The Latest Hydrangea Planting and Management Techniques Tutorial
Hydrangea, also known as ziyanghua, is an ornamental flowering shrub often used in parks and scenic areas, with blooms in alternating red and blue that are extremely beautiful. This flower originated in the Sichuan region of our country and in Japan, and because it is fairly shade-tolerant, it can be grown even in small courtyards with poor light, and with its large, brilliantly colorful blooms it has won the affection of many flower lovers; it is now one of our country's rare flower varieties. Today Qinnong Network brings you the planting and management techniques for hydrangea.
Growth Habits
If we want to grow a flower well, we must first know its growth habits, so that we can create a suitable growing environment for it. Hydrangea likes a warm, humid environment, with the most suitable growing temperature between 18°C and 28°C; the overwintering temperature must not be lower than 5°C. Its flowering period is from June to August; at this time, if the temperature is suitable and can be maintained around 16°C, the flowering period will be correspondingly extended, while high temperatures will cause the flowers to fade very quickly. Although hydrangea likes a humid environment, it should not be watered too much on ordinary days, especially hydrangeas kept indoors in winter, which are best kept slightly dry; excessive moisture can lead to problems such as leaf rot. The color of hydrangea is controllable: when the soil is acidic, the flowers are blue; when the soil is alkaline, the flowers are red. This characteristic is like purple litmus, but the reaction is completely opposite, so during planting, if we need the flowers to be blue, we can apply aluminum sulfate, and if we need the flowers to be red, we can apply lime to the soil.
Propagation Methods
Hydrangea can be propagated by division, layering, cuttings and other methods. In a greenhouse, cuttings can be taken all year round. Generally in May to June, this is done in combination with early-spring pruning and post-bloom shaping. Select semi-lignified branches free of pests and diseases, each 10 to 15 cm long, keep 2 to 3 nodes and 1 to 2 leaves at the top, and insert them into a seedling bed with river sand or vermiculite as the substrate, with appropriate shading. Keep the substrate moist and the air humidity above 80%, and rooting begins in about 18 days. Afterward, gradually reduce the frequency of misting and increase light, and they can be transplanted in about 1 month.
Planting Management
After the cutting seedlings have rooted, they should be potted promptly. Hydrangea likes loose, fertile, well-drained soil, usually prepared with leaf mold, garden soil and organic fertilizer in a 4:4:2 ratio; for large-scale production, it is advisable to use peat, perlite and organic fertilizer in a 6:2:2 ratio, and to disinfect thoroughly before use.
1. Fertilizing: Hydrangea likes fertilizer; generally apply organic fertilizer once every half month. In the early growth stage, more nitrogen fertilizer is needed; during flower bud differentiation and bud formation, more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer is needed; you can also spray the leaves with 0.1% to 0.2% monopotassium phosphate 2 to 3 times, and stop fertilizing after the buds show color.
2. Watering: Hydrangea leaves transpire heavily, so they must be watered promptly; even short-term wilting from lack of water can cause dry leaf edges and necrosis of the flowers. Especially in summer, shading and cooling must be used to reduce transpiration, and air humidity must be kept above 60%. In addition, hydrangea flower color is affected by soil pH, usually appearing blue in an acidic environment and red in an alkaline environment. Therefore, the pH of the water should be determined according to the desired flower color.
3. Temperature: Hydrangea cannot tolerate high temperatures and requires a temperature between 15°C and 25°C; high temperatures will make the plant dwarfed and the flower color faded, reducing quality. After the buds show color, keep the temperature at 10°C to 12°C to improve the flower color and help keep it fresh.
4. Light: Hydrangea is shade-tolerant, and direct sunlight can cause sunscald, so shading is needed. Generally, 60% shading is required during the growing period, and after the flower clusters show color, appropriate shading is also needed to prevent the flower color from fading and losing its luster.
5. Pruning: Hydrangea has strong sprouting ability, and many vegetative branches will sprout from the base of the plant; to reduce nutrient consumption, these should be removed promptly. If old branches need to be replaced, vigorous vegetative branches can be chosen as reserve branches. After flowering, cut back promptly, keeping 2 to 3 vigorous buds to promote new branches.
6. Flowering regulation: To make hydrangea bloom during the Spring Festival, choose vigorous 3- to 5-year-old plants, treat them at a low temperature of 2°C to 4°C for 14 days, then move them into a greenhouse for heating and keep them at 10°C to 20°C; they can bloom in 50 to 60 days. Pay attention to frequent ventilation, maintain good light conditions and relatively high air humidity, and apply an organic liquid fertilizer once every half month until flowering.
Pest and Disease Control
Hydrangea has few insect pests, mostly aphids, spider mites and the like, which can be controlled by spraying systemic pesticides while ensuring good ventilation. Common diseases are mostly leaf diseases, such as white rot, gray mold, leaf spot and so on, so pesticides should be sprayed regularly for prevention; after symptoms are found, pesticides must be sprayed promptly, and severely diseased leaves can be removed and burned.
The above is Qinnong Network's introduction to hydrangea planting methods. Qinnong Network would like to remind everyone here that hydrangea is a kind of traditional Chinese medicine, but at the same time it is toxic. If hydrangea is accidentally eaten, there will be obvious abdominal pain, accompanied by vomiting, weakness and fatigue, and even coma, so it must never be eaten casually during cultivation. However, there is no need to be overly nervous; an antidote for hydrangea toxicity has now been developed, and if it is accidentally eaten, it is enough to seek medical attention immediately.