The representative dream garden is green and blooming on several levels. With hydrangeas as flowering underplants for trees, the summer garden dream is within reach. This green guide provides valuable assistance in choosing the perfect plant with useful planting and care tips.
Which trees can you plant with hydrangeas?
Trees such as oaks, apple trees, pines, yews and firs are suitable for being planted under shade-tolerant hydrangeas such as ball hydrangea 'Nymphe', plate hydrangea 'Bluebird' and panicle hydrangea 'Dart's Little Dot'. Plant hydrangeas on the outer edge of the tree disc and ensure adequate watering and nutrient supply.
Which trees can you plant with hydrangeas?
Deep-rooters and heart-rooters develop a system of a few, barely branched tree roots. This allows the tree disc to be planted with hydrangeas and other trees and perennials thatcan cope with tree shade All deep-rooted deciduous trees, such as oak and apple trees, as well as conifers such as pine, yew and Fir.
In contrast, shallow-rooted trees are difficult to plant under, such as spruces and birches. The unfavorable lighting conditions under beech trees and the essential oils in the leaves of the walnut tree make life difficult for any underplanting.
Which hydrangeas are suitable for planting under trees?
As shallow-rooted trees, allshade-tolerant hydrangeas are suitable for decorative planting under trees. These premium varieties develop their furious floral splendor even in the light shadows cast by a treetop:
- Ball hydrangea 'Nymph' (Hydrangea macrophylla) boasts white flower balls from June to late summer, height 100-150 cm.
- Small hydrangea 'Bluebird' (Hydrangea serrata) bears purple-blue plate flowers from June to October.
- Panic hydrangea 'Dart's Little Dot' (Hydrangea paniculata) delights with pink-white flower panicles, beautiful cover shrub under oak trees.
Where do I plant hydrangeas under trees?
Theouter edge of the tree disc is reserved for hydrangeas as underplanting. Here the root pressure is lower and the soil is supplied with sufficient moisture.
The dry space next to the tree trunk, however, is reserved for robust perennials and trees. These include Balkan cranesbill (Geranium macrorrhizum), ivy (Hedera helix) and wild strawberry (Waldsteinia), which effectively suppress annoying weeds as ground cover. Among the trees, the evergreen mahonia (Mahonia) and the resilient honeysuckle (Lonicera xylosteum) primarily master the special challenges close to the trunk.
How do I properly plant hydrangeas under trees?
If you are planting a tree slice with hydrangeas, the presence of tree roots requires aspecial planting technique. How to properly plant a hydrangea under trees:
- Weeding.
- Important: do not dig up, do not pile up topsoil.
- Mark weakly rooted areas of the soil with wooden sticks.
- Apply a 3 cm to 5 cm thick layer of leaf compost or rhododendron soil.
- Place the root ball in rainwater until no more air bubbles appear.
- Dig a planting pit with twice the volume of the root ball.
- Plant the hydrangea, press down the soil and water thoroughly.
How do I care for hydrangeas as underplanting trees?
When planting under trees, hydrangeas requiremodified care On the one hand, the need for watering increases because treetops act as an umbrella. On the other hand, tree roots and hydrangea roots compete for nutrients. How to properly care for a hydrangea under trees:
- Watere regularly, morning and evening on hot summer days.
- Add a liquid hydrangea fertilizer to the irrigation water every week from March to the beginning of August.
- Remove weeds promptly without chopping.
- Mulch the tree slice before the first frost with straw and brushwood or bark mulch as winter protection.
- Cut hydrangeas under trees in March.
Tip
Planting trees with hydrangeas in late summer
The best time to plant hydrangeas under trees is the end of July. In late summer, deciduous trees and conifers have almost completed their growth for the year. As a result, water and nutrient consumption decrease. For freshly planted hydrangeas, the window is open long enough to grow in well before winter. Thanks to this choice of date, the trees are optimally prepared for the competition next spring.