Hydrangea (in Latin transcription hydrangea) is a southern plant brought to Europe in the 16th century. Its lushly flowering bushes attract the attention of gardeners. The plant is distinguished by a variety of colors, so designers often use it when creating landscape projects. The main nuance in the care is the correct pruning of hydrangea in preparation for wintering.
Why pruning hydrangea
Through the efforts of breeders, many varieties of hydrangea have been bred. The pruning procedure requires compliance with the recommendations of experts on the formation of the bush. It is important to consider varietal features:
- flowering time;
- the splendor of the bush;
- the size of the inflorescences.
Home Garden Decoration
Pruning is an essential part of plant care. The procedure is carried out in spring or autumn. In the spring, they wait until the buds are tied on the branches. They track the direction of growth of new shoots. If the buds begin to bloom, pruning is too late. It can ruin the bush.
Each region has its own cropping deadlines. They depend on how rapidly heat comes. For the southern regions, this time is in early March, and in the northern regions - early April.
Important!Too late pruning is fraught with the fact that the plant will begin to liberate profusely juice, which will negatively affect its condition. As a result, flowering will be poor or not at all.
In autumn, work is done late, since flowering ends in late September or early October. There are several options for pruning hydrangea:
- Annual pruning of shoots in order to get a more powerful bush with many peduncles.
- The ability to form the correct plant structure by optimally positioning skeletal branches.
- Periodic sanitization by removing dry and damaged branches and cutting dry inflorescences.
- Rejuvenation of the bush by trimming old and diseased bushes.
Spring pruning hydrangea
When to prune hydrangea shrubs
Each grower should know when and how the plant is pruned. Its duration depends on the region of growth. For example, in the Moscow Region, spring heat comes faster than in Siberia. There, severe frosts can hold most of the winter. Therefore, in the middle lane, work begins earlier.
The main events are held in the spring, when the first buds hatch. Large-leaved hydrangea is not recommended to be trimmed in spring, since the main shoots appear from the upper buds. When removed, the plant recovery process may be delayed. Only slight cosmetic surface alignment is allowed.
On a note! Tree and panicled species shorten both in autumn and spring.
To figure out how to prune hydrangea for the winter, you should focus on removing old, twisted and diseased branches. They interfere with the formation of the silhouette. At the same time, young shoots do not touch the autumn. Broken shoots cut to half.
The average daily air temperature should be within 5-10 ℃ above zero (depending on the region). Frost-resistant varieties in the middle zone of the country are recommended to be cut in November. Gentle pruning is relevant in the northern regions, because winter cold can destroy too short branches, even those that are considered frost-resistant.
Additional Information!Work on the formation of a bush, rejuvenation and healing of plants is divided into two periods to mitigate the process of hydrangea adaptation.
Pruning young plants
Experts do not recommend pruning plants that have not reached the age of three in the fall. They are not strong enough and can not withstand stress. Easy sanitation is sufficient.
In the southern regions, you can not be afraid to cut damaged branches, so that next year to get a lush bush. It is believed that autumn pruning is preferred in a warmer growing area.
It is important to consider that different varieties of hydrangeas have their own specifics for autumn pruning. You can carry out work in the summer when the process of decay begins. This usually happens in July. If the summer is warm and hydrangea does not have time to bloom until July, postpone the procedure for the next season.
Summer pruning of dried flowers
Trimming hydrangeas of different ages
Both young and old hydrangea bushes need pruning. In the first year, only long shoots are subject to shortening. You can’t cut too much. Enough to get rid of damaged and diseased branches.
In some cases, the procedure is carried out to more quickly adapt the flower to new soil and climatic conditions. As a result, the rate of root mass increase increases. In order for the hydrangea to begin to bloom to remain healthy and beautiful, observe the rules of pruning.
Note! In the second year, young plants shorten much more, leaving no more than four healthy buds on each branch. This is the optimal time for the formation of the skeletal part of the plant.
Adult plants have the ability to reduce flowering. Inflorescences become smaller and do not look as attractive as in the very first years. In order to keep the garden beautiful and the plant itself healthy, anti-aging pruning of hydrangeas is performed. Work requires compliance with the rules:
- All last year's shoots without regret are cut to the level of three buds. This will give an impetus to the rapid development and powerful flowering of shortened branches.
- In the same way, dry and frozen branches are removed. They worsen the decorative properties of the bush and adversely affect its health.
- To access the sun's rays, branches growing inside the crown are cut off. They create unnecessary bush density, within which pathogenic bacteria and fungal spores develop.
- When pruning, cut off the shoots originating from the roots of the plant. They reduce the protective properties and draw useful substances from the root system.
- Radical pruning brings sick and old bushes back to life. The rejuvenation scheme literally transforms the flower. In this case, only small stumps are left from the branches.
Bush after the rejuvenation procedure
For work, use a sharp hacksaw to do less damage to the culture. Slices immediately after trimming is treated with an antiseptic or garden var. The instrument is disinfected before work in order to exclude the development of infection.
Features of pruning different types of hydrangea
The technique and time for pruning beautifully flowering bushes depends on the type of plant. Panicled hydrangeas blooming on the shoots of the current year are considered the most popular among gardeners. But there are large-leaved varieties that bloom on last year's shoots (tree-like and oak-leaved varieties).
Pruning hydrangea paniculata (paniculata) is carried out in early spring. The first time, the branches are cut low so that the bush develops evenly, and does not look weak. Work requires accuracy:
- Trimming panicled hydrangea in spring is carried out before the swelling of the kidneys. It is important to correctly determine the moment.
- Broken and old branches are removed; young ones simply shorten to the level of the fifth kidney.
- Shoots that create excess density are removed.
Treelike hydrangea varieties need rejuvenation once every five years. The step-by-step method has the features:
- It is better not to touch the bush for up to three years, conducting only sanitary cleaning. This will allow him to become stronger and become magnificent.
- After a few years, a full pruning of tree hydrangea is carried out, in which dry and damaged shoots are completely removed.
- Young branches are shortened by half, provided that they remain on three or four healthy buds.
- Every five years, anti-aging pruning is performed, in which only small stumps remain.
Large-leaved or garden hydrangea in the first year after planting does not bloom. To wait for beautiful flower stalks next year, the bush should be protected from the cold. To do this, cover the plant with a layer of peat.
Important!So that pruning of large-leaved hydrangea does not affect the intensity of plant development, shoots with buds are not involved. Otherwise, not only the number of peduncles will decrease, but the entire bush may wither.
Hydrangea care after pruning
After trimming, fertilizing plants is mandatory. To do this, use complex fertilizers with the necessary amount of mineral and organic substances. The trunk circle is mulched with compost or other fertilizer. Its layer should be at least five centimeters. This will have a beneficial effect on the development and flowering of hydrangea. In summer, it is recommended to feed the flower with chicken droppings, diluting a liter of substance in a bucket of water. For varieties that do not tolerate frost, make a special shelter from peat or foliage.
Common mistakes
To maintain the health of the plantations, it is important to know the features of pruning of each variety and try not to allow them to work. These include:
- Inadequate or incorrect care of the plant after pruning.
- Choosing the wrong time. This negatively affects the development and splendor of flowering.
- Mistakes can lead to inhibition of growth or even death of the bush (at least reduce its decorative qualities).
In order for hydrangea to please lush and long flowering, periodic pruning is required in compliance with the rules for forming a bush, taking into account species features. This will allow you to transform the garden and enjoy the abundant flowering throughout the summer.
