Content
Hydrangea Sterilis is a tree-like variety of a spectacular plant. Latin name Hydrangea arborescens Sterilis. Tree hydrangea comes from North America, more precisely, the eastern part of the continent. The decorative nature of the shrub attracts the attention of many gardeners. To grow such beauty, you will need a little knowledge and skill.
The Sterilis bush looks amazing in any composition
Description of hydrangea Sterilis
Sterilis is a fast-growing variety that forms beautiful hemispherical inflorescences. External characteristics:
- Bush height 120-150 cm, diameter 150 cm, round shape. The bush is erect.
- The shoots of Sterilis are thin, slightly pubescent, spreading. They do not differ in elasticity, so they can bend from the weight of the inflorescences.
- The leaves of Sterilis are ovoid in shape, their length reaches 20 cm, and the color is bright green. The lower plate has a bluish tint. The petioles are thin and long, the leaves are located on the shoots opposite each other.
- The inflorescences are quite large. The diameter is from 15 cm to 20 cm, the flowers are small, their diameter is only 1 cm. The color is greenish-white, then becomes pure white. A special feature of the Sterilis variety is its abundant and long flowering, which lasts from the beginning of July to the end of September. The flowers are sterile.
When viewed closely, the flowers look very harmonious
Some gardeners confuse the tree hydrangea Sterilis with the grandiflora hydrangea. However, these types have a clear difference. Sterilis produces flatter flowers. Visual information:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04j9q5xH9TM
Tree hydrangea Sterilis in landscape design
When composing compositions, it is recommended to use Sterilis hydrangea in group or single plantings. It looks very good on the lawn or in complex combinations with conifers. In combination with evergreen and deciduous shrubs it can decorate any part of the garden. It perfectly performs the role of a tapeworm when composing tree and shrub compositions. Landscape designers use the decorative hydrangea Sterilis in any project, and it grows well in acidic soil and in low light.
White “caps” of inflorescences are easy to fit into any panorama
Winter hardiness of hydrangea Sterilis
Gardeners know that the bulk of hydrangeas are grown in the south. The heat-loving nature of this plant does not allow it to survive at very low temperatures. The tree variety Sterilis can withstand cold for 2 months.
You can help hydrangea Sterilis regain its viability with timely feeding and proper pruning. The main thing is that the bush is protected from dry winds.
Planting and caring for tree hydrangea Sterilis
The variety can be planted in spring and autumn in the southern part of Russia. For the middle zone and northern regions, spring is preferable. Planting Sterilis has its own subtleties, knowledge of which allows you to grow a shrub without problems. After all, the moment of planting is a very important stage in the life of a plant, influencing its further growth and development. The main nuance is the composition of the soil. Hydrangea prefers acidified soil.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
The decorativeness of the shrub directly depends on how well the place for planting the tree-like hydrangea Sterilis is chosen. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the region in which the plant is planted. For warm climate areas, partial shade should be selected. The sun does not prevent Sterilis hydrangea from blooming magnificently, but the bush will have to be watered regularly and abundantly. In the middle zone, it is better to choose an area with good lighting. An “openwork shadow” will do. Young Sterilis seedlings need protection from the midday sun and winds.
The second important parameter is the soil. Hydrangea does not grow well in poor and dry soil. A mixture of humus, peat, leaf soil, and sand in a ratio of 2:1:2:1 is best suited for Sterilis.
The shrub prefers slightly acidic soil (pH at least 5.0). The requirement for moisture is even included in the name of the plant: “hydrangea” is translated from Latin as “vessel with water.”
Landing rules
The size of the planting hole varies depending on the volume of the root system or soil clod of the container seedling. Most often, for hydrangea, it is enough to dig a cube with sides of 30-40 cm.
The root system should easily fit into the planting hole
If you plant several Sterilis plants, then the distance between them must be maintained at least 1 m. Further actions:
- Pour in a nutrient mixture prepared from humus, compost, peat, sand and leaf soil. The ratio is shown above.
- Check the roots, cut off any that are broken, very dry, or very long. The main part should be the same length. For Sterilis container plants, unravel the roots and trim them a little.
- Soak the roots in a heteroauxin solution. Time varies from 2 to 24 hours.
- Place the root collar of the shrub at the level of the ground surface and try not to cover it with soil.
- Compact the soil a little and water the seedling generously.
In the first days, hydrangea must be protected from direct sunlight and strong air flow.
Watering and fertilizing
Hydrangea Sterilis needs regular watering. Irrigation frequency – 1 time every 7 days. One bush requires up to 20 liters of water. If the weather is with regular precipitation, then the frequency is reduced to 1 time per month. After watering, the soil around the Sterilis trunk should be mulched with peat, sawdust or wood chips. The mulch layer is no more than 8 cm. It is important that it does not come into contact with the trunk of the bush. It is enough to loosen 2-3 times per season, provided that the circle around the trunk is mulched.
Mulching makes flower care much easier
Feeding - 4 times per season. For the first time in the spring, it is important to apply complex mineral fertilizer to feed the shoots. It should be taken into account that there should be a little more nitrogen than other components. It is also recommended to add microelements. The second time, the hydrangea needs to be fed at the moment of setting the buds with potassium sulfate (10 g) and superphosphate (20 g) per 10 liters of water.It is very good to combine mineral elements with slurry diluted with water 1:10. Then in the summer you should repeat the same composition 2 more times at monthly intervals.
Pruning hydrangea Sterilis
Tree hydrangea will need pruning. Sterilis blooms on the shoots of the current year. As soon as the bush thickens, the quality of flowering becomes lower. Regular pruning is recommended in spring (March-April). Strong shoots should be shortened by Sterilis by 4-5 buds, weak shoots by 2-3 buds. The top ones should face outward so that the shoots do not start growing inward. It is advisable to prune before spring feeding.
Adult hydrangea bushes (over 4 years old) need anti-aging pruning, which is done very strongly. All branches will need to be cut at a distance of 50 cm from the ground. Flowering will resume in a year.
In the fall, Sterilis needs to remove all faded inflorescences.
Preparing for winter
The winter hardiness of the Sterilis variety is considered very good. However, in the middle zone and northern regions you cannot do without shelter. It is enough to stick a strong stake next to the hydrangea and tie all the shoots to it. Then cover with spruce branches or wrap with covering material. In the south, for the first 2 years you just need to close the root system or hill up. If the plant freezes a little, then its regenerative ability is high. Caring care will help hydrangeas regain their beauty.
At the beginning of flowering, the inflorescences have a very original color
Reproduction
There are several ways to reproduce Sterilis:
- Cuttings. A high percentage of rooting occurs when working with green cuttings.Especially after they are treated with a solution of indolylbutyric acid. Hydrangea cuttings need to be cut before lignification in two periods - early June and mid-July, then processed and planted in the cuttings.
- Rooting cuttings. In the spring, dig a small hole near the bush, bend the shoot, cover it with a 2 cm layer of earth. Secure it in a convenient way. Leave the end of the shoot facing upward. During the season, add soil several times and regularly water the cuttings.
- Dividing the bush. Dig up the hydrangea, divide the root system, and plant it in new holes.
When propagated by cuttings and layering, flowering of Sterilis occurs in the 4th year.
Diseases and pests
Fungal infections can pose a danger to Sterilis. To prevent infection, preventive treatments with Skor, Fundazol, and Horus are required. In spring, it is good to spray the bushes with copper sulfate.
Among the pests on hydrangeas, spider mites appear. In this case, treatment with Thiophos helps (7 g of the drug per 10 liters of water).
Conclusion
Hydrangea Sterilis can decorate any area. A competent approach and compliance with the requirements of agricultural technology is the key to the lush flowering of the variety, which fits harmoniously even into a complex composition.
