Hortensia - decorative garden flower, which charms with its beauty and originality. Various shrubs attract their unusual appearance and abundant flowering. Growing a hydrangea in your garden, you will not cease to admire it throughout the entire period of growth. The plant has an unusual appearance and is valued by gardeners not only for its abundant flowering, but also for the interesting appearance of bark, as well as curly leaves. The most attractive sight is presented in autumn, when you can see leaves of different colors, buds and heads with seeds on one shrub at the same time.
Brief description of the genus
Hydrangea - flowering plant related to the family Hortensia, genus consists of approximately 70-80 species. The greatest variety of species grows in East Asia.
It is interesting to get acquainted with other plants that belong to the family Hortensia: mitex, deutz and currants.Shrubs grow up to 3 meters and are the most common representatives of their kind, others are small trees, and the rest of the representatives are vines that climb along the trunks of other trees up to 30 meters in height. Plants are both evergreen and deciduous. Most often cultivated deciduous species.
Flowering occurs in the spring and lasts until late autumn. At the end of the stem, the flowers are collected in spherical inflorescences, have a paniculate or corymboid shape. Most species have flower heads containing 2 types of flowers: in the middle there are small fruit-bearing flowers, and at the edges they are fruitless large ones. There are species in which all the flowers are fertile and of the same size. Blossom color depends on the type: white (most common), red, blue, lilac, pink.Did you know? Large-leaved hydrangea, depending on the soil pH value, is capable of changing the color of the petals. For example: in acidic soil the petals are blue in color, in alkaline soil they are lilac or pink, and in neutral soil they are pale beige. Some types of hydrangea, planted in an acidic pH, can accumulate aluminum emitted by the soil, and become blue in the formation of compounds.Hydrangea fruits - 2-5 separate boxes with a large number of small seeds.
Features of the autumn planting
All species of this genus are frost-resistant and shade-tolerant, only they do not tolerate direct sunlight. The site should be slightly shaded, and solar lighting is desirable only in the morning. When choosing a site for planting, it is worth considering that the flowering is fully enjoyable and the plant can fully grow.
Did you know? It got its name in honor of the sister of the Holy Roman Prince Karl Heinrich Nassau-Siegen - Princess Hortense.
Type of soil for growing
The soil in which the plant will be planted should be: loose, moderate humidity and good permeability of water and air. Of great importance is the acidity of the soil, because hydrangea prefers an acidic environment, and in neutral or alkaline, it will suffer from iron deficiency.
Important! If the soil in your area is alkaline, then you need to acidify it yourself, otherwise the plant will suffer greatly. Often in such an environment hydrangea is sick with chlorosis, which does not allow it to grow and develop.Professional gardeners use a solution of sulfuric acid. Of the methods at hand, even electrolyte is used, which is used for batteries (containing sulfuric acid). Be sure to feed with diluted electrolyte solution because in its pure form it is too saturated with sulfuric acid: one ml of electrolyte per liter of water.
Timing
The timing of planting plays a big role in the successful cultivation of a crop. In areas with warm climatic conditions, hydrangea is planted in the first half of autumn. It is best to plant in September, so that the plant had time to get stronger and take root before the frosts. For beginners it is best to purchase 4-5-year-old seedlings for planting, they are strong and quickly take root.
Landing technology
Having determined the landing site, you need to prepare the landing pit. Planting hydrangeas in the fall in open ground is made in a hole, a depth of half a meter and a diameter of 40-50 centimeters. If the soil is poor, then it is better to make the pit deeper. When planting a hedge observe the distance between the bushes to 1.5 meters. The pit should be almost to the top filled with soil mixture (leaf soil, humus, sand and peat in a ratio of 2: 2: 1: 1). For 10 kg of humus add 60 g of superphosphate and 20 g of sulfuric potassium and urea.
Sheep, pork, cow, chicken, rabbit and horse humus can be used to fertilize hydrangea when planting.Land in the pit should be settled for several days, and then it is necessary to proceed directly to the landing. From the soil mixture in the pit itself, form a mound and place a seedling on it, so that the location of the neck is 3 cm above the site. Then, flatten the root system of the plant and carefully cover it with earth. After planting, well tamp the ground and water the hydrangea abundantly. Over time, the soil will settle, and the root neck will be at the level of the surface of the plot.
How to care for hydrangea in the fall
Caring for the hydrangea garden in the autumn is the same as in the spring and summer periods. The plant needs soil loosening, watering, pruning and protection from pests. Although flowering is already passing, but fertilizing must be carried out necessarily, because the shrub must gain strength before wintering.
Watering
The plant is moisture-loving, therefore, requires a regime of watering. In the dry season, water 2 times a week, and in the rainy one once a week. The main thing - to prevent stagnant moisture, so as not to harm the root system. The plant should be watered with separated water. Under an adult shrub an average of 40-50 liters of water is poured at a time. As a preventive measure, vinegar or citric acid is sometimes added to the water for irrigation.
Top dressing
In early September, the last fertilizing of the hydrangea for the current year takes place. The composition of autumn fertilizers includes a phosphorus-potassium complex. Nitrogen supplements in this period are not needed. 
Autumn treatment for diseases and pests
Autumn treatment is more preventive than curative and is carried out with the aim of eliminating diseases and pests that could settle in the soil or bark for wintering. A popular and effective drug is Abiga-Pic or 1% Bordeaux liquid. Such events are held after leaf fall.
If you want your hydrangea to always luxuriously bloom in the garden, then it will be helpful to familiarize yourself with the causes of yellowing and drying of hydrangea leaves.
Pruning
The time to trim a hydrangea for specialists is a controversial issue; some advise it to be held only in the spring before bud break, while others advise, on the contrary, it is advised in the fall. The advantage of autumn pruning is that the plant’s vital activity subsides and there is no risk that it will expire with juice. Depending on the type of hydrangea, this event is divided into two types:
- The first group includes: representatives of large-leaved hydrangea, serrated, barbed, lianovidna, oak-leaved, petiolate, Sargenty. Their pruning is sanitary and cosmetic value. Remove dry, broken and diseased branches, as well as old inflorescences. This type of processing is due to the fact that in these representatives the flowers are formed on old shoots that were formed earlier;
- The second type is hydrangea, in which blossoms appear on young shoots of this year. Therefore, autumn pruning paniculate and tree hydrangea is required. Tree hydrangea is pruned from the age of four. Pruning hydrangea pruning is carried out like a tree, only old and diseased shoots that grow from one point are cut off.
Important! If improperly pruned, large-leaved hydrangea may not bloom at all.
How to transplant hydrangea in the fall
Large-leaved varieties in the fall are not advised to replant, they are difficult to adapt. Trees and paniculate hydrangea types transplant well in the autumn.
When to replant a plant
For transplanting hydrangea in the fall, the plant must be prepared from the spring. To do this, to a depth and width of up to 30 cm, dig a trench around the perimeter of the tree trunk and fill it with compost. With regular watering, the plant will put the newly formed roots directly into the compost. Transplantation is carried out in the same time as the landing, and this is the beginning of autumn.
Transplant plan
So that you do not interfere with the branches of the plant, they should be tied with twine or rope. Hortensia should dig around on the outer edge, try not to damage the young roots. Then transfer to a new landing site (the landing pit must be prepared in advance). Preparation of the pit and care of the plant in the autumn period are described above. To get the plant settled better and faster, spend rejuvenating pruning. If you are transplanting to grow a hedge, then make sure that the distance between the bushes was at least one meter, and preferably 1.5 m. 
Main breeding methods
The main and most accessible breeding methods for each gardener are: dividing a bush, cuttings and breeding root shoots.
Dividing bush
This method is convenient to use when transplanting bushes. Thus multiply almost all types of hydrangeas, except paniculate. Dig a plant and remove it from the ground so that each separated bush has healthy shoots and roots. During this manipulation should be very careful not to damage the rhizomes. In case of minor damage to the indigenous areas, it is worth smearing them with crushed coal, and then land them in prepared pits.
Read about the types of hydrangeas: treelike and paniculata.
Cuttings
More often produced in spring or summer from lateral annual shoots, but there is also winter cutting, which is beginning to be carried out already in mid-autumn. In October, dig up a hydrangea bush, transplant it into a pot and transfer it to the basement. Preparation of a mixture of land is the same as when landing in open ground. In January, the pot needs to be moved to a cool, lighted place, after a few weeks at 10 ° C the cuttings begin to grow. In February, it is necessary to cut green cuttings with 2 internodes from the mother plant. Above the leaves above and below them leave 1 cm. 
In order not to be confused and not to plant the stalk upside down, make the lower cut straight and the upper slant. Bottom leaves must be removed completely, and the upper cut in half. Process the upper cut Zelenko, and the lower soak in the growth stimulator. For the prevention of root rot in a pot to a depth of one centimeter, place the Glyocladin tablet. Cut the cuttings to the top leaves in a pot of nutrient soil. Such cuttings grow quickly and form a good root system. In the spring they need gradual acclimatization, and then they can be planted.
Reproduction root shoots
Propagating the bush undergrowth, you need to be very careful and attentive. It is necessary to carefully remove the top layer of soil and separate shoots shoots so as not to harm the roots of the uterine bush. After this, the shoots are planted for rearing (1-2 years), and then it is necessary to make their landing on a permanent place.
Preparing for the winter
Even winter hardy types of hydrangea at a young age. badly tolerate extreme cold and need shelter. Hydrangea requires high-quality care in the fall and preparation for the winter period already from September. All leaves except the uppermost leaves are removed from the bush, which accelerates the ripening and growth of young shoots. Then feed the plant with fertilizers consisting of phosphorus and potassium. 
In regions with warm climatic conditions, the hilling of a bush will be sufficient, and in areas with low precipitation, but with severe frosts, it will be necessary to organize plant shelter. Bushes of small sizes are usually covered with peat and wrapped with foil. High bushes can be tied with a rope and laid neatly, so as not to damage, on the boards, laid out beforehand on the ground. In order for the boards to not move from the spot, nail them with long nails to the ground. Pour the shrub covered with sawdust or spruce, and cover the top with lutrasil or spanbond.
For areas with temperatures down to -40 ° C exist such shelter options: The trunk circle should be insulated with lapnik, branches should be pulled from the center to the ground and secured with brackets, throw peat on the center of the bush, and branches with spruce branches. Put a lutrasil on top of a lap canopy and press it on the sides with stones so that it will not be blown off in case of a strong wind. This shelter is labor-intensive, but is of very high quality.
It is impossible to bend a lignified hydrangea without damage, therefore it should be wrapped with lutrasil and fixed with tape or twine. Place a metal grid around the plant, which should be 15 cm above the bush. Between the grid and the bush, scribble dry foliage and wrap this construction with roofing paper or film. Winter hardiness of hydrangea increases with age and after a few years it may not need shelter at all.
Hortensia is a beautiful flower that pleases with its bloom for a long period. The plant charms not only with gorgeous buds, but also with unusual bark and originality of foliage. If you decide to plant a bush in the fall, then in spring you can expect flowering. Hydrangea in the fall needs care and preparation for long frosts, because its development depends on the quality of the autumn events, growth and bloom next year.
