Hydrangea is a heat-loving plant, so it can be difficult to grow it in a harsh Siberian climate. Hydrangea in Siberia, planting and caring for it in the open ground require great desire and certain horticultural skills. Most often, flower growers prefer to see it as a houseplant, but some manage to decorate their garden with this flower. It can be difficult, but the result is worth the effort.
The origin and appearance of the plant
There is an opinion that the flower got its name thanks to the French doctor and naturalist F. Commerson in the XVIII century. It is believed that he saw the plant during his trip to Japan. He was delighted by the lush flowering shrub of unusual beauty, the name of which none of the Japanese knew. Then the doctor made a decision and called it hydrangea in honor of his beloved woman.
Garden hydrangea inflorescence
There is another version of the origin of the name of the flower, according to which he received his name in honor of the beautiful Princess Hortense. She was the sister of one of the members of the French expedition around the world, committed at the end of the XVIII century. Members of this expedition discovered a plant in India and brought it from the island of Mauritius.
The plant came from Japan to Europe only in 1820. In 1900, breeders began to study it and work on obtaining new varieties. The first options were extremely heat-loving and were grown only as home. Today, the genus Hydrangea includes about 90 varieties, some of which have such an important property as resistance to various climatic conditions. It is these varieties that are suitable for cultivation in the harsh Siberian climate.
Garden hydrangea is a long-term wintering bush of extraordinary beauty, the height of which can reach 2 m. During flowering, which lasts from May to September, large inflorescences are formed on the bush, reaching 30 cm in diameter. The number of inflorescences on one adult plant can be more than a hundred.
Plant flower descriptions
The hydrangea inflorescence has a predominantly spherical shape. Each consists of two types of flowers: the first are small fertile, located in the center, the second are large barren (sterile) located along the edges of the inflorescence. In some species, only fertile flowers are represented.
Most varieties have flowers painted exclusively in white, but there are hybrids in other colors: cream, blue, red, lilac and pinkish.
For your information! Color also depends on the level of soil acidity. A neutral pH will give a cream or white color, a land with a high alkali content will give inflorescences pink or lilac, and an acidic soil will give a blue soil due to its high aluminum content, which is easily absorbed by hydrangea.
The fruit of the flower is a box with 2-5 chambers containing small seeds.
Species and varieties
In the modern world there are many different varieties and species of this plant. But far from all options are suitable for planting, care and propagation of hydrangeas in Siberia. Most often there are planted tree and panicle species.
Tree-like
Tree hydrangea is most often found in Siberia. Gardeners make such a choice because this species tolerates the harsh climate better, it is easier than winter for others to winter, and it also copes well with possible diseases. They are unpretentious to the soil.
Arboreal hydrangea Annabelle
Note! Pruning of tree varieties is necessary in the spring, removing old, dry shoots. The peculiarity of this species is that, the fewer shoots on it, the more magnificent flowering can be expected.
The main varieties suitable for cultivation in Siberia:
- Hydrangea Annabelle has large white inflorescences. It begins to bloom in mid-summer (end of June - beginning of July) and ends in early autumn. Height is 120-150 cm, width - up to 350 cm. It can easily tolerate temperatures up to −28 ° C, but in the middle zone of Siberia and its western regions it is better to plant the plant in a pot for wintering and put it in the basement;
Tree grade Strong Annabelle
- Strong Annabelle. This variety is interesting in the original form of its inflorescences. They resemble a dome or a hat. Flowers at the very beginning of the flowering period are mint and snow-white flowers, by the middle of the period they completely turn white, and towards the end they turn slightly green. The stems are not very tall, up to 1.5 m in height and up to 1.3 m in width. The leaves hold until the start of frost, without changing their color. It can winter at −34 ° C;
- Invincibelle Spirit. A variety of wood hydrangea, most suitable for Siberia, since it can tolerate frosts down to −38 ° С. It was launched recently in 2010 in the USA. Initially blooms pink, gradually changing color to raspberry. It has a fairly long flowering: from June to September. Great for branches. Height up to 1.3 m, width up to 1.5 m.
Trees Invincibelle Spirit
Panicle
Panicled hydrangea is also quite common in Siberia. It is a medium-sized tree with pubescent oval-shaped leaves. The flowers are small, collected in large brushes with a delicate aroma.
Panicled Hydrangea Hydrangea Silver Dollar
The best panicle hydrangeas suitable for growing in Siberia are:
- Hydrangea Silver Dollar. A tall plant (it can reach 3 m in height, but grows no more than 2 m in Siberia) with large snow-white flowers collected in beautiful conical inflorescences, which at the end of flowering acquire a pale pink hue. An unpretentious variety that can tolerate temperature changes up to −25 ° C;
Panicled Hydrangea Medical Fire
- Medical Fire. The variety is optimal for Siberia, since it is quite frost-resistant. Its peculiarity is in unusually beautiful colors. The change of shades is as follows: white - pink - fiery red. Height is about 2 m, width - up to 1.5 m;
- Limelight. It grows to 1.8 m in length and up to 1.5 m in width. This is a fairly compact variety of hydrangea. Inflorescences of a lemon shade, which become soft lilac by the end of flowering. In the middle zone of Siberia, this variety must be covered, since the minimum temperature at which it does not freeze is −30 ° С.
Panicled Hydrangea Limelight
Large leaf
Another type of hydrangea that is grown in Siberia is large-leaved. Gardeners pay attention to it due to the unpretentiousness of the choice of soil and a later flowering period, which can last from late August to early November. Inflorescences can have a variety of colors and in shape resemble a wide wheel. The disadvantage of all varieties is that in winter it is better to transfer it from the garden to the basement, since they remain viable only at temperatures up to −25 ° С.
Important! Any type of hydrangea requires obligatory shelter for the winter, because temperatures that are too low may simply not be tolerated.
When to plant hydrangea in open ground in spring in Siberia
The optimal time for the purchase and transplant of hydrangea is the spring period. However, for each Russian region, the period varies slightly depending on climatic conditions. Hydrangea is planted in open ground in Siberia in late April - early May.
Important! When buying a seedling in a store, you need to carefully examine it. It is easier to do this if the root system is open.
What you need for landing
The most important thing is to accurately determine the time when to plant hydrangea in open ground in Siberia. This should be the period when the frost has already passed, because young bushes are quite sensitive to them. You can also consult the lunar calendar.
For planting, you need to choose the right place and prepare the soil. It should consist of peat, humus and sand (2: 1: 1). It is worth adding pine needles to give the necessary acidity. In addition, you need to choose the depth of the pits and the distance between them. For small seedlings, the depth should be 50 × 50 × 50 cm, for larger - 80 × 80 × 80 cm. The distance between the bushes is at least 60 cm.
Choosing the best place
In Siberia, it is especially important to determine the location of a hydrangea bush. First of all, the plant must be protected from the wind. Therefore, it is best to plant it along a fence or a living, solid-growing, hedge of higher shrubs. As for sunlight, the plant does not tolerate direct rays. Optimally, it will grow in partial shade. Soil is also important. It should not be alkaline, slightly or medium acid is more suitable. Subject to all these conditions, hydrangea will please its owner with good growth and lush flowering.
How to plant
Step-by-step landing process:
- A few hours before planting, the pit must be carefully shed.
- For a seedling with an open root system at the bottom of the pit, make a small mound consisting of fertile soil and peat.
- Put the seedling in the center of the pit.
- Spread the roots so that they are not bent.
- Evenly fill the pit with a mixture of fertile soil and acid peat (without deepening the root neck, more than 4 cm).
- Tamp the ground lightly.
- Water the plant thoroughly.
- If after this the soil settles, add it to its original level.
- At 5-7 cm, mulch the place of planting with needles, acid peat or rotted sawdust.
Breeding
In Siberia, as in other Russian regions, the propagation of hydrangea occurs in two ways - cuttings and seed. The first is best suited, since growth and development will occur at the best speed, and this is very important for a short and not hot Siberian summer.
Propagation by cuttings
Cuttings for a new plant are cut from adult, well-growing bushes. They are cut from the lignified shoots of the previous season. If the procedure is expected in the summer, you can take the green shoot. Next is rooting in the open ground. The correct option would be to plant the cuttings in a greenhouse before rooting. If there is none, then you can plant it in open ground and cover it with a film, which must be periodically opened for several minutes to provide air access to the young plant. The first flowers should appear on the plant in two years.
Important! In the first two years after rooting the cuttings for the winter, they must be transplanted into a pot and taken to the basement to protect them from freezing.
Hydrangea cuttings
Seed cultivation
The seed method of growing hydrangea is much less popular and effective than cuttings. However, it also exists, and you can use it in Siberia. When choosing seeds, you need to pay attention to their integrity and lack of spots. If these seeds are not of their own collection, then be sure to consult the seller. They should not be frostbitten, painful or lethargic.
The easiest way is to plant seeds in boxes. To do this, you need a substrate consisting of peat, sand, turf, humus and leafy soil. The resulting mixture is poured into a 15 cm box so that approximately 3-4 cm from the top edge remains. If the seeds are not previously germinated, then they are simply scattered on the soil. For germinated people make pits 1 cm deep, where seeds are planted. Then the earth is watered from a watering can or sprayed from a spray bottle and covered with a film or glass. The soil is moistened as it dries, and a box for ventilation is opened. The coating is removed when the first shoots appear.
In a similar way, seeds are planted in open ground. It is worth doing this in mid-May, when the frosts end completely, and the soil warms up.
Note! The seeds of some varieties of hydrangea do not have time to ripen in the Siberian climate, so it is preferable to propagate them by cuttings or layering.
Care in the Siberian climate
The thermophilic hydrangea growing in Siberia needs to be monitored especially carefully. The main points are watering, regular top dressing, proper care and preparation for the harsh Russian winter.
Watering mode
Hydrangea is a plant that loves moisture, but does not tolerate its excess. Watering is carried out as the top soil layer dries with soft, well-maintained water. So that the moisture does not evaporate too quickly, you can put a layer of mulch under the bush.
Top dressing
During the season, feeding is carried out four times:
- fertilizer in the spring with a solution of manure or nitroammofoski;
- nitroammophos dressing in June;
- when the first buds appear, feeding with phosphorus and potassium is required;
- Before wintering, it is required to put 5-8 kg of rotted compost under each bush.
Features of care during the flowering period
During the flowering period, it is important not to allow the soil to dry out, to fertilize the bushes in time and to ensure that the plant does not suffer from parasites and diseases. When they appear, be sure to remove the damaged parts and treat the entire bush with insecticides.
Features of care at rest
During dormancy, pruning must be done in spring. Hydrangea tolerates cardinal pruning, which is done to give the bush the desired shape. But you need to refresh the plant annually. After the winter, the removal of dried branches and flowers is imperative. For old plants, pruning is best done right away to small stumps, so that the bush is completely updated for the appearance of young shoots and more magnificent flowering.
Important! In difficult Siberian conditions, autumn pruning is not recommended.
Preparation for the Siberian winter
Hydrangea should be prepared with special care for the winter period in Siberia. Despite the fact that the plants grown there are quite resistant to cold, freezing should be avoided. Otherwise, in the summer there will be no flowers on the bushes, many branches will dry out, it may reach the point that hydrangea will die completely. To prepare for the winter you need:
- spud the roots by about 30 cm, sprinkling a layer of peat or compost under them;
- when bending stems, they should not be laid on the ground, but something should be placed under them. It can be spruce paws, cardboard, boards. The branches must be fixed in order to avoid their straightening;
- Do not allow moisture to enter the shelter;
- It is important to remember that the older the hydrangea, the more resistant it is to frost.
Preparing hydrangea for winter in Siberia
Note! Panicled hydrangea is the most cold-resistant. In adult plants, it will be enough to cover only the root system with a layer of mulch, the shelter of young plants should be treated more carefully.
Hydrangea is a plant that deserves attention. It is very common in the central and southern regions of Russia, but Siberians should not deny themselves the pleasure of enjoying its amazing appearance. If you follow all the rules for caring for hydrangea, then it will delight with its lush flowering every summer and will be able to endure even severe frosts.
