How to Vernalize Hydrangea

Hydrangea is native to central and southwestern China and Japan. It has a long history of cultivation and is a common ornamental plant that is very popular among people. To care for hydrangeas , they need to be vernalized. Here are some methods to vernalize hydrangeas.

What does vernalization of hydrangea mean?

Vernalization of hydrangea refers to the process in which hydrangea plants that are dormant in winter experience a period of low temperature stimulation, which promotes the differentiation of flower buds, accumulates more nutrients, and increases the number of flowers in the second year. After the temperature warms up in spring, the plant will supply nutrients to the differentiated flower buds to enable them to grow and develop, promoting flowering.

How to Vernalize Hydrangea

1. Vernalization time

It is recommended that winter vernalization treatment be carried out in clear weather from late December to early January. At this time, the weather in South China is cold and rainy.

2. Manual leaf pulling

The vernalization time of hydrangea generally takes 20 to 40 days, but the winter in South my country is short and the temperature is high. When planting hydrangea, it is necessary to manually remove the leaves during the coldest time of winter to force the hydrangea plants into a dormant state and achieve the effect of vernalization as much as possible, so that the flower balls are large and the flowers bloom fully in spring.

3. Water control

When the hydrangea has finished its last batch of flowers, you can start controlling water to catalyze the maturity of the branches, because some varieties of hydrangea, such as large-flowered hydrangea, bloom on old branches. The more mature branches there are, the more flowers the hydrangea will have in the second year. The water control method is also simple. After the hydrangea flowers fade, trim off the remaining flowers, then apply carbendazim on the cut to accelerate the weathering of the cut, and then place the hydrangea in a place with sufficient light to allow it to accelerate the lignification of the branches through photosynthesis. During this period, you can add some water-soluble fertilizers such as Huaduoduo No. 1 to promote the growth of branches and leaves, and also extend the watering interval.

4. Frozen

After winter comes, you can also put hydrangeas directly outdoors to freeze them. In fact, hydrangeas have a high cold resistance. For example, panicle hydrangeas and tree hydrangeas can even survive at minus 20℃ when planted in the ground. After winter comes, placing hydrangeas outdoors can allow them to feel the temperature changes and vernalize, and it can also train branches and increase hardness.

5. Pre-buried thin fertilizer

Hydrangea is relatively cold-resistant. For potted hydrangeas, the soil is completely exposed to the outdoors, and the roots are easily frostbitten due to low soil temperature. To avoid this, the frequency of watering should be reduced when the temperature is too low. When watering the hydrangeas, you should first place the hydrangeas in the sun to raise the soil temperature. When watering, you can add some warm water to the water to raise the temperature, and then water the roots thoroughly.

That’s it