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Panicle hydrangea Bobo is a young plant bred by Belgian scientists. The miniature shrub has gained great popularity among gardeners, as it is unpretentious, compact, and winter-hardy. Thanks to its long flowering, the plant is loved not only by amateur flower growers, but also by landscape design professionals.
Description of Bobo hydrangea
Hydrangea Bobo is a dwarf, ornamental plant, its height does not exceed 60 cm. The plant is medium-growing, the annual growth is about 10 cm.
Tough, strong, red-brown shoots are able to withstand the weight of numerous inflorescences, which harmonize beautifully with the oblong foliage of a dark olive hue. Flowering begins in July and lasts until the first frost. During this period, the bush is covered with large pyramidal inflorescences, which consist of numerous buds of soft pink or light lemon shades.
Hydrangea Boba, like any garden plant, has positive and negative qualities. The advantages include:
- compact, decorative appearance;
- frost resistance;
- long flowering;
- resistance to diseases.
The disadvantages of many gardeners include regular monitoring of soil quality, since drought and poor oxygen supply to the roots can destroy Bobo hydrangea.
Thanks to uniform growth, an adult shrub takes on the shape of a ball.
Hydrangea Bobo in landscape design
Hydrangea Bobo is widely used in landscape design. Due to their small, compact size, pinkish coffee flowers will look great with hot pink and lilac phlox. A group of bushes with different colors looks most effective.
Mini Bobo hydrangea can also be planted in front of spruce crops.
In the fall, after most of the perennials have faded, the evergreen needles will reveal all the beauty of the blooming Bobo hydrangea
Paniculata Bobo hydrangea will look good with hydrangeas that form spherical inflorescences. The panicles and balls must alternate, otherwise the invented composition will look incomplete. To prevent the flowerbed from losing its decorative appearance, it is necessary to promptly remove faded inflorescences.
Winter hardiness of hydrangea paniculata Bobo
Hydrangea Bobo is a cold-resistant crop. Without shelter, an adult plant can withstand frosts down to -25 °C. But in order for the winter to go well, the plant needs to be prepared a month before the cold weather.
Since the young plant is weakened after planting and has not yet had time to grow a powerful root system, it is covered for the winter for 3 years. Otherwise, the shoots and roots freeze and the bush dies.
Planting and caring for Bobo hydrangea
Bobo hydrangea can be planted in spring and autumn. Autumn planting is suitable for regions with warm climates. The optimal period is considered to be September-October. During this time, the plant will successfully settle into a new place, grow roots and go into hibernation stronger.
Spring planting is suitable for the north, since winters there come early, and with autumn planting there is a chance that the young shrub will not tolerate severe cold and will die.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
Dwarf hydrangea Bobo prefers to grow in partial shade. Direct sunlight negatively affects the plant, growth and development stop, leaves dry out and fall off. In an open place, the inflorescences will be small and the color will be dull.
For abundant and long flowering, the soil must be fertile, drained, and slightly acidic.
Stagnation of water leads to rotting of the roots and death of the bush
Landing rules
The further growth of the Bobo hydrangea depends on the seedling. Therefore, it is purchased in specialized stores or garden centers. Planting material must have at least 3 healthy shoots and a well-developed root system without signs of rot or damage. When purchasing, the branches are inspected; they must be intact without damage, diseases or pests.
Planting is carried out in sunny, dry weather.Precipitation will be a hindrance during work, since high humidity leads to rotting of the roots, the development of infections and the death of the plant.
Bobo hydrangea is planted according to certain rules:
- In a correctly selected area, dig a planting hole 2 times larger than the root system.
- A drainage layer (broken brick, expanded clay, pebbles) is placed on the bottom.
- The root system of the seedling is straightened and placed in the center.
- The hole is filled with nutritious soil, trying not to leave any air space.
- The top layer is compacted, spilled and mulched with peat, pine needles or bark.
Watering and fertilizing
For abundant and long flowering of Bobo hydrangea, abundant, regular watering is required. To prevent the soil from drying out, irrigation is done once a week; in dry times, watering is increased.
For irrigation, use only settled or rainwater, since limewater can cause irreparable harm to the plant.
To prevent hydrangea from suffering from oxygen deficiency, after watering the soil is loosened and mulched. For successful growth, Bobo hydrangea is fed 4 times a season:
- during the growing season - use organic matter;
- During the formation of buds, hydrangea spends a lot of energy, so it is fed with urea, superphosphate and potassium;
- during the flowering period, a mineral complex is added;
- in the fall, after flowering, potash fertilizer is applied to the bush.
Bobo hydrangea pruning
Pruning plays an important role in caring for Bobo hydrangea. It is carried out in early spring, before sap flow.Since flower shoots appear on the apical buds on the branches of the current year, this manipulation must be approached with all responsibility. The number of branches that need to be left depends on the age and strength of the bush. All dried branches that have not overwintered must be removed. To maintain the quality of flowering and prevent the bush from overgrowing, pruning is carried out annually.
Preparing Bobo hydrangea for winter
Hydrangea Bobo is a frost-resistant variety, so it grows well in central Russia. But to make wintering easier, the plant is prepared for frost. For this:
- In September, watering is reduced.
- Potash fertilizers or wood ash are applied to the hydrangea.
- With the onset of frost, the leaves are removed, leaving only those that will protect the flower buds.
- The soil is mulched with peat, straw, and leaves in a layer of 10 cm.
- In regions with cold winters, the branches are tied, bent to the ground, and covered with agrofibre and burlap.
Reproduction of Bobo hydrangea
Bobo hydrangea can be propagated generatively and vegetatively. The generative method is the propagation of hydrangea from seeds. The method is labor-intensive and time-consuming, so it is not suitable for beginner gardeners. To grow a bush with varietal characteristics, you need to purchase high-quality seeds. They must be fresh, since germination is lost after a year. Self-collected seed does not retain varietal characteristics, so their collection is not advisable. Rules for sowing seeds:
- Sowing of seeds is carried out only in autumn.
- The seed material is buried in nutrient soil, which should include leaf or peat substrate and river sand.
- After sowing, the soil is moistened, and for rapid germination the container is covered with glass or polyethylene.
- Boxes with seeds need to be ventilated regularly. The optimal temperature for growth should be no lower than + 14 °C and no higher than + 20 °C.
- When the cotyledon leaves appear, the first picking is carried out. To obtain lateral roots, the taproot is pruned.
- The second picking in separate containers is carried out in the spring, after 3-4 true leaves appear.
- After 2 weeks, the transplanted seedlings are hardened in the open air.
- To avoid weakening the plant, the first buds are removed.
Seeds lose their viability 2 years after collection
The vegetative propagation method involves planting parts of the mother plant. The mother bush can be propagated in 3 ways:
- Taps. A circular cut is made on the lower shoot and placed in a prepared trench, leaving the top above the ground. New roots will begin to form at the site of the incision. The trench is sprinkled with nutrient soil and watered generously. After a strong root system is formed, the young plant is separated from the mother bush and transplanted to a prepared place.
- Dividing the bush. This method is used when transplanting shrubs. To do this, the mother plant is carefully removed from the ground and divided into the required number of divisions. Each part should have 3-4 shoots and strong roots. After picking, the plant is planted in a new place, watered and mulched. If the procedure was carried out correctly, the young plant will show itself in all its glory next year.
- Cuttings. In the spring, when pruning Bobo hydrangea, healthy branches are selected and cuttings 10-15 cm in size are cut. The cut parts are kept in a growth stimulator and buried at an acute angle by 2-3 buds into nutrient soil. The cuttings are covered with a glass jar and placed in a warm, shaded place.
Diseases and pests of Bobo hydrangea
Hydrangea Bobo has strong immunity to diseases and pests. But if not properly cared for, the plant often suffers from the following ailments:
- Chlorosis. A common disease that occurs due to lack of moisture and lack of iron in the soil. Treatment consists of spraying the bush with a solution containing iron preparations.
The disease can be recognized by lightening of the leaf blade and brittleness of the branches.
- Gray rot. A fungal disease that occurs due to high humidity. You can help the plant with Bordeaux mixture.
The disease manifests itself in the form of a gray coating on the aerial part, which does not erase
- Spider mite. Microscopic insects settle on the green mass and cover it with a thin web. Pests suck the juice from the plant, as a result it weakens and stops growing and developing. In the fight against insects, use the drug "Tiofos", diluted strictly according to the instructions, or an infusion of wood ash.
You can recognize the pest by its thin web
- Leaf aphid. Pests are located in large groups on leaf blades. By sucking the juice, insects cause great harm to the plant. It weakens, growth and development stops. The drug “Anabasine sulfate” will help stop the pest invasion.
Aphids settle in large groups
- Powdery mildew. Appears in hot weather with high humidity.The foliage becomes covered with a white coating, which can be easily removed with a finger. Bordeaux mixture will help get rid of the disease.
White plaque can be easily removed with your finger
Conclusion
Hydrangea Bobo is a miniature, beautifully flowering shrub. If agricultural practices are followed, paniculate inflorescences of a pale pink color appear on the plant. A small shrub looks beautiful near low-growing flowering perennials, next to spherical hydrangeas and near spruce crops.
