Hydrangea Bobo is the smallest shrub of the paniculate genus, reaches only 60-70 cm in height, forms compact bushes in shape resembling a sphere. Bushes grow quickly, so hydrangea blooms are extremely plentiful.
Hydrangea origin
Paniculata hydrangea Bobo, having appeared in Europe in the XVIII century, has earned the recognition of gardeners. Delicate bushes brought from Japan are appreciated for the opportunity to admire the magnificent balls of inflorescences. Breeders from different countries helped a unique shrub fill European gardens.
Hydrangea paniculata Bobo was bred by scientists from Belgium, receiving an award at the Florall flower exhibition for the best new frost-resistant variety. As a result of many years of selection work, this species now has winter hardiness and a variety of colors.
Riot of flowering
Description of hydrangea flower Bobo
The plant is a spherical bush, the shoots are red-brown, the leaves are coarse, oval in shape, green (in the fall they turn yellow), along the edges are denticles. The flowering period is July-September.
Hydrangea Bobo variety blooms early, already in early July, and then it becomes a lush bouquet of medium-sized white inflorescences that are closely adjacent to each other. At the end of summer, the flowers turn a little pink, but Bobo hydrangea remains attractive until late autumn. Despite their small size, they surprise with abundant, phenomenal flowering. Create the effect of compact spherical panicles similar to pyramids.
Wonderful white flowers are attached to hard strong shoots, as they wither, they acquire delicate pink shades. Fruit flowers are small, crumble early, barren flowers are much larger. Panicled Hydrangea Bobo attracts bees, because it is melliferous.
Pink tenderness
Transplant after purchase in open ground
The appearance of perennials and development depends on the season. If you purchase plants during the early spring (March-April), you need to understand that many of them are in the sleep phase. An accurate description of Bobo hydrangea cuttings will help you choose the right planting material. Cuttings usually do not yet have leaves and shoots or just begin to develop. Some have been growing rapidly since March, despite the cold, while others still need warm nights, characteristic of spring-early summer.
What you need for landing
Lush flowering requires fertile humus and constantly moist soil, enriched during planting. Every fall, you need to add granular manure or compost. The plant loves mulching with pine bark.
The bush can not be placed near moisture-loving trees, otherwise they will take all the water for themselves, and Bobo will suffer. The location should be partial shade or sunny, but not very hot. It tolerates not very long drying times, but definitely prefers constantly moist soil.
Important! Bobo is suitable even for lazy gardeners or for those who have little time to work in the garden. The variety does not require special care, so it is not difficult to care for it.
How to choose the best place
Landing is best done in partial shade. The soil should be fertile, slightly acidic, with humus. In sunny places, coniferous trees in silver needles, such as the cypress bear Baby Blue and the juniper Glacier, which will gracefully sit at the foot of Bobo, will be a good company.
During the growth period, it is worth providing the bush with a large amount of water, as well as nutrients.
Step-by-step landing process
Planted panicle hydrangea Bobo in autumn and spring. Its roots are not very deep, but branched, so you need to position the plants no closer than one meter from each other.
- Before planting hydrangeas, it is necessary to dig a hole twice as large as the shape of its root system, fill it with ready-made soil for hydrangeas or, made up with a mixture of its own, half to half of fertile soil and acid peat. To increase soil fertility, it is worth adding ripe compost.
- Plant a clod to the very depth at which it grew in a pot or nursery.
- Tamp tightly so that there are no cracks through which the roots can dry out and water.
In addition, the plant needs to be loosened at least once every two to three months, because it loves the "fluffy" earth.
First flowering after planting
Propagation of hydrangea bobo
Bobo dwarf hydrangea will best tolerate the reproduction procedure in spring or autumn using layering, cuttings and dividing the bush.
The easiest way is division. A bush is dug up and divided by a knife or a sharp shovel into parts with shoots. You can not take the bush completely, but just dig it on one side, dividing it into parts. Transplant one, and leave the second in its place. When planting new young bushes, be sure to water well, and then add root stimulants for better strengthening and growth.
Propagation by cuttings
This is a method of vegetative propagation of plants: the part that is called the cuttings is separated from the mother bush. Obtain root plants that retain the properties of this species and variety. If direct sun rays fall on the cuttings, it is recommended to artificially shade by constructing some kind of cover over them.
You can cut them in the winter, for example, on the veranda or in another cool place.
In June, spring cuttings are cut from young shoots with a heel (part of last year’s growth). And July cuttings can be cut from the non-lignified part of the branches. It is necessary to use the upper parts of the shoots with two internodes, leaf plates are cut inward to reduce moisture loss.
Cuttings
As a primer, use a mixture of peat with sand in a 2: 1 ratio or ground with leaves, onto which a layer of sand is poured.
Important! The condition for caring for cuttings of panicled hydrangea Bobo is to ensure high humidity - frequent watering or artificial fog.
Rooted cuttings are pretty good, the survival rate is high. In cold regions, rooted cuttings are grown in greenhouses, cellars or pots, where it is easier to care for them before they land in the open ground forever.
Bobo Hydrangea Care
Leaving includes regular watering, loosening of the soil, top dressing, cutting and weeding. Hydrangeas are aquatic flowers, they are sensitive to a lack of water. In spring and before flowering, it is good to nourish with mineral fertilizers.
Pruning
After flowering, dry flowers retain their decorative qualities until spring, so they should not be cut. Pruning is carried out in early spring before the start of the growing season every year: dried inflorescences are removed until the first pair of strong buds. Over pruning is not required, as it may result in poor flowering. If the bush is too thick, it is enough to remove the old, weak and curved branches with the root.
Young, recently planted bushes do not require strong pruning. You need to inspect the bush and selectively remove damaged and weak branches. All last year's shoots are cut strongly at the same height: 1-2 pairs of well-educated and healthy eyes.
note! It is imperative to remove all diseased, damaged and intersecting branches that overly thicken the bush.
This procedure is very simple for beginner gardeners, so there is no need to be afraid of it, because even if improperly done, it will not deprive you of all the colors this season. And the lack of cutting will make the plant overgrown with small flowers. The procedure must be performed on a frost-free, clear day with clean, sharpened instruments.
Lignified shoots of larger diameter (more than 1 cm) are recommended to be lubricated with horticultural ointment with a fungicide to limit the risk of infection. Trim all shoots low.
Watering mode
All types of hydrangeas require regular watering, especially on dry sandy soils and in the scorching sun. There should always be a lot of moisture; it is advisable to cover the soil with a layer of mulch roots. This is the main concern for hydrangea. It is best watered early in the morning or late in the evening when there is no burning sun, not protected by cold water. But you can sometimes set up irrigation all day.
Important! In no case do not water with lime-containing water!
Already a small deficit of water causes wilting of both leaves and inflorescences. During the period of growth and flowering, hydrangea is watered daily, the soil should be constantly moist, but not flooded. Remember that when watering you can not pour water on the flowers.
After watering
Top dressing
Hydrangea needs land that is air-permeable and that retains moisture well.
The most common ways of feeding:
- Adding peat and humus - to improve soil properties.
- Potash fertilizers - to increase frost resistance and good flowering.
- Iron and aluminum - in order to acidify the soil and get blue flowers as a result.
It is enough to feed 2 times a year: in the spring - organic fertilizer, in the phase of bud formation - a liquid mixture of urea, potassium and superphosphate. You can also purchase liquid fertilizers, which water the plants every 7-10 days.
note! The last time to feed the plant no later than the end of August.
Features of care during the flowering period
If the culture has thin shoots, then you need to tie them up, especially when mass flowering begins, otherwise the branches may break.
Each owner of a chameleon bush is able to control the color of its flowers, you just need to change the acidity of the soil. To obtain a red-pink gamut, a more alkaline earth should be supported, acidic soil turns flowers into blue-violet.
Features of care at rest
From October to March, the plant rests. Therefore, if you properly prepare it for the winter, no more special care is required.
Preparing for the winter includes the following stages:
- In September, stop watering.
- Do not harbor for the winter. Hydrangeas Bobo winter well in our climate, and there is no need to cover them for the winter, except in the northern regions. There you need to huddle the bush and cover it with a layer of peat and fallen leaves.
- Lower leaves need to be removed when the first frosts strike.
- After the leaves fall, you should tie the bush so that a cone forms.
Winter is coming soon
The range of possibilities for using Bobo in design is very wide. It looks good in small gardens, is planted singly or in groups, it can be an ornament of large plantations on terraces and balconies.
Landscape designers often use flowers in conjunction with many perennials. At this time, rudbeckias, Kolosov lyatra, sage, lavender, sunflowers, echinacea, delphinium, strong aconite, phlox, lilies are blooming. They are recommended to be planted in larger groups near the hydrangea.
Although the plant is considered unpretentious, but still in severe frosts of -35-45 ° C it dies. But even in these difficult climatic conditions of Siberia and the Urals, they found a way to breed panicled hydrangeas of dwarf winter-hardy varieties. However, you should buy seeds or seedlings grown in these regions. Bobo is tested by local conditions and feels great here.
