Growing hydrangea from seeds at home - a detailed guide with photos

Hydrangea has been used by gardeners for many years to create amazing landscape designs. A spreading bush with massive flower heads captivates at first sight. Thanks to its sophistication and easy care, it is successfully cultivated by both professionals and beginners. That is why it is necessary to know how the plant reproduces. Hydrangea propagates from seeds at home very easily. But the gardener should be aware that this option may not produce specimens similar to the mother plant.

Is it possible to grow hydrangea from seeds at home?

Many gardeners grow hydrangea at home from seeds. But to do this, you need to understand what high-quality planting material looks like and know the optimal timing for its placement in the ground. Seeds can be purchased or collected independently from a flowering adult plant. First, seedlings are grown by sowing planting material in a box or wide pot with prepared soil mixture. The main features of this process are listed later in the article.

How to collect hydrangea seeds

You can prepare hydrangea seeds yourself. This procedure is performed in dry weather after flowering, when the plant produces fruits in the form of small boxes. They appear only on small and inconspicuous flowers growing in the center of the bush, which are called fertile. Bright and lush inflorescences have a beautiful appearance, but are sterile.

To extract the seeds from the fruit, it is carefully opened. The resulting planting material is slightly dried at room temperature, and then placed in small paper bags and stored in a dry place away from sunlight. It is recommended to use the collected seeds within several months, since during this period the probability of their germination is highest.

When to plant flower seeds for seedlings at home

They begin to plant hydrangea seeds for seedlings in the second half of winter. With such planting, by the onset of summer the sprouts will already have several leaves. Grow seedlings indoors by preparing a suitable container and light, loose soil . To speed up the appearance of young shoots, planting material must be properly prepared. The procedure for planting seeds in the ground is quite simple and does not require special knowledge or experience from the gardener.

Preparing the landing tank

For planting seeds, it is recommended to use a wide wooden box of medium depth. It is recommended to fill it with soil so that at least 3–5 cm remains to the top edge - this will make it possible to cover the container with film without interfering with the germination of planting material. You can plant the seeds in special containers for seedlings, the internal space of which is divided into separate cells.

Soil preparation

To speed up the germination of planting material, it is planted in specially prepared soil. It should allow air and moisture to pass through well, and also contain enough nutrients necessary for the normal development of sprouts.

The substrate is prepared from the following components, taken in equal proportions:

• leaf soil;
• sand;
• peat.

The box is filled with the resulting mixture, and then it is generously watered with a strong, hot solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection. After the soil has cooled, it is lightly irrigated with warm water.

Seed preparation

To improve germination and also prevent the occurrence of diseases, planting material must be prepared before planting in a container with soil.

To do this, it is recommended to follow these steps step by step:

1. Select planting material without damage or deformation.
2. Soak the seeds in a pink solution of potassium permanganate for 30–40 minutes to disinfect.
3. Wrap the product in a damp cloth. Leave it for several days so that each seed swells and produces a small sprout.
4. As it dries, lightly sprinkle the napkin with water - it should always be damp. It takes 2–5 days to germinate the seeds.

Instructions for planting from seeds

After all preparatory measures have been completed, they begin to directly plant the seeds into the soil. They are usually sown in rows, maintaining a distance of 3–4 cm between adjacent plants.

Step-by-step landing instructions:

1. Spread the seeds on the surface of the damp soil in a container, lightly pressing them into the soil.
2. Sprinkle the planting material with a small layer of sand. Sprinkle it lightly with water.
3. Cover the container with film or glass and put it in a warm (+20°C) and sunny place.
4. Spray the soil in the container with a spray bottle as it dries. Remove the cover briefly every day to prevent the seeds from rotting without access to fresh air.
5. After the sprouts appear, remove the film or glass from the container.

Usually, several weeks pass from the moment the seeds are planted to the appearance of green shoots. When the first pair of leaves forms on the plants, they are planted in individual pots with a diameter of 6–7 cm, in which the seedlings will remain until transplanted into open ground. To fill individual containers, a soil mixture of the same composition as when planting is used.

Planting process

After acquiring the seeds, it’s time to start planting them. What is it recommended for every gardener to know about this process? You can sow seeds immediately after purchasing them, although pre-germination is still encouraged. Take cotton wool or gauze, wet it with water, and spread the grains on top. When they swell, sow them into the ground.

Regarding the process of planting hydrangea seeds, here first of all pay attention to the composition and quality of the soil. It is desirable that it include peat, sand, humus, turf and forest soil. Let's say you want to save on substrate, what should you do in this case? A good alternative is to use soil from molehills.

When the substrate is ready, take a small box, fill it with soil, and then spread out the seeds. They can be sprinkled with a thin layer of soil on top. The main thing is to cover them with glass on top. From time to time, do not forget to remove it to spray the substrate with water.

Growing hydrangea - features

Well, now we can talk about the features of growing hydrangea in the garden. So:

• The color of large-leaved hydrangea flowers depends on the pH of the soil in which it grows: in neutral soil the flowers will be white or cream-colored, in acidic soil they will be blue or blue, in neutral soil they will be pink or lilac. Therefore, to create multi-colored bushes, it is enough to change the acidity of the soil under each of them;
• hydrangea is very moisture-loving, so take watering the plant seriously;
• Bright light is very important for hydrangea, but in direct sun the delicate petals quickly fade, so it is best to plant it where there is light partial shade in the hot afternoon;
• the most important factor in caring for hydrangea after the watering regime is timely and correct pruning;
• do not overfeed hydrangeas with organic matter, otherwise they, growing rapidly, will almost certainly not bloom;
• even cold-resistant varieties of hydrangea need warm shelter for the winter, but if your beauty is frozen, don’t despair: most likely, it will recover during the growing season;
• Hydrangea is very rarely affected by diseases or pests.

How to make Hydrangea bloom

In order for the plant to delight with lush flowering, it is necessary:

• Place the plant in a well-lit place, but it must be taken into account that the plant requires partial shade.
• The room should be well ventilated, but there should be no drafts.
• The soil should be acidic and constantly moist. The plant responds well to spraying.
• New shoots must be removed by plucking out.
• In March, during the period of bud setting, weekly feeding of the plant is necessary.
• After flowering, faded inflorescences are removed along with half of the shoot.
• At the end of the flowering period, the side shoots and root shoots are cut off.

Growing Hydrangea at home requires compliance with the rules of care. The gardener's reward will be bright, beautiful flowers.

Choosing hydrangea seeds for planting

Garden hydrangea is a flowering plant that is characterized by three methods of reproduction. If you do not have the opportunity to get cuttings or layering, then it can be grown from seeds.

When purchasing planting material, give preference only to trusted manufacturers. It is advisable to purchase grains that were brought from Japan or China. It is in these countries that the flower is found in natural habitats.

Before planting hydrangea seeds, you need to know what they look like, otherwise you may end up with a fake. High-quality planting material must meet the following requirements:

• the seeds must be whole, without any stains, marks or damage;
• have no traces of disease, not be frozen and lethargic.

The hydrangea seeds themselves are dark brown in color, very small in size and oblong in shape. Don’t forget to ask the seller whether the grains meet the varietal characteristics. Hydrangea varieties such as Macrophila, Paniculata, Treelike and Chereshkovaya are perfect for growing in Russia.

Hydrangea from seeds can easily be grown at home. This is a fairly effective method that gardeners often use. Next, we will tell you how to plant hydrangea in open ground and special boxes at home.

Collection, storage and selection of seed material

When growing hydrangeas using this method, gardeners use both store-bought planting material and seeds collected with their own hands. Seeds are collected at the end of the season before frost sets in. Collect planting material in dry weather. Before sowing, seeds are stored in a dry, well-ventilated, dark and cool room. Throughout the entire storage period, a stable temperature is maintained in the room at +10... +15° C with an air humidity of no more than 50%. To store planting material, use bags made of thick paper or bags made of natural fabrics.

Ripe hydrangea seeds suitable for germination are small in size, have a textured surface, and are dark brown or brown-black in color. The light color of the seeds indicates their lack of maturity. For germination, it is not recommended to use seeds that are too old, moldy, frozen, rotten or damaged.

Many gardeners use store-bought planting material brought from China and Japan to grow hydrangea using the described method. Observations show that the use of such seeds often gives very good results. In these countries, hydrangeas grow in natural, most favorable conditions, so their seeds have time to fully ripen by the time of collection and accumulate the maximum nutrients necessary for germination.

When choosing hydrangea seeds for further germination, you need to study in detail the description of the variety you like

Attention should be paid to such important characteristics of the plant as winter hardiness and frost resistance. The survival rate and adaptation success of young seedlings in a new place after transplantation into open ground will largely depend on these qualities.

When choosing hydrangea seeds, experienced gardeners recommend giving preference to products from reputable agricultural companies. When purchasing planting material from sellers with a dubious reputation, the risk of failure increases significantly.

Caring for hydrangea seedlings

For active growth, young hydrangea seedlings need warmth and a sufficient amount of diffused light, so they are placed on a southern windowsill. But direct rays of the sun should be avoided - under their influence, burns may appear on the leaves of the plant. For this reason, it is recommended to cover the window with tulle, slightly shading the seedlings.

In summer, the room with hydrangea seedlings should be at least +20°C, and in winter the plants are transferred to a dark place and kept at +10°C. Caring for young shoots consists of regular watering, fertilizing and proper pruning. And the described flower is transplanted into open ground only after 2 years, so that the seedlings have time to become sufficiently strong.

Watering

One of the most important factors influencing the active growth of hydrangea seedlings is watering. But when irrigating plants, you need to follow the norm, since waterlogging of the soil can lead to diseases and even death of the sprout.

Basic rules of watering:

• in spring and summer, watering is carried out with settled water at room temperature as the top layer of soil dries, and in the cold season the soil in the pot is kept only slightly moist;
• It is recommended to irrigate plants in the morning or evening;
• in the warm season, seedlings are periodically sprayed with a spray bottle;
• to increase the level of air humidity, place trays with water next to the hydrangea;
• Every 30 days, the sprouts are watered with slightly acidified water - this helps increase the acidity of the soil.

Top dressing

In addition to a sufficient amount of moisture, hydrangea also needs nutrients. Fertilizers help seedlings to get stronger before further planting in an open area and strengthen the plant’s immunity.

Basic rules for fertilizing:

• hydrangea is fertilized only in the warm season;
• frequency of adding nutrients - once every 2 weeks;
• for feeding use “Agricola”, “Agrovita” or a special store-bought fertilizer for hydrangeas, applying it according to the instructions presented on the package;
• the required dose of the substance is determined according to the instructions indicated on the package.

Trimming

When growing seedlings, pruning is not carried out, since the young shoots are not yet strong enough, and this procedure may adversely affect the further growth of hydrangea. The first time the shoots are shortened only after transplanting the seedlings into open ground, when they are 3 years old. But if, when growing seedlings, inflorescence buds appear on it, then they are cut off so that the plants spend energy exclusively on the growth of roots and green mass.

Care and cultivation

In order for the seeds to ultimately turn into a tall and healthy bush, the planted seedlings or young plants require proper care. Caring for young bushes involves performing the following manipulations:

• feeding Fertilizers for feeding should be purchased in special stores. For this flower, the acidity of the soil should be at pH 5.5. If you want to get a bush with blue flowers, then care involves adding sulfate, sulfur or aluminum salts to the soil. To ensure a smooth color transition, these substances should be applied unevenly;
• watering. Care here involves maintaining constant moisture in the soil. When the top layer of soil dries out, re-irrigate. Remember that flooding the plant is not recommended. Care in terms of creating a water regime should be optimal;
• weeding the bush from weeds;
• preventive measures aimed at preventing the appearance of pests.

In addition, caring for hydrangea involves pruning. But there are time limits for its implementation:

• the first pruning is carried out when the bush has reached 5-6 years;
• After the first pruning, pruning should be done annually.

During pruning, you need to remove dried and broken branches from the bush. This procedure is carried out in the spring. As you can see, caring for young bushes is not very difficult. But if you carry out all the necessary procedures, your hydrangea will not only bloom beautifully, but will also become a strong and tall bush.

Hydrangea flowers - description

In natural conditions, hydrangea flowers are shrubs up to 3 m tall, medium-sized trees and vines that can climb tree trunks to a height of up to 30 m. In addition, depending on the species, they can be either evergreen or deciduous plants, and in our climate flower growers prefer to grow deciduous plants. Hydrangea leaves are usually large, opposite, oval with a sharp tip, often with serrated edges and noticeable venation. Hydrangea blooms from spring to frost with large spherical inflorescences, corymbose or paniculate, consisting of two types of flowers: small fertile (fertile), usually located in the middle of the inflorescence, and large sterile (sterile), blooming at the edges. There are, however, species in which all the flowers in the inflorescence are fertile.

Most hydrangeas bloom with white flowers, but a species such as large-leaved hydrangea (or large-leaved hydrangea) blooms not only with white and cream, but also with red, blue, lilac and pink flowers, and the color directly depends on the soil pH (level pH): on neutral soil hydrangeas grow with beige and cream flowers, on alkaline soil - with lilac or pink flowers, on acidic soil - with blue ones due to the aluminum contained in the soil, which the plant can absorb. The fruit of hydrangea is a 2-5-chambered capsule with small seeds. Sometimes plants from the close genus Schizophragma are confused with hydrangea, but you should know that the so-called petiolate hydrangea is actually a schizophragma.

Description and characteristics

The plant belongs to the hydrangea family, which includes a number of representatives with different characteristics - bushes, climbing varieties, dwarf trees. The homeland of hydrangea is Asian countries (China, Japan), the Far East and North America. She inherited her name from an ancient Roman princess, and her scientific name is Hydrangea, which means “water container.”

Hydrangea is a beautiful crop that has many varieties and varieties.

Depending on the variety, hydrangeas have different characteristics and features. The leaves are usually large, ovoid, with a pointed tip and carved edges. The plant blooms from spring until the first cold weather; the flowers are small, collected in balls or panicles. Most often, the inflorescences of this crop are light in color, but some varieties bloom with pink, red and purple flowers.

Interesting! The color of hydrangea petals directly depends on the characteristics of the soil: on neutral soil the plant blooms with light flowers, with high acidity - blue, on alkaline soil - pink or purple. This is due to the ability of the plant to absorb various substances from the soil, which determine the shade of the petals.

Hydrangea in the garden

Popular varieties

Despite the fact that hydrangea has several dozen varieties, not all of them take root in domestic latitudes. Plants may suffer from extreme heat or frost, so for growing in the garden it is better to choose certain varieties that adapt well to difficult conditions.

Table 1. The most popular varieties of hydrangea that are suitable for growing in the garden.

For reference! The large-leaved variety of the crop has the most varieties - this plant variety can be grown both outdoors and as a houseplant.

Seed selection

The seeds should be oblong, brown in color and without damage. There are no stains, marks or anything else that might alert you (see photo for what the seeds look like). Give preference to familiar companies, market leaders. Read reviews so as not to run into a fake. Pay attention to properties, for example, whether a given variety is frost-resistant, how many seeds from this manufacturer germinate.

Please note, since the material is small, it does not require additional mechanical processing!

Transplanting mature seedlings to the site

Before planting hydrangea seedlings outside, you need to find a suitable place for them. It is recommended to choose a well-lit area with loose and light soil containing a sufficient amount of nutrients. In terms of acidity level, the soil should be slightly acidic. It is recommended to plant seedlings outside in May. Before this, the soil in the selected area in the garden is cleared of weeds and dug up with the addition of a small amount of peat.

To fill the planting holes, prepare a fertile substrate by mixing the following components in equal proportions:

• leaf soil or black soil;
• peat;
• sand.

Step-by-step instructions for transplanting hydrangea seedlings to a plot:

1. Dig planting holes 2–2.5 times larger than the size of the earthen ball around the roots (approximately 50x50 cm). The distance between neighboring plants should be 1–1.5 m.
2. Place a drainage layer of pieces of broken brick or pebbles at the bottom of each recess. Sprinkle some nutrient soil on top.
3. Water the soil in the pot with the seedling generously. Remove the plant from the container along with the earthen lump.
4. Lower the seedling into the planting hole, placing its root collar at the level of the soil surface. Sprinkle the roots with the remaining soil mixture.
5. Lightly compact the soil around the hydrangea. Water the seedling generously with warm water, saturating the soil with moisture to a depth of 30–40 cm.
6. After absorbing moisture, cover the ground around the plant with sawdust or peat.

Requirements for seeds and soil for sowing

It is most convenient to grow hydrangeas in fairly wide boxes or medium-depth containers. Since the seeds are very small, planting them in separate containers is impractical.

The container is filled approximately 2/3 with substrate. The easiest way to germinate seeds is to use special store-bought soil for hydrangeas or other plants that prefer acidic soil. But, in principle, you can mix it yourself from peat, coarse river sand and leafy garden soil. To grow seedlings, a highly nutritious substrate is not needed.

Planting material demonstrates better germination after preliminary preparation:

• "Visual" rejection.
• Soaking in saline solution (1 tbsp per liter) to reject specimens without an embryo.
• Pickling in a solution of any fungicide or bright pink potassium permanganate for 30-40 minutes to prevent fungal diseases.

Important! The soil and containers must be disinfected in any way before planting.

When to plant hydrangea in open ground

For the first 2 years from the moment the seeds are planted, hydrangea is grown as a potted plant. After this, young seedlings are planted in open ground. This is done in the spring, after the soil has warmed up well. The place for planting hydrangeas must be chosen in advance. The area should be well lit, but direct sunlight has a bad effect on the flowers, they fade and become faded. Lighting should be diffused, so the best place for hydrangeas will be the east or west side of the house.

The soil for planting and growing young seedlings should be loose, well-fertilized and moderately moist. A prerequisite is that the soil must have slightly increased acidity. This indicator can be increased by adding high-moor peat or citric acid to the soil. Fertilizers such as ammonium sulfate or potassium sulfate increase acidity. The top layer of soil taken from a coniferous forest is well suited for growing hydrangeas; it is usually mixed with pine litter.

Planting young hydrangea seedlings is usually not difficult. Planting holes are placed in a row, maintaining an interval between them of 1 to 1.5 m. Their depth and diameter depend on the size of the container in which the seedlings grow; the hole should be at least twice as large. For backfilling, prepare a soil mixture from equal amounts of humus, turf soil and peat. The seedlings are carefully removed from the container, placed in the center of the planting hole and filled in without deepening the root collar. Then the planted plant is watered with approximately 10 liters of water and the top layer is mulched with the bark of coniferous trees.

Watering mode and humidity

Without a sufficient amount of moisture, not a single plant can survive, and hydrangea is no exception, but you need to know when to stop everything. Description of irrigation:

• in the spring and summer, as the top layer of soil dries out, watering is carried out using settled water. If it’s cold outside, the ground should be kept slightly moist;
• Morning or evening hours are suitable for watering, when the sun is not too hot;
• once a month, the water for hydrangea is slightly acidified to increase the acidity of the soil;
• If necessary, spray the seedlings.

Types and varieties of hydrangea

Before you plant hydrangea in your garden, you need to know which type is right for you, since each of them has its own requirements in agricultural technology. Growing paniculata hydrangea, for example, differs in some important aspects (pruning, preparing for winter) from growing tree or large-leaved hydrangea, therefore, the more you know about the species, the easier it will be for you to care for any of them. So…

Tree hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens)

A species widespread in the gardens of our climate zone. Tree hydrangea is a shrub that reaches a height of one to three meters. Inflorescences are formed at the ends of annual shoots; at the beginning of flowering, the flowers have a greenish tint, but when they bloom, they become white or cream.

Popular garden forms are Invisible Spirit - pink hydrangea, Sterilis - white hydrangea, characterized by abundant flowering, Annabelle hydrangea and Grandiflora hydrangea with large snow-white inflorescences (just do not confuse this variety of tree hydrangea with the paniculate hydrangea variety of the same name).

Hydrangea paniculata

In nature it grows as a shrub or tree with a height of two to five meters. In garden culture it is one of the most popular species. Hydrangea paniculata can grow in one place for more than forty years. Its shoots quickly become woody, which makes this species resistant to cold. Inflorescences form on the tops of the current year's shoots, so the flowering is very abundant, although the buds that appear at the end of June open only by August or September. Hydrangea inflorescences are paniculate pyramidal in shape, the flowers at the very beginning of flowering have a greenish tint, then turn white, closer to autumn they become pink, then brick and at the end of flowering they become greenish again.

The most famous garden forms: Grandiflora, hydrangea Vanilla Fraze, Kuishu, Tardiva.

Large leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)

Which is called garden, is most often grown in the garden, but there are compact varieties that can be grown in containers on terraces and even indoors. This species has dense foliage of bright green color, the shoots of the current year are herbaceous, so the plant has very low cold resistance. However, the buds for the current year's shoots, at the ends of which inflorescences bloom, are laid the previous autumn, so it is believed that large-leaved hydrangea blooms on last year's shoots. The shape of the inflorescences is usually umbrella-shaped, viburnum-shaped, which is usually called Japanese, or hemispherical. The color of the flowers depends on the pH level of the soil.

For example, the following varieties of recently bred cold-resistant varieties are interesting: Endless summer - blue hydrangea if it grows in acidic soil, and lilac if it grows in neutral soil; Renata Stanger – blue hydrangea; variety forms with double flowers Romance and Expression.

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)

A very attractive appearance, but, unfortunately, not at all winter-hardy, therefore requiring thorough insulation for the winter. It impresses not only with its lush flowering, but also with its beautifully shaped leaves, unusual for hydrangea. Oakleaf hydrangea grows up to two meters in height, has paniculate inflorescences 10-30 cm in length with white flowers at the beginning of flowering, and eventually purple flowers that bloom in June-July.

Ground cover hydrangea (Hydrangea heteromalla)

Or hydrangea variegated - a frost-resistant species, reaching two to three meters in height in nature. In culture it is often used to form a standard form. Dark green leaves 20 cm long have a smooth surface and a woolly, pubescent underside; the inflorescences are loose, corymbose, at first white, but turning pink towards the end of flowering. Blooms in late June or early July. Particularly popular is the Bretschneider groundcover hydrangea, which blooms profusely with large milky-white inflorescences.

In addition to these most popular types of hydrangeas, gardeners are also interested in radiant hydrangea, ashen hydrangea, rough hydrangea, serrated hydrangea, Sargent hydrangea, and the climbing species petiolate hydrangea, which (you remember) is only conditionally a hydrangea.

Sections: Garden plants Perennials Flowering Shrubs Plants on G Hydrangeas

Other ways to propagate hydrangea

Growing hydrangea from seeds is a labor-intensive and time-consuming method. It is suitable for those who have a serious interest in this matter and enough patience.

Hydrangea cuttings

For faster and easier reproduction, there are vegetative methods:

1. The easiest way to propagate hydrangea is by green cuttings; their rooting percentage is close to 100. To do this, in April-June, you need to select annual shoots from the crown, cut cuttings from them, 10-12 cm long with 2-3 pairs of leaves. The cut is made at a right angle. The leaves from the bottom need to be removed and treated with root growth stimulants. When planting, you need to deepen the lower pair of buds to the middle of the internode. Cuttings take root on average 20-30 days. All this time you need to maintain sufficient humidity. It is better to grow seedlings in a greenhouse with fertile soil or cover the plantings with plastic bottles. Next year, plant the bushes in a permanent place.
2. You can divide an adult bush in the spring. To do this, you need to dig it up, divide it with pruners or a sharp shovel into several parts so that each has several roots and shoots. The resulting divisions are planted in a permanent place in fertile soil at intervals of 1 m. Usually the divided plants take root well.
3. Hydrangea is also propagated by layering. To do this, in spring or autumn, select a healthy bush, bend annual shoots to the ground, pin them and dig them down 2-3 cm. A top of about 20 cm should remain on the surface. Periodically you need to add soil and regularly water the cuttings and bush. After a year, the shoot should take root. Then it is carefully separated from the mother bush with pruning shears and planted in beds for growing. After another year you can plant it in a permanent place. Young bushes will begin to bloom in the 4th year of life.

Growing hydrangea is not the easiest task in floriculture. But there is nothing supernatural either. You just need to plant it in a draft-free place, in moderately acidic soil, regularly water, fertilize and prune. You also need a lot of patience and love for flowering plants. With proper care, hydrangea will grow healthy, lush and look royal.

Three types of cuttings of this plant

Green cuttings

They are cut in early June (after flowering ends). You can take not only green, but also semi-lignified branches.

Your actions:

Place the cut branches in a glass of water, to which a growth stimulator has been added (you can use both products from the “bio” series and “Kornevin”, which is more familiar to flower gardeners, and similar chemistry). Instead of store-bought ones, you can also use natural products: honey, aloe juice, yeast dissolved in water. When the first roots appear, transfer the cuttings to open ground. To begin with, you can choose a secluded corner (say, near the house itself). Grow them in a “greenhouse”, covering them with a transparent jar, a cut plastic bottle or a regular bag (to prevent the wind from blowing the bag away, bury it around the edges or cover it with pebbles). In order for these branches to form into full-fledged bushes by autumn, they need to be provided with moisture (watering, but without fanaticism) and warmth. In the fall, seeing that the bushes are actively growing to the sides (which means that their root system is already well formed), they can be dug up and moved to a permanent place of “residence.”

When choosing it, pay attention to the sunniest areas of your yard or garden. Forsythia needs a lot of light to bloom beautifully. With the advent of the first cold weather, cover the bushes with fallen leaves or straw to a height of at least 20 cm.

Lignified cuttings

And such branches are cut in the fall. You can also harvest them from November to January (this is the dormant period of the bush).

Quite large branches are selected. The length of the cutting should be from 15 to 20 cm.

They are immediately planted in open ground, but deep - 10 cm. In this case, several buds must look out.

To prevent winter frosts from destroying a cutting that has not yet taken root, cover it with the same foliage (straw, sawdust, spruce).

When the snow melts from the area in the spring, the leafy “blanket” is removed. Don’t be alarmed if you see that the cuttings have remained virtually unchanged over the winter. The main thing is that they do not dry out and begin to rot.

In the fresh air, the cuttings will begin to actively take root and send out branches, and by autumn they will turn into small bushes. And then, in early autumn, they can be transplanted to a permanent place.

In the winter, she brings it to the veranda (the house is heated, but the veranda is cold - but still in winter it is consistently above zero), or buries it in the sand in the cellar. In such conditions, cuttings germinate faster.

Bouquet, and then a bush

Two in one: decorate your house and grow a bush!

In the first week of February, select a few forsythia sprigs from last year. Bring them into the house and place them in a vase with water (you can take plain water, but the plant will like it if you add succinic acid or the aforementioned honey). Keep the vase on a sunny windowsill.

To prevent the water from “suffocating”, change it every 2 days. At the same time, soak the branches in a bowl of plain water for half an hour (yes, every 2 days, this is mandatory).

In a few weeks, just in time for March 8, your bouquet will bloom beautifully. Moreover, the flowering will not only be abundant, but also stable, the flowers will not wither and fall off (if, of course, you soaked the cuttings as described above).

And when you see the roots, and it gets warmer outside, you can move the cuttings to open ground.

Wintering hydrangea

Preparing hydrangea for winter

In warm, snowy winters, even heat-loving large-leaved and serrated hydrangeas can overwinter without man-made shelter, but no one will tell you for sure to what temperature the thermometer can drop in winter and how high the snow cover will be in the coming winter. To believe in assumptions and be wrong means to ruin your garden, so it is better to be vigilant and, perhaps, even distrustful of forecasts, but sleep peacefully on frosty nights, knowing that your plants are also fast asleep under their warm shelter.

So, how and when to cover hydrangeas for the winter? It is better to do this after the first frost, during October. Very young bushes are simply covered to the top with dry soil. Older bushes are bent to the ground and covered with lutrasil or roofing felt, which are pressed down with bricks so that they are not torn off by the wind. Mature bushes will require a lot of effort from you: the bush is carefully tied and wrapped with lutrasil or spunbond. Then a cylinder-shaped frame is built around it from a metal mesh at a distance of 20-25 cm from the bush, and the frame should be 10 cm higher than the plant. The space between the mesh and the hydrangea is filled with dry foliage, which is more than enough in the gardens at this time of year. In the spring, in April, the frame with foliage can be removed, and when a stable above-zero temperature is established, the spunbond is also removed.

Hydrangea in winter

Whether or not to cover your hydrangeas for the winter is up to you. We offer shelter options in case of a harsh and, most importantly, snowless winter. If there are no severe frosts in your area, then the shelter may be symbolic, and if your hydrangea is also a winter-hardy species, then perhaps there is no need to protect it from frost. But if the hydrangea in your garden is not a cold-resistant species, and winters in your area are unpredictable, use our tips in the fall to sleep peacefully in the winter, see how the hydrangea comes to life in the spring, and admire its incomparable, beautiful blooms in the summer .

Diseases and pests of hydrangea

If care recommendations are not followed, hydrangea may suffer from diseases and pests. In such a situation, the gardener needs to recognize the infection in time, find the true cause of the problem and immediately begin treating the bush.

Most often, the flower is attacked by the following infections and insects:

1. Gray rot . It occurs as a result of waterlogging of the soil and thickening of the plant crown. At the same time, a fluffy gray coating appears on the leaves, which leads to yellowing and death of the foliage. Infected areas are cut off and destroyed, and the hydrangea is treated with Fundazol.
2. Powdery mildew. The disease develops under conditions of lack of moisture in the soil, as well as with an excess amount of nitrogenous fertilizers. Yellow-green spots appear on the leaves, which are covered with a gray or purple coating on the reverse side. Over time, the size of the spots increases, covering the entire leaf, and the plant begins to lose its green mass. To treat a diseased specimen, Topaz is used.

3. Septoria. Occurs in cold weather with high humidity. The infection first affects the lower part of the shoots - small spots with a dark brown edging form on the leaves, which gradually cover the entire surface of the leaf plate. The affected areas must be removed from the bush and destroyed, and the hydrangea should be treated with the “Profit” preparation.

4. Viral infections. These include ringspot and cancer. In the first case, characteristic stains in the form of rings appear on the leaves of the bush, and in the second, brown spots appear, on the back of which small ulcers are visible. Viral diseases lead to deformation of shoots, and the plant loses leaves and withers. Infection can occur through gardening tools or poor-quality planting material, and there is no cure for such ailments.

5. Aphid . It feeds on the sap of leaves and shoots, causing them to turn yellow and dry out. Insects are clearly visible on the surface of the leaves and quickly spread throughout all the bushes. For treatment, hydrangea is treated with the drug “Iskra”.
6. Spider mite. This pest quickly spreads on the plant in dry and hot weather, enveloping the leaves and stems in a thin web. As a result of this, the green mass of the bush dries out and curls, the hydrangea stops growing and dies. You can get rid of ticks using the drug "Akarin".

7. Root nematode. It affects the roots of the bush, so it can be difficult to detect. The main symptom is red swellings at the bottom of the plant stem, which begin to rot over time. In this case, the hydrangea stops growing, withers and dies. To combat nematodes, the drug “Actofit” is used.

8. Slugs. They feed on the tender pulp of leaves and young stems of hydrangea. The pest actively reproduces in areas with high humidity and dense thickets, and its appearance can be noticed by characteristic damage to the shoots and sticky marks on the plant. Slugs must be collected manually, and their egg clutches, which are located in the axils of the leaves of the bush, must be destroyed.

To prevent the occurrence of diseases and pests, perform the following actions:

• choosing the right place to plant bushes;
• use of high-quality planting material;
• compliance with watering and fertilizing schedules;
• removal of plant residues and weeding on the site;
• annual pruning of the bush.

To grow hydrangea from seeds at home, the gardener needs to be patient and put in some effort. Using the information presented in the article, you can successfully prepare planting material, plant it correctly in the soil and provide young plants with proper care. And the resulting plant will have strong immunity and will delight you with lush annual flowering.

Possible problems

Pests and diseases

If the air humidity is too high, this can lead to gray mold damage to indoor hydrangeas. To save the plant, spray it with a solution of Bordeaux mixture. High humidity can also cause downy mildew. In this case, treat the bush with a fungicide solution or a copper-containing preparation.

If the indoor air is too dry, aphids or spider mites may settle on the plant. To get rid of them, spray the bush twice with Actellik solution or soap with an interval of 7 days.

Hydrangea turns yellow

Hydrangea leaves may begin to turn yellow for the following reasons:

• Poor or infrequent watering;
• The bush is affected by chlorosis (this is caused by the substrate being too alkaline).
• The plant needs nitrogen;

To save a shrub, it is enough to correct mistakes in caring for the plant.

Hydrangea is drying

Sometimes gardeners have to deal with a plant that begins to dry out. This may be caused by:

• Insufficiently frequent watering with a sprayer;
• Premature fertilization;
• irregularities in irrigation;
• Damage to the root system during transplantation.

Hydrangea falls

Leaves usually begin to fall after they wilt. Remember that this is a moisture-loving plant, so it should be watered and moistened regularly with a spray bottle.

Hydrangea doesn't bloom

This usually occurs due to a warm winter. Exhausted after a long period of flowering, the bush cannot recover in a warm, bright place. During its dormant period it requires a cool, dark place. In such a place, hydrangeas need 70-80 days. Overwinter in a basement or dark room. Trim off all leaves, shorten strong stems by ½, and trim weak stems at the base. Move the prepared bush along with the pot to a cool place and lay it on its side. The harvest is sent to winter in December and begins to revive in February. If everything is done correctly, the bush will bloom magnificently and for a long time every year.

Why isn't my hydrangea blooming? toNature.Info

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Hydrangea after flowering

When the hydrangea fades, it is time to prepare the plant for winter. Young seedlings growing in pots are transferred indoors, and the wilted inflorescences of garden hydrangeas are removed so that suddenly falling wet snow does not stick to them and break the fragile branches of the plant. In addition, you will need to hill up the base of the hydrangea bushes and mulch the area in which they grow to reliably protect their shallow root system for the winter.

The most cold-resistant hydrangeas are paniculata and groundcover. Their shoots become completely lignified by autumn, so they can more easily withstand winter cold even without shelter, if you do not live in a cold climate. Tree hydrangea can also withstand a mild winter without shelter.