How to preserve hydrangeas in winter: secrets of the magic of a blooming garden. Sheltering hydrangeas for the winter: why and how? How to preserve hydrangea in winter

All guests of our garden certainly admire my large-leaved hydrangeas and often ask how I manage to achieve such luxurious flowering. My main secret- this is the right wintering.

I grew up in the south, where hydrangeas overwinter without any shelter. Therefore, it turned out to be an unpleasant surprise for me that growing large, lushly flowering bushes in the Moscow region is not so easy. After all flower buds These plants are planted closer to autumn at the ends of the shoots, and if they freeze in winter, the bush will no longer bloom the next season. Therefore, hydrangeas must be protected from frost.

I've tried so many different ways! She built shelters from film and roofing felt, stretched non-woven covering material along arcs. I also tried to cover it with leaves, and specially brought oak leaves from the forest in bags - unlike birch leaves, they do not rot. But the result was still not encouraging: most of the flower buds died. In the end, I finally developed a technique that helps me keep them intact.

Stage 1

I get down to business on the eve of the autumn night frosts. First, I cut off all the leaves from the bushes. If you cover hydrangeas directly with foliage, it will begin to rot, and because of this, the shoots themselves may suffer. I leave only flower buds at the ends of the branches, or, as a last resort, two small leaves that protect them.

Stage 2

After the foliage is trimmed, I tie the shoots together several at a time. You should not make large bunches - they will be difficult to bend. It is quite enough to pull together 3-4 branches. In this case, I do not use rope, but old unnecessary tights and knee socks: they make soft elastic ties that do not injure the plant.

At the next stage, the hydrangeas must be bent as low as possible to the ground. With some varieties this can be done without difficulty, but in others the shoots may turn out to be too lignified, and you will have to bend them down in several stages: first slightly, then more and more, closer to the ground. To secure the branches in this position, I use metal hooks. They can be made from welding electrodes, which are sold in hardware stores, or you can simply buy ready-made ones - they are available at garden centers. In general, bending a hydrangea is not difficult: just pass the hook under the string, like in a loop, and stick it as deep as possible into the ground.

Stage 3

When the hydrangea is laid, you can simply cover it with non-woven material for a while - after all, there are usually no severe frosts in early autumn. But on the eve of cold weather, I take off the “non-fabric” and cover the plants with either dry peat or light soil. I sprinkle the base of the bush lightly: the woody bases of the shoots are not as sensitive to frost as the tender tips. Then I place arcs over the bush and again pull the non-woven covering material, and on top of it - the film, but so that it does not cover the ends (I do this so that precipitation does not create high humidity in shelter). This is how my hydrangeas go into winter.

In the spring, I first remove the film and non-woven material, rake the soil, and then again throw the “non-woven” over the arcs and leave this lightweight shelter until it finally gets warmer.

Natalya Anishchenko, Moscow region

Hydrangea – flower culture, which won the hearts of Russian summer residents with its decorativeness. If garden plot located in a cold area of ​​the country, beautiful bush have to be covered for the winter.

Some varieties of hydrangeas when grown in central Russia and colder regions have to be covered annually. This applies to some varieties of tree hydrangea and large-leaved hydrangea. Hydrangea paniculata in many regions needs shelter only in at a young age, mature shrubs have high winter hardiness of shoots.

When to cover

In different regions of the country climatic conditions vary, therefore optimal timing Hydrangea shelters for the winter may vary. Only cultivation of crops in southern regions allows you to do without this event. Every autumn, summer residents of the central zone and colder regions wrap up their green pets for wintering.

In the conditions of the central zone and the Moscow region, hydrangea is covered in the second half of October, when the air temperature at night drops below 0 0 C. Moreover, frost-resistant varieties of crops do not require the organization of capital shelter. Paniculate and some tree-like hydrangeas can withstand temperatures down to – 35 0 C, and the average winter temperature in the region rarely drops below – 15 0 C.

These species lay flowering buds on young shoots, so short-term frosts do not cause any particular harm to plants and do not radically affect their decorative properties. In order for tree-like and paniculate varieties of hydrangea to survive the winter in the Moscow region, it is enough to simply mulch the surface of the circle around the trunk well.

Large-leaved hydrangea is characterized by average winter hardiness and blooms on last year's shoots, so it is mandatory to wrap it up for the winter. Also cover all young seedlings of any variety of hydrangeas in the first two years of life.

The harsh winters of the Ural region force gardeners to carefully prepare hydrangea bushes for wintering and think about various options her hiding place. They begin to take measures to protect against frost in early to mid-October.

In Siberia, mainly varieties of hydrangea paniculata are grown, as they are characterized by particularly high winter hardiness. They are carefully wrapped in the first half of October. Large-leaved varieties can be grown in flowerpots that are brought home for the winter.

Climatic conditions Leningrad region in winter, they allow you to neglect the capital shelter for the winter of paniculate and tree hydrangeas. A large number of snow will become a natural protection against frost. Large-leaved hydrangeas still cover in mid-October.

Preparing for shelter

These include pruning, fertilizing and preventive treatment from pests and diseases.

The main advantage of autumn pruning of shrubs compared to spring is that there is no risk of gum disease. If it is carried out during sap flow, the hydrangea “cries,” and young bushes may even die from loss of sap. Therefore, it is recommended to clean and shape the bushes in the autumn.

Sanitary pruning is the preparatory stage of shaping. It involves removing all broken, damaged shoots. Gets rid of all old branches older than 4 years. After this, you can begin to form the bush itself.

Tree hydrangeas tend to form zero shoots and thicken the crown. Therefore, autumn thinning is very important for this species. All shoots growing inside the bush are removed into a ring, leaving no stumps. Taking into account the characteristics of flowering of tree-like and paniculate hydrangeas on young shoots, their branches are shortened to 2...3 pairs of buds. It stimulates abundant flowering crops next season.

With large-leaved hydrangea, things are a little different. Since it blooms on shoots formed last year, young growths cannot be cut off in the fall. But all other types of pruning - sanitary, anti-aging - remain relevant.

In order for the shoots to have time to ripen before the cold weather, in September the foliage is removed from them, leaving it only on the tops.

Garden hydrangeas. Difference between types and pruning methods: video

By autumn, the soil is depleted, so it is necessary to restore balance in it. nutrients.To naturally prepare for wintering, you need to apply fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus. A sufficient amount of potassium helps strengthen the root system and protect it from cold. Phosphorus increases immune resistance to diseases. You can prepare a mixture mineral fertilizers(1 tbsp of potassium sulfate and superphosphate are diluted in 10 liters of water) and poured under the bush in an amount of 7 liters.

Organic fertilizers (compost, humus) are distributed over the area of ​​the hydrangea tree trunk in dry form.

Autumn treatment against pests and diseases - preventative measure, which will allow you to destroy insects and pathogens that have managed to take refuge in the hydrangea bark or in the soil around the trunk. Here you can use various chemical means or 1% solution Bordeaux mixture. Spraying is carried out after the leaves fall.

How to properly cover hydrangeas for the winter step by step

There can be a whole variety of options for winter shelter for hydrangeas for the winter. The choice of frost protection is influenced by the crop variety, age, altitude and climatic conditions in the region. A well-prepared shelter will allow you to survive the bush winter period without much loss.

This type of hydrangea is more demanding of winter shelter than all others. Here they use protective technology, in which the shelter is formed in several layers. Air gaps between them become additional protection from the cold.

1. The branches are collected into a bunch and carefully bent to the ground. This operation may seem complicated at first glance, especially for mature plants. In fact, hydrangea shoots bend well regardless of age.
2. The shoots are laid on boards or spruce branches laid out on the surface of the ground. This will prevent direct contact of the branches with the ground. The branches are secured with staples or any other means.
3. Non-woven agricultural material that allows air to pass through is laid out on top. It is secured with weights around the perimeter.
4. Insulation is placed on the surface of the agrofibre: leaves, sawdust, spruce branches, etc.
5. The film is stretched at the top, several holes are provided, and fixed around the perimeter. The holes are closed only when severe frosts occur.
6. If the winter has little snow, then snow-retaining materials - branches, spruce branches - are laid on top of the film, and during the winter the snow is raked up to the structure.

Such wrapping of the bush will not allow it to freeze even in very cold regions of the country.

The best way to cover large-leaved hydrangea for the winter: video

If necessary, you can cover paniculata hydrangea in a simpler way.

1. The center of the bush is covered with a mixture of peat and soil. This mixture will not only provide good protection for the roots, but also organic fertilizer with the arrival of spring.
2. If the hydrangea branches are long, they are bent to the surface of the ground, having first collected them in a bunch. The crown of overgrown shrubs is divided into parts. Staples or stakes or trellises are used as clamps, to which the shoots are tied with ropes.
3. Insulation, for example, spruce branches, is laid on the bent branches. Breathable agrofibre is stretched over the top and secured around the perimeter with weights. When using non-breathable materials (roofing felt, film), vent holes are left.

Short-clipped hydrangea paniculata can simply be covered with peat and soil without bending down the shoots.

Shelter of young paniculate hydrangea for the winter: video

Tree hydrangea is distinguished by its active growth force and quickly recovers after shoots freeze. Therefore, special attention is paid to protecting the root system of the bush. For these purposes, hilling is carried out with a mixture of soil and peat. In the northern regions it organizes additional cover with spruce branches. To do this, short branches are collected in a bundle and tied, long branches are bent and secured. A layer of spruce branches is placed on top. The remaining protection from frost will be provided by a layer of snow.

Novice gardeners most often make mistakes not in organizing the shelter, but in removing it. As a result, winter protection in the spring turns into a source of various problems. Below are two of the most common mistakes when opening hydrangeas.

• Untimely withdrawal. You need to remove winter protection when the weather warms up. In areas with cold springs, it is left until the temperature rises above 0 0 C. Unwrapping too late threatens the occurrence of fungal diseases.
• Abrupt removal of cover. If you remove all layers of protection at once, bright spring sun will cause burns to the wood, which will weaken the plant and inhibit its growth. To prevent this from happening, first remove the top material. In case of frost, it is installed back. The remaining layers are removed gradually, already when the hydrangea buds are revived. After removing the soil during hilling, the bushes are immediately untied.

The above instructions will help you avoid mistakes when organizing winter protection for hydrangea.

High-quality preparation for winter is very important when growing hydrangea on the site. In order to admire its flowering every year, in the fall you should devote a sufficient amount of time to caring for it and wrapping it up if necessary.

In order for hydrangeas to please you with flowering next year, it is necessary that they properly go to winter, and they must be covered for the winter. However, do not rush to cover all your hydrangeas; not every variety requires this; there are quite winter-hardy species and varieties of this wonderful shrub. This article will be devoted to what hydrangeas, when, how and with what to cover them for the winter.

First, you should figure out what types of hydrangeas need to be covered, and then what methods and materials are best to do this.

paniculata hydrangeas no need to cover, they are absolutely winter-hardy.

Tree-like hydrangea also does not require shelter and is absolutely winter-hardy.

Note! Nevertheless, young ones need some insulation of the root system, and mulching will be enough for them.

And here large-leaved hydrangea very afraid of frost, if you do not cover it, then its apical buds on which it blooms will die, which means that next year it simply will not be able to bloom its inflorescences. Moreover, this applies to new remontant varieties that bloom on the shoots of the current year.

Important! Similar to large-leaved, you also need cover serrated and oak-leaved hydrangeas.

Covering (mulching) paniculate hydrangeas

IN in this case we're talking about not about the classic shelter (it paniculate species not required), namely about mulching the soil under the bush (this is very easy insulation and good nutrition for quick spring start), in other words, about its, in a sense, hilling. As such mulch, you can use pine litter, peat (acidic and neutral), and you can also add compost to the peat. If it is absolutely impossible to get such nutritious mulch, then you can hill up with ordinary garden soil (but it is better to take it not from under a bush, but from some other place in the garden). In this case, the thickness of the mulch layer should be about 8-15 cm. Moreover, it should be poured along the perimeter of the bush, starting from the center and extending up to 25-30 cm from it.

Note! If paniculate hydrangeas very young or first year of planting, then preparations for winter should be more thorough.

Covering (mulching) tree hydrangeas

As with mulching paniculata hydrangea, trunk circle the tree variety should also be mulched nutrient substrate(similarly - pine litter or peat + compost or rotted manure) so that the plant quickly recovers after winter in the spring.

When to cover large-leaved hydrangeas for the winter

Large-leaved hydrangeas are afraid of sharp and early autumn frosts, as well as late spring ones, but systematic winter ones are tolerated calmly. Therefore, you should always have time to cover them before the first frost, because... their flower buds are afraid in the fall of even a minimal drop in temperature to -1..-2 degrees.

It is optimal to start covering hydrangeas when the daytime temperature has already dropped to +6..+8 degrees, and the night temperature to +2..+4.

Thus, the approximate timing of shelter large leaf hydrangea in the middle zone (Moscow region) - this is the first half of October.

If you do not have time to cover before the first frost, the hydrangea foliage will freeze and become black and slimy. Therefore, it is recommended to remove foliage and cover the plant before the first, albeit mild, frosts strike.

Important! All lower leaves You can just tear it off with your hands, slightly pulling down.

Note! It is better to leave the upper (leaves), which are located next to the buds, as they will protect them (the buds) in winter.

When to remove cover from hydrangeas in spring

First of all, you need to navigate the weather. We can only give approximate dates - if you often experience recurring spring frosts, then it is better after the May holidays, if not, then before the May holidays. In any case, as soon as the threat has passed low temperatures, you can begin to gradually remove the cover.

How to cover large-leaved hydrangea

Worth knowing! In the middle zone (Moscow region), the ground, as a rule, freezes a meter or more in winter, and half a meter under the snow. Therefore, the purpose " winter insulation» - protect the plant from sharp changes temperature, since the temperature of even frozen ground with some thermal insulation is higher than the ambient air temperature.

Leaves

Important! Covering the hydrangea only with leaves is clearly not enough; you need to at least put spruce branches on top, or other suitable covering materials: non-woven material (lutrasil, spunbond), burlap, or, in extreme cases, plastic film. Or you can do the opposite: first wrap it in covering material and then cover it with leaves, but in this case you need to make a special frame.

For insulation, you can cover the hydrangea bush with dry chestnut or maple leaves for the winter. The advantage of using the leaves of these trees is that they do not rot over the winter.

Attention! Leaves cannot be used fruit trees and berry bushes.

Branches of spruce branches

Spruce branches are excellent for covering almost all covering plants, but, as a rule, they are covered with dry leaves, or on top of covering material, because spruce or pine branches alone are clearly not enough.

Advice! In the forest you can always find broken branches, so there is no need (and cannot be) to specifically break them out or saw them off. It’s another matter if you have your own conifers, in which case you can use the branches left over after the annual pruning.

Non-woven covering material (spunbond, lutrasil)

This is the most popular covering material for all gardeners. Its main advantage is that it breathes (breathable). As a rule, 2 layers of lutrasil or spunbond (with a density of at least 60) are enough to cover large-leaved hydrangea, for example, in conditions middle zone(Moscow region), but some gardeners recommend covering with even 3-4 layers. Moreover, under such shelter, hydrangea winters well even without snow.

Advice! Convenient to cover overgrown and lush bushes, placing arcs and securing non-woven covering material on top of them.

By the way! Many gardeners first cover with 1 layer (when the temperature is positive), and then cover with a second layer (when a sharp cold snap begins).

Video: how to cover large-leaved hydrangea with non-woven material for the winter

Sackcloth

Quite often, burlap is used to cover large-leaved hydrangeas. Cover with it in 2-3 layers, and additionally with plastic film on top, while it is better to leave vents at the bottom (on the sides). In spring, the film must be removed as early as possible, otherwise it becomes very hot under it.

Note! But lutrasil practically does not allow water to pass through, so you don’t have to rush to remove it in the spring.

Polyethylene film

By the way! Similar to film, you can use roofing felt.

Many summer residents like to cover their plants with film the old fashioned way, but you should know that it does not allow air to pass through, which is very important for normal wintering. However, the film perfectly protects against excess moisture, because it is waterproof, but hydrangeas, unlike hydrangeas, are not afraid of dampness, so there is no need for such enhanced waterproofing. But we must also take into account that under the film at above-zero temperatures it quickly becomes very hot.

Application option! You can first cover the hydrangea with 2 layers of double non-woven material (Lutrasil or spunbond), and then additionally with film on top. In this case, it is better to open the film slightly so that the ends (side walls) are ventilated and condensation does not collect under the film.

At the beginning of spring, the film must be removed. The non-woven covering material should be opened gradually on warm days for ventilation, and closed at night.

How to properly cover large-leaved hydrangeas for the winter

Important! It is best to cover non-frost-resistant plants with an air-dry shelter (under the shelter it is almost always dry, because moisture does not get in, and it itself is breathable).

Step-by-step guide to sheltering for the winter

Step-by-step instruction shelters for large-leaved hydrangeas for the winter:

• 1. Tear off all the leaves and cut off the inflorescences.
• 2. Gently bend the shoots, securing (pinning) them to the ground using slingshot sticks or metal brackets (for example, bent electrodes). If the bush is large, then it is convenient to bend it in different directions - half a bush to the right, half a bush to the left.

Advice! Some gardeners advise placing wooden pallets (boxes) or boards under hydrangeas.

By the way! Some flower growers do not bend, but simply wrap the hydrangeas in non-woven material, but leave flowers standing It’s still quite risky, because in this form they are more susceptible to freezing (they need to be covered in 3-4 layers).

• 3. Mulch the center of the bush. For example, you can hill up with peat (acidic and neutral), pine litter, bark (20-25 cm).

However! Many gardeners, on the contrary, do not cover the bushes with anything or hill them up so that they are better ventilated (and do not rot), but if you experience prolonged frosts of 25-30 degrees, then it is better to at least mulch them.

Don't forget to loosen your bushes in the spring!

• 4. Cover with dry leaves on top ornamental trees(chestnut or maple). This is especially true for young plants and for regions with very cold winters.
• 5. Next, if desired, you can put additional branches of spruce branches (or cover them with them already on top of the covering).
• 6. Cover with special covering material.
• 7. Secure the sides on all sides with bricks or boards (alternatively, bottles of water).

What else needs to be done in the fall before covering hydrangeas for the winter

In number mandatory events, which need to be carried out during the period autumn preparation hydrangeas for shelter for the winter also include:

• Removing fallen and cut leaves from the bush.
• The immediate shelter itself.

Video: preparing large-leaved hydrangea for winter

Thus, covering large-leaved hydrangeas for the winter is a mandatory procedure, unless, of course, you are interested in their flowering and not their foliage cover. Of course, you'll have to tinker, but it's usually worth it. Although, if you are a lazy gardener, then you are better off growing paniculate and tree-like varieties, which do not need to be covered for the winter, except perhaps mulched.

In contact with

Depending on the variety, the flowering period of hydrangeas can last from late spring and until early autumn.

Russian gardeners are especially fond of the tree-like, large-leaved, and paniculate varieties of this plant. White, pink and blue inflorescences abundantly covering the hydrangea bush are a real decoration of the garden plot.

As mentioned above, hydrangea - unpretentious plant. It doesn't require abundant watering V summer period– it is enough to water the bushes once a week during dry summers, and no more than once a month during the rainy season.

The main actions in caring for hydrangea include timely pruning of bushes, feeding them and covering the plant for the winter.

Snow garden in summer, is it possible? Snowball plant.

At the dacha, all sorts of junk often accumulates. Something you can use for decoration original flower beds —

Sequence of actions for each shelter option

Take note several simple shelter options for hydrangeas:

• Hydrangea branches are placed on pre-prepared coniferous spruce branches (spruce or pine) and pressed to the ground using stones or other materials.

  The top of the bush is covered with leaves, after which it is covered with spunbond or burlap.

• Hydrangea branches are pinned using metal staples along the diameter of the bush, thus forming a pattern in the form of a sun.

  Foliage (but not from fruit trees) or spruce branches are first laid on the ground. A layer of spruce branches is also placed on the branches, covered with burlap and covered with sawdust. From above, the entire structure is protected with roofing felt. This is a very reliable shelter option, but it is important to clear the bushes from the shelter in a timely manner in the spring so that water stagnation does not occur.

• A shelter option that does not require bending of shoots.

  The bush is covered with spunbond. Then a frame made of metal or plastic mesh, or a wooden case. The distance between the frame and the spunbond is filled with dry leaves. From above, the entire structure is covered with roofing felt.

What and howHow to properly cover a hydrangea for the winter, all gardeners need to know in order to protect this delightful shrub from the bitter northern frosts and the dampness of a warm climate. In addition, there are some territorial features of insulation, because the climate of central Russia, the Moscow region, Siberia, Krasnodar Territory, Kuban, Ukraine and Belarus is different.

How to prepare hydrangea for winter

Tree-like

Tree hydrangea has white corymbose flowers that become light over time. green tint. Old varieties of this species are not capricious or picky; they do not need special covering. But in Lately species with large flowers were bred, which were delivered from nurseries in warm regions. They need to be lightly hilled. Flowering occurs on the shoots of the current year, so if in cold weather the upper parts of the shoots freeze, this will not affect the flowers. In the specialized literature there is advice that you do not need to cut off faded inflorescences in order to preserve the underlying buds, but do this in the spring. On the one hand, this is sound advice, but there is another subtlety: due to the weight of the snow that collects on the inflorescences, the shoots may break. Taking this into account, it would be wiser to remove in the fall the inflorescences and those parts of the branches that are not woody, because they probably will not survive the winter. The leaves are collected and burned.

Paniculata

Compared with tree hydrangea, paniculata is taller. It has dense pyramidal inflorescences. At first they are greenish, then white, and towards the end of flowering they acquire a dirty pink hue.

It blooms on the shoots of the current year and does not need special shelter. To preserve the roots, you need to cover the bushes with garden soil for the winter. This species is pruned in the same way as a tree species.

large-leaved

Large leaf Hydrangea has another name: macrophylla. She is very gentle and capricious. If you don’t cover it for the winter, you won’t see its gorgeous pink or blue flowers the next season. It blooms on last year's shoots, so under no circumstances should it be allowed to freeze and every effort must be made to ensure that all the buds are preserved. Otherwise, you won’t see flowering, but this species is beautiful in its color.

How and with what to cover hydrangea for the winter- shelter technology

The choice of covering material is not limited. This bush loves warmth very much, so it doesn’t matter what to cover it with, the main rule is: the more, the better.

In addition, hydrangea is practically not susceptible to disease and is not afraid of diaper rash. If mold appears here and there on the branches in the spring, you can wipe it off damp cloth, moistened with potassium permanganate. But the bush itself is tall and spreading, so some difficulties may arise with shelter. Let's look at a few popular options: how to cover hydrangea.

Roofing felt cylinder. This method is used for tall and spreading bushes, such as large-leaf pink hydrangea.

• The bush must be trimmed, removing all leaves and small twigs, and tied with a rope like a sheaf.
• Then it is wrapped with roofing felt, leaving a distance between the branches and the material of at least 10 cm, and in height so that it is 50 cm higher than the plant.
• This structure should be covered with dry leaves, but carefully so as not to damage the branches.
• This method is perfect for old hydrangeas.

Insulation with spruce branches. This method is good for covering small bushes.

• The branches must be bent into the ground and covered with spruce branches.
• To do this, you should spud the bush and sprinkle spruce branches around the trunk.
• Bend the branches that have been trimmed and cleared of foliage to the ground and put more spruce branches on top.

If the bush is too spreading, then you can use film, tarpaulin, spunbond or lutrasil for covering.

• You can divide it into pieces, tie it with a rope and bend it to the ground.
• After these manipulations, you will get a hill from the plant.
• You can cover it with any material:
• To prevent the plant from suffocating, it is necessary to leave small holes for ventilation.
• This structure is reinforced along the edges with stakes or stones.

Shelter of large-leaved hydrangea for the winter with the help wooden boxes . For this method you need:

Use of dry leaves. The first winter is the hardest for hydrangea bushes, even for frost-resistant ones. Young plant It is not hardened, so it needs to be insulated as carefully as possible.

• The young seedling is covered with dry fallen leaves, spruce branches are placed on top, and then polyethylene.
• When snow falls, this structure is covered with it so that such a snowdrift provides additional insulation.
• You can try a little differently: a wooden or iron cage is made around the bush, which is covered with leaves and wrapped in film.

Watch the video! Sheltering large-leaved hydrangea for the winter

Gardeners' tricks for preserving plants

• You can change the shade of the inflorescences using dyes that are sold in flower shops. Depending on the intensity of the desired color, you need to water the bush 1-2 times a week.
• Some other means are also used. For example, aluminum sulfate will give blue color, and potassium permanganate will give a pink tint. The color of the inflorescences can also be changed by peat infusion.
• Frost-resistant plant varieties usually do not need shelter. But in cold regions it is better to play it safe. You can wrap the trunk with burlap, and wrap the root zone with spruce branches, foliage or peat. And although planting and caring for hydrangea bushes does not require much effort, you still need to pay attention to it in the fall.
• The paniculate species suffers during snowfalls because the shoots are too fragile. To protect the bush, it is necessary to trim the inflorescences, tie the branches and secure them to wooden supports.
• Heat-loving varieties, such as serrated or large-leaf hydrangea, are wrapped on the sides until the first frost. There should be a hole at the top for free air circulation. But at the first frost it is necessary to immediately cover with film.
• If you save flower buds during pruning in the fall, the flowers will appear earlier the next season.

When to cover?

Hydrangea must be covered before the night temperature drops below 0 degrees, unless, of course, there is a thaw. You should carefully monitor the weather forecast.

If the upper branches are slightly frozen, they can be revived during spring pruning.

Each gardener must decide for himself how to and how to cover hydrangea. The bush will easily survive the winter in warm latitudes, but in colder latitudes it may freeze slightly and will recover after pruning in the spring. Of course, young plants that were planted in the ground for the first year from greenhouses or nurseries must be insulated. Hydrangea adapts well to climate, soil and weather conditions, so it becomes more hardy every year. If you pay maximum attention to the bushes in the first years of their life, they will delight you with color for many years to come.

Watch the video! How to cover a hydrangea with thick stems