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From the beginning of summer until the onset of autumn, Hydrangea paniculata Daruma delights with its flowering. The shrub plant is distinguished by its decorative appearance and rapid growth, which is why it has gained popularity among gardeners and owners of country houses. Demanding on soils and growing conditions. If you neglect the rules of planting and care, Hydrangea paniculata Daruma may lose its decorative effect.
Description of Hydrangea paniculata Daruma
Hydrangea paniculata is a deciduous shrub with a fan-shaped arrangement of branches. Hydrangeas grow quickly and can reach a height of up to 3 m.
Daruma is considered the shortest shrub in its family. Its height does not exceed 150 cm, which allows the use of ornamental shrubs in landscape compositions and even in interior design.
Distinctive features of the plant:
- erect, strong shoots are dark red or red-brown in color;
- medium-sized flowers (no more than 2 cm in diameter) are collected in small openwork inflorescences of a paniculate cone shape;
- dark green, ovoid leaves have a reddish tint;
- cream-colored flowers at the beginning of flowering acquire an intense pink color in a short time;
- The height of the bush with a vertically located fan-shaped crown does not exceed 1.5 m.
This type of hydrangea can become the center of a flower arrangement
In southern regions with a subtropical climate, the height of hydrangea paniculata Daruma can reach 2.5-3 m. The plant can be shaped depending on the composition: it can be a lush bush or a small tree with a beautiful crown.
Hydrangea Daruma in landscape design
Due to its long flowering time and high decorative value, paniculata hydrangea (paniculata dharuma) is in demand in landscape compositions. It lends itself well to forming a bush by pruning.
Hydrangea Daruma is used to create hedges, English flower beds, dividing garden areas, and compositions with other plants.
The most common uses of plants in landscape design:
- A combination of shrubs and conifers. They have the ability to increase soil acidity and also create partial shade, which has a positive effect on the decorative appearance of the plant.
- To create mixborders, it is good to make compositions from hydrangea with bergenia and boxwood. Barberry is especially good for the plant.
- For a hedge, designers suggest using either hydrangea planted around the perimeter of the site, or in combination with juniper.
Winter hardiness of hydrangea paniculata Daruma
In the harsh Russian winters, paniculata hydrangea has taken root well. There are several types of this plant. Daruma differs from its counterparts in the color of the flowers and the shape of the inflorescences.
All species of the Hydrangea paniculata class are suitable for growing in the middle zone. But at the same time, young plants require preparation for the winter season.
Hydrangea paniculata Daruma is recommended for design solutions in central Russia, as this species is frost-resistant. Mature plants tolerate winter cold well, characteristic of the middle climate zone.
After planting the plant, you should provide shelter for the first 2 years before the onset of frost. In cold regions, such protection will be needed annually.
Planting and caring for Hydrangea paniculata Daruma
The decorative effect of the plant depends on the correct location for planting and the quality of the soil. Hydrangea paniculata Daruma prefers shade and partial shade. Does not like direct sunlight.
When planting, do not deepen the growth bud, it must be on the surface
If you plant a shrub in places exposed to the sun, the flowers quickly lose color, become pale, and an unattractive dirty brown tint appears. Daruma hydrangea is demanding on soils, but is unpretentious in care.
In order for hydrangea paniculata Daruma to take root well on the site and be a decoration of the garden for many years, you need to familiarize yourself with the simple rules for choosing a place and procedure for planting, watering and fertilizing, and preparing for the winter season.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
For abundant, long-term flowering and good growth, the soil for planting must have an acidic environment.Heavy loams with neutral acidity must be prepared in advance.
The best place for planting will be partial shade and absence of drafts. It is best to plant young plants in the spring to allow them to get stronger and adapt to new conditions over the summer.
Autumn planting is possible only in the southern regions - where there is no threat of early frosts and sudden temperature changes.
Landing rules
Having chosen a landing site, they begin to prepare the hole. Its depth depends on the size of the root and is at least 40 cm. The width is about half a meter.
Having dug a hole, pour 2 - 3 buckets of soft water, cleared of lime, into it. Leave it overnight.
A third of the volume of the planting pit is filled with a mixture of sand and humus or peat. The root system is placed in a hole so that the bud remains above the soil surface and the plant is positioned strictly vertically.
Cover with earth and compact tightly. After planting, young hydrangea should be watered generously with soft water.
Watering and fertilizing
To ensure the plant lush flowering and health, you need to create:
- regular watering;
- feeding;
- pruning;
- loosening the soil in the root zone.
Watering should be done more than 2 times a week in hot weather. Hydrangea Daruma is responsive to watering and fertilizing. It is better to use soft water. If this is not possible, tap water should be allowed to settle.
Proper care of hydrangea will ensure lush, long-lasting flowering.
In order for the bush branches to be flexible, gardeners are recommended to spray and water with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. This procedure is carried out three times during flowering.
Hydrangea paniculata Daruma is responsive to fertilization. Organic and mineral compounds are used for fertilizing. You can start the procedure in early spring after sap flow.
There are several types of fertilizers for hydrangea:
- During the formation of leaves, fertilize with the following composition: 1 tbsp per 10 liters of water. l. potassium sulfate and urea. To water one plant you need 5 tsp. composition.
- During the period of bud setting, they are fed with organic matter: slurry is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10, adding potassium and phosphorus preparations to the solution.
- In the fall, after flowering is completed, they are fed with the following composition: dilute a tablespoon of superphosphate and potassium sulfate per 10 liters of water.
A time-tested recipe for feeding a plant without the use of chemicals per 200 liters of water:
- bottle of iodine;
- copper and iron sulfate - 1 tbsp. l;
- manganese and boron - 1 tsp each;
- chalk – 1 kg;
- dandelion, wormwood and celandine herbs, finely chopped into a paste.
The resulting solution is mixed well and left for 7 – 10 days. 2 liters of this solution are diluted with 10 liters of water. The sediment can be placed on the root system.
Pruning Daruma hydrangea
In order for the plant to enjoy lush color, it is necessary to prune. Without it, the flowers become small and inconspicuous.
The pruning procedure helps to rejuvenate the plant and stimulate new shoots. This makes the hydrangea more lush and allows you to get rid of diseased and dry branches.
Hydrangea paniculata is usually pruned in early spring before the sap flows. In the middle zone, this period occurs at the beginning of April. To determine the optimal time for the procedure, monitor the growth buds.As soon as they swell, you can begin pruning while simultaneously forming a bush.
The optimal time for pruning is until the end of April in the middle zone. Accordingly, for the southern regions the period shifts by 1 - 2 weeks, as well as for the northern regions.
In autumn, sanitary pruning is possible: removing diseased and dried branches. It is not recommended to form a bush in the autumn.
Types of pruning:
- Shaping – pruning to give shape. Before the third year, it is important to form a skeleton. To do this, in 1–2 years, the skeletal branches are cut to the base, and the shoots growing inward are removed. In the 3rd year, 3 buds are left on the skeletal branches.
- Regulating is carried out to thin the crown, which ensures further lush flowering.
- Anti-aging involves removing shoots older than 3-4 years.
- Sanitary – removal of diseased branches.
In case of severe damage, drastic pruning will save the plant.
Branches that have been frozen are cut back to healthy wood.
Preparing for winter
The key to preserving hydrangeas is the rules of preparation for the winter period. Before sheltering for the winter, the following manipulations should be carried out:
- stop watering in autumn;
- trim inflorescences and remove foliage;
- stop the supply of nitrogen; you can feed with fertilizers based on potassium and phosphorus.
Before sheltering, the plant must be covered with earth mixed with peat.This will protect the tree trunk circle from freezing. The plant must be bent towards the ground, using wire brackets for this purpose.
Cover the top with plastic wrap or covering material, then spruce branches. Press the edges of the film (material) around the tree trunk using weights, which can be used as stones, bricks and other available materials.
Reproduction
A plant that has taken root on the site can be propagated. There are 3 ways to propagate hydrangea:
- Cuttings. To do this, you need to cut a cutting with 2 internodes during the period of swelling of the buds. The lower end is cut at an angle of 45 degrees, the upper end should be straight. They are lowered into a container with soil mixture by 3–4 cm and covered according to the principle of a mini greenhouse. 2 months after rooting, you can plant the hydrangea in the ground.
- Air layering. This method is the easiest for beginner gardeners. A healthy, strong shoot is bent to the ground, fixed in position with a pin, and buried. This place is watered abundantly. After a year, you can separate the shoot from the roots and plant it in a new place.
- Propagation by seeds at home is a labor-intensive, long-term process, the result of which cannot be relied upon. You will have to wait up to 2.5 years for young planting material. The seeds are scattered over the surface of the soil in a container, compacted and moistened with a sprayer. Cover the container with transparent glass or film, which must be removed daily for ventilation for 1 - 2 hours. After the seedlings appear (this will happen no earlier than after 1.5 months), they are plucked. Feed with nitrogen-containing mixtures.
Diseases and pests
Despite their good survival rate and ease of care, paniculate hydrangeas, like all plants, are susceptible to damage.Most often these are diseases of viral or fungal etiology.
Gardeners are faced with the following diseases:
- powdery mildew;
- white and gray rot;
- septoria.
Fungicides are used to combat such diseases. To protect Daruma hydrangea from powdery mildew, use a soap solution mixed with copper sulfate. Use for spraying plants.
Pests and ways to combat them:
- Snails. They are usually removed by hand. But you will have to do this every day. You can use snail repellents, which are placed around the perimeter of the tree trunk.
- Spider mite. The pest is destroyed with insecticidal preparations.
- Aphids are the most dangerous pest for Daruma hydrangea. Spray with soap solution, cold water or Tamrek, Komandor preparations.
- Root-knot nematodes cause plant leaves to wither and threaten the root system. To prevent the pest from multiplying, hydrangea roots should be treated with copper sulfate before planting. An adult plant is protected as follows: special preparations are added to the soil.
Conclusion
Hydrangea paniculata Daruma is a wonderful flower for creating compositions in the garden and greenhouse. All summer long the plant pleases the eye with its lush color. To extend the life of Hydrangea paniculata Daruma, you should familiarize yourself with the rules of planting, care and propagation, and follow them.
