What kind of soil is necessary for garden hydrangeas

Sometimes florists call hydrangeas a chameleon, because the colors of the flowering shrubs easily change depending on the pH of the soil. Getting a new specimen, you should not rush to experiment. The seedling should be planted in soil of optimal composition. After the first flowering, you can make adjustments to the pH of the soil mixture.

It should be mentioned that florists successfully grow hydrangeas in both gardens and rooms. The rules of planting, cultivation and care are somewhat different for room and garden shrubs.

What kind of soil does a garden hydrangea need

Hydrangeas can easily cope with the role of the queen of the garden, if you put some effort during the planting of seedlings. There is a perception that the ornamental shrub does not impose high requirements for agrotechnics and care. However, the plant gratefully responds to the right soil composition, delighting with abundant flowering.

Soil for hydrangeas must meet certain requirements on the criteria:

• Mineral composition;
• Level of aeration;
• Water permeability;
• Acidity levels.

Mineral content

The soil mixture for planting hydrangeas should be prepared well in advance of planting the seedling. Once the planting location is determined, a planting hole is dug. On heavy soils, the hole is dug a little deeper than necessary for the arrangement of a drainage layer. As a drainage layer, coarse crushed stone, broken crockery will do an excellent job. A drainage layer will not allow water to stagnate.

Separately prepare the soil mixture for backfilling the planting holes. Nourishing substrate is obtained by mixing equal amounts of chernozem, leaf, sod soil, coarse sand, mulch and peat. As a fertilizer, decomposed manure or superphosphate is added. The resulting soil mixture is poured into the planting pits for two to three months for complete synthesis of mineral and organic compounds.

Soil aeration for hydrangeas

Coarse sand added to the substrate improves soil ventilation. Additionally in the agrotechnics of hydrangeas include loosening the soil, mulching to exclude oxygen starvation of the root system.

Of great importance for the successful cultivation of ornamental shrubs is the water permeability of the soil.

Hydrangeas cannot tolerate heavy loamy soil, which holds moisture for a long time and is prone to swamping. Also, the culture does not take root in sandy areas due to low nutrient content.

Water permeability of the planting substrate is maintained due to the content of peat and sand. These components allow water not to linger in the upper layers, easily penetrate deep, reaching the roots. It is recommended to loosen the surface layer after each watering of hydrangeas.

Acidity level

Hydrangeas prefer moderately acid or weakly acidic soil.

The most suitable pH is 5.5. It is strictly forbidden to lime the soil. The acidity of the soil will gradually decrease as the root system assimilates nutrients, which is a natural process.

Organic and mineral fertilizers acidify the soil. Ammonium sulfate, urea, saltpeter, iron sulfate perfectly raise the pH of the substrate.

If necessary, additional acidification can be carried out by adding ten grams of any food acid to ten liters of water. Hydrangea itself informs the gardener about changes in the acidity of the nutrient medium.

The plant, like a litmus strip, changes the color of its globular inflorescences depending on the level of acidity.

Specimens growing on acidic soil bloom blue, purple and blue. While on an alkaline site, the shrub delights the eye with bunches of pink flowers. White flowering tassels are common to hydrangeas growing in soils with a neutral reaction.

Experienced gardeners use the plant’s unique property to experiment. Soil is acidified on one side of the hydrangea shrub while alkalinizing on the other side to get different color tassels on the same specimen.

Substrate preparation for indoor hydrangeas

Florists who do not have garden plots successfully grow indoor hydrangea. The flowering bush serves as a beautiful decoration of a spacious room or balcony. The indoor hydrangea requires a slightly different composition of substrate than the garden crop.

The optimum soil mixture for a home specimen is prepared by mixing equal amounts of the following ingredients:

• Potting soil;
• Milled humus;
• Crumbled peat;
• Coarse sand;
• Pine needles.

The indoor hydrangea also likes slightly acidic soil, so you should definitely add peat and pine needles. The sand should be preheated in the oven or placed for a few minutes in the microwave.

Choosing a planting container, you should remember that the vase should be wide rather than tall. Indoor specimens form sprawling low shrubs. Wide floor decorative vases are excellent for planting hydrangeas room.

Special attention is paid to the drainage layer and drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. As a drainage mixture use small pebbles, small pieces of Styrofoam, broken tiles. Broken bricks and claydite accumulate moisture and are not suitable for planting hydrangeas. The top layer of soil must be loosened and mulched to maintain an optimal level of aeration of the root system.

Hydrangea room hydrangea is also sensitive to the level of acidity of the soil and responds to experiments with obtaining multicolored spherical inflorescences. Alum, iron sulfate, mineral additives are used as an oxidizer.

In the fall, the plant stops flowering and prepares for winter rest.

The last feeding is carried out in early to mid-September, then gradually reduce watering. The resting period begins in November and lasts until February. During this period, the vase is moved to a cool, lit room, keeping moderate watering. The first fertilizing is done in early to mid-February to wake up the Hydrangea.

Why hydrangeas don’t take root

Despite the general unpretentiousness of ornamental-flowering shrubs, sometimes floriculturists suffer a fiasco. Checking the substrate for acidity will help eliminate the cause of the vegetation stoppage. Hydrangeas, both garden and indoor, react extremely negatively to alkaline soils, high lime content, lack of iron.

Not all hydrangeas will form flower stems on the previous year’s shoots. Inexperienced florists often show irrepressible enthusiasm for pruning the shrub, depriving the plant of flower-bearing shoots. Hydrangeas should be trimmed in early spring, before the buds awaken. Feeding is discontinued in September and watering is maintained until early October, depending on weather and climate conditions.