Petiole hydrangea, also known as creeping, is an unusual type of garden hydrangea, fundamentally different from such well-known varieties as paniculate or tree-like. In its structure, the plant resembles a vine, which, with proper care, can turn into a beautiful living carpet that can fill any space and take the form of any object.

Petiole Hydrangea - Description of Varieties

The unusual appearance, which can braid trees, green hedges or decorate the walls of the house, is represented by the following popular varieties:

  • Petiole hydrangea Miranda - an aromatic plant characterized by dark green leafy plates decorated with white veins.
  • Cordifolia - plants with inflorescences in the form of small brooms, exuding a wonderful honey aroma.
  • Petiolaris is the highest representative of the species, capable of reaching a length of 25 m, creeping both on the ground and braiding around vertical supports.
  • Curly liana - a distinctive feature of the plant is that white flowers with the help of dye can acquire various colors.

Outdoor landing

Cultivation of a culture on a personal plot involves the creation of favorable conditions for its development, the provision of which begins already at the planting stage.

Site and soil preparation

When choosing a place, the grower must remember that the plant is intolerant of direct sunlight, drafts and soils with an alkaline reaction. The best option would be a site located in a sheltered from the wind place with little shading.The preparation of acidic or slightly acidic soil should be carried out in the fall by adding peat, sand and humus, which will help improve the structure and fertile soil layer, as well as its drainage qualities.

How and when to plant?

For planting, which is preferable to carry out in the spring, two or three year old seedlings are used.

The procedure is carried out according to the following scheme:

  1. Landing pits are excavated with dimensions 2 times the size of the same tanks where the planting material is located.
  2. The bottom is lined with a broken brick drainage layer.
  3. A sapling with straightened roots is placed on the drainage and buried in the extracted soil, taking into account a small deepening of the root neck (maximum 3 cm).
  4. The trunk circle is compacted and watered at the rate of 2 buckets of water per plant.
  5. After drying, the soil is covered with a 7 cm layer of mulch.

Care for petiole hydrangea

Like any other ornamental trees and shrubs, petiole hydrangea needs care from the gardener, expressed in the provision of systematic care.

Watering

Systematic watering of petiole hydrangea is the key to good plant health and high decorative qualities. In the first year after planting, moistening should be carried out weekly for 10 liters under the bush to provide the roots with the necessary moisture, which they can only draw from the surface layer.

Fertilizing and fertilizers

For magnificent flowering and full development under hydrangea, it is necessary to systematically apply organic and mineral fertilizers. In order for the foliage to have a saturated color, it is recommended to fertilize with micronutrient fertilizers, which include iron and magnesium. Fertilizers are applied twice a month during the period of intensive vegetation, starting from mid-spring. For the first feeding, a solution of bird droppings, prepared in a ratio of 1:10, which is rich in nitrogen in an accessible form, is suitable. In the future, you can choose complex fertilizers with a high phosphorus content, which promotes active budding and lush flowering.

Pruning

Hydrangea should be trimmed both for sanitary and formative purposes:

  • Sanitary pruning - the removal of diseased and dry shoots must be carried out in plants of all forms.
  • Formative haircut - representatives developing vertically are subject to trimming. Systematic shortening of shoots stimulates lateral branching.

How to care for hydrangea in autumn, winter

Although hydrangea is a frost-resistant crop that can withstand temperatures as low as -30 ° C, it hides in some cases. Young specimens, as well as hydrangeas growing in the northern regions, are recommended to be protected from prolonged frosts. After the first frosts, the shoots are neatly laid on a wooden surface, after which they are covered with fir spruce branches or fallen garden foliage.

Protection against diseases and pests

Hydrangea has good immunity to harmful organisms, but in violation of the rules of care on the culture, manifestations of gray rot and powdery mildew may be noted. Fungal diseases develop due to excessive watering, especially in rainy weather. The plant can be cured by spraying with a copper-containing fungicide. If hydrangea leaves begin to fade, this is a sign of chlorosis, which is manifested due to an excess of lime in the soil, to which the plant is extremely negative.

Petiole hydrangea can be attacked by pests - thrips, aphids and spider mites. If sucking insects are found, it is necessary to immediately double-treat with an insecticide according to the instructions indicated on the package.

Propagation of petioles hydrangea

At home, hydrangea propagates vegetatively.

Cuttings

In summer cuttings:

  1. Lignified shoots are selected, from which shoots 15 cm long with two internodes are cut.
  2. At the cuttings, the tops are cut off and the lower leaf plates are removed.
  3. Planting material is treated with a growth stimulator that promotes root formation, and then it is buried in a container with a substrate of peat and sand in equal proportions.
  4. Plantings are covered with bottles, which are systematically removed for ventilation and moisturizing.
  5. When the cuttings take root, the protective structures are removed.

Root shoot

If the plant gives abundant shoots, then in spring you can propagate an instance of shoots.

For this:

  • A young shoot digs in and separates.
  • The aerial part of the seedling is shortened to 2-3 buds, and the root is treated with a potassium permanganate solution.
  • Planting material is planted in open ground, where it is abundantly moistened during the rooting period of a month.
  • When new specimens get stronger, you can begin to plant them in the garden.

Layering

In late summer, petiole hydrangea can be propagated by layering.

For the result to be successful:

  1. A shallow groove is made near the selected shoot.
  2. The groove is moistened, after which layering is laid in and pinned.
  3. Before nailing, an incision is made in the area in contact with the ground.
  4. The layer is mulched using peat.
  5. After root formation, noted a month later, planting material is separated from the parent and planted in a permanent place.

So, highly decorative petiole hydrangea can easily become a permanent inhabitant of the garden, since planting and caring for the crop do not cause much trouble.

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