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One of the inexpensive, but very effective solutions in landscape design is the use of various types of hydrangea as ornamental plants. Unlike the more expensive and difficult roses or peonies in agricultural technology, this culture has a number of positive qualities. Hydrangea Magic Starlight is one example of such a relatively simple and inexpensive plant that can decorate any garden.
Description of hydrangea Magic Starlight
Hydrangea paniculata Magical Starlight (aka Hydrangea paniculata magical starlight) is a typical representative of the Saxifrage family. This plant has a height of about 1.7 m, and it can be cultivated both in the form of a shrub and in the form of a tree. Hydrangea paniculata Magic Starlight is shown in the photo below:
A distinctive feature of this variety is an almost spherical crown, which, with minimal maintenance, is able to maintain its shape for many years.
The bush does not fall apart and does not require any support or garter. Young shoots are red in color; with age, they become woody, becoming brown. The leaves of the plant are large, green in color, have an elliptical shape and a rough structure.
Panicle type inflorescences reach a size of 20 cm. The flowers leading in them are of two types: sterile and fertile. The latter are somewhat larger.
Sterile flowers are unevenly located in the inflorescence, they are larger than fertile ones and have a characteristic appearance: they consist of four elongated sepals
They are especially decorative and have a star-shaped shape, from which the name of the variety comes from. Flowering is long, begins in mid-June and ends in the third decade of September.
Hydrangea Magic Starlight in landscape design
Due to its spectacular appearance, the Magic Starlight hydrangea is widely used in the design of personal plots. The plant is used as:
- A single object located at a significant distance from other crops. You can use both shrub and standard form.
- Group plantings, as a central component of a flower bed.
- As a hedge element.
- As part of a group planting of similar plants.
In any form, hydrangea Magic Starlight will look spectacular due to the decorativeness of its inflorescences
Winter hardiness of hydrangea Magic Starlight
The plant tolerates severe winters well. Hydrangea Magic Starlight belongs to the fifth zone of frost resistance. This means that wood and buds can withstand frosts of -29 ° C without shelter. It is believed that cold resistance increases with age. Bushes that are more than 10 years old are referred to the fourth zone of frost resistance (-35 ° C).
Unlike other hydrangea species, juveniles are also able to endure cold winters without additional shelter. The only part of a culture that is vulnerable to frost is its root system.
Planting and caring for hydrangea Magic Starlight
Growing this variety is not difficult. Hortense Magic Starlight is not capricious and does not require any special care. It is believed that this variety will be ideal for planting in the country, since the time spent keeping it healthy is relatively short.
Selection and preparation of the landing site
You can use a plot with soil of any fertility, since the Magic Starlight hydrangea is not demanding on the quality of the soil. The only condition is the presence of the sun and the absence of cold winds. Growing a plant in partial shade is acceptable.
Planting is carried out in pits 50 by 50 cm in size, 50-60 cm deep. A layer of drainage and a fertile substrate is laid on the bottom. You can use humus or compost instead. The thickness of the fertile layer must be at least 15 cm.
Landing rules
At the bottom of the pit, a mound is made on which the seedling is installed. Its height should be such that the root collar is slightly above ground level. The roots are spread along the slopes of the mound.
The pit is covered with soil, lightly tamped and watered
Water consumption for planting is 10-20 liters per bush.
Watering and feeding
Watering the Magic Starlight hydrangea is done once every two weeks, while up to 20 liters of water is poured under each bush. It is recommended to increase the frequency of watering up to once every 7-10 days in the first month of flowering.
Top dressing is applied four times per season:
- Early in the season, before bud break. Use organic fertilizers: rotted manure or compost.
- With the beginning of budding. Top dressing is done with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
- After the beginning of flowering. The composition is similar to the previous one.
- Before wintering plants. A complex fertilizer is used for hydrangeas.
All dressings are applied by the root method, they are combined with watering.
Pruning hydrangea Magic Starlight
Pruning is carried out at the beginning of the season, it consists in shortening all shoots to such an extent that no more than 3 buds remain on them. To increase the density of the crown, pruning can be carried out not annually, but once every two years.
Magical Starlight hydrangea bushes are rejuvenated once every 5-7 years. In this case, all branches are cut to the level of one bud.
Preparing for winter
Hydrangea Magic Starlight does not need specific preparation for winter. Even the shoots of the current year are able to withstand frosts down to - 29 ° C without shelter. The only problem is the wintering of the root system of young plants, since it is located relatively close to the ground (at a depth of no more than 25 cm).
In order to preserve the roots of young copies of the Magical Starlight hydrangea, the bushes should be spud
The hilling height is about 50 cm. An alternative is to mulch the soil with sawdust or straw, its algorithm was described earlier.
Reproduction
To propagate hydrangea Magical Starlight, you can use any of the methods: seeds, layering or cuttings. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Seed propagation, like many ornamental horticultural crops, is rarely used. The reason lies, first of all, in the long-term production of adult plants that can bloom.
Reproduction by cuttings is the most popular. As such, they use young shoots of the current year, cut off at the end of autumn. They must contain at least 6 buds. The cuttings are treated with a rooting agent and placed in water for several hours, after which they are planted in a loose substrate. Its base can be different (peat, leafy soil, etc.), but it always contains sand in an amount from 30% to 50% by volume.
Cuttings must be placed in mini-greenhouses until rooting, wrapping the container with them in a plastic bag or covering with a plastic bottle
The soil should be constantly moistened, preventing it from drying out. Every day, young Magic Starlight hydrangeas need to be ventilated.
Rooting usually occurs in 3-4 months. After that, the greenhouses are removed, and the young plants are placed in a warm and sunny place. Planting sprouted and strengthened seedlings in open ground is carried out at the end of the summer of next year.
Diseases and pests
Diseases and pests of the Magical Starlight hydrangea are standard for ornamental horticultural crops. Most often, the plant is affected by fungal infections, and also suffers from aphids, spider mites and root nematodes.
The hydrangea's immune system is strong enough, and diseases with pests rarely attack it. Nevertheless, the preventive measures traditionally carried out at the beginning of the season will not be superfluous.
Protection against fungi involves treating the branches of the plant in early spring with copper sulfate or Bordeaux liquid. About a week after this treatment, the Magical Starlight hydrangea should be sprayed with insecticides. As such, it is recommended to use the drugs Actellik, Fitoverm and Fufanon.
Conclusion
Hydrangea Magic Starlight is one of the few ornamental plants that require little or no maintenance. Relatively compact crowns of bushes and boles do not need pruning for a long time. The use of Magical Starlight hydrangea in landscape design is quite diverse, the plant can be used as a universal one: from a component of flower beds to a hedge. The frost resistance of the variety is high, even young shoots are able to withstand temperatures up to - 29 ° C.
