Large-leaved hydrangea: varieties that suit the climate of the Moscow region.

Hydrangea every year it is gaining more and more popularity. This shrub very often began to attract gardeners with its beauty and unpretentiousness. As for the Moscow region, the cultivation of flowers in this climate has its own characteristics. And certain varieties are best suited for growing. But gardeners often do not stop at simplicity, and try to grow something exotic on their site, for example, large-leaved hydrangea directly relates to this. Initially, hydrangea was, in principle, a wild shrub, but now it has become so popular that many gardens are simply difficult to imagine without it. These large bushes with caps of flowers of various shades can now be found almost anywhere, even in the courtyard of an ordinary high-rise building. But many gardeners who already have extensive experience in growing flowers simply do not want to dwell on the results already achieved and are trying with all their might to tame new exotic plants. One of these is a large-leaved hydrangea, which is very popular for the Moscow region.

Briefly about hydrangea

photo: large-leaved hydrangea

In the wild, this shrub easily grows up to four meters in height, but in our climate it can grow to a maximum of two. Large-leaved hydrangea differs from other species in that it has just a huge amount of colors and shades. The breeders also tried hard in this regard, and thanks to their fruitful work, even more unusual colors and shades appeared, and it should be noted that they are all unusual for this shrub. It is because of the uniqueness, unusualness and beauty that many gardeners are ready to spend a lot of time and effort to grow something unusual on their site. It is sometimes very difficult to care for such a flower, because watering, loosening and, most importantly, pruning must be done correctly, but people are ready to do a lot in order to achieve their goal. But one problem with growing hydrangeas is that they are not hardy at all. In principle, this is understandable, because some types of hydrangea were brought to Russia from Japan and China, and there, as you know, it is always warm and it is the climate that the large-leaved hydrangea prefers. Before planting, the varieties of this shrub must be chosen correctly, taking into account all the nuances of the local climate. For the winter, the bushes need to be well insulated, because in winter the temperature is also not stable, then there are very severe frosts, then a thaw begins, and the flower suffers greatly from these drops.

If we consider precisely the large-leaved hydrangea, then its flowers are formed on last year's shoots, and to be more precise, on their tops. It is for this reason that it is necessary to insulate the hydrangea as best as possible for the winter so that it does not freeze because the varieties that are intended for the Moscow region are always very hard to endure the winter, but with proper care they will easily decorate your site for many years.

Large-leaved hydrangea varieties

Aisha - the homeland of this hydrangea is Japan. It has small flowers in huge inflorescences. In Russia, this variety is mainly grown in a pot on a windowsill and is simply taken out into the garden. It is possible to plant this shrub in open ground only if the winters are very warm. Planting a flower for the summer in the ground, but for the winter again in a pot is impossible, because any hydrangea does not tolerate transplants. And this variety is so generally very demanding, in the morning it loves the sun, and in the afternoon it needs shade and a lot of moisture.In height, the bushes of this variety grow no more than 1.5 meters. The flowers of this hydrangea can be initially white, which eventually turns into pale pink or blue.

Bela - this large-leaved hydrangea is very often found in the gardens near Moscow. It is very difficult to grow in the local climate, so if a gardener decides to grow it on his site, then this can be considered a kind of challenge. If, when growing this variety, you can save the shrub from winter frosts, then the extraordinary beauty of flowers that have all shades of blue will simply win the hearts of those who see it. But besides the fact that you need to protect the bush from frost, throughout the season you need to monitor the composition of the soil, because it must be acidic. The intensity of the color depends on this. The bushes themselves are very compact and grow slowly. This variety will look great both alone and in combination with other plants. Such a shrub grows to a height of no more than two meters. The flowers are large enough and have all shades of blue, but as mentioned above, the color intensity directly depends on the acidity of the earth. The more acidic it is, the brighter the flowers will be.

Voodoo - this variety is quite young. The shrub itself is very compact; it grows in height only about 1 meter. This variety can be called unusual due to the original color of the flowers. They have a shade of lime, which is very original and does not usually look. This color can no longer be seen in any other hydrangea. When you decide that you want to grow this variety, be sure to keep in mind that the bushes simply need drainage, and the land, like other varieties, needs acidic. She loves sunny areas, but can easily adapt to light shade.

Ladies from Holland - the inflorescences of this variety are very unusual, they are terry. Their colors can be either white, cream or pink, and have a border around the edges. Color saturation, like other varieties, directly depends on the acidity of the earth, the more acidic it is, the brighter the flowers.

In principle, even regardless of the variety, for the winter all varieties must be well insulated because the large-leaved hydrangea does not tolerate severe frosts at all, even if it is written somewhere that the variety is frost-resistant, it still needs to be covered for the winter. Moreover, temperature surges can destroy the hydrangea even more than a stable, severe frost. And there are varieties that must be brought into the house for the winter. Therefore, these varieties are most often grown on the windowsill, and in the summer the pots are simply taken out into the street. Why is it impossible to plant them in open ground in the spring and return them back to their place in the fall? The answer to this question is quite simple. Large-leaved hydrangea does not tolerate transplanting very well and may even die, which is why when planting this shrub with a permanent place, you need to decide in advance, because the plant will have to grow on it for many more years.

Repairing varieties of hydrangea

There are even remontant varieties of hydrangeas, they are able to bloom not only on last year's branches, but also on young ones. Thanks to this, hydrangea blooms will be stable and uninterrupted. And if the bush freezes during the winter, it will not be critical. But do not forget that remontant varieties always begin to bloom later than normal ones. But they endure the winter more steadily, but during repeated frosts, they must be monitored and re-insulated.

Endless summer, or Endless Samer - these varieties of hydrangeas are one of the most popular among remont flowers in the Moscow region. Basically, they attract gardeners with their frost resistance. Flowers of this variety, unlike many others, bloom for a very long time, forming inflorescences several times per season. And their colors can be completely different, and this shrub grows in height no more than 1.5 meters.

The magical four seasons - the flowers of this variety are very original and unusual. There are various spots and stripes on their petals. During the entire flowering, they are constantly changing. This variety, simply by its appearance, immediately conquers the hearts of absolutely everyone. This flower can be called a chameleon, because it constantly changes its color. By itself, the bush grows quite compact, only about a meter. Inflorescences grow up to 30 cm in diameter. But the constantly changing color cannot be called unambiguously. For the winter, it must be insulated, because it will be very sorry and insulting if this beautiful bush disappears.

Doppio Bianco - this delicate variety came to us from Holland. He, unlike many, is not whimsical at all. And on its small bushes, which grow no more than a meter, just a huge number of large, beautiful inflorescences grow. This variety begins to bloom earlier than others, and in time it takes longer. Romantic natures compare each inflorescence of this shrub with the bride's bouquet. And she is also the originality of this shrub in that initially the flowers have a delicate white color, but green specks appear on them closer to autumn.

Forever and ever, or Foreveo and Ever - these varieties are also very unusual, because they have two colors. Moreover, the colors can be completely different colors and always with a fluffy rim. Bushes of these varieties are very compact, they do not even grow up to a meter. That is why these varieties are great for home cultivation, and the bushes grow very slowly, which is another plus of this variety.

Renata Steiniger - this variety is gaining more and more popularity among other varieties. Basically, its flowers are bright blue, but in order for it to be more saturated, various fertilizing that he just needs will come to help gardeners. It often happens that flowers of completely different colors bloom on one bush. Gardeners also like this variety because it can begin to bloom in the very first year after planting.

Schneeball - its name is translated as "Snow Globe" and this is fully justified by its appearance. In principle, when you choose a sotr for landing, sometimes it is simply impossible not to pay attention to the "Shneeball". This shrub is quite compact with huge, white, globular flowers. Outwardly, they look like decorative, but to the touch they are very delicate and pleasant.

You and me, or Yu end mi - these varieties look very original with their small double flowers gathered in large inflorescences. These varieties are not whimsical in cultivation at all and what is another plus is that they begin to bloom already in the year of planting. Initially, the flowers of this variety are white, and over time they change their color to pink or blue, depending on the composition of the soil.

Blueberry cheesecake, or Blueberry Cheesecake - this bush looks very unusual due to the fact that it grows more in width than in height, and its height is slightly more than 1 meter. This variety has small pink flowers, and by autumn the bush itself changes its color from green to red, which also looks very unusual and original.

Earley blue - this shrub can be grown not only outdoors, but also in pots. The difference between this hydrangea shrub from the rest is that it has a very powerful root system. It must be planted in a sunny area and watered very often and a lot, because he loves moisture very much. It must be covered for the winter, and top dressing must be applied in the spring. After all, this is what affects the pomp and beauty of blue inflorescences.

It often happens that inflorescences in remontant varieties do not form at the right time, mainly after the winter is too frosty and the bushes were not properly covered.

Features of growing a shrub

Growing hydrangeas, as in principle, any flower has its own nuances and characteristics.Hydrangea in the climate of the Moscow region is quite difficult, but the result is worth all the effort that will have to be made. If you have set yourself the goal of growing these noble flowers on your site, then be sure to listen to all the advice. When choosing the variety you want to grow, first of all pay attention to frost resistance. It should be no more than 10 degrees below your standard temperature. And the remaining temperature difference is controlled by the shrub insulation for the winter.

For the comfortable development of hydrangeas, you need fertile, acidic, and most importantly moist soil. But in no case should the water stagnate, otherwise the roots can very quickly begin to rot, and the plant will die, but drought can kill the plant just as quickly. Precisely because the large-leaved hydrangea is very demanding on the composition of the soil, it is advisable to prepare the soil mixture before planting it. This requires land mixed with compost or humus, peat and sand in proportions of 2: 2: 1: 1.

Also, the large-leaved hydrangea is very demanding on the place in which it will grow for many years. But the sun's rays should not be direct, but a little scattered. Both in direct rays and in the shade, it will not feel very good. Hydrangea, in principle, is used to high humidity, so in the heat it will not feel very good. But also considering the fact that in the shade on the bushes there are significantly fewer flowers, and their size leaves much to be desired. So, in what place is it best to plant it, draw your own conclusions.

Care rules

It is necessary to prune the bush in the spring, but this must be done very carefully. It must be borne in mind that basically all hydrangea inflorescences appear on last year's branches, as for young shoots, flowering on them occurs much less often. So pruning must always be done correctly, otherwise you risk drowning out the bush and be left without flowers.

Since the large-leaved hydrangea tolerates winter frosts very badly, preparation for winter is quite difficult, because any wrong action can destroy your bush. Another difficulty is that you need to save not only the root system, but all branches as a whole. In hydrangeas, unlike many other shrubs, the branches are not completely cut off. In principle, it is not so difficult to find a way out of the situation. At the end of the season, you do not need to apply any fertilizers under the bush, and watering the bush should be stopped about three weeks before the first frost begins. All the lower leaves of the hydrangea must be removed, this is done so that the shoots become stiff as quickly as possible. Leaves should generally remain only at the very top of the bush. Then, dry sawdust, peat or a similar insulation should be poured under the roots of the plant for insulation, in a thick layer, about 10 cm. After carrying out all the procedures, the bush can be tied tighter (just carefully so as not to break the branches) and put a cellophane bag on it, or, without tying it, cover the bush completely with cellophane film and fix it well to the ground. It is best to put bricks on the film around the bush.

If, for some reason, you could not grow beautiful hydrangea bushes on your site, you should not be upset. You have to try again and again and choose different growing methods. You can try to grow a bush in a pot and just take it out for the summer on the site. Or, in the spring, plant the hydrangea in open ground, and transplant it back in the fall. But this method is quite risky in the sense that the large-leaved hydrangea does not like transplants at all, but it is still worth a try. If, nevertheless, you are already desperate to grow large, beautiful bushes on the site, then you can always grow decorative bushes at home. These mini bushes will always look great in your home, and at the beginning of the season, you can always put the pot in your garden and admire it there.And such a bush can always decorate not only your windowsill, but also a balcony, a veranda, and, in principle, absolutely any room.

When you choose a variety you like in a gardening store, of course, in real life it will be slightly different from the one depicted in the picture. In principle, this is completely natural. Inflorescences and flowers, respectively, in your garden will also be smaller than in the picture, but you should not be upset at all, because their beauty will not disappear anywhere. And the shrubs you grow will decorate your home or garden. Hydrangea bushes with their various colors and long flowering will always fit into absolutely any design, and will grow to the delight of you and the envy of your neighbors.