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Hydrangea Tardiva is one of those representatives of the flora that easily become the pride of any site. With its luxurious bloom, hydrangea attracts all eyes. The paniculate species, which include the Tardiva hydrangea, have a sweet honey aroma and very unusual inflorescences.
Description of hydrangea paniculata Tardiva
Hydrangea Tardiva is one of the varieties of paniculate flowers that have a special kind of inflorescence and a spicy smell. After reading the description and looking at the photo, everyone wants to have such a beauty in their garden. The height of the bushes is 2-3 m, and the size of the paniculate inflorescences of hydrangea is from 40 to 55 cm. The bright leaves have an oblong shape and sharp ends. The inflorescences of the Tardiva are cone-shaped. Flowers of a pale white hue, over time they turn reddish. The bushes also differ in a non-standard look, they are very decorative, which attracts the attention of many gardeners. In just a season, they reach quite large sizes.
Hydrangea Tardiva in landscape design
To make the panicle hydrangea hydrangea paniculata tardiva look interesting and attractive, you need an appropriate background. For example, scumpia, in particular varieties with purple leaves, Canadian hemlock, yew, boxwood, tulip liriodendron or common birch.
Trees and shrubs are ideal neighbors for the Tardiva hydrangea variety.
If the hydrangea is planted in flower beds, it is surrounded by perennials, for example, anemone Japanese, paniculata phlox, astilba or echinacea. For harmony, under the flower beds of hydrangea Tardives, such species as mountain goat, flowers of decorative onions, apical pachisandra, hosta, heuchera, and also creeping tenacious are located. To give the composition grace and lightness, decorative herbs are added - sedge, miscanthus, fox-tailed pinnacle and imperate "Red Baron".
Tardiva can serve as a hedge decor
Winter hardiness of hydrangea Tardiva
The Tardiva hydrangea is native to Japan. It was originally grown exclusively in China and Sakhalin. Perhaps this is what helped the plant acquire such a distinctive quality as high frost resistance. It allows you to cultivate hydrangea throughout Russia. In addition, it has a high immunity to diseases of the root system.
Features also include long flowering (usually until the very frost) and the ability to grow Tardiva in one place for up to 40 years.
Planting and caring for the Tardiva hydrangea
The Tardiva hydrangea is planted only at certain times of the year. In the north, planting is recommended at the very beginning of spring. In areas with a warm climate, the Tardives are planted in autumn days. A prerequisite is that the earth must be sufficiently warmed up by the sun's rays.
When planting several bushes of the Tardiva variety, it is important to observe a gap of at least 2-3 m between them.This is necessary, since the roots have the peculiarity of growing strongly and are practically on the soil surface.
Hydrangea Tardiva is a honey plant, its strong aroma attracts insects
Selection and preparation of the landing site
It is very important, before you start planting the Tardiva hydrangea, to take care of the location.Professional growers advise choosing planting areas along walls or hedges. Lighting is of no small importance, it is desirable that there is no draft on the site and the sun's rays do not fall directly on it.
The landing site is prepared in advance. The recommended size is 50 * 50 * 60 cm. The bottom is covered with peat, the layer size should be 10 cm thick. For the plant to be comfortable, it is important to regulate the acidity of the soil. Variations from low to medium acidity are acceptable. There are several ways to control the indicator:
- To increase the level of acidity, sawdust from wood, brown peat or pine needles are poured into the soil.
- Adding lemon juice to the irrigation water also helps to raise the pH level.
- To reduce acidity, lime or ash is poured into the soil during the digging process.
Despite the fact that the Tardiva hydrangea loves light, the best place to live is partial shade.
Landing rules
Having prepared a planting place for the Tardiva hydrangea, it is placed in the hole so that the root collar remains about 5-6 cm above the soil. Holding the seedling at the desired level, the hole is covered with earth and watered. To eliminate the likelihood of voids formation, which usually leads to drying out of the earth, the soil is well compacted.
Whether the Tardiva hydrangea has taken root can be determined after 2-3 weeks by the appearance of new leaves on the branches
Watering and feeding
The plant of this variety easily tolerates dry periods. Watering the Tardiva hydrangea must be done once a week, combining it with fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. At least 30 liters of water are poured into 1 cubic meter.
The flowering of the bush directly depends on the watering regime of the hydrangea. If it is not chosen correctly, the inflorescences will dry out. With constant precipitation, the number of irrigations must be reduced.
Timely feeding also belongs to the proper care of the Tardiva hydrangea. Certain supplements are required at each season:
- In early spring, fertilizers containing nitrogen are used as top dressing. To ensure abundant flowering of the bush, humus is added to the soil.
- During flowering, mineral fertilizers are applied, which contain phosphorus and potassium.
- To give the plant time to prepare for the pruning process, all feeding is stopped at the end of summer.
Optimally fertilize Tardiva hydrangea no more than once every 15 days
Pruning Tardiva hydrangea
Once the flowering period is over, pruning must begin. To be able to form the desired shape of the bush, remove dry branches and wilted inflorescences. All thin shoots are shortened so that 4 buds remain on them. Pruning can also be done in the spring, or rather at the very beginning, before the buds swell. At this time, the branches are thinned out, which thicken the bush. Branches damaged in winter are removed. To renew the old plant completely, it is pruned to the very root. Professional growers advise cutting off all the buds in the first season of the hydrangea. This ensures that the hydrangea blooms lush in the next season.
Preparing for winter
Despite the high susceptibility of Hortense Tardive to low temperatures, it requires shelter for the winter. If severe frosts are expected, then it is necessary to protect the bush itself from them. To begin with, it is wrapped with a special covering material. The next step is to mount a mesh frame around the bush. Its size should be such that the distance to the bush is maintained at about 25-30 cm. Dry foliage is poured into the frame and wrapped in polyethylene.
To prevent the roots from freezing, the bottom of the trunk is "wrapped" with a layer of humus, needles or dry leaves
Reproduction
For reproduction of Tardiva hydrangea bushes, several options are used. Each of them is simple and accessible:
- Layers. This method is only suitable for breeding in early spring.To do this, they dig a hole near the hydrangea to a depth of about 15-20 cm. Choose a young shoot located closest to the root system. They lay it in a hole and cover it with soil. Watering is carried out as the soil dries out. As soon as the first leaves appear, the shoot is separated. To allow the seedling to grow stronger, it is left in the same place for another 20-30 days, and then transplanted.
- By dividing the bush. This breeding method can be used after the hydrangea has faded. The bush is dug up and divided into parts. It is important that each has a growth bud. All the parts obtained are planted in a planting hole prepared in advance. The soil in the pit is mixed with mineral or organic fertilizers.
- Cuttings. Harvesting cuttings of hydrangea Tardiva begin in the summer. The ideal choice would be young shoots that have not yet had time to woody. They are placed in water for three days, and then the leaves are removed from the entire lower part. To ensure the rapid formation of the root system, the cut is treated with a growth stimulant. Cuttings are placed in a container with soil, which must first be mixed with sand and peat. Cover with wrap or other material that will help create a greenhouse effect. The container itself with cuttings is located in the basement. Until the moment of planting, the cuttings are periodically watered. Transfer to the ground is carried out when the roots are formed and become strong, usually by the end of August.
Diseases and pests
This type of plant does not get sick too often. Diseases can usually be explained by fairly simple and obvious reasons - poor seedling, the wrong planting site and improper care.
Common plant ailments:
- Chlorosis. It occurs in plants with an excess of lime in the soil and a lack of iron. The manifestation of symptoms in hydrangea Tardiva - the leaves dry and turn yellow. The veins remain green. If the cause of the disease is unknown, then treatment begins with softening the soil. For this, aluminum sulfate is used. The dosage ranges from 2-5 kg / m3, depending on the alkalization of the soil. As a preventive measure, rainwater or water softened by peat or ash is used for irrigation. Reduce soil fertilization with minerals.
If the problem is a lack of iron, then drugs with iron sulfate are used.
- From the bright summer sun, the Tardiva hydrangea can get burns. This can be seen by the appearance of translucent white spots. Shading is used as a treatment.
In the affected areas, the leaves become thinner and sometimes dry out.
- White rot. Infection can occur from plant debris from neighboring plantings. As symptoms, you can notice darkened shoots in the plant, rotting of the stem near the ground and white bloom on the leaves. They approach treatment in a complex way: they cut off all sore spots and spray the sections with a steep solution of potassium permanganate. Then the plants are treated with special preparations; they can be replaced with copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture.
At the stage of white bloom, the plant is removed so that the disease does not spread to other plants.
- Gray rot. Signs of the disease are dark drying spots and holes in the leaves. Previously, damaged areas are removed from the hydrangea.
Pure flowers and Fundazol are used as treatment.
- Septoria. It appears as brown round spots.
The plant is treated with copper sulfate and copper oxychloride
- Aphid. This pest can be washed off with plain soapy water. If the remedy does not help, use insecticides.
The insect attacks the hydrangea in whole colonies
- Snails. They eat the leaves and buds of the plant. They are destroyed with the help of special chemicals, which are laid out in containers and placed around the ailing hydrangea bush.
Outwardly harmless snails are capable of causing significant damage to hydrangea plantings
- Spider mite. At the initial stage, a soap solution is used. If it does not help, the plant is treated with ascaricides and insectoacaricides.
It manifests itself in the Tardiva hydrangea by the appearance of yellow spots on the back of the leaf
Conclusion
Hydrangea Tardiva is an excellent choice for decorating a site. Due to its brightness and beauty, magnificent flowering and chic shape of the bush, this plant is used both in serious landscape design projects and in small home plots.
