Every year, breeders offer new varieties of plants that differ in a more interesting shade of inflorescences, resistance to disease, or other properties. One of these is the large-leaf hydrangea So Long Ebony Montmar. The plant is characterized by almost black stems, the ability to change the shade of flowers and resistance to frost. Read more about what this variety is and how to grow it, read on.
Grade description
You should start with the features of the view. All varieties of large-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) differ from other varieties in that their flowers respond by changing the shade to the acidity of the soil. The more acidic it is, the bluer the inflorescences, and if the soil is alkaline, which is not very good for hydrangea, then the flowers acquire a pink color.
Did you know? Hydrangea can be planted on clay acidic soil. Usually it is rich in aluminum salts that enter the plant and give a lilac hue to the inflorescences.
The stems of the So Long Ebony Montmar variety are distinguished by black color - not gray, namely black, which makes the shrub even more decorative. Due to this, it also remains effective even in winter, when the rest of the deciduous plants look dull and faded.
Another positive feature of the variety is that the flowering takes place on the stems of the new year of development and those that bloomed in the previous season. Therefore, the gardener will have the opportunity to admire the flowering 2 times a year - from the beginning of summer, and then the next wave will come in early autumn. Moreover, So Long Ebony Monmar flower buds are not afraid of frost and tolerate severe frosts well.
Main characteristics
Plant height depends on the conditions in which it is grown. The richer the soil and the better the climatic conditions, the higher will be the bush. Moreover, it can reach the same height and width. Therefore, gardeners give it the shape of a hemisphere. Thanks to large leaves and a large number of shoots, the bush turns out to be quite dense. If you think that it is too thick inside, just remove part of the stems to ensure uniform illumination. Most stems are narrow and unbranched. The leaves are quite widely spaced along their length and combine perfectly in color, texture and geometry.
Did you know? Dried hydrangea bouquets can be used to make winter bouquets. Her flowers are strong enough to even be painted without shedding petals.
Botanical description of the plant:
- Name: Hydrangea macrophylla So Long Ebony Monmar;
- type: shrub, deciduous;
- crown: round;
- height: 1.2–1.5 m;
- growth: medium or fast;
- flowering: from June to September;
- leaf shape: elliptical;
- foliage color: green in summer and light yellow in autumn;
- inflorescence shape: flattened hemisphere;
- diameter: 15 cm;
- inflorescence consists of: sterile flowers;
- flower diameter: 2.5-4 cm;
- color: blue, on alkaline soil - pink, when wilted - green, sometimes creamy white;
- soil: moist, well-drained, rich in humus;
- Lighting: sun or partial shade;
- frost resistance: -20 ° C (USDA zone 5b).
Features of planting and flower care
Large-leaved hydrangea is one of the most popular shrubs. Basically, because it can bloom all summer without requiring special care.
Did you know? A sign that the soil acidity is correct is the saturation of the color of the inflorescences. In this case, they will be as bright as possible, but if the acidity is insufficient, then the shades become dull.
For landing you will need:
- Choose a sunny or partially sunny area with rich and well-drained soil.
- Remove weeds and dig up the soil to a depth of 30–40 cm.
- Check the acidity level. To do this, you can use the tester from the gardening store. For hydrangea, the acidity should be pH 5.5 or lower. Pink flowers become already at pH 6.5. If the soil is not acidic enough, then the application of humus, compost or needles in the substrate for planting will give it the necessary acidity.
- Dig a landing hole. It should be 2 times wider than the hydrangea root ball, but not too deep.
- Put the container with the plant on its side and, gently tapping, remove it from there.
- Loosen and straighten all folded roots. Some gardeners recommend cutting them 2 cm to stimulate active growth. If the root system is weak, it must be soaked in a growth stimulator. For example, in Kornevin (1 g of the drug per 1 liter of water). The minimum soaking time is 1–4 hours.
- Place drainage of expanded clay or broken brick at the bottom of the pit. Layer thickness - 20 cm.
- On top of it, place the soil mixture prepared from the seized land along with compost or humus and sand, taken in equal proportions.
- Set the plant in the pit.
- Fill it with soil.
- Pour 1-2 buckets of water.
- The remaining soil can be used to build a round tank around the plant for irrigation.
- Irrigate 2 times a week for the entire first year of growth.
Hydrangea grows well in a sunny area. But if this is the southern part of the territory, then it may suffer from an excess of sun. In this case, install a plywood screen to cover the bush from sunlight in the afternoon. The soil must remain stably moist. The name of the plant in Latin accurately reflects its need for moisture - Hydrangea - "vessel with water." If it is visually noticeable that the soil is dry - pour it to a depth of 30 cm. At this distance, the main root mass is located. After each watering, the soil in the near-stem circle is loosened and weeds are removed.
If there is no way to water more often - place a layer of mulch in the root zone. It can be straw, tree bark, wood chips, needles. Its thickness is 7 cm. This layer will prevent drying of the soil, as well as weed growth. Fertilizers will need to be applied several times per season. The first - in early spring before budding. For the development of shoots and leaves, complex nutrition is needed. It can be compost, humus or other organic matter in the amount of 5-10 kg, made under one bush. Then, in the budding phase, 50–70 g of superphosphate and potassium sulfate are added.
They are also introduced in August, after the bush has finished the growing season, but it remains for him to form and lay the buds for the new development season. The plant is rarely bothered by disease. But if you notice any spots on the leaves, spray with copper-based fungicides - a solution of copper sulfate 0.5%, Bordeaux liquid 1% or another drug. They neutralize phytopathogens and will contribute to the healing of the bush.
If the plant becomes too large, it can be pruned and rejuvenated or divided into 2 bushes. Pruning is done at the end of winter. At this time, the risk of infection with phytopathogens is minimal. Before starting work, wipe the cutting edges of the tool with alcohol and repeat this procedure before proceeding to trim the next plant. In the process, all dry or damaged branches are removed. And once every 3-5 years they carry out rejuvenation, removing old shoots to the ground to stimulate the growth of new ones. It is also acceptable to reduce the length of the shoots by half to maintain the shape of the bush.
If you decide to divide a large bush, then do it in early spring. The plant is dug and removed from the soil. Gently divided so that in each part there is approximately the same number of shoots. Separate pits are being prepared for them in a new place. Planting in the old is not recommended, since pathogenic microorganisms are already present in them, and the soil itself is depleted by the long-term cultivation of a flowering bush in it.
Important! Any cropping — stress for the plant. To reduce it, it is recommended to fertilize with balanced fertilizers after it and abundantly water the bush.
Frost resistance and preparation for winter
In autumn, the fallen foliage is raked and destroyed in the garden, dry inflorescences are cut. For the 5 winter hardiness zones, they necessarily create a winter shelter. For this, a metal mesh is placed around the bush and filled with foliage. Or hydrangea is wrapped in burlap in several layers. This will protect her from the wind and low temperatures. A weakened or young bush can be additionally covered with spruce branches.
So Long Ebony Monmar is resistant to temperatures of -20 ° C and its kidneys are not damaged in this case. But experienced gardeners recommend still providing plants with protection, since usually large-leaved hydrangeas bloom only 3 years out of 5 precisely because of damage to the kidneys.
The root zone is necessarily covered with mulch. To do this, first level the site, if in the spring they made a hole for irrigation. This will not allow water to accumulate near the trunk. Then, when the air temperature drops below 0 ° C, lay the mulch. The layer thickness is 20-30 cm. This will protect the roots from changes in soil temperatures and damage.
Important! Summer application of phosphorus fertilizers at the rate of 25 g of double superphosphate per 1 m² soil will help the shoots to lumber faster and prepare for wintering.
Planting hydrangeas is one of the best options for those who love flowering shrubs. They are distinguished by beauty, elegant inflorescences and give everyone a lot of positive emotions. Even if it is one bush, it will still look elegant. And the variety So Long Ebony Monmar, in addition, has many advantages that distinguish it from other plants on the site.
