Panicled hydrangeas are rightfully considered the queens of the garden, since against the background of other plants they always differ in the splendor of their flowering. The variety of varieties of these flowers allows each gardener to choose the most suitable option, focusing on the external qualities and requirements for the care of each individual plant. The article will talk about the variety Mathilde (Mathilde), lush and voluminous flowers which definitely will not leave indifferent any gardener.

Variety description Matilda

The bushes of this hydrangea are medium-sized plants up to two meters high, with a round crown about 3 m in diameter. Dark cherry shoots (in young specimens the bark is greenish-brown) is almost vertical, with a slight deviation of branches on the sides. Leaf plates are oval, slightly elongated, with a sharp point at the end and a rounded wedge-shaped base.

Flowering begins in July and lasts until mid-autumn, although in general the bush does not lose its decorative effect right up to the frost itself.

Above, their color is emerald green, and the lower part is slightly lighter. Each leaf is held on moderately thick brown-red petioles slightly more than 1 cm long, and the leaf plate itself reaches 9–15 cm in length and has a slight pubescence on the surface.

Matilda's hydrangea inflorescences are 25-centimeter panicles, which can change their color up to four times in one season: from cream-white in the beginning to white, pale pink and greenish red in the future.

The root system of these plants is superficial, the roots can grow far beyond the crown, which should be taken into account when planning planting a crop.

Landing

Most varietal varieties of hydrangeas are not very demanding care and can be grown in almost any region of Russia (except in the extreme northern regions). However, in order to achieve maximum decorative shrub, you need to know about the rules for growing it even at the planting stage, consisting of several successive actions.

Did you know? The first hydrangea samples came to Europe in the 19th century from Japan, and in those days only 2 varieties of these flowers were isolated: scarlet and white.

Seat selection

The leaves and petals of hydrangea flowers are characterized by increased sensitivity to sunlight, therefore, in order to protect the shrub from burns and reduce general decorativeness, it is better to plant seedlings at partial shade, where direct sunlight will not fall at lunchtime. It is also worth paying attention to protecting hydrangea from cold gusts of wind, so it is better not to place the plants on the north side of the plot.

Do not plant a moisture-loving shrub and next to large trees that consume a lot of moisture from the soil, although if you have time for regular watering of the crop, this will not be a problem. Hydrangeas of the Matilda variety are tolerant of gas contamination of space, so they can be successfully cultivated in the urban area, in particular, in industrial zones.

Growing soil

The first indicator that you should pay attention to when choosing a soil for hydrangea is its acidity. The bush will be able to grow and develop well only if this indicator at the cultivation site corresponds to a pH of 4–6.5. The plant does not tolerate a large content of lime and ash in the soil, and also grows poorly on depleted and too dense substrates.

Important! Of organic substances, it is better to use compost, but fresh manure can lead to the drying of the flower bush.

An ideal soil mixture to fill the planting hole before planting hydrangea is a composition of equal parts of turf land, chernozem, peat crumbs, deciduous humus and coarse sand. Just before planting, you can add a little special fertilizer to garden flowering crops (for example, Kemira or Acid Plus) in the amount of 50–100 g per pit.

Landing process

The algorithm for performing landing operations is simple:

1. About 2 days before planting on a site prepared in the fall (in most regions of Russia, it is worth giving preference to spring planting of seedlings), a hole suitable for a young plant should be organized, focusing on the size of an earthen coma of specimens with a closed root system. On average, a 40-cm recess will be sufficient with a diameter of 30 cm.
2. Be sure to lay a 15-cm drainage layer of broken brick or expanded clay on the bottom of the landing pit, and on top of it, until about the middle of the pit, pour separately prepared nutrient mixture, forming a small hill.
3. In the center of the hole, place a seedling and, gently spreading its roots, fill them with the remaining soil so that there is no free space.
4. The root neck of a seedling should not be deepened - it should rise several centimeters above the surface of the substrate.

At the end of the planting, it is worth mulching the near-trunk zone of the plant with crushed bark of pine crops or with ordinary wood sawdust, laying them out with an even 5-centimeter layer. Such a shelter will help maintain moisture in the soil and protect the plantings from weeds.

Grade Care

A few days after planting Matilda hydrangeas, a long stage of shrub care begins, which is based on timely watering, fertilizing and pruning of the crop crown.

In addition, in some regions of the country it would be appropriate to build a winter shelter for flowers, especially when it comes to recently planted specimens. Of course, Matilda's hydrangeas have their own requirements for each of these actions.

Video: Caring for panicle hydrangea

Watering

Since the variety Matilda, like all hydrangeas, is a moisture-loving crop, watering the bushes often and abundantly, but not allowing prolonged stagnation of moisture at the rhizome. In the first year of cultivation, young seedlings are moistened 2-3 times a week, spending at least 20 liters of water per instance.

Important! So that moisture does not evaporate so quickly, and a thick dry crust does not form on the surface of the soil, it is best to plan watering in the morning or evening hours, when the sun is not so baking. Also, do not allow moisture to get on the leaves and especially the ovary of hydrangea flowers.

If there is peat crumb in the soil, and the summer turned out to be moderately hot, the amount of watering can be reduced, focusing more on the state of the upper soil layer. Adult hydrangeas are watered less often - about 1 time per month, although with prolonged drought, an increase in the frequency of hydration is allowed. With a lack of moisture, the winter hardiness of the plant decreases, and even adult bushes are unlikely to survive without a winter shelter with temperature drops to –25 ° C.

After each moistening, the soil under young hydrangeas needs to be loosened to a depth of 5-6 cm, thereby improving the air flow to their root system.

Fertilizing and fertilizers

Like other varieties of panicled hydrangea, Matilda responds positively to the introduction of nutrients into the soil. Therefore, starting from the second year of cultivation of the bush on the site, it can be fertilized up to three times per season.

In early spring, as soon as the active processes of sap flow begin in the tissues of the shrub, a solution of urea or potassium sulfate can be poured into the near-stem zone, after dissolving 1 tbsp. a spoonful of substance in 10 liters of water. One adult plant should account for about 5 liters of the finished nutritional composition. An alternative fertilizer for this time will be an aqueous solution of slurry prepared in a ratio of 1:10 (for 1 part of the organic matter you need to take at least a bucket of clean water).

During the period of active flowering of the crop (in early or mid-summer), to stimulate this process, you can feed the bushes with a nutritious mixture of 1 tbsp. tablespoons of finished fertilizer (for example, "Kemira") and 10 liters of water. Of the folk remedies, nettle infusions will be useful at this time, however, after their use, the plant should additionally be watered with clean water.

With the advent of autumn, to prepare the plant for the winter season, potassium-phosphorus compounds from this calculation will be required: 1 tbsp. spoon of potassium sulfate and superphosphate in a bucket of water. In this case, 7 liters of solution will be consumed per plant. From autumn, organics use peat, compost and humus, laying them out with a 10-centimeter layer around hydrangea bushes.

For summer residents who do not have the opportunity to fertilize flowers several times a season, there is a one-time ready-made solution to the problem - complex granular preparations. As soon as the snow has melted, the mineral fertilizer must be repaired in the soil of the near-trunk zone and well watered, thereby saturating the earth with all the necessary nutrients for the whole season.

Pruning

When growing panicle hydrangeas, 2 types of pruning will be relevant: spring, which is carried out around the end of March, and autumn, closer to the end of October. In the first case, for the most part, we are talking about the sanitary removal of broken, weak, dried and frozen shoots over the winter, and only 3-5 buds should be left on annual branches, removing the apical part. In order to revive individual branches a little, in the spring it is also worth updating the cuts on specimens from which inflorescences were removed in the fall.

One of the features of panicled varieties of hydrangea (in particular, Matilda) is the tendency to thicken the crown, which ultimately leads to the development of diseases and a decrease in the general decorativeness of the bush. For this reason, shoots growing from one point are also cut in the spring, leaving only a few of the strongest branches.

Did you know? The blue and blue color of hydrangea flowers is a consequence of the plant's ability to accumulate in aluminum tissues. No other plant in nature is able to consume such an amount of this element from the soil.

This rejuvenation is especially important for plants grown on the site for more than four years. As for the formation of the decorative crown of hydrangea Matilda, here you can use one of several methods: standard (with a straight or drooping crown), standard bush or bush with a slightly raised crown.

Often, after two or three years of successful cultivation of the shrub, it is the first option of forming pruning that is applied to it, first creating the main stump (only zero shoots growing from the ground are cut for several years), and then starting to form the crown itself by shortening the side branches.

In addition to the spring haircut of hydrangea Matilda, autumn shortening of branches will be equally important, which is part of the preparation of the plant for the winter season. It is better not to touch the skeletal branches at this time, but pruning inward does not hurt. In addition, all dried flower panicles are subject to autumn removal, due to which thin young branches can break.

Since flowering panicled hydrangea is observed on annual branches, it is necessary to cut off faded buds with a part of this shoot, leaving only 2-3 buds on it to further maintain the overall decorativeness of the crown.

Winter hardiness: do you need shelter for the winter

Frost resistance of panicled hydrangea of ​​the described variety allows growing adult bushes without shelter in the entire European part of Russia, as well as in the cities of the Far East and Western Siberia. At the same time, young specimens planted in open ground this year by no means always can endure frosts below –15 ... –20 ° C, so they have to be covered for the winter.

After autumn fertilizing, watering and mulching hydrangea bushes, a frame is installed above them, and a protective non-woven material is pulled over it. As soon as the snow falls, it will not be superfluous to additionally heat several layers on top of the covered plant, which will only increase the chances of the crop for a successful wintering. Of natural materials, the branches of spruce and fallen leaves are suitable for the role of shelter, but with little snow, such measures may not be enough.1- tilted shoots, 2 -cocking, 3- spruce branches, 4- lutrasil, 5- stone

Breeding

Hydrangeas of the Matilda variety can be propagated by one or several of the possible methods at once, but cuttings and the use of layering are deservedly considered the most effective. Each of them has its own individual characteristics, which must be taken into account before the onset of immediate action.

Cuttings

Harvesting of last year's lignified cuttings is performed in early spring, before the active sap flow in the shoots of the plant. Cut branches should be placed in water for 3-5 days, and then cut into segments 15 cm long, but only so that on each part there are at least 3-5 viable buds.

Planting cuttings for the formation of the root system is performed in a mixture of soil and sand, prepared in a ratio of 1: 2. It is advisable to deepen the planting material by no more than 2/3 of the entire length of the segment, keeping the distance between adjacent plants within 5–10 cm.

Having covered the container with plantations with a plastic film, it is better to leave the plants in a warm and shaded place in the first week, regularly airing young sprouts and moistening the soil with a spray bottle. Strong openings are transplanted into open ground after a few months, although it is best to wait until next year.

Important! In order for the grafting process to be successful, each part should be treated with a root stimulant, good examples of which are Epin, Kornevin, and Kornerost.

Reproduction of panicled variety Matilda is also possible with the help of green cuttings, which are cut from the mother bush in the summer, during the appearance of buds. On segments suitable for planting, there should be no flower buds, so branches from the bottom of the plant would be the best option. All further measures for the care and cultivation of planting material correspond to the above scheme.

Layering

Propagation of hydrangea by this method is most appropriate to perform in early spring, before the active sap flow in the plant tissues and after digging and fertilizing the soil in the near-trunk zone of the shrub. The essence of the method is to dig in the lower lateral shoots of the plant in pre-arranged 2-cm furrows, and so that they are better kept in them, you can pin the cuttings with brackets.

For better root formation, the first well-developed bud of the branch should be constricted with a soft wire (about 2-3 turns).

By the end of summer, several young shoots should form on each buried layering, and as soon as they reach a height of 15–20 cm, they are earthed out, repeating the procedure every 7–10 days. In October, the cuttings are dug up and their shoots are divided into several independent seedlings, but only if each branch has already managed to grow to a 50-centimeter height.

Immediately transplant the resulting shoots is not worth it, since they are unlikely to survive the winter cold. It would be wiser to just drop them in a relatively warm place and only in the spring to transfer them to a prepared bed.

Diseases and pests

The hydrangea variety Matilda is considered resistant to typical ailments and diseases of this culture, however, in case of violation of the rules of care and planting of the plant, one should not exclude the likelihood of such problems:

1. Powdery mildew - a disease characterized by a coating of leaf blades and shoots of bushes with a gray coating, which over time only grows and darkens. The stronger the disease is launched, the more likely it is to lose the damaged parts of hydrangea, and sometimes the entire bush.
2. Gray rot - A disease manifested in brown rapidly growing spots on the surface of hydrangea. In wet and rainy weather, mycelium forms on them with infectious spores of the fungus, and if no measures are taken in a timely manner, other garden plants may be affected.
3. Chlorosis - An ailment caused by a lack of iron or an excess of lime in the substrate. As a result of its development, yellowness and drying of the leaves is observed, but the veins of the leaf plates remain green at the same time. Sometimes chlorosis is displayed on all leaves, but most often it captures only a specific part of the leaf plate.
4. White rot - A disease that affects primarily the root system of plants, because of which hydrangea cannot get enough nutrition and will fade. If on the aboveground part there are no signs of damage by ailments, it is worth checking the base of the bush, possibly digging out part of the soil: the damaged areas will be soft and usually smell unpleasant.
5. Tracheomycotic wilt. As in the previous case, the disease begins to develop from the roots, but gradually the fungus spreads throughout the vascular system of hydrangea, because of which it begins to turn yellow from the upper shoots, withers and gradually dies.
6. Ring spotting - a fungal disease that is dangerous for panicle hydrangeas and manifests itself in the formation of annular spots on the leaf plates of the culture. Already at the next stage they lose their shape, shrink and fall.

In the fight against these ailments, the most effective drugs will be "Antichlorosis", "Agricole", "Ferovit." The norms of application and the method of preparation of the working solution depend on the type of ailment present and are always described in detail by the manufacturer in the instructions for the drug. As for pests, Matilda hydrangea can suffer from aphids, spider mites, pennies, bugs, leafworms, weevils, leaf beetles and nematodes. Some of them simply suck the juices from the leaves of the culture, others lead to twisting of the leaf plates, but in any case, the affected plant cannot develop further, slows down its growth and reduces the flowering profusion.

The insecticides Akarin, Fitoverm, Iskra, Aktara will help get rid of harmful insects. To prevent any of the listed problems, it is important to observe the moderation of crop irrigation and timely remove parts of the bush already affected by diseases and pests.

In general, growing panicle hydrangeas of the Matilda variety is no more difficult than cultivating any other varietal variety of this plant. Having put a little effort into planting and further care for the planted shrubs, you can get an excellent decorative addition to the site in the form of abundantly blooming hydrangea.