Hydrangea Golden Annabel, or as it is called in common people, panicled - a tree-like plant that is simply created in order to decorate gardens or personal plots. Snow-white flowering conquered many gardeners, lovers and professionals. The article provides a detailed description of planting, care and use of shrubs.

Grade description

The plant looks like a bush with abundant foliage and a crown that looks like a dome. The maximum height is 1.5 m and width is 3 m. Annual growth reaches 15 cm per year. Branches of gray-brown color. On petioles, which are in the form of an oval, there are leaves. They are quite large in size, light green in color, in autumn days it changes to yellowish-green. The length of one sheet can reach 30 cm.

Flowering occurs every year from late June to October. The flowers form inflorescences of 15–25 cm in diameter and have the shape of a ball. At first they are green, but whiten as they grow. Withstands temperatures up to -39 ° C.

Loves heat and moisture.. Particles with partial shade are ideal for growth, but only well-lit and sunny places provide an abundant color. Not afraid of drought, but defenseless against strong winds.

Did you know? The symbolism of hydrangea is appreciation and cordial affection. Because of this subtext, the flower is often used for bridal bouquets and wedding decorations.

Landscape design application

Hydrangea is often used in landscaping sites that are close to buildings. It can grow both alone and be part of a group. Often planted as a solitary plant in an open area, so that you can inspect it comprehensively. It looks great in the form of a hedge that separates the rest area from the residential one. Use in compositions is less common, but they also have a neat and sophisticated look.

Landing

The process of planting hydrangea itself is not a difficult task, but you need to remember about its preferences for soil, light, humidity. And of course, we must not forget that the right time is very important for any business.

Video: Instructions for planting hydrangea tree

Seat selection

Choosing a place for planting, it is necessary that there are buildings nearby that will protect the shrub from wind and drafts. Still, the plant needs a sufficient amount of sunlight, but at the same time so that it does not burn. Ideal would be part of the site, which is in the shade until noon.

Planting a shrub is best away from trees with open roots and constantly watering, especially in summer. If the soil dries, flowering may not occur.

Soil preparation

The shrub does not adapt well at the new planting site, so you need to prepare the soil well. The plant quickly grows and blooms on nutrient soil with good drainage. Acidity should be medium. A week before planting hydrangea, it is recommended to put a mixture of soil and fine sand on the bottom of the recess. Add phosphorus as a supplement.

Important! It is strictly forbidden to add lime and ash. This will prevent the plant from rooting and reduce the number of flowers.

Landing time

It is better to plant a bush in late April - early May or in the fall, in September. Spring occurs when the buds begin to bloom, but autumn, when the plant is already fading. Inflorescences that remain must be removed before planting, so that rooting is successful.

Step-by-step landing instructions

Step-by-step instructions for planting seedlings in open ground:

• root processes must be disinfected. You can use a weak solution of potassium permanganate;
• dig out recesses, the depth of which should be at least 60 cm. Cover the bottom with a layer of humus;
• lay the roots and cover with earth, leaving the root neck at the level of the surface;
• take soil with your hands;
• water the trunk circle.

The first flowering will appear only after 3-4 years

Care

Caring for hydrangea is no harder than for other shrubs of its kind. But each plant is special, and it has its own preferences in watering, fertilizing and pruning.

Watering

It is recommended to water hydrangea with settled water at room temperature. It is difficult to say how much exactly fluid is needed, but make sure that the soil in the near-stem circle does not dry out.

Top dressing

Hydrangea does not need frequent fertilizing and fertilizing. Only at the beginning of growth are manure or mineral fertilizers added to the soil. In the same way, they are fertilized several times on hot summer days. This will help the plant survive dry weather.

How and when to crop

The first pruning occurs when the plant is 4 years old. Next, hydrangea should be cut every year in late March - early April. All shoots are removed entirely, leaving only the base of the bush. If necessary, pruned branches can be used for cuttings.

Did you know? Sometimes next to the name of hydrangea you can see "French". This is done in order to remind that its appearance — it is a merit of France. It was the sailors of the first expedition around the world who brought it to Europe.

Winter preparations

Hydrangea tolerates cold and frost well. But still, so that the branches are not damaged by wind or snow piles, they must be tilted to the surface of the soil and fixed. To do this, you can use pegs that are driven into the ground. And tie the stems to them with a rope. Make a deciduous mound on top. She will help to keep warm. When heat occurs, the leaves are removed.

Propagation of hydrangea Annabelle

If you do not want to buy a seedling for planting, then you can propagate the shrub yourself. Reproduction occurs in the following ways: cuttings, layering, dividing the bush and planting seeds.

Did you know? Hydrangea even has its day. This is January 5th, at this time the bush does not bloom in the natural environment.

Cuttings

The simplest way to propagate hydrangea is cuttings. To cut the plant, you only need to cut the shoots into pieces of 15 cm. You need to choose branches on which there was no flowering. Leave in growth promoter overnight. Land on the site. From the bottom of a 1.5-liter plastic bottle we create a mini-greenhouse. Sometimes it will be necessary to let the sprouts breathe. Given very severe frosts, it is best to transplant into a container and pick it up in a room. And in May transplant back.

Layering

Reproduction by layering is done in the fall, namely in September. To do this, dig a hole next to the bush. Then they take the stem, which is one year old, and cut the edge with a blade. Place the branch in the pit so that the incision is turned to the bottom. Next, you need to fix it with a metal wire. Sprinkle with soil, pour and lay on top a layer of mulch. For mulch, rotten leaves can be used. After a year, layering can be divided and planted in a separate place.

Seeds

You can propagate the shrub with seeds immediately in the open ground or in containers at home.. The difference is only in time. So, if you want to plant a plant in spring (early May), then you should plant it immediately on a permanent place in the garden.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. To clear the soil of weeds and dig it.
2. Add humus or compost.
3. Dig again to mix fertilizer with soil.
4. Make the surface smooth using a rake.
5. Seeds must be immersed in the soil 1-2 cm.
6. Pour sand on top with a layer of no more than 1 cm.
7. Spray with water.
8. After 4 weeks, the first shoots will break through. During growth, weeds must be removed and watered. In frost, cover with a paper sheet.

Hydrangea can be planted in containers in the winter. To do this, you need:

1. Let the seeds sprout. To do this, you can use a plate on which to lay a thin cotton layer. Put the seeds on top and cover them with cotton. Pour purified water and wait a few days. When you see the spine, you can plant.
2. Pour the soil mixture into the container, which consists of sand, turf and leaf soil, humus, peat in a ratio of 12: 1: 1: 1: 12.
3. Submerge the seeds in the soil by 1 cm, spray with water and cover with polyethylene. Keep the temperature at about +14 ... + 20 ° C.
4. Open the film at least once a week.
5. Shelter is removed as soon as shoots appear.

The complexity of this method is that the shoots will need to be then dive twice. This is done in order to give space to the root system of plants. For the first time, a procedure is done when cotyledonous leaves appear. For the second time already in May. For quenching during lunch hours, move containers with seedlings to fresh air.

Important! After germination, seedlings must be grown in containers for more than 2 years.

Dividing the bush

By dividing the bush, the plant is rarely propagated.. This can be done only when transplanting it to a new place. And large overgrown bushes cannot be propagated in this way without damaging their root system.

Why does not bloom

If the bush does not bloom, then there are reasons for this:

• shoots incorrectly cut in April;
• insufficient watering and nutrition;
• the roots of the plant are underdeveloped;
• in the nursery artificially stimulated flowering. Due to the addition of funds of this kind, hydrangea may not bloom for years. To resume the flowering process, it is necessary to continue processing with a growth stimulator;
• tissue death due to too severe frosts occurred.

But if the bush is already blooming, then you need to know about the slight difference of the plant. Representatives of this variety can change the color of flowering.. To get this effect, you just need to add drugs that change the pH of the soil. Absorbing coloring elements, they spread through the tissues and affect the pigmentation of the petals.

Important! To get blue instead of white, you will need to add to the soil products that contain aluminum.

Diseases and pests and their control

Diseases:

1. White rot. This type of fungus attacks the roots. Because of this, hydrangea does not receive substances for nutrition, it becomes a coffee hue and can die. An external sign is the appearance of white color on the plaque branches. Without treatment, sclerotia, black spot spots occur. Fungicides such as Fitosporin will help to defeat the fungus.
2. Gray rot. Under its influence, the tissues of the plant become soft and gain fluid. With increasing humidity, a gray edge forms. When dry, they dry and die. You can overcome gray rot by cutting out some of the tissues that have been damaged, and only then carry out the processing of Rovral Flo 255 SC. It is necessary to process 3 times with an interval of 22 days.
3. Septoria. This disease damages leaves. The signs of damage are dark brown spots, 2-6 mm in diameter. If you do not treat the plant, then it balds and dies. To combat the disease, all parts that are damaged are cut off, and the shrub is sprayed with agents that include copper, for example, copper sulfate.
4. Powdery mildew. First, dots of yellow-green color are formed, which then increase and change color to brown. On the foliage, a plaque of a gray or purple hue is noticeable. If the bush is not treated, then the leaves fall off, and with branches the deformation occurs. They treat the disease with fungicides: Fitosporin, Alirin.

Pests:

1. Leaf aphid. Colonies of pests suck out the cell sap, without which the plant dries out and dies. If there is not a lot of aphids, then you can drive it with a strong water stream or treat it with a soapy solution. In severe form, insecticides are used, such as Fitoverm or Akarin.
2. Spider mite. Yellow spots are a sign of mite damage. In hot weather, it can cover a shrub with cobwebs in a week. The result of the defeat is fallen leaves. If there are not so many cobwebs yet, then it is possible to carry out a treatment with a soap solution. If this does not help, then you should use insecticides, such as Thiophos, Akarin.
3. Slug. The pest eats the deciduous cover of the bush. Granules of Molluskocide, which are scattered on the surface of the soil, can defeat it.

Growing hydrangeas of this variety requires patience and time, but it's worth it. It will refresh your garden and make it more tender. And you never get tired, because due to its peculiarity, changing the shade of inflorescences, hydrangea is always different.