The hydrangea paniculata (hydrangea paniculata) "Limelight" is a slightly smaller variety of hydrangea than others of the same species. It has a more compact shape and in nature it only grows to 1.8-2.4m, instead of 2.4-4.6m like the rest of the species. It can be grown from climate zone 3 to zone 8 (according to the USDA classification) and withstands low winter temperatures of -40 ° C. If you take care of it properly, it will grow about 1 meter per year, with deep dark green leaves and will bloom profusely all summer long.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Water and Feed the Hydrangeas
Step 1. Water the hydrangea as often as necessary to keep the soil slightly moist during the first year after planting
On average, 0.8-1.7 cm of water two or three times a week should be enough, but this value varies greatly depending on the climate and terrain.
Step 2. Consider the type of soil when watering the plants
If you have planted hydrangea in a slowly draining garden, it may only need to be watered twice a week.
If the soil is sandy and drains quickly, water once every two days as needed when the weather gets warmer
Step 3. Check the soil by poking a finger about 5cm deep before watering
If it feels damp, wait a day or two more.
If the soil is dry, water right away
Step 4. Water the hydrangea more rarely once it has reached the adult stage
After the first year, water the plant once a week, with 11.5-23 liters of water, depending on how quickly the soil drains.
Step 5. Use a porous hose to water the plant, or do it by hand using a watering can to avoid getting the leaves wet
This reduces the likelihood of the hydrangea contracting a fungal disease.
Step 6. Place a 2.5 cm deep plate or can next to the hydrangea
This way you can measure how much water you use in cm when using the porous tube. Check the container periodically.
When the container is full, the hydrangea has received 2.5 cm of water
Step 7. Spread 5-8cm of mulch next to the plant to keep the soil moist by limiting evaporation
When hydrangea does not get enough water, it wilts in the afternoon. If you notice this problem, water right away, check the soil more often, and when it feels dry, give the plant water again.
The plant can wilt even when the soil is too wet. If you notice it wilting but the soil is still wet, don't water it again until the soil dries up
Step 8. Fertilize the hydrangea in spring as new leaves begin to appear
Use a slow-release balanced fertilizer, such as 10-10-10 or 16-16-16 formulas.
This type of fertilizer gives the plant a constant supply of the nutrients it needs
Step 9. Spread the fertilizer on the soil around the plant
It reaches up to 15-30 cm beyond the outer edge of the leaves. This is where most of the roots grow and where you need to apply fertilizer.
Often you will need to use 60-120 ml of fertilizer, depending on the composition of the product. Follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully and don't use too much fertilizer
Step 10. Change the fertilizer if the plant does not bloom
If your hydrangea is producing few flowers, try a 10-30-10 fertilizer next spring. The second number represents the amount of phosphorus in the mixture, a substance that promotes flowering.
- If the leaves in the center of the plant turn yellow, it means they are not getting enough nutrients. In this case, apply 60-120ml of 10-10-10 or 16-16-16 granular quick release fertilizer to give the hydrangea more energy.
- If the hydrangea has a lot of lush, green leaves, but it doesn't bloom, it gets too much nitrogen. In this case, use a fertilizer with a 0-30-10 ratio or similar. The first number on the package represents nitrogen.
Method 2 of 4: Prune the Plant
Step 1. Prune the plant in spring
To stimulate the production of larger flowers, reduce the size and improve the appearance of the hydrangea, you can prune it at the end of winter or in the first days of spring.
The plant produces flowers on new stems every year, so pruning it in the winter or early spring won't reduce the amount of flowers
Step 2. Prune the stems by no more than 10-20% for the first year of the plant's life
You can even avoid pruning them, but you can make them uniform in length if you want, so that the hydrangea looks neater.
When you notice a dead branch, you should remove it at the base
Step 3. Prune the plant more over the years
Once the hydrangea has grown for a year or two, you can prune all the stems to a height of about 6 inches to prevent them from getting too big.
Leave 5-10 main stems on the plant in spring for larger flower clusters. Choose 5-10 new healthy branches to keep and prune the others down to 10-15cm. This way the hydrangea will devote more energy to fewer branches, producing larger flowers
Step 4. Always use sharp hand pruners to prune one branch at a time
Hedge shears tear off leaves and spoil the hydrangea's appearance.
Method 3 of 4: Fighting Vermin
Step 1. Check for parasites on the plant
Hydrangeas of this variety can be attacked by snails, snails, aphids, spider mites, vervets and triffids. Look at the leaves for snail activity. These mollusks chew the leaves, flowers and stems.
Step 2. Fight the snails
If they become a problem, remove them from the plant in the morning and drown them in soapy water, or sink tuna or cat food cans filled with beer into the ground near the plant.
The snails will crawl into the beer and drown. You should place the cans so that the edge is level with the surrounding soil. Check them out every afternoon. Throw the dead snails in the trash, replace the cans and refill them with beer
Step 3. Learn to recognize aphids, triffids, vervets and spider mites
Mites are small, slow-moving, soft-bodied insects of many different colors.
- In reality, mites are tiny arachnids that can barely be seen without a magnifying glass. They create a thin web between the leaves and stems.
- Triffids are also tiny. They are yellow or black and leave black droppings under the leaves, which become dusty when eaten by these insects. Brown streaks usually appear on the flowers.
- Cercopidae are 0.6-0.8 cm long and can be brown, green, or yellow. They deposit a white foam on the branches of the plant.
Step 4. Use water to fight parasites
All insects suck the sap from the leaves and branches. You can usually limit their presence by spraying the hydrangea with a strong stream of water from the pump. Make sure you spray the top of the leaves, the bottom, and the branches.
Step 5. Spray the plant with insecticidal soap if pests continue to cause severe damage to the plant
Make sure you coat the leaves entirely, top and bottom, as well as the branches, until the soap starts to drain. You can find insecticidal soap already diluted in spray bottles or in concentrated form.
- Concentrated insecticidal soap is usually diluted with a ratio of 15 ml per liter of water. Spray the plant in the morning or evening.
- Wet the hydrangea in the afternoon, when the sun is warmer or when the temperature exceeds 29 ° C can cause damage to the leaves.
- Rinse the soap off the plant after an hour or two. The treatment only eliminates the parasites on which it is sprayed. There is no reason to leave it on the hydrangea as it could damage the leaves.
Method 4 of 4: Fighting Diseases
Step 1. Watch out for certain diseases
Botrytis, leaf spots, plant rust and mildew can affect this variety of hydrangea. Botrytis causes brown spots on the petals and causes mature flowers to rot.
- If the weather is cool and humid, brown spots and gray mold may appear on the leaves and branches. If the spots are brown or black they are caused by a fungus.
- Rust is also caused by a fungus coating the leaves with an orange powder-like substance.
- Mold can become a problem for hydrangea. Powdery mildew causes leaves to turn white and dusty, while downy mildew causes yellow spots on the leaves, which also have filamentous gray mold on the underside.
Step 2. Change the way you water the plant to fight these diseases
All the problems described have mycotic origin. To prevent them, do not wet the leaves when watering the hydrangea and do it in the morning so that the leaves dry before evening.
Step 3. Prune the diseased parts of the plant
If the hydrangea gets sick, prune the affected leaves, flowers, and branches right away, then throw them in the trash. Disinfect the shears by soaking them for five minutes in an alcohol-based disinfectant, then rinse them before using them to prune other plants.
Rake up the fallen leaves and debris at the base of the plant and throw those away as well. The fungus spores survive in the dirt and will return to the plant when it rains
Step 4. Fight the bacteria
Bacterial wilt is another disease that can infect this variety of hydrangea. Bacteria infect the plant at the base, disrupting the flow of water and nutrients.
Unfortunately, there is not much you can do if the plant is affected by bacterial wilt. The leaves and stems will wither and the whole plant can die in weeks. If this happens, you can only water it properly. If the ground feels wet, wait for it to dry before trying again. If it's dry, water more often
Advice
- In the first days of summer, the hydrangea begins to bloom, producing clusters of conical flowers 20 cm long, first white, then lime green. During the summer the color of the flowers changes again, becoming pink, then dark pink and finally beige in the first days of autumn.
- The flowers of this hydrangea will not turn blue or pink by changing the pH of the soil.
- Thanks to its multi-season flowering and large size, the "Limelight" variety is an excellent ornamental specimen.
- This plant is too large to be used in the garden around the perimeter of the house, but it is suitable for garden corners and for creating hedges.
- Plant this strain in the fall and make sure it is well ventilated to reduce the likelihood of fungal diseases.
- The plant grows to a width of 1.8-2.4m. By planting it at least 1.2m away from other trees and bushes, it will reach its maximum size.
