Successfully prepared soil is of great importance for the good development of any flowering plant. So, the soil for hydrangea (Hydrangea), its consistency, quality, affects the flowering intensity, the development of the crown, the color of the inflorescences. The earth composition for hydrangia must have a certain acidity, humidity, friability. Get acquainted with the basic rules of its preparation to create suitable conditions for your favorite hydrangea bushes in your garden plot.
How to set the stage for hydrangea
The well-groomed hydrangea bush in the garden can be compared to a lush green carpet covered with bright flowers-hats from spring to autumn. Gardeners love to use Hydrangea in landscape design for its unique decorativeness and unpretentious care. The most common panicled white varieties. Other types of hydrangia can please the hosts with pink, blue, beige, lilac inflorescences.
The color of varietal varieties is affected by the level of soil acidity. It is wrong to plant hydrangea in ordinary garden soil, because it contains a lot of humus. You also need to consider that this plant does not like hydration with too hard water. If you decide to plant hydrangea on your site, then you should prepare the place and the earth composition.
Did you know? Hydrangea Day is celebrated in winter, January 5th. To celebrate this date, some gardeners buy a sprig of plants in the store.
Landing is carried out according to the following scheme:
- The area where you decide to grow a flower, dig and apply a sufficient amount of fertilizer. Better use the organic, mineral compounds purchased in the flower shop. Superphosphate is ideal for this.
- Dig a hole 40 cm deep, lay a 5 cm thick drainage layer on the bottom. To do this, use expanded clay or broken brick.
- In equal parts, mix the components for filling the pit: chernozem, turfy earth, peat, leafy humus, coarse sand.
- Next, you need to lower this earthen mixture into the pit, water it and leave it for a few days for “settling”.
- The next necessary step is to take care of the optimal level of soil acidity. To increase it, you can add Axid Plus or Kemira solutions.
- For hygrophilous hydrangea, do not forget to add a layer of mulch in the root zone. To do this, you can use peat, needles, humus, sawdust.
After the plant has taken root, make sure that the level of lime in the ground does not rise. From time to time you can add peat under the bush. Do not forget that hydrangia loves fresh, airy, fertile soil and a semi-shaded location.
How to acidify the soil
Hydrangia prefers an acidic environment. The higher the acidity level, the more saturated the inflorescences will be. If the blue varieties do not have enough acid, then the flowers will turn pink. This is a clear signal in order to acidify the soil. To do this, you can buy a special organic solution in the store. You can also prepare an acidifier using foods. To prepare it, mix 1 tsp. citric acid in 5 liters of water. This will be enough to water two plants.
Important! Too acidic soil gives the petals of hydrangea flowers a bluish tint, neutral - yellow, and alkaline - pink. Optimal soil acidity for the plant - 5.0–5.5 pH.
You can also use apple or oxalic vinegar, diluted with water, alum. To determine the acidity of the earth, buy a special device for testing in a specialized store. If such a device is not available, then use vinegar and baking soda. To do this, take some soil near the bush and start adding these two components to it. Hissing after vinegar indicates alkaline soil, and after soda - acidic.
Video: how to acidify hydrangea soil
Water permeability
Hydrangeas are very important for moisture to flow easily to the roots. She loves water very much, so make sure that the soil is constantly moistened. For an adult bush, it is necessary during the hot period one bucket of water three times a week. Properly prepared earthen composition and drainage will prevent moisture stagnation. Mulching will help to keep it.
Soil nutrition
Hydrangia loves a nutritious earthy composition. It is best suited for loamy soil with enough fertilizer and moisture. In such conditions, the inflorescences will be large and bright. So that air, water, nutrients well penetrate to the roots of the plant when planting, it is imperative to mix it with needles, sawdust or peat.
How to fertilize
If the land where hydrangia grows is systematically fertilized, then the bushes will bloom profusely, and the inflorescences will acquire a healthy appearance. Regular top dressing will also strengthen shrubs before frost, increasing their immunity. Spring application of fertilizers will provide a bright color of leaves and flowers. To do this, use nitrous agents. Urea and potassium sulfate will do best. It is enough for you to dilute in 1 liter of water 1 tbsp. any of them.
Under each bush you need 5 liters of such a solution. In addition to these chemical compounds, you can use organic slurry. Dilute it in a ratio of 1:10. Before flowering, apply superphosphate rich in potassium and phosphorus. Also dissolve it in water (10 liters of one tbsp. Superphosphate). It should be noted that in flower shops special fertilizers for hydrangeas from Fertika, Pokon, GreenWold are sold.
Important! Do not throw hydrangeas out of the vase after drying, they keep their shape perfectly for a long time and are suitable for dry winter bouquets.
Summer top dressing (June) is associated with an increase in buds on the bushes. For these purposes, buy nitrofoska, "Agricola". Dilute them according to the same parameters as the above preparations. For the duration of flowering (July - August), use complex fertilizer for flowering plants. It could be Kemira Flower.
It is strictly forbidden to make nitrogen fertilizers in autumn, otherwise young buds and shoots will not form. Better water the bushes with potassium-phosphorus compounds. They will strengthen the root system before wintering. You can also make organic fertilizers: compost, peat, humus. Spread them up to 10 cm high around the bush. Plants will receive not only nutrients, but also additional shelter from freezing.
How to deal with diseases and pests in the soil
Improper tillage leads to a loss of hydrangea attractiveness. In this case, it is necessary to immediately carry out comprehensive activities.
Did you know? Buddhists highly value hydrangea leaf tea, they consider it a ritual drink. They prepare it in the temple, from where they carry it home and drink in the family circle.
Here are some diseases that plants can face and how to overcome them:
- Yellowing foliage. A similar phenomenon is associated with excessive accumulation of water near the roots or insufficient layer of drainage. The consequence of this may be the decay of the root system and the spread of pathogenic substances along the branches. First, the leaves turn yellow, then the stems will fade. Yellowed foliage may also be associated with low acidity of the soil.
- Leaf fall. In this case, irrigation adjustment is needed. Due to drought, the plant may lack moisture. Another reason is to highlight a possible lack of nutrients.
- Black foliage. The reason may be waterlogging or poor air access to the roots. You can prevent this disease by introducing mulch and balanced top dressing. Be sure to remove the affected leaves.
- Chlorosis. This disease is first manifested by the appearance of rust on the leaves between the veins. This is due to the alkaline composition of the soil. In this case, the preparations “Ferofit” and “Antichlorosis”, which contain elements of iron, will save the plant. With these tools, treat not only bushes, but also the root zone of the plant.
- Bacterial lesion. Symptoms are very similar to chlorosis: red spots appear inside leaf plates. This is due to an excess of nitrogen in the soil. Spray affected bushes with copper chloride. Also, drugs "Falcon", "Topaz" will help to cope with the disease.
In addition to the above diseases, the soil can be affected by various pests. Often, slugs crawl out of the soil onto the leaves of hydrangia. There are times when they destroy all the leaves on the bushes in a few days. Their reproduction is promoted by high humidity and warm weather. The drug "Molluscocide" will help you fight slugs.
Important! Do not feed hydrangea with wood ash. This will lead to increased alkaline soil composition, which is unacceptable for shrubs.
Treat it with a solution to the entire surface of the infected shrub. In addition to harmful mollusks, many fungal infections can attack hydrangea. In moist, warm soil, they multiply rapidly. Fight against them comprehensively with the help of fungicides.
What can be soil problems
If the soil around hydrangia is not taken care of, then this threatens the death of the bush. Soil problems can be insufficient nutrition, water permeability, acidity. It will also not be quite comfortable for a plant in heavy land composition. For greater ease, the soil around the shrub should be periodically loosened. During the season, such a procedure must be carried out at least three times.
If you do not do this, then a dense crust will appear on the surface, preventing the preservation of moisture. Loosening is carried out at a depth of 6-8 cm and around a radius of 50 cm. During this procedure, you can also weed. Many hydrangea growers have found that some of the problems in caring for her are related to soil mismatch. If you fulfill all the requirements for it, then you can enjoy the beautiful inflorescences of hydrangia all summer long.
