A blooming hydrangea is a true gem for any garden or homestead. Despite its southern origins, this shrub thrives in the Russian climate.
However, the plant requires careful maintenancePruning hydrangeas in the fall and covering them are essential for a successful winter.
Pruning purposes
Theoretically, a hydrangea can survive without pruning. It will not wither and will bloom on time. However, after pruning, the plant will have a more beautiful and dense crown. In the spring, the bush will sprout not just a few small shoots, but a crown of abundant, vibrant blooms. If the crown isn't pruned before winter, it will gradually take on a neglected and unkempt appearance. Such a specimen won't be a beautiful addition to the garden and won't provide any aesthetic pleasure.
Pruning hydrangeas for the winter has several effects:
- forms a beautiful and lush crown;
- makes flowering long and abundant, as a result the plant pleases the eye throughout the warm season;
- rejuvenates hydrangea and keeps it healthy and attractive for several years;
- promotes the emergence and rapid growth of new shoots.
Optimal timing of the event
There's no consensus among gardening experts on the best time to prune hydrangeas—fall or spring. There are no restrictions on this; it all depends on the individual gardener's preferences.
Benefits of Fall Pruning of Hydrangeas The point is that the shrub is already preparing for a dormant period and stops growing new shoots. Since branch removal is a traumatic procedure, the plant has time to recover.
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As early as February, hydrangeas begin to circulate sap through their branches. The plant's vital functions become noticeably more active, making painless pruning significantly more difficult. Furthermore, in the spring, the shrub is much more likely to become infected with pathogenic bacteria and fungi.
Experienced professionals prefer to limit their shrubs to cosmetic treatments in the spring. During this period, it's often sufficient to remove all shoots that have dried out and died over the winter, as well as any remaining blossoms on the branches that weren't removed before the cold weather set in. This gives the shrub a beautiful, well-groomed appearance and a neat shape.
Basic rules
There are three most common varieties of hydrangea found in Russian gardens. Paniculate species The inflorescences are elongated and resemble panicles. The arborescent type has spherical, slightly flattened, and larger racemes. These two varieties are also called white. Their flowers form on shoots that have grown this year. These plants do not require winter shelter.
Large-leaved specimens have the same globular inflorescences, but differ from the tree-like ones in their denser leaf blades. Their racemes form on the previous year's shoots. These hydrangeas require careful covering for the winter. Given the characteristics of these plant types, pruning each has its own subtleties.
Panicle hydrangeas
This variety doesn't require excessive pruning. Branches that grow from a single point (also called skeletal branches) should be left alone. Only shoots that have grown abnormally, are crooked, or grow inward. All panicle inflorescences must be cut off., which the flower has produced on the current season's shoots. If left over winter, the young branches may not be able to withstand the weight of the snow and break off.
Flowers should be removed along with part of the branch. A few lower buds should be left for next year. If done correctly, the following summer the bush will have a dense, lush crown and look neat and well-groomed. This type of pruning panicle hydrangea in autumn relevant for young specimens.
If the plant has been growing in the garden for a long time and needs rejuvenation, inspect the bush and select one of the shoots growing from a common point. This stem should be the strongest and healthiest, pointing outward. All other branches are removed at the rootstock. When the weather warms, remove dead shoots from the shoot and shape the plant into a neat shape.
Tree-like varieties
These plants don't need pruning for the first few years after planting. If you don't follow these rules, the bush may die. Young plants should have their inflorescences removed after they fade. Be sure to leave three or four pairs of buds on the stem.
Next year, new young branches will grow from them, forming a lush, beautiful crown. The pruned bush is carefully wrapped and left for the winter.
For more mature bushes, carry out pruning for rejuvenation purposesAll stems are removed, leaving only stumps no longer than 10 cm. This will stimulate vigorous growth of young shoots the following spring. This type of fall pruning for arborescens hydrangea is best done gently. Stem removal should be carried out over a period of 2 or 3 years. Otherwise, there's a risk that the root system will not receive enough nutrition, and the bush may die.
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Large-leaved species
This garden hydrangea forms inflorescences on second-year stems. These shoots should be preserved for the winter. With the onset of autumn, the bush is pruned cosmetically, removing weak, diseased, and damaged branches and faded clusters. Old shoots at the base are also best removed. After wintering, the young shoots are carefully inspected. Stems damaged by frost are cut off. Large-leaved species of the plant often form new shoots on shoots with no leaves, but these never produce inflorescences.
The principles of autumn pruning are as follows:
- Shoot removal is done immediately after flowering ends. This ensures that new shoots form on the bushes before the onset of cold weather.
- All stems directed inwards into the bush are carefully cut out.
- Every three years, remove some of the older shoots. This helps rejuvenate the large-leaf hydrangea and stimulate flowering.
- Before the onset of winter, diseased and damaged shoots are cut off.
The intensity of pruning depends directly on the region in which the large-leaf hydrangea is grown. If the climate in a particular area is warm and the summers are long, more intensive pruning can be done.
The most common mistakes
Pruning hydrangeas in the fall can be challenging for beginners, leading to many gardeners making mistakes. The most common of these include:
- Pruning a hydrangea bush in the first two years after planting a cutting. During this time, the plant should gain strength, build foliage, and develop healthy roots.
- Removing shoots close to the buds can cause the hydrangea bush to dry out.
If all steps have been taken correctly, the hydrangea will delight you with bright and lush flowers for many years.
Post-treatment care
If the autumn is rainy, additional watering is not required. If there is little rainfall, the soil should be moistened until the thermometer drops to zero. The last watering is done in mid-September. top dressingFor this purpose, use fertilizers high in potassium and phosphorus. These substances will support the root system, which has been depleted by the summer flowering period. They should be applied in granular form, scattered around the trunks and lightly mixed into the soil.
Applying nitrogen fertilizers in the fall is strictly prohibited. This stimulates the growth of green mass, which is undesirable before the onset of winter. With the arrival of frost hydrangea bushes need to be coveredThe soil around the plant is sprinkled with sawdust or peat.
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