Hydrangea Magical Candle: variety description, 15 photos, gardener reviews, planting and care

Hydrangea Magical Candle

Content:

Description of paniculate hydrangea Magical Candle
Characteristics of the variety
Advantages and disadvantages of Magical Candle
Brief agricultural technology
Rules for planting seedlings
How to care for hydrangeas
Frost resistance and preparation for winter
Reviews from gardeners about hydrangea Magical Candle
Options for using Magical Candle in garden design

Video review of paniculate hydrangea Magical Candle:

A beautiful variety of paniculate hydrangea, characterized by long, abundant flowering and bright inflorescences. Huge, light green porcelain tassels of panicles in the sun's rays create the illusion of a soft glow. Thanks to this effect, the variety was named “MagicalCandle”. Below you can read the description and characteristics of this variety.

Description of hydrangea variety Magical Candle

The compact, lush, erect bush consists of strong brown, fan-shaped shoots. The foliage is bright green, oval-elongated with jagged edges.

The giant caps of the inflorescences are wide-pyramidal, formed from flowers with 4 petals. Under the outer sterile flowers there is a mass of fertile star buds, making the inflorescence very dense and dense. The flowers are fragrant and attract a lot of bees.

Characteristics of the variety

Bush height. The plant grows up to 1.5 m in height.
Bush diameter. The volume shows 130-150 cm.
Growth rate. The variety is fast growing.
Does the bush require support? The shoots hold inflorescences excellently even after rain. Although the caps are saturated with moisture, they do not bend. The bush is tied only for protection from the wind.
Inflorescence size. The panicles are very large, 35-37 cm in length.
Flowering period. Starts at the end of June and continues until frost.
Does the color of the inflorescences change? At the beginning of flowering, the color of the panicles is pale lime, gradually turning into a golden-white color. In mid-autumn, the bush is covered with pink-lilac shedding.
On which shoots does flowering occur?. Panicles form on the shoots of the current year.
Frost resistance zone. On the USDA scale – 4 (from -34°C to -29°C).

Advantages and disadvantages of the Magical Candle variety

The panicle hydrangea variety Magical Candle has a number of advantages over its relatives:

Early flowering, compared to the bulk of panicle hydrangea varieties.
Elongated petals give the flower an unusual shape.
When flowering occurs, the panicle does not turn brown for a long time, maintaining its decorative effect until frost.
The foliage remains bright green until the end of October.

Over the many years of existence, it has not earned any serious complaints among flower growers.

Color of Magical Candle flowers at the beginning and end of flowering

Brief agricultural technology

Growing paniculate hydrangea Magical Candle is quite easy; all you need to do is follow simple planting techniques and provide proper care.

Landing place. The variety is suitable for both sunny and shaded areas (partial shade). In the open sun, the inflorescences quickly acquire a pinkish color. The place where the hydrangea will grow must be protected from drafts.
Landing dates. The best rooting occurs when planted from mid-May to June. In autumn they are planted 1-1.5 months before frost. In the northern regions of Russia, planting is carried out in late spring with the onset of stable warmth.
What soils does he prefer? Lover of fertile, moisture-permeable, loamy, slightly acidic soils.
Watering. The soil and roots of hydrangea must be kept moist. In normal weather, water once a week with 20 liters of water per bush. During drought, moisten twice a week with 20 liters of liquid at a time. In rainy weather, water as needed.
Feeding. Responds positively to organomineral complexes in spring. During the period of budding and flowering, the plant is supplemented with phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium.He loves sour things - sprinkled with whey or rye kvass.
Trimming. The size and number of inflorescences depend on spring pruning. The stronger it is, the larger the panicles will be, but there will be fewer inflorescences, and vice versa. At the same time, the lower shoots located next to the soil are removed.
Mulching. Mulch is a universal tool that increases the acidity of the soil, protects it from moisture evaporation, crust formation and weed growth in the tree trunk. The optimal mulching components for hydrangea are pine (coniferous) litter, bark, and high-moor (acidic) peat.
Reproduction methods. Hydrangea Magical Candle is easily propagated by cuttings, layering, and dividing the bush. A more labor-intensive and long-term process is propagation by grafting and seeds.
Resistance to diseases and pests. With systematic preventive treatments, the variety is rarely affected by diseases and pests. Improper care, hot or excessively damp weather provoke attacks by harmful insects and the appearance of infections. Parasites and diseases are fought with chemicals and folk remedies.
Can it be grown in pots? The fan-shaped shape and size of the inflorescences create difficulties when kept in a container. When growing in pots, it is prudent to keep the plant in a container for the first 2 years, then plant it in open ground.
Wintering. An unpretentious, frost-resistant variety that can withstand severe winters down to -35°C without shelter.

Planting and caring for Hydrangea Magical Candle

A properly planted seedling is the key to healthy growth and development of a green pet.

Selecting a location

Planted in areas with diffused lighting or partial shade, in an area protected from strong winds and drafts.

Loamy, structural, moisture-permeable, slightly acidic soil enriched with organic matter is optimal for hydrangeas. If the soil is alkaline, acidification is required.

Timing for planting seedlings

The optimal time for planting is spring. Planted in sufficiently warmed soil, focusing on weather conditions in the region. Planting is allowed in early to mid-autumn, a month before frost.

Planting a hydrangea seedling

Don't forget to read:

Growing paniculate hydrangeas on a trunk with your own hands ⇒

Landing technology

The operation is carried out according to certain rules:

In the selected area, a planting hole is dug in advance, twice as wide as the earthen ball of a seedling with a closed spacer, to a depth slightly greater than the height of the pot.
Prepare the soil mixture to fill the hole. The excavated soil is mixed with compost, pine litter or peat, and vermiculite (a baking powder for heavy soil) are added. It is useful to immediately apply purchased complex fertilizer for hydrangeas or add 60-70 grams. superphosphate, 20 g. potassium sulfate, 20 gr. urea.
A layer of expanded clay and half of the prepared soil are poured onto the bottom of the pit and watered abundantly.
As soon as the water has been absorbed, a seedling is placed in the center of the hole and covered with the remaining substrate. The root collar is left at ground level or slightly above.
Lightly press down the soil around the bush, water and mulch the tree trunk circle.

For information! When planting a seedling with ACS, the roots are shortened slightly and placed for 2-3 hours in a solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection.

Seedling care

For normal growth and development of hydrangea, simple care is required, thanks to which the plant will delight its owners with beauty and health.

Watering

The variety is moisture-loving, but does not tolerate dampness in the roots.Adult specimens are water feeders and require 15-20 liters of water per week in normal weather. In hot weather, water more and more often - twice a week, 20 liters of water. Humidification is reduced or stopped completely during prolonged rainy weather. For young plants, the portions are reduced by 2 times.

In mid-autumn, to protect the root system from freezing in dry weather, moisture-recharging irrigation is carried out at the rate of 30 liters per plant.

Important! Do not use hard tap water for irrigation; this can cause the development of chlorosis.

At the height of autumn, the inflorescences turn pale pink.

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Top dressing

The amount of fertilizing per season varies depending on climatic nuances, the condition of the plant, and maintenance conditions. The general nutrition scheme for the season consists of 6 stages:

To stimulate active growth, at the end of March - beginning of April, azofoska is added in granules (25-30 g are scattered under the bush).
When the leaves bloom by half (May), use a mixture: 50 g of superphosphate, 30 g of potassium sulfate. Dilute in 10 liters of water, pour under a pre-moistened bush. Feeding is carried out regularly at intervals of 2 weeks until mid-July.
After the leaves bloom before the buds appear. During this period, the phase of active shoot growth begins. Foliar feeding is carried out on the above-ground part of the plant with a solution of Epin (1 ml) and urea (10 g) per 5 liters of water.
The period of bud formation and development. Fertilize the leaves with the following composition: 5 g of magnesium sulfate, 3 g of potassium sulfate, 8 g of ammonium sulfate are diluted in 5 liters of water, and the bush is sprayed.
Flowering phase. A phosphorus-potassium mixture is used (30 g superphosphate, 30 g potassium sulfate). Dissolve in 10 liters of water and pour under a bush.
Preparing for winter. Potassium-phosphorus preparations are given according to the following scheme: for 10 liters of water, take 25 g of potassium sulfate and superphosphate, and water the tree trunk generously.

Important! Root feeding is carried out in pre-moistened soil, foliar feeding in dry weather before 10 a.m. or evening.

Trimming

When growing the decorative variety Magic Candle, you cannot do without trimming the bushes. The procedure contributes to the formation of beautiful visual forms of the plant and the production of new planting material (cuttings).

Spring pruning of hydrangea

Formative pruning is carried out in the spring, before the buds swell. You can cut it later, but one or two upper pairs of buds may dry out due to sap flow. Those that remain lower will grow normally.

The required number of buds is left below and trimmed, following the rule - the more eyes you leave on the shoot, the smaller the inflorescences will form.

Branches the thickness of a finger are left completely, the thickness of a pencil is cut into 3-4 pairs of buds, all thin, frail, and twisted ones are removed.

At the beginning of summer (until June 10), thinning pruning is allowed, which is combined with the preparation of cuttings.

In the fall, remove faded inflorescences, weak branches growing in the center of the bush, and branches damaged during the season.

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Frost resistance and preparation for winter

The Magical Candle variety winters well without shelter in any region of Russia. In areas with a harsh climate, gardeners still play it safe: they bend the shoots of an adult bush to the ground, cover the top with spruce branches, leaf litter, and covering material. It also protects young plants that have not yet matured.

Options for protecting plants for the winter

In order for the crop to withstand severe frosts more easily, it is prepared for winter in the fall:

In September-October, moisture-recharging irrigation is carried out.
Phosphorus-potassium preparations are added to replenish the supply of nutrients.
To protect the roots from freezing, the tree trunk circle is mulched with a thick layer of peat, pine bark, and wood chips.
At the beginning of winter, the base of the bush is covered with snow.

Do not miss:

Growing and caring for paniculate hydrangeas in pots at home ⇒

Reviews of Hydrangea Magical Candle

The beauty of the bush, unusual flowering with changing shades of inflorescences throughout the season, unpretentiousness and high frost resistance encourage gardeners to acquire the Magical Candle hydrangea variety.