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Panicled hydrangeas are gaining more and more popularity among gardeners. Plants are valued for their unpretentiousness, ease of care and decorative properties. One of the new varieties is Fraise Melba hydrangea. The novelty is attractive with lush inflorescences with an unusual color.
Botanical description
Paniculata hydrangea is an ornamental profusely flowering shrub, frost-resistant and unpretentious. The Fraise Melba variety was obtained by the French breeder Jean Reno. The variety was presented at the Moscow exhibition in 2014.
Work on the hydrangea Freise Melba was carried out for 10 years. The variety got its name thanks to the famous strawberry dessert. The shrub produces large pyramidal inflorescences that change color from white to burgundy. The contrast between the white top and the red base is reminiscent of strawberries and cream.
Paniculata hydrangea Fraise Melba reaches a width and height of 2 m. The bush has a compact appearance. Shoots erect, brown-burgundy.
The leaves are small, petiolate, located along the entire length of the shoots. Inflorescences form at the tops. The flowers are sterile, after flowering no fruits are formed.
Paniculata hydrangea looks good in single plantings, on lawns, next to ornamental shrubs. It is used to decorate garden plots, greenhouses, parks and recreation areas. Grade Fraze Melba is suitable for creating hedges.
Planting hydrangeas
In one place, the Fraise Melba variety grows for 30-40 years. Therefore, special attention is paid to the preparation of the site before planting. If necessary, useful substances and other components that increase its acidity are added to the soil.
Preparatory stage
Paniculata hydrangea Fraise Melba grows well in sunny areas. In the southern regions, the shrub is planted in partial shade. Under the hot sun, the development of the bush slows down, its decorative properties are lost.
The shrub is often planted next to houses or fences. So the Fraze Melba variety will receive protection from the wind and partial shade. It is not recommended to place a plant near fruit trees.
The shrub grows best in fertile loamy soil. In sandy soil, hydrangea grows more slowly, since useful substances are quickly washed out of the soil. To improve its composition will help the introduction of peat and humus.
For planting, choose seedlings of the Fraze Melba variety at the age of 4-5 years, which will bloom next year. Younger plants take time to develop roots and shoots.
Planting material can be prepared independently. To do this, cut off the required number of shoots, which are rooted in a separate bed. When transplanting hydrangeas, seedlings are obtained by dividing the main bush.
Order of work
Panicled hydrangea Fraze Melba is planted in spring from April to May. It is allowed to transfer work to the fall. The shrub should be planted in September or October before the onset of cold weather.
Fraise Melba hydrangea planting order:
- A hole is dug at the site with a depth of 40 cm and a diameter of 50 cm.
- When planting several shrubs, at least 2 m is left between them.
- A substrate is prepared for plants, containing fertile soil, peat, compost and sand in a ratio of 2:2:1:1. From fertilizers, 30 g of potassium sulfate and 70 g of superphosphate are added.
- The substrate components are mixed. Spruce sawdust helps to increase the acidity of the soil.
- The substrate is poured into the planting hole.
- After planting the soil in 1-2 weeks, they begin to plant. The plant is carefully removed from the container and transferred to the planting hole.
- The hydrangea roots are straightened and covered with earth.
- The soil is compacted. The seedling is watered abundantly.
Once planted, Fraise Melba is protected from direct sunlight. A canopy is built over the bush or covered with paper caps at noon.
Hydrangea Care
The development and flowering of the paniculate hydrangea Fraze Melba provide abundant watering and top dressing. Regular pruning stimulates the formation of new inflorescences. Special preparations are used against insects and diseases.
Watering
According to reviews, hydrangea Fraise Melba is sensitive to lack of watering. The soil under the shrubs is kept moist. With a lack of moisture, the number of inflorescences decreases, their decorative properties deteriorate.
For irrigation use warm settled water. Moisture is applied under the root in the morning or evening. Under each bush pour 2-3 liters of water.
When watering, make sure that the roots of the shrub are not exposed. It is best to loosen the soil after adding moisture or mulch it with peat.
Feeding
The Fraze Melba variety is fed with organic matter and mineral complexes. During the season, several treatments are carried out.
Feeding scheme for hydrangea Fraise Melba:
- before bud break in spring;
- at the beginning of budding;
- in the middle of summer;
- in the fall before preparing for winter.
For the first feeding, an infusion is prepared based on organic components: bird droppings or mullein. Fertilizer is poured with water in a ratio of 1:15 and left to infuse for 2 days. The resulting product is watered with the Fraise Melba variety under the root.
When the first buds are formed and in the middle of summer, the bush is fed with fertilizer containing phosphorus and potassium. For hydrangea, special preparations have been developed, which include the necessary components. One of them is Fertik Crystalon fertilizer. For 1 liter of water, 1 ampoule of concentrate is required. The bushes are watered with a solution under the root.
In autumn, the Fraise Melba variety is fed with superphosphate and potassium salt. Under the shrub, 50 g of each fertilizer is applied. In the autumn, nitrogen-based preparations are not used.
Trimming
Due to pruning, the Frize Melba hydrangea bush is given the necessary shape. Processing is carried out in the spring before the start of the growing season or in the fall after leaf fall.
From 5 to 10 of the most powerful shoots are left on the bush. Each of them is cut at the top. The rest of the shoots are eliminated.
In the summer, broken or diseased branches are eliminated. Dry inflorescences are pruned to stimulate the formation of new buds.
Protection against diseases and pests
In cold and wet weather, Fraze Melba hydrangeas show signs of powdery mildew. The disease has the appearance of a grayish coating that appears on the leaves and shoots.
In the early stages of the disease, a solution of the drug Fitosoprin is used. If the lesion has covered a significant part of the shrub, it is sprayed with solutions of fungicides Thiovit Jet or Fundazol.
From insects, Actellik Fitoverm, Trichopol preparations are used. For spraying hydrangeas, a working solution is prepared. From folk remedies against pests, infusions on garlic and onion peel are effective.
Preparation for winter
Paniculata hydrangea Fraze Melba is resistant to winter frosts. In the southern regions and the middle lane, the shrub endures the winter without additional warming.
A 20 cm thick mulch layer of dry leaves and humus will help protect the hydrangea roots from freezing. Young plants are covered with burlap or agrofiber. Additionally, a snowdrift is thrown over the bushes.
Reviews of gardeners
Conclusion
Hydrangea Fraze Melba is suitable for decorating a garden plot or recreation area. For abundant flowering, the shrub is looked after by watering and fertilizing. To give the bush the necessary shape, pruning of the shoots is performed. In cold regions, hydrangea is covered for the winter.
