Content
Hydrangeas come in a wide variety of varieties. Magic Sweet Summer is one of the most unusual of them. Compact beautiful bushes retain their high decorative effect even without flowering. At any time of the year, the Magic Sweet Summer hydrangea will look spectacular on the site and harmoniously complement other garden compositions. Subject to the rules of planting and agricultural technology, you can grow luxurious bushes, which will delight you with their abundant gentle flowering all summer long.
The color of the variety changes depending on the stage of flowering
Description of hydrangea Magic Sweet Summer
This variety is paniculate, and it was bred back in 2006 by Dutch breeders. The bush is quite compact (maximum height is 1.5 m). The crown is spherical and voluminous. On its surface, oblong inflorescences are evenly distributed, which resemble bunches of grapes in appearance. Their length reaches 15 cm.
The color of the inflorescences changes depending on the stage of flowering. At the very beginning, they acquire a pistachio hue, gradually turning into beige and, finally, light pink. The beauty of the unusual flowers of the Magic Sweet Summer hydrangea can be admired from the second half of July to mid-October. Autumn coolness does not interfere with flowering.
Another decorative element of the shrub is foliage, which, closer to autumn, from rich green turns into different shades of purple
Hydrangea Magic Sweet Summer in landscape design
Bushes with a voluminous beautiful crown and unusual flowers look good in single plantings. They are also used as a hedge, planting cuttings around the perimeter of the garden.
Another option is to plant paths paved with beautiful slabs.
In group plantings, chamomile, roses and lilies will help to shade the beauty of the Magic Sweet Summer hydrangea. Among the shrubs, lilac and thuja are considered the best neighbors.
You can organize a small flower bed in the yard, on which medicinal herbs and wildflowers will grow along with the hydrangea
Winter hardiness of hydrangea Magic Sweet Summer
Hydrangea Magical Sweet Summer is distinguished by its high frost resistance. In most areas, the shrub winters well without additional shelter. An exception may be young plants. They are recommended to be dug out without damaging the earthen lump on the roots. The plant is transferred to a pot or tub and placed in a warm place.
If you create the right conditions, the hydrangea will delight you with beauty all winter, but the bush will have practically no strength left for spring flowering.
Planting and caring for hydrangea Magic Sweet Summer
This hydrangea variety has a superficial root system, therefore, the proximity to large trees in the garden is undesirable. They will draw a large amount of moisture and nutrients from the soil, which will slow down the growth and development of the hydrangea.
Selection and preparation of the landing site
Hydrangea paniculata Magic Sweet Summer prefers partial shade and soft diffused light. Open areas in direct sunlight are not suitable in this case. Drafts should also be avoided, as they adversely affect the condition of the shoots and inflorescences.
Before planting, special attention is paid to the composition of the soil and the condition of the site. The soil should be sufficiently loose, fertile and have a high acidity index. To achieve this, it is necessary to use several important components: garden soil, humus, coarse river sand and peat, crushed into crumbs. Another option is to combine the soil from the swamp with compost and peat (in equal proportions).
But ash, fresh organic fertilizers and lime components are not used. In such an environment, the hydrangea begins to hurt and quickly dies. Before planting, the site is cleaned of weed residues and loosened.
Landing rules
It is necessary to prepare a landing pit in advance. To do this, measure the volume of the root system of the cuttings together with the earthy clod and multiply by at least 1.5. This is the width that the ideal hole should be. A layer of good drainage is placed on the bottom, and the prepared earthen mixture is poured on top. After that, it is watered. This will require 2-3 buckets of pre-settled water. Watering is carried out per day so that moisture can saturate different layers of the soil.
Before planting, the roots of the Magic Sweet Summer hydrangea are carefully straightened and the tips are trimmed by about 4 cm
The stalk is lowered into the hole and carefully sprinkled with soil on top. It is necessary to ensure that the bush is in a strictly upright position. From above, the earth is compacted and watered again. In order for the bush to grow well, its shoots are shortened so that no more than 5 strong buds remain on each.
Often several magical Sweet Summer hydrangea bushes are planted at once. In this case, a distance of approximately 2 m is left between them so that there is enough space for the roots. And it will be much easier to care for such neat plantings. To retain moisture, the ground near the cuttings is mulched with sawdust, chopped bark or coniferous needles. In the process of decomposition, these components will become a good source of nutrients.
Watering and feeding
The Magic Sweet Summer hydrangea requires a lot of moisture for normal growth and development. The soil near the roots should not dry out. There is no specific irrigation scheme. It all depends on the climatic characteristics of a particular region and the rate of drying out of the soil. You can find the optimal frequency by constantly observing the plant.
Tap water must be defended so that chlorine leaves it. Due to this substance, hydrangeas of the Magic Sweet Summer are often sick. It is best to water the bushes early in the morning or late in the evening. This will protect the roots and leaves from burns. Regular spraying will help the plant survive too hot days.
Hydrangea paniculata Hydrangea Paniculata Magical Sweet Summer assimilates liquid supplements best of all. During one growing season, fertilizers are applied from 3 to 4 times. This helps to get profuse flowering and strengthen the bush before the winter cold.
Top dressing is carried out in three stages:
- In early spring. This procedure will help the bush grow green mass quickly. Use organic solutions such as urea (1 part to 10 parts water).
- At the end of spring. During this period, ammonium sulfate (50 g) and potassium (15 g) are required for the same amount of water.
- During bud set and flowering. Potassium sulfate (40 g) and superphosphate (25 g) are additionally added to the previous base composition.
Fertilization of the soil should be balanced. Lack or overabundance of nutrients will equally negatively affect the condition of the hydrangea.
Pruning hydrangea paniculata Magic Sweet Summer
Sanitary pruning is usually done in the fall. All dry inflorescences are removed from the bush, and old branches are also cut off. In the spring, weak and frost-damaged shoots are removed from the Magic Sweet Summer hydrangea. In parallel, the stems are shortened (so that 4 to 6 buds remain).
You can also do a rejuvenating pruning of old bushes, getting rid of all the shriveled branches up to the stump. Over time, young, strong branches will grow, and the bush will become lush and healthy.
Preparing for winter
Young shrubs of the Magic Sweet Summer need additional shelter for the winter. They can be sprinkled with earth, sawdust or fallen leaves. Mature bushes are bent to the ground and insulated from above with lutrasil or roofing material. The material is additionally fixed on the ground with bricks. The procedure must be carried out carefully so as not to break the branches.
Reproduction
You can breed hydrangea Magic Sweet Summer in the following ways:
- Cuttings... Basal shoots are used as material for cuttings. They are cut in June or July. Up to 5 healthy and strong buds are left on each branch. On the lower part of the cutting, all large leaves are removed, and small ones can be left alone. Finished cuttings are buried in the ground at a slope to a depth of about 2-3 cm. It is not recommended to cover the plantings with a film. Putrefactive processes begin under the non-breathing material.
Care must be taken to ensure that the ground is not dry
- Layers... On a healthy mother bush, many layers are formed. Of these, you need to choose the most viable ones, remove the bark and some leaves from them. Then the shoot is carefully pinned to the ground and covered with a layer of soil, leaving only the top on the surface. This procedure is usually carried out in June to get the first young seedlings in the fall. With the onset of cold weather, they need to be well covered. By the next year, the cuttings will turn into a full-fledged seedling with fully formed roots. It is separated and transplanted from the mother bush.
Diseases and pests
Hydrangea Magic Sweet Summer is resistant to most diseases and pests. Infection often occurs from unkempt plants that grow in the neighborhood. Another reason is improper care.
The greatest danger is posed by:
- chlorosis;
- powdery mildew;
- spider mite;
- aphid.
For preventive and therapeutic treatment, common insecticides and fungicides are used. They can be both biological and chemical.
Conclusion
Hydrangea Magic Sweet Summer is one of the most successful varieties. It combines almost all the positive features of different types. On any personal plot, it will take its rightful place. Cultivation does not cause much trouble, but the result amazes even experienced gardeners. On one bush, beautiful flowers of different shades appear, which look like a magic rainbow.
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