Growing hydrangea from seeds at home: planting seedlings, care

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Hydrangea bushes are deservedly considered one of the best options for garden design. Lush inflorescences of various shades are difficult to miss against the background of foliage. You want to admire such beauty again and again. If you want to enjoy the delicacy of a new variety, but have nowhere to take a cutting, then you should learn how to grow hydrangeas from seeds at home and transplant the seedlings into open ground.

Hydrangea at home

Growing seedlings from seeds using the seedling method

Thanks to this method, it is possible to obtain earlier and more abundant flowering.
However, the method is labor-intensive, since it requires several pickings and keeping the seedlings indoors for 2 years. To obtain friendly shoots, you need to germinate the planting material. It is immersed in a container with warm water and absorbent material. You can place the seeds between two layers of cotton wool or gauze, add boiled water, and leave for 2 days. If mucus with an unpleasant odor appears, you need to urgently rinse the contents and soak again. When the hydrangea seeds swell and roots appear, you can plant them as seedlings in a container.

You can plant seeds at home without prior germination. In this case, it is recommended to soak in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or the drug Epin. This will significantly reduce the likelihood of illness. Planting is carried out in a loose nutrient substrate, which consists of humus, peat, sand, leaf and turf soil. The container for seedlings is taken in accordance with the number of seeds. For mass propagation, you will need a wide wooden box; for one bush, such as for dwarf lilac, the varieties of which are so diverse, a flower pot is enough.

When to sow seeds and how?

If planting is carried out in February or March, then in the third year in the spring it will be possible to transplant the stronger bushes to the site.

How to organize seeding correctly? The sequence is as follows:

Soil is poured into a box (with drainage holes) 15-20 cm high, leaving 2-3 cm to the edge.
Dry seeds are laid out on the surface; there is no need to bury them. You can lightly sprinkle sand on top, then water the substrate.
Next, a greenhouse is created: the box must be covered with transparent film or glass.
If planting was carried out in flower pots, then they can be covered with a glass jar.
Periodically, the shelter is removed for watering and ventilation.
As soon as the shoots appear, the greenhouse is removed. Germination takes 2 weeks.

Caring for hydrangea seedlings

The soil in pots should always be moderately moist. Each subsequent watering is carried out as the top layer of soil dries. For humidification, settled soft water is required. Periodically, the soil needs to be loosened. Young shoots require regular spraying.

The light should be bright, but diffused. Boxes with sprouts are placed at some distance from the window. There must be enough light, otherwise the sprouts will fade and stop developing. Direct light will cause burns on the leaves. The optimal temperature in the room where the seedlings are standing should be +14 or +20 °C. Young shoots should not be exposed to drafts.

With the appearance of 2-3 leaves, the seedlings are thinned out and planted in separate pots. Repeated picking is carried out in May, when the sprouts stretch 7-8 cm.

Fertilizing is carried out during the growing season twice a month with complex fertilizer for hydrangeas, rhododendrons or azaleas. In warm weather, the pots are taken outside to harden. They must be returned indoors at night.

Towards the end of the season, young seedlings are moved to a larger pot. Wide and low containers are suitable due to the structural features of the hydrangea root system. The seedlings overwinter in a dark, cool place. Fertilizers are not applied and watering is rare.

Transplanting mature seedlings to the site

The next stage of cultivation is moving the seedlings into open ground. By the time they stay at home for two years, the bushes will have stretched 30-35 cm. The place for further growth of hydrangeas needs to be illuminated, but excess light affects the number of inflorescences. The optimal place for bushes to grow will be the western or eastern side of buildings. The soil for hydrangeas is selected to be loose, permeable and always acidic or slightly acidic.

You can increase acidity in several ways:

introducing a layer of high-moor peat into the planting hole;
citric acid solution (1 tsp per 10 liters of water);
fertilizers: ammonium sulfate, potassium sulfate, iron sulfate.

The sequence of transplanting seedlings into open ground:

Prepare a planting hole; its size should be 2-3 times the volume of the seedling’s root system. The distance between plantings is 1-1.5 m.
Crushed stone or broken brick is poured into the bottom in a layer of 15 cm.
Sand, peat, and black soil are added to the planting hole in equal proportions. You can add humus and superphosphate.
The seedlings are moved from the boxes to the center of the recess, sprinkled with prepared soil, and lightly compacted.
After planting, the soil is watered abundantly and mulched.

Video on how to perform a transplant.

Planting seeds in boxes at home

This is a more labor-intensive way to grow hydrangea from seeds. You can sow in containers already in winter. The landing steps are as follows:

Before planting, the seeds need to be germinated. Place tousled cotton wool in a low saucer, carefully arrange the seeds and cover with a second layer of cotton wool. Pour a small amount of boiled water and leave for a couple of days. If mucus or an unpleasant odor suddenly appears, rinse the grains under running water and re-soak. As soon as the seed swells or a root appears, you can begin planting.
The soil for planting should contain sand, leaf soil, turf soil, humus and peat in a ratio of 12:1:1:1:12. If you don’t have such components, then collect them from a molehill or dig up forest soil. Wooden boxes are ideal for planting.
When everything is ready, sow the seeds in prepared boxes with soil mixture, press down a little, sprinkle with water and cover with film or glass. Try to ensure a temperature of 14-20 degrees. This way the seeds will germinate well.
The film should be removed when the first shoots appear. Before this, periodically ventilate the soil and monitor soil moisture.

The laboriousness of seed propagation in boxes lies in the fact that hydrangea seedlings need to be picked twice. This procedure involves transplanting seedlings into separate pots or large containers at a great distance from each other.

The first time picking is done in the cotyledon leaf phase. The second pick occurs in May, when the weather is sunny and warm.

Pots with plants should be taken outside during the day to harden them. Make sure that there are no drafts and that direct sunlight does not fall on the young seedlings. The pots should be brought home at night.

Seedlings obtained in this way should be grown in pots for 2 years. When the first buds appear, they must be cut off immediately so that the nutrients go to the roots and the plant takes root properly. Flowers can be planted in open ground only in the third year.

Instructions for planting seedlings in open ground

Hydrangea cuttings are planted both in early spring, before the leaves bloom, and in autumn and summer. The distance between the bushes should be at least 1 m. Planting should be done as follows:

Dig a shallow hole that is 2-3 times larger in diameter than the root system.
Pour the fertile mixture into the bottom and mix it with the soil. Soil mixture for hydrangea, which contains a top acidic layer of peat, can be bought in the store.
Place the seedlings so that the roots are not above ground level. Fill with soil and compact lightly.
Water the bushes generously and mulch the soil.

You may be interested in: Pinky-Winky hydrangea. Planting and care, description of the variety.

Preparing hydrangea seeds for planting

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Before planting hydrangea seeds, they need to be prepared for the procedure.

The main sign that the seeds have sprouted is the appearance of a root. Hydrangea seeds can be sown without germination, but in this case their germination rate will be significantly lower. In addition, through germination, you can verify the quality of the seeds and their germination.

The next stage of preparing seeds for planting is preparing the soil mixture:

Hydrangea prefers the following soil composition: turf or leaf soil as a base (2 parts), 1 part peat, 1 part sand, 1 part humus. The components of the soil mixture are combined, mixed and must undergo a disinfection procedure. You can disinfect the soil mixture by calcining it in the oven, pouring boiling water over it, and also by disinfecting it with a manganese solution. If it is not possible to prepare such a mixture, then you can buy soil “For Flowers” in a specialized store, but add vitamin complexes to it.

The optimal container for planting seeds is containers in which you can create a greenhouse effect.

Hydrangea seeds - what they look like and whether it is possible to grow seedlings from them at home

Many flower lovers enjoy growing hydrangea; the plant has very spectacular inflorescences that look like bright hats. Despite the fact that the crop requires careful care, it is necessary to provide special conditions for growth and development, in general, agricultural technology is unlikely to frighten an experienced gardener. But getting planting material for the first time can sometimes be difficult, especially when it comes to rare varieties. And few people realize that you can order hydrangea seeds on the Internet, even on Western websites.

Planting seeds in open ground

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Planting seeds directly into the soil is a faster method than growing seedlings, but it does not always give the desired result. To plant hydrangea in open ground, you should choose an area with good, diffused lighting, acidity around 5.0 pH, good water permeability and nutritional value. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

dig up the area and remove weeds;
add organic fertilizers to the soil;
make a high bed and flatten the soil a little;
Arrange the seed in random order and lightly press it in without digging in;
cover the planting site with sand to create good drainage;
Sprinkle the surface of the soil with water without wetting it too much.

The first shoots appear after a few weeks, and during this time you need to regularly remove weeds and ensure that the soil does not dry out. If the temperature drops below zero, the seeds should be covered with paper.

Hydrangeas thrive best in slightly acidic soils.

Care

Care For hydrangeas, you should choose sufficiently lit places, protected from direct sunlight - it is better to place the pot not on the windowsill, but at some distance from it on a stand. The optimal temperature for the plant will be 20 ºC, without drafts or major temperature changes. During the dormant period that follows flowering, it should be transferred to a dark place with a temperature of 7-10 ºC, where it will remain until approximately February, until the first buds begin to appear. After this, return the plant to normal conditions.

The plant should be watered quite often and abundantly in the summer, moderately in the spring-autumn period, and in winter a symbolic moistening of the soil is sufficient. The water is purified before irrigation - it is settled, filtered or frozen, and then warmed until it reaches room temperature.

Once a month, it is recommended to water the flower with water with a small addition of lemon juice - at the rate of approximately 5 drops per 1 liter. Hydrangea loves moisture, so it should be sprayed regularly and monitor the air humidity in the room. After the buds appear, the plant needs to be fed regularly (once every two weeks) with complex fertilizer. The flower also needs to be replanted once a year.

Transplantation into open ground

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Planting is carried out in April or May - depending on the climate and weather conditions. The soil should be sufficiently warm at this time. For northern regions, it is advisable to plant in the fall, in September.

Hydrangea prefers moist soil, so it can be grown in an area with nutritious clay soil, preferably with close groundwater. Trees and shrubs will be suitable neighbors for hydrangea in the country, and hostas or ferns can be planted on the lower tier.

To plant seedlings, holes are dug, the size of which is twice the diameter of the earthen ball. Peat mixed with soil is placed at the bottom of the planting hole, and complex mineral fertilizers for flowering plants are added. The seedling is placed in a hole so that the root collar is slightly above the soil level and covered with soil. After planting, the plant is watered abundantly and the tree trunk is mulched with peat.

Hydrangea propagation and its types

Hydrangea can be propagated in several ways:

seeds. This method was described in detail above. Let us only point out that propagation by seeds is not the most popular method;
cuttings. This is the most common method of flower propagation. The best planting material here are green cuttings. They should be received in mid-July. Green petiole refers to the leafy part of the stem on which there are one or more buds. Petioles, when grown at home, can be placed in a jar;
layering. Reproduction by layering occurs in early spring until the buds open. The method involves placing shoots in the ground in furrows specially prepared for this purpose. The laid shoots are covered with earth and roots will soon form on them;
offspring. This type of propagation involves carefully separating a shoot from the mother bush and growing it into an independent seedling.
seedlings. This is the easiest method of propagation, as it only requires the correct choice of planting site and the procedure itself.

Based on the above data, you can easily grow hydrangea at home, even from seeds, which will become a real decoration of your garden.

Planting care

Hydrangea should be watered moderately but regularly

In order for the soil to retain moisture well, it must be loosened immediately after watering to a depth of 5-6 cm, and also mulched with peat, tree bark or shavings, the thickness of the mulch layer is at least 10 cm.
To prevent fungal and other diseases, the soil should be shed from time to time with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or special preparations.
At the beginning of the season, the bushes are fed with nitrogen and potassium fertilizers - you can take complex mixtures or a solution of a tablespoon of potassium sulfate and the same amount of urea in a bucket of water (2 liters of such a solution are required for one plant).

Feeding hydrangeas in spring

After the first flowers appear on the hydrangeas (usually this happens in the third year after planting), they are fed with diluted manure or fertilizers for flowering plants. The application of nitrogen should be reduced, otherwise the plants will increase leaf mass to the detriment of flowering.
The color of hydrangea flowers can be changed - to get pink inflorescences, you need to reduce the acidity of the soil with lime, and to get blue flowers, it should be acidified with citric acid.
You need to trim the bushes at least once a season (ideally twice, in late autumn and early spring), removing dry branches and inflorescences, and some varieties of crops can be shaped to your liking. Strong shoots can be shortened by half - hydrangea has a high ability to regrow, so the pruning procedure will be very useful.

For the winter, plants need to be protected from frost - hilled up to a height of about 20 cm, covered with dry peat or geotextile. If the hydrangea is still frozen, do not despair - the crop is recovering well, and most likely it will bloom again in the spring. The shelter is removed in the spring, as soon as the threat of late frosts has passed.

It is better to cover hydrangea for the winter

Growing hydrangea from seeds is a simple but lengthy process that takes about 5 years. By following certain rules and recommendations, every gardener will be able to grow a beautiful hydrangea on their plot, which will become a real decoration of the landscape.

Diseases and pests

Gray rot - affects the plant when the humidity is too high. Treatment: treatment with Bordeaux mixture.
Spider mites and aphids - attack the bush with insufficient moisture. Treatment: wipe the leaves and shoots with a soapy solution and a sponge; if that doesn’t help, then treat with Actellik after a week.
Leaves turn yellow - insufficient watering, lack of nitrogen in the soil, or the soil is too alkaline, which causes chlorosis. To restore their strength and color, iron sulfate (10 g/l) or iron sulfate (2 g/l) is added to the water for irrigation.
Indoor hydrangea begins to dry out (the tips dry out) - due to insufficient moisture and watering, as well as a lack of fertilizers. Correct the shortcomings, otherwise the next consequence will be the falling of leaves and buds. So remember to water, spray and fertilize as needed. Follow the plant, it will tell you.
Indoor hydrangea does not bloom - this is a consequence of the fact that the plant did not rest in winter, but continued to grow and bloom, spending a lot of energy. At the end of autumn, the bush must be pruned and placed in a cool, dark place for wintering. And in the spring, take it back and continue caring, then the hydrangea will definitely bloom again.
Brown spots appear on the leaves - lack of watering.
Light spots on the leaves indicate an excess of light. Move the flower into the shade. Hydrangea is afraid of direct sunlight.
Slow flower growth means insufficient fertilizer. Worth feeding.

Caring for hydrangea seedlings

After planting, seedlings need care. To grow a strong and flowering shrub, young plants must be regularly fed, watered, weeded and treated for pests.

Hydrangea loves moisture, so always keep the soil moist. If the top layer of soil dries out, immediately irrigate it with water, otherwise the flower will wither. Be careful not to flood the plants. Watering should be done regularly, especially in hot and dry weather. If it rains, watering stops.

To speed up the growth of seedlings, you need to add mineral and organic fertilizers to the soil. It is advisable not to add substances that contain nitrogen, as the winter hardiness of the plant may deteriorate.

After planting hydrangea seedlings, pruning is necessary. Weak and damaged branches must be completely removed. This is done to form the main stems and give the hydrangea bush a decorative shape.

With proper planting and proper care, hydrangea is unlikely to be damaged by any diseases or pests

However, some precautions must still be observed:

avoid scorching sunlight;
Apply fertilizing in a timely manner and using the correct technology;
try to follow the watering regime;
do not allow thickening, give the hydrangea freedom.

Finally, we will reveal one secret of how to turn a shrub of the same color into a striking pink and blue plant. In spring, add sulfate, aluminum salts or sulfur to the soil. To ensure a smooth color transition, enrich the soil unevenly.

Garden hydrangea also reproduces well by seeds. There are only 2 ways to plant them. In both cases you can grow magnificent shrubs. If you follow all the necessary rules for planting seeds, the plant will delight the eye with the splendor of its flowering all season long. Huge inflorescences add a special charm to the garden.

Care and cultivation

Potassium and nitrogen liquid fertilizers will be a good fertilizer. Mineral fertilizers are applied regularly.
Be sure to loosen the soil; nothing will grow in dense soil. The top layer must be constantly wet.
As for temperature, the optimal is 17-22 degrees. In winter, they are taken to a cool (9 degrees) room and left at rest, again, constantly monitoring the humidity. Watering should not be as abundant as in summer, but the soil should not remain dry.
Use “Fitoverm” or the drug “Meta” to control pests.
It is necessary to trim off the weakest branches and leaves so that the hydrangea focuses on the main stem.
You can take it out onto the balcony in winter if the temperature there is normal for hydrangea at this time of year.
The air in the room must be humidified; you can install a sprayer.
Direct sunlight is contraindicated, but hydrangea needs bright, diffused light.
It is better to wipe the leaves rather than wash them. Roots, especially in winter, should not stagnate in water.

A little about reproduction. Indoor hydrangea is propagated by cuttings and dividing the bush. It is difficult to grow from seeds, but it is possible.

Hydrangea rules for growing at home

The luxurious, lush color of hydrangeas has long been the decoration of many gardens. An inherent advantage of this plant is that it can be used as a variety of types of decoration, since it can be a shrub, vines, or even trees.

The general appearance of all possible varieties is characterized by the spherical shape of the flowers, as well as large green leaves. Today there are several effective ways to propagate this flower. You can use seeds, layering and cuttings.

At the same time, seedlings from seeds have fairly good germination and can be used no less effectively than the vegetative propagation method.

Simple large-leaved species of hydrangea are best propagated by seeds. It is mainly a shrub, however, depending on conditions, it can be grown up to 4 meters in height. There is a wide range of possible inflorescence colors.

Due to low temperatures, in other regions it grows as a potted flower. Seeds are widely distributed in specialized stores and are also available for sale via the Internet.

The best seed can be purchased from China and Japan, since these countries are the most natural habitat for it. It is also not difficult to collect the seeds yourself. It is only worth noting that as a result of selection, the largest flowers have become fertile and seeds can only be obtained from small, inconspicuous samples.

Seeds suitable for germination must be intact and free of any external damage. Do not be alarmed if the ordered material arrives raw or its color differs from that specified. To bring it back to normal, just dry it a little in the oven.

It is sprouted in February. To do this, you need to place the seeds on pre-moistened gauze or a cotton swab. Wait for them to swell. The nutrient substrate for sowing is mixed from peat, soil and sand, taken in equal parts.

Before planting, the container is filled with prepared and thoroughly mixed soil. The seeds are scattered from above, and there is no need to bury them. They are sprinkled with fine sand on top. Considering how important humidity is at this stage, it is necessary to form something like a small greenhouse by covering the container with glass, plastic or transparent film.

Moistening the beds is also necessary. Of course, any jets of water are strictly contraindicated and only fine spraying through a spray bottle is used for watering. Make sure that the soil is moist, but the moisture does not stagnate.

Excess can easily lead to rotting of the planting material. It is worth being patient, since the first hydrangea sprouts do not appear until a few weeks later.

The pot is installed in a sufficiently lit place, but direct sunlight must be avoided. Don't forget to loosen the soil from time to time. It is necessary to water frequently enough, and complex fertilizers are also applied.

The size of the plant directly depends on whether you were able to create a certain microclimate. There are several key factors that need to be considered to achieve this goal. The first of these is a fairly bright, but not burning light.

It will be quite effective to block direct sunlight with diffusing polymer or gauze. However, even in this case, daylight may not be enough in more northern latitudes. If the foliage begins to fall, the development of the plant itself stops, and the need to install additional lighting cannot be avoided.

Direct sunlight is completely contraindicated, as it only causes leaf burns. You can place a pot with a plant on the south window and cover it with thin tulle.

If there is simply no time for this, installing evaporation zones, such as containers filled with water, in close proximity to the pots is quite suitable. You can use an automatic humidifier.

Fertilizer is applied twice a month. Hydrangea loves light, nutritious and acidic soil, so it is advisable to water them with slightly acidified water every month.

Choosing Hydrangea Seeds

It is believed that seeds germinate best from the eastern countries where hydrangea comes from (China and Japan). Cheap seeds can be found in online stores that work directly with Chinese suppliers. The parcel is sent by mail cash on delivery. However, consumer reviews indicate the opposite: it is better to trust Russian producers, despite the fact that the seeds may cost a little more.

To determine a quality seed, you need to carefully look to see if it has any damage. It must be intact, without dents. What hydrangea seeds look like: they are small, oblong, dark brown. If they are a different color, they may be damp. You can collect the seeds yourself. They are formed only on fertile (small, inconspicuous) flowers. Bright large flowers serve to attract insects; they do not produce pollen.

Additional Information. In the northern regions of Russia, hydrangea can be grown indoors. To do this, you should choose Broadleaf hydrangea (aka Large-leaved). It grows in the house for about 5 years, after which the plant is replaced with a younger one.

Choosing hydrangea seeds for planting

Garden hydrangea is a flowering plant that is characterized by three methods of reproduction. If you do not have the opportunity to get cuttings or layering, then it can be grown from seeds.

Before planting hydrangea seeds, you need to know what they look like, otherwise you may end up with a fake. High-quality planting material must meet the following requirements:

the seeds must be whole, without any stains, marks or damage;
have no traces of disease, not be frozen and lethargic.

The hydrangea seeds themselves are dark brown in color, very small in size and oblong in shape. Don’t forget to ask the seller whether the grains meet the varietal characteristics. Hydrangea varieties such as Macrophila, Paniculata, Treelike and Chereshkovaya are perfect for growing in Russia.

Hydrangea from seeds can easily be grown at home. This is a fairly effective method that gardeners often use. Next, we will tell you how to plant hydrangea in open ground and special boxes at home.

How to grow hydrangea from seeds at home for seedlings

You should immediately take into account that growing hydrangea at home is not an easy task and requires a lot of time from the gardener. Caring for a flower is not difficult, but the seedlings will need to be picked several times as they grow. The process of growing seedlings takes 2 years and only in the 3rd year are the plants planted in a permanent place in open ground. By this time, the hydrangea stems will grow to 30-35 cm.

To plant hydrangeas, sprouted seeds are sown in a shallow seedling box. In order for them to germinate, they are pre-treated with the drug “Epin” and then placed in a moistened rag.

To sow sprouted seeds, it is recommended to use loose, sandy soil fertilized with humus. The seeds are sprinkled with a small layer of sand and irrigated with water from a sprayer. The seedling box is covered with a transparent film, thus forming a microgreenhouse. Care comes down to regular watering and regular fertilization.

About caring for hydrangea

After planting, proper cultivation of a flower is as follows:

Watering is extremely necessary for this moisture-loving plant. It’s not for nothing that it’s a “vessel of water”! Even the slightest drying out of the soil can disrupt its development. In dry, hot seasons, it is necessary to “water” it weekly with soft (rain) water up to 20 liters. In damp weather and rainy summers, you can water up to 5 times per season. Dry autumn requires additional watering. After all, a consequence of moisture deficiency can be a decrease in winter hardiness. For preventive purposes, when watering, you need to add up to 3 g of potassium permanganate. Watering time is morning. To retain moisture, the plant is mulched.
Loosening of the soil around the hydrangea shrub is carried out regularly (after watering) to a depth of 10 cm. The minimum amount of loosening for access of oxygen to the root system is at least 3 times per season.
Fertilizer/feeding when planting in the proposed soil mixture is not necessary in the first couple of years. Then you need to do it in this order:

in the spring after pruning, adding macro- and microelements (nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus);
early summer - complex fertilizer without calcium and chlorine;
at the first budding - fertilizing with superphosphate and potassium sulfate;
at the end of August potassium sulfate is added;
fertilizing with diluted manure (chicken/cow) - no more than 2 times during the entire season.

Feeding hydrangea with lactic acid (sour milk, whey, kefir, sour bread) is very effective.

Hydrangea pruning is carried out depending on its age, season, and goals. Pruning in all cases is carried out in the spring when the buds are swelling. Let's briefly look at these main points.

Young animals need this to form growths and stimulate the process of flower formation. To prepare for vigorous flowering in the future, you need to remove pea-sized buds for the first 2 years after planting or cut off all the inflorescences. In order to regulate the height and density, it is necessary to prune the plant in the spring (April-May). And if we are talking about the so-called cosmetic pruning here, older plants need to be given sanitary pruning.

Shrubs over 3 years old are “rejuvenated” by “freeing up” space for new growth (removing all dried shoots, some old ones, shortening them by 5 buds). These “old people” can also be pruned at the root, forming low stumps from which new growth will begin to develop.

Following these basic rules allows gardeners to avoid common mistakes. This is a careless attitude towards outdated shoots or an overly fanatical removal of those still worthy of life.

Other ways to propagate hydrangea

Growing hydrangea from seeds is a labor-intensive and time-consuming method. It is suitable for those who have a serious interest in this matter and enough patience.

Hydrangea cuttings

For faster and easier reproduction, there are vegetative methods:

The easiest way to propagate hydrangea is by green cuttings; their rooting percentage is close to 100. To do this, in April-June, you need to select annual shoots from the crown, cut cuttings from them, 10-12 cm long with 2-3 pairs of leaves. The cut is made at a right angle. The leaves from the bottom need to be removed and treated with root growth stimulants. When planting, you need to deepen the lower pair of buds to the middle of the internode. Cuttings take root on average 20-30 days. All this time you need to maintain sufficient humidity. It is better to grow seedlings in a greenhouse with fertile soil or cover the plantings with plastic bottles. Next year, plant the bushes in a permanent place.
You can divide an adult bush in the spring. To do this, you need to dig it up, divide it with pruners or a sharp shovel into several parts so that each has several roots and shoots. The resulting divisions are planted in a permanent place in fertile soil at intervals of 1 m. Usually the divided plants take root well.
Hydrangea is also propagated by layering. To do this, in spring or autumn, select a healthy bush, bend annual shoots to the ground, pin them and dig them down 2-3 cm. A top of about 20 cm should remain on the surface. Periodically you need to add soil and regularly water the cuttings and bush. After a year, the shoot should take root. Then it is carefully separated from the mother bush with pruning shears and planted in beds for growing. After another year you can plant it in a permanent place. Young bushes will begin to bloom in the 4th year of life.

Growing hydrangea is not the easiest task in floriculture. But there is nothing supernatural either. You just need to plant it in a draft-free place, in moderately acidic soil, regularly water, fertilize and prune. You also need a lot of patience and love for flowering plants. With proper care, hydrangea will grow healthy, lush and look royal.

Flower care

All hydrangea varieties prefer high soil moisture. It requires regular watering of the soil within a radius of one and a half meters from the base of the bush. Experienced gardeners advise pruning old hydrangea shoots in early spring; this is done to create a large volume due to the branching of the bush. If the favorable time for pruning is missed and the plant is already in the flowering phase, then it is better not to touch it, as this may weaken the hydrangea.

Regular feeding will give the bush a healthy appearance and accelerate the growth of shoots.

It is advisable to use liquid fertilizer every two weeks; it is enough to add organic fertilizer to the soil once a month. At the end of summer, fertilizing is stopped.

Hydrangea tolerates winter well. If your region has thick snow cover and not strong winds, then the adult bush does not need to be covered. For the first winter, the young plant needs shelter from spruce branches.

How to grow hydrangea seedlings

To get strong seedlings you will need to make some effort.

Watering mode and humidity

Without a sufficient amount of moisture, not a single plant can survive, and hydrangea is no exception, but you need to know when to stop everything. Description of irrigation:

in the spring and summer, as the top layer of soil dries out, watering is carried out using settled water. If it’s cold outside, the ground should be kept slightly moist;
Morning or evening hours are suitable for watering, when the sun is not too hot;
once a month, the water for hydrangea is slightly acidified to increase the acidity of the soil;
If necessary, spray the seedlings.

Lighting and temperature conditions

The place where the seedlings are located should not be very hot; there should also be no draft or proximity to heating devices. The plant must have enough light so that the shoots do not stretch due to a lack of lighting.

Hydrangea seedlings

Feeding

Young plants will not refuse additional nutrition. Fertilizers are applied once every 14 days and only when the weather outside is warm.

Attention! When purchasing fertilizers, the dosage for seedlings is calculated according to the instructions on the package.

Hardening

Before planting plants in the chosen place in the garden, it is necessary to carry out a hardening procedure. This has a beneficial effect on the crop’s immune system and increases resistance to low temperatures. Hardening is carried out continuously, without taking breaks.

Containers with seedlings must be placed outside every day for several hours, gradually this time is increased to the whole day, so that, as a result, the containers only have to be removed at night.

Picks

The procedure is carried out 2 times. The first is after the appearance of 2 large cotyledon leaves. Strong seedlings are planted in containers so that a distance of 10 to 12 cm is maintained between them.

They dive for the second time in the last days of spring, when the active growth of green mass in the seedlings begins. Here you will need separate pots for each plant.

Types and varieties of hydrangeas in the photo

The hydrangea genus contains several dozen species (botanists still do not have a consensus on the number of species) and belongs to the Hydrangeaceae family of the same name.

Most species are shrubs with large leaves, less often they are small trees or vines.

As can be seen in the photo, all types of hydrangea have flowers collected in large corymbose or paniculate inflorescences and are usually located at the ends of the shoots.

In most types of hydrangeas, the inflorescences contain two types of flowers: small fertile (fertile) flowers and large sterile (sterile) flowers, which are usually located along the edge of the inflorescences. Most species are white or pink in color.

Transfer

Young plants are replanted annually after the flowering period, and already rooted plants - after 2 years. In this case, the transshipment method is used, when a lump of earth is preserved near the roots. With this method, the plant tolerates the replanting process much easier. The new pot should be a third or half larger than the previous one. Given the horizontal placement of hydrangea roots, preference should be given to wide but low pots. The top of the root should be level with the soil surface.

Hydrangea flowers will be white, red or pink when soil acidity is low, and blue or blue when soil acidity is high.

Common types and varieties

Hydrangea is represented by many varieties, which belong to several types:

Hydrangea paniculata

The most common in the middle zone.

Lime Light. As the name suggests, the flowers of this variety start out green, then lighten to a light lemon hue. The bush is dense, up to 240 cm in height, the crown is 180 cm in diameter. This species looks good in dry bouquets.

Vanilla Frays. The inflorescences acquire a red color towards the end of summer, and at the beginning they are ivory-colored. The buds are large, the bush itself is not spreading, the height reaches 150 cm.

Silver Dollar. The bush of this variety develops evenly and in adult form reaches 250 cm in width and height. Silver's inflorescences are shaped like a pyramid; the color gradually turns from white to pinkish.

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Phantom. Compared to other representatives of the paniculate species, this variety has large pyramidal buds. The light cream shade turns into pale pink by the end of summer.

Pinky Winky. An interesting variety with double flowering. The white inflorescences turn pink by August, and then young white buds bloom from them. By late summer you get two-colored panicles.

Tree hydrangea

Represented by the following popular varieties:

Anabelle. This is a low bush from 120 to 150 cm, growing in width to a maximum of 150 cm. It grows quickly, the inflorescences of the Anabel variety are symmetrical, neat, on average 25 cm. The color is creamy white, but experts can influence it by watering with safe dyes. With special skill, you can grow two flowers on one bush. This result requires perseverance and regular stay in the garden. This variety is extremely popular and, thanks to selection, has several variations.

Pink Annabelle.

Strong Anabel. Round, snow-white inflorescences increase due to pruning and acquire sizes of up to 30 cm. In spring, strong pruning is necessary. The variety is frost-resistant and not afraid of diseases.

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Grandiflora. She is larger than Anabel and reaches 200 cm in height and 300 cm in diameter. The flowers are white. Oakleaf hydrangea differs from other species in its rough and rough leaves:

The Snow Queen. It is a more heat-loving species than paniculate hydrangea. The leaves are large, dark in color, similar in shape to oak. The flowers change color from white to soft pink.

Large-leaved hydrangea does not tolerate the cold season in open ground; it is taken outside in a pot only in the summer:

Freedom. A unique feature of this variety is that the small flowers have two colors. From just pink they become white with a delicate reddish edging.

A feature of almost all types of hydrangea is late flowering; most often the period opens in July and ends with frost. Therefore, if this plant appears in your garden along with early blooming flowers, the landscape will delight the eye throughout the warm season.

Seed storage

Planting hydrangea in spring in open ground

Before planting, the seeds should be kept in a dry, well-ventilated room. It should be dark and cool. It is important to maintain a stable temperature throughout the storage period. It should be +10-15 degrees. Air humidity should not be higher than 50%.

Important! Seeds are stored well in thick paper bags. Bags made from natural materials are also suitable for this purpose.

Growing from seeds

Very often, to obtain new varieties, gardeners grow Hydrangea from seeds brought from China, where the plant grows in the wild.

When choosing seeds, you need to pay attention to the following factors:

the seeds must be undamaged;
there should be no signs of mold or disease;
does the description of the variety meet your requirements;
frost resistance.

For better germination, it is recommended to pre-germinate the seeds. To do this, place a cloth napkin on a saucer, place the seeds on it and cover them with a second napkin. Boiled water is poured into a saucer and left on the windowsill until germination. It is necessary to wash the seeds periodically to prevent mucus from forming on them. When the seeds swell, they must be planted in prepared soil.

The soil for planting is prepared as follows:

turf soil—1 part;
coniferous soil—1 part;
leaf soil—1 part;
peat—1 part;
humus—1 part;
sand—1 part.

All ingredients must be mixed well.

The most favorable time for sowing seeds is February. To grow Hydrangeas, use wooden boxes 15 cm deep. Fill it with the prepared soil mixture, not filling it to the top edge of the sides 3.5 cm. The seeds are laid out on the surface of the soil. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil and moisten them with a spray bottle. The box is covered with polyethylene to create a greenhouse effect. The soil must be kept constantly moist. To do this, the polyethylene is periodically removed for a short period of time.

After emergence of seedlings, the polyethylene is removed. If the seedlings have two true leaves, they are planted in containers with a diameter of 8 cm.

Landing conditions

The seeds must first be prepared and germinated. Take a saucer, put cotton wool there, then distribute the seeds over it and cover with another layer of cotton wool. Pour boiled water and leave it like that for several days.

If an unpleasant odor appears from the saucer, it is imperative to rinse everything

The most important thing is to prevent rotting and not to overexpose the seeds in a humid environment. We will sow when the sprout “hatches”, but it is also possible when the seed is still dry

Advice! Buy Epin Extra, it is a natural biostimulant, absolutely safe. It costs about 15 rubles, but protects the plant from stress during the growth and planting stages. It also strengthens the “immunity” and has a beneficial effect in general. According to the instructions, dilute with water and soak the seeds.

Hydrangea flowers in the garden

The nature of central Russia is not rich in beautiful flowering shrubs. This gap is filled by winter-hardy plants introduced from other places. Some of them (like lilac, wrinkled rose) are so loved and widely spread in Russian gardens that one gets the feeling that these are our “native” plants

Others are undeservedly ignored and are still quite rare guests in the gardens. These include garden hydrangea flowers, although it is difficult to find a shrub that would have such a long flowering period in the second half of summer

In addition, among garden hydrangeas there are species that perfectly tolerate temperate climates and are distinguished by their unpretentiousness in cultivation. Therefore, it is difficult to explain our “disfavor.” But active selection of this crop, which gives us more and more diverse varieties, contributes to the fact that various types and varieties of hydrangeas appear more and more often in the gardens of the middle zone.

Appearance of seeds, collection and storage

Hydrangea seeds are small, oblong, dark brown grains. They don't look as attractive as inflorescences, but the results are amazing. In the proposed photo they can be seen on thin petioles located inside the inflorescence. After sowing, stunning flowering shrubs grow from several grown seedlings in a couple of years.

Signs of quality planting material:

no stains, traces of mold or damage;
the collection should not be frozen, lethargic or damp;
corresponds to varietal characteristics.

You can collect it yourself at the end of the season; store it in a dry place at room temperature. Some gardeners use planting material from China and Japan, because it is there that hydrangea grows in natural conditions. The Aelita agricultural company offers customers a packaged collection of not only large-leaved, but also tree-like, paniculate, serrate and petiolate hydrangeas. On sale there are compact varieties with pyramidal and spherical inflorescences, powerful shrubs with giant panicles. The manufacturer recommends sowing in open ground from April to early June.

Garden or large-leaved hydrangea is best propagated by seed; planting and caring for it is possible not only in the open ground, but also at home. The main purpose of seed propagation is selection, but in the absence of cuttings, sowing can be carried out successfully. In cold regions, heat-loving species are grown as indoor crops. The maintenance rules coincide with the care on the site, only in winter the home hydrangea does not require shelter from the cold and snow.

How to choose hydrangea seeds for sowing

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There are no particular difficulties in choosing planting material, the main thing is to follow 3 simple rules:

Seeds are purchased only from trusted producers. It was already said above that preference should be given to grains from China or Japan.
High-quality material should not have stains, foreign marks, damage, or lethargy.
Also, the seeds must match their appearance. What the seeds look like is described a little higher.

That's all a florist needs to know.

Collected seeds

Planting process

Now it's time to choose the soil. You can dig up and mix the following components in the correct proportions:

peat;
humus;
turf, deciduous or coniferous soil;
sand.

You can also buy ready-made soil in the store. Keep in mind that hydrangea is a lover of acidic soil, like rhododendron. The ratio of the above components is 0.5:1:1:1:0.5.