Content
Hydrangea Magical Vesuvio is a fairly unpretentious variety of Dutch origin. It blooms well in the middle zone and in the south of the country, but the plant can also be grown in more northern regions if it is provided with reliable shelter. The shrub does not need special care.
Description of hydrangea Magical Vesuvio
Hydrangea Magical Vesuvio is a variety with abundant flowering and compact bush size. The height of the plant can reach 100-130 cm, while the diameter of the bush is on average 100-150 cm.
The flowers are large, collected in dense, tall pyramidal inflorescences. At the very beginning of budding, their petals are painted white and light pink. Towards the end of flowering, they take on a rich pink hue with an admixture of red.
Hydrangea shoots are red-brown in color.Their structure is quite rigid, so there is no need to tie up the bush. The leaves of the Magical Vesuvio variety are ovoid in shape. The color of the leaf blade is dark green.
The flowering period lasts from late June to late August or early September.
In the Urals, the variety can bloom twice - in July and in the second half of August
Hydrangea Magical Vesuvio in landscape design
In landscape design, hydrangea Magical Vesuvio is used both in single plantings and to create group compositions. The variety is perfect for decorating small gardens and narrow flower beds, as the plant is quite compact. Hydrangea Magical Vesuvio also makes spectacular borders.
It is best to grow shrubs in standard form
Winter hardiness of hydrangea Magical Vesuvio
The winter hardiness of the Magical Vesuvio variety is average - the plant can withstand temperatures of about -25-28 °C, so it is recommended to cover the plantings for the winter, especially in the northern regions. In the south of the country, mature bushes do not need to be insulated.
Planting and caring for hydrangea Magical Vesuvio
The optimal time for planting the Magical Vesuvio variety in open ground is early spring or early September. In the northern regions of the country, seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place only in the spring, so that they have enough time to take root. When planting in autumn, the root system may freeze with the onset of cold weather.
During the hot season, plantings are regularly watered, although in general the crop is drought-resistant. Further care for paniculata hydrangea consists only of periodic feeding.Sometimes the bush is thinned out, removing dry and damaged shoots.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
Hydrangea variety Magical Vesuvio is planted in places protected from the wind as much as possible. It is better to choose medium illumination, but you can place the flower bed in the sun. In this case, during periods of extreme heat, the plant is artificially shaded.
Hydrangea Magical Vesuvio does not have any special requirements for soil composition, but the shrub blooms best in acidic soils. This will make the flowers brighter and more saturated. In addition, the plant reveals its fullest potential in fertile, well-drained areas.
Rules for planting Hydrangea paniculata Vesuvio
Planting of hydrangea Magical Vesuvio is carried out in the following sequence:
- First you need to dig a planting hole for the seedlings. Its depth should be 50-60 cm, width - about the same.
- If the soil on the site is clayey, the bottom of the planting hole is laid out with a drainage layer. To do this, you can use small pebbles, expanded clay, broken bricks or clay shards. If the soil is sandy, then a layer of clay is placed at the bottom of the planting hole.
- Then the soil mixture for hydrangeas or rhododendrons is poured into the hole. If the soil is not acidic enough, rotted spruce or pine litter is added to the planting hole. Chalk, wood ash or lime should not be added.
- The next step is to lower the hydrangea seedling onto the soil mixture, carefully straightening the pre-moistened roots.In this case, the root collar cannot be buried.
- After this, soil is poured into the hole, carefully compacting it.
Additionally, you can mulch the seedlings with crushed bark or humus to better retain moisture in the soil
Watering and fertilizing
Water the Magical Vesuvio hydrangea moderately, focusing on the condition of the soil. If the weather becomes rainy, watering is completely excluded from plant care or reduced to a minimum. In extreme heat, on the contrary, water consumption increases. On average, one plant needs 1-2 buckets of water.
It is best to use soft water for watering the Magical Vesuvio variety. The most suitable option is rainwater. It is also allowed to water the hydrangea with settled water from the water supply network. You can soften it with a little lemon juice or vinegar.
Feeding is carried out 3-4 times throughout the season. The following scheme should be followed:
- In March or April, the soil is fertilized with organic matter with a high nitrogen content; this component is necessary for intensive growth of green mass. To feed hydrangea at this time, use a urea solution in the proportion of 10-20 g of the substance per 10 liters of water.
- During the period of flower formation, the shrub is fed with potassium-phosphorus compounds. A superphosphate solution is suitable for these purposes: 1 tbsp. l. substances are diluted in 10 liters of water.
- When the flowerbed fades, ready-made potassium-phosphorus mixtures and complex mineral fertilizers are again added to the soil under the hydrangea.
The splendor of hydrangea flowering and the life expectancy of the shrub directly depend on the regularity of fertilizing.
Pruning hydrangea Magical Vesuvio
For abundant flowering of hydrangea varieties Magical Vesuvio, it is recommended to carry out annual spring pruning before the beginning of the growing season. Additionally, you can prune damaged and dry shoots in the fall, and old branches must also be removed.
In spring, the bush is carefully inspected and all frozen and weak shoots are cut off.
Preparing for winter
The Magical Vesuvio variety is recommended for insulation in the fall in most regions of the country. The only exceptions are the southern regions with mild winters.
The procedure looks like this:
- Hydrangea shoots are collected and carefully lowered to the ground, securing them in this form with metal staples.
- The soil in the area around the tree trunk is mulched.
- The shrub is completely covered with insulating fiber, additionally sprinkling the base with fallen leaves, spruce branches or dry grass.
In the spring, the insulation is removed gradually, not at once, so that the hydrangea does not freeze after return frosts. The last layer is removed after stable weather conditions have established.
You can learn more about the features of growing hydrangea in open ground from the video below:
Reproduction
Hydrangea Magical Vesuvio can be propagated by dividing the bush, layering or cuttings. You can also propagate the shrub with seeds, but their germination rate is extremely low.In addition, with this method of propagation, the plant will lose a significant part of its varietal characteristics, so it is better to propagate hydrangea vegetatively.
One of the most convenient methods is propagation by layering. To do this, in spring or August, it is necessary to bend the lower shoot to the ground and fix it, slightly deepening it. Within a year, it should form its own root system, after which the cuttings can be separated from the mother plant.
Diseases and pests
If the Magical Vesuvio hydrangea was planted according to all the rules of agricultural technology, and the site meets the minimum requirements for growing this crop, then the plant rarely gets sick. The only significant threat to the shrub is chlorosis, which develops in hydrangeas with a high lime content in the soil. This is also facilitated by the abuse of humus as a top dressing.
The fact that the bushes have been affected by chlorosis can be recognized by the condition of the leaves - they are covered with yellow spots, although the central vein remains intact. In this case, the plantings are watered with a solution of potassium nitrate, which is diluted in a proportion of 4 g of the substance per 1 liter of water. After 3 days, the bushes are watered with a solution of ferrous sulfate diluted in the same concentration.
The central vein on hydrangea leaves is usually not affected by chlorosis spots.
Downy mildew is an infection that causes dark, oily spots to form on the leaves and shoots of hydrangeas. Spraying with a copper-soap solution will help to cope with the disease: for this, 10 g of copper sulfate and 100 g of green soap must be diluted in 1 bucket of water.
Downy mildew affects shrubs at temperatures of 19-20 ° C in rainy weather
Gray rot, which develops on hydrangea leaves from June to August in conditions of high air humidity, forces the bush to be pruned. It is necessary to cut off all affected shoots and leaves of the hydrangea, after which the flowerbed is sprayed with fungicides.
Parts of the plant damaged by gray rot become covered with a grayish coating.
If air humidity is low, spider mites can settle on hydrangeas of the Magical Vesuvio variety, but they can be easily removed with a soap solution. If the damage is extensive, the flowerbed is sprayed with systemic fungicides.
As a preventive measure against spider mites, you should regularly weed your flower bed.
Conclusion
Hydrangea Magical Vesuvio is one of the most unpretentious varieties for growing in open ground. It is relatively frost-resistant and tolerates high levels of air pollution, which makes it possible to plant shrubs within the city. In the conditions of the middle zone, it is enough to water the plantings from time to time during a period of prolonged drought and feed them 1-2 times a season to get lush flowering of the bushes.
