Hydrangea macrophylla - hortensia.

Hydrangea  is a deciduous shrub which belongs to the hydrangea

ceas family. The one that  concerns us is the variety "macrophylla" which means - large leaves.



It is native to Asia and America and can be higher than 2 meters, even more if grows in an appropiate environment.



Hydrangea needs to be planted in a fresh and shady place, or partial-shade in warmer climates,  as it is not resistant to the strong sun of the summer.



Requires of an acidic, rich  and loose soil, which needs to keep wet, as a lack of water will provoke flowers which will look like shrunk,  and leaves will be languid. Nevertheless, at the same time, it is harmful keep the soil with too much water.



We can prune the branches whose flowers had withered away, leaving two or three buds from the base. At the end of winter we will give a more important pruning, removing those weaker branches, which are deformed and/or which had not being cut before, also leaving two or three buds from the base of the plant and ensuring a harmonious and rounded shape of the plant, at the same  we have to get rid of the branches which come from the roots.



In regard to irrigation, it does not like waters limestones, so if we have to irrigate with this type of water, we will give, approximately every two months, treatments with iron chelate to neutralize this cal.



And to fertilize it, we will put special fertilizers for hydrangeas and acidophilous plants, or special fertilizers to intensify the blue colour of the hydrangeas.



Hydrangea can be attacked by fungi in the case of flooding soil, something which obviously we will avoid at all costs, and watch our plant to combat the possible attacks of snails, or aphids.