Content
The Great Star hydrangea variety is very popular among gardeners. True, in order for the plant to actively develop and delight its owners with abundant flowering, it is necessary to provide it with proper care and create certain conditions. Actually, that’s why it’s worth understanding what exactly a flower is and what it needs.
Description of Great Star hydrangea
Breeders developed the paniculate hydrangea variety relatively recently, but despite this, the plant quickly fell in love with flower growers. Snow-white star-shaped inflorescences look very beautiful and can decorate any garden plot.
The blooming Great Star hydrangea bush will decorate the garden
Great Star panicle hydrangea is a deciduous flowering shrub. It has an extensive root system with a strong branched rhizome located almost on the surface of the soil. When loosening, you must be extremely careful not to damage it.
The crown of the plant is lush and spreading. Naturally, if you do regular and correct pruning. An adult bush can reach 2 m in height. The Great Star variety is fast-growing and can grow up to 20 cm in one year.
The shoots of the flowering crop are strong and upright, strewn with opposite alternate leaves, the color of which is dark green. Due to the beautiful crown, the plant looks very attractive even in the absence of flowering.
Hydrangea Great Star in landscape design
This variety is considered universal, so the shrub lends itself well to modeling. The plant will look great both in a group flower bed and in single plantings.
Many gardeners prefer to plant the Great Star variety near bodies of water. This gives the area relief.
Paniculate hydrangeas combine well with other varieties of flowering crops and can become the main highlight of a flower garden.
Great Star hydrangea can be found in park areas.
Often, with the help of these plants, they zone the territory, create a kind of strip, which consists of several varietal varieties
In any case, no matter where the Great Star panicle hydrangea is planted, it will always attract the attention and admiration of people passing by.
Landscape designers prefer to plant the plant singly or en masse on green lawns
Winter hardiness of Great Star hydrangea
As for winter hardiness, paniculate hydrangea has good winter hardiness. The Great Star variety calmly survives winter with temperatures down to -30 °C. Such indicators help to grow crops in the middle zone, as well as in Siberia. True, in some regions it will be necessary to insulate the plant.
Planting and caring for Great Star hydrangea
It is possible to grow healthy and flowering Great Star hydrangea bushes only with proper care. This flowering crop is demanding in terms of living conditions. The complex of caring procedures includes watering and fertilizing, annual pruning of the plant.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
It is recommended to transfer seedlings to open ground in the spring. You need to purchase planting material in pots or tubs. The main thing is that the roots of the paniculata hydrangea are in an earthen coma. As for the landing site, it is best to choose an area where partial shade predominates, especially in the afternoon. The Great Star variety tolerates bright sunlight extremely poorly.
The shrub is very picky about the soil; it loves high acidity. Flower growers always add peat to the hole. A special mixture for azaleas is also suitable for this. You can make your own nutrient substrate for Great Star paniculata hydrangea; it includes the following components:
- compost;
- leaf humus;
- peat.
Everything is mixed in equal proportions and added to the planting hole. After this, the Great Star seedling is directly planted. The hole is dug to a depth of 50 cm, the width should vary from 6 to 70 cm.
Landing rules
Hydrangea paniculata is planted taking into account some rules:
- The hole should be properly prepared. First you need to dig a hole, lay a drainage layer of expanded clay or broken brick on the bottom, and add a nutrient mixture. After this, thoroughly water the soil.
- Prepare seedlings. You need to lightly trim the roots and straighten them.After this, place it in the center of the hole and cover it with earth. The root system of the Great Star hydrangea flower should be located almost on the surface of the soil.
- At the very end, water is poured again and then mulched. This can be done using sawdust, pine needles or peat. In this case, the moisture will evaporate much more slowly.
Watering and fertilizing
The Great Star variety requires proper care. The plant does not tolerate stagnant water, so watering procedures must be approached responsibly. In summer, the flower is watered once every 7-10 days. For each bush take 10 liters of water. During dry weather, you can increase the amount of irrigation. It is advisable to mulch the soil, then you will not have to regularly loosen and weed the soil.
Some ground cover crops, such as sedum and awl-shaped phlox, provide the same effect. They are planted around the ornamental hydrangea shrub.
As for fertilizers, they are applied already in early May. At this time, it is preferable to use potassium and phosphorus fertilizers. You can use ready-made formulations: Agricola Aqua, Kristalon, Compo.
These preparations contain a whole range of nutrients that will provide the plant with everything it needs. Zircona is suitable for foliar spraying. This remedy works especially well on young paniculate hydrangea seedlings.
Pruning Great Star Hydrangea
Great Star hydrangeas must be pruned, otherwise the bush may lose its decorative effect and flowering will be sparse. In addition, the procedure is carried out for other purposes, namely:
- form the desired shape;
- remove old and damaged shoots;
- rejuvenate the plant;
- increase the number of flower buds.
You must act according to the instructions:
- Remove all panicles. Firstly, dead wood spoils the appearance, and secondly, faded hydrangea buds can bend under the weight of snow and break branches.
- Cut off all damaged, dry and improperly growing shoots from flowering shrubs. This sanitary pruning is carried out annually; it serves as a preventive measure against diseases, and also gives the flower a decorative appearance.
- Also, if necessary, remove old branches. This procedure helps to rejuvenate the culture.
To trim thin branches of paniculate hydrangea, you will need sharp pruning shears. For larger trunks, it is recommended to use a garden saw. The cut is made at a distance of 3-5 paired buds from the base.
Autumn pruning of Great Star hydrangea will ensure good flowering and a lush crown
Preparing for winter
Hydrangea paniculata Great Star needs to be prepared for winter. They begin to carry out activities after the culture has faded. This is done so that the plant can successfully overwinter and not die from frost.
Already in the fall, fertilizing is carried out; the following are ideal for this:
- potassium sulfate;
- superphosphate.
You can also purchase ready-made autumn fertilizers. But you should refuse nitrogen fertilizers; they can alkalize the soil, which is not suitable for this crop.
In addition, from the beginning of autumn they significantly reduce the amount of watering, and after a while they completely stop any moisture.Before covering the bushes, you need to prepare them. They do this as follows:
- tie the shoots together and wrap them with lutrasil;
- build a mesh frame around the flower, it should be 10-15 cm higher than the plant;
- pour dry leaves inside the structure, this should be done to the top;
- cover the frame with a material with moisture-proof properties.
After this, paniculate hydrangea is ready for wintering. The covering fabric should be removed with the onset of spring, when the temperature does not drop below zero.
Reproduction
Great Star hydrangea reproduces quite well. Most often, gardeners use cuttings and layering for this. You can also use seeds, but this method is time-consuming and the germination rate of the seeds is low. Any option involves the use of special growth stimulants.
It is worth considering each method of reproduction in more detail:
- Cuttings are carried out in the summer. To do this, select well-developed cuttings from the bush and cut them. It is best to take shoots from the side shoots; they take root much better than the top shoots. The green top of the cuttings is immediately removed. Next, they should be soaked in a growth stimulator for 6 hours. And then plant the branch in a container with a nutrient substrate consisting of sand and peat. Cover with film and wait for complete rooting. Until this time, the greenhouse is ventilated and the soil is moistened.
- Layers are also cut from the side branches of the flower. Then they are planted in a pre-prepared hole and carefully dug in. For greater safety, fix it with metal brackets or wire. Throughout the growing season, watering and fertilizing are carried out.By the onset of autumn, the paniculate hydrangea bush has time to take root well.
- Planting material is sown in late autumn. To do this you will need boxes and a mixture of peat and sand. Shallow furrows are made in the prepared soil and paniculata hydrangea seeds are placed in them. The container is covered with plastic film to create greenhouse conditions. After a month, the first shoots should appear; before this, ventilation and moistening should be carried out regularly. After the entrances gain strength, they must be transplanted into separate containers.
These are the main propagation options for Great Star hydrangea. Each gardener will be able to choose the most convenient one for himself.
Diseases and pests
Most often, difficulties when growing paniculate hydrangea arise due to improper care. This may be a lack of nutrients or waterlogging of the substrate. As for diseases, the Great Star shrub often develops chlorosis, when the foliage turns yellow and dries out.
Yellow foliage on Great Star paniculate hydrangea indicates chlorosis disease
The problem can be eliminated by spraying with special means: “Chelate”, “Ferovit”, “Antichlorosis”.
Also, Great Star hydrangea often suffers from fungal diseases. Some fertilizers that contain iron will help correct the situation.
Main diseases:
- White rot Brown spots appear on the foliage. The drug “Fitosporin” is used against it, and diseased bushes are treated with the solution.
Insecticides are used for white rot
- Gray rot, this fungus can be recognized by holes in the leaves. You can get rid of it using the insecticide "Fundazol". It will be enough to spray the plant.
Holes in the foliage are a clear sign of gray rot on hydrangeas.
- powdery mildew, The main sign of the presence of the disease is oil stains. Treat with soapy water.
Powdery mildew is dangerous for Great Star paniculata hydrangea
As for pests, you can find aphids and spider mites on the bush. To combat them, commercial insecticides are also used.
Conclusion
Blooming Great Star hydrangea can decorate any garden plot. Naturally, if you care for it correctly. Only under this condition will the plant delight its owners with annual flowering.
