Imran Saleem – Page 63

Little maintenance makes these flowers perfect for growing. Hydrangeas produce beautiful and stunning abundant flowers. Different colors of these flowers are blue, vibrant pink, lavender, and frosty white. Sometimes it happens you will see all the colors on the same plant. Most people face the problem of limited space but they want to grow beautiful flowers in their homes. It is not difficult to come close to nature by growing attractive blooms in your house. You can also grow flowers like hydrangeas in containers with little care. Suitable conditions make it possible that In this article, we are going to discuss how you can grow these beautiful blooms in containers. WHY GROW IN A CONTAINER? The main reason for growing plants in a container is limited space. If you are living in a cold area then container gardening is the best option. You can move the containers to provide shelter from harsh weather. Exposure to cold can become the reason for the death of your plants. WHEN TO PLANT HYDRANGEAS? When the last spring frost passed then you can plant hydrangeas. As you are growing these stunning flowers in the container then you can plant earlier because the soil warms earlier in the container as compared to the ground’s soil. But plant them before the temperature rises and the heat of the sun becomes intolerable. BEST VARIETIES OF HYDRANGEAS There are different beautiful and versatile varieties of hydrangeas found in the world. Some varieties are suitable for growing in containers. Moist soil with the sun is needed for thriving hydrangeas. Here are some common varieties which you can grow in your garden. Choose one and fill the colors of flowers in your life. HYDRANGEA macrophylla 'VEITCHII' This variety has large white florets that turn into pink with time. This variety is very delicate to grow. HYDRANGEA ARBORESCENS 'ANNABELLE' This variety has huge domed white and pink flowers. The beautiful huge white flowerheads of Annabelle fade to lime green. HYDRANGEA PANICULATA 'PHANTOM' The large and conical flowerheads of this variety start with white or green after that they turn into pink or even red. HYDRANGEA macrophylla 'JOGASAKI' The color of florets of this variety range from palest pink to icy blue. These flowers will enhance the beauty of your garden after their addition. HYDRANGEA SERRATA BLUEBIRD This variety gives you stunning flowers which change the look of your garden. The pink or blue florets have flat clusters of tiny blue flowers. HOW TO GROW HYDRANGEAS FROM CUTTINGS? You can buy young plants of hydrangeas from any local nursery but you can also prepare young plants from cuttings very easily and transplant them in the desired container. The hydrangeas plants can be grown from cuttings. Cuttings will propagate fast and turn into beautiful flower-giving plants. Following are simple steps of planting cuttings of hydrangeas in a container. You need a branch that is young and has no flowers on it. But the new growth of the branch is lighter than old growth. The stem of this branch will not be rigid.Bury the tip of the branch up to 4 to 5 inches down in the soil of the container. The branch has 3 to 4 pairs of leaves that you are going to plant. You don’t need the lowest pair of leaves. Trim the lowest leaves because this part of the branch is going down in the soil. The roots will emerge from this part of the cuttings. The nodes of the branch where you remove the leaves help in emerging the new roots. If the leaves which you left on the branch are too large then cut them in half. The next step is to dust the bottom part of the stem in rooting hormone and an anti-fungal powder. You can get them from any local garden store. This small step will help in the growth of roots and discourages rotting. Now you need a small pot for your cuttings that are ready to plant. The diameter of the pot must be 8cm and it has drainage holes. Well, drained soil is the secret of healthy plants. The hole at the bottom of the pot drains the soil. Fill the pot with a high-quality moistened potting mix. After filling the pot plant the lower part of the branch in the soil of the small pot. You can remove air gaps around the stem by giving water lightly. For maintaining the moisture, you can cover the pot with a plastic bag but loosely. The leaves of the cuttings should not touch the bags. If it happens then the roots will rot. For air circulation, you can pop up the bag with chopsticks. Keep the pot in that area where it receives direct sunlight and protected from wind and harsh weather. Check the planted cuttings regularly and water them when you feel the soil is dry. The roots will develop within a few weeks. When your cuttings grow taller, you can plant them in a larger container. Choose a dwarf variety for growing in the container. Place the container at that place where it gets 6-8 hours of sunlight. CHOOSING THE RIGHT CONTAINER The most important thing is the size of the container. The roots of the plants need space for proportion and development. The width of the container must be 2 feet. It is suggested that your container has drainage holes at the bottom for the best results. Make sure the container is strong enough to hold the plants easily but not so heavy so you can't move them. If your container has wheels then you can move it anywhere in your home or garden. Your container can be of any material like concrete, wooden, or plastic with drainage holes and a wide base. PREPARING THE CONTAINER It doesn't matter what type of container you chose. First, clean the container and disinfect it before planting hydrangea. In this way, you can avoid the spreading of disease. Now your pot is ready for filling the soil. The high-quality potting soil will produce gorgeous, elegant, and stunning hydrangea flowers. If you want to use garden soil then first do a soil test before using. Leave 2 inches of space at the top of the container and surface of the soil. This is because when you water the plants then water will not come out from the containers. GROWING IN THE CONTAINER Your cuttings are ready for transplantation in new containers. Dig a hole in the container but the size of the hole is according to the small pot in which you are growing hydrangea plants. The depth at which you are planting must be the same as in the old pot. The best place for your container is where it receives full sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon. Now your plants need water to adjust to the new environment hydrangeas are thirsty plants so they need more water. It is necessary to check them daily whenever you feel the soil is dry then water the plants. HYDRANGEA CARE TIPS Hydrangeas like lots of sun and water. If you are growing hydrangea plants indoors then place them in a south-facing window where they get proper sunlight. If you have a balcony then you can place them there where they get proper air and sunlight. Here are some tips which will help you in growing your favorite hydrangea flowers. WATERING Make sure in the first year after planting your plants get plenty of water.These stunning flowers need water at least one inch per week, especially in the growing season. To encourage root growth you should water 3 times a week. This will give you better results. Avoid watering in a shallow manner. If you are growing that variety that has large leaves then they need more water. Keep in mind all the varieties of hydrangeas need consistent moisture so make it possible that they get regular water. In case the soil of the pot or the container becomes dry then the leaves will wilt. All your effort will be lost and you will get no flowers for which you are working hard. You can use a soaker hose for water deeply to your plants which will keep moisture in the soil and your flowers will flourish with sufficient water. Morning is the best time for watering the hydrangeas plants. It will prepare them to tolerate the heat of the day and fight diseases. Adding a layer of organic mulch is another way of retaining moisture in the soil. Mulch helps to improve the soil texture. FERTILIZING If you are growing your plants in a container or a pot then you will get the benefit of maintaining the soil which is not possible if you are growing plants in the ground. If you are using a high-quality potting mix then there is no need for adding fertilizer for the healthy growth of your plants. The reason is that too much fertilizer will encourage leafy growth and you will not get a large number of blooms. If you want to know what is needed by your soil then you should perform a soil test. The type of fertilizer needed by your plants depends upon the variety which is growing in the container. In the same way where the application timing will also be different according to the type of the hydrangeas plants. If the variety which you are growing has big leaves then they need light fertilizer application in March, May, and June.Two applications in April and June will work best for oak leaf and panicle hydrangeas.If you are growing smooth hydrangeas variety then they need an only one-time application in late winter. Read More HOW TO GROW JASMINE INDOORS?BEST FLOWERS TO GROW FOR BOUQUETSHOW TO GROW PEONIES FROM CLIPPINGS?