Content
Hydrangeas have long attracted flower growers and garden design lovers with their beauty and abundant flowering. Thanks to intensive work, breeders have now developed hundreds of varieties of this plant of various colors. Among them, red hydrangea stands out - a real highlight of the garden plot, looking very impressive both in single plantings and as part of flower arrangements.
Description of fiery red hydrangea
Large-leaved hydrangeas with bright red inflorescences are a perennial deciduous shrub with long, strong shoots of medium thickness. Its height can reach, depending on the variety, up to 1.5-1.8 m. The shoots are densely covered with large, dense dark green leaves of an oval-elongated shape, with a serrated edge, the leaf plate is slightly curved like a boat.Large-leaved hydrangeas usually bloom on last year's shoots, from July to September, although there are also remontant varieties that also bloom on annual shoots. Garden red hydrangea - pictured below:
Hydrangea flowers are collected in large spherical inflorescences with a diameter of up to 0.3 m
The flowers of large-leaved hydrangea are quite large, consisting of flat petals of various shades, including bright red. This factor largely depends on the acidity of the soil in which the plant is grown.
Varieties of red hydrangea
Bright red color always attracts attention. Therefore, hydrangeas with inflorescences of this color are consistently popular among gardeners. However, there are not so many varieties with purely red flowers, and most of them belong to the large-leaved variety.
Alpengluhen
This is one of the most decorative varieties of large-leaved hydrangea with red flowers. The bush, 1-1.2 m high, consists of straight, medium-thick shoots. The foliage is high. The leaves are simple, bright green, large.
Hydrangea blooms begin at the end of June and end in early autumn
Red flowers appear on last year's shoots. The inflorescences are cap-shaped, large, up to 25 cm in diameter. The plant requires abundant watering and mandatory shelter for the winter.
Hot Red
An adult bush of this variety of large-leaved hydrangea reaches a height of 1 m and the same in diameter. Its shape resembles a ball due to the straight central stems and arched side shoots. The leaves are large, dark green.
Large-leaved hydrangea Hot Red blooms on last year's shoots
The red inflorescences are medium in size, spherical, reaching 15 cm in circumference. Flowering begins in the second half of June and continues until autumn.
Red Angel
A bush of this variety of red large-leaved hydrangea, when grown in open ground, can grow up to 1.5 m. It appeared relatively recently - in 2015, but quickly gained popularity. It is distinguished by smooth, erect shoots and dark green leaves with a characteristic purple tint.
Flowering begins in July and ends in late summer
The change from the initially yellow color of the petals to red occurs gradually; because of this, the inflorescences of Red Angel hydrangeas look a little variegated. They can reach 20 cm in diameter.
Red Baron
This is one of the varieties of large-leaved red hydrangea, widely used not only for growing in open ground, but also in containers. In this form, flowering bushes are used to decorate halls, halls, foyers, as well as to decorate personal plots without transplanting into open ground. The average height of an adult bush when grown in pots is 0.5-0.6 m, in open ground - about 1 m, sometimes a little more.
Red Baron large-leaved hydrangeas bloom from July to September
The caps of the inflorescences are large, up to 25 cm in diameter. The flowers are pinkish-crimson, with a pale green center. The color greatly depends on the acidity of the soil in which the flower is grown.
Red Sensation
This variety of red large-leaved hydrangea is a compact bush up to 1 m high. The shoots are smooth, erect, and heavily leafy. It is grown as a tub plant; in warm regions it is also planted in open ground.
Blooms from July to early September
The inflorescences are cap-shaped, up to 20 cm in diameter. Their color changes over time from pinkish-green to ruby, and closer to autumn, purple tones with a hint of beetroot appear.
Red hydrangea in landscape design
In landscape design, hydrangeas with such brightly colored inflorescences can be used for a variety of purposes. Due to the fact that red color attracts attention, these can be various color accents, mixed borders in combination with hydrangeas of a different color, low borders and hedges.
A border of colorful hydrangeas looks great
Very often they are planted near the entrance to a building or along its walls. A red hydrangea will look beautiful in the center of a well-groomed lawn. Low bushes are often planted in flowerpots next to architectural objects and statues on pedestals.
Winter hardiness of hydrangea with red flowers
Unfortunately, large-leaved varieties of red hydrangeas are not only the most decorative, but also the most heat-loving. According to the international classification, they belong to plants of the 6th climatic zone with frost resistance not lower than - 23 ° C. For central Russia, which lies in the 4th climate zone, this is clearly not enough.Therefore, in this region it is recommended to grow large-leaved hydrangeas only as tub plants, putting them indoors for the winter. If you plant them in open ground, then this requires mandatory shelter for the winter, but even in this case a favorable outcome is not guaranteed.
Planting and caring for red hydrangea
The basic steps for planting and caring for red hydrangeas are not difficult. For outdoor cultivation, the correct choice of planting site is of great importance. In addition, the plants will require regular watering, fertilizing, and light pruning. If the shrub is left to winter in place, then it must be covered, otherwise it will die or will not bloom.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
Red large-leaved hydrangeas love light, but they must be protected from direct sunlight. In the southern regions, it is allowed to plant these plants in partial shade, however, the further north, the more illuminated the area should be. The shrub does not like the cold north wind, so you need to choose a protected place for it. The soil should be light and breathable, well drained. Hydrangeas love moisture, but too much of it can kill them. They should not be planted in an area with a high groundwater level, on saline soils, or in places where water stagnates after rains or melting snow.
Soil acidity is of great importance; you can check it with litmus papers
How to plant red hydrangea
Seedlings of red varieties of large-leaved hydrangea are usually sold in containers. It is best to replant them in open ground in early spring, before the plant begins its growing season, and in the fall. Having decided on the landing site, you need to dig a landing hole in advance. Approximately its dimensions should be 0.5 m in diameter and 0.4 m in depth, but it is more advisable to determine this indicator based on the size of the container in which the hydrangea root system is located.
You should also prepare the soil mixture in advance, which will be used to fill the planting hole after planting the seedling. The best option would be to mix the excavated soil with humus in a 1:1 ratio, and also add 0.5 parts of sand and peat to the mixture. To increase acidity, dry pine needles can be added to the soil composition. Be sure to provide drainage. To do this, pour a layer of large pebbles or expanded clay onto the bottom of the pit.
The planting pit must be guaranteed to accommodate the root system of the flower.
Before removing the seedling from the container, you should spill it with plenty of water in advance. There is no need to shake off the soil from the roots. The seedling is installed vertically in the planting hole so that its root collar is flush with the ground surface. If necessary, you can add a little soil to the hole. Having installed the seedling at the desired height, the hole is completely filled with soil mixture, compacted, watered abundantly, and then the root zone is mulched with the bark of coniferous trees.
Watering and fertilizing
The Latin name for hydrangea is Hydrangea, literally translated as “water container.” Indeed, this is a very moisture-loving plant.However, excessive watering can only harm it. In conditions of insufficient natural humidity and lack of precipitation, hydrangeas are watered at least once a week at the rate of 1 bucket for each adult bush. During the flowering period, this figure can be doubled. For irrigation, you should use only rainwater, since artesian and tap water often have increased hardness, and this reduces the acidity of the soil.
To feed red hydrangeas, you can use special long-acting fertilizers (Fertika, Pokon, etc.). They are sold in specialized stores for flower growers.
Using specialized fertilizers is more convenient
You can also use conventional organic and mineral fertilizers. Such fertilizing is applied several times per season, using the root method, according to the following schedule:
- Early spring - urea, aqueous solution, 30-35 g per 1 sq. m.
- Budding phase – superphosphate + potassium salt, aqueous solution, 20-30 g of each component per 1 square meter. m.
- 15 and 30 days after the previous feeding - the same composition.
- After flowering - humus or rotted manure, 10-15 kg for each bush.
Pruning hydrangea with red flowers
As a rule, red large-leaved hydrangeas are pruned quite rarely. This procedure can be used as a sanitary procedure to remove broken or dried shoots. In addition, to rejuvenate the bush, it is recommended to trim all shoots at a distance of 35-40 cm from the ground once every 4 years.Some old shoots can be removed at the root if the bush becomes very thick. Hydrangeas are pruned in early spring, before the growing season begins.
Preparing for winter
The easiest way to prepare hydrangeas for winter are those that grow in containers; they just need to be taken to a storage room. If the plant is planted in open ground and is expected to winter in the same place, then the preparation must be thorough. It is easiest to prepare low bushes for winter; you can simply cover them with earth, and then sprinkle them with fallen leaves, additionally covering them with lutrasil.
Sheltering hydrangeas for the winter is mandatory for areas with unfavorable climates.
Older bushes need more serious shelter. Typically, in adult plants, the shoots are tied into several bunches, and then they are bent to the ground in different directions from the center, in an “asterisk” pattern, having previously placed a thick layer of spruce branches under each of them. After this, they are fixed in this position. Then a layer of dry leaves is poured on top, spruce branches are laid, and covering material is pulled over it.
Reproduction
Red large-leaved hydrangeas can be propagated by any vegetative method:
- Cuttings. It is best to use green cuttings taken from annual shoots in mid-summer to propagate hydrangeas. They are planted in water or in a special substrate, and after the formation of the root system they are transplanted into individual containers for growing.
Green hydrangea cuttings take root quite well
- Dividing the bush. In early spring and after flowering, mature bushes of red large-leaved hydrangeas can be divided into parts.To do this, they are dug out of the ground and cut or broken into several sections, and each of them should have shoots with roots. After dividing parts of the bush, they must be immediately rooted in a new place.
Dividing a bush is not only a method of propagating hydrangeas, but also a way to rejuvenate the flower.
- Layerings from the mother bush. In spring, one of the flexible side shoots is bent to the ground and covered with soil. With regular moistening, the buried layer will begin to form its own root system. After wintering, it is cut off, carefully dug out of the ground and transplanted to a new place.
A simple way to propagate hydrangeas - air layering
Hydrangeas can be propagated by seeds, but this process takes a long time. Therefore, it is usually used for scientific purposes, and flower growers prefer faster and more reliable vegetative methods.
Diseases and pests
Red large-leaved hydrangeas have good resistance to diseases. They get sick mainly due to improper planting or care, as well as when grown in unfavorable weather conditions. The most common disease of hydrangeas is chlorosis. It manifests itself in a change in the color of the leaves, which become pale green, while the veins on them remain dark and clearly visible. The cause of chlorosis is a lack of iron in the soil or the inability of the plant to absorb it due to too much alkalization of the soil.
Pale color of the leaf blade is a sign of chlorosis
You can quickly get rid of chlorosis by spraying the bushes with iron sulfate.To avoid this disease, it is necessary not to allow the acidity of the soil to decrease too much, and for prevention it is recommended to add preparations containing iron chelate, for example, Antichlorosis, to the soil.
Poor care and unfavorable weather conditions can trigger the development of fungal diseases on hydrangeas.
Blackening of the leaves may indicate that the hydrangea is infected with a fungal disease.
If various spots, putrefactive deposits, or mold appear on the leaves, it is necessary to remove the affected parts of the plants, and treat the bushes and neighboring plantings with fungicides.
The appearance of pests on large-leaved hydrangeas can also be associated with irregularities in care. One common insect species found on these shrubs is aphids. Large accumulations of the pest can significantly weaken the plant. In this case, it is better to treat the bushes with insecticides.
Aphids usually hide on the back of leaves
If the aphid colonies are small, they can simply be washed off with water or soapy water.
Another pest that is quite common on hydrangeas is the spider mite. This is a microscopic sucking insect that feeds on the sap of young shoots. It can be detected by thin cobwebs entangling the tops of the shoots.
Nests made of spider webs indicate the appearance of spider mites
To combat spider mites, special means are used - acaricides.
Conclusion
Red hydrangea is very decorative and looks great in the garden. In many regions it can be grown in open ground, always covered for the winter.However, growing in containers in areas with an unfavorable climate looks more promising, especially if you have a room adapted for wintering hydrangeas.
