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Hydrangea Mega Mindi is a spectacular, beautifully flowering shrub, bred in 2009 in Belgium. An unpretentious and winter-hardy plant can decorate gardens in most parts of the country. The culture is demanding on the composition of the soil and moisture in summer.
Mega Mindi inflorescences have intense color
Description of hydrangea paniculate variety Mega Mindi
A characteristic feature of Mega Mindy panicled hydrangea is huge inflorescences up to 24-30 cm long. A dense spreading crown is created by vertical shoots growing from a shallow, branched root system.
The stems rise to 1,4-1,75 m. The diameter of a compact, upright bush is up to 1,4-1,6 m, sometimes more. Rigid shoots with reddish bark are strong, only slightly bend under the weight of large panicles, the bush does not fall apart. Hydrangea paniculata grows rapidly, in a year the shoots lengthen to 20-25 cm.
Ovate large leaves 8-11 cm long are located oppositely. The dark green, slightly corrugated leaf blade is dense, rough, attached to the stem with a reddish petiole. Leaves are yellowish in autumn.
Wide-pyramidal inflorescences bloom on the shoots of the current year. Cone-shaped panicles are dense, at first with a pointed apex, where still unblown flowers are concentrated, then the apex is rounded.
Hydrangea Mega Mindy has two types of flowers:
- sterile;
- fertile.
Infertile flowers on long pedicels with a diameter of 2,0-2,5 cm. Each consists of 4 rounded, large petals. The flowers are located very densely, they cover fertile flowers – small, quickly falling off, from which fruits are created in the form of small, up to 3 mm, boxes. They ripen in autumn, crack on top.
From the beginning of flowering, the petals are white, then turn pink and in August become cherry or raspberry. The color depends on the composition of the soil and the weather. Flowering continues for a long time, from mid-July to late September or mid-October.
In July, the petals of the variety are just beginning to lightly stain.
Hydrangea Mega Mindi in landscape design
Hydrangea hydrangea variety Hydrangeapaniculata Mega Mindy with a bright color of inflorescences is a spectacular element of various landscape compositions. Most often, the shrub grows as a colorful soloist. Hydrangea Mega Mindy looks beautiful in group plantings.
The culture loves a slightly acidic environment, hydrangeas are located next to plants that are equally demanding on the composition of the soil – coniferous and deciduous shrubs. Variety Mega Mindi shows all the brightness and harmony of compositional solutions in tree-shrub or shrub ensembles, mixborders with low conifers. Paniculata hydrangea tolerates urban smoke and gas pollution well, is used for landscaping the territories of large enterprises and for decorating recreation areas.
Sometimes decorative hedges are made from bushes. Hydrangea Mega Mindi is picturesque for the following reasons:
- flowering is abundant, bright and long;
- colorful inflorescences do not lose color and shape during the winter months, being in bouquets in residential buildings;
- sometimes in regions with low snow cover, ornamental shrubs are left without pruning, as the inflorescences remain colorful in the cold season.
At the same time, they take into account that next year the bushes without pruning will give very poor flowering.
Landscape designers recommend using Mega Mindy in nature parks or English landscape gardens.
Winter hardiness of hydrangea Mega Mindi
The plant tolerates frosts down to -25 ° C, it is recommended for 4-8 winter hardiness zones. In a cozy, calm place, paniculate hydrangea can endure frosts of -30 ° C. The culture is planted to the latitude of St. Petersburg, and seeds are also obtained in the southern regions. In open, hot areas in the southern regions, the growth of paniculate hydrangea slows down, the inflorescences become small.
The solo hydrangea bush attracts special attention
Planting and caring for hydrangea Mega Mindi
Beautiful flowering depends on the right planting site and substrate. It is equally important to follow the rules of agricultural technology.
Selection and preparation of the landing site
The plant is photophilous, develops well in light partial shade. It prefers moderately moist soils to arid soils, and regular watering is mandatory in sunny areas. The paniculate species has high soil requirements:
- rich in humus;
- loamy, well structured, loose;
- wet;
- with acidity from 5,0 to 6,0 p
The color of the inflorescences of the Mega Mindi variety depends on the degree of acidity in the soil. On sour flowers are brighter. In the area with a neutral reaction, the substrate is oxidized in the planting pit. Lime soil negatively affects the growth of shrubs. Poor sandy areas are enriched with humus based on manure or compost. Hydrangea tolerates short-term stagnation of water.
Rules of landing
The culture is planted in April, May, in the south – in September, October. During the summer period, the seedlings take root, grow stronger and enter the winter viable. A landing hole is dug 60 cm wide, 40-50 cm deep. The volume depends on the composition and acid reaction of the site. If the substrate is prepared different from the composition of the soil, they dig a spacious hole. When planting hydrangeas, the diameter of the hole exceeds the volume of the crown by 1,5 times. If the hydrangea is planted as a hedge element, the plants are placed in a trench 90-110 cm wide every 150 cm.
When laying a hole for the Mega Mindi variety, a drainage layer of up to 10-15 cm is arranged below. The substrate is made up of equal parts of garden soil, peat, humus and a mixture for coniferous plants.
Nutrients are also added:
- 20 g of urea;
- 30 g of potassium sulfate;
- 70 g superphosphate;
- 200 g of bone meal.
The seedling is set so that the root neck is 2-3 cm above the soil surface. After filling the roots with the left substrate, the soil is compacted, watered with a bucket of water and mulched with a layer of 8-10 cm. Mulch is especially necessary in the south, and if the planting hole is located in an open area . The first month the seedling is shaded from direct sunlight.
Watering and top dressing
The Mega Mindy variety is regularly watered every week, in the evening, 2 buckets under a bush. With sufficient precipitation, watering is carried out after 2 weeks, and in rainy summer – 4 times per season. If the autumn is dry, October watering is needed, up to 60 liters per plant.
For abundant flowering, the culture is fed 4-5 times:
- in spring and early summer with potassium sulfate, ammonium sulfate or organic matter;
- in early July and after 15 days, a solution of superphosphate and potassium sulfate is added;
- from the end of July to the first week of August – superphosphate and bone meal.
For hydrangeas, wood ash is not recommended, but products for heather or rhododendrons are used.
Pruning Hydrangea Mega Mindi
Inflorescences are formed on the tops of young shoots, so the plants are pruned annually in early spring. In addition, with a strong thickening of the bush, the buds become smaller. Shoots are shortened by a third, leaving 4 buds. Old and damaged stems are removed in autumn after flowering.
Preparing for wintering Hydrangea Mega Mindi
Although the paniculate species is winter-hardy, the bush must be prepared for wintering:
- fertilize in August;
- in September-October – water-charging irrigation;
- hilling with humus, loose soil;
- mulching with needles, peat.
Young bushes bend down or put a frame on top, cover with lutrasil, burlap.
Reproduction
Mega Mindi planting material is obtained by cuttings or by dividing the mother bush. It is also propagated by grafting and sowing seeds. Cuttings are cut from annual lateral shoots at the end of July. The bush is divided during transplantation, which is carried out every 6 years.
Diseases and pests
The leaves of the paniculate hydrangea are sometimes affected by chlorosis, becoming very light due to the lack of iron and magnesium in the alkaline soil. Eliminate the disease by foliar fertilizing with iron chelate.
Due to downy mildew, the leaves turn yellow. Plants are sprayed with a solution of 15 g of copper sulfate in 10 liters of water with the addition of an adhesive.
Of the hydrangea pests, leaf aphids and spider mites are annoyed, which are destroyed with a soap solution, with special means.
Conclusion
Hydrangea Mega Mindi is demanding on placement and soil. The agrotechnical feature of the plant is periodic watering and fertilizing. Good care will give a spectacle of enchanting colorful flowering.
