Hydrangea Nikko Blue: description, planting and care, photos, reviews

Hydrangea Nikko Blue is a variety of the genus Hydrangia. The variety is bred for cultivation in climatic conditions with winter temperatures not lower than -22 ⁰C. Ornamental plant with long flowering is used for the design of gardens, household plots, urban areas. The culture is whimsical in care, requires compliance with agricultural technology that meets the biological needs of the species.

Description of Hydrangea Nikko Blue

The main distribution is South and East Asia. Heat-loving wild-growing species formed the basis of hybrid varieties adapted to temperate climates. Large-leaved hydrangea, which includes Nikko Blue, is especially popular. This is a perennial herbaceous shrub growing up to 2 m in height, with a dense compact crown, completely covered with large spherical inflorescences.

Hydrangea Nikko Blue blooms for a long time: from June to the end of August. Inflorescences form at the top of the shoots of the current year, perennials become lignified and are the basis of the shrub. The ancestor of the variety was a wild-growing species with white flowers, so the Nikko Blue hydrangea is white at the beginning of flowering, then becomes blue, darkens over time to a different shade of blue. Inflorescence corymbose, up to 20 cm in diameter.

The flowers are large, four-petalled, with a beige or yellowish color in the center.

It is difficult to define clear boundaries for the color range of a plant.

In an open area, the inflorescences will be brighter. If the acidity of the soil is closer to alkaline, the Nikko Blue hydrangea is light blue, with medium acidity it is dark blue, and on neutral soil it is light pink.

The foliage of the herbaceous shrub is intense, the leaves are lanceolate, large, with finely serrated edges and a corrugated surface. The sheet plate is delicate green. By the end of summer, a yellowish tint appears. The plant sheds its leaves before the onset of frost.

Hydrangea Nikko Blue in landscape design

Hydrangea Nikko Blue is characterized by long flowering and voluminous pale green habit, widely used in ornamental gardening. It goes well in composition with flowering and evergreen plants. A few examples of landscape design using Nikko Blue hydrangeas:

1. Group planting with hydrangeas of different colors to separate garden areas.
   
   

   Instances with different colors bloom at the same time

2. As a tapeworm in the foreground of the plot.
   
   

   Lawn color accent

3. As a hedge element in combination with evergreen shrubs.
   
   

   A hedge along the path of the city square

4. Planted in flower pots for decorative design of a closed recreation area.
   
   

   Hydrangea Nikko Blue in the design of the summer veranda

A flowering plant feels comfortable in room conditions.

Winter hardiness of hydrangea Nikko Blue

The winter hardiness of the culture is low: within -18 ⁰C, which corresponds to the sixth climatic zone, in Our Country it is the Black Sea coast, Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories.

The central regions are located in the fourth climatic zone, where the average winter temperature is -25 ⁰C and below. You can grow Nikko Blue hydrangea here only in pots, which are left in the open in summer and brought indoors before frost.

Planting and caring for hydrangea Nikko Blue

The culture will not bloom if the agricultural technology does not meet the requirements. When planting, take into account the composition of the soil, the location of the site allocated for hydrangea Nikko Blue. By winter, the plant is pruned and shelter activities are carried out. They are planted in spring and autumn, preferably at the beginning of the growing season, over the summer the hydrangea will get stronger and endure the winter more easily.

Selection and preparation of the landing site

The plant will have a decorative look with the right place for planting. The culture is characterized by low drought resistance, it needs constant watering, but it will not grow in a wetland, because it does not tolerate stagnant moisture. The site must be well-drained.

Heat-loving hydrangea cannot grow without light. In the shade, the stems are elongated, the flowering is scattered, rare, the inflorescences are small in size, dull in color. Hydrangea does not respond well to direct sunlight at midday. The place for planting is determined with partial shading, located behind the wall of the building or not far from low shrubs, but taking into account that ultraviolet radiation in the morning and evening is enough for a flowering plant.

The root system of the species is superficial, therefore, the close proximity of other crops with the same type of root is not desirable; due to competition, the hydrangea may not receive nutrients in sufficient quantities. This factor will primarily affect the decorativeness of the shrub.

Particular attention is paid to the composition of the soil. A herbaceous shrub will not grow on calcareous soil. With a neutral indicator, the vegetation of the above-ground mass is normal, with good stem formation, but it will not work to achieve a blue color of the flowers. Inflorescences will be pale pink. Slightly acidic soil is the best option for a seedling. If necessary, the indicator is adjusted by making the appropriate funds.

Rules of landing

Work is carried out in the spring, when the earth has warmed up to 15 ⁰C and above (approximately at the end of May). It is better to plant a crop on the site with seedlings that are at least two years old.

You can buy planting material in a nursery or grow it from seeds.

Boarding scheme:

1. Make a hole measuring 60 * 60 cm.
2. Coniferous litter can be put at the bottom, it will acidify the soil, sprinkled with soil on top.
3. The sod layer is mixed in equal parts with compost and peat, 50 g of superphosphate are added.
4. Pour the substrate into the hole and fill it with water (10 l).
5. Hydrangea is placed vertically (in the center) and covered with earth.

After completion of work, the soil is not compacted, but re-watered. Close the root circle with last year’s needles, the mulch will maintain moisture and acidify the soil.

Watering and top dressing

Hydrangea Nikko Blue is moisture-loving, watering is vital for her, but waterlogging can lead to negative consequences. There is a threat of rotting of the root system and the development of a fungal infection. Watering is carried out depending on precipitation. For normal vegetation, the plant needs 15 liters of water for five days.

The first year the plant is not fed, it has enough nutrient mixture introduced during planting. For the next season, they are guided by the inflorescences, if there are few of them and they are small, they immediately make funds containing potassium sulfate and superphosphate. This means that the soil on the site is not fertile and there is not enough nutrition for Nikko Blue hydrangeas. In subsequent years, in early spring, the bush is fertilized with “Agricola”, during flowering with “Crystal”.

Pruning large-leaved hydrangea Nikko Blue

In regions with a cold climate, the Nikko Blue hydrangea is cut in the fall, this is necessary in order to better cover it for the winter. In the south, cosmetic pruning is carried out in the spring. Dry inflorescences lose their color, but retain their shape well; against the background of snow, the plant looks quite aesthetically pleasing.

Sequence of work:

1. Cut off all inflorescences.
2. Shoots of one year are left so that there are at least six vegetative buds below. If there are more of them, it will be difficult to cover the crown, the plant may die.
3. Old stems are removed completely.

The bush is formed by 12-15 shoots. In warmer climates, more buds can be left on the annual stems, each of which will sprout and form an inflorescence in the spring. The height of the shrub will be greater. If the plant hibernates under stationary conditions, pruning is carried out after the bush loses its decorative effect. The height is adjusted as desired.

Shelter for the winter hydrangeas Nikko Blue

They cover a crop growing in open ground when the temperature drops to zero. The main task is to preserve the root and part of the vegetation buds.

Culture Shelter Technology:

1. The remaining leaves are cut from the plant, the stems are pulled together with a rope.
2. The root is spudded and covered with a thick layer of mulch, any material can be taken: needles, straw, sawdust. It must be dry.
3. A cone-shaped structure is made around stakes or metal rods, the upper part of the stakes is pulled together, the lower part should cover the root circle.
4. The height of the frame should be 15 cm above the tops of the stems.

Any covering material that does not allow moisture to pass through is pulled onto the structure.

The lower part is turned out and covered with earth, pressed down with boards, bricks. After the onset of frost, they are covered with spruce branches from above or covered with snow.

Reproduction

Hydrangea Nikko Blue can be propagated in any way:

1. Seeds. Seedlings are grown from planting material, diving. After reaching 1 year, they are seated in separate pots. The next season is assigned to the site. The process is lengthy and not always successful.
2. By dividing the bush. If the plant is strong, but thickened and its age is more than 4 years, you can separate a part from the parent bush and transplant it, it is better to do this in the spring.
3. Layers. In autumn, during pruning, a strong shoot is left, bent to the ground and dug in. In the spring, the hydrangea will give a root in place of the kidneys. When the aerial part appears, the layers are separated and transplanted, it is better to do this in spring or summer (until mid-June).
4. The best option is cuttings. During pruning, cuttings are harvested from the top of the shoots of the current year. They are placed in the ground and placed in a room with a temperature of 15 ⁰C, make sure that the soil does not dry out. In the spring, the material will give sprouts, which are placed in separate containers and taken out to the site in the summer, and returned to the room for the winter. The next year, the plant is transplanted to the site.

Diseases and pests

Hydrangea Nikko Blue’s immunity is weak, gray rot is a particular danger to the plant. The fungus appears as dark spots, first on the lower part of the stems, then covers the entire crown, holes subsequently appear in the affected areas. It is unlikely that it will be possible to save the bush, the plant is removed from the site and the soil is disinfected. Powdery mildew is less dangerous, it does not cause the death of the plant, but the bush loses its decorative effect completely. When a disease appears, the bush is treated with fungicides.

Parasitize on culture:

• leaflet;
• spider mite;
• grape snail;
• aphid;
• shield;
• slugs.

Prevent the appearance of pests by preventive measures.

Conclusion

Hydrangea Nikko Blue is a decorative species with bright lush inflorescences. Flowering continues all summer. The culture is used in ornamental gardening. The Nikko Blue variety requires increased attention, because it is characterized by weak immunity and poor frost resistance. Suitable for growing not only on the site, but also indoors.

Hydrangea Reviews Nikko Blue