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Hydrangea macrophylla
crop cultivation advice
General cultivation information, recommendations, tips & tricks
Best practice, suitable products and more for your Hydrangea macrophylla
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Hydrangea macrophylla is a very popular crop mainly cultivated and sold as decoration for terraces and homes. The aim is to grow compact, well-branched plants with good color and many blossoms. The quality of the plants largely depends on the cultivation method. It usually takes about 1-2 years to cultivate sellable plants from cuttings.
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Hydrangea requires pH around 5.3 - 5.5 for white and pink varieties and even lower (ca 4.5) for blue varieties.
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The cultivation needs a lot of water. Neutral water with a low bicarbonate level is especially suitable.
Osmocote Exact Protect 12-14M base rates are mixed into the growing medium.
Well-developed root system of Hydrangea macrophylla
Stage 1: Cuttings and young plants
Make cuttings preferably in May – June from outdoor mother plants with similar stem-thickness.
Hydrangea develops branches and leaves prior to any root growth which can cause excessive evaporation. Try to avoid any peaks in temperature, humidity and irradiance and maximize the root growth as smoothly as possible. Provide enough water to keep the substrate always moist. Stimulate rooting with 5 g/m2 Peters Professional Plant Starter 10-52-10. Support plant strength during finishing stage with 15 g/m2/week with Peters Professional Plant Finisher 9-9-36. Before transplanting: stimulate roots with 10 g/m2/week Peters Professional Plant Starter 10-52-10.
Stage 2: Vegetation (deliverable Hydrangea in container)
Pot the cuttings in early spring to get the best results. Ensure high humidity for potted plants because evaporation can be enormous, however, be careful with varieties sensitive to mildew. Try to avoid plant stress due to ‘evaporation shocks’. Ensure sufficient levels of trace elements, especially when potted Hydrangeas are grown outside. Spring nights can be cold, causing difficulties with phosphorus and iron availability. Keep EC levels low and stimulate roots with high P fertilizers when pruning the plants. Mix 4 g/l Osmocote Exact Standard 8-9M through the growing media. In the growth phase you can give additional Universol Blue or Universol Green.
Stage 3: Finishing
Customers demand compact plants. Limit the need for growth regulation by stopping water-soluble feeding as soon as plants reach the desired length in August/September. Use potassium-based fertilizers and add trace elements to fulfil the plant’s high nutrition needs, like Universol Basis 4-19-35.
Products
Recommended products for the cultivation of Hydrangea macrophylla
Peters® Professional Plant Starter gives your plants the perfect start in life, so they form stronger, more uniform roots. Also great for stimulating flower bud development.
Peters® Professional Plant Finisher provides optimum nourishment during the final stage of propagation as the finishing touch for maximum results.
Osmocote Exact Protect 12-14M is the ideal solution for your conifers and roses, plus bare-rooted plant and grafted material in autumn and winter pottings between mid-October and mid-January. Longevity is 12 to 14 months.
Peters® Professional Plant Starter gives your plants the perfect start in life, so they form stronger, more uniform roots. Also great for stimulating flower bud development.
Universol® Green has a nitrogen-based N:K ratio (2:1) and is ideal to enhance growth. It contains NPK, Mg and a full package of trace elements. Dissolves fully and quickly thanks to the Bright Solution System.
Universol® Blue is a pure and balanced formula that stimulates vegetative growth. Use as a follow-on from Universol® Yellow. It contains NPK, Mg and a full package of trace elements. The Bright Solution System dissolves the product fully and quickly.
Developed for application using A/B tank systems, Universol® Basis contains NPK, Mg and full trace elements. For hardening off plants, it can also be applied as a stand-alone product.
Developed for application using A/B tank systems, Universol® Basis contains NPK, Mg and full trace elements. For hardening off plants, it can also be applied as a stand-alone product.
Guides & Articles
Learn more about our plant nutrition systems
Q&A
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Yes, you can speed up the cultivation by making the cuttings directly in the final pot (2l).
When you root the cuttings directly in the final pot (C2 liter): start in autumn and put 3-4 cuttings in the pot. Mix Osmocote Exact Protect 12-14M 3 g/l through the substrate. Stimulate the roots with 5 g/m2 Peters Professional Plant Starter 10-52-10. From spring support growth with 20 g/m2/week Universol Blue 18-11-18 or Universol Green 23-6-10. Finish in summer with 15-20 g/m2/week Universol Basis 4-19-35.
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Hydrangeas can suffer from the larvae of Sciara flies during rooting period. Support rooting because the faster the roots are developed, the less problems you will have.
Wine weevil (Othiorhynchus sulcatus) is another common pest. Eliminate the occurrence of the larvae preventively by mixing protection products already into the growing medium. If the adult beetles develop, apply the protection curatively during summer months (evening applications).
Some varieties are sensitive to mildew moulds. Strengthen the leaves by applying the right nutrition. Consider the use of foliar applications.
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