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Hydrangea Tardiva is one of those representatives of the flora that easily become the pride of any site. With its luxurious flowering, hydrangea attracts all eyes. Paniculata species, which include Tardiva hydrangea, have a sweet honey aroma and very unusual inflorescences.
Description of hydrangea paniculata Tardiva
Hydrangea Tardiva is one of the varieties of paniculate flowers with a special appearance of inflorescences and a spicy smell. After reading the description and looking at the photo, everyone wants to have such a beauty in their garden. The height of the bushes is 2-3 m, and the size of the paniculate hydrangea inflorescences is from 40 to 55 cm. The bright leaves have an oblong shape and sharp ends. Tardiva inflorescences are distinguished by a cone-shaped shape. The flowers are pale white, turning reddish over time. The bushes also have a non-standard look, they are very decorative, which attracts the attention of many gardeners. In just a season, they reach quite large sizes.
Hydrangea Tardiva in landscape design
To make panicled hydrangea hydrangea paniculata tardiva look interesting and attractive, you need an appropriate background. For example, skumpia, in particular varieties with purple leaves, Canadian hemlock, yew, boxwood, tulip liriodendron or ordinary birch.
The ideal neighbors for the Tardiva hydrangea variety are trees and shrubs.
If the hydrangea is planted in flower beds, it is surrounded by perennials, for example, Japanese anemone, panicled phlox, astilbe or echinacea. Under the beds of hydrangeas of Tardiva, for harmony, such species as Goryanka, ornamental onion flowers, apical pachysandra, hosta, geyhera, and creeping tenacity are located. To give the composition grace and lightness, ornamental herbs are added – sedge, miscanthus, foxtail pinworm and Red Baron emperor.
Tardiva can serve as a hedge decor
Winter hardiness of hydrangea Tardiva
Hydrangea Tardiva comes from Japan. Initially, it was grown exclusively in China and Sakhalin. Perhaps this is what helped the plant acquire such a distinctive quality as high frost resistance. It allows you to cultivate hydrangea throughout Our Country. In addition, it has a high immunity to diseases of the root system.
Features also include long flowering (usually until frost) and the possibility of growing Tardiva in one place up to 40 years.
Planting and caring for Tardiva hydrangea
Tardiva hydrangea is planted only at certain times of the year. In the north, planting is recommended at the very beginning of spring. In areas with a warm climate, Tardivs land on autumn days. A prerequisite is that the earth must be sufficiently warmed by the sun’s rays.
When planting several bushes of the Tardiva variety, it is important to observe a gap of at least 2-3 m between them. This is necessary, since the roots tend to grow strongly and are located almost on the surface of the soil.
Hydrangea Tardiva is a honey plant, its strong aroma attracts insects
Selection and preparation of the landing site
It is very important before you start planting Tardiva hydrangeas to take care of choosing a place. Professional growers are advised to choose planting areas along walls or hedges. Lighting is also important, it is desirable that there is no draft on the site and that the sun’s rays do not fall directly on it.
The landing site is prepared in advance. The recommended size is 50 * 50 * 60 cm. The bottom is covered with peat, the layer size should be 10 cm thick. In order for the plant to be comfortable, it is important to regulate the acidity of the soil. Fluctuations from low to medium acidity are acceptable. You can control the indicator in several ways:
- To increase the level of acidity, sawdust from wood, brown peat or needles are poured into the soil.
- Adding lemon juice to your irrigation water also helps raise the pH.
- To reduce acidity, lime or ash is poured into the soil during digging.
Despite the fact that Tardiva hydrangea loves light, the best place for her to live is partial shade.
Rules of landing
Having prepared a seat for the Tardiva hydrangea, it is placed in the hole so that the root neck remains about 5-6 cm above the soil. Holding the seedling at the right level, the pit is covered with earth and watered. To eliminate the possibility of voids, which usually leads to the drying of the earth, the soil is well tamped.
Whether the Tardiva hydrangea has taken root can be determined in 2-3 weeks by the appearance of new leaves on the branches
Watering and top dressing
The plant of this variety easily tolerates dry periods. Watering Tardiva hydrangeas must be done once a week, combining it with fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. At least 1 liters of water are poured into 1 cubic meter.
The flowering of the bush directly depends on the mode of watering the hydrangea. If it is chosen incorrectly, the inflorescences will dry out. With constant rainfall, the amount of watering should be reduced.
Proper care of Tardiva hydrangea also includes timely feeding. Each season requires certain supplements:
- In early spring, fertilizers containing nitrogen are used as top dressing. To ensure abundant flowering of the bush, humus is added to the soil.
- During flowering, mineral fertilizers are applied, which contain phosphorus and potassium.
- To give the plant time to prepare for the pruning process, all top dressing is stopped at the end of summer.
It is optimal to fertilize Tardiva hydrangea no more than 1 time in 15 days
Pruning hydrangea varieties Tardiva
As soon as the flowering period ends, pruning must begin. To be able to form the desired shape of the bush, dry branches and wilted inflorescences are removed. All thin shoots are shortened so that 4 buds remain on them. Pruning can also be done in the spring, or rather at the very beginning, before the buds swell. At this time, thin out the branches that thicken the bush. Remove branches affected in the winter. To renew the old plant completely, it is cut to the very root. Professional growers advise cutting all buds in the first hydrangea season. This ensures lush hydrangea blooms next season.
Preparation for winter
Despite the high susceptibility of Hydrangea Tardiva to low temperatures, it requires shelter for the winter. If severe frosts are expected, then it is necessary to protect the bush itself from them. To begin with, it is wrapped with a special covering material. The next step is to mount the mesh frame around the bush. Its size should be such that the distance to the bush is maintained at about 25-30 cm. Dry foliage is poured into the frame and wrapped with polyethylene.
To prevent freezing of the roots, the bottom of the trunk is “wrapped” with a layer of humus, needles or dry leaves.
Reproduction
For propagation of Tardiva hydrangea bushes, several options are used. Each of them is simple and accessible:
- Layers. This method is only suitable for propagation in early spring. To do this, they dig a hole near the hydrangea to a depth of about 15-20 cm. They choose a young shoot located closest to the root system. Lay it in a hole and cover it with soil. Watering is done as the soil dries. As soon as the first leaves appear, the shoot is separated. To allow the seedling to get stronger, it is left in the same place for another 20-30 days, and then transplanted.
- By dividing the bush. This propagation method can be used after the hydrangea has faded. The bush is dug up and divided into parts. It is important that each has a growth bud. All received parts are planted in a pre-prepared landing pit. The soil in the pit is mixed with mineral or organic fertilizers.
- Cuttings. The harvesting of Tardiva hydrangea cuttings begins in the summer. The ideal choice would be young shoots that have not yet had time to lignify. They are placed in water for three days, and then the leaves are removed from the entire lower part. To ensure the rapid formation of the root system, the cut is treated with a growth stimulator. The cuttings are placed in a container with soil, which must first be mixed with sand and peat. Cover with a film or other material that will help create a greenhouse effect. The container itself with cuttings is located in the basement. Until the moment of landing, the cuttings are periodically watered. Transfer to the ground is carried out when the roots are formed and become strong, usually by the end of August.
Diseases and pests
This type of plant does not get sick too often. Usually diseases can be explained by fairly simple and obvious reasons – poor seedlings, the wrong place for planting and improper care.
Common plant diseases:
- Chlorosis. It occurs in plants with excess lime in the soil and a lack of iron. The manifestation of symptoms in Tardiva hydrangea – the leaves dry and turn yellow. The veins remain green. If the cause of the disease is unknown, then treatment begins with softening the soil. For this, aluminum sulfate is used. The dosage ranges from 2-5 kg/m3, depending on the alkalization of the soil. As a preventive measure for irrigation, rainwater or water softened with peat or ash is used. Decreased soil fertilization with minerals.
If the problem is iron deficiency, then use preparations with ferrous sulfate
- From the bright summer sun, Tardiva hydrangea can get burned. You can notice this by the appearance of translucent white spots. Shading is used as a treatment.
In the affected areas, the leaves become thinner and sometimes dry out.
- White rot. Infection can occur from plant debris of neighboring plantings. As symptoms, you can notice darkened shoots in the plant, rotting of the stem near the ground and white bloom on the leaves. They approach the treatment in a complex way: they cut off all sore spots and spray the sections with a cool solution of potassium permanganate. Then the plants are treated with special preparations, they can be replaced with copper sulphate or Bordeaux mixture.
At the stage of white plaque, the plant is removed so that the disease does not pass to other plants.
- Gray rot. Signs of the disease are dark drying spots and holes on the leaves. Previously, damaged areas are removed from the hydrangea.
As a treatment, Chistotsvet and Fundazol are used.
- Septoria. Appears in the form of brown round spots.
Treat the plant with copper sulphate and copper oxychloride
- Aphid. This pest can be washed off with plain soapy water. If the remedy does not help, insecticides are used.
Insect attacks hydrangea in whole colonies
- Snails. They eat the leaves and buds of the plant. They are destroyed with the help of special chemicals, which are laid out in containers and placed around a diseased hydrangea bush.
Outwardly harmless snails are capable of causing significant damage to hydrangea plantings.
- Spider mite. At the initial stage, a soap solution is used. If it does not help, the plant is treated with ascaricides and insectoacaricides.
Manifested in hydrangea Tardiva by the appearance of yellow spots on the back of the leaf
Conclusion
Hydrangea Tardiva is a great choice for decorating the site. Thanks to the brightness and beauty, magnificent flowering and chic shape of the bush, this plant is used in serious landscape design projects, and in small home areas.
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