Hydrangea Serrata pronounced hye-DRAN-JA sir-ra-TA is a flowering plant species popularly known as tea heaven. It is mainly used at home and in terrains for decoration because of its beautiful flowering arrangement and bright color.
Hydrangea Serrata has a similar feature to the Hydrangea macrophylla. They both have broad leaves of different sizes and shapes. Hydrangea Serrata has simple, lanceolate foliage that is sometimes finely or coarsely serrated with hidden veins.
Hydrangea Serrata’s flower is of two types and colors— this color difference results from the acidic and alkaline content of the soil. The flower turns pink in alkaline soils and has a blue color in acidic soil. The flower is because of the presence of Anthocyanin Delphinidin 3- Monoglucoside, the binding of Aluminium Sulfate with the Anthocyanin gives the blue color.
It has a deciduous shrub containing small oval leaves with blue and pink flowers that bloom in fall and summer. Its flowers are dull ovate leaves that grow as long as 6 inches and hold flowers that cluster in a lace cap form.
In Japan, Hydrangea Serrata teas, Amacha are used to celebrate the birth of Buddha, while in Korea, it is called Sugukcha.
Although you might be tempted to call Hydrangea Serrata a perfect ornamental plant, it has some flaws and may not be your ideal indoor plant. Some of these flaws are:
It attracts bees and aphids to your home.
It is toxic; hence, it should be kept away from kids. It is slightly poisonous and causes severe stomach ache, vomiting, nausea, and excessive sweating if the barks or plants are eaten.
Plant recommendation tip: looking for an amazonian plant, then check out the beautiful Calathea zebrina.
Why prune Hydrangea Serrata
To help direct its nutrients to essential parts. Some parts exist in a Hydrangea Serrata plant that does not perform any function but takes up space, light, oxygen, and nutrients. Pruning helps to get rid of these parts. Also, it helps to encourage vigorous growth of barked shoots To remove cross woods that will inhibit other parts from growing. Some inhibitory parts take up excess space, causing other necessary parts to die. With pruning, these parts will be removed.
What is pruning
Pruning is a cultural practice of removing selected parts of plants which may be stems, branches, roots, for various reasons aimed at facilitating growth to the plant. Thinning is pruning that involves the complete removal of an entire part plant to encourage the formation of new growth parts. It is often applied to dead plants and roses to trigger the dormant cells to open up. Topping involves more adverse removal than thinning, and it removes a huge chunk of a big plant or tree and often trains trees for future pollarding purposes.
Benefits of Pruning
It promotes the production of fewer but bloomy harvests. For horticulturists whose aims are to produce well-defined flowers for use or sale, pruning ensures this occurs.
To avoid nutrient wastage.
Hydrangea Serrata plants are known to spread diseases easily. Once a leaf stalk has any presence of diseases or damage in the form of the withering of the leaves or brown spots, it spreads rapidly to the other parts.
Types of Hydrangea Serrata
There are different sub-species of the plant Hydrangea Serrata, and they include:
● Hydrangea Serrata Akinshino Temari
● Hydrangea Serrata Amagi Amacha
● Hydrangea Serrata BeniHydrangea Serrata BlueBird
● Hydrangea Serrata Blue deckle
● Hydrangea Serrata Chishima
● Hydrangea serrata Diadem
Tips to prune
Plan before cutting and prepare the tools needed
The first step is deciding on the desired height and shape of the plant and using the right tools to cut accordingly. Spot any damaged leaves, branches, or crossed branches and cut them out. Allow each cut to be an inch away from the nearest leaf stalk to avoid infection and slow growth.
Notching Hydrangea Serrata
Notching is a method of creating an artificial branch on a plant. It is done by making a small cut on the plant’s trunk, forcing the plants to create a branch for the cut trunk without taking away any height.
Should you notch?
Notching depends on the individual’s choice and the plant’s look. Does your plant only grow upwards towards the sky and have little to no basal balance? If so, notching should be done. If otherwise, there is no need to notch your plant.
Tips to notch
To create a perfect notch cut, the cut width should be one-third of the circumference of the stem, and its depth should also be one-third of the tree’s depth.
Ensure the cutting or incision is made directly on the plant’s nodes. They are ball-like to feel and sometimes protrude out.
The cut should be made with a sharp and sterilized knife to avoid infections of any kind.
Plant recommendation tip: looking for a creepy vine plant, then get yourself the Ficus Pumila.
Pinching Hydrangea Serrata
Pinching is similar to trimming, which encourages branching in plants. It involves removing the main stem, thereby forcing the plant to regrow two main stems from the leaf nodes that have been pinched.
Should you pinch?
Pinching is mainly recommended for scanty plants. If the plant only grows on a stem with few attached branches, pinching may be recommended to grow new stems that will eventually house new plant branches.
Tips of pinching
Ensure the pinching is done close to the leaf nodes to increase the chances of regrowth. Also, the pinching shears should be as sharp as possible and sterilized to avoid transferring diseases to the new regrowth.
Should you deadhead?
Deadheading Hydrangea Serrata is not necessary as this species of fig plant does not produce any flowers rather figs. These figs are only grown in the wild—Rainforest and not in residential homes.
Why do Hydrangea Serrata branches need trimming
Hydrangea Serrata branches need trimming to promote more branch growth, remove vestigial branches, remove damaged or infected parts, and ensure balancing as most plants grow lopsided.
When to trim
The best time to trim Hydrangea Serrata is during Spring, as sunlight and environmental conditions are perfect for healing after pruning. Although any other season is suitable, the spring season is recommended to ensure more growth and be on the safer side to ascertain the regrowth.
Tips to encourage growth
Dappled sunlight in the sunlight provided under the shade of a canopy. · Sunlight: Hydrangea Serrata requires dappled sunlight to grow well. In tropical areas where there is a high sunlight intensity, Hydrangea Serrata requires 4 to 6 hours sun time, while in subtle sunlight, 4 to 8 hours is recommended.
Watering: To avoid flooding the soil, water twice a week or once a week to avoid flooding the soil. Ensure to avoid over-watering as it causes root rot, and under-watering causes dry and sunken leaves.
Soil: It grows well in neutral or slightly acidic soils. Hydrangea grows well in soil that is rich in nutrient and moisture content; the soil must be well-aerated and well-drained
Nutrition: It requires a slow-releasing fertilizer.
Plant recommendation tip: does your home need more life, then check out the lively Chlorophytum comosum.
Summary
Hydrangea Serrata serves as the perfect houseplant. It is ideal for homeowners that can spare a lot of time towards its growth. For indoor cultivation and ornamental use, cultivars will help resist insect infestation and infections.