Content
Panicle hydrangeas are gaining popularity among gardeners. Plants are valued for their unpretentiousness, ease of care and decorative properties. One of the new varieties is the Fraise Melba hydrangea. The novelty is attractive with lush inflorescences with an unusual color.
Botanical description
Panicle hydrangea is a decorative, profusely flowering shrub, frost-resistant and unpretentious. Fraise Melba is a French breeder named Jean Reno. The variety was presented at the Moscow exhibition in 2014.
Work on the hydrangea Fraze Melba has been in progress for 10 years. The variety got its name thanks to the famous strawberry dessert. The shrub produces large pyramidal inflorescences that change color from white to burgundy. The contrast between the white top and the red base is reminiscent of cream and strawberries.
The panicle hydrangea Freyz Melba reaches 2 m in width and height. The bush has a compact appearance. Shoots are erect, brown-burgundy.
The leaves are small, petiolate, located along the entire length of the shoots. Inflorescences are formed at the tops. The flowers are sterile, no fruit is formed after flowering.
Panicle hydrangea looks good in single plantings, on lawns, next to ornamental shrubs. It is used to decorate gardens, greenhouses, parks and recreation areas. The Fraz Melba variety is suitable for creating a hedge.
Planting hydrangeas
Fraise Melba grows in one place for 30-40 years. Therefore, special attention is paid to the preparation of the site before planting. If necessary, nutrients and other components that increase its acidity are introduced into the soil.
Preparatory stage
Panicle hydrangea Fries Melba grows well in sunny areas. In the southern regions, the shrub is planted in partial shade. Under the hot sun, the development of the bush slows down, its decorative properties are lost.
The shrub is often planted next to houses or fences. So the Freyz Melba variety will receive protection from the wind and partial shade. It is not recommended to place the plant near fruit trees.
The shrub develops best in fertile loamy soil. In sandy soil, hydrangea grows more slowly, since useful substances are quickly washed out of the soil. The introduction of peat and humus will help to improve its composition.
For planting, choose seedlings of the Freise Melba variety at the age of 4-5 years, which will bloom the next year. Younger plants take time to grow roots and shoots.
You can prepare the planting material yourself. To do this, cut off the required number of shoots, which are rooted in a separate bed. When transplanting hydrangeas, seedlings are obtained by dividing the main bush.
Work order
The Fraz Melba panicle hydrangea is planted in the spring from April to May. It is allowed to postpone work until autumn. The shrub should be planted in September or October before the onset of cold weather.
The order of planting hydrangea varieties Fraise Melba:
- A hole is dug at the site with a depth of 40 cm and a diameter of 50 cm.
- When planting several shrubs, at least 2 m is left between them.
- For plants, a substrate is prepared containing fertile soil, peat, compost and sand in a ratio of 2: 2: 1: 1. From fertilizers add 30 g of potassium sulfate and 70 g of superphosphate.
- The components for the substrate are mixed. The introduction of spruce sawdust helps to increase the acidity of the soil.
- The substrate is poured into the planting pit.
- After planting the soil, planting is started after 1-2 weeks. The plant is carefully removed from the container and transferred to the planting hole.
- The roots of the hydrangea are spread and covered with earth.
- The soil is compacted. The seedling is watered abundantly.
Once planted, Fraise Melba is protected from direct sunlight. A canopy is erected over the bush or covered with paper caps at noon.
Hydrangea care
The development and flowering of the Fraz Melba panicle hydrangea provide abundant watering and feeding. Regular pruning stimulates the formation of new inflorescences. Special preparations are used against insects and diseases.
Watering
According to reviews, hydrangea Fries Melba is sensitive to lack of watering. The soil under the shrubs is kept moist. With a lack of moisture, the number of inflorescences decreases, their decorative properties deteriorate.
For irrigation, use warm, settled water. Moisture is applied at the root in the morning or evening. 2-3 liters of water are poured under each bush.
When watering, make sure that the roots of the shrub are not exposed. It is best to loosen the soil after adding moisture or mulch it with peat.
Top dressing
The Freiz Melba variety is fed with organics and mineral complexes. Several treatments are carried out during the season.
Freise Melba hydrangea feeding scheme:
- before budding in the spring;
- at the beginning of budding;
- in the middle of summer;
- in the fall before preparing for winter.
For the first feeding, an infusion is prepared based on organic components: bird droppings or mullein. Fertilizer is poured with water in a ratio of 1:15 and left to infuse for 2 days. The resulting product is watered with the Freiz Melba variety at the root.
During the formation of the first buds and in the middle of summer, the shrub is fed with a fertilizer containing phosphorus and potassium. For hydrangea, special preparations have been developed, which include the necessary components. One of them is Fertik fertilizer Kristalon. For 1 liter of water, 1 ampoule of concentrate is required. The bushes are watered with a solution under the root.
In autumn, the Freiz Melba variety is fed with superphosphate and potassium salt. 50 g of each fertilizer is applied under the shrub. In the autumn, nitrogen-based preparations are not used.
Pruning
By pruning the hydrangea bush, Freise Melba is given the necessary shape. Processing is carried out in the spring before the beginning of the growing season or in the fall after leaf fall.
From 5 to 10 of the most powerful shoots are left on the bush. Each of them is trimmed at the top. The rest of the shoots are eliminated.
Broken or diseased branches are removed in the summer. Dry buds are pruned to stimulate new bud formation.
Protection against diseases and pests
In cold and humid weather, symptoms of powdery mildew appear on hydrangeas of the Freise Melba variety. The disease has the appearance of a grayish bloom that appears on the leaves and shoots.
In the early stages of the disease, a solution of the drug Fitosoprin is used. If the lesion has covered a significant part of the shrub, it is sprayed with solutions of the fungicides Tiovit Jet or Fundazol.
For insects, drugs Actellik Fitoverm, Trichopol are used. For spraying hydrangeas, a working solution is prepared. From folk remedies against pests, infusions on garlic and onion peels are effective.
Preparing for winter
Panicle hydrangea Fries Melba is resistant to winter frosts. In the southern regions and the middle lane, the shrub tolerates winter without additional insulation.
To protect the roots of hydrangea from freezing will help a mulching layer 20 cm thick from dry leaves and humus. Young plants are covered with burlap or agrofibre. Additionally, a snowdrift is thrown over the bushes.
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Conclusion
Hydrangea Freise Melba is suitable for decorating a garden or recreation area. For abundant flowering, the shrub is looked after by watering and feeding. To give the bush the required shape, the shoots are trimmed. In cold regions, hydrangea is sheltered for the winter.
