How to care for indoor hydrangeas at home

Many gardeners can't bear to part with their favorite flowers after the summer season ends and continue to grow them indoors. Indoor hydrangea is one such plant. All varieties thrive indoors. Let's look at caring for this flower, including pests, how it reproduces, and photos.

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Description of the plant

There are two types of hydrangea: arborescens and paniculate. Both are suitable for indoor growing.

The most suitable hydrangeas for growing at home are large-leaved and jasmine hydrangeas.

Hydrangea care

Caring for indoor jasmine and large-leaved hydrangeas at home requires a specific approach. This will ensure they look stunning in photos and on the windowsill.

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Location and lighting

The plant doesn't like direct sunlight; it thrives in filtered light or partial shade. Place the container on a windowsill next to a tall bush to provide shade.

Temperature conditions

The optimal temperature for flower growth is considered to be 18-22 degrees. In winter, it's necessary to create conditions for rest. The temperature is lowered to 10 degrees.

Soil

Caring for indoor large-leaved hydrangeas requires a specific type of soil. Depending on the soil, they appear in a variety of shades in the garden and in the photo.

Hydrangeas prefer slightly acidic soil. Therefore, a substrate consisting of turf, fallen leaves, peat, and sand in a ratio of 4:2:2:1 is prepared. The leaves are sometimes replaced with soil taken from under coniferous trees in the forest.

Watering

Regular. Hydrangeas love moisture, but avoid overwatering, as excess liquid can lead to root rot.

Top dressing

Fertilize the bush once every 14 days with special solutions for hydrangeas, which already contain all the nutrients the flower needs. Fertilizing can be combined with watering.

Trimming

Potted hydrangeas are pruned twice a year at home. In the spring, a sanitation pruning is performed, during which broken and damaged branches are removed, which also interfere with the crown's development and make the bush appear denser.

In the fall, each hydrangea branch is trimmed back by a third, removing any shoots. Flower heads are cut only after they have dried. Maintenance involves collecting and disposing of the cuttings, as they may be susceptible to disease or pests.

Transfer

This is done for the first time after purchase. This will help check the plant's condition, as unscrupulous sellers often sell recently repotted plants that haven't had time to establish themselves, which can lead to the death of such seedlings if they are sold with damaged roots.

By transferring the plant to another pot, you will be able to examine the roots. hydrangeasIf they are undamaged, place them in a new container and cover with prepared soil. If there are minor problems, it's best to trim them off with a disinfected, sharp knife.

Other repotting is done annually in the fall. Use a larger pot, place a layer of drainage material, such as expanded clay, on the bottom, and then cover with a light layer of prepared soil. The substrate itself was described above.

Preparing for the winter period

Indoor hydrangeas should be prepared for winter. Care changes include the following: stop fertilizing in the fall, reduce watering, and move the hydrangea to a cooler location.

In mid-February, the plant returns to its previous location. If you try to photograph the plant during its dormancy, the photos won't produce the same results as you'd expect even without flowering in the spring.

Color change

Hydrangeas can range in shades from white to blue, with the latter being the most prized. To achieve a variety of flower colors, it's necessary to vary the soil's acidity. The most intense blue tones appear in highly acidic soil. To achieve this, add various fertilizers, such as citric acid or a few drops of vinegar, when watering.

Reproduction

When caring for indoor hydrangeas at home, it's important to know that there are several methods for propagating them. Some photos of this process are shown below.

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Seeds

To get plants from seeds, proceed as follows:

1. Select a suitable container.
2. It is treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
3. Expanded clay is placed on the bottom.
4. They add soil, which must contain peat or pine needles.
5. The seeds are scattered on the surface of the soil without covering them with soil.
6. Spray the soil well and moisten the seeds.
7. Cover with glass, film or agrotextile, for example spunbond.
8. They put it on the windowsill.
9. Every two to three days, inspect the boxes and ventilate the plant to remove excess accumulated moisture, which can lead to various diseases.
10. If the soil has dried out, it is sprayed again.
11. When three true leaves appear, transplant the hydrangea plants. Throw away any weak seedlings, and transplant the excess strong ones into new pots, preferably peat ones.

Then the young plants continue to receive the same care that adult flowers require.

Cuttings

Propagation by cuttings is a faster way to get a new plant.

1. Cuttings are taken in the winter months or early spring, when the hydrangea is still dormant.
2. The shoot should have 2-3 leaves or buds.
3. An oblique cut is made under the bottom leaf, and a straight cut is made above the top leaf.
4. Prepare the substrate and containers.
5. The cuttings are dipped in a solution of the growth stimulant Kornevin or Zircon. If these are not available, they are treated with potassium permanganate or the cut is sprinkled with ash.
6. The leaves are cut in half
7. The cuttings are planted at an angle of 45° to the surface.
8. Water the soil, preferably with the addition of fertilizer.
9. Cover with a bag, film, lutrasil.
10. Next, proceed as with seeds: ventilate, spray, and inspect.

With proper care at home, hydrangeas will root in about 60 days, after which the bag can be removed. The flower itself will indicate the emergence of new roots; it will begin to grow strong, young leaves, and the plant itself will begin to grow. Photos of the plant can be used to create collages for spring holidays.

Layering

At the beginning of the growing season, bend one of the shoots down and secure it in the soil of its pot or a nearby container, ensuring at least one bud is exposed. Cover it with soil and water. After a few months, rooting occurs. The young shoot can be cut from the mother plant.

An indoor hydrangea will look like a mature plant when grown indoors. The care instructions for it were described above. The enormous flowers that bloom in this way will look like those in photographs or paintings by master photographers and artists.

Diseases and pests

Indoor hydrangea, like garden hydrangea, can be affected by diseases and pests.

The most important preventative measure when problems arise is to regularly inspect plants for timely detection.