Domestic gardeners have long fallen in love with and “settled” beautifully blooming hydrangeas of various types on their plots - tree-like and oak-leaved, paniculate and petiolate, serrated and large-leaved. But almost every year, new decorative attractive varieties of this plant appear on the market. One of such novelties of recent years is the paniculate hydrangea Vanilla Frazi.
Planting and caring for it are quite simple, and the steps to be followed so that the bush develops well and annually pleases its unique flowering are the same as for other varieties. However, there are some peculiarities and nuances.
General characteristics
Hydrangea paniculata Vanille Fraise is the scientific name of the beautiful Vanilla Fraise variety. Hydrangea is photophilous, but it also grows and develops well in areas with partial shade. This plant does not tolerate calcareous soils well, but on well-fertilized moist and slightly acidic soils it demonstrates all its decorative qualities. If you want to plant such a perennial flowering shrub as Vanilla Frazi hydrangea on your site, its size in adulthood should be taken into account. Indeed, from a small cutting in a fairly short time, a plant with a rounded crown with a diameter of 2 and a height of 1.5 meters can grow out. The paniculate hydrangea of this variety has very decorative young erect shoots of red color. Under the weight of flowers, they bend, thereby giving the bush a spherical shape.
The dense, dark green leaves of Vanille Fraise are oblong, slightly hairy and feel like velvet. The root system of this rather solid adult shrub is small, but rather branched. The plant is frost-resistant and able to tolerate cold snaps down to -290C without shelter. But most experts agree that in the middle lane it is better to cover this hydrangea and prevent the branches from freezing.
Features of flowering
One of the most beautiful paniculata is Vanilla Frazi hydrangea. Planting and caring for it gives results that are striking in their beauty: large, up to 40 cm long and up to 30 cm wide, pyramidal inflorescences resembling a cone with vanilla-strawberry ice cream. This hydrangea blooms from July to September on shoots.current year. A variety such as Vanilla Frazi hydrangea (reviews of flower growers will not let you lie) has flowers that are unique in color. Moreover, at the very beginning of flowering, they are all snow-white, then a dark pink border appears along the edge of the petals. Over time, the bottom of the inflorescence turns into a strawberry-red color, gradually turning into a delicate pink shade. The top of the inflorescences remains white, and only the paniculate hydrangea Vanilla Frazi has this feature. Planting and care (the photo you see below shows this) can help bring out the beauty of this beautiful plant.
The number and size of opening inflorescences directly depend on pruning.
Where can I plant?
As mentioned above, all paniculate hydrangeas, in particular the Vanille Fraise variety, are plants that are quite unpretentious and can grow both in the sun and in partial shade. However, when planting this perennial in a sunny area, it should be remembered that its growth rate will be noticeably lower than in the shade. Such a bush will be quite low, and the inflorescences will be small. In no case should there be limestone soil in the area where Vanilla Frazi hydrangea will be planted.
Planting and caring for this plant will become a pleasure if you plant this perennial in soil that meets the following conditions. It should be:
- slightly acidic or neutral;
- fertile and loose;
- fortified with organicfertilizer;
- moderately but constantly hydrated.
If you decide to plant this beautiful flowering shrub in a shady corner of your property, you will have to constantly ensure that the soil at its roots is loosened all the time. If there is neither the strength nor the desire to engage in loosening all the time, then you can make your life easier by adding a little bit of any mulch to the ground under the hydrangea during the first processing.
When to plant?
In the conditions of the middle lane, spring is the best time for planting, because until autumn the Vanilla Frazi hydrangea will be able to not only adapt, but also take root well. Planting and caring for planted plants are carried out as follows. First of all, 30x30x30 cm holes are dug for each seedling.
There should be a distance of about a meter between them. Before planting a plant, about ½ bucket of peat mixed with rotted compost or humus is brought into each dug hole and spilled with water. Then the hydrangea roots are straightened and placed in a planting hole, after which they are covered with garden soil, without deepening the root collar. Be sure to compact the soil around the roots so that there are no air pockets left.
After planting, the plant should be watered and the topsoil should be loosened gently. If at this time the sun is very bright and hot, then you need to cover the seedling with spunbond or any other covering material to prevent burns.
What to feed?
The first time organic (watermanure solution) and mineral, at best, complex fertilizers for planted hydrangeas at the end of May. After a couple of weeks, you can repeat top dressing, as it will help the plant to bookmark flower buds for the next season.
Under successfully overwintered hydrangea bushes, any nitrogen-containing fertilizer is applied in spring, and in summer they are fed with a solution of infused and fermented grass. You can also use specialized fertilizers for hydrangeas, and if there are none, then use formulations designed for rhododendrons or azaleas. In late summer and early autumn, superphosphate can be applied under the bushes.
Water mode
Paniculata hydrangea Vanilla Frazi, like any other, prefers well-moistened soil. In order for this perennial to develop well and delight with its unusual flowering, it is necessary to prevent the top layer of the earth from drying out. To do this, the surfaces around the bushes are mulched with rotted sawdust or peat. If dry and hot weather is established, then the plant will have to be watered abundantly, 30-50 liters under each bush twice a week. Under normal summer temperatures, it is sufficient to water once every seven days.
How and when to prune?
Most varieties of panicled hydrangea, including Vanille Fraise, need pruning to form a bush. This procedure is carried out in the spring. To do this, leave from 5 to 10 shoots on each plant, shortening them by 2-5 buds. When pruning, it should be remembered that the number and size of inflorescences depend on how strongly youcut the shoots. So, if you cut two pairs of buds below the faded bud, there will be many small buds. In the event that two pairs of buds were left on the branch, then there will be few flower brushes, but they will be large.
In addition, you need to regularly remove dry inflorescences, as this procedure stimulates the appearance of new ones in the next season.
Hydrangea Vanilla Frazi: preparation for winter
Paniculata hydrangeas tolerate our winters well, especially if there are no sudden changes in temperature. A distinctive feature of Vanille Fraise is its high frost resistance down to -290C. And if adult plants can easily survive the harsh winter and only shoots freeze, then young bushes can simply die. In order for your adult hydrangeas to successfully overwinter, it is enough to spud the bushes 20-30 cm in the fall with rotted compost or garden soil. Plants planted in spring should be covered, especially the root circle. For this purpose, fallen leaves of trees or coniferous spruce branches are suitable.
