How to care for homemade hydrangea in a pot. How to transplant indoor hydrangea

02.08.2023 garden buildings

Hydrangea can often be found in gardens and home gardens; its huge spherical inflorescences delight the eye all summer. Few people know that the same result can be achieved indoors. Indoor hydrangea, home care for which requires certain skills, is considered a rather finicky plant. However, if you scrupulously follow all the rules of agricultural technology, you can achieve regular, long and abundant flowering from a perennial.

Hydrangea is a deciduous plant from the genus Hydrangea of the saxifrage family. The natural distribution area is quite wide: South and East Asia, the Far East, America. The very name "hydrangea" the family received after widespread distribution. From Greek, it can be translated as "a vessel with water." According to one version, the basis was the high need for hydrangea in water, according to another, the unusual shape of the testicles resembling a jug.

In total, the family includes 35 species. Most of the varieties that are used in ornamental gardening, including domestic hydrangea, originated from the species H. opuloides K. Koch, who came to us from Japan and China. Better known under the collective name "large-leaved hydrangea". It was brought to Europe 4 centuries ago; then the cultivation of hydrangeas at home was considered the prerogative of the wealthy segments of the population.

Hydrangea is a deciduous shrub that reaches 3 m in open ground, and no more than a meter in closed ground. The root system is fibrous, the shoots are erect. The leaves are oval-elliptical, with a serrated edge, dark green; located opposite.

The flowers are small, with corolla-shaped sepals, mostly white, pinkish or reddish. Collected in large, up to 30 cm, corymbose inflorescences, which are formed only on the tops of the shoots of last year's growth. The shade of the petals may vary depending on the acidity of the soil. Flowering, depending on the variety, can begin in May and last until late autumn. Pollinated rarely, as most of the flowers in the inflorescence are sterile.

All parts of the hydrangea are poisonous and should not be eaten.

Varieties suitable for growing hydrangeas indoors

In room conditions, mainly large-leaved hydrangea and varieties derived from it are grown.

Among the popular varieties of hydrangeas for growing in a pot are used:

Europe - high bush, up to 50 cm, medium flowering period; inflorescences are dark pink, up to 25 cm in diameter. One of the most successful varieties for growing indoors - it takes root easily, lends itself well to shaping.
Hamburg - medium-sized, about 35 cm, bush, crowned with dense inflorescences, reaching 18 cm in diameter, pure pink. Flowering early.
Goliath - tall, up to 70 cm, late flowering variety. Inflorescences are pinkish, up to 30 cm in diameter, easily change color to bluish; sepals deeply cut.
Meteor - tall, adapted to room conditions, variety. Inflorescences are pink, up to 30 cm.
Ramars Mars - compact bush; inflorescences bluish, up to 20 cm in diameter.
Early Blue is tall, crowned with bright blue "balls".
Prima - early flowering compact shrub; inflorescences 15-18 cm, reddish-pink. Blooms profusely.
Red sensation - has a bright reddish-burgundy color of the petals. With the accumulation of aluminum in the tissues, it changes color to burgundy-violet.
Souer Tharese - bush up to 40 cm in height, early flowering. Inflorescences are small, about 15 cm, snow-white.
King George is undersized, distinguished by embossed, very dark leaves that effectively set off dark red “balls”.
Madame Mulière is a tall, early flowering variety with corrugated snow-white petals. Responds well to shaping and pruning.

In addition to appearance, varieties differ in growth rate, number of buds, and response to pruning. Jasmine hydrangea is also found on home windowsills: undersized, up to 50 cm, a plant with dark green leaves. The color of the inflorescences can be bluish, lilac, pinkish, greenish white or cream.

Home care

Caring for room hydrangea requires strict adherence to all the rules of agricultural technology. It is important to create an optimal mode of watering, lighting, do not forget about regular top dressing. When growing hydrangea, it is necessary to remember the cyclical nature of its development and change the conditions of detention depending on the needs.

Hydrangea inflorescences develop two seasons. First, depending on the pruning technology and variety, lateral shoots 20-40 cm long are formed. In summer, at 12-hour daylight hours, bud rudiments begin to form in the buds. If by this time 5-6 pairs of leaves have not been formed on the branches, the buds will remain vegetative.

For the full development of hydrangea flower primordia, a winter dormant period is necessary, after which the lower parts of last year's shoots remain bare. The rudiments begin to develop actively; grow and bloom, depending on the variety, within 70-90 days after awakening. At the same time, from the basal buds located on the part of the stem immersed in the substrate, lateral shoots develop, on which, with a sufficient level of humidity, lighting and nutrients, the beginnings of the flowers of the next year are laid.

Lighting

Indoor hydrangea at home needs diffused bright light with shading from direct sunlight. It is optimal to place the pot on the windowsills of the western or eastern orientation.

There will be little light on the north side of the hydrangea, and it will stop blooming. You can put the plant 1-1.5 m from the southern windows, while providing a sliding shadow. The direct rays of the sun leaves burns on the leaves. You can take the pots to the balcony - the hydrangea has a positive attitude towards fresh air, but does not like drafts.

Temperature and humidity

Caring for a hydrangea in a pot involves the exact observance of its "familiar" temperatures. In spring and summer, the optimum content will be at 17-21 ° C. Indoor hydrangea tolerates summer heat well, and when it rises to 35 ° C, it does not get sick if it is provided with sufficient watering and air humidity. In autumn the temperature should not exceed 12-15°C; during this period it is better to keep the plant on a glazed loggia. In winter, during the dormant period, the temperature should be lowered to 4-9 ° C.

Hydrangea requires high humidity. In summer, the leaves are regularly sprayed with a foggy jet, preventing it from falling on the inflorescences and the appearance of dripping drops. A good effect is the arrangement of pots on pallets with moistened expanded clay, sphagnum or sand. You can put a humidifier next to the bushes.

How to properly water and fertilize

Hydrangeas should be watered frequently during the growing season. Overdrying the soil adversely affects flowering and can lead to the death of the plant. The top layer is allowed to dry no more than 1 cm. Water is used settled, heated to room temperature. Once a month, add 3-4 crystals of citric acid to prevent alkalization of the soil. Hydrangea at home responds well to drip micro-irrigation. In autumn, the amount of moisture is reduced; rarely watered in winter, preventing the soil from completely drying out.

It is important to regularly feed the hydrangea during the growing season. This plant simultaneously forms the buds of next year's flowers while opening inflorescences, which requires a significant amount of minerals in the soil. They are applied every two weeks, and during the flowering period - once every 10 days.

In the spring, fertilizers with a predominance of nitrogen are applied to stimulate the growth of green mass. Since the end of May, the composition has been changed, focusing on mixtures containing phosphorus and potassium. Organics, as well as "folk" top dressing, are not recommended for use at home.

pruning

Growing a hydrangea in a pot is impossible without proper pruning: it will not bloom. Large-leaved home hydrangea can be cut in two ways. The first is pruning the apical part of the central shoot in early spring. This stimulates the intensive development of the lateral stems and the flower buds embedded in them. The disadvantage of this method is that the hydrangea forms the flowers of the second row later. Inflorescences emerging from them will be weaker, and some (if not all) of the buds may be vegetative. That is, the flowering of hydrangeas this year you can not wait.

The second method is considered more reliable. The first pruning shifts to July, when a third of the non-flowering stems are removed, which “helps” the bush to fully expel the flower stalks. A few side shoots, located as low as possible to the base of the trunk, are left - they will become the basis for flowering next year. Hydrangea is best grown in 2-4 shoots.

Preparing for winter

When growing hydrangeas at home, be sure to observe a dormant period. It lasts 2-3 months, begins immediately after the bushes fade. Before wintering, reduce watering, stop fertilizing. Sanitary pruning can be carried out by removing weak or directed shoots inside the bush.

Wintering takes place at a temperature not higher than 8 ° C and not lower than 0 in a dry room. Part of the leaves of the large-leaved hydrangea fall off.

In winter, it is permissible to keep pots in partial shade. The soil is occasionally moistened to prevent the death of the root system. The trunk during the dormant period is sprayed several times a month to prevent the buds from drying out.

reproduction

The easiest way to propagate indoor hydrangea is by cuttings or by dividing the bush. Growing hydrangeas from seeds at home is a long, laborious and inefficient process. This method is mainly used for breeding purposes.

cuttings

For rooting, green cuttings 8-10 cm long with a pair of internodes are used. Removed in March-April, no more than 1-2 from each bush, so as not to weaken the plant. Stem shoots can also be used, but basal shoots develop faster. Cut immediately under the leaf node with a heel (part of the bark and stem up to 3 cm long). The lower leaves are shortened by a third to reduce the evaporation area.

Root in spacious containers with drainage holes. A mixture of high-moor peat, sand and perlite in different proportions is used as a substrate - here each grower has his own "perfect recipe". Good results are obtained by using clean river sand. All components, like the containers themselves, must be disinfected before planting.

Cuttings are treated with growth stimulants containing cytokinins or heteroauxins. The latter are preferable, since they have a disinfecting effect, respectively, they make it possible to exclude preplant disinfection.

They are deepened by 1-3 cm into a moistened substrate, compacted. The containers are placed in greenhouses. Underfloor heating is a must. The optimum temperature for root germination is 18-20°C; allowable daily fluctuations within 2-3°C. The soil is kept moist, the cuttings are sprayed with a foggy stream every few days. Under all conditions, rooting occurs in 20-30 days. The top of a young plant is pinched after it has started to grow. Seated in individual containers. Propagation by cuttings is the fastest and most efficient way to get flowering specimens of a particular variety.

By dividing the bush

Hydrangea at home can be propagated by dividing the bush. During the annual spring transplant, the bush is cut so that each division has 2-3 growth points and an independent root. The shoots and roots are shortened by 1/3, the delenki are planted in separate pots in a mixture of leafy soil, peat and perlite. Greenhouse conditions, constant temperature and humidity are provided for a month. The flower stalks are plucked when they appear.

seeds

Growing hydrangeas from seed takes patience. Seed material can be purchased at specialized stores. It is difficult to assemble your own, given that most flowers are sterile.

Sow in early February in a mixture of high-moor peat and sand; are not buried in the ground. The containers are placed in greenhouse conditions, maintain a constant level of humidity. It is difficult to grow hydrangea from seeds at home without bottom heating. Central heating batteries are not used for these purposes. Dive in phase 2 of these sheets in separate pots in the same mixture. They are cared for as for adult plants, observing the cyclical development.

Transfer

Transplantation of room hydrangea is carried out annually in early spring immediately after the awakening of the kidneys. With a later transplant, the plant will not bloom. After the purchase, regardless of the season, the hydrangea is transshipped, partially replacing the transport soil.

Choosing the right pot and soil

The soil for hydrangea should be slightly acidic, light, breathable and at the same time nutritious and moisture-intensive. A mixture of leafy, coniferous soil, peat, river sand and perlite (3: 1: 2: 2: 1) is considered optimal. All components, except sand and perlite, are subjected to heat treatment. The sand is thoroughly washed. Perlite is considered a sterile medium and does not need to be processed. The soil is thoroughly mixed until a homogeneous mass, shed with a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate. From ready-made, a mixture for azaleas and rhododendrons is suitable.

The diameter of the pot is selected so that about 10 cm remains from the trunk to the sides. The container should be deep and stable, with drainage holes to drain excess water. The diameter of the new pot should be 2 sizes larger than the previous one. It is better to refuse unglazed containers - pathogenic microorganisms accumulate in their pores.

Step by step transplant process

When transplanting hydrangea, follow the following algorithm:

Immediately after waking up from hibernation, a bush is removed from an old pot.
The earth lump is shaken off a little, allowing parts of the soil to fall off on their own. Do not touch the roots with your hands so as not to injure.
A layer of expanded clay or crushed polystyrene is laid at the bottom of the new pot, soil is poured.
Install the bush so that it does not have to be deepened.
On the sides pour the earth without tamping. Watered, and after precipitation, if necessary, add more.

After planting, the hydrangea is placed in a brightly lit place and wait for the leaves to appear.

Growing problems

Diseases and pests affect only weakened hydrangeas. For example, gray rot and powdery mildew appear at excessively high humidity. At the first signs of the disease, hydrangea bushes are treated with systemic fungicides.

The shortcomings of agricultural technology affect the appearance of hydrangeas.

Expert opinion

Mila Rozhkova

Color Expert

Ask an expert

Hydrangea is a luxurious flower, impressive with an abundance of huge inflorescences-balls. Many flower growers, however, refuse to grow because of the demands of the plant. In fact, to successfully care for hydrangea, it is enough to know the stages of its development and follow the rules of agricultural technology.

External manifestations	Likely Causes	Solutions
Hydrangea leaves wither	Lack of watering	Do not overdry the earthen ball
Hydrangea leaves dry	The tips of the leaves dry with a lack of nutrients, dry air or insufficient watering.	Observe agricultural technology
Indoor hydrangea does not bloom	Incorrect pruning or non-compliance with wintering conditions	Provide hydrangeas with a dormant period in a cool, dry room; remember that only last year's shoots bloom

The hydrangea plant, which is also called macrophile hydrangea, belongs to the genus of flowering plants of the Hortensia family, in which there are about 80 species. Among them there are shrubs and small trees. In the wild, it grows in America, Japan, China and other countries of South and East Asia. Breeders do not stop their experiments on breeding new varieties and varieties of hydrangeas. Today it can be found in a pot on the balcony, terrace, veranda, as well as in the garden.

plant description

Homemade hydrangea is a perennial subshrub with large and toothed ovate leaves. Its inflorescences-balls are also large, reaching a diameter of 35 cm, and they consist of two types of flowers: large at the edges of the inflorescence and small in its middle.

Depending on the pH of the soil, the color of the inflorescences also changes: if the soil is acidic, then they become blue, alkaline - pink or lilac, neutral - cream or white. The fruit of the hydrangea is a multi-seeded box. At home, it is able to reach a height of about one meter.

Gallery: indoor hydrangea (25 photos)

Features of cultivation and care

Indoor hydrangea should be grown in a spacious bright place, which should be protected from direct sunlight. The most comfortable temperature necessary for its proper growth and development is 20 degrees. Drafts and sudden temperature changes should not be allowed.

During the dormant period, which occurs immediately after flowering, the plant should be moved to a dark, cool place with a temperature of + 7–10 degrees and left there until the buds begin to wake up in February, after which it is returned to its usual conditions. Thanks to wintering in a dark room, the hydrangea well restores the forces that were spent on flowering, and if this requirement is not met, the next flowering occurs only after a year.

Hydrangea is a plant, according to many, the plant is purely. But any real amateur grower, having once seen a blooming hydrangea on the windowsill (and in any other place in the room), will definitely want to have such an indoor flower for himself. Usually the flowers of indoor hydrangea are somewhat smaller than the flowers of her garden relative, but with enough diligence and effort, their size can even surpass the size of the chic balls of garden hydrangea. And it's not hard to take care of her. Yes, and in the house she is always in front of her eyes, there is no need to go to the site and revise the flower garden.

How to care for room hydrangea

First of all, I want to note that indoor hydrangea is not at all some separate type of this plant. This is the same garden flower, but “prescribed” at home (the same can be said about or). Its beauty lies in the fact that its flowering does not have to be tied to the warm season. She will successfully delight you with flowering in winter. Like most indoor plants, hydrangeas have the most attractive and decorative appearance at a young age - in the first or second year of life. Then the flower grows, the flowers become smaller, and the shoots, on the contrary, become longer, bend. If you want the hydrangea at home to be constantly lush and beautiful, then you will have to rejuvenate it every year or two. Therefore, all care for it can be divided into three time stages: vegetation (active development), flowering period and dormant period. All these periods in the life of a plant are very important, but the most important can be conditionally considered the growing season of hydrangeas. It is at this time that the reason for which we grow it is being prepared - abundant and lush flowering. Moreover, during the growing season, you can change its color. Yes! Exactly! In nature, hydrangea flowers are white and pink (from pale pink to red). All other colors can be obtained artificially. But more on that below. Now directly to the growing conditions and care of room hydrangea.

First year hydrangea. Bloomed!

Content temperature

During the periods of vegetation and flowering, the most comfortable temperature for hydrangea is + 18-22 degrees, i.e. the most. After flowering, indoor hydrangea retires. For a good rest of the plant, the temperature of its content is desirable lower (within + 6-8 degrees). The flower is actually a garden flower ... But a lower temperature is not desirable due to the limited volume of the pot and a much weaker root system.

Lighting and location

When choosing a place for room hydrangea, first of all, keep in mind that this plant is very light-loving, but it is better not to place it under the hot summer sun. And in general, in the summer it is better to take out the hydrangea to fresh air. But if this is not possible, then it is advisable to keep it near the windows of east or west orientation. It is also possible in the southern ones, but with obligatory shading from direct sun. In winter, when the sun is not so hot, you can do without shading.

Air humidity, watering and fertilizers

No less than light, indoor hydrangea loves moisture. It should be watered regularly and the soil should not dry out completely. But it shouldn't be flooded either. If her garden sister is able to accept a large amount of moisture, then overflow can be dangerous for a room. Water after the top layer has dried. Don't forget about. Hortense loves this business very much.

You can (and should) feed the plant only during the growing season and flowering. What fertilizers you use, organic or mineral, does not really matter, it responds well to both. Regular superphosphate can also be used to stimulate abundant flowering. The frequency is once every two weeks.

Reproduction of hydrangea cuttings

Unlike garden hydrangea, indoor hydrangea propagates only by cuttings. The most suitable cuttings for this should be taken from non-flowering, usually basal shoots. What size the cutting will be does not really matter, but you should not take a large one, it is enough if it has 2-3 pairs of leaves. For better rooting, it is highly desirable to keep the cuttings in a rooting solution for 5-6 hours. You can root cuttings in ordinary wet sand or, or you can make a richer mixture of peat and sand (perlite). Terms of rooting cuttings of hydrangea from two weeks to 20 days. You should not particularly hope for flowering in the same year, most likely it will come only the next.

Hydrangea transplant

It is carried out only with plants quite young, which have not yet lost their decorative effect, and rooted cuttings are transplanted without fail. Given their "infant" age and pots, you need to take small ones (9-centimeter ones are fine). When a young plant grows up and the pot becomes small for it, then it must be transferred to a large bowl.

One part is peat;
One part is sand (perlite);
One part is leaf land.
For adult specimens, the earth must also be “adult”. For example:
One part is coniferous land;
One part is peat;
Half of the part is humus;
Half of the part is sand (perlite).

How to change the color of hydrangea flowers

Plants with pink (red) flowers are best suited for such a color correction. Unlike white, they contain more natural pigment, which allows for more successful correction. It is necessary to carry out artificial coloring of flowers at the stage when they still have a green color, characteristic of the beginning of flowering.

Popular and beloved by many, the blue color of hydrangea can be obtained by watering the initially light pink hydrangea under the root with a solution (from 5 to 10 grams per liter of water) of potassium alum. This solution can also be used for brighter flowers. The more saturated their initial (natural) color, the more saturated will be the final one. So dark pinks will turn lilac, and reds will turn purple. You can also achieve a rich blue color by using a solution of aluminum sulfate or iron sulfate.

But hydrangea, both indoor and garden, can change color without your permission. This can happen if the earth drops below pH5.5.

Potential Growing Problems

Actually, there shouldn't be any problems. Indoor hydrangea is not one of those plants that require a lot of attention and are capricious. All the problems that arise when growing it are, in most cases, the result of our mistakes and miscalculations.

If the leaves of the hydrangea turn brown and begin to dry, then this is a signal of insufficient watering and dry land.

Also, the leaves wither and dry if the plant stands in a draft or is watered with too cold water.

Of the pests to be wary of and. But both of these pests do not tolerate moisture, which once again speaks in favor of regular spraying.

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Photo in the interior

Hydrangea (Hydrangea) is a flowering plant of the Hydrangea family, popular all over the world. It is grown in the garden and on the windowsill. Among the many species there are shrubs and trees. The homeland of hydrangea is the latitudes of Japan, China, South and North America with a temperate continental climate. Important conditions for good development include high air humidity, an abundance of diffused daylight and moist nutrient soil.

It grows at home to a height of no more than a meter, has the appearance of a bush. The lush crown is filled with ovate leaves with a jagged edge, the size of which ranges from 9 to 14 m in length. The most important advantage of the plant is large spherical inflorescences of various shades of white, pink, blue.

Be sure to look at the flowering plants and.

	High growth rate. Planted cuttings bloom the next year.
	Blooms from April to November.
	The plant is easy to grow.
	Perennial. Can be grown one year and cuttings.

Beneficial features

Hydrangea in a pot. Photo

Possessing a positive, light energy, the flower spreads calm peace. From the perspective of Feng Shui, it has many useful properties:

extinguishes mutual hostility, softens conflict in communication;
at home normalizes family relations, helps to achieve mutual understanding;
contemplation of hydrangea relieves mental fatigue after an experienced incident or stress, helping to calm down;
a flowering plant relieves a bad mood, the negativity of others, bad thoughts.

Did you manage to grow a Hydrangea?

While I'm tryingYes, it was very easy!

On a note. In order for the beneficial properties to be fully revealed, the optimal conditions for growth are selected for the flower.

Features of growing at home. Briefly

In order for the hydrangea to feel comfortable at home and systematically please with flowering, it needs good care.

Temperature regime	In summer up to 23ºС, comfortable - from 18 to 20ºС, in winter not lower than 7ºС, comfortable - from 8 to 10ºС.
Air humidity	Daily humidification of the air around the bush is necessary.
Lighting	In sufficient quantity. Prefers diffused light from eastern windows.
Watering	During the period of growth and flowering, make sure that the soil is always wet. During the dormant period, watering is reduced to once every 8 to 10 days.
Priming	A light, well-drained soil with a high content of sand or perlite is suitable.
Top dressing and fertilizer	The soil is fertilized from March to October once every two weeks with special liquid formulations diluted in water.
Transfer	An adult plant is transferred to a larger pot every two years after flowering.
reproduction	Three methods are used: propagation by seeds, cuttings, dividing the bush.
Growing features	The indoor plant has retained some signs of a garden plant, therefore it requires special care during the dormant period (temperature not higher than 100C), as well as the formation of a crown.

Hydrangea care at home. in detail

Bloom

At home, blooms in April, if she was provided with a dormant period from October to February.

Since March, the air temperature has been raised to 20 degrees, they begin to fertilize, water and actively spray.

Such procedures allow you to bring the flower out of hibernation, prompting it to bloom.

The bush blooms until November, revealing delicate buds collected in large inflorescences.

Depending on the variety, they are of several types:

spherical;
umbellate;
racemose.

The flowers that make up the inflorescence vary in size. Larger ones bloom at the edge, and small ones fill the center.

Temperature regime

A flower at home needs to maintain the correct temperature regime. If the air in the apartment is hot and dry, then the plant is most likely to lose leaves, and then die. The most comfortable temperature for growth and flowering is 18 - 20 degrees.

Important! When the plant completes flowering, it is moved to a cool room and watering is reduced. At rest, the temperature should not exceed 10 degrees. If the hydrangea is left at normal temperature for the winter, it may not bloom in the spring.

spraying

If kept near batteries or exposed to bright sunlight, she will not feel well. Dry air is detrimental to not. The leaves should be sprayed daily with boiled or filtered water so that it does not leave a white coating on the surface. It is desirable that the spray does not fall on the buds.