With its flowering that ranges from purple to blue, the hydrangea is a very beautiful plant that also grows in pots: maybe you didn’t know it, but its colors can also depend on the acidity of the soil. It doesn’t like direct sunlight, but prefers shade; it needs a lot of water, but not that of the tap at home, and needs pruning at certain times of the year. Let’s see how to grow it in the best conditions and how to care for it.
Hydrangea is a plant that grows in pots or in the garden , placing it in a shady or semi-shady area.
The hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) is an ornamental plant of Asian origin that prefers shade and rich soil . A plant that does not require any special care: in fact, it resists winter well and gives a bloom in spring that is a real explosion of color. The hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) is an ornamental plant of Asian origin that prefers shade and rich soil. A plant that does not require any special care: in fact, it resists winter well and gives a bloom in spring that is a real explosion of color.
In fact, you should know that hydrangeas are among the ischiaphilous plants, that is, all those plants that do not like direct sunlight, so if you do not have a lawn or balcony facing south or east, you can still have guaranteed flowers thanks to these plants (along with hydrangea, camellia, astrancia, bellflower, viburnum and most ferns) that also thrive well in the shade.
How to Grow Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas can be grown from seed, by cuttings, or by purchasing a plant from a nursery by planting. If you already have one, you can collect the seeds once the flowers have faded and the small green capsules containing the seeds have ripened. Then collect the capsules and let them dry in a cool, dry place for a few days.
When should you plant hydrangeas?
The best time to plant a hydrangea coincides with autumn , between October and November, and with spring, between March and April. If you want to plant a hydrangea by cuttings , the best time is autumn, even better if this operation is carried out in October.
soil and irrigation
Um Hortensien anzubauen, wählen Sie acidophilen Boden. Denken Sie daran, dass die Erde immer feucht sein muss. Hortensien, auch wenn sie im Schatten bleiben, benötigen viel Wasser, besonders wenn sie blühen, aber achten Sie immer auf stehendes Wasser und das mögliche Vorhandensein von Kalkstein, da Ihre Pflanze Gefahr läuft, zu sterben. Gießen Sie es im Übrigen direkt auf die Wurzeln, im Sommer sogar zweimal täglich.
Temperatur und Exposition
Wie ich Ihnen gleich erklärt habe, sollten Sie es vermeiden, Ihre Hortensie direkt dem Sonnenlicht auszusetzen: Die Pflanze bevorzugt einen halbschattigen Standort mit kühlem und feuchtem Klima, dank reichlicher Bewässerung und einer Temperatur von etwa 18 Grad. Achten Sie auch auf sehr kalte Perioden: Im Winter wird empfohlen, den Boden durch sogenanntes Mulchen zu bedecken, damit die Hortensie auch der kältesten Jahreszeit standhält.
Wie man Hortensien in Töpfen züchtet
Wenn Sie sich entschieden haben, Hortensien in Töpfen anzubauen, dann wissen Sie, dass sie groß genug sein müssen, um die Pflanze unterzubringen, um ihr genügend Platz zum Wachsen zu bieten. Stellen Sie sicher, dass der Topf am Boden Abflusslöcher hat, damit überschüssiges Wasser abfließen kann. Ein Topfdurchmesser von mindestens 30-40 cm wird generell empfohlen, um eine einzelne Hortensienpflanze unterzubringen. Es gibt einige Hortensiensorten, die sich am besten für den Anbau in Töpfen eignen:
- Azoren Hortensie
- Rispenhortensien
Wie man Hortensien heilt
Die Pflege dieser Pflanze hängt sehr stark von der jeweiligen Sorte und den Umweltbedingungen ab, unter denen sie wächst. Sie müssen auf die spezifischen Bedürfnisse jeder Hortensiensorte achten. Ein Beispiel? Einige müssen möglicherweise stärker beschnitten werden, während andere widerstandsfähiger gegen Kälte oder Trockenheit sind.
Bewässerung
Wie viele Pflanzen müssen auch Hortensien richtig gegossen werden. Halten Sie die Erde konstant feucht, aber nicht durchnässt. Es vermeidet eine übermäßige Austrocknung des Bodens und auch eine Stagnation des Wassers. Tropf- oder Fußbewässerung der Pflanze ist vorzuziehen, um ein Benetzen der Blätter und Blüten zu vermeiden, da dies zum Auftreten von Pilzkrankheiten beitragen kann.
Beschneiden
Der Schnitt hängt auch von der Art der Hortensie ab, die Sie haben. Die Hortensien der Azoren blühen an den Zweigen des Vorjahres, daher sollten sie nach der Blüte beschnitten werden, um neue Triebe zu begünstigen, die im folgenden Jahr blühen werden.
Panynet hydrangeas, on the other hand, bloom on new branches and can be pruned in winter or spring. In any case, remember to remove dry and damaged branches at any time of the year.
pruning
It is enough to prune hydrangeas twice a year , starting in February , after the frost period and before the spring flowering. To do it correctly, you must remove the weakest branches to slightly thin out the plant. Then, cut the stems from which the flowers emerged during the previous season to half their length, being careful not to cut the new shoots. A second , less demanding pruning should then be carried out at the end of flowering, towards the end of September, cutting only the largest branches and using the leaves that have already fallen to cover the roots in view of the falling temperatures.
fertilization
The fertilization period is concentrated in spring between March and April and in summer in June and July, and the main purpose of good fertilization is to help the plant flower . Since hydrangea is a plant that particularly loves potassium , you will need an acidophilic plant fertilizer or one rich in this mineral.
blossom
Again, the flowering of hydrangeas varies depending on the species and variety. It usually begins in spring or summer, but can last until autumn. Some varieties are able to produce flowers even in winter if the climate is temperate. In general, they bloom between spring and summer and their colors are: white, pink, blue, purple, red, green or even multicolored.
Growing hydrangeas in pots
If you want to grow a hydrangea in pots, get one of modest size (with a diameter of 50-60 cm) and always pay close attention to how much the plant bathes, because as mentioned above, hydrangea needs a lot of water even if it is never directly exposed to the sun. Then water it in the evening hours or early in the morning . If you can wet it twice a day and divide the amount of water, all the better. Do not use tap water if you already know that it is hard, that is, very calcareous. To remedy the situation, you can add half a cup of vinegar and let the water rest for at least a day.
How to Cure Hydrangeas in Winter
During the colder seasons, protect the hydrangea from sudden changes in temperature. Wrap the base of the plants with a layer of mulch or straw to insulate the roots from the cold. You can also cover hydrangeas with a protective fabric or fleece cover to protect them from frost.
diseases and pests
Although hydrangea is a generally resistant plant, it can also encounter some problems related to both external factors and inadequate care.
For example, if the plant is watered with calcareous water, the leaves tend to turn yellow : to solve the problem, you can simply water it with rainwater .
Fungal diseases , signaled by the presence of small greenish-yellow spots on the leaves , can in turn be caused by excessive or insufficient amounts of water. Among the animals that can attack the plant, you should fear cochineal and red spider mites , which can turn the leaves yellow and cause them to fall off .
