Preparing for winter hydrangea paniculata (pink) - how to cut and cover. Ways to store large-leaved hydrangea in the basement in winter

Hydrangeas - perennial shrubs, characterized by long and abundant flowering. The most popular and spectacular are varieties of large-leaved or otherwise garden hydrangeas.

AT last years breeders have bred frost-resistant varieties of this shrub, which can bloom on new shoots, but they are still very rare. Therefore, in most regions, hydrangeas have to be covered for the winter.

Attention! Garden hydrangeas bloom mainly on last year's shoots, so when pruning them in autumn, you must be extremely careful.

To enjoy the chic flowering of hydrangeas annually, it must be properly covered for the winter. There are several basic techniques for preserving this shrub until spring. The choice of one or another of them depends on how the hydrangea was grown, in open ground or in a pot.

To protect hydrangeas growing in the garden, you can use the frame shelter method. For this method, you will need a mesh, covering material and fallen leaves.

When a steady autumn cold snap sets in, all foliage and remnants of inflorescences are removed from the hydrangea branches, and the bush itself is tied in the form of a bundle. After that, it must be wrapped with several layers of covering material. Then, maintaining a distance of 30 cm from the bush, a mesh frame is installed.

Attention! The grid is best used plastic, metal has the ability to attract frost even more.

Height installed frame should be slightly higher than the bush. After that, the gap between the covering material and the mesh must be filled with leaves.

With this method of shelter, hydrangea flower buds are successfully preserved until spring. They should be opened in the spring no earlier than April, and the foliage is removed first, and the covering material is removed last, only after a stable positive temperature has set in.

Planar shelter method

With this method, the bushes hibernate under a flat-shaped shelter. This method is quite effective and simple to implement.

The preparation of hydrangeas for winter according to this method begins with the placement of its shoots along the diameter of the bush, by bending them to the ground. A bucket of earth is poured into the center of the resulting circle, and preferably peat or humus. This technique of mulching hydrangea roots helps protect them from the winter cold.

The bush laid and covered in this way must be covered from above with a piece of covering material, and additional leaves should be poured on top of it and another layer of film should be laid.

The upper film layer must additionally be fixed with bricks, this will prevent the leaves from scattering by the wind.

They begin to remove such a shelter in the spring, after the snow has completely melted, approximately somewhere in the end of April. The branches released from the shelter themselves gradually return to a vertical position.

Wintering potted hydrangeas

This method of preserving bushes is the most time-consuming of all those discussed above. It is used to preserve potted hydrangeas.

To do this, they first begin to prepare a trench about 70 cm deep, depending on the size of the plants and pots, even greater depth may be needed.

Attention! The place for the future dig should be dry and on a hill so that melt water cannot accumulate there in the spring.

Pots with hydrangeas are installed in a dug trench. The hole is covered from above. wooden lattice, on which several layers of covering material are laid on top. A layer of leaves is poured on top of it for greater reliability.

The temperature and humidity that are maintained throughout the winter in such a shelter allow you to keep hydrangeas in perfect condition.

The pit should be opened in the spring after the snow melts. But at first, it is best to close the plants at night, this will help to avoid frost damage to the shoots.

When choosing materials for shelter, preference should be given, first of all, to those that pass air well and will prevent the shoots from rotting. For these purposes, covering material, burlap, spruce branches and sawdust are best suited, but film and PVC bags should be used very carefully.

Your brownie.

Hydrangea room is deciduous plant, so it is characterized by shedding leaves before its dormant period. This phenomenon occurs once a year, before the onset of severe cold weather.

In order for her to safely survive the hibernation regime and thank her owners next year with abundant and long flowering, she needs to provide a number of necessary conditions.

Preparation for winter should begin in the fall. It includes making some changes to the care of the plant.

Before the onset of cold weather at a gradual pace shrinking the intensity of watering hydrangeas, stop feeding.

rest period

The dormant period begins shortly after the end of flowering and lasts approximately 2-3 months. When the hydrangea fades, the plant is pruned and moved to a cool and dry room.

Light mode

She is not picky about the light. Important: this plant is sensitive to direct sunlight, so this factor must be eliminated immediately.

Hydrangea can grow well in partial shade, and in winter time of the year light shading she just necessary for good rest and a set of forces for the upcoming flowering. In dormant mode, lighting for this flower is not essential.

Temperature regime

Indoor hydrangea prefers coolness. If in the warm season it is recommended to keep it at a temperature +15 to +22 degrees, and at the same time protect from sudden changes in temperature and drafts, then in winter she will feel great at 5-9 plus degrees.

The optimal place for keeping in winter is dry and ventilated basements and semi-basements.

It is recommended to transfer hydrangea to an apartment or house, to a familiar place, at the end of winter or early spring (February-March), when the plants begin to germinate kidneys.

Important: the temperature in the room where the flower is placed after wintering should not be too high, otherwise it may respond dropping their leaves.

Watering

As noted above, the preparation of hydrangeas for wintering begins with a reduction in watering. During hibernation should receive minimum moisture. Water the plant should be occasionally, and then only to prevent the drying of the earthen mixture in the pot.

If it is moved to the basement for the winter, its need for moisture is significantly reduced, so watering at this time can be completely stop.

Manipulations in the winter

In winter, when in rest mode, you should try to disturb the hydrangea to a minimum and minimize all kinds of manipulations for care and maintenance.

• if the plant is kept in an apartment, it needs to provide a cool temperature regime, rare moistening (as the soil surface dries).
• if the pot is moved to the basement, it is not necessary to touch it at all during the entire hibernation period.

Important for this plant procedures - transplanting and pruning - are not carried out in winter. Separate time should be given to them in the fall or spring.

Important: You can’t feed hydrangeas in winter!

• during autumn pruning, only a few of the strongest shoots are left. Partial pruning (in order to remove weak shoots) is also done in the spring, after the plant wakes up;

• transplantation is best done in the fall, after flowering. Young plants are transplanted every year, old ones - once every 2-3 years.

Important: indoor hydrangea Prefers acidic soil with good drainage characteristics. The soil mixture for this plant should consist of humus, leafy soil, sand and peat.

How to keep in a pot until spring?

Caring for a flower in a pot consists of the following points:

• carrying out all the manipulations preceding the dormant period (gradual preparation of the plant, pruning and, if necessary, transplanting);

• compliance with all conditions needed by the plant during sleep mode.

She just needs dark and cold winter. During this time, she manages to recover and gain new strength for the appearance of future flowers. If this condition is not observed, the plant will be able to please the owners with its next flowering only after a year, or even more.

Ghortensia is an unpretentious plant, but its flowering is a magnificent sight. So that she after long winter was able to give life to new flowers, it is necessary to provide her optimal conditions. They do not require any special knowledge and great flower growing experience, and the beautiful hydrangea will surely thank you with lush balls of beautiful inflorescences.

A photo

See more photos below:

Hydrangea is an amazingly beautiful and beloved flower by many gardeners. In nature there is great amount various kinds hydrangeas, which outwardly differ from each other in the shape of the inflorescence and color scheme. However, it is worth noting that this shrub is quite a heat-loving plant, so you should start preparing hydrangeas for winter in advance.

How to prepare hydrangea for winter?

A number of measures aimed at protecting the plant mainly depend on your climatic conditions, as well as on the type of hydrangea. The most common types of this beautiful bush are considered: hydrangea paniculata, and.

Paniculata hydrangea is a fairly frost-resistant species. However, its root system is located quite close to the soil surface, and therefore, with the onset of winter, it requires mandatory shelter of the near-trunk strip. Also more or less resistant to frost is tree hydrangea. And here garden hydrangea requires special care when preparing for the winter, because for those who live in a fairly cold climatic region, its cultivation can be a real problem. Thus, no matter how winter-hardy the species is, any hydrangea needs shelter for the winter.

So, for starters, already in September, it is necessary to stop watering the plant, and in order for the shoots to become more lignified and able to survive the cold well, all the lower leaves should be removed. Already when the air temperature outside is below zero, it is necessary to remove the remaining leaves from the bush, except for the top ones, which are protection for the apical flower buds. Also, hydrangea bushes spud to a height of 30 cm and proceed to shelter.

How to save hydrangea in winter - shelter methods

There are a lot of ways to shelter hydrangeas for the winter, we will present only some of them to you.

Put at the base of the bush wooden planks with hammered nails. Then the branches of the plant must be tied with a rope, gently tilted to the ground, laid on boards and tied to nails. After that, the bush should be covered with a layer of spruce branches or dry sawdust and pressed with a piece of wood board. From above, you can additionally cover with another layer of sawdust or dry leaves, and best of all - cover large piece lutrasil.

Method 2

To begin with, the hydrangea bush needs to be wrapped with lutrasil and fixed with tape or twine. Further, above the plant, 12-15 cm high from the plant, it is necessary to build a frame from the grid, which is then filled with dry leaves. Cover all this from above again with lutrasil or ordinary plastic wrap.

Method 3

We tie the sprawling branches of the plant together with a rope or wire. Then we wrap a roofing material 1.5-2 m long around the bush and fill it with dry foliage. It is important that the distance between the bush and the walls of the roofing material is at least 10 cm. How to cut the hydrangea for the winter and is it cut in the fall at all?

It is worth remembering that garden hydrangea blooms on the shoots of last year. So this species plants do not need much pruning, except for cosmetic purposes.

As for the tree and paniculate hydrangea then they bloom on the shoots current year, That's why autumn pruning can only benefit them and improve flowering.

In autumn, only dry inflorescences are removed from the hydrangea bush. This is done so that the branches of the plant do not break in winter under the weight of snow.

The main pruning of hydrangeas is done in early spring before sap flow begins. At the same time, small and thin branches damaged after winter are removed, and annual shoots are shortened.

Proper Protection garden plants in winter guarantees their safety during severe cold weather. It will help to cover the flowers from frost, ensure the safety of the roots and stem. It is necessary to carry out such procedures both in flowerbeds near a private house and in the country.

Having correctly protected the hydrangea in winter, you can not worry about its flowering in spring and summer. When selecting best method it is important to take into account both the variety of flowers and the place of growth (for example, in Siberia, maximum protection plants).

You can find out how to hold a shelter for the winter in this article.

How to properly protect flowers from the cold: choosing the best method for different varieties

The choice of the correct method of protection for the hydrangea variety is mandatory, since it allows you to create optimal wintering conditions for the plant.

With insufficient shelter, the flowers will simply die. If excessive, rotting of the roots or stem may begin, which in the future will cause illness and death of the plant.

1. For panicled varieties

Panicle hydrangea needs to be protected with special attention. This large flower quite unpretentious and endures a strong drop in temperature, frost.

The only weak "link" of the flower can be considered root system. The lack of shelter can lead to its freezing and subsequent death.

Therefore, for panicled hydrangea, the option with the protection of ordinary garden soil is perfect. She needs to cover the area around the stem and its lower part (just pour a hill).

2. For tree variety

Modern tree hydrangea with large lush flowers requires good hilling of the earth and protection of both the root and the stem.

High-quality shelter should be carried out for plants growing in especially cold regions.

3. For a large-leaved variety

Large-leaved hydrangea bushes without fail should be covered during the winter. This variety is the most gentle and very poorly tolerates frost, severe cold.

Therefore, in order to prepare for wintering, it must be cut off (remove leaves, inflorescences), and then covered. Otherwise, for large-leaved hydrangea, even a slight decrease in temperature will be fatal and it will disappear.

In addition to wintering conditions, the rules for opening flowers in spring must also be taken into account. It is necessary to carry out the procedure only with a stable increase in temperature. If in the near future weather forecasters predict strong drops and night frosts, you should wait a bit with cleaning the shelter.

Temperature fluctuations will have a bad effect on the plant and can lead to poor germination of shoots.

Important! Be sure to cover the large-leaved hydrangea for the winter-spring period in the northern cold regions. After all, warming in such areas usually occurs quite late.

Rules for protecting young flowers: getting ready for the first wintering

Many novice gardeners are interested in whether it is necessary to cover young plants for the first wintering, or can only hilling be enough.

Proper protection of flowers with dry leaves, twigs and earth is a must.

Weak sprouts are highly susceptible to negative external influences so they need proper protection.

Work should be carried out according to the following scheme:

1. Perform sheet removal.
2. Trim the stems so that about 6-10 cm remain.
3. Build a fence around the stems (from branches, metal mesh or an old wooden box).
4. Fill the inner space with dry healthy leaves.
5. Close the created protection with waterproof non-woven materials.

Peat will also help prepare for winter in the garden.

When using it, it is necessary to perform pruning according to the same instructions, and then completely fill in the remaining pieces of the stems. Next, cover the formed tubercle with dry branches (you can use fruit trees or spruce). And from above from moisture to close with waterproof materials.

It is correct to cover the hydrangea for the winter period using this method, completely covering the tubercle from moisture: this will prevent the accumulation of water in the peat and the decay of plants.

Important! You need to use only dry peat. A wet layer will cause the stem to rot, and preparing the hydrangea for winter will have the opposite effect - the death of flowers.

For plants that have survived the first winter well, you can use similar methods of protection. But at the same time, strong pruning of young flowers will not be carried out. Since fragile shoots need good insulation, for the winter, second-year hydrangea is recommended to be protected according to the instructions described. This will help preserve the stems and root of the flower, and ensure its normal growth during warm periods.

Note! When studying information on how to cover hydrangea for the winter, the period of plant protection should also be taken into account. Young sprouts need to be cut and warmed in October-November, as soon as the temperature drops to about 5 degrees.

How to properly prepare flowers for wintering in cold regions?

Even the most resistant varieties of flowers need proper insulation for the winter. After all, some regions of Russia have such a harsh climate that frosts can reach -35 degrees or more.

Therefore, the initial preparation for the winter of hydrangeas should begin with a study of forecasts for the next 3 months.

If in the region climatic conditions stable and the gardener knows that it will be very cold, you need not hesitate, but proceed to protect the flower beds using one of the methods described.

Method 1. Accurate stacking of stems

Near the stems put low wooden boxes(you can pieces of the pallet). Carefully lay the stems on the stand and secure. Cover with dry leaves and cover with non-woven material.

Method 2. Effective protection of young shoots (2-3 years old)

You can carefully lay young plants without stands and pillows. It is necessary to pour garden soil near the stem, fasten the stems themselves together, bend them to the ground and fix them with pebbles.

If a broad-leaved hydrangea is wrapped in this way, then a couple more layers can be additionally laid nonwoven fabrics. They will let air through, but at the same time they will additionally warm the plants.

Method 3. Simple protection of flowers for the winter

Lay pillows of dry leaves near the stems, put plants on them and press down with stones.

These methods can be applied to any northern regions. You can use them in the Urals, where severe winters are often observed.

For warm areas with a mild climate, such measures will be redundant even for young annual flowers.

By the way, read our article.

Secrets of gardeners: original ways to protect flowers in winter

• Some gardeners recommend not trimming leaves and flowers before wintering.

The lack of such preparation makes it possible to use less insulating shelters in the following years. Flowers over time will be able to adapt to new conditions and therefore become resistant to cold.

But if garden hydrangea grows in an area with large quantity precipitation in winter, then you need to build a “cap” for it from branches or a box. This will eliminate the risk of breaking off the stems under the weight of snow.

• An interesting option for wintering plants in pots. This method is used by gardeners who grow hydrangeas in the Moscow region.

Experts recommend that young shoots (adult plants are not recommended to be transplanted into pots and even buckets) are carefully dug out when it gets cold, placed in a prepared pot with peat or ordinary garden soil. Then it remains only to rearrange it in a barn or another household. extension.

Additionally, you can cover with non-woven material for insulation.
After the onset of spring, hydrangea in a pot can be planted. On the next year you need to carry out shelter on the site.

Large plants will no longer be able to carry out such wintering. When digging up large shrubs, you can seriously damage the root, which will lead to the death of the flower. Therefore, for perennial hydrangeas, one of the wintering methods described above should be used.

Video on how to prepare hydrangea for winter:

To perennial ornamental plants pleased the owners of the site with abundant flowering, they need to provide good conditions and in Russian frosts. Wintering large-leaved hydrangea in the basement allows you to protect the buds on last year's shoots from freezing. Thanks to this, the gardener can enjoy the flowering of the shrub for almost the entire season.

Basement preparation

The basement before transferring the hydrangea to storage must be prepared in the same way as for laying the root crop:

If the basement in which the hydrangea will winter is intended for storing vegetables and pickles, then it is best to give the plant a place where the temperature does not rise above + 2 ... + 3 ° С. Do not place a container with large-leaved hydrangea where air flows from the inlet ventilation opening. Due to the constant draft and changing conditions on the street, the temperature fluctuations of the earthen coma will be too sharp. This can lead to freezing of the root system or early awakening of the kidneys.

When wintering in the cellar, attention should be paid to the humidity in the room. In a storage place that is too damp, large-leaved hydrangeas that are sensitive to dampness easily rot. If the temperature in the basement or other room where the plant hibernates is higher than indicated, then shoot growth will begin in the middle of winter. large-leaved hydrangea early distillation will not die, but she will need lighting and watering, which will cause the owner unnecessary trouble.

It will be possible to reduce humidity by ventilating the basement (through a window or open ventilation). To adjust its level, it is suitable and quicklime, containers with which you need to arrange in the basement. Ventilation helps to regulate the temperature.

The container in which the young large-leaved hydrangea will winter should have good drainage holes so that water does not stagnate during winter watering. If a suitable capacity for a large bush on the farm is not available, it will be very good to replace it with spandbond or lutrasil, wrapped several times around an earthen clod. Cannot be used for this purpose polyethylene film: airtight material will cause insufficient ventilation of the root system and its underheating.

Preparing for storage

The key to a good wintering is the maturity of the wood of the shoots. To achieve this, you need to start preparing large-leaved hydrangeas for a dormant period in September. At this time, the gardener removes some of the leaves from below. You need to remove them to about ½ the height of the bush. many varieties large-leaved hydrangea at this time they still bloom, but the removal of foliage does not affect the decorativeness of the plant.

After the first frost or in the case of a persistent drop in temperature to +5 ... 0 ° C, deciduous heat-loving plants stop growing. It is easy to understand this by changing color or falling leaves. Large-leaved hydrangea stops flowering, but cannot shed its leaves on its own.

At this time (for central Russia - the beginning of October), the next stage of preparation for winter begins:

• you need to remove the remains of hydrangea inflorescences from the shoots;
• cut off the remaining leaves from the stems;
• feed the plant with a fertilizer solution with phosphorus and potassium.

When removing foliage, cut off the petiole, leaving a small part of it on the stem. After 7-10 days, these residues will crumble themselves. Before transferring to storage, make sure that they do not remain on the branches, as their presence will lead to mold.

Do not cut or break the ends of the shoots. Large-leaved hydrangea varieties belonging to the Endless Summer or Forever and Ever series begin their first flowering in May-June, on last year's branches. To prevent the buds from freezing during preparation for storage, leaves should be left at the ends of the shoots. At proper wintering buds with buds are well preserved.

How to dig up a hydrangea bush?

You need to store large-leaved hydrangea with a clod of earth, the volume of which can be large. So that the plant has time to go into a dormant state, dig it out in the fall after the air temperature drops to 0 ° C. Before digging, you need to remove some of the old shoots.

Hydrangea should be dug in a circle at a distance of about 40 cm from the center of an adult bush up to 1 m high. If the bush is small, earthen clod can be the size of a projection of the crown of a large-leaved hydrangea.

Deepen the ditch by 40-50 cm and start digging the root system from below. This should be done with an assistant who will support the large-leaved hydrangea in a comfortable position and help remove the heavy bush from the pit.

Gardeners often leave hydrangeas directly in containers, taking them out to summer period to the garden. In this case, digging the bush is not required. It will only be needed for transshipment into a larger container. This procedure is carried out as needed.

Ways to store large-leaved hydrangea

If there is no basement or cellar, then the large-leaved hydrangea bush can be preserved until spring in other ways:

1. On a warmed veranda or loggia, where temperature fluctuations are insignificant, hydrangeas will winter no worse than in the basement. During cold wintering, light and watering is not required (or you can cover the soil surface with snow once every 2 weeks). With warming and early awakening of the kidneys, one should not try to transfer the large-leaved hydrangea to even more warm room or intensify irrigation. The bush is still at rest, and at temperatures up to +10 ° C, leaf development will not occur.
2. Small bushes or seedlings with flowers and leaves acquired in winter can be kept even in the room. It is better to put them on the windowsill and provide additional illumination. With a high degree of certainty, it can be predicted that they will have to be hardened for a long time before planting in the ground. This method of caring for flowers involves taking out a pot with large-leaved hydrangea on Fresh air at first for 30-40 minutes a day. The residence time of the flower on the street is gradually increased.
3. A large plant during wintering in the basement or on the veranda is difficult to place without pruning. But do not worry: large-leaved hydrangeas also bloom on the shoots of the current year. Therefore, for the winter, the bush can be cut at a height of 20-30 cm from the soil level. In this case, flowering will begin in the second half of summer (August-October).

Preparing for landing in the spring

Large-leaved hydrangea is planted only after they have passed return frosts which also occur in April. Planting of vegetative seedlings is carried out late spring, after preliminary hardening and accustoming to open sunlight.

You can get large-leaved hydrangeas from the basement no earlier than March. Raise the temperature gradually. Large-leaved hydrangea should be watered room temperature. The next watering should be done in 7-10 days. Dissolve in water when watering complex fertilizer(Kemira, Fertik, etc.).

How to care for a planted hydrangea?

Before planting in the ground, you can trim and form a bush. It is advisable to remove broken, overwintered or unwintered branches as soon as the buds begin to swell.

Among the problems of the gardener now are late frosts after a relatively warm period. Until mid-May, you should follow the weather reports, and in case of a cold snap, cover the planted bushes with spadbond. This can be done in the same way as conifer shelters are made:

• install a frame made of wire or wooden slats near the bush;
• pull covering material on it;
• when hard frost(below -5°C) additionally close the large-leaved hydrangea with burlap or cardboard.

If a successfully overwintered hydrangea can be saved from spring freezing, then it will begin to bloom at the end of May.

Conclusion

How to save hydrangea in winter can only be understood from our own experience. With careful care of the plant in winter, it is easy to notice under what conditions the buds begin to awaken on the large-leaved hydrangea, after which wintering the flowering is most abundant, how you can lose all the buds due to spring frost. Subject to simple rules preparing for wintering and disembarkation in middle lane Russia will be able to grow the most capricious varieties of large-leaved hydrangea.