How to cover a hydrangea for the winter

True, in order for these flowers to please the eye, it is necessary to take care of them quite seriously. Do I need to cover the hydrangea for the winter? Among the species of these flowers, there are also frost-resistant varieties that do not need to be covered, but two types of hydrangeas – large-leaved (or garden) and Sargent’s hydrangea – must be well prepared for wintering. Experts advise to cover tree hydrangea for the winter, as well as for safety reasons all other types of hydrangeas in the first two seasons – the frost resistance of hydrangeas increases with age, and in the first couple of years it is better to play it safe.

Preparation begins long before the first serious cold weather – in September, but this is a simple matter – you just need to follow a certain procedure.

Pruning of hydrangeas occurs in early spring, and in winter it is necessary to do a cleaning, getting rid of dry shoots and treating the sections with a special tool. In order to increase the frost resistance of the plant, in early September, remove all the leaves from the lower part of the bush, and with the arrival of night frosts – all the leaves. Leave only the topmost leaves that protect the flower buds.

In the large-leaved hydrangea and the Sargent variety, also remove all inflorescences in the winter, in other varieties that do not cover for the whole winter, the inflorescences can be left – there is no practical need for removal, but their dried flowers will look good in the winter garden.

Since mid-July, hydrangeas have been fed only with phosphate-potassium. Watering flowers in September should be limited, and for large-leaved plants, create protection from rain by installing a special device under the bushes so that moisture does not get on the bushes – a plastic film is stretched over the wire frame.

• After removing the leaves and inflorescences, carefully, trying not to damage the shoots, collect the plant in a bundle, tie it with twine and carefully bend it to the ground.

• Use boards, plywood or spruce branches so that the hydrangea does not come into contact with the ground, also wrap the bush with non-woven material, then cover it with earth, dry leaves or sawdust.

• Cover with polyethylene on top, fixing it well along the edges so that it does not blow away in a windy winter. Also, polyethylene will protect the plant from moisture.

• If the winter is snowless, it is recommended to lay a layer of spruce branches on top of the polyethylene.

These varieties are frost-resistant, therefore, they do not require such measures as for Sargent’s hydrangea and large-leaved – it is enough just to hill the bushes with dry peat and mulch the near-stem circle with a layer of dry leaves. Then cover the leaves with polyethylene on top so that they are not swept away by the wind.

Deadlines may vary depending on where you live. In the Moscow region and the middle zone of our country, hydrangeas begin to cover at the end of October, when serious frosts come. Accordingly, for residents of the Urals and Siberia, where it gets colder earlier, this period is shifted to the beginning of October, but residents of the southern regions of the country, where the temperature does not drop below -10 degrees in winter, are completely lucky – there is no need to cover their hydrangeas for the winter.

Take your time – open the hydrangea in the spring gradually, in layers. To begin with, with the arrival of the first warm days, remove the polyethylene during the day, but put it back in place in the evening in case of frost. In mid-April, dry the leaves with which the bushes were covered, but leave the leaves themselves – they are removed when the buds begin to grow on the bush. The land that was used for hilling is removed last, after which the bush is untied.