Pruning hydrangeas – Hydrangea macrophylla

Contents

flowering plants

A garden, among its many positive faculties, has the very important thing of giving new light and splendor to the whole house; According to statistics on the subject, many garden owners do not deny that they decided to have one primarily to increase the beauty of the whole house, and therefore find satisfaction in seeing how much beauty they possess , reveling in it. There are many decorative plants, but for gardens there are certain flowering plants that can really transform the aesthetic result of the whole and even enhance the result of the garden. Depending on your tastes, you can decide to install, cultivate and maintain small plants, placing them classically in rows or in small clumps scattered around the garden; not only, then there is someone who likes large flowering plants, which also fill part of the sky and the walls of our house with color. A good solution is the combination of the two, which if placed with care and with a bit of good taste (everyone has their own, which is why it is important to dedicate oneself to the garden) will fully satisfy us. Today we are going to talk about a beautiful and popular flowering plant, as well as a very widespread one: the hydrangea.

Hydrangea

The hydrangea is a flowering plant that originated in the extreme regions of Asia (i.e. China and Japan) and in certain regions of the American continent, in particular in its most humid part. . The scientific name is Hydrangea, and the family that composes it includes many plants, all “hydrangeas”, with few characteristics to distinguish them. Let’s say right away that the hydrangea is so appreciated and sought after for its spectacular spherical inflorescences: the flowers are small and colorful, but above all they are grouped in natural hemispherical clusters, which, together with the bushy shape of the plant, can guarantee a really nice interior. a well-kept garden (or even an apartment, where they are often used). In fact, there are several species of hydrangeas, some of which are not intended for pots but for climbing plants; potted ones have a fairly strong and sturdy stem, from which dense branches grow outward, on which green leaves and clusters of colorful flowers rise. By the way, the colors of hydrangeas vary between violet-blue and reddish-pink, with a few shades in between; In general, flower color is a combination of two factors: the genetics of the plant and the soil it is growing in, with acid tending towards blue and alkaline tending towards pink-red.

size of hydrangeas

The pruning of hydrangeas is a fundamental operation so that the plant can express its full flowering potential every year; in fact, the hydrangea blooms once a year in April, and this phase can last up to eight weeks if the growing conditions are perfect. In general, dry flowers and branches should be eliminated, but avoiding the branches that grew last year (i.e. those with buds) because the following year they will already bring flowers, they don’t need it. For climbing species, pruning is unnecessary and harmful, because the nature of the plant renews its different parts independently. In general, the hydrangea should be pruned after it has finished flowering; It must be said, however, that in species that grow in a harsh climate in winter, it is good to prune at the end of the coldest season, so that the old branches protect the young (inner) ones from temperature changes. Where, on the contrary, the climate is milder, it is advisable to prune at the end of flowering, avoiding removing the buds already in formation, but concentrating on the dry and more arid branches.

Pruning hydrangeas: technique, irrigation, fertilization.

The cultivation of hydrangeas is a fairly simple operation if carried out in the garden, while it requires several specific measures if carried out in the apartment; Indeed, the hydrangea, in order to be able to flourish in an enclosed place, must be able to stop in a bright place but without direct sun, cool and airy, but above all with temperatures not exceeding eighteen degrees Celsius, otherwise flowering stops. However, despite this, the plant will bloom only for one year, while for the next it is good to transfer it to the garden. The waterings must be regular and abundant, especially in summer; the soil should always be moist (but never soggy) and it’s a good idea to spray the foliage, to create the perfect climate for this plant of humid tropical origin. Regarding fertilization, The best results are obtained by fertilizing the plant with a liquid fertilizer once a week in the summer period, preferring a fertilizer with a greater amount of potassium, a nutrient of which the hydrangea makes great use and therefore, without adequate fertilization, I would take the risk in pot and garden soil. Otherwise, adequate amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus in the norm will do just fine and complete the nutritional picture of the plant.

Leave a Comment