Hydrangea annabelle
In the summer, when most of shrubs end flowering, Hydrangea Annabelle starts to bloom. It is one of the most popular plants due it’s beautiful flowers and ease of growing.
Hydrangea Annabelle grow as a loose shrub (it is not dense). Its spherical flowers appear in late June and early August.
They are extremely decorative, not only because of the delicate creamy-white shade, but above all because of their size. The inflorescences are made up of sterile flowers only and can reach up to 25 cm in diameter.
The Anabelle hydrangea looks great in a flowerbed among summer-flowering perennials, as well as in the company of rhododendrons or azaleas.
Growing Annabelle Hydrangea
Hydrangea Annabelle prefers sunny to semi shade position. It can withstand frost quite well. In case of frost bite it will release new shoots in spring.
The soil in should be fresh, rich in nutrients, and permeable, with a slightly acidic to alkaline reaction.
Care
Anabelle hydrangea care mainly consists in its regular fertilization and watering in summer, during periods of drought. Hydrangea leaves transpire and breathe intensively, thus vigorously releasing water.
For abundant flowering it requires intensive supplementation with a specialized multi-component fertilizer. It comes in liquid or granular form. The average dose for the liquid form is one cap per liter of water, and for the granulated form – 30 g per bush. Of course, you should always check the fertilizer dose recommended by the manufacturer.
Fertilize Anabelle hydrangeas from March to July latest so that the plant has time to prepare for winter. Of course, mineral fertilization alone is not enough, you also need to take care of the organic matter in the soil. To do this, in spring, after trimming the bush, cover the soil around the plant with compost, gently mixing it with the ground with a hoe or rake.
Due to the rather heavy flowers, the Anabelle tree hydrangea requires the use of supports. You can use special metal supports or bamboo poles available in garden stores.
Pruning
Cutting the Anabelle tree hydrangea is a very important procedure that allows you to enjoy the magnificent flowers and vigorous growth of the bush. That’s why you should do it every year.
Anabelle hydrangea blooms on the shoots of the current year. Therefore, the basic pruning of the Anabelle tree hydrangea should be done in the spring.
In late March or early April, shorten all the shoots that bloomed the previous year. Shorten these shoots low, above the 2-3 eyelets, additionally cutting out all thin, weak or damaged shoots. The shoots trimmed in this way will produce strong shoots ending in inflorescences.
Additionally, in September you should remove any faded inflorescences.
