Content
Hydrangea Little Lime is a small representative of the Hortensia family. For its diminutiveness, it has gained great fame among novice gardeners who are just learning to plant gardens, decorate them with a variety of flowers, bushes and trees. At the same time, it is also used for compositions in large gardens, front gardens, parks and other public and private places.
The Little Lime hydrangea variety is distinguished by its miniature size.
Description of hydrangea paniculata Little Lime
Hydrangea paniculata little lime is a small ornamental shrub, a tree that the gardener forms by regular pruning.
The Little Lime panicle hydrangea is only about 1 m high, but from 1 m wide and more. The foliage is oval, narrowed upwards, serrated, velvety to the touch, green in color. During the fall, the color of the Little Lime hydrangea bush acquires burgundy, red, purple shades. The inflorescences of the variety are large, broad-pyramidal, rounded upwards. At the beginning of flowering, the color is light green, which is why the name came about. Over time, the color changes, becomes creamy, pale pink or saturated. But those specimens of the variety that are under the sun, but not in the shade, are predisposed to such a range.
The root system is shallow, branched. The stem is straight, the bushes do not disintegrate. Like others from this family, the plant tolerates frosts, up to -35 ° C.
Hydrangea Little Lime in landscape design
It is known that the height of the Little Lime hydrangea barely reaches 1 m. But in width it stretches for several meters, which makes the shrub indispensable in the form of a hedge. Hydrangea of this variety is increasingly used in landscape design.
Shrubs are planted separately from other plants, and also create mixed decorative compositions
This trick is often used to beautify the house, but in large quantities you can decorate the courtyards of country houses.
In general, Little Lime hydrangea is used in the design of home gardens, public recreation parks, gardens and front gardens.
Given its unpretentiousness and winter hardiness, Little Lime will delight the eye almost all year round.
Winter hardiness of hydrangea Little Lime
Hydrangea differs from many plants in its hardiness to winter cold. The Little Lime variety is no exception, it tolerates temperatures up to - 33-35 ° С. Usually the bush does not need additional insulation, but it can be pruned and tied with branches. At first, in the first years of life, a fragile hydrangea is covered with a special material, later you can mulch the soil around the trunk so that the roots do not freeze. This is especially true of those specimens from which gardeners grow miniature trees. Shrubs do not even need mulching.
It is noteworthy that the freezing shoots do not die, but bloom in the spring, which indicates good frost resistance.
Planting and caring for Little Lime hydrangea
Hydrangea Little Lime is an unpretentious variety of this plant family.It is grown on the south side of the garden in partial shade of trees, excluding direct sunlight and sharp gusts of wind. However, it is not worth planting a flower in the immediate vicinity of trees, because they will pick up moisture from the shrub.
The Little Lime variety is difficult to tolerate the presence of lime in the soil, so the land for the bush must be prepared in advance. Hydrangea loves moisture, but not too much moisture. Also with the sun - the plant needs it, but at the same time, the scorching direct rays can harm.
Selection and preparation of the landing site
Little Lime hydrangea differs from other varieties in that it is ready to grow on any soil. Nevertheless, the soil is fed with additional fertilizers, its acidity is increased, and the newly planted specimen is given top dressing. For new seedlings, holes are prepared with a depth of no more than half a meter, mixing the soil with humus, peat, sand and leafy soil. Like other members of the family, it is better to plant it in the partial shade of trees, fences and exclude strong winds and drafts.
Despite the fact that Little Lime gives outlandish colors in the sun, you should not plant a hydrangea under open rays, otherwise it may suffer - the foliage turns yellow, the flowers fall off.
Landing rules
It is better to plant a Little Lime hydrangea in the spring, so that it has time to "get used to", get stronger and adapt to the conditions. Many gardeners plant it in the fall, but this is risky, since a young bush may not survive the first frost. Little Limes are placed at a distance from the house (and other premises) so that there is no danger of damaging the bush with icicles in winter. The distance from other plantings should be about 1 m.
Having planted the bush in the soil, it is compacted and watered well. The root collar should be located above the ground. At first, as well as by the first wintering, the soil is mulched, that is, it is sprinkled with bark, sawdust, and cut grass to retain moisture and heat. Later, when the earth dries up, it needs to be loosened (carefully so as not to damage the roots) and watered. Within 2-3 years, mulching is gradually stopped, because the bush is already growing and will provide itself with the necessary conditions.
It is advisable not to plant flowers near buildings and under trees
Watering and feeding
Watering and feeding are important steps in the early stages of Little Lime hydrangea care. Like other varieties, it loves moisture, therefore, from the moment of planting, it is actively watered, having previously loosened the drying earth. In the spring, from about May, it is fertilized with superphosphate, humus, urea. During the flowering period, mineral and organic compounds alternate every two weeks.
During active growth, hydrangeas regularly loosen the soil around the stems, spud to a height of about 30 cm. Watering should be stopped during the rainy season, since the plant, although it loves moisture, does not react well to stagnant water. Gardeners recommend following a trick that will strengthen the root system of the Little Lime hydrangea, namely, water it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Pruning
Pruning allows the gardener to play with the shape of the Little Lime hydrangea. He can make a bush or miniature tree out of it. Also, this important process allows you to control the number and size of inflorescences. It is noteworthy that most of them grow on lateral branches. Pruning excess shoots stimulates their growth.
By pruning, weak branches, damaged, as well as small inflorescences are removed from the shrub. The latter are removed so that the "forces" of the hydrangea go to the main, desired parts of the plant. Weak and damaged branches are cut off up to three buds so that later they grow back stronger. Sometimes all branches are cut, which "rejuvenates" Little Lime.
If the plant is not cut, not cared for, soon its branches will become thin and fragile, and the inflorescences will be sparse and small.
Shelter for the winter hydrangea Little Lime
Adult Little Lime hydrangeas do not need shelter for the winter. They can be left untouched up to - 30-35 ° С. However, care should be taken about young seedlings in the first year of life, and so on up to a maximum of three years. Depending on the chosen shape of the shrub, the branches should be tied up so that they are not damaged in the wind or under the weight of snow. Then the "composition" is covered with a special covering material, for example, spunbond.
The bush is wrapped with a cloth several times or folded in several layers and fixed
Reproduction
This variety can be propagated in several ways, including growing directly from seed, grafting, dividing the bush.
Hydrangea seeds are very small, with poor germination, and the grade may be lost. This method will require 4 years of work with it.
The most common way is grafting. Prepare material for this breeding option in mid-June from annual shoots. An important condition is that you need to save three pairs of kidneys, and more is possible. The cut is made 2 cm from the lower kidney. If the shoot is short, the top is not touched; if it is long, it is cut horizontally under a straight line 5 cm from the upper bud. The bottom sheet should be pinched off, the rest should be cut in half. The stalk is immersed in water with the addition of a root growth stimulant. When they appear, it is transferred to a container with prepared soil - peat (1) and sand (2). The seedling is planted 3 cm in the ground and greenhouse conditions are created so that the cutting is in sufficient moisture.
A good developed bush is dug up and divided into 2-3 parts. This is done in the spring or at the very beginning of autumn. Be sure to have kidneys on each part. Then they are seated in separate pits and carefully looked after for some time.
Diseases and pests
The appearance of a hydrangea can tell a lot about its health:
- An excess of water will affect the foliage, which changes color to brown, rusty.
- The lack of moisture is manifested by the drying of the leaves from the ends. It is recommended not only to water the soil, but the entire bush.
- Separate brown spots, reminiscent of burns, signal overheating under the sun, it is necessary to provide the bush with shade.
Hydrangeas themselves are resistant to disease, but they can be overcome by aphids, bedbugs, snails, weevils. Their presence will become clear if the foliage dries up and falls off for no reason, the inflorescences wither and crumble. The fight against them is quite simple - with the help of funds that can be purchased in a specialized store or made with your own hands.
One of the most effective recipes against pests: dissolve 100 g of laundry soap in 1 liter of water. If there are too many insects, it is allowed to use chemicals according to the instructions.
Conclusion
Hydrangea Little Lime is a large shrub or miniature tree, depending on the gardener's preference. Like most representatives of this species, the variety is unpretentious, hardy, winter-hardy. Little Lime is used to beautify a small garden or vegetable garden, as well as in landscape design.
