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Hydrangea Unique (Unique) is a large ornamental shrub, frost-resistant and moisture-loving, bred in Belgium in the middle of the last century. The variety is demanding on the composition of the soil and sufficient sunlight.
Unique – a picturesque accent in any garden
Description of Hydrangea Unique
A sprawling deciduous shrub of paniculate hydrangea Yunik is voluminous. Strong, hard shoots are densely leafy, spread up to 2,5-2,8 m in height and width, grow vertically, form a rounded or asymmetrical silhouette of the bush. The Unique variety is fast-growing, it rises up to 20 cm in a year. The stems only sometimes droop under the weight of the largest 30-centimeter hydrangea inflorescences. The bark is brown-reddish, pubescent on young shoots. On old trunks it is bare, slightly exfoliating.
The surface root system in favorable conditions branches wider than the crown, up to 3 m in diameter. This fact is taken into account when choosing a place for Unique hydrangea – spacious and without plants with creeping roots.
Shoots covered with rough, dense leaves with serrated edges, located opposite, sometimes collected 3 in whorls. The length of the ovoid leaf blade is 9-14 cm, width is 5-8 cm. The green color changes little in autumn.
Large inflorescences of hydrangea Paniculata Unique wide-pyramidal shape, with a rounded top, are formed on many shoots of the current year, 20 cm wide at the base and up to 25-30 cm high. The variety does not bear fruit, Unique flowers are only sterile, from 4 rounded petals that change color according to measure of flowering time. They bloom pale greenish, then become milky white. In the flowering phase, they turn slightly pink or acquire a reddish tint.
The color of hydrangea petals Unique is affected by:
- flowering period;
- lighting – in a site that is constantly open to the sun, the blush on the inflorescences appears faster, and when shading, the petals turn slightly green;
- soil composition – on soils with an acidic reaction, the color becomes more intense.
The flowering of the Unique variety lasts from the third decade of July to the beginning of October.
Flowering is accompanied by a pleasant and strong aroma.
Hydrangea Unique in landscape design
Landscape designers have successfully used Unik hydrangea, a picturesque, hardy and gas-resistant plant for urban landscaping. The culture is planted in parks and gardens, green corners of enterprises, in large containers in front of presentable buildings. A picturesque bush will become a real decoration of any garden and park ensemble:
- a spectacular soloist on a lawn or a voluminous flower bed;
- an element of tree and shrub compositions in combination with lilac, mock orange, spirea or plant varieties with burgundy foliage – Norway maples, plums, beech;
- tall, densely leafy Hydrangea bushes Unique form beautiful hedges.
Variety Unique – an excellent component for a distant tall mixborder
Winter hardiness of hydrangea Unique
Frost-resistant culture:
- the plant withstands sub-zero temperatures up to 30 ° C with protection from the north side;
- in open areas up to – 25 ° С;
- in a cozy corner, without gusts of wind, up to -34 ° С.
Adult bushes endure harsh winters without shelter, occasionally freeze slightly, young seedlings cover for the first few years.
Planting and caring for hydrangea paniculata Unique
The right choice of location, taking into account the composition of the soil and sufficient moisture, will provide hydrangeas of the Unique variety with abundant flowering. It is also important to follow the conditions for care and prepare the plant for winter.
Selection and preparation of the landing site
Variety Unic is placed in areas shaded in the afternoon, protected from sudden gusts of wind. Planting in direct sunlight, especially in the south, leads to rapid fading of flowers. The soil under the hydrangea should be:
- rich in humus;
- loose;
- with an acidic or slightly acidic reaction;
- well-drained, without stagnant water, but damp, not dry.
Needles, soil from under pines and spruces are added to calcareous soils.
On acidic soils, the color is more intense.
Rules of landing
Unique bushes develop better from 2-3-year-old seedlings, bloom in summer. A sprout from a container is guaranteed to take root, and if the plant has open roots, planting is carried out no later than 4-6 hours after purchase. Hydrangea is inspected so that there are no damage and signs of illness, the soil in containers is clean and moist. It is best to plant a crop in the spring, in the south in the fall. A necessary requirement is a distance to trees of at least 3-4 m.
Planting pits are prepared in 7-15 days, 60×80 cm in size, 40-50 cm deep or slightly larger than the container:
- a layer of drainage made of broken brick or gravel is placed at the bottom;
- the substrate is prepared from equal parts of garden soil, humus, peat, sand;
- to enrich the substrate, add in the spring 2-3 tablespoons of urea and potassium sulfate, 3-4 tablespoons of superphosphate;
- in the fall, nitrogen fertilizers are not used.
After removing from the container, the tips of the roots are freed from the ground and straightened. The root ball is slightly stirred. Having established the seedling on the substrate, straighten the roots and fall asleep with fertile soil. The root neck of paniculate hydrangea is not deepened. Having compacted the soil, water and mulch with compost or needles.
Watering and top dressing
Unique seedlings are watered 1-2 times a week with 10-15 liters of water. Such watering accompanies the process of plant survival for 30-45 days. Adult hydrangea bushes are irrigated 5-7 times during the warm season. In drought, crown sprinkling is recommended.
After watering, if there is no mulch under the bushes, the soil is loosened no deeper than 5 cm. To disinfect the soil, the trunk circle is shed with a weak pink solution of potassium permanganate 2-3 times over the summer.
The culture is fed in early spring and during the formation of buds with humus, nitrogen preparations for growth. At the end of June, beginning of July and in August – potassium-phosphorus.
Hydrangea pruning Unique
In autumn, the inflorescences are cut off or left on the shoots, no more than one third. If Unique buds are kept for decoration in the winter, it is taken into account that such a plant will give poor flowering next season. The shrub is pruned in early spring:
- remove damaged branches;
- shoots are shortened by two-thirds, to the first healthy, well-developed bud, located on the outside of the bush;
- for good tillering, the trunks are cut to a third of the height of the shoot;
- thickening branches are completely cut off.
After 7-10 years of development, hydrangeas are rejuvenated by shortening all shoots to the stump.
Inflorescences with reddish petals remain on the shoots all winter if they are not cut off.
Preparation for winter
Young plants of the Unique variety are covered for the winter. After water-charging irrigation, up to 30-40 liters of water, the trunk circle is mulched with humus, compost, needles. You can put a frame, which is covered with dense agrofiber. In a harsh climate, the frame is filled with sawdust, dry leaves or needles, and mats of straw or reeds are installed on top. As a shelter option, shoots are bent to the soil, laid on cardboard or dry wood, covered with spruce branches or lutrasil on top. In the south, plants are only spudded, seedlings are covered with agrofiber.
Reproduction of hydrangea Unique
The culture is propagated by cuttings, layering and dividing the bush. In the middle lane cuttings are taken in the first half of June:
- choose a branch with 6 nodes;
- leaves are cut from the lower two buds;
- the rest of the leaves are cut in half;
- put the cutting in a loose and wet sandy substrate under the greenhouse;
- rooting occurs in 30-40 days.
For layering, the extreme side shoots are added dropwise, attaching to the ground with staples. The division of the bush is possible on light soils, where the hydrangea lets out a lot of root shoots. The resulting seedlings are placed in a permanent place after a year.
Diseases and pests
The variety is susceptible to many fungal diseases, as well as attacks by small insects or mites. Preventively, plants are treated with fungicides and insecticides in the spring. In case of illness, the bushes are sprayed with compounds 2-3 times, especially if there is any source of infection nearby.
Conclusion
Hydrangea Unique is a rather unpretentious culture, although it needs regular watering and planting on slightly acidic soil. The plant is suitable for the middle climatic zone and will serve as a highly decorative element in any garden.
