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During the flowering period, the hydrangea looks like a majestic queen in a bright, festive attire. Not every gardener can grow this splendor on his site, because she is famous for her finicky in growing and caring. And often, not only its lush flowering, but also the safety of the bushes depends on such seemingly simple nuances as the proper care of hydrangeas in the fall. And sometimes it is very regrettable for one’s labors and efforts, when, with the onset of spring, hydrangea bushes begin to rot or even die. To prevent this from happening with such beautiful plants, you need to know and put into practice simple rules for caring for hydrangeas in the autumn.
What care is required for hydrangeas in the fall
Despite the fact that the distribution area of hydrangea is very wide, from the southern regions to the northern ones, in autumn these delicate shrubs require special treatment and a little attention and care.
The homeland of hydrangeas are Asian countries – Japan and China. But given that the climate there is significantly different from the harsh climatic conditions in our country, it is quite natural that you need to take care of the hydrangea with special zeal. How to do it right and what kind of care this heat-loving and light-loving plant requires in the autumn, you will learn from this article.
All preparatory work includes four stages:
- Pre-winter watering hydrangeas;
- Proper autumn feeding of shrubs;
- Pruning hydrangeas in autumn;
- Shelter bushes for the winter.
Each of these stages requires compliance with the terms and rules of care.
Pre-winter watering
With the onset of autumn, many gardeners stop watering hydrangea bushes, naively believing that the moisture contained in the soil is quite enough, and plants do not need it during this period. But this is a misconception, because of which many plants die in the winter. Indeed, before the onset of frost, their root system did not have time to absorb the maximum amount of moisture and nutrients. By the beginning of autumn, the underground part of the plants is very weakened, because during the flowering period it gave a lot of strength to such lush and delicate flowers. And before the onset of frost, she needs to restore balance.
It is for this reason that such a trifle as pre-winter watering is very important for shrubs. How to properly care for hydrangea if you do not know the needs of this sensitive plant? After all, all shrubs of the Hydrangea species react sharply to a lack or excess of moisture, and this is immediately reflected in the flowering next summer.
Autumn watering of hydrangeas is necessary if there is no precipitation for a long time and the soil under the bushes is dry enough. Make sure that there is always moist soil under the bushes. Check the thermometer before watering the plants. As soon as the night temperature begins to drop below +5˚С +7˚С, the volume of water must be reduced. And when the thermometer drops to 0˚С at night, watering should be stopped.
If, on the contrary, there is too much precipitation in autumn, then in this case watering is not required. In especially rainy weather, it is imperative to protect the shrubs from waterlogging. This can be done by building a kind of wigwam from sticks and lutrasil above the bushes or by covering the soil under the bush with a film. With excessive waterlogging, the root system can freeze out during severe frosts.
Autumn top dressing
Top dressing is an important step in preparing hydrangeas for winter in the fall. Like many profusely flowering shrubs, she not only needs, she requires additional care. In the autumn period, the vegetation of the plant does not stop, on the contrary, there is an active growth of the root system and the accumulation of nutrients. However, it is important to remember that autumn feeding involves the application of only phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
Fertilizing with nitrogen content should be abandoned from the second half of August. Causing rapid growth of shoots in autumn, they cause irreparable harm to hydrangeas. Not only will the shrub not be able to fully prepare for the winter and restore strength after rapid flowering, young shoots will weaken it even more and the plant will inevitably die or lose its ability to bloom.
Fertilizers based on phosphorus and potassium are preferably applied twice: at the end of August and in mid-September. For feeding shrubs, it is better to choose a dry method, that is, scatter granules around a hydrangea bush. The amount of fertilizer depends on the size of the hydrangea bush: for large shrubs you will need at least 2 handfuls of top dressing, for small ones one is enough.
Scatter the prescribed amount of fertilizer around the hydrangea and mix it thoroughly with the soil. Make sure that the granules are not scattered too close at the base of the bush – in a concentrated form they burn the plants.
Hydrangea pruning rules
Preparing hydrangeas for winter includes autumn pruning. Despite the fact that many gardeners prefer to leave this stage of work in the spring, experienced gardeners still advise cutting shrubs in the fall.
Spring pruning is not only undesirable for shrubs, moreover, it is fatal. In the spring, active sap flow begins in the hydrangea stems. By cutting the stems during this period, you expose the plants to a double danger:
- Pathogenic microorganisms, as well as pests, easily penetrate into open sections.
- Through open sections in the spring, a lot of juice flows out, which is so necessary for the growth and development of plants.
But you need to remember that not all varieties are subject to mandatory pruning. Pruning is contraindicated for some types of hydrangeas. The thing is that the peculiarity of flowering of different varieties varies significantly. In some species, buds with peduncles are laid and develop on last year’s shoots. Such shoots should overwinter, only after that the shrub of this variety will bloom violently.
And other varieties of hydrangea contain flower stalks on annual shoots. It can be safely cut, removing old branches and rejuvenating the bushes. Therefore, in the fall, before taking on a pruner or garden shears, it is worth figuring out how to prepare a hydrangea for winter and what type of hydrangea grows on your site, as well as the features of its flowering.
An experienced florist will tell you how to properly cut a hydrangea, depending on the variety, in a video
Autumn pruning of hydrangeas happens:
- fundamental (or radical)
- Cosmetic.
Radical pruning is carried out annually in autumn. Those types and varieties of hydrangeas that bloom on the shoots of the first year of life are subject to pruning. A thorough pruning is carried out in order to:
- Free the bush from last year’s old branches. There are not so many flowers on them, but they pull on a lot of nutrients.
- Free up space for the active growth of young shoots. Too dense shrubs bloom less and less every year.
- The root system of uncircumcised bushes is strongly and quickly depleted, which also negatively affects its flowering.
- After a few seasons, the bushes will become so overgrown with young growth that it will be much more difficult to cut them afterwards.
Cosmetic pruning has a different purpose – to clear the bushes of damaged, weak and diseased shoots. Shrub thinning is allowed, that is, when pruning, part of the young growth is removed, provided that there is too much of it, as well as extra branches and shoots that greatly thicken hydrangea bushes.
When pruning hydrangeas, unnecessary, broken or diseased branches and shoots are cut as low as possible to the ground, at a distance of 5-7 cm from the surface. All work must be carried out only with sharp and perfectly clean garden tools.
Up to 3-4 years of age, young bushes are subject only to cosmetic pruning. But older shrubs need to gradually rejuvenate from year to year. Very old branches are not removed all at once. Such a total cleaning will only harm the bushes. Remove old and low-flowering branches every fall, but no more than 2-3 branches at a time.
Properly carried out work in the fall to prepare hydrangeas for winter causes a lush flowering of a healthy bush next summer.
Shelter in autumn
Do I need to cover hydrangea bushes in the fall? The opinions of experienced gardeners on this matter differ. Some argue that hydrangeas can do without shelter, others, on the contrary, assure that without proper care, these beautiful flowers can freeze and die. Both are right.
The decision whether to cover the hydrangea in winter, as well as which shelter method to choose, must be made based on several factors:
- Features of regional affiliation.
- Features of climatic conditions in each region of Our Country.
- The variety and type of hydrangea growing in your garden.
- Humidity.
Few people take into account the last factor when preparing hydrangeas for winter. And yet it is as important as the other points.
About the basic rules and methods of shelter, as well as what materials to choose, you will learn from the article “Whether to cover hydrangea in winter”
Conclusion
Many gardeners do not venture to grow hydrangeas due to misconceptions about their pickiness. As you can see from this article, caring for hydrangeas in the fall is not at all difficult. In this case, it is important to comply with the terms and rules of care. And then these delicate, colorful clusters will bloom magnificently all summer and on your site.