Hydrangea is a flowering plant whose branches form a bush. On the shoots are bright green leaves, and the tops of the branches are decorated with large inflorescences. This shrub can decorate any garden or adjoining territory, but hydrangea on the stem will look even more original.
Panicled hydrangea paniculata: description
By a stem in botany it is customary to understand a section of a tree trunk that starts at the neck and ends near skeletal branches. In most trees, this trunk is small, therefore, those plants in which the trunk was lengthened artificially are called standard.
Hydrangea on the stem
This method of formation is often used not only for trees, but also for shrubs, creeping juniper varieties, plants with soft (weeping) branches. Often, hydrangea is used to make a decorative tree. In this case, only one of the several main shoots is left. The process of crown formation requires several years, but as a result it is possible to obtain a tree with a dense crown covered with a large number of large inflorescences.
Due to the fact that the cultivation of hydrangea in the form of a tree is a long process, this is done in nurseries. However, if you want to do it yourself, every gardener can do it.
Note! First of all, you need to choose the right type and variety of plants. For growing on a stem, hydrangea tree and panicled is best suited.
Landscape Hydrangea Hydrangea
Standard hydrangea is widely used in landscape design. Experts in this field note that all tree-like and panicled varieties can be used to create Japanese-style gardens.
Such trees look no less impressive in mixborders of any style. In addition to hydrangeas, you can choose any flowering plants, both undersized grasses and shrubs. It is only important to select them so that the flowering of the border continues from early spring to late autumn.
Pinky Winky, Vanilla Frize, Phantom, Annabelle, White House and many other varieties organically look like solitaires on mowed lawns, near arbors, on the porch or porch. However, do not abandon the neighborhood with other deciduous, evergreen and conifers.
For your information! With the help of hydrangea, you can revive a boring fence by planting standard trees along it. A good addition to the hedge will be vines. It is best for this purpose to plant girl’s grapes, climbing honeysuckle, petiole hydrangea.
Stambo hydrangea is widely used in landscape design
How hydrangea turns into a beautiful tree
It takes a long time to grow a standard plant.
Important!The full formation of such hydrangea is completed in about 7-8 years.
In this case, the gardener must pay increased attention to the care of the seedling and the formation of its correct crown. However, such works are not in vain. The average lifetime of hydrangea reaches 40 years, so after hard work there comes a time when the plant requires minimal care.
Choosing a place to land
All representatives of the genus Gortenziev are photophilous, but not all are well tolerated by direct sunlight. Most varieties prefer diffuse rays or partial shade. You should familiarize yourself with the peculiarities of plant care before planting it in open ground, since the appearance of flowers directly depends on the conditions of detention.
Note! If the variety does not tolerate the sun, then in open places its leaves will be lighter, and inflorescences are small and rare.
For planting in the southern areas, you should select areas located in the shade of buildings or other trees. If we are talking about Central Russia, then the northern side of the buildings will be the most suitable site. In the first year after planting, young plants need increased protection from strong winds and the sun.
Hydrangeas feel as comfortable as possible on acidic soil. In such conditions, they grow faster and give brighter flowers. If the site is alkaline or sandy, it should be pre-acidified by applying coniferous litter, peat, ammonium sulfate or potassium sulfate.
How to form panicle hydrangea on a stem
To understand how to form panicled hydrangea on a stem, it is necessary to study the basic methods and nuances of this procedure.
Step-by-step instruction:
- The right choice of method for stamping shrubs. The success of the entire campaign depends on this.
- Careful selection of hydrangea seedlings. An adult tree is able to adopt all the characteristics of a donor.
- Choosing a landing place. This will affect not only the appearance of the local area, but also the attractiveness of the plant itself.
- The need for regular pinching. The appearance of the tree, the shape of its crown will depend on the quality of the work done.
- Timely watering, loosening the soil and top dressing.
Ways to grow a standard plant
There are two ways that you can turn a shrub into a standard tree:
- grafting on the trunk of another tree;
- crown formation, which is based on one process of the bush.
Note! Both the one and the other option have advantages and disadvantages. It is also important to consider the hydrangea variety selected for cultivation and the experience of the gardener.
Vaccination as a way to get a standard form
Vaccination is one way to grow hydrangea in the form of a tree. This option is considered more complex and time-consuming, so it is not recommended for beginners to use it. At the same time, the vaccine has advantages - it is well suited for most trees and shrubs.
The stem tree obtained by grafting can be divided into two parts. The lower part is a standard. It is a smooth tall strong trunk without branches. As a basis, most often use plants related to the one that you want to get as a result. For example, to get a standard rose use a rosehip trunk.
The upper part of the tree is the scion, crown. This is the plant that they plan to make standard (in this case, hydrangea).
The vaccination process is as follows.
- A plant with an even trunk at the desired height is cut. Perform this procedure using a sharp knife.
- In the upper part of the trunk, a vertical incision (splitting) is performed, the depth of which is 3-4 cm.
- A scion is prepared, which is a hydrangea stalk with several buds. The cuttings should be chosen smooth and healthy. Using the knife, the lower part of the scion is made wedge-shaped.
- The shank is inserted into the cleft and tightly bandaged with a film.
- The upper part of the scion (above the upper kidney) is cut off, after which this section of the cut is carefully treated with garden var.
- To create the correct spherical crown, you must regularly trim.
After 3-4 years, the formation of the standard tree will be completed.
Vaccination is an effective way to form a standard tree
Obtaining the stem using the formation
It is better to choose a formation if the gardener had no previous experience in growing hydrangea shtambovoy, planting and care of such a tree requires minimal. The disadvantage is the duration of the process.
Formation takes place in several stages.
- To plant hydrangea, you need to choose the most even seedling, devoid of knots and curved places.
- Immediately after planting, a support is installed next to the sprout (a peg of wood or metal). For the most reliable fixation, the seedling is tied to the support in several places along the entire length.
- As the top is tied to a peg. All lateral shoots that appear at this time must be removed immediately.
- When the seedling reaches the desired length (about 1.5 m), pinch the top. This will lead to the fact that shoots - skeletal branches - will begin to grow in the upper part of the trunk from 4-5 lateral buds.
- Next year, pinch off last year’s lateral shoots, leaving 2-4 pairs of eyes on each branch.
- The following year, the pinching procedure is repeated with the branches that appeared last year. This allows you to grow a thick fluffy crown.
Pinching hydrangeas during crown formation
Winter preparations
Tree and panicle varieties tolerate winter cold well, however, in the first years after planting, young plants need additional warming. This is especially true for areas with harsh climates.
Note! As insulation, you can use spruce branches. If necessary, the barrel can be wrapped in foil. Such measures allow you to achieve earlier flowering in the spring.
When to feed
The lack of regular feeding of the plant will lead to a deterioration in appearance. Panicled hydrangea on the stem will slowly grow and produce less inflorescences. You need to start fertilizing the tree from the beginning of June. In this case, it is permissible to use different types of top dressing - root and leaf. In the latter case, drops of funds can spoil the attractiveness of flowers, so it is better not to use such types of fertilizers during the period of vegetative activity.
Good growth and flowering can be achieved by using the following types of top dressing:
- mullein infusion;
- urea.
The last fertilizer procedure should be carried out no later than the end of August. This will prevent a new period of growth and help the plant to winter well.
Despite the attractive appearance and popularity of hydrangea on the stem, not every gardener knows how to grow such a tree. Meanwhile, even a beginner can cope with this task. It is enough to follow the recommendations of specialists and regularly take care of the plant.
