Growing hydrangea outdoors in the Urals

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Garden hydrangea is a very beautiful and undemanding decorative flowering plant. With proper planting and proper care, it grows well in open ground both in the southern regions of Russia and in areas with severe weather conditions, for example, in the Urals.

The most winter-hardy varieties of hydrangea for growing in the Urals

It is very difficult to select a suitable planting material for growing in the climatic conditions of the Urals, since it is important to take into account not only the appearance of a certain variety, but also other factors. The most winter-hardy are treelike, paniculate and variegated varieties of hydrangea. They can survive even at -40 degrees during the winter.

Frost-resistant varieties of hydrangea include:

1. Vanille Fraise. A beautiful shrub that grows up to 2 meters in height. Flowers from crimson to white. Blooming bushes begins in early July and lasts until September-October. The plant grows quietly at subzero temperatures, it can even tolerate up to -40 degrees.
2. Kyushu. Tall variety, up to 3 meters. The shape of the crown is more like a fan. The plant blooms with white flowers from July to October. In winter it can withstand temperatures up to -25 degrees.
3. Limelight. Another tall variety, reaches 2.5 meters. At first, it blooms with white inflorescences with a yellow, cream and green tint, over time the buds become pinkish. Flowering begins in July and lasts until early October. The bushes are frost-resistant, can withstand up to -30 degrees.
4. Little Lime. A low-growing variety, it reaches a height of only 0.7 meters. The color is light green and pistachio at the beginning, and at the end the flowers take on a pink tint. In winter, it can withstand up to 35 degrees of frost.
5. Sterilis. A popular hydrangea variety that blooms until mid-autumn. The color of the inflorescences is light green, at the end of flowering it is white. The variety is very resistant to severe frosts.
6. Annabelle. Tall variety, up to 1.5 meters. The inflorescences are spherical. Blooming bushes begins from June to mid-September. Frost-resistant variety, can withstand temperatures down to -35 degrees.
7. Incrediball. The height of the bushes reaches 1, 3 meters. The bushes bloom with white inflorescences with a beautiful greenish or yellowish tint. The plant tolerates temperatures down to -30 degrees.

In the Urals, all of the above varieties of garden hydrangea can be grown in the open field, planting and caring for them is not difficult at all.

Most of the listed varieties can grow in subzero temperatures. This should be the determining factor when choosing a suitable crop for growing.

Choosing a suitable place for planting bushes

The optimal place for planting hydrangeas is a well-lit area, which is maximally protected from strong winds and drafts. She is very fond of bright light, but at the same time does not accept the scorching sun.

When growing in open areas, over time, the inflorescences will begin to shrink, become pale and inconspicuous. It is advisable to grow the culture in a semi-shaded place where a sufficient amount of light enters. Garden hydrangea will feel good along buildings, solid fences, hedges or walls.

Choosing the right soil

In the Urals, neutral or alkaline soil predominates. It is imperative to take this into account when planting bushes. Hydrangea will not take root well and grow in this composition. A slightly acidic or acidic soil mixture is most suitable for this culture.

You can independently prepare the optimal substrate for further cultivation. For this, sand, sod or leafy fertile soil, peat and part of humus are combined. Mix everything in equal parts, if desired, spruce or pine needles can be added to the earthen mixture, which will additionally acidify the soil.

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Landing in open ground

In order for the shrub to take root well in a garden plot in the Urals and to please the eye with its appearance, you need to take very seriously the correct planting of garden hydrangea in open ground and provide proper care.

It is best to plant the crop in mid-spring or early fall. But you need to remember about the cold Ural climate, so it is better to plant plants in open ground in spring. It is imperative to adhere to these rules:

1. Dig a hole for planting a bush with a depth of no more than 30 centimeters. In this case, the distance between the shoots must be maintained about a meter.
2. Before planting a culture, you must first fertilize the soil, and then pour peat about 5 centimeters into the planting hole.
3. Shorten the hydrangea root 2 centimeters.
4. It is desirable to place the bushes in single sprouts in the flower bed.
5. It is not recommended to deeply deepen the root collar.
6. When planting bushes in the spring, you need to shorten the one-year-old shoots by 3 buds.
7. After planting the hydrangea, you need to water the bush well. Cover the top layer of soil with peat for 5 centimeters. Ordinary manure can also be used for this purpose. Thanks to this manipulation, the base of the flower will be kept warm.

If the hydrangea is planted in regions with a large amount of precipitation, a drainage layer of broken brick, expanded clay or pebbles should be laid out at the very bottom of the hole.

Watering the plant

On dry days in late spring and summer, hydrangea needs additional watering. In areas with high humidity, it is carried out as the soil dries up. In the first few weeks after planting the crop, the soil should be moistened in the morning and evening.

During the entire summer period, you need to water the hydrangea twice with a solution prepared from the juice of one lemon and 5 liters of water (insist for several days at room temperature).

It is very important to retain moisture in the soil after watering the bushes. For this you need to carry out mulching. This procedure is an excellent substitute for removing weeds and loosening the soil.

The method of watering plants can be either automatic (drip) or watering. The first option is more convenient, since it does not require regular monitoring of the soil moisture level.

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Fertilization

To grow a healthy garden hydrangea in the Urals, after planting in open ground, it is necessary to regularly feed them. This is another important point in crop care.

For this, mineral and organic fertilizers are suitable. Top dressing must be applied to the soil at least four times a year. The first step before the immediate flowering of culture.

After that, the soil is fertilized twice a month. Potassium, urea and superphosphate are used as top dressing. When the first buds appear on the bushes, it will be quite enough to add only superphosphate and potassium.

At the end of the summer period, one bucket of compost or humus is applied under each bush. You can also use regular kefir or yogurt as fertilizers, but you must first dilute them with water in a ratio of 2 to 1.

Shelter bushes for the winter

Preparing bushes for the upcoming winter period is a very important procedure for preserving plants until spring, especially in such a harsh climate as in the Urals. Frost-resistant hydrangea varieties can withstand wintering even without shelter.

But the air temperature in this region can drop below that to which the culture is adapted. In severe frosts, the roots of the plant begin to gradually die off and, in order to avoid this, the bushes must first be covered.

Preparations for the winter period should be started in advance. First of all, you should remove all the leaves on the bushes, then carefully pull each one with a strong rope, wrap it on top with prepared covering material on all sides.

Bend the bushes to the ground and fix them with stones or bricks. Sprinkle with sawdust on top and cover with spruce branches, put a film or roofing material.

A frame can also be used as a shelter for hydrangea for the winter. In this case, you do not need to bend the bushes to the soil. It will be quite enough to install a metal frame on top of the bush, and then fill it with spruce needles or wood sawdust. If desired, the frame can be covered with foil from above.

The correct planting of garden hydrangea in a suitable place in the open field will allow you to grow beautiful flowering bushes without much difficulty, even in the harsh climate of the Urals.

Summarize

1. To grow crops in the harsh climate of the Urals, it is important to select exceptionally winter-hardy varieties of hydrangeas that can withstand severe frosts down to -40 degrees.
2. Hydrangea prefers to grow in slightly acidic or acidic soil mixtures.
3. When planting bushes in the hole, it is advisable to add sand, humus, earth from coniferous and leafy areas, peat.
4. After planting in open ground, the bushes should be watered regularly in the morning and evening for 2-3 weeks.