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Hydrangea Magical Moonlight got its name because of the similarity of the colors of blossoming buds with moonlight. This is a large and very ornamental plant with a long flowering time.
Thanks to its attractive and very spectacular appearance, this culture can become an adornment of any garden plot.
Hydrangea variety description Magical Moonlight
Hydrangea paniculata of this species has the following official variety name: Hydrangea Paniculata Magical Moonlight. This plant is a perennial shrub up to 2-2.5 m high. Its crown, consisting of large buds, can have a diameter of up to 1.2 m. The shoots are thin and long, their foliage is high.
Large hydrangeas Magical Moonlight buds are located on long shoots of the current year, their length reaches 20-35 cm
The shape of the buds is voluminous and oblong. Blooming, they reach a diameter of 10-15 cm. It is difficult to find a plant that can exist in the northern climate, with such large inflorescences.
Vegetation hydrangea Magical Moonlight begins in mid-April. The flowering period stretches from May to August, but often there are inflorescences that bloom in September.
Hydrangea specimens that are in the shade retain a creamy greenish tint. Those who are in the sun become white or pink.
Hydrangea Magical Moonlight in landscape design
The height of the hydrangea bush Magical Moonlight is more than two meters. At the same time, the crown, which has a diameter of about 1,2 m, is densely dotted with large flowers that are updated regularly and do not disappear almost throughout the summer. Such a representative of the flora simply could not but interest the designers of garden plots.
As an element of landscape design, the Magical Moonlight hydrangea can be used as:
- hedge filler;
- standalone plant;
- the central part of a complex flower arrangement (for example, flower beds).
An additional advantage of the variety is its ability to change the color of the inflorescences not only from light, but also from the season: by autumn, most flowers will have a pinkish tint.
For those for whom natural colors are not enough, an alternative method is offered to change the shade of the Magical Moonlight hydrangea. The color change occurs when the plant is watered with various dyes; it is fashionable to purchase them in specialized stores.
To obtain a special color of the hydrangea Magical Moonlight, more complex compositions are used. For example, to give the petals a blue color, water with impurities of aluminum or iron salts is used, a pink tint is obtained by adding peat and potassium permanganate to the water for irrigation, etc.
Winter hardiness of Hydrangea Magical Moonlight
The plant has good frost resistance. In a sheltered state, it is able to endure cold temperatures down to -29 ° C. The winter hardiness of uncovered branches is significantly lower, but they are also able to withstand negative temperatures (up to -5-8 ° C).
Planting and caring for Hydrangea Magical Moonlight
Hydrangea Magical Moonlight care is simple and unpretentious, it consists in regular watering and fertilizing the plant, as well as pruning the branches, performed twice a season. In cold regions, the plant should be prepared for wintering.
Selection and preparation of the landing site
When choosing a place for landing Magical Moonlight, one should proceed from the fact that she does not like open sunny areas, but if you plant a bush in the shade, its color will remain greenish. In this case, the color will practically not change over time. Therefore, a half-hearted solution is used – planting of Magical Moonlight hydrangea seedlings is carried out in partial shade with equal intervals of illumination and shading.
The soil should be slightly acidic, loose and, if possible, moist. For planting, three-year-old hydrangea seedlings Magical Moonlight are used.
It is desirable to protect the site from strong gusts of wind
Rules of landing
Hydrangea Magical Moonlight is planted in spring or autumn. The first option is more preferable, since the plant takes root relatively quickly, and it does not need a dormant period. A month before planting, the soil is dug up and compost is added to it.
The dimensions of the holes depend on the degree of development of the horse system. It should fit completely in them without overlaps and twists. When planting several hydrangeas, a distance of at least 2 m is left between them, otherwise the crowns will interfere with each other.
Often the seed can be sold as a young plant in a pot.
After falling asleep the roots of the hydrangea Magical Moonlight with earth, it is thoroughly rammed and watered with 10-12 liters of water. The trunk circle should be mulched with an acidic nutrient mixture. The ideal option would be to use peat for this purpose. The thickness of the mulch layer is at least 7 cm.
Watering and top dressing
After planting, during the first month, young plants are watered daily. In the future, the regularity of irrigation is reduced, but their volumes remain the same. The frequency of watering depends on the properties of the soil. The main rule: the top layer should not remain dry. If mulching is not performed, the soil should be loosened to a depth of at least 5 cm.
Usually two dressings of hydrangea Magical Moonlight are used:
- Spring is a stimulator of vegetation. At this time, urea is added (20 g per 10 liters of water) in the amount of 1 bucket for a young plant and 2 buckets for an adult. Top dressing is applied during the budding period.
- Summer is used for spectacular flowering. In this case, a mixture of superphosphate, urea and potassium sulfate is used. All components are taken in an amount of 30 g and dissolved in 1 bucket of water. This volume is completely poured under 1 bush.
Sometimes a third top dressing is carried out in late autumn. Under the plant spread organic fertilizer in the form of rotted manure or compost. This is a standard top dressing “under the snow” to provide the bush with nutrients in early spring.
How to prune Hydrangea paniculata Magic Moonlight
Pruning the plant is relatively easy, but should be done regularly. This procedure is carried out in the off-season, it includes two stages:
- In autumn: removal of dry inflorescences and shoots of this year.
- In spring: removal of frozen, damaged and diseased branches, thinning out old ones.
In fact, the autumn pruning of the Magical Moonlight hydrangea is stimulating, while the spring pruning consists of sanitary and shaping.
Preparation for winter
Without shelter, the variety in question can withstand temperatures no more than -5-8 ° C. If the garden plot is located in the southern temperate zone, it is possible that the shelter of the Magical Moonlight hydrangea is not needed.
In the event that more severe weather conditions are likely in winter, the Magical Moonlight hydrangea needs to be taken care of by sheltering it from the cold. Warming occurs in a horizontal plane. In this case, you need to do the following:
- A flooring is being built close to the bush. It can be any structure made of fallen leaves, straw or spruce branches.
- The branches that have passed the autumn pruning are laid on the flooring made.
- A pillow consisting of straw or needles is placed on top of the branches. To protect against rain and other types of external moisture, the top layer is covered with polyethylene.
- The entire shelter is completely covered with burlap on top. And when the first snow falls, another layer of thermal insulation 20-30 cm thick is formed from it.
The use of foliage as a pillow is not recommended due to the fact that pathogens of bacterial and fungal infections can be found on them.
Reproduction
For propagation of hydrangeas, both seed and vegetative methods can be used. Usually, with the help of the latter, varietal varieties are not grown. With this method of reproduction, the plant is formed for a relatively long time, blooms later, although it has greater endurance, but less attractive appearance. And the main purpose of the seed method is to obtain new varieties.
That is why gardeners have completely switched to the vegetative method. For Hydrangea Magical Moonlight, any of the existing methods is acceptable. Cuttings are the most popular. It is relatively simple and fast.
At the beginning of May, cuttings 10-15 cm long are cut. They should have at least 2 buds. Then prepare the nutrient substrate. It consists of river sand and peat in equal proportions. In some cases, crushed sphagnum moss is added to the substrate.
The cuttings pre-moistened in Kornevin are placed in the substrate and sent to a shaded cool place.
The first roots appear after 20 days, after which the plant is transplanted to a permanent place.
You can use layering by bending a long branch of hydrangea to the ground, securing it with a fastener and sprinkling it with earth. At the end of the season, when the root system is formed, the daughter plant is separated from the mother plant and transplanted.
But the easiest way to propagate the Magical Moonlight hydrangea is to divide the bush. Everything is simple here: in spring or autumn, the plant is completely dug up and divided into several parts with a knife. The main condition: each of the plots must have at least three buds.
Diseases and pests
The plant has above average resistance to diseases and pests, but even so, you should not lose vigilance.
The most common problems that can affect Magical Moonlight are:
- Spider mite. It is difficult to notice, since it mainly sits on the underside of the sheet. In addition, its size is small. In the fight against it, spraying with Thiophos is used.
A symptom of the appearance of this bug is yellowing and drying of the foliage.
- Downy Mildew appears on the stem and leaves. In these places, yellow areas appear, which eventually blacken and dry out.
If the hydrangea is affected by this or any other fungus, the branches should be treated with a solution of soap and water and copper sulfate
- Chlorosis is possible only if the plant was overfed with organic matter with nitrogen. It is recommended to water the Magical Moonlight hydrangea with a preparation of potassium nitrate (no more than 2 times), and after a few days – with a solution of copper sulphate.
Chlorosis is characterized by loss of leaf pigmentation.
- aphid can be easily defeated by spraying Anabasin.
Aphids are one of the most dangerous pests that multiply rapidly.
Conclusion
Hydrangea Magical Moonlight is a beautiful large-sized flowers with a high decorative effect. They can be used in the garden in any way convenient for the gardener, the result will always be positive, since the exterior of the plant deserves all praise. Unpretentiousness in conditions of maintenance and ease of care make Magical Moonlight a species that can be recommended for growing novice gardeners.
Hydrangea Magical Moonlight Reviews
