Hydrangea Vanilla Fraze: description with photos, planting and care in open ground

• April 19, 2019
• Flowers
• Kristina Degtyareva

Paniculate hydrangeas have long gained popularity among gardeners around the world. Which is not surprising, because these shrubs look just great, and caring for them is not particularly difficult and does not take much time. The heroine of our article today is the delightful hydrangea paniculata Vanilla Fraze. Planting and care, biological description are presented below. Please note: this variety is quite in demand in the southern regions of our country, but experienced gardeners achieve excellent results even in the northern regions.

History of appearance

Vanilla Fraze was developed in France. The breeding was carried out by specialists from a nursery called Renault. The first work began back in 1989. The breeders were faced with a rather difficult task - they had to get a hydrangea that would quickly change its delicate white color to pink. As a result, several plants were obtained. But the final choice fell on Vanille Fraise hydrangea. This happened in 2003.

Biological description of hydrangea Vanilla Fries and photo

This name fully justifies the color scheme of the inflorescences - a combination of white and deep pink shades. The word fraise can be translated from French as “strawberry”. So what is Hydrangea paniculata Vanilla Fraze? The description is amazing: it is a spreading shrub with powerful and elastic shoots, the height of the plant on average reaches from one and a half to two meters. The shoots have a rich burgundy hue. Along the entire length of the branches there are neat oval leaves.

Hydrangea blooms begin in June and can continue until mid-November. The inflorescences are characterized by a pyramidal shape, each about 30 centimeters long. At the same time, initially the petals are white, but closer to August, hydrangea flowers become bright pink. At the beginning of autumn, the pink tone changes to burgundy-red. The plant blooms in the first year after planting in the ground.

Reviews from gardeners

Daria, 24 years old, Moscow region

I purchased Vanilla Fraze hydrangea for planting at the dacha. The shrub produces many pyramid-shaped inflorescences. The variety attracts with its unusual color scheme. The color scheme of the inflorescences changes from white to burgundy. Our bush is 2 years old, its height reaches 50 cm. 7-8 inflorescences bloom on it. Hydrangea endures winter without shelter. I water the bush every week, and every other day during drought. I additionally feed it with potassium nitrate.

Tamara, 38 years old, Lipetsk

A neighbor advised me to grow hydrangea a couple of years ago. The nursery really liked the variety Vanilla Fraze. I planted it in a sunny place under the window. The shrub blooms for 2-3 months. The petals first have a greenish tint, which changes to white and pink. Color saturation depends on the acidity of the soil. The plant is not afraid of spring frosts.

Natalya, 53 years old, Saratov

Hydrangea is one of the most beautiful shrubs on my site. The Vanilla Fraze variety is especially pleasing with the beauty of its flowering and unpretentiousness. For planting, I dug a hole into which I filled it with forest soil from under the pine tree. Fertile soil was poured on top. With this method of planting, you can do without acidifiers.

Selection of seedlings

Have you decided to plant Vanilla Fraze hydrangea in your garden? Planting and care are very important stages, but there is something more important. This is the choice of seedling! It depends on which plant you choose how it will bloom and whether it will decorate your site. First of all, you should pay attention to the fact that seedlings on sale come with an open or closed root system. Of course, plants with bare roots are cheaper, but they take root less well. Hydrangea roots should be strong, free of damaged areas and mold.

Choosing a place in the garden

In order for Vanilla Fraze to take root on the site and delight with lush flowering for a long time, it is important not only to select seedlings, but also to choose a suitable place. A number of factors should be taken into account: lighting, the presence of other bushes or trees nearby, the presence or absence of wind protection. The ideal option for this variety of hydrangea would be shaded areas, because bright sunlight slows down the growth of the plant and the inflorescences become small.

If your garden does not have a shady area, you can plant hydrangea in the sun, but it will be important to water it frequently and abundantly. Young plants need careful protection from the wind. For such purposes, any buildings, fences or low trees are suitable. You should not plant Vanilla Fraze hydrangea under trees, which absorb all the water. In the northern regions and the middle zone, gardeners recommend planting shoots on the south side.

How to cut and store dried flowers

Use dried hydrangea flowers to create a wreath or other home decorations:

1. Trim the flower heads when the flowers are ripe.
2. Remove leaves from stems and hang flower heads down in a warm, dry, dark, airy room.
3. Once completely dry (usually a couple of weeks), store in a dry place away from direct sunlight.
4. To improve the color of the flower, you can dye the inflorescences with diluted fabric dye.

Soil selection and preparation

Sandy soil is completely unsuitable for this hydrangea, because in it the plant will not receive the nutrients it needs in the required quantity. The best option is neutral soil, but slightly acidic soil is also suitable. If it is still sandy, peat and a large amount of humus should be added to it - this way the soil will retain moisture. Coniferous litter should also be added to any soil. But it is not recommended to use lime, chalk, or ash.

Hydrangea Vanilla Fraze: description of the planting process

Experts recommend planting paniculate hydrangeas of any variety before sap flow begins, in the spring. Autumn planting is also allowed - after leaf fall, but before frost begins.

Boarding order:

1. You need to choose a suitable location. A few weeks before planting the shoots, dig a hole, the diameter of which should be 30 centimeters. If you plan to plant several shrubs, maintain a distance of about 1.5–2 meters between them.
2. Prepare a special substrate for Vanilla Fraze hydrangea - combine two parts of turf soil and peat with one part of compost and the same amount of sand. Add superphosphate (one plant will need 50 grams) and potassium sulfate (30 grams). To deoxidize the soil, you should add fallen pine needles to it.
3. The next stage is pouring the substrate into the hole.
4. After one and a half to two weeks, when the soil has settled a little, you can plant hydrangea. The roots of the seedling should be trimmed and then dipped in any growth stimulator for two hours.
5. Hydrangea Vanilla Fraze is ready to plant. Place it in the hole, straighten the roots thoroughly and carefully cover it with soil. Water the plant immediately after this.

Technology of planting Vanille Fraise seedlings

1. The planting hole should be 30-40 cm wide. If seedlings are planted with an earthen lump from a container, then the hole is made 10-15 cm wider than the lump itself. The recess can be of any shape, but preferably square;
2. When planting several bushes, maintain a distance of 80-100 cm between them;
3. Fill the hole with peat, leaf compost and superphosphate. To give the soil an acidic environment, which this variety loves, a layer of pine needles is laid in the hole. The mound of soil mixture must be at least 15 cm;
4. Before planting, bushes with ZKS are filled with water to make it easier to remove the soil ball from the container. You also need to shorten the roots to 20-25 cm. The shoots should be trimmed so that at least 3-4 developed buds remain;
5. A seedling is placed in the prepared hole and the roots are straightened along the sides of the hill, directing them to the bottom of the depression;
6. Cover the bush with garden soil. The root collar should not be covered with soil; check its location at the planting stage;
7. The bush is watered. You need to pour at least 10 liters of water under each Vanilla Fraze hydrangea seedling. When the moisture is absorbed, the tree trunk area is mulched. As mulch, you can take sawdust from wood, pine needles, hay, and chopped straw.

For spring planting, the optimal time is the 2nd ten days of May, when the threat of frost in the morning has passed.

Note: Advice for gardeners when planting seedlings:

1. When the ground in the selected area is wet or groundwater is close, then drainage is arranged from crushed bricks or gravel;
2. To speed up the adaptation of the bush to a new habitat, growth stimulants can be used when planting. And add sand and agroperlite to the soil;
3. To oxidize slightly alkaline soil, colloidal sulfur is used;
4. If Vanille Fraise hydrangea is already growing on the site, then it is not necessary to buy seedlings. In just one season, you can get your planting material by digging up Vanilla Fraze shoots in the spring. And next year the new bushes will form the first inflorescences.

Watering

Like any paniculate hydrangeas, Vanilla Fraze is moisture-loving, and therefore watering should not be skipped. It is recommended to moisten the soil under the bush at least once a week, but this can be done more often if the soil dries out and a hard crust forms on the surface. About ten liters of water need to be poured under one plant. It should be warm and settled. Please note: the root system of hydrangeas is located too close to the surface, and therefore when watering you should make sure that they are not exposed. Immediately after watering, procedures such as loosening and hilling should be carried out. Before a prolonged drought, it is recommended to mulch the soil with humus or peat.

Use Cases

The Vanilla Fraise variety is appropriate in group plantings, where it goes well with flowering perennials, conifers or other ornamental shrubs. This culture is also good in garden ensembles with other varieties of paniculate hydrangea. This attractive plant is suitable for making hedges and mixborders, where its best place is in the middle tier. Cuffs, hostas and sedum will make wonderful company for the shrub. You can plant Vanille fraise in the center of the flowerbed and surround it with shorter plants. As a single bush, this beauty is an eye-catcher in front gardens, parks, patios and recreation areas.

Fertilizer application

What other procedures are important for shrubs after planting? Hydrangea Vanilla Fraze and its care cannot be imagined without feeding. Nutrients such as organics or mineral complexes are best. Gardeners recommend alternating different types of fertilizers. There is a scheme that should be followed when feeding paniculate hydrangeas:

• kidney swelling;
• the appearance of buds;
• mass flowering;
• preparation for cold weather.

The first feeding, which is carried out at a time when the hydrangea's buds are gaining strength, should be organic. For one part mullein you will need 15 parts water. This solution should be watered directly to the roots of the bushes.

For summer feeding, you should choose mineral complexes. You can purchase ready-made formulations or prepare the fertilizer yourself. This will require 30 grams of potassium salt, ammonium nitrate and superphosphate. The resulting mixture should be dissolved in water. In the fall, it is necessary to “pamper” the plant with potassium sulfate and superphosphate - 30 grams per bush. Please note: before winter you should not apply nitrogen-based fertilizers - otherwise the Vanilla Fraze hydrangea will begin to grow vigorously.

Landing

Hydrangea Phantom - description, planting and care

This hydrangea should be planted only in sunny areas where the bushes will not be exposed to direct sunlight, away from large fruit trees that actively take moisture from the soil. In addition, when grown in bright sunlight, Vanilla Fraze hydrangea will grow less well and the flowers will become smaller.

Hydrangea seedling

Important! Hydrangea is not too picky about soil; the main condition is high acidity. On soils with a neutral or alkaline reaction, Vanilla Fraze hydrangea grows very poorly.

It is best to plant hydrangea seedlings in open ground in the spring, immediately after the snow melts and the ground warms up. The planting holes need to be prepared as follows: their depth and diameter should be about 0.5 m, they are filled with a mixture of garden soil, high peat, humus and pine needles, taken in equal parts. But wood ash is not added during planting and further fertilizing - this perennial shrub does not accept it.

When planting, seedlings are placed in the center of the hole, carefully spreading the roots over the entire diameter. Fill the hole with soil, while the root collar should be 1-1.5 cm above the ground level. Then 10 liters of water are added under each plant and a layer of mulch 4-6 cm thick is laid out in the tree trunk circles. The top layer can be used as a mulching layer. peat, sawdust or fallen pine needles.

Interesting! The size of the trunk circle of an adult Vanilla Fraze hydrangea is approximately 1.5 times larger than the diameter of the crown.

Although this plant is frost-resistant, it is still not recommended to plant seedlings in the fall - the bushes may not have time to take root before the onset of cold weather and may freeze out.

Planting hydrangea

Hydrangea propagates by seeds or vegetative methods: cuttings, layering or dividing the mother bush.

Cuttings should be cut in the second decade of June. Each cutting should consist of 4-6 nodes. Chopped branches should be planted in an acidic substrate consisting of peat and river sand (in a 2:1 ratio). Containers with hydrangea seedlings are placed in a shaded place and covered with polyethylene. In such a mini-greenhouse, seedlings produce roots much faster. Usually, after 25-30 days, the cuttings take root, the film is removed, and the young plants are planted in a previously prepared area.

Reproduction of Vanilla Fraze hydrangea by layering is carried out according to the following scheme:

1. A strong lower stem is selected.
2. It is bent to the ground.
3. It is dug in to a depth of 12-14 cm.
4. The cuttings should be secured in the ground with any special device (some summer residents use ordinary pins for this).
5. Regular watering of the cuttings is carried out.

After 25-30 days, roots appear on the hydrangea cutting; it should be cut off from the mother bush with a shovel or pruning shears and transplanted into a prepared place.

Propagation of hydrangea by cuttings

Hydrangeas are usually propagated by dividing bushes when transplanting an adult bush to a new location. For this procedure, you need to select bushes that are 5-6 years old. The division of the bush is carried out in the spring, in this case the divisions have time to take root in a new place and calmly endure the period of frost. The hydrangea bush is carefully dug up, trying not to damage the root system, and the division process is carried out with a sharp shovel. Each division must have at least 3 buds.

All young plants planted in the spring must be covered for the winter to prevent them from freezing. Coniferous spruce branches are used as shelter.

Trimming

Pruning is necessary in order to give the lush, spreading shrub a neat shape. This event should be carried out in early spring, before the process of sap flow begins. First of all, dry and damaged branches should be removed. The next stage is pruning each shoot.

Pruning will also help to rejuvenate an adult hydrangea - 5-7 branches, the height of which is about 10 centimeters, should be left above the surface of the ground. In summer, paniculate hydrangea should not be trimmed, but dry inflorescences must be removed so that new buds appear.

Protecting plants from pests and diseases

Hydrangea Vanilla Fraze is quite resistant to diseases and pests. One of the few dangers is fungal diseases. If the summer is rainy and cool, the shrub may be affected by rot and powdery mildew. To protect hydrangea, you should promptly treat it with solutions prepared on the basis of fungicides. Gardeners recommend paying attention to such preparations as Topaz, Fundazol, Fitosporin. Hydrangea can also get sick if it lacks nutrients. In such a situation, chlorosis may begin. Identifying the disease is quite simple: it is characterized by symptoms such as yellowing of leaves, their curling and falling. Fertilizers that contain iron will help fight chlorosis.

Vanilla Fraze can attract various pests that feed on the sap of the bush. So if your hydrangea begins to dry out, its leaves fall off, and its growth slows down, check to see if the plant is infected with spider mites or aphids. It is possible that the hydrangea was attacked by snails. What to do if you find pests? First of all, you should use insecticides. “Akarin” and “Tanrek” are perfect. As a preventative measure, experts recommend using folk remedies - infusions prepared with garlic or onion peels.

Preparing for winter

With proper care and preparation for cold weather, paniculate hydrangea of ​​this variety can survive frosts down to -35 degrees! Therefore, in the southern zone, Vanilla Fraze does not need to be covered for the winter. Gardeners from central Russia or northern regions are recommended to protect the plant from freezing by mulching the soil. The thickness of humus or peat mulch should be at least 20 centimeters. In the first two years after planting, hydrangea should be covered with special agricultural material (burlap can be used instead). After snow falls, gardeners recommend throwing a small snowdrift over the bush in order to further insulate it.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Vanilla Fries variety

Advantages:

• abundant and long flowering from July to September;
• beautiful large flowers of calm color;
• resistance to low temperatures, no need to dig up shrubs for the winter;
• perennial cultivation;
• easy reproduction;
• unpretentiousness to the soil.

Flaws:

• frequent watering, especially in dry weather;
• mandatory bush formation.

Reproduction

There are two ways to propagate this delightful shrub. The first is cuttings. It should be carried out in the spring: you need to carefully cut off several shoots (of course, along with the buds), and then dip them in any growth stimulator. Immediately after this, the cuttings can be planted in a flowerbed, and after they take root, they can be planted in a permanent place. Another way is to use so-called layering. At the beginning of spring, the lower shoots should be cleared of leaves and secured to the ground, sprinkled with fertile soil. By autumn, the cuttings will have taken root, which means you can replant them.