"For shrubs to be more resistant, it is best to plant them in a quiet place in the garden" - Alicja Dominik, Bydgoszcz
Garden hydrangeas are one of my favorite plants. I decided to share my experience in combating diseases and pests of these beautiful shrubs.
My hydrangeas like water, so I make sure they always have a moist substrate. These bushes are quite voracious, so I feed them with acidifying fertilizers every 2 weeks. It also does not hurt to cover the ground with pine bark.
When in winter the temperature drops above -5 ° C, then I protect the hydrangeas with a bark mound 20-30 cm high. Additionally, I cover the shoots with coniferous twigs or agrotextile.
Alicja Dominik
Pests and diseases of hydrangeas
Powdery mildew
A white, powdery coating appears. The disease spreads quickly.
I spray with: Amistar, Baymat or Biosept every 7-10 days 3-4 times. While watering the hydrangea, I do not soak its leaves.
Gray mold
Water-soaked spots appear on flower petals and leaves. Parts of the plants turn brown and rot.
I use popular remedies for fungal diseases.
Leaf spots
Round or oval black spots appear on the infected plant. Sick leaves prematurely die and fall off. The bush grows slower and blooms less. This disease spreads much faster in rainy weather. Infected leaves should be carefully collected and the bush should be sprayed three times, e.g.Bravo or Topsin.
Chlorosis
It manifests itself at first with pale and then yellowing of the leaves. This is the result of an incorrect substrate pH. The soil should be acidified and the bushes should be additionally sprayed with iron chelate.
Aphids
They appear on the stems and in the tops of the shoots. The pests suck the sap from the tissues and the plant weakens. If there is a small amount of aphids on the bush, it is enough to wash them off with a strong stream of water. If that doesn't help, spray them with insecticides such as Decis or Polysect.
Red spider mite
Tissues infested by this mite are covered with a fine mesh of cobwebs. The pest is so small that it is almost imperceptible to the naked eye. Sick leaves dry prematurely. You need to spray both the upper and lower parts of the leaves, e.g. with Talstar.
GARDEN RECIPE
Garden hydrangea is quite easy to propagate. A container with a mixture of peat and sand is enough. We put the cut side shoots of the bush into it. We should carry out such a procedure in June. In spring, we reproduce hydrangeas from dumps. They will take root in about a month.
