Hydrangea transplant rules in the fall
Garden work to care for plants is carried out in the warm season. For tree shrubs, an important point is to change the place of growth - this method allows you to keep the bushes in good shape, provide them with a rich soil substrate. Transplanting hydrangeas in the fall requires preparation from the spring.
Transplanting hydrangeas in autumn
Benefits of an autumn transplant
Hydrangea is a beautiful bush with large multi-colored inflorescences that delight the gardener every year. In order for this plant to live longer and be abundantly covered with flowers, it is advised to change its place of growth every 10 years. The first transplant is performed 5-6 years after planting in the ground. The best time to transplant a hydrangea is in the fall.
In the summer, during the period of the greatest flowering activity, a change in location can adversely affect the health of the plant.
They carry out the transfer of adult hydrangea in autumn or spring, when the processes inside the branches are somewhat slowed down.
The advantages of an autumn transplant compared to a spring transplant:
- It is better to replant on time (from late August to early October). In September, ideal conditions for transferring shrubs in the garden. The root system of the plant will have time to adapt, prepare for winter. And in the spring it will be ready for the first flowering.
- At the beginning of autumn, the soil is still warm enough. With the onset of rains, hydrangea should be regularly watered. A gradual drop in temperature will not provoke the appearance of new young shoots that will destroy the frost.
- An autumn transplant goes well with its planned pruning. When performing such work, you can also reproduce the plant by cuttings or division. In the spring, the transfer is limited by various unpleasant consequences if the gardener tries to carry out additional manipulations.
Choosing a place for hydrangea
The best choice of a place for a transplanted bush is similar to the previous one, if the flowering was regular and abundant. Treelike hydrangea prefers loams with neutral or acidic pH, alkaline soil has a bad effect on its metabolism. High humidity will be a plus when transferring the bush to another place. Wetlands are not suitable for planting - water saturation leads to diseases, rotting and death of the root system. Drafts can weaken the hydrangea, so it is better to transplant it in a place protected from the wind.
To transplant a hydrangea in a suitable place in the fall, you need to know the type of shrub. Paniculata and serrata prefer a long stay in the sun, but during the peak of light activity it is better to provide them with partial shade. And Altona large-leaved feels good under the sun only in the morning and evening hours, but does not tolerate the dense shade under the trees. You should also rely on the region where the bush grows - in the north, being in the open sun is not able to greatly harm the leaves and flowers.
Stages of transplanting a bush in the fall
The preparation of the hydrangea pit is carried out 2-3 months before transferring to a new place.
The width and depth of the deepening should be at least 0.5 m. To saturate the soil with useful substances, they pour humus, peat soil and sand in equal amounts, level them with a garden rake. If you plan to transplant several hydrangeas, then around each pit they leave free space within a radius of 1-1.5 m.
It is necessary to prepare the plant. In the spring, a ditch with parameters of 30x30cm is dug around the bush around the perimeter of the end of the root system. Its cavity is filled with compost so that young lateral roots begin to grow in this direction. This will increase the chances of survival of the hydrangea in the fall and early adaptation until spring.
An autumn transplant of a garden hydrangea includes the following steps:
- Drainage is poured at the bottom of the pit - broken brick, pebbles, river sand. Watered with plenty of water a day before transfer. A substrate is prepared, which consists of peat, sand, leafy earth and humus in a ratio of 1: 1: 2: 2. Fertilizer is added to it in an amount of 0.2 g of urea and potassium sulfate and 0.6 g of superphosphate.
- The day before digging up the bush, water it abundantly around the entire perimeter of the root system. They dig up the earth around a depression with compost, where young roots are concentrated, so as not to damage the entire underground part of the plant. Dig up and transfer the hydrangea with a clod of earth to another place.
- The tree-like bush should be placed exactly along the root collar, covered with a prepared substrate. Drizzle a little water under the root. Top with mulch from needles, chopped pine bark.
Hydrangea care after transplant
Once the mature plant has been transferred, it should be watered twice a week prior to the start of the rainy season.
So that the soil better absorbs moisture and to prevent waterlogging, loosening is performed with special tools. Work requires care so as not to damage the roots weakened by new conditions.
Fertilizing the bush before the start of frost is not worth it. Full dressing was carried out already at the stage of preparing the substrate during transplantation. The next fertilization is scheduled for spring, when the sun warms up and thaws.
In the fall, the hydrangea is prepared for winter. Sprinkle with peat around the perimeter of 30-50 cm to ensure the roots from freezing. The branches are covered with foil or other material. The panicle hydrangea or other thermophilic variety is additionally insulated and protected from the wind.
Conclusion
It is necessary to transplant the hydrangea in the fall at home in stages, with preliminary preparation of the future place of growth of the bush and the plant itself. The rules for the safe transfer of varieties with preservation of the root system and the possibility of division are observed. Caring for the plant in the fall after transplanting will ensure lush flowering next year and the growth of young shoots.