Like other types of flowers, it is very important to know how to plant and care for hydrangea flowers and by taking the steps mentioned below, one can earn money by growing and selling hydrangea effectively and efficiently and even a home gardener can prevent wasting time.
Right time
The best time to plant hydrangea is in the autumn season or even in the spring months. Especially for planting, morning or evening time is considered to be the best.
The important thing here is that the roots should be fully developed before the first flowers appear on the plant. Low temperature at the time of planting is a good sign and good watering is also necessary.
Choosing the right place
“Bigleaf hydrangea” prefers mild morning sun and afternoon shade and moist and well-drained soil. Cold or snowfall can damage this plant, so it is necessary to be careful in the winter and later days of spring.
Therefore, protection against snowfall and cold should be covered with tools such as old sheets, old plastic, etc.
Species
Bigleaf hydrangea whose scientific name is hydrangea macrophylla is also known by its other name French. Another species is Japanese or snowball which are both preferred species by greenhouse owners or shopkeepers.
The Bigleaf hydrangea is famous for its beautiful and unusual appearance as a landscape or as a recurring flower every year.
Those who keep hydrangea as a decorative garden plant in the home garden can change the color of the flowers from pink to brown and from brown to pink by simply increasing the pH level of the soil.
Right time for planting
Where you want to plant hydrangea is also an important thing. In my opinion, if you want to plant it as a flowerbed in the home garden, it is an excellent option and if you want to plant it around the fence, it gives good results.
This species of hydrangea likes full sun, but it prefers morning sun but afternoon sun is harmful. It is also important to consider the surrounding environment, as strong winds can damage the leaves and tender buds and flowers of the plant, and shade should be provided where direct sunlight falls in the afternoon.
Of course, they should not be allowed to grow in the shade of trees as it hinders their growth, they should be grown on the north or south side of the house.
Choose improved seeds
Another popular species is known as “French hydrangea”, which can be easily found in your local greenhouse or nursery. Whatever plant you choose, it should have uniform branches on all sides.
Especially in the spring and early summer, it is best to choose plants with freshly sprouted flower buds and flowers that are ready to bloom. The leaves should be bright green and the plant should not show any signs of weakness.
Some hydrangea species are greenhouse-grown and developed varieties that are displayed on special occasions such as Friendship Day, Easter or Christmas.
Use good soil
To successfully plant this species, the soil should not be hard or stiff, it should be well moistened with water and if the soil is hard, at least 3 inches of soil should be organic and ploughed fertilizers such as dry leaves, green vegetable waste, manure etc. should be added to it so that French hydrangea can grow effectively in such soil.
Apart from this, the soil temperature should also be measured from time to time.
Propagation
Producing another plant from one plant: A successful propagation depends on how efficiently it is done. For example, bigleaf and panicle are of special importance in this species.
The best method for this is to dig a small hole near your original hydrangea and place a branch of hydrangea in it, bend it close to the ground and then cover it with soil. For this, you should choose the time of early or mid-summer.
Common Problems When Growing Hydrangeas And How to Fix Them
Finally, after waiting for a few days, roots will come out of it automatically. Then you can plant the seedling in the place where you want to plant it.
Separate the newly sprouted hydrangea from the branches inside the soil and plant it separately from the main hydrangea.
Sowing
If possible, use a large area for sowing. For example, 10 square feet and use a suitable tool to cover it with 8 to 10 inches of soil. Then add manure and other fertilizers to it and water the soil to moisten it so that the soil develops its productive capacity.
Here, it is important to remember that if chemical fertilizers are used, then they should be used after 4 to 8 weeks. Another important advice is that a layer of 3 to 5 inches of organic fertilizer such as cow dung, dry leaves of trees, etc. should be made and planted in it, but if you want to use chemical fertilizers, then you should not use manure.
If you want to decorate the garden in a landscape style, then it is necessary for you to water it from time to time, especially when the flowers start to sit on this plant.
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General care
It is true that hydrangea is a very delicate and beautiful plant, yet it is not a plant that requires much care. Like other species of plants, it also needs plenty of water and that too in the initial stages keeps the plant alive and happy.
Especially in its growth stage, watering 3 times a week helps its roots develop very well. By giving it a good amount of water, its leaves and flowers remain fresh and flexible in abundance.
Which makes it more attractive. And for the harsh afternoon sun of summer, you can water it in the morning. For this, the method of “soakerhoses” can be used effectively and it can deliver water to the roots of the plant efficiently.
When do flowers not bloom?
A question also arises under what circumstances do flowers not bloom? In answer to this question, it can be said that in most cases, in the case of bigleaf hydrangea, when the flower buds have been damaged due to extreme cold or snowfall, or when the plant is in too much shade or has been given too much nitrogen fertilizer, the possibility of not blooming increases.
Pruning at the right time can also be an important reason. Usually, the time for flowering on this plant is summer days and if pruning is done during this time, the possibility of possible flowers growing decreases to a certain extent.
Fertilizer
The amount of fertilizer is given differently to different species, such as panicle and oakleaf species are given fertilizer once in April and again in June, and other smooth varieties of hydrangea are given fertilizer in the last days of winter.
Bigleaf hydrangeas are given very light fertilizer in the months of March, May and June.
Proper sunlight requirement
As mentioned above, this species requires gentle morning sun and shade in the afternoon. There is also a possibility that excessive sunlight can cause spider mites. Also, being a more delicate and delicate plant, excessive exposure to sunlight can cause the leaves to fall or the plant to wither.
Pruning
When the flower is about to become a full flower from the bud, it is necessary to prune or pluck the flower buds or remove other developing buds so that the plant gets the energy it needs to grow.
It is important to note here that the hydrangea buds move towards flower formation in the last days of summer, so it is advisable to avoid pruning after 1st August.
It is often seen that in a very severe winter, the tender leaves, branches and other parts of the plant are damaged, then such parts should be removed, otherwise the plant will repair the damaged parts, but it will be at the expense of the new flowers and will also damage the plant’s hardiness to some extent.
Watering
If you are planting hydrangea plants in a plant pot, then there is a risk of them drying out quickly, so it is necessary to water them at the right time. But giving too much water can cause its roots to rot, so it will be appropriate to give it moderate water.
The best option for this is that you should check the soil every week by inserting your finger in the soil, if the soil is wet by 1 inch of your finger, then it can be assumed that the watering process is in the right direction.
Especially on hot summer days, you should check the water every day. Also, water should not be given to the roots or to the leaves. Excessive wetting of the leaves can cause a disease called powdery mildew.
The above points can be summarized as follows
- It is true that spring and autumn are the best times for sowing, but it should also be kept in mind that if the temperature goes above 85 degrees, then sowing or new sowing should be avoided. In addition, a suitable place should be selected for sowing.
- For plant growth and rapid growth of plants, the soil should have the above amount of salts, if not or if the soil is too sandy, then natural fertilizers should be used or other fertilizers should be added.
- If you want to grow in a flowerpot, then the following 4 species are the most popular, including
- Oakleaf hydrangeas (H. quercifolia)
- Panicle
- Mountain hydrangeas (H. serrata)
- Bigleaf hydrangeas (H. macrophylla)
- Climbing hydrangeas (H. petiolaris)