in the case of an acidic reaction of the soil pH below 5.5 and the presence of a sufficient amount of aluminum itself.

If the pH of the soil in the garden is above 6.5, you do not need to do anything, the hydrangea will bloom pink (iron deficiency is possible).

On acidic soil, add chalk, lime fluff, ground limestone or dolomite flour several times a year to raise the pH to around 6.0 to 6.2 (be careful not to allow the pH to rise much higher than 6.5 when there is iron deficiency and chlorosis will become a problem). Try to maintain the pH of the substrate from 6.0 to 6.2.

Do not plant near the pink hydrangea plants that require an acidic soil reaction (azaleas, rhododendrons, heathers).

Use fertilizer with a relatively high content of phosphorus and nitrogen, but low levels of potassium. Phosphorus forms insoluble chemicals with aluminum. Choose a fertilizer type with an N: P: K ratio close to 25:10:10. Ammonium monophosphate can be used (11:53:00).

In areas with very acidic soils, pink hydrangeas are easier to grow in large pots using landless (for example, peaty) substrates in which there are few aluminum salts. Do not add components containing aluminosilicates to the peat substrate - clay, mineral soil, expanded clay. The container will be much easier to maintain favorable conditions for growing pink hydrangeas, in addition, you can grow varieties that require shelter for the winter.

For the cultivation of pink hydrangeas the best choice is the substrate UNIVERSAL.

If the natural garden soil is sufficiently acidic, the pH is less than 5.5 and contains aluminum, the color of the hydrangea will automatically tend to shades of blue or purple.
   . If the soil in the garden is neutral or alkaline, it is necessary to artificially acidify it in the root zone to a depth of 20-30 cm or replace the soil in the planting hole with previously prepared acidic soil. To acidify non-carbonate soil to a pH of 5.0-5.5 can be high-moor peat or agricultural elemental sulfur before planting hydrangeas. Subsequently, the low pH is maintained by regular watering of the plant with a solution (15 g / l) of aluminum sulphate during the whole vegetation period. Do not water dry soil, pre-moisten it well with clean water.
   . Mulch the soil near the hydrangea with acidic materials - top peat, coniferous bark. Do not use marble chips, expanded clay.

It is important that irrigation water does not "contaminate" the soil with calcium. The pH of the water should not be higher than 5.6.
   . The alkalinity of the soil can rise significantly due to lime leached from building materials. Therefore, a concrete foundation or pavement, next to which hydrangea is planted, can affect color.

Fertilizer also affects color change. Feeding with physiologically acidic complex fertilizers with low phosphorus content, high potassium content and medium nitrogen levels will help in producing a good blue color. The optimal N: P: K ratio is close to 10: 5: 20. Do not use superphosphate and bone meal.
   . It is difficult for a long time to maintain a low pH value of alkaline carbonate soils, or soils contaminated with alkaline building materials. In this case, it is better to grow blue hydrangeas  in large pots using special acidic peat substrates with aluminum sulphate. In the substrate for the enrichment of aluminum, you can add 5-10% by volume of clay. Best choice  The substrate will be acidic for coniferous plants and rhodocenterons. In the container it will be much easier to maintain conditions favorable for the cultivation of blue hydrangeas, in addition, you can grow varieties that require shelter for the winter.

To a liter of acidic substrate, add 1.5 g / l of powdered aluminum sulphate. Stir well, moisten and stand for several days. Another way - plants in pots should be watered with a solution of aluminum sulfate (concentration of 10-15 g / l) at the rate of 100 ml of solution per liter of substrate. Control the pH of the substrate. For peat substrate the optimum pH value is 4.0-4.5. If necessary, repeat the procedure after two weeks. To avoid chemical burns of the roots, fill the aluminum sulphate solution with only a pre-moistened substrate. Keep leaves away from solution.

Attractive flowers can be a wonderful decoration. garden plot. But in order for them to grow well, not hurt and be pleasing to the eye, you need to provide them proper care. After all, each culture has its own characteristics, and they should be taken into account even before buying a seedling. So, for example, popular hydrangea has quite a few varieties, each of which requires the organization of a certain care. Today we will talk about the nature of hydrangea blue Nikko Blue, we will clarify how it is planted, and what care it needs open ground.

Hortense Nikko Blue refers to the large-leaved hydrangea. This plant is fast growing. leafy shrubs  with a particularly beautiful bloom. It is capable of reaching a height of one and a half meters. Such hydrangea does not differ in high winter-resistance, and needs the organization of shelter for the winter. There are two types of twigs on it: the shoots of the current year are green, and last year's shoots are woody.

Nikko Blue, blue hydrangea, covered with large leaves, painted in bright green colors, they look jagged at the edges. The flowers of this plant are sterile. They appear on the bush especially many, and the color of the petals depends solely on the acidity of the soil, it can be white-green, white or bright blue and even blue. The flowers are collected in fairly large inflorescences of a rounded shape. A distinctive feature of such a hydrangea - the ability to bloom on both types of shoots.

To grow attractive hydrangea Nikko Blue, you need to choose the right place for garden plot. Such a plant does not tolerate windy and northern territories. Experienced Gardeners  advised to grow it in a little shaded secluded places.

Readers of "Popularly about health" should prefer fertile and fresh humus soils. The best option would be a soil that has low or neutral acidity.

Hortense Nikko Blue is a rather moisture-loving plant, so you should not plant it in the bright sun. The best option would be partial shade. The organization of good drainage plays a crucial role. And to fill the planting pit is best to use a mixture of humus, sod soil and peat. It is worth noting that during the growing period of Nikko Blue it is necessary to ensure that its root system does not come into contact with alkalizing particles.

The optimum level of acidity for such a plant is 5.2-5.5 pH. In this case, hydrangea inflorescences will receive a particularly attractive rich blue and even blue color.

Seedlings are planted in open ground with an interval of one meter. The optimum depth and width of the landing holes - thirty centimeters. The roots of the seedling need to spread on a mound at the bottom of the planting hole, sprinkle with fertile and moist soil, and then rammed. As a result, the root neck of the plant should be flush with the ground. Immediately after disembarking, it is necessary to thoroughly water the hydrangea and apply it from the bright rays of the sun. This shelter should be left for two weeks.

Such a culture is not very capricious. At first, after planting, it is necessary to provide her with periodic soil loosening, moderate watering and weed removal.

Hortensia in the open field should be fed three times per season. It is best to carry out such a manipulation during the active growing season, at the stage of formation of inflorescences and during flowering. For feeding you can use a special fertilizer for hydrangeas. You can also use slurry (in a solution of 1:10), ten grams of ammonium and potassium nitrate, as well as twenty grams of superphosphate.

In order to facilitate the care of the plant and keep the soil around it in a moderately wet state, it is possible to mulch the soil using peat or humus.

An important role is played by the correct pruning of Nikko Blue hydrangea. Since this culture blooms on fresh and on last year's shoots, she does not carry out full pruning.

Gardeners are advised to leave only strong shoots when pruning - they need to be shortened by two to five buds. In addition, you need to break off dry inflorescences to get fresh next year.

Since Nikko Blue is covered with huge flower stalks, it is worthwhile to arrange special supports for her. This will help avoid broken branches.

As for shelter for the winter, many gardeners living in particularly cold regions do not even try to hide such hydrangea from frost. They grow the plant in containers and hide it in cool places for the winter.

For wintering in the open ground, it is necessary to cover the shoots of the plant in the second half of October to preserve the integrity of the flowers and leaves. For this purpose, you can use the greenhouse film. To protect the root system, it is necessary to pile up the soil at the base of the plant with peat about thirty centimeters. Long branches of the plant, it is desirable to bend down to the soil and cover with spruce branches, as well as dry foliage.

Hortense Nikko Blue can be a wonderful decoration of the garden.

Catherine for Popular Health (www.site)
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Hydrangea Blue - Flowering garden shrub. He looks great in landscape compositions, suitable for decoration of hedges, decoration of arbors, paths. At present, many varieties have been bred that easily tolerate winter and delight with their flowering for many years.

A separate type of "hydrangea blue" does not exist. This name was given to the plant for the shade of its flowers. Blue and blue inflorescences covered varieties of hydrangea, mostly. There are two- and three-colored species that change their shade throughout the season.

In addition, large-leaved hydrangea is easy to "repaint." It is only necessary to create appropriate conditions. What varieties have blue inflorescences? How to choose planting material? How to grow hydrangea? You will find answers to the questions in the article.

Varieties with blue buds

As a rule, these are large-leaved hydrangeas. They differ in rounded inflorescences, long and abundant flowering.

Initially, large-leaved hydrangeas were seen by flower growers in pot varieties. Such cultures were not suitable for cultivation in the open field. They just froze. And only much later were withdrawn. frost-resistant varieties. Which ones have blue flowers?

1. Hortensia "Mini Penny".

   Remontny grade. Blossoms on the shoots of the current year. It has lush green foliage and pale blue flowers, collected in spherical inflorescences.

2. Ramarse.

   Small compact bush. Treats multi-colored grades. Some species are covered with purple or purple flowers. Others are spectacular bright blue with white.

3. Freedom.

   Two color variety. At the beginning of flowering pink flowers appear on the background of rich greenery. Then their middle area turns blue, and the edges turn white.

4. "Compiteo".

   Hybrid variety with large lilac-blue flowers, the middle of which is white.

5. "Perfeshne."

   Rose-like flowers are pink first. Then the hue changes to blue.

6. Hopcorn Blue.

   A small bush up to sixty to eighty centimeters with tulip-like blue flowers. Blossoms on the shoots of the second year.

7. "Jommar".

   Compact bush with blue terry flowers. Blooms also on the branches of the second year.

This is the most popular varieties. Many of them change color during one flowering period. Pink hydrangea can be bought, planting and care are provided in accordance with the requirements. And then the flowers turn blue. This is a feature of the variety. We just did not pay attention to her.

The color of the hydrangea changes easily. During the budding period, the bush should be watered with aluminum alum (two liters of water - a teaspoon with a slide). Then the white color will turn blue, pink - lilac, purple or blue-blue.

How to plant

For planting are ideal seedlings of three-, four-year shrubs. It is better to buy them in specialized real or online stores. Root system  seedlings should be protected and hidden in any material. In the store for these purposes used containers. Growing up consists of.

Hydrangea blue - flowering garden shrub. It looks great in landscape compositions, suitable for decorating hedges, decorating arbors, paths. At present, many varieties have been bred that easily tolerate winter and delight with their flowering for many years. A separate type of "hydrangea blue" does not exist. This name was given to the plant for the shade of its flowers. Blue and blue inflorescences covered varieties of hydrangea, mostly. There are two- and three-colored species that change their shade throughout the season. Today we will tell about the planting and care of blue hydrangea.

Hydrangea varieties with blue buds

As a rule, these are large-leaved hydrangeas. They differ in rounded inflorescences, long and abundant flowering. Initially, large-leaved hydrangea flower growers saw in pot varieties. Such cultures were not suitable for cultivation in the open field. They just froze. And only much later frost-resistant varieties were bred. Which ones have blue flowers?

1. Hortensia "Mini Penny". Remontny grade. Blossoms on the shoots of the current year. It has lush green foliage and pale blue flowers, collected in spherical inflorescences.
2. "Ramars". A small compact bush. Treats multi-colored grades. Some species are covered with purple or purple flowers. Others are spectacular bright blue with white.
3. Freedom. Two color variety. At the beginning of flowering pink flowers appear on the background of rich greenery. Then their middle area turns blue, and the edges turn white.
4. "Compiteo". Hybrid variety with large lilac-blue flowers, the middle of which is white.
5. "Perfeshne." Rose-like flowers are pink first. Then the hue changes to blue.
6. Hopcorn Blue. A small bush up to sixty to eighty centimeters with tulip-like blue flowers. Blossoms on the shoots of the second year.
7. "Jommar". Compact bush with blue terry flowers. Blooms also on the branches of the second year.

When to plant a blue hydrangea

The best time for planting a hydrangea is spring, the moment when the ground will thaw, the buds will not bloom yet, and autumn - in the month of September. When choosing a place for an ornamental deciduous plant, consider that it is better to plant the hydrangea in the shade or partial shade, as the bright sun causes slow growth, as a result of which the inflorescences shrink.

Preparing the soil for planting blue hydrangea

The soil for hydrangea should be well drained and hydrated, consist of a balanced mixture of humus, leaf soil, peat crumb, river sand (2: 2: 1: 1). Regardless of the type and variety of hydrangea, remember, lime in the soil adversely affects development. The soil should be with a Ph level of about 5.0. Alkaline soil leads to chlorosis (yellowing of the leaves). With the growth of a bush on alkaline soil, there is often a shortage of iron and magnesium, which is manifested by a light and pale color of the leaves. Therefore, acidify the soil or treat the bush with iron chelate. In past centuries, gardeners have buried iron objects (nails, cans, horseshoe). When planting, they prepare a special balanced soil mixture with fertilizers.

Planting blue hydrangea in open ground

Empty landing pit must be carefully shed water. The surrounding soil should be saturated with moisture. To do this, pour at least 3 buckets of water into the pit. A day later, you can start planting plants. For planting, the amount of soil substrate needed to fill the pit is mixed. Dry mineral fertilizers (50 g of fertilizers per 1 plant) are added to the specified soil composition and mixed thoroughly. You can also use specialized fertilizers for hydrangeas. The landing pit is filled with a prepared soil substrate, slightly compacting it. In the center they make a hole the size of an earthen ball on the roots of a seedling. The shrub is set in the hole, the roots are added dropwise with earth. The earth around the bush is compacted with hands. If, after compaction, the landing pit is not sufficiently filled, a substrate is added on top. After planting, the blue hydrangea is well watered so that the entire volume of soil in the pit is saturated with moisture. Following this, the soil is covered with a layer of mulch. It contains crushed bark or sawdust deciduous trees. Soil mulching is necessary to preserve moisture in the soil.

When planting several hydrangea bushes, the distance between them must be at least 1 m. This is necessary so that the bushes, growing, do not overshadow each other. If you want to plant a hydrangea in a row, then you can dig a trench 90-110 cm wide. If you want to achieve earlier flowering, then at planting, dig holes closer together (70-80 cm), and after 2-3 years thin out the bushes with of necessity. Landing pit  Depth - 36-45, width - 51-65 cm. The roots grow mainly in breadth, extend far beyond the crown. Planting depth The root neck should be at the level of the soil, a maximum of 2-3 cm below, otherwise the flower will develop poorly. Now that you know how to plant a hydrangea, you need to take care of the plant in a timely manner.

Care for blue hydrangea

Caring for hydrangea is weeding and loosening the soil around it, organizing a timely and proper irrigation regime. In addition, to prevent the rapid evaporation of moisture is recommended to mulch the bush in early summer, peat or sawdust.

In the fall, the plants are fed with complex fertilizers, and in the spring with urea (2 tablespoons per adult bush, dilute in 2 buckets of water and water). This allows them to develop and form large panicles.

During the growing season, the plant can be fertilized with slurry, but if you overdo it with organic dressings, then the branches of the bush may break off under the weight of the inflorescences.

Trimming Blue Hydrangea

It is important to properly form a shrub. Gardeners do not like to prune the branches, but in the case of hydrangea paniculata without a strong pruning you can not wait for abundant flowering.

Trimming rules:

1. In the fall, cut off all the inflorescences.
2. In the spring, all growing inside the bush, weak and frozen branches are cut out on the ring.
3. In the spring, one-year growth is shortened, leaving no more than five pairs of buds on each.

Such pruning contributes to the fact that every year the bush will bloom more magnificently. What does “abundant flowering” mean in the case of hydrangea paniculata? A five-year copy with good care will please the owner with several dozen panicles, and a twelve-year-old with a few hundred! The plant lives in the garden for 50 years or more. A copy older than 20 years can be rejuvenated by cutting the bush on the stump. But even this pruning does not prevent the plant to bloom in the same year.

Protecting Blue Hydrangea from Pests

Blue hydrangea affects only aphid and red spider mite. These pests feed on plant sap and are able to reproduce in large quantities. Very often, the lack of control of them leads to the death of the plant.

• Leaf aphid accumulates on the tops of the shoots and petioles of the youngest leaves. Gradually multiplying, it sucks the sap of the plant, which leads to twisting and drying of the tips of the shoots. To help in the fight against them can only purchased insecticidal drugs to destroy aphids.
• Spider mite is a harmful arachnid. Ticks are very small and often not visible to the naked eye. You can see only the web on the youngest leaves of the plant. To combat this dangerous pest, there are drugs - acaricides and insect-acaricides, which destroy harmful arachnids.

Rest period of blue hydrangea

Beginning growers may be concerned, noticing that the hydrangea leaves fall. If this happened in winter, there is no reason for excitement. The flower began a period of rest, which lasts about 3 months. Of course, it’s hard to admit a blooming beauty in bare branches, but if you wait for the summer, you can be sure that it’s the same beautiful blue hydrangea. How to care for the wintering flower? This process is very simple. Watering is significantly reduced, but the earthen clod cannot be allowed to dry. Fertilizing is not needed. Until March, hydrangea is cleaned in a cool dark place. Young plants, whose shoots are not woody, do not shed their leaves and hibernate without entering a state of rest.

How to grow a blue hydrangea