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The hydrangea variety Great Star is very popular among flower growers. True, in order for the plant to actively develop and delight the owners with abundant flowering, it is necessary to provide it with proper care and create certain conditions. Actually, therefore, it is worth figuring out what exactly a flower is and what it needs.
Description of hydrangea Great Star
Breeders bred the panicle hydrangea variety relatively recently, but, despite this, the plant quickly fell in love with flower growers. The snow-white star-shaped inflorescences look very beautiful and can decorate any garden area.
Blooming bush of hydrangea Great Star will be a decoration of the garden
The Great Star panicle hydrangea is a deciduous flowering shrub. She has an extensive root system with a strong branched rhizome, located almost on the surface of the soil. When loosening, you must be extremely careful not to damage it.
The crown of the plant is lush and spreading. Naturally, if you make regular and correct pruning. An adult bush can reach 2 m in height. The Great Star variety is fast-growing, can grow up to 20 cm in one year.
The shoots of the flowering culture are strong and upright, covered with opposite alternate leaves, the color of which is dark green. Due to the beautiful crown, the plant looks very attractive even in the absence of flowering.
Hydrangea Great Star in landscape design
This variety is considered versatile, so the shrub lends itself well to modeling. The plant will look great both in a group flowerbed and in single plantings.
Many growers prefer to plant Great Star near bodies of water. This gives the terrain relief.
Panicle hydrangeas combine well with other varieties of flowering culture and can become the main highlight of a flower garden.
Great Star hydrangeas can be found in parks.
Often with the help of these plants they zone the territory, create a kind of strip, which consists of several varietal varieties.
In any case, wherever the Great Star panicle hydrangea is planted, it will always attract attention and delight people passing by.
Landscape designers prefer to plant the plant in a single or solid pattern on green lawns.
Winter hardiness of hydrangea Great Star
As for winter hardiness, it is good in panicle hydrangea. The Great Star variety calmly survives the winter with temperatures down to -30 ° C. Such indicators help to grow a crop in the middle lane, as well as in Siberia. True, in some regions it will be necessary to insulate the plant.
Planting and caring for the Great Star hydrangea
Growing healthy and flowering Great Star hydrangea bushes can only be done with proper care. This blooming culture is demanding on the conditions of detention. The complex of caring procedures includes watering and feeding, annual plant pruning.
Selection and preparation of the landing site
It is recommended to transfer seedlings to open ground in spring. You need to purchase planting material in pots or tubs.The main thing is that the roots of the panicle hydrangea are in an earthen coma. As for the landing site, it is best to choose an area where partial shade prevails, especially in the afternoon. The Great Star variety tolerates bright sunlight extremely poorly.
The shrub is very picky about the soil, it loves high acidity. Florists must add peat to the hole. A special mixture for azaleas is also suitable for this. You can independently make a nutrient substrate for the Great Star panicle hydrangea, it includes the following components:
- compost;
- leaf humus;
- peat.
All are mixed in equal proportions and introduced into the planting pit. After that, the Great Star seedling is planted directly. The hole is dug to a depth of 50 cm, the width should vary from 6 to 70 cm.
Landing rules
The planting of panicle hydrangea is carried out taking into account some rules:
- The hole should be properly prepared. First, you need to dig a hole, lay a drainage layer of expanded clay or broken brick on the bottom, add a nutrient mixture. After that, thoroughly spill the soil with water.
- Prepare seedlings. It is required to slightly trim the roots and straighten them. After that, place in the center of the hole and cover with earth. The root system of the Great Star hydrangea flower should be located practically on the surface of the soil.
- At the very end, spill water again, and then mulch. This can be done with sawdust, pine needles or peat. In this case, moisture will evaporate much more slowly.
Watering and feeding
The Great Star variety requires proper care. The plant does not tolerate stagnant water, so irrigation procedures must be approached responsibly. In the summer, the flower is watered once every 7-10 days. For each shrub, take 10 liters of water. In dry weather, you can increase the amount of irrigation. It is advisable to mulch the soil, then you do not have to regularly loosen and weed the ground.
Some ground cover crops such as sedum and subulate phlox provide the same effect. They are planted around an ornamental hydrangea shrub.
As for fertilizers, they are applied already at the beginning of May. At this time, it is preferable to use potash and phosphorus fertilizers. You can use ready-made formulations: Agricola Aqua, Crystalon, Compo.
These preparations contain a whole range of nutrients that will provide the plant with everything it needs. For foliar spraying, "Zircon" is suitable. This remedy works especially well on young seedlings of panicle hydrangea.
Pruning the Great Star hydrangea
Hydrangeas Great Star must be pruned, otherwise the shrub may lose its decorative effect, and flowering will be scarce. In addition, the procedure is carried out for other purposes, namely:
- form the desired shape;
- remove old and damaged shoots;
- rejuvenate the plant;
- increase the number of flower buds.
It is necessary to act according to the instructions:
- Remove all panicle inflorescences. Firstly, the dead wood spoiled the appearance, and secondly, the faded hydrangea buds can bend under the weight of the snow and break the twigs.
- Cut off all damaged, dry and improperly growing shoots from flowering shrubs. This sanitary pruning is carried out annually, it serves as a prophylaxis against diseases, and also gives the flower a decorative look.
- Also, if necessary, remove old branches. This procedure helps to rejuvenate the culture.
You will need a sharp pruner to trim the thin branches of paniculate hydrangea.A garden saw is recommended for larger stems. The cut is carried out at a distance of 3-5 paired buds from the base.
Pruning the Great Star hydrangea in autumn will ensure good flowering and a lush crown.
Preparing for winter
Hydrangea Paniculata Hydrangea paniculata Great Star needs to be prepared for the winter period. They begin to carry out activities after the culture has faded. This is done so that the plant can successfully overwinter and not die from frost.
Already in the fall, top dressing is carried out, for this they are ideal:
- potassium sulfate;
- suferphosphate.
You can also purchase ready-made autumn fertilizers. But nitrogen fertilization should be abandoned, they can alkalize the soil, which is not suitable for this crop.
In addition, from the beginning of autumn, the number of watering is significantly reduced, and after a while, any moisture is completely stopped. Before you cover the bushes, you need to prepare them. They do it as follows:
- tie the shoots together and wrap with lutrasil;
- build a mesh frame around the flower, it should be 10-15 cm higher than the plant;
- pour dry foliage inside the structure, this should be done to the top;
- cover the frame with a material with a moisture-proof property.
After that, the panicle hydrangea is ready for wintering. The covering fabric should be removed with the onset of spring, when the temperature will not drop to minus.
Reproduction
The Great Star hydrangea reproduces well enough. Most often, flower growers use cuttings and layering for this. Seeds can also be used, but this method is time-consuming and seed germination rates are low. Any option involves the use of special growth stimulants.
It is worth considering each breeding method in more detail:
- Cuttings are carried out in the summer. To do this, select well-developed cuttings on a bush and cut them off. It is best to take the shoots from the side shoots, they root much better than the upper ones. The green crown is immediately removed from the cuttings. Then they should be soaked in a growth stimulator for 6 hours. And then plant the branch in a container with a nutrient substrate consisting of sand and peat. Cover with foil and wait for complete rooting. Until that time, the greenhouse is ventilated and the soil is moistened.
- Layers are also cut from the side branches of the flower. Then they are planted in a pre-prepared hole and carefully added dropwise. For greater safety, they fix it with metal staples or wire. Throughout the vegetative period, watering and feeding are carried out. By the onset of autumn, a bush of paniculate hydrangea has time to take root well.
- Planting material is sown in late autumn. This will require boxes and a mixture of peat and sand. In the prepared soil, shallow grooves are made, the seeds of panicle hydrangea are placed in them. The container is covered with plastic wrap to create a greenhouse environment. A month later, the first shoots should appear, before that, ventilation and humidification should be regularly performed. After the entrances gain strength, they must be transplanted into separate containers.
These are the main breeding options for the Great Star hydrangea. Each grower will be able to choose the most convenient one for himself.
Diseases and pests
Most often, difficulties during the cultivation of panicle hydrangea arise due to improper care. This may be a lack of nutrients, waterlogging of the substrate. In terms of disease, the Great Star shrub often develops chlorosis when the foliage turns yellow and dries.
Yellow foliage on Great Star panicle hydrangea indicates chlorosis
You can fix the problem by spraying with special means: "Chelat", "Ferovit", "Antichlorosis".
Also, the Great Star hydrangea often suffers from fungal diseases. Some fertilizers that contain iron will help correct the situation.
Major diseases:
- White rot brown spots appear on the foliage.The drug "Fitosporin" is used against it, the sick bushes are treated with a solution.
For white rot, insecticidal agents are used
- Gray rot this fungus can be recognized by the holes in the leaves. You can get rid of it with the help of the Fundazol insecticide. It will be enough to spray the plant.
Holes in foliage are a clear sign of the presence of gray rot on hydrangeas.
- Powdery mildew, the main sign of the presence of the disease is oil stains. Treatment is carried out with soapy water.
Powdery mildew is dangerous for Great Star's panicle hydrangea
As for pests, aphids and spider mites can be found on the bush. In the fight against them, purchased insecticidal products are also used.
Conclusion
Blooming hydrangea Great Star can decorate any garden area. Naturally, if you take care of her correctly. Only under this condition will the plant delight its owners with annual flowering.
