Hydrangea grows poorly - what to do to accelerate growth
Content:
Hydrangea delights gardeners with amazing lush flowering throughout the summer. But it is not easy to achieve active growth of a seedling and the appearance of many buds. To eliminate problems when growing a flower, it is worth figuring out why hydrangea grows slowly after planting and does not form flowers.
How quickly paniculate, tree-like and large-leaved hydrangeas grow after planting
The growth rate of a seedling depends on several factors:
- fertility and correct acidity of the soil;
- lighting;
- comfortable air and soil temperature.
In favorable conditions, hydrangea blooms magnificently
If all the conditions are met, the hydrangea takes root after planting and grows in size very quickly. Annual growth ranges from 15 to 25 cm. On average, it takes 10-11 years for a plant to reach a height of 1.5-2 m.
The growth rate also depends on the type of hydrangea. The most unpretentious and fast growing is the paniculate variety. Planted in fertile and moist soil, it takes root well. The plant reaches a standard height of 1-1.5 m by 4 years. The shrub begins to bloom by the age of 5.
Treelike hydrangea is more capricious, but over the year it grows by an average of 30 cm. The shrub needs a lacy shade, moderate soil moisture.
Large-leaved hydrangeas do not tolerate the frosty winters of Russia. Successful wintering has a significant effect on their growth and flowering. Often, last year's growths freeze slightly, and the shrub loses its flower buds. Gardeners solve the problem by providing reliable shelters for the plant.
Why does garden hydrangea grow poorly?
Why doesn't hydrangea grow if it was planted according to all the rules? Most often this is due to improper care or inappropriate climate.
Unsuccessful wintering
All varieties of shrubs in the Russian climate require insulation. As a rule, the base of the trunk is spud up to a height of 25-30 cm with earth or sawdust. The shoots are carefully tied into bunches and wrapped in burlap, lutrasil, and covered with spruce branches.
In special cases, a wooden box is made around the bush. The space inside it is completely covered with sawdust or foam crumbs.
Inside such a shelter, it is dry and warm
Due to improper shelter, the hydrangea can freeze and get wet (if the bush was insulated with polyethylene).
Incorrect cropping
Hydrangea can grow slowly due to improper pruning. Annual trimming stimulates the growth of new shoots and increases the splendor of the shrub. Basic rules for pruning:
- Cut all branches over 6 years of age.
- In the fall, shorten the shoots that had flowers by 20 cm.
- Thin the crown, removing weak and unhealthy twigs.
Depleted soil
Fertilizers applied when planting a seedling are enough for a plant for 1 year. Then the shrub must be fed.A signal about a lack of nutrition is a change in the color of the leaves (they become pale) and a stop in the growth of the seedling.
The shrub is fed in courses using special mineral fertilizers for rhododendrons and hydrangeas: Fertiku, Agricola, Pocon. In the spring, mulching the soil around the plant with humus, biohumus, peat is effective. At the time of flowering, hydrangea is treated with mineral complexes.
Diseases and pests
Although the plant is generally disease resistant, it can suffer from rot, downy mildew, fusarium and viral infections. You can determine the presence of an ailment by the following signs:
- the seedling stops growing;
- gray or white bloom appears on leaves and stems;
- foliage is covered with yellow, brown and brown spots;
- the roots of the excavated plant are brown on the cut, not white.
For treatment and prevention, drugs are used: Fundazol, Skor, Alirin.
The reason for the slow growth of hydrangeas in the garden may be an invasion of pests (aphids, spider mites, leaf beetles). Insects destroy the foliage and shoots of the plant by sucking the juices. Get rid of them with the help of Aktara, Akarin, Inta Vira.
Alkaline soil
One of the reasons why hydrangea does not grow is the lack of acidity of the soil. For a plant, it should be in the range of 4.5–6.5 pH. They check the acidity of the soil on the site using test strips that can be bought at a garden store.
They increase the acidity of the soil in such ways:
- use sour peat and coniferous sawdust;
- make potassium nitrate (1 tablespoon per bucket of water);
- water the hydrangeas with water with the addition of citric or oxalic acid (1 tsp per bucket).
Watering errors
When growing hydrangeas, special attention is paid to regular watering. The soil should not dry out completely. Drought is a common cause of shrub growth stunted. Watering regime in summer - 2 times a week. But you should not overmoisten the soil either. When planting a plant, a drainage layer is laid in the pit so that the water does not stagnate.
Damage to the root system during planting or during loosening
Careless planting of hydrangeas leads to the separation of some of the roots. Because of this, the nutrition of the bush is disrupted, the hydrangea stops growing and may die. When planting, you should straighten the roots carefully, without jerking.
Loosening of the soil is carried out to a depth of 3-5 cm. This operation can be excluded if the trunk circle is mulched with sawdust, wood chips, grass.
Little sun
Most varieties of hydrangea cannot tolerate direct sunlight. The inflorescences quickly fade, the foliage turns yellow. But even in the deep shade, the shrub grows slowly.
Seedlings are placed in a lace shade or on an area that is open to the sun in the afternoon.
The shade from the crown of the tree reliably protects the hydrangea from burns
Why hydrangea does not take root in the garden
A bush, planted according to all the rules in suitable soil, can also grow poorly.
Wrong choice of seedling
Inexperienced gardeners often make mistakes when choosing a hydrangea seedling. The most common mistakes are:
- Select a variety that does not grow well in a given climate. Paniculate and tree-like hydrangeas take root well in most regions of Russia, up to the latitude of the Leningrad region. A large-leaved species, striking with its abundant flowering, grows without problems only in the south. In the middle lane, it is customary to plant it as an indoor (greenhouse) plant.
- Purchase of a seedling in spontaneous markets. When purchasing a plant "from hand", the buyer cannot know in what conditions the seedling grew, whether it is healthy. Official nurseries and shops provide documents on the conformity of the seedling to the standard.
Incorrect landing site
Hydrangea is placed in a lacy shade, in a place protected from a draft. The close occurrence of groundwater is not a hindrance, but a long stagnation of melt water can destroy the plant.
Hydrangea grows poorly - what to do
In such a situation, in order to save the seedling, you need to act like this:
- Examine the bush for diseases and pests.
- Measure the acidity of the soil.
- Feed.
- Transplant the plant to the correct location.
Healthy roots are juicy and light
Top dressing and fertilizers that accelerate the growth of hydrangeas
When growing shrubs at home and garden conditions, the following fertilizers are used:
- infusion of vermicompost, urea, ammonium sulfate - in the spring;
- complex preparations Pocon, Fertika, Agricola, Compo - in summer;
- potassium sulfate and ferrous sulfate - in the fall.
Growing hydrangeas requires strict adherence to recommendations for choosing a place and soil. Proper care will allow the shrub to grow quickly and please the owners with abundant flowering.
