Hydrangea care in spring - how to properly transplant a hydrangea

Hydrangea is a flowering shrub that belongs to the Hortensia family. The plant is native to Southeast Asia, has taken root in the gardens of the Moscow region, some varieties are successfully grown even in Siberia. Hydrangea is grown as a houseplant, but large outdoor shrubs are more popular.

Hydrangea care in spring

When choosing plants for planting in the country, experienced gardeners give their preference to hydrangeas. During the flowering season, the shrub is covered with large inflorescences that smell good. Proper care of the plant in spring will ensure abundant flowering until autumn.

Spring care for the bush begins at the end of March, in the northern regions this period shifts to April-May. The main condition is that during the day and at night, the above zero temperature is maintained without frost. Caring for a shrub requires precision, you need to know what to feed, how much to water and when to transplant the hydrangea.

Lilac and pink inflorescences

Watering

If the winter was dry and frosty, without thaws, the plant lacks moisture. Immediately after wintering, the hydrangea needs watering. In order for the flower to start growing faster after hibernation, it needs to be "woken up".

Rules for watering hydrangeas in early spring:

• One adult bush needs about 12-15 liters of water;
• You can not fill the plant with chlorinated water, before watering, the water from the tap must settle in open containers for 2-3 days;
• Potassium permanganate must be added to the prepared water for irrigation, the finished liquid should be pale pink. The solution will help protect the plant from diseases;
• You can not water the hydrangea with ice water, before watering it must be heated to 30-35 ° C;
• Watering with a solution is carried out once a week if the weather is warm without rain. If the spring is rainy and cool, the bush is watered every 10 days;
• Water the plant with a manganese solution 3 times, after which watering continues with plain water. The solution is poured under the root, it is imperative to process the crown - this will help protect the leaves from diseases.

What color should the solution be

Top dressing

At the beginning of spring, hydrangea leaves and buds form, at this time it requires feeding. To accelerate growth, nitrogen-rich fertilizers are used. Top dressing is carried out in 2 stages:

1. At the beginning of leaf formation, a mixture of water, potassium sulfate and urea is used. In 5 liters of water, you need to dilute 1 tsp. each component, this is enough to feed 1 adult bush;
2. When buds begin to form, the fertilizer composition changes. For a large number of inflorescences and lush growth, mineral mixtures are used, which contain phosphorus and potassium. Superphosphate is often used, it is enough to dilute 1-2 tbsp. l. powder in 10 liters of water. 5 liters of solution are poured under the root of 1 bush. You can use any compound fertilizer in accordance with the instructions on the package.

Loosening and mulching the soil

At the beginning of spring, attention should be paid to the soil in which the hydrangea grows. Tips for what to do:

• After winter, the shelter is removed from the hydrangea; it is necessary to immediately clean the area around the bush.The land is cleared of dry leaves, branches, dried weeds are removed;
• The soil within a radius of 1 m around the trunk is loosened to a depth of 5-10 cm in order to saturate with air;
• The ground around the trunk is covered with wood shavings, peat or bark to prevent moisture evaporation. Spruce branches and sawdust will do.

Pinching, pinching and spring pruning

To make the shrub look neat, old and dry branches are pruned in early spring. Serious spring pruning is carried out only one year after planting, always before the formation of new shoots. Further, each spring, pruning is carried out, which includes the following procedures:

• Pinching. For lush growth and correct shape, all hydrangea shoots need to be pinched - cut off the ends. The pinching does not allow the shrub to greatly increase in size. Shoots cease to grow in length, begin to grow densely on the sides. The procedure is carried out in May;
• Pasynkovanie - removal of excess lateral processes. It is carried out in order to provide volumetric flowering and large inflorescences. Shoots that do not bloom partly take up the nourishment that the shrub receives from the soil. If you remove them, the flowering branches will receive more minerals and bloom more luxuriantly;
• Sanitary pruning is a seasonal procedure, during which spoiled, dried and frozen branches, dry inflorescences are removed;
• Anti-aging pruning. After the procedure, 6 to 9 main strong shoots remain, all weak branches and shoots are cut off. It is imperative to remove shoots older than 4 years;
• Thinning pruning - removing excess branches that get in the way, get tangled, or grow inside the crown.

There are several groups of shrubs; you need to care for each of the species in different ways.

Pruning large-leaved, serrated and prickly hydrangeas

There are several types of shrubs, the first group consists of large-leaved, serrate and prickly hydrangea. What these shrubs have in common is that new inflorescences are formed on the shoots of the last year.

Serrated hydrangea

These shrubs should not be heavily pruned; only last year's inflorescences should be removed on fertile shoots. They are trimmed neatly without touching new buds.

The ideal time for pruning plants of group 1 is early spring, when the buds begin to swell, or the first leaves come out. At the beginning of spring, the shrubs of the first group are thinned out, dried and frozen branches are removed. Serious pruning is not recommended, it will not damage the shrub, but it will bloom only after a year.

Pruning tree and panicle hydrangeas

The second group of plants includes shrubs of paniculate and tree-like hydrangea. Their inflorescences are formed on new shoots formed this year.

It is better not to delay with pruning, otherwise the shrub will bloom late. In March, as soon as the winter shelter is removed, it is necessary to cut off last year's shoots. Pruning is done before the buds swell. Features for different varieties:

• In a tree hydrangea, the shoots are shortened, leaving 2-3 buds. You can leave 1 bud on an adult shrub. If this is not done, the branches will grow densely, and the flowers will become smaller every year;
• The branches of the panicle hydrangea are cut to 1/3 of the length. The dense crown is thinned out, twisted and weak branches are removed.

Pruning old inflorescences

Transplanting hydrangeas after winter to another place

Transplanting hydrangeas to another location is carried out in the spring, until the flowering season begins. The optimal time is from late March to early April. At this time, the soil may not warm up enough and be firm, so you need to prepare for the spring planting in the fall. Before transplanting a hydrangea, you need to prepare a bush:

• When the shrub has faded, collect the branches into a bunch, press them tightly to each other and tie them in a circle with a tight rope;
• A narrow ditch is dug to a depth of 20-30 cm around the trunk within a radius of 40-50 cm. You need to fill it with compost and fill it well with water. For large shrubs, a ditch is dug at a distance of 50-70 cm from the trunk;
• In the spring, the bush is dug out together with a large earthy ball so as not to damage the root system.

In the fall, you need to prepare a new planting site. The new site must be no worse than the previous one, otherwise the plant will not take root. How to properly prepare the ground:

• A new place for a bush must be dug up and loosened, weeds and debris must be removed;
• The soil is mixed with organic substances such as coarse sand, peat, pine needles. For planting 1 shrub, you need from 3 to 5 kg of any of these components;
• The land must be fertilized with superphosphate or any mineral composition. During the winter, all additives will react with the ground; in early spring, the site will be ready for planting hydrangeas.

How to transplant a hydrangea correctly, step by step instructions:

1. At the prepared place, dig a hole for planting, at least 50x50 cm in size, the same depth. The roots of the plant should be freely visited in it;
2. At the bottom of the pit, there should be a drainage layer of pebbles or brick chips;
3. Backfill soil should consist of deciduous soil, coarse sand and humus in a ratio of 2: 1: 1. Filling is needed a little, since the bush is transplanted together with a lump of earth;
4. A dug bush is carefully placed in the pit, the voids are filled with prepared backfill;
5. The soil must be compacted with your hands, tapping a little on the surface. 1-2 supports are necessarily installed, to which the bush is tied, otherwise it will collapse;
6. The ground around the shrub is mulched with sawdust, small branches or bark;
7. The transplanted shrub is watered every other day, regardless of the weather. 10-15 liters of settled water are poured onto 1 bush.

Is it possible to transplant a hydrangea in June

Experienced gardeners know when to transplant hydrangeas safely. In June, the flowering season begins, and the bush is covered with large caps of inflorescences. At this time, it is impossible to disturb and cut him, the more you cannot transplant the shrub. The inflorescences can be damaged and fall off, the next year after transplanting, the hydrangea will bloom less or not at all.

White inflorescence

An exception may be the northern regions, for example, Siberia or the Urals. In these places, warming occurs much later than in the south. There is no exact date for a hydrangea transplant that will work for all regions. At the end of March, frosts and low temperatures are possible, at this time the shrub cannot be transplanted. Flowering begins in July, so the hydrangea can still be transplanted in early June.

The real decoration of the garden area is the blooming hydrangea, caring for it begins in the spring, includes pruning, watering and feeding. This shrub takes root in different climates, it can be found both in the north and in the south.A well-groomed plant will delight you with lush flowering and fragrant aroma every summer.