Farm Hydrangea, Hydrangea macrophylla - Care & Varieties
- The care of the farmer's hydrangea
- The varieties of the farmer's hydrangea
The farmer's hydrangea, also known simply as garden hydrangea, is our mostly planted hydrangea. Easy to care for and available in many beautiful varieties, in the article you will learn the principles of care and get to know the most important varieties. The hydrangea hydrangea macrophylla is our most popular hydrangea and available in corresponding variety. Get to know the varieties of farm hydrangeas and learn how easy it is to cultivate a farm hydrangea:
The care of the farmer's hydrangea
Farm hydrangeas have evolved as undergrowth in forests, so they like the following locations:
- Soil well drained and humus rich, like clay
- The pH of the soil can be between 5 and 8
- Location in partial shade, shade is usually tolerated
- Farm hydrangeas can also stand sunny, but only with careful irrigation
- Water is important anyway, Hydrangea is Greek "water vessel"
- The many large leaves and flowers consume plenty of water
- Fertilizers receive farm hydrangeas in the growing season from April to August
- Green plant fertilizer with balanced nitrogen-phosphorus ratio
- In the beginning, you hardly need to cut, but the farmer hydrangea grows naturally in a pleasing shape
- Hydrangea macrophylla will form the buds for the next season starting in autumn
- If at some point they need to be braked a bit, the pruning should be done right after flowering
- So that the buds do not freeze in winter, they are covered in the cold
- Exceptions are the newly presented new variety groups that form buds on the shoots of the season
- They can be pruned in the spring, an advantage especially in cold areas, the old shoots give winter protection
- In mild areas, you can also cut these farmer hydrangeas after the first flowerbed, then flowering sooner next season
- Otherwise, you should remove frozen or other causes of malformed / dead shoots
- For young farmer hydrangea always a winter protection is recommended
Hint - Hydrangea macrophylla are sold as hardy with us, but are only "almost hardy", and not everywhere in Germany. They are considered hardy in USDA hardiness zone 6, which only fits in most parts of Germany, the country has zone 5b (colder) to 8b (warmer). USDA winter hardiness zone 6 does not fit everywhere, in addition, this information applies to mature plants, young plants freeze faster, in many regions of Germany it is not a bad idea to cultivate young peasant hydrangeas always or at least the first few years in the bucket.
The varieties of the farmer's hydrangea
Hydrangea macrophylla exists in some varieties, from which many cultivars have been formed, which are divided into three large groups:
1. varieties with the ball-shaped flowers
Our probably most familiar farmer's hydrangea with the big flowers is available in countless varieties, here the best known and their flower colors:
- 'Adria', pink-blue
- , Amsterdam ', dark pink
- , Ankong ', cream to bluish
- 'Ayesha', pink, curved inwards, only for bucket suitable lover
- 'Bavaria', white to bluish
- 'Bela', pink to blue, purple
- 'Bouquet Rose', pink to blue, winter hardiest breed, also blooms on the new wood
- 'Camilla', pink with light border
- , Colorado ', pink
- 'Compacta', pink to bluish red, winter hardier variety
- 'Early Blue', cream to bluish
- 'Elbe Valley', pink to bluish
- 'First White', white
- , Copenhagen ', red
- 'Beacon', red
- 'Mars blue', pale purple to bluish
- 'Mars', red
- 'Mme. Emile Moulliere, white, best of the traditional white flowering varieties
- 'Otaska', pink to blue, winter hardier variety
- 'Red Beauty', red
- 'Renate Steiniger', bluish on a pink background
- 'Rio Grande', pink
- 'Rosita', pink
- 'Beautiful female minion', red
- 'Stephanie', salmon pink
- 'Tivoli', blue-violet white
- 'Tovelit', pink-blue-light blue, narrow, pointed petals, sensitive to frost
- 'Venice', dark pink
- White Spirit, white
- 'You & me Emotion', filled, white-pink to bluish
- 'You & me Passion', filled pink
- , You & me romance ', filled pink
2. Varieties with plate-shaped flowers are also found in the hydrangea hydrangea serrata closely related farm hydrangeas:
- 'Benxi', white
- 'Blue Tit', pink to bluish, strong fake flowers
- Cardinal, red
- 'Dragonfly', white, delicate big fake flowers
- 'Nice', lilac pink to bluish
- , Sweet Dreams', pink
- 'Dove', pink, big fake flowers
3. New variety groups: Flowering on this year's wood, flower buds do not freeze, reliably hardy:
- 'Endless Summer', pink to blue
- 'Endless Summer The Bride', white
- 'Endless Summer Twist-n-Shout', pink
- Everbloom 'Pink Wonder', pink
- Everbloom 'Blue Heaven', bluish
- Everbloom 'Coco', white and filled
- Forever & Ever 'Red'
- Forever & Ever 'Blue', pink to bluish
- Forever & Ever 'Pink'
- Forever & Ever 'Expression', pink filled
- Forever & Ever 'Peppermint', white-pink patterned
Tip - The popular blue color of the flower is only possible for varieties that form the dye delphinidin. Blue leaves the flower only at low soil pH values around 4.5 and with the addition of ammonia alum / aluminum sulphate (3 g in 1 l of water, pour 4 to 5 times once a week during flower budding). If you do not want to change your healthy garden soil for the sake of a farmer's hydrangea or add controversial aluminum, you should pull the blue hydrangea in the bucket.
