The Endless Summer® hydrangea is an extraordinary breeding by the American researcher Professor Michael Dirr. Its name “Endless Summer” keeps what it promises, because it shows its distinctive flowers on new and old shoots from May to October. The withered flowers are simply cut off regularly. It is perennial and frost hardy, which pleases many gardeners and hobby gardeners in Germany. Thanks to its uncomplicated care, the pretty and long-flowering ericaceous plant, which grows to a height of between 100 and 120 centimeters, is ideal for beginners.
Location
The plant should, if possible, be placed in a bright to partially shaded location so that it can develop its lush flowers. Even if the new hydrangea tolerates the sun well, it feels most comfortable in partial shade under tall trees, as it is protected from the scorching midday sun. If a location is chosen that is too dark, their growth will be stunted and flowers will rarely, if ever, form. If the location is chosen incorrectly, it can easily be moved in the spring even after a few years without suffering any damage. Due to its fine root system, it grows very well again.
Substrate
The beautiful farmer's hydrangea has shallow roots and therefore depends on humus-rich, nutrient-rich soil. A well-drained, fresh, moist soil that is ideally acidic to produce blue flowers contributes to vitality - with a pH value between 5 and 6. Alkaline substrate is required for the flower color pink. The pH value of the soil can be easily checked with a test kit from the garden center.
Tip:
Make sure that the soil is not too rich in lime, because the Hydrangea macrophylla, as the farmer's hydrangea is botanically called, reacts sensitively to larger amounts of lime, even if its lime tolerance is high. Therefore, improve inadequate substrate with larger amounts of rhododendron soil or good potting soil.
Pouring
The flowering plant needs to be watered daily in spring and summer, including in the evening and in the morning, depending on the weather. Therefore, in dry summers, do not delay watering for too long. In the event of prolonged drought and in locations with direct sunlight, you must ensure that you water extensively. But do not water when the sun is shining and do not water on the leaves.
Always let the top layer of soil dry out between waterings before watering with predominantly soft water without lime content. The water should preferably be rainwater. Nutrient-rich pond water from your own garden pond is also suitable. Allow it to flow over the spout onto the roots of the hydrangea. If you keep farmer's hydrangeas in a pot, be sure to avoid waterlogging.
Fertilize
Endless Summer® is fertilized from March to September, especially after pruning. Rhododendron fertilizer, for example, has proven useful for this. Alternatively, you can also use humus or horn shavings. The plants tolerate large amounts of nitrogen but little phosphorus. Therefore, always pay attention to the composition of the fertilizer if you use complete fertilizer.
The best way to cover the high nutrient requirements is as follows:
- fertilize organically every 2 weeks with horn shavings, coffee grounds, guano or acidic compost
- alternatively administer rhododendron fertilizer with NPK content 7-3-6
- or fertilize in March and June with special long-term hydrangea fertilizer
Planting
The pretty hydrangea variety can be cultivated both outdoors and in a container.
Bucket keeping:
The Hydrangea macrophylla needs a sufficiently large container with a diameter of at least 30 to 40 centimeters to be kept in a bucket. This means the plants are protected from frostbite in harsh winters. In addition, in larger containers the fine roots can spread easily and supply the plant with nutrients better. Long-lasting vessels are made of clay, for example. They also have a beautiful, natural look.
To prevent waterlogging, which is harmful to the roots, add a permeable layer of lava grit, clay shards or fine gravel to the bottom of the container. Cover the vent hole with a larger piece of pottery so that no grit can trickle through. But leave enough space so that the excess water drains away easily. Place a jute fleece over the drainage layer to prevent the plant substrate from mixing with the drainage material. The substrate is now placed on the fleece. After planting the hydrangea, press the soil lightly and then water generously.
Outdoor culture:
The best time for planting outdoors is early spring. The planting hole should be twice as high and wide as the root ball of the plant. This ensures that it takes root more quickly and develops new roots.
Place the hydrangea in the planting hole and fill it with substrate. Just press the substrate lightly and water generously. After that, you need to water regularly for the next 2 weeks so that the plant grows well.
Tip:
If you don't know the exact composition of the soil, use rhododendron soil or soil for ericaceous plants. In any case, you are right.
Planting distance when planting hedges
The Endless Summer® hydrangea not only looks pretty as a solitary plant, but also as a hedge or in a group of plants. The correct planting distance corresponds to half the growth width. When buying, always pay attention to the information on the label or ask at the gardening store, as the different varieties of this pretty breed have different growth widths.
Cutting
Since the flowers of this hydrangea form equally on both older and young shoots, it does not require radical pruning in late autumn or spring. This is where it differs from other representatives of the Hydrangea. Even without pruning, Endless Summer® grows bushy and blooming again the following year.
Regularly cutting out the old inflorescences will also encourage it to continue to bloom. This so-called remounting has the great advantage that the plant blooms diligently until autumn. As soon as you cut off the first dead bloom, new flower shoots will form on the cut branches within 6 weeks.
From the 4th year of planting, this farmer's hydrangea should still be thinned out a little. To do this, completely cut out two thirds of the old shoots. This stimulates the plant to form new shoots and buds.
Wintering
Wintering outdoors:
All Endless Summer® varieties have very good winter hardiness and can withstand temperatures down to -30 °C. Nevertheless, late frosts in spring can cause the flower heads that have developed early to die off. Therefore, cover the hydrangea with jute or linen to protect the flower buds from late frost. If that doesn't help, the plant will still produce new buds a few weeks later.
Wintering in a bucket:
You just need to wrap the plant pot with a special fleece or coconut mat so that the substrate and the root ball of the hydrangea are protected from freezing completely. Otherwise the bucket can remain in its place.
If you want to be on the safe side, you can also overwinter the potted hydrangea indoors:
- best in a large, bright winter garden
- lots of water and enough light
- Avoid waterlogging
- Let the substrate dry a little between waterings
Tip:
Even if the hydrangea seems completely frozen, simply cut back the frozen, brown shoots generously, to the nearest he althy eye, and it will produce flowers on the new shoots that same summer. The plant will continue to bloom even if you cut off all of the shoots close to the ground.
Propagate
The Endless Summer® hydrangea can be easily propagated from cuttings. It is best to propagate cuttings in early summer. This means that the young plants can form sufficient roots before frost sets in.
You will need the following materials and tools to make the cuttings:
- Growing containers, such as simple yogurt cups or flower pots
- a sharp knife
- transparent film or small mason jars
- a glass of water
- Growing substrate or nutrient-poor planting substrate, such as 2/3 sand and 1/3 garden soil
- possibly rooting powder to accelerate rooting
To obtain cuttings, separate young shoots approximately 12 to 15 cm long from the plant in June or July. The shoots must not have any flowers or flower buds. Cut off the front piece of the top pair of leaves of the cuttings and defoliate the shoot halfway from the bottom end. This is necessary to stimulate root formation. In addition, fewer nutrients are required.
Rooting in the cultivation container:
If you want to speed up the rooting of the cuttings, dip the cut surface of the shoots in rooting powder. The powder contains important minerals that promote the rapid growth of fine roots.
It is best to fill the planters before preparing the cuttings so that they are not separated from nutrients and water for too long. Put them individually in pots with growing substrate or in groups of several in boxes. Plant the cuttings very tightly.
The best way to do this is to drill holes in the substrate with a small wooden stick and insert the cuttings with the interface first. Then press the soil lightly and water the cuttings well.
Finally, cover the containers with transparent film so that the young hydrangeas root more quickly. Alternatively, mason jars are also possible. However, don't forget to ventilate so that gray mold doesn't form. The containers should be in light shade and not in the blazing sun so that the soil does not dry out too quickly and the young shoots do not burn.
As soon as roots have formed after approx. 3 to 5 weeks, the young plants can be repotted into larger containers. They won't be allowed outside until next spring.
Rooting in a water glass:
– Fill glass with water
– Cover the water glass with transparent film
– Poke holes in the foil
– Insert cuttings through the holes so that the stems are at least 3 to 4 centimeters in water
After a few days, roots will form at the interface. As soon as sufficient roots have formed, you can plant the cuttings in containers.
Propagation via lowering:
Endless Summer® can also be propagated very well using lowering plants. To do this, choose he althy shoots without flowers or buds. Remove the foliage except for two leaves at the top of the shoot. Then bend the shoot down to the ground and cut the rooting area diagonally with the knife. Now place this part of the shoot in a small depression and fix it. Cover them with soil without covering the top of the shoot. After about 1 year, roots will form. The young plant must remain attached to the mother plant for this long and must not be cut off under any circumstances.
Varieties
- The Bride – white blooming
- Twist’n Shout – flowers blue to pink (hydrangea)
- Bella Anna – pink blooming
- Blushing Bride – white to pale pink flowers
Plant neighbors
Combine the hydrangea with other plants, such as shade grasses, hostas, rodgersias, shade bells, Japanese maple or bamboo. It does not necessarily have to be planted as a solitary plant. The different varieties look just as beautiful next to each other and offer a wonderful display of flowers. However, the accompanying plants should not be too large so that they do not suppress the growth of the hydrangea.
Diseases and pests
The Endless Summer® hydrangea, like other types of hydrangea, can be attacked by various pests.
Spider mites:
These tiny animals are only about half a millimeter long. That's why they can hardly be seen with the naked eye. They often occur in dry summers or overly dry winter quarters. A silvery, shimmering leaf surface caused by air in the empty cells is its distinguishing feature. As soon as you notice leaves like these, you know that spider mites are at work. Small webs can also be seen, which you can make clearly visible with a fine spray of water. The underside of the leaves often has irregular, brownish discoloration. If nothing is done against the spider mites, the shoots turn black and leaves and young branches die.
You can use predatory mites or lacewings to combat spider mites. If you keep hydrangeas in pots, it is advisable that you expose them to high humidity for a short period of time. To do this, water the plant thoroughly and then put foil over the leaves so that the plant is completely covered. If that doesn't help, try using soft soapy water.
Mealybugs
The most difficult things to combat are mealybugs, which are also often referred to as mealybugs. They can be recognized by a fine white web that surrounds them. The animals are around 5 millimeters tall and can be found on all parts of the hydrangea. As they feed on the plant's sap, they release a poison with their saliva that inhibits the plant's growth. This is why the affected leaves turn yellow and ultimately fall off.
The insect pest can be controlled biologically using natural enemies of the mealybug, such as lacewings, ladybirds and parasitic wasps. The beneficial insects, which can be used both outdoors and in the winter garden, can be purchased from specialist retailers.
Aphids
Aphids are insects that are among the so-called weakness parasites. There are around 800 different types of them. They prefer to suck on weak and young shoots. They are only a few millimeters in size but can be seen with the naked eye. In addition, stunted leaves, falling buds and poor growth indicate an infestation.
The sucking insects can be driven away with a bold jet of water. However, if that doesn't help, it makes sense to spray with ecologically compatible treatment products from specialist stores. Regular spraying with nettle or horsetail broth can also prevent aphid infestation.
Conclusion
The Endless Summer® hydrangea is an uncomplicated, frequent flowering hydrangea variety that brings joy with its beautiful flowers throughout the summer and into autumn. Since it is extremely resistant to frost, it can stay in the garden in winter. The last flowers in autumn offer a refreshing eye-catcher. Thanks to its robust nature and undemanding care, it is perfect for beginners.
