The panicle hydrangea variety Little Blossom (hydrangea paniculata Little Blossom) was recently bred, but many gardeners have already fallen in love for its bright colors and the winter hardiness standard for representatives of this species.

Grade description

Description of Little Blossom:

The name of the flower is translated from the ancient Greek language as "a vessel with water." The plant got its name for its love of moisture.

Landing rules

In order for panicle hydrangea to take up after planting and grow without problems, it should be properly planted.

To do this, you need to correctly:

• choose the platform on which the flower will grow;
• prepare the ground;
• plant hydrangea;
• care after disembarkation.

Important! If immediately after the purchase of planting material there is no possibility to plant it, the seedling should be kept in a dark cool place. The roots of the plant should be in a tank with peat and sawdust, be constantly moistened.

This plant is planted in late spring or early autumn. If the climate in the region is warm enough, hydrangea can be planted in September, it manages to take root before the start of winter. In cold climatic conditions, or if they promise an early and frosty winter, it is better to plant this plant in the spring.

Spring planting should be carried out immediately after the end of the cold weather, as soon as the soil warms up a little. If you plant a seedling with an already formed root system, then you can plant a flower in early summer. The main thing is that the rhizome does not have damage, and on the bush there are several buds and live, not dried up shoots. The height of such a seedling should be about 0.5 m.

Site selection and soil preparation

The area on which the flower will grow should be in a small shadow. It can grow in sunny areas, but then the hydrangea will blossom later and its flowers will not be as lush as usual.

Important! If more than one Little Blossom bush is planted on the site, then the distance between plants must be observed from 0.8 to 1 m.

Soil for rooting is preferable acidic and, despite the fact that the flower is moisture-loving, the water on the site should not stagnate. If there is waterlogging in the territory, drainage should be laid at the landing site. Hydrangea grows well in sandy and loamy soils.

How to plant

To properly plant a plant, follow a simple algorithm:

1. Dig a hole 0.5–0.6 m high and wide.
2. Mix the fertile soil removed from the hole with peat, sand and mineral fertilizing in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1.
3. Set the plant in the middle of the pit and fill it with the prepared mixture.
4. Pour hydrangea liberally (from 10 to 12 liters of water).
5. Fill the space around the flower with humus or peat (the height of the mulch is not more than 5 cm).

Care Features

No unusual conditions for caring for panicle hydrangea are necessary.

The main thing is not to forget about the timely:

• watering;
• feeding;
• circumcision;
• loosening;
• preparation for winter.

Watering and feeding

Little Blossom loves moisture. Watering it should be carried out several times a week. In the summer, 2-3 buckets of water are poured under the bush. If the summer turned out to be especially rainy, you can pour 1 or 2 buckets under the plant. Water must be left standing, especially if it is rainy. With fertilizer, hydrangeas should not be overdone. Little Blossom does not fertilize a year after being planted.

Then top dressing is done three times a year:

• when new shoots appear (complex mineral top dressing);
• when buds are formed (phosphate and potassium sulphide in a ratio of 4: 7 to dissolve in a bucket of water);
• end of August or beginning of September (manure top dressing, better mullein).

Loosening

Be sure to remove weeds that appear around the bush during the summer season. Loosening is performed 3-4 times over the spring-summer period to a depth of 7-10 cm. The radius of loosening around the flower should be at least 50 cm.

Pruning

Flower pruning has two goals:

1. Giving a more decorative look to hydrangea paniculata.
2. Anti-aging plant pruning.

Did you know? In the East, hydrangea is associated with a manifestation of cordiality and sincerity, it is often used as a gift to apologize to loved ones for wrongdoing.

With forming circumcision, branches that grow inside the crown, large shoots that dry out or are damaged are removed from the flower. Removal should be 1-2 cm above the kidney. If the bush is more than 5 years old, it must either be completely cut off or 5-7 main branches should be left. As a rule, the anti-aging effect is to be expected only next year.

Winter preparations

Panicled hydrangea is appreciated by gardeners for their ability to tolerate winter cold. But the bush must be covered with polyethylene or agrofiber. Especially it concerns only the planted flower.

Before this, the earth around the bush must be mulched to a depth of 30–40 cm. For this, sawdust or peat are suitable. If winter promises to be especially cold, then the upper part of the flower must also be protected by wrapping it on top with pine branches or dense material.

Little Blossom is a characteristic representative of its kind, the variety grows and develops beautifully in central Russia, and with proper care, until September will delight owners with large pink flowers.