- Not all hydrangea varieties require winter covering – some are frost-resistant.
- Garden and oak-leaf hydrangeas are sensitive to low temperatures and need special protection.
- Protect the shoots with agrotextile and the roots with a mound of peat or bark so that the bushes survive the winter.
- Do you want to learn how to properly cover hydrangeas to enjoy their beautiful flowering in spring?
Do hydrangeas need to be covered in winter?
Not all of them require covering and mounding in winter. Climbing hydrangeas and bouquet hydrangeas are resistant to difficult weather conditions and tolerate negative temperatures well. You do not need to specially cover and prepare these species for winter. The situation is different in the case of garden and oak-leaf hydrangea varieties. These varieties, in turn, are very sensitive to temperature changes and do not tolerate the Polish winter well. They require special covering of the shoots and strengthening the protection around the roots. Without this, these varieties of hydrangeas will quickly freeze and begin to wither. In the worst case, the entire bush will freeze and it will not bloom in spring. Sometimes, only individual shoots freeze and should be removed before the growing season.
How to cover hydrangeas?
should be covered in two places. The first one is to protect shoots and stems. In winter, they are exposed not only to negative temperatures, but also to wind and snowfall. Hydrangeas should be thoroughly covered with agrotextile. This is a specialized garden material ideal for covering plants. Agrotextile protects bushes against low temperatures, wind and snow. On the other hand, the agrotextile does not block access to sunlight and water. To cover the hydrangea, start by tightly wrapping the agrotextile around the bush and covering the top with the material. Tie string around the roots. Do this carefully so that the covering does not come undone, but not too tightly so as not to damage the shoots of the bush.
How to protect hydrangea roots against winter?
Covering hydrangea shoots is not the only procedure we should perform before winter. Equally important is mounding, i.e. protecting the roots against cold. When mounding hydrangeas, start by adding an insulating layer around the roots. It can be peat, bark or even collected pine cones. The mound should be about 30-40 cm high. You can put leaves or dry twigs on the top layer. Many people forget that mounds prepared for winter should be removed in spring. You can do this at the turn of March and April, when there are no more night frosts. In spring, you can spread compost around the roots, which will quickly nourish the soil and provide the plant with the necessary vitamins and minerals.
