Hydrangea Vanilla Fraze

The panicle type of hydrangea is perhaps one of the most beautiful plants. They have a long flowering period, suitable for growing in a summer cottage. This perennial plant does not require a particularly large amount of time and effort to take care of. This type of hydrangea is suitable for planting for those gardeners who are starting their first steps in gardening. After all, these plants will surely take root in a new place and will delight the eye of their owner. The hydrangea Vanilla Freise is especially popular, but you can also find another, not entirely correct name of the plant - Vanilla Freise.

Panicle hydrangea Vanilla Fraze is distinguished by beautiful flowering and unpretentious care. The gardener, at will, can give the plant the shape of a lush bush, or the shape of a tree. In this article, we will look at the main features of this variety, how to plant and care for it correctly, and what to do if the plant has been attacked by pests or gets sick.

Photo of hydrangea, variety Vanilla Freise

The panicle variety of hydrangeas belongs to the genus Hortensia and the Hortensia family. The natural environment for these plants is the islands and provinces of China, and can also be found in the southern parts of Fr. Sakhalin. This plant has long earned its popularity in landscape design for creating beautiful compositions.

Among the distinctive characteristics of this type of plant are:

• Plant height can reach from 1.5 to 10 m.
• The roots are not very deep, but in size they are much larger than the crown of the plant.
• The foliage is oval in shape, the length can be up to 12 cm.
• The flowers form paniculate inflorescences that are pyramidal in shape, the length can be up to 25 cm.

Flowers are of two types:

• Infertile - the size of such leaves can be more than 2 cm. The petals are white with a greenish tint, which can later turn pink.
• Small - subsequently, it is from them that the formation of fruits occurs. On such flowers, the petals fall off quickly.

The capsule fruit contains a large amount of small-sized seed. When the capsule ripens, it begins to crack on top. You can notice the appearance of the first buds only after 4-5 seasons after you plant the plant in a permanent place.

It is important to note that the germination of plant seeds reaches 100%.

Hydrangea Vanilla Freise: variety description

Photo of hydrangea varieties Vanilla Fraz

Hydrangea Vanilla Fraze belongs to one of the brightest varieties of panicle hydrangea. The inflorescences are characterized by a wide pyramidal shape, have a beautiful color. Each inflorescence can be up to 20 cm in size.

The bush formed from the shoots has the shape of a trunk. The leaves are oval or slightly elongated, slightly pubescent. Leaves of a dark emerald hue. The roots of the plant are located near the surface of the soil. In this case, the root system has dimensions that exceed the dimensional characteristics of the plant crown.

The shoots of the panicle hydrangea Vanilla Fraz can grow up to 1.5 m in height, and the crown diameter is from 1.4 m, have a bright red color. When the inflorescences bloom, the stems will fall apart under their weight. For this reason, the plant takes on the appearance of a beautiful blooming ball.It is also important to note the fact that the plant is capable of changing the color of the inflorescences from the moment the buds open to their complete wilting.

At first, the petals of the buds are white with a creamy tint. Over time, the color changes to pink. And already at the end of flowering, it acquires a dark cherry color. This color change is characteristic of all varieties of panicle hydrangeas, which attracts special attention to them.

The inflorescences are about 29 cm wide and up to 39 cm long. Flowering occurs in the first decade of July, which lasts until the end of September. The abundance of flowering directly depends on how the bush itself will be correctly formed. As for how much pruning needs to be done, then you need to pay attention to the general condition of the plant. The stronger the thickening of the bush, as well as the presence of a large number of weak and damaged branches.

Also, a big plus of the variety is its good tolerance to low winter temperatures, down to -29 degrees. In this case, the plant does not need to be covered for the winter. But still, if you grow hydrangea in the regions of Siberia and the Urals, it is better to cover the plant for the winter with spruce branches. This is what we examined the characteristic properties of the Vanilla Freise hydrangea.

Hydrangea Vanilla Freise: planting varieties

Hydrangea Vanilla Fraze: photo of the variety

It is necessary to plant panicle hydrangea Vanilla Fraze only in a sunny place, but there should be no direct sunlight. So that there is no large fruit tree nearby, which can take all the moisture from the soil for itself. Sunlight can also adversely affect plant growth and flower size.

What the soil will be is not particularly important, the main thing is that it is highly acidic. If the soil is neutral or alkaline, the plant will not grow and develop very well.

It is necessary to plant Vanilla Fraz hydrangea seedlings in open soil in the spring, after the snow cover has melted and the soil can warm up well.

You need to start preparing the landing pit in advance. The size of the depth and diameter is about 0.5 m. The pit must be filled with a mixture that includes garden soil, high peat, humus and needles, which must be taken in equal proportions. It is not recommended to use wood ash, as the plant does not treat it very well.

When planting a Vanilla Fraze hydrangea seedling, it must be installed exactly in the center of the planting pit, not forgetting to carefully spread the roots along the entire diameter of the pit. Then the hole must be filled with soil. Do not forget about the root collar, which should be about 1.5 cm above the soil level. After that, each bush needs to add 10 liters of water. And also add a layer of mulch to the trunk circle, up to about 6 cm. As mulch, it is possible to use high-moor peat, sawdust or fallen needles of pine trees.

It is also important to note that the size of the near-stem circle of an adult plant can be 1.5 times the size of the crown.

Although we said that the plant can tolerate low temperatures well, planting the plant in the autumn is still not worth it. There is a risk that the plant will not have time to get used to a new place and may freeze with the onset of cold weather.

Propagation of hydrangea

The plant can propagate by seed or vegetative method: by cuttings, by layering, by dividing the main bush.

For cutting cuttings it is best to choose the second decade of June. Each stalk should have 4-6 knots. It is necessary to plant the cut branches in an acidic substrate, which will contain peat and river sand (2: 1). The container with the seedling must be placed in a shaded place and covered with polyethylene.

Having created such a mini-greenhouse, the seedlings of hydrangea Vanilla Fraz will develop faster and better. Rooting of cuttings occurs after 25-30 days, after which the polyethylene can already be removed. Then young plants are planted in a permanent place, in open ground.

To reproduce a plant using layering, the following diagram must be observed.

• Select a strong bottom stem.
• It needs to be bent to the ground.
• Dig in to a depth of about 12-14 cm.
• It is required to fix the layers in the soil using any special devices (many summer residents recommend using ordinary studs).
• Water the layers regularly.

After 25-30 days, you will notice the appearance of roots in the layers. It was at this time that it must be removed with a shovel or pruner from the main bush and transplanted to the prepared area.

Division the bush is most often used to transplant an adult bush to a new location. In this case, the age of the bush should be at least 5-6 years. Dividing the bush is best done in the spring. Then the new plant will definitely have time to take root in a new place in order to endure the winter months without negative consequences.

The hydrangea must be carefully dug out without harming the root system of the plant. The whole procedure is performed with a sharp shovel. Each division must have at least 3 buds. All young shoots that were planted in the spring require a mandatory shelter for the winter to avoid freezing. For shelter, you can use coniferous spruce branches.

We take care of the plant

Photo of hydrangea, variety Vanilla Freise

There are cases that even if the summer resident planted the plant correctly, it still lags behind in development or stops blooming. The reason may lie in improper care.

Hydrangea is in great need of abundant watering. But this does not mean that it needs to be filled. You just need to make sure that the top layer of the soil does not dry out. After all, it is in it that the roots of the plant are located. For irrigation, you need to use filtered heat water.

In order to protect the plant from possible pests and diseases, it is necessary to carry out processing with the help of chemicals on time. Due to the fact that the flowering of the plant is long and abundant, it requires regular fertilization in order to be able to restore the required amount of nutrients in the soil. Fertilizers must be applied once every 2 weeks. In this case, it is necessary to alternate organic and mineral fertilizers.

It is possible to apply fertilizers that contain a large amount of nitrogen only in the spring, so that the growth of the vegetative mass of the plant is activated. In the fall, the introduction of nitrogen will be superfluous, since it can contribute to the development of shoots that will not have time to prepare for the winter period and may die.

Also, as we mentioned earlier, the Vanilla Fraze panicle hydrangea does not tolerate the presence of wood ash in the tree trunk circle. After all, it has the property of deoxidizing the soil, and hydrangeas need exactly an acidic variation of the soil.

It is very important in caring for a plant to prune it. For rejuvenating pruning of Vanilla Fraz hydrangea, the last decade of October is optimal. All weakened and damaged shoots are subject to removal. What has appeared in this season, you just need to shorten a little, leaving 2-3 pairs of buds. It is necessary to remove old inflorescences so that new ones can appear in their place.

In the spring, you need to carry out sanitary pruning of Vanilla Fraz hydrangea, removing broken, frozen and weak shoots after the winter period. It is not worth shortening. Before the cold weather sets in, it is best to cover the tops of the stems and flower buds with a covering material. It is best to use agrofibre, which does not allow the passage of cold air.

Disease and pest control measures

Photo of hydrangea, variety Vanilla Freise

Most often, the reason that the plant is exposed to diseases is improper watering, which leads to waterlogging of the soil. This can contribute to the development of downy mildew. Among the signs of the disease are:

• The appearance of yellow spots on the leaves of the plant, which then darken.
• The appearance of a gray bloom on the back of the leaves.

To combat, a spraying procedure is carried out using fungicidal agents. It is also necessary to limit the frequency of watering.

Another disease can be caused by fungi - gray rot. On the upper part of the leaves, you can find spots of a small size, brown in color. Over time, the spot size begins to increase, acquiring the size of one large spot. Noticing this condition of the leaves, all affected parts should be cut off and burned as soon as possible. Then carry out the treatment of the plant with fungicidal preparations.

The same treatment can be carried out after 2 weeks. The appearance of chlorosis can be associated with a large amount of humus or lime in the soil. The characteristic signs of the disease are:

• The leaf plates brightened sharply, and then turned yellow.
• At the same time, the veins on the leaves did not change their color.
• The affected foliage begins to fall off.

In such a situation, it is necessary to introduce drugs that can increase the acidity of the soil - Antichlorosis, Ferovit.

As for insects, the plant is most often attacked by aphids and spider mites. Against ticks, you can use Fufanon or Thiofos. Against aphids, the use of Intavir or Aktofit solution is well suited.

Hydrangea Vanilla Fraze: application in landscape design

Photo of hydrangea, variety Vanilla Freise

Hydrangea Vanilla Fraze is very fond of using landscape designers to create beautiful compositions in their summer cottages. Hydrangea is chosen for her:

• Large inflorescences.
• Long flowering period.
• The possibility of changing the color of the petals during flowering.

All these factors add to the decorative beauty of the site. Hydrangea Vanilla Fraze belongs to tall plant species, therefore it is used as the main background, planting a plant in the background of a flower or in the very center.

Low flowers can be planted in the foreground or at the edges. Also, the Vanilla Freise hydrangea can be used to create a hedge, planting around the perimeter of the summer cottage.

Also, the panicle hydrangea Vanilla Fraz will be a beautiful decoration for gazebos and an open terrace. Looks good next to coniferous shrubs and small trees.