To perennial flowering shrubs have successfully survived the cold, they need to be covered for the winter. Such plants include large-leaved hydrangea, the flowers of which practically freeze out and flowering does not occur.
In order for such a bush to become a real decoration of any garden, you need to prune the hydrangea for the winter and properly prepare it for winter.
Description of the plant
Hydrangea is one of the most common flowering plants for garden decoration. In total there are about 70–80 species of this. The shrub can grow up to 2 meters in height.
It is a deciduous bush with erect shoots and egg-shaped leaves bright green color.
The plant begins to bloom in early summer. The flowering period continues until late autumn at proper care. At the ends of the stems are formed lush spherical inflorescences. The color of the lush inflorescences is bright and varies:
- lilac;
- white;
- pink;
- blue;
- red.
Moreover shade may vary optionally, if you change the composition of the soil in which the shrub grows. For example, in sour inflorescences there will be blue color, and with an alkaline soil composition it will bloom pink. A neutral composition will lead to the flowering of beige inflorescences.
Garden varieties differ abundant flowering and quite easy to care for. With these qualities, hydrangea has always attracted lovers of growing flowers. personal plot. To the most popular varieties Hydrangea for cultivation in Russia includes paniculata, tree-like and large-leaved hydrangea.
Most of the care hassle is associated with protecting the plant in winter period. The most winter-hardy is hydrangea paniculata. Varieties of this species are able to survive winter at minus 30 degrees. This is due to the fact that its natural habitat is Sakhalin. To protect it from frost, you only need to cover root system. The plant almost never freezes and withstands harsh conditions, after which it blooms luxuriantly and profusely.
Many gardeners believe that hydrangea is a rather capricious plant and that it definitely needs good winter shelter. This assumption is indeed true, but only partly. It spreads mainly to large-leaved varieties of this plant. Paniculata and tree hydrangea in central Russia they winter well without shelter at all.
Shelter for the winter of tree hydrangea
Tree hydrangea (with corymbose white inflorescences of a greenish tint) needs to be covered for the winter only if the plant is young. Most varieties of this variety tolerate our winter well without any additional shelter, however, large-flowered varieties that have appeared on our market relatively recently need to be at least well covered for the winter. At the same time, you shouldn’t worry about the upper parts of the plant at all, since the flowers of tree hydrangea appear only on young shoots of the new season (even if last year’s shoots freeze, nothing bad will happen). In late autumn, it is recommended to remove non-woody parts of shoots and inflorescences from such plants, since they will not overwinter in any case, but can accumulate large masses snow, which can damage the plant.
Winter shelter for paniculate hydrangea
Larger paniculata hydrangea There is no need to cover for the winter. It is enough just to protect the root system by covering it a little with garden soil. Also late autumn it is necessary to prune, as with tree hydrangea.
Shelter for the winter of large-leaved hydrangea
One of the most capricious is large leaf hydrangea macrophylla. If you neglect the shelter, consider that the blue and pink inflorescences in next year You won't be able to see it. This variety looks very beautiful during flowering, and therefore flower growers make every effort to protect the flower buds.
To cover hydrangeas, shoots growing in different directions are collected into groups (each contains those that grow in approximately the same direction), bent to the ground and secured. Do not be afraid of fractures, as hydrangea shoots are quite flexible. The top of the plant bent in this way is covered with non-woven material (for example, agrospan or lutrasil). Dry leaves that have fallen from healthy trees are placed on top of it and covered with plastic wrap (to prevent it from getting wet). Don’t be afraid that the hydrangea bushes will hide under such cover.
The shelter should be removed no earlier than the end of April or beginning of May, when the threat of return night frosts has passed.
Particular attention should be paid to the first wintering of young hydrangea, regardless of its variety. Towards the end of autumn, trim the seedling to 8 cm (all leaves must be removed). Cover the bush with a dense layer of peat or dry leaves to its entire height, lay several spruce branches on top of the leaves, and cover the shelter with plastic wrap on top (don’t forget to reinforce it with stones on the sides).
It is no coincidence that hydrangeas are called indispensable for landscape design bushes. Modern and romantic, with dense and large inflorescences, they are a true decoration of shady places and practically have no competitors. But no matter how beautiful hydrangeas are, growing them is not so easy. You can achieve colorful flowering of hydrangeas only with careful care. Due to insufficient frost resistance, they need shelter for the winter, which cannot be called simple. However, the sight of the magnificent caps of hydrangea inflorescences is worth all the effort.
Autumn preparation of hydrangeas for shelter for the winter. © Leif Knecht
Preparing hydrangea for wintering
Hydrangeas begin to prepare for winter in September. True, they will not need complex care or special events at all, and such preparation will not take much effort. You just need to remember to stop some procedures in time and carry out others:
- Hydrangeas are only pruned in early spring, but this does not mean that plants do not need attention on the eve of the coldest time of the year. It is better to carry out sanitary cleaning of hydrangeas - remove dry or damaged shoots by treating the cuts with garden varnish or a special protective compound.
- All dry leaves are collected under the bushes and destroyed immediately. In large-leaved hydrangea, in early September it is necessary to remove all the leaves from the lower half of the bush. In this way, lignification of shoots is stimulated and their frost resistance increases. Before the arrival of frost, all leaves on hydrangeas are removed, leaving only the apical ones to protect the flower buds.
- Pruning inflorescences before winter is not such a simple matter. Dry caps of hydrangeas decorate the garden, look great under the snow and are surprisingly touching even when dry. Therefore, if you have no other reasons for cutting and if the hydrangeas will not be completely covered for the winter (that is, they do not belong to the large-leaved variety and the Sargent variety, bushes older than 2 years), then do not remove the inflorescences before winter, but leave them for decoration winter garden. In large-leaved hydrangea, all inflorescences are removed before the onset of frost.
- Since mid-summer, only phosphate-potassium fertilizing has been carried out for hydrangeas.
- From mid-September, watering is stopped for all hydrangeas; moisture-recharging watering before wintering is not carried out for these shrubs. If possible, protect large-leaved hydrangea from excessive moisture by installing a frame with a film over the bushes, which will prevent water from getting under the bushes during rains.
The need for hydrangeas to cover
Of the types of hydrangeas that are suitable for growing in conditions middle zone, only two plants need shelter - Hydrangea largeleaf (Hydrangea macrophylla, or garden hydrangea) and Hortensia Sargent (Hydrangea sargentiana). But in fact, some protection for the winter will be needed and Hydrangea tree (Hydrangea arborescens).
The winter hardiness of hydrangeas changes with age. Whatever type we are talking about, in the first two years after planting, the bushes need to be additionally protected for the winter. More mature bushes, with the exception of the two above-mentioned species, do not even need hilling and winter well.
Covering the hydrangea with a cover. © sunstick Features of shelter for hydrangeas
Unlike others that need protection for the winter garden shrubs With beautiful flowering, hydrangeas are not afraid of damping off. These are heat-loving plants, in the shelter of which almost any materials can be used, even those that do not promote respiration and increase humidity. So, hydrangeas overwinter even under a layer of foliage that gets wet under polyethylene. And such non-capriciousness greatly simplifies the process of sheltering itself.
In hydrangeas, it is necessary to protect, first of all, the flower buds (for example, for large-leaved hydrangea, the main task is to preserve the tips of the shoots). This task is performed only by bending the branches to the ground. But there is no need to be afraid of this: despite their massiveness, hydrangeas are quite flexible and tolerate such inclination very well.
Finding the right time to cover hydrangeas is easy. It is best not to wait until frosts and cover during October, immediately after the first night frosts or on the eve of the start of stable temperature drops below 0. Hydrangeas, unlike many other shrubs, can be covered not in stages, but at a time, but there are holes for ventilation still need to be left until serious frosts. It is better to ventilate hydrangeas during winter thaws.
Shelter of young hydrangeas
Hydrangeas planted this year should be protected for the winter, and, if possible, the plants should be covered in the first two years. True, we are not talking about complex methods shelters: young hydrangeas are content with the most modest measures to compensate for temperature changes and the possible lack of snow.
To prepare the plant for winter in the first years of cultivation, it is enough:
- Hill the base of the bushes with dry soil.
- Mulch the tree trunk with a thick layer of dry leaves.
Hydrangea before sheltering for the winter. © Courtney 
Hydrangea covered with burlap for the winter. © Courtney Tree hydrangea shelter
This type of hydrangea recovers well after freezing and grows back quite quickly. But it blooms better with preventative cover. Hilling - first and mandatory stage. Large bushes of the plant are not bent, but tied to a reliable peg, insulated around with spruce branches.
Sargent's hydrangea shelter
For this type of hydrangea you will need almost the same shelter as for young bushes. But unlike ordinary hydrangeas, Sargent’s crown must be wrapped.
To prepare the plant for winter, you need to:
- Mulch the soil in tree trunk circle dry leaves.
- Hill the base of the bush with dry soil.
- Install over a bush cardboard box or wrap the crown with paper or non-woven materials.
Shelter for large-leaved hydrangea
This is the most difficult type of hydrangea to prepare for winter, which must be protected not only from winter weather surprises, but also from spring frosts and sudden temperature fluctuations with the arrival of warmth. Covering this hydrangea requires not only the timely start of preparation, but also the obligatory tying of the shoots.
To protect large-leaved hydrangea for the winter you need:
- After removing the inflorescences and leaves, collect the shoots of the bush into a bunch and carefully bend them to the ground. They are usually laid on boards or boards to avoid contact with the soil. The branches are secured with twine or any other convenient method.
- The bush, laid on the ground, is completely covered with dry leaves, sawdust, and earth. You can first lay it on hydrangea wooden shield or stretch a layer of nonwoven materials, and only then fill it up. This way you will create several layers of cover with air gaps and protect the plant from any unpleasant surprises from unstable weather. And the shrub will not “directly” come into contact with the insulation, the hydrangea will not get wet, will not become dirty, and the risk of the spread of diseases and pests will be reduced.
- The top of the hydrangeas is covered with plastic wrap, securely fixing it around the edges. Ventilation holes are left in the shelter for ventilation, which are closed only in severe frosts.
- In snowless winters, spruce branches or branches are laid on the film; if there is snow, it is added additionally.
There are other covering strategies for this type of hydrangea:
- Covering with roofing felt. After tying the plant, they do not bend it down, but wrap roofing material around it, creating a kind of cylinder around the crown. The roofing felt is pulled loosely, without squeezing the bush, leaving about 10 cm from the bush to the walls and measuring so that the roofing felt rises half a meter above the hydrangea. There is no need to create several layers: just fold the edges and secure with twine in several places. Dry leaves are poured inside the cylinder, and when severe frosts the top is covered with film or non-woven material.
- Installation around a frame made of strong posts with several layers of non-woven materials stretched and similarly covered with dry leaves. For low bushes, you can “dress” a box or basket on top.
- Covering with spruce branches: the bushes are hilled up, spruce branches are laid under them, and hydrangea branches are bent onto it. The spruce branches are again laid on the bush, and the final layer is made of film or non-woven material, securely fastening it.
Sheltering hydrangeas for the winter. © Rachel the Gardener 
Sheltering hydrangeas for the winter. © Rachel the Gardener Rules for unwrapping hydrangeas
Like other shrubs that need more serious shelter for the winter, hydrangeas must be uncovered gradually, layer by layer. The process of slow deprotection is especially important for grandiflora hydrangea. They begin to remove the shelter with the arrival of the first warmth, removing the film or non-woven material for the day and putting it back in case of recurrent frosts. The leaves with which the plants were covered must be dried in mid-spring. The leaves themselves are removed from the bushes only when the buds on the hydrangea begin to grow. The earth to be hilled is removed last. After removing the soil, the bush is untied immediately, but left for several days before inspection and pruning.
Hydrangea is a shrub ranging in height from one to three meters. Varieties are divided into evergreen and deciduous. In the cold climatic zone cultivation is possible only deciduous hydrangeas
Methods for organizing wintering depend on what variety grows in your garden.
— Treelike, Paniculata– tolerate frost well and recover quickly in spring.
— large-leaved– not resistant to frost. It blooms on last year's shoots, which freeze in winter. Therefore, this variety may never bloom in conditions open ground.
— Himalayan (ground cover)- the most winter-hardy species, requiring minimal shelter for the winter.
— Chereshkova– winter-hardy, does not need shelter during frosts.
Hydrangea in autumn - preparing for winter
How to prepare hydrangea for the winter? — Preparation for wintering this charming flower consists of two stages. The first of these is in autumn period, on the eve of the onset of the cold winter period.
If it rains a lot in autumn, it is better cover plant to excess moisture didn't hit him. To do this, you can place a wire frame over the bush, which is covered with film during rain. The shelter must be made in such a way that moisture does not reach the root system. How less water get roots, the more successful the wintering will be.
Just do not cover the plant tightly so that it does not wither or rot.
In order for new shoots formed in the current growing season to mature and become lignified, feeding hydrangeas. Fertilizer should consist of phosphorus and potassium.
Do not fertilize hydrangeas with nitrogen fertilizers in the fall. This will cause new shoots to grow, which will freeze in winter.
With the onset of cold weather, hydrangea will begin to actively shed its leaves. When a strong cold snap occurs, it is advisable to help her free yourself from the remaining foliage. 
Upper part stems are also pruned in autumn remove all inflorescences. After dropping all the foliage and pruning the shoots, they should be tied up. A mulch layer is poured under the bush; it should cover the base of the bush and cover the entire root system.
How to cover hydrangea for winter?
Purpose of winter shelter hydrangeas - preserving buds on young shoots. Winter care is necessary for hydrangeas, and this is important because flowering is ensured by them (you can learn more about how to care for garden hydrangeas). What's the point of growing a bush that doesn't produce flowers?
Without additional shelter, it can only withstand frosts petiole hydrangea.
Tree hydrangea takes shelter in the first year after. An adult specimen only needs to be hilled; no additional shelter is required. But it is still better to cover some newly bred large-flowered varieties. This is due to the fact that their flowers form on last year’s shoots, and if they freeze, the plant will not bloom.
For other varieties it is required additional cover. It is necessary to cover the hydrangea before the onset of frost, since tender shoots cannot tolerate frosts below minus 5.
They put it next to the bush wooden box, lay shoots on it and cover the entire structure with spruce branches or covering material.
If the bushes are still small, you can completely cover them with earth and top with spruce branches. Alternatively, you can install iron supports around their perimeter and stretch a mesh around it. Dry leaves are poured inside the structure and covered with film on top.
Tall old bushes have shoots that bend poorly, so the methods described for them unsuitable. They are tied and wrapped with covering material. Wire or U-shaped reinforcement is installed crosswise over the bush. The result is a kind of canopy, which is covered with film.
If the bushes are planted in a group, you can make a common shelter for them. With this type of shelter, each bush is mulched. Then iron or wooden stakes are placed around the group in a circle. The structure is wrapped with burlap or covering material. The top is covered with a layer of film or roofing felt.
As they grow older, the frost resistance of hydrangea bushes increases. So over time, you can abandon careful shelter, leaving only mulching roots.
How to help hydrangea recover after winter?
Do not rush to remove the cover from the hydrangea immediately after the onset of the first warm days. Until all the snow melts, there is a risk burn the shoots bright spring sun. In addition, the cover must be removed gradually.
The bush is freed from the film as soon as active snow melting begins. 
As soon as warm weather sets in, it’s time to check how your pet has survived the winter. This is usually done in the middle of May when the threat of spring frosts has passed.
To remove cover, select It's a nasty day so that the bright sun does not burn the shoots. You can even open the bush gradually, removing the cover in the morning and towards evening.
Free the bush from the mulch layer and loosen the soil. If the ground under the bush is too dry, you should water generously it with warm water. You can add a little citric acid to the water.
After opening, the bush is pruned, leaving three to four flower buds on each shoot. It is also necessary to remove dry, frozen stems. For thinning, shoots that have reached four years of age are removed.
Don't cut the shoots too short; you may remove all the flower buds. Pruning must be done before leaves begin to form.
If the bush was damaged during wintering, then it is more advisable to prune it after the first leaves appear. Then you will immediately see which shoots are damaged and need to be completely removed.
After pruning, the bush needs to be fed nitrogen fertilizers. This will give impetus to the growth of shoots and the formation of buds.
Do not feed hydrangea with ash, as it alkalizes the soil and the bush will begin to get sick.
More about how to protect garden hydrangea from diseases and pests, read.
Take care of your hydrangea in winter by building the right shelter for it, and it will give you beautiful blooms in summer.
Photo
Gardeners and landscape designers The hydrangea bush is highly valued because of its beautiful and large inflorescences. The size and quality of the flowers depends on how well the plant is cared for. The main guarantee of their formation is proper protection of their buds in winter.
How to prepare for winter
Preparation for winter is the key not only to the beautiful flowering of hydrangeas, but also to its survival in general. The first step is to cut off all the lower leaves from the shoots. This will help them stiffen, which will make bottom part bush more resistant to cold. It is important to eliminate nitrogen fertilizers before winter and start adding them under the rhizome of the plant. leaf humus. Potassium and phosphorus bait will be beneficial. Each plant variety has its own characteristics when covering for the winter. 
Tree hydrangeas do not require special shelter. They tolerate even the harshest cold well. This is explained by the fact that this variety has a tall, strong and completely woody trunk. It gives her the ability to resist frost and quickly recover from it. In winter, it is recommended to only trim the leaves of the tree-like bush, and the inflorescences can be left to decorate the winter garden.
Did you know?In science, hydrangea is called “hydrangea,” which literally translates as “water vessel.”
When to cover
Preparing the bush for wintering should begin long before the arrival of cold weather. The optimal month to start the whole process is September. By this time, the plants will have already bloomed and will begin to shed their leaves. During October, it is advisable to completely cover them to protect flower buds from low temperatures. When the thermometer is below 0 °C, delicate flower ovaries are at great risk. Although the plant itself is able to survive at temperatures of -25...-35 °C, in the absence of shelter in such cold weather there will definitely be no inflorescences in the spring. 
Shelter of the young
Young bushes are especially sensitive to cold weather, as they have not yet fully matured. To provide them with coziness and comfort, conditions should be created where sudden temperature changes will not be felt and snow will not fall. First thing young plant needs to be protected with large quantity dry leaves.
Important! Cold air should not penetrate under the covering or create a draft.
This will help retain heat at the base of the bush. Next, you need to throw a film or other non-woven material over the hydrangea and cut small holes in it. It must be fixed and pressed tightly to the ground so that the wind does not blow it away. For more reliable protection from snow, you can create a small dome or roof made of cellophane over a young plant.
Paniculata shelter
Paniculata or pink hydrangea quite frost-resistant species. It can withstand frosts down to -35 °C in the absence strong wind. This variety in our latitudes requires minimal shelter for the winter. The best option is the hilling of the beginning of the shoots with a mixture of leaves, soil and peat. If it is often windy in your area, then it is better to tilt the branches towards the ground and fix them. This will provide protection from the wind and retain more heat.
Video: sheltering paniculata hydrangea for the winter
Important!Up to two years, even paniculate hydrangea needs to be wrapped with non-woven material, with bent shoots secured to the ground.
Largeleaf shelter
Large-leaved hydrangea is most whimsical when we're talking about about shelter for the winter. The inflorescences of this plant are large, beautiful and very fragile. To preserve them during cold weather, you need to insulate the bush as much as possible. First you need to clear it of all leaves and trim off dried inflorescences. Next, insulate the rhizome using a mixture of soil and peat, and then lower the shoots to the ground and fix them. Then you need to cover the plant with non-woven material, subsequently pressing it tightly to the ground. Sometimes you can sprinkle snow on top for a better effect.
Video: covering large-leaved hydrangea for the winter
Shelter tree
Tree hydrangea is a wonderful attribute of any garden. It is unpretentious and easily tolerates frosts down to -30 °C. The difference between this variety and others is that it has a thicker trunk covered with rough bark. The shoots are much higher than those of paniculata and macrophylla. In order for tree hydrangea to safely survive the winter and bloom in the spring, it needs to be properly covered.
Did you know? Hydrangeas are unique in that they accumulate aluminum from acidic soil. Thanks to this ability, some species acquire a blue inflorescence color.
How exactly to do this depends on weather and temperature conditions. If the winter temperature does not drop below -15...-20 °C, then the plant can only be covered with earth and leaves. If you often experience cold winds and temperatures below the mentioned range in the area, you should completely cover the bush. Namely: insulate the base of the trunk with leaves, peat and soil, bend the shoots to the ground, cover the hydrangea with non-woven material.
Video: how to properly cover tree hydrangea for the winter
Covering methods
There are many ways to cover plants for the winter. Regarding hydrangeas, the most effective and suitable are covering with spruce branches and fixing bent shoots to the ground. They are the ones who provide the most better protection plants from external threats in winter. Lapnik, or spruce forest - fluffy, green fir branches. They are perfect for insulating hydrangeas, as they retain heat well and protect.
They are used as a covering on the base non-woven material. The spruce branches are folded on top in a small layer to strengthen the structure and protect the plant from the oppression of snow. Fixing bent shoots to the ground is also a great way to protect the plant from wind and frost. It is often combined with spruce branches to provide maximum comfort for the hydrangea. This method consists in lowering the shoots of the bush to the ground. This must be done gradually so that the plant gets used to this position and does not break. It is best to use a board with nails or pegs to tie the branches to. Hydrangea is a decoration for any flower bed. And in order for it to bloom more magnificently and brightly, you need to warm it well in winter. Thanks to simple but important steps, you can grow a bush that will delight you bright colors the entire warm season.