Description
The height of the bush is 2-2.5 m. The branches grow upward, forming a semicircular crown. The bush holds its shape well. There are no leaves on the lower woody part of the branches. The leaf blades are narrow, pointed, with a vein in the center. They can be green or silver, turning red-brown in the fall.
The crop can be grown in the northern regions
The root system consists of many adventitious processes. You should loosen the soil around it very carefully.
On a note! The shrub grows in one place for 15-20 years. Upon reaching this age, the plant must be replaced.
Technology and timing of planting spirea
Spirea can be planted both in spring and autumn. In April, only those varieties that bloom in summer are planted. The main thing with such planting is to have time to plant the seedlings before the buds bloom on them. Spireas, which bloom in spring, should be planted in early autumn.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
Before planting seedlings of this plant, you should select and prepare a site for planting. The main requirements are the following:
- the soil should be as close as possible to that in which this shrub grows in natural conditions. Therefore, the composition of the soil should be as follows: for 2 parts of turf (or leaf) soil, take one part of river sand and peat;
- At the bottom of each hole, be sure to lay out a layer of drainage (at least 5 cm); medium crushed stone or pieces of broken brick can be used as drainage material;
- the hole should be 1/3 larger than the root system with a lump of earth;
- the place where the spirea will grow should be illuminated by sunlight throughout the day;
- It is better to plant shrubs in rainy, cloudy weather;
- The best neighbors for shrubs are coniferous trees - juniper, spruce, thuja.
Planting shrubs in spring
It is necessary to be careful when choosing seedlings, especially their root system. It should be juicy, not dry, and not have damaged roots. The shoots of young shoots should be of medium thickness, with healthy buds. Roots that are too long should be cut by about 1/3. If the roots are dry, then such a seedling is placed in a bucket of water for 60 minutes, and only then planted in prepared holes.
When planting several spirea bushes nearby, it should be taken into account that its root system grows not in depth, but in breadth, so the distance between planting holes should be at least 1.2 - 1.5 m. When placing a seedling in a planting hole, you need to ensure that the root collar the plants were at ground level. After planting, the soil is compacted and 15–20 liters of water are poured under each plant.
When placing a seedling in a planting hole, you must ensure that the root collar of the plant is at ground level
How to plant a plant in the fall
In autumn, you can plant both plants that bloom in spring and those that bloom until late autumn. This planting can be combined with a method of propagation such as dividing the bush. They do this until all the leaves of the bush have fallen off. In general, the process of planting spirea in the fall does not differ from a similar process carried out in the spring.
Features of planting spirea in the Urals
Since in the Urals the warm period lasts somewhat less than in warmer regions, therefore the timing of planting this shrub in open ground has also shifted. In spring, seedlings are placed in open ground only when the ground warms up to 14 - 16 ° C (not earlier than the beginning of May). And in the fall, the planting process should not be delayed beyond the first ten days of October, so that the plant has time to take root before the ground begins to freeze.
In autumn, you can plant both plants that bloom in spring and those that bloom until late autumn.
Varieties
Japanese and gray spirea - description, planting and care
The culture has about 90 varieties. All of them develop quickly and after two years make gardeners happy with vigorous flowering.
Spiraea, translated from Greek as “bend”, the shrub received this name due to its graceful shoots
Different flowering periods and characteristics of foliage shades allow you to select specimens for a flower bed or hedge so that you can admire the variety of bright flowers most of the year.
Depending on the type, shrubs can be erect, creeping, spherical, or pyramidal. The inflorescences of the varieties are also different: spicate, paniculate, corymbose, and there are also single flowers.
There are two large groups of plants: summer- and spring-flowering. In the first, inflorescences form on the branches of the current year and decorate the bush for a long time. And in the latter, flowering is fleeting, it occurs on last year’s shoots.
Note! This must be taken into account when caring: early-flowering ones are pruned at the end of flowering, and summer-flowering ones - in the spring.
From the history of the Spiraea plant
The plant has been known in Rus' for a long time. In the epic “Sadko,” when the hero’s ship stops in the middle of the sea, the participants in the voyage cast “Tavolzhans” lots. In this way they identify who should be thrown into the sea as a sacrifice to the king of the sea.
Considering the constancy of the text of epics over the centuries, it can be assumed that meadowsweet (spirea) attracted the attention of our ancestors even during the period of the composition of the epic “Sadko”, i.e.
before the annexation of Novgorod to the Grand Duchy of Moscow and the destruction of its liberties (1478). True, we do not know, and perhaps we will never know, why in those distant times lots were made from meadowsweet. But from V.I. Dahl’s dictionary it is easy to find out that in the steppe zone in the 19th century, meadowsweet had a completely practical and not at all decorative use. Its thin and strong rods were used for ramrods and whips. But all these ways of using spirea are in the past. Now they have value only as ornamental plants.
In the 16th century For the first time, willow spirea began to be grown (1586). After 200 years, middle and oak-leaved spireas appeared in cultivation. At the end of the 19th century. Birch leaf spirea was introduced into the culture. Now the northernmost point of cultivation of these species is the city of Kirovsk on the Kola Peninsula, where they are in the collection of the Polar-Alpine Botanical Garden. Some spirea are used in gardening and landscaping quite often, others - only sporadically. But almost all species, due to their decorativeness, duration of flowering, frost resistance, gas resistance and ease of propagation, deserve more attention from gardeners.
Spiraea thunberg
The genus includes about 80-100 species, distributed mainly in forest-steppe, steppe and semi-desert zones, and the subalpine mountain belt of the Northern Hemisphere.
Deciduous shrubs, rarely exceeding 2 m in height. The natural shape of the bush is very different, there are: pyramidal, weeping, hemispherical, erect, creeping, cascading, etc. Species differ among themselves in the shape and color of graceful leaves; many change their green attire to orange, yellow or purple-red in the fall. A large number of diverse species allows, with skillful selection, to achieve continuous flowering from spring to late autumn. Spiraea are valued for their abundant and long-lasting flowering. Their flowers are small but numerous, collected in inflorescences of various shapes: corymbose, paniculate, spike-shaped or pyramidal. Some have single flowers. The color of the flowers is also varied - from pure white to crimson. The decorative effect of spirea is determined not only by the different arrangement of inflorescences on the shoots, but also by the timing of flowering. Thus, there are species whose inflorescences completely cover the entire shoot (sharply serrated spirea); in others, the inflorescences are located only on the upper part of the shoots (medium spirea; Bumalda spirea); in others - at the ends of the shoots (willow spirea; Japanese spirea).
Based on the time of flowering, they are divided into two groups - spring-blooming and summer-blooming. In the former, flowering usually occurs on last year's shoots and the flowers are white; representatives of the second group have pink, red, crimson flowers, and flowering occurs on the shoots of the current year. This division is also reflected in the agricultural technology of caring for spirea; Species that bloom in spring are pruned immediately after flowering, and those that bloom in the second half of summer are pruned only in spring. Plants of the first group bloom together, but not for long; in the second group, flowering is more extended.
All spirea are undemanding to the soil, light-loving, frost-resistant, many types are smoke and gas resistant, and tolerate city conditions well. They are easily propagated by dividing the bush, cuttings, layering, shoots and seeds. They grow quickly and bloom in the third year.
Spiraea douglas
Planting a plant
Spirea Grefsheim - description, planting and care
The best time for planting is early September. Ideally it will be a cloudy or rainy day. In sunny weather, work should be postponed to the evening.
Planting from seeds
Spiraea (Billard variety) is a hybrid, therefore, seedlings obtained from seeds do not have the qualities of the parent. Therefore, it is advisable to propagate the plant only by vegetative methods.
Planting seedlings in open ground
For lush flowering, the plant requires fertile, loose soil. You can improve the soil composition using a mixture of turf, sand and peat (2:1:1). A sunny, warm place is suitable for spirea.
When choosing a site, it is important to remember that spirea grows and over time will turn into a voluminous bush. Therefore, the culture needs a lot of free space.
Do not plant the plant in lowlands or places with close groundwater.
Before planting, you need to dig the area deeply. During the season, it is advisable to disinfect the soil with a special agent.
Planting hole size: 35 x 35 cm. The seedling is installed so that the root collar is slightly above the surface. The roots are straightened and covered with soil. Complete the procedure with abundant watering.
A seedling planted in open ground, as a rule, quickly takes root and easily adapts to new conditions.
When planting two or more bushes, the distance between the holes should be 40-50 cm.
Classification of spirea species
To begin with, it is worth remembering that all spirea are divided according to flowering time.
Species such as spirea middle, sharp-toothed, plum-leaved, Vangutta, Thunberg, three-lobed bloom in May - early June and belong to the group of spring-flowering spirea.
Another group of spireas becomes covered with inflorescences in July–August and is classified as a summer bloomer. These include dwarf, birchleaf, Japanese, loosestrife, white, Douglas and densely flowered.
For both groups, the choice of landing site, soil and planting technology are the same.
Soil and size of planting holes
Spiraea grows and develops best on loose, breathable soils with a lot of humus. Of course, plants will grow on poor soils, but in this case they will not be able to show all their beauty.
The size of the landing holes is determined as follows:
- If the soil on your site is exactly what spirea likes, the planting holes should be 25-30% larger than its root system and 40-50 cm deep.
- If the soil at the site for growing is not entirely suitable, then it is advisable to dig a hole three times larger than the root system of the seedling. Both in width and in depth.
The mixture with which the hole will be filled is made up of sand (river), peat and turf or leaf soil. Moreover, two parts of earth are taken, but sand and peat are taken in one part.
The distance between planting holes depends on the placement of spirea and flowering time:
- Summer-flowering spirea, when planted in a hedge, is planted at a distance of 40-50 cm from each other; when arranged in several rows, the distance between rows is 30-40 cm. In group plantings, a distance of 50-70 cm is maintained, sometimes up to 1 m.
- Spring-flowering spireas are planted more freely. In hedges at a distance of 70 cm - 1 m, in group plantings - 1-1.5 m. For group planting, holes are dug at a distance of 50-70 cm.
Landing technology
Before planting, soil is first poured into the bottom of the hole, and then the seedling is installed, all the roots are straightened out and only then everything is carefully covered with an earthen mixture.
The bush is planted so that the root collar (the junction of the trunk and roots) is located at ground level.
Before planting, the root system must be inspected and broken and dried roots must be cut off.
If you plant a seedling with a lump of earth, then after planting, carry out good watering.
And if the root system is bare (without soil), then it is placed for 12 or 24 hours in a solution of water and a root formation stimulator. This can be heteroauxin, succinic acid, indolylacetic acid and various other drugs that can be purchased at any garden or flower center. Plants treated in this way are immediately planted in their permanent growing location.
We also need to remind you of one nuance that should be taken into account when preparing the hole for planting. Although spirea love moisture, there should be no water (underground or after rain) near their roots under any circumstances. Therefore, if planting is done in the ground with a large amount of clay, then drainage must be poured into a hole (dug 2-3 times larger than the root system of the bush). For this, gravel or crushed stone is usually used. The height of the layer should be 10 -15 centimeters. Then soil is poured over the drainage, into which young spirea is planted.
Features of care
Spirea Arguta - description, planting and care
The plant is unpretentious and easy to care for. Billard's spirea is not afraid of frost and drought.
Important! During the first 4 years, spirea cannot be cut, replanted, or divided.
Watering
Billard's spirea needs to be watered as the top layer of soil dries. It is advisable to cover the trunk circle with hay, straw or peat. Mulch prevents weed growth and retains moisture. Late in the evening you can spray the bushes with a spray bottle. If the procedure is carried out during the day, burns may appear on the plant.
Top dressing
A young plant needs to acquire healthy green mass, so it especially needs nutrients. The best option for fertilizing in the first year is an infusion of mullein, chicken manure or other fertilizer with a high nitrogen content. It is advisable to apply fertilizer every month. From the second year, it is enough to feed the bush with mineral complexes.
Trimming
After 4 years, the bush is pruned and a crown is formed. Old, weak shoots are removed completely, leaving stumps. It is best to carry out the procedure in the spring before the leaves appear. The hybrid tolerates shearing well, so it is often used as a hedge.
After pruning, the bushes quickly restore their crown
Care for spirea in the garden
How to care for spirea
What kind of care does the spirea require? The same as other ornamental shrubs. You will need to water it, loosen the soil in the tree trunk circle after watering, while simultaneously removing weeds, apply fertilizing, form the crown and maintain it in optimal shape, and also protect the plant from pests and various types of infections.
Watering spirea
The root system of spirea is superficial, so it does not tolerate drought well. You will have to water it during the dry period, spending 10-20 liters of water per bush
The next day after watering or rain, the soil in the tree trunk circle should be carefully loosened. It is also more convenient to weed after watering
Feeding spirea
As a fertilizer for spirea, you can use a solution of mullein (1:10) or 8-10 g of superphosphate in a bucket of water. You can feed the shrub with Kemira universal fertilizers at the rate of 100 g of granules per 1 m² of tree trunk circle, but after this you must water the soil. Fertilizing is applied in the spring after pruning and in mid-summer.
Spirea transplant
It is advisable to replant spirea before it is four years old: at a young age, the bush tolerates such stress more easily. The procedure is carried out in the spring, before the buds begin to bloom, or in the fall, during the leaf fall period. The rules and procedure for transplanting spirea are the same as for the initial planting, however, you need to dig up the bush with a large lump of earth: the roots of the spirea should under no circumstances dry out. Before transplanting spirea, do not forget to prepare the planting hole and nutritious soil mixture in advance.
Reproduction methods
Spiraea is propagated by dividing the bush, cuttings or layering.
Dividing the bush
The procedure is carried out in the fall. The order of its execution is as follows:
- It is necessary to dig up the ground around the plant according to the diameter of the crown, and remove the bush from the ground.
- The roots should be washed with running water and allowed to dry.
- Using pruning shears, you need to carefully divide the bush into 2-3 parts with healthy roots and at least 2 strong shoots. The tool must be sharp and must be disinfected before starting work.
- Roots that are too long must be shortened and the sections treated with activated carbon powder.
- Next, you should plant the separated parts of the plant in a permanent place.
Layerings
In spring, strong lignified branches of spirea are pressed to the ground and secured. The middle of the branch is sprinkled and watered. In spring, rooted shoots are cut off and planted.
On a note! You can secure the branch with wire or stone.
Cuttings
In mid-summer, strong stems are cut from spirea and divided into 10 cm cuttings. Each part must have at least 5 leaves. The cuttings are treated with a biostimulant and placed in a box with a nutrient mixture. For the winter, the containers are taken out to the garden bed, sprinkled and covered. In the spring, the rooted cuttings are transplanted to a designated area.
Planting spirea Vangutta in open ground
When to plant Spiraea Wangutta
For this plant, autumn planting is preferable, which is carried out from early to mid-October, but if you did not have time to plant spirea within the specified time frame, do it in the spring before sap flow begins. Spiraea Wangutta seedlings with an open root system tolerate transplantation more painfully than those in containers. By the way, seedlings with closed roots can be planted throughout the growing season.
The spirea Wangutta shrub is unpretentious, frost-resistant, and relatively shade-tolerant, although it prefers well-lit areas. Spiraea Vangutta is insensitive to air pollution and tolerates both smoke and smog.
How to plant spirea Wangutta
Spiraea grows best in dry sandy soil, but can also grow well in other soils, including poor or too wet ones.
Before planting, seedlings are placed in water for at least three hours, then damaged, dry or rotten roots are removed, and healthy ones are slightly shortened, as are shoots that are too thin or long. The pit for spirea at a depth of 40-50 cm should be a quarter larger in volume than the root system of the plant. A drainage layer of broken brick (crushed stone) and sand about 15 cm thick is laid at the bottom of the planting pit, and the top, fertile layer of soil removed from the pit is mixed with compost and sand. The seedling is placed in a hole so that the root collar is level with the surface of the site, and the remaining space is filled with soil mixture. After planting, the soil in the tree trunk circle is compacted and watered abundantly with non-cold water, and as soon as it is absorbed, the surface around the seedling is mulched with a layer of peat 7 cm thick.
Diseases and pests
Spiraea rarely suffer from disease or insect attacks. Problems arise from improper care.
The greatest danger to the plant is the spider mite. The insect can spread throughout the entire plant and move to neighboring ones. Therefore, it is necessary to combat the pest immediately after its detection. If cobwebs appear under the leaves, they turn yellow and fall prematurely, so the plant must be sprayed with a fungicide. Brown and red spots indicate the development of the disease.
When infected with spotting, the affected areas are removed, and the bush is treated with preparations containing copper
How to care for the crop?
The colorful shrub is surprisingly unpretentious. Its features:
- Winter hardiness.
- Durability.
- Withstands heat.
- It can go for quite a long time without watering.
- Insensitive to urban air pollution.
- Immune to pathogens.
- Almost not damaged by parasites.
- Thanks to these properties, care for Spirea Billarda is minimal. These are standard procedures - moderate watering, fertilizing, loosening.
- During drought, it is important to moisten the soil after flowering and pruning. After heavy rains, the soil becomes crusty, which can cause oxygen starvation of young bushes. To prevent this from happening, the soil will have to be loosened.
- Spiraea roots are located close to the surface. It is recommended to mulch the area near the stem in the fall. They do this with any available material - compost, peat, walnut husks.
- Mulch is used only for planted bushes. The soil is covered with a layer of peat 7 cm high.
- In early spring, they devote time to fertilizing. Add universal kemira (per 1 m2 – 110-125 g).
- Pruning is an important agrotechnical technique that allows you to rejuvenate the bush. Until the plant is 4 years old, it is not touched. This is a time for growth and active development. Spiraea becomes strong, the root system grows.
- A six-year-old bush is no longer the same: it loses its shape and attractiveness. So it's time for pruning.
Application in landscape design
The shrub gets along well with the vast majority of garden crops, so it is often used to decorate areas. The shrub is combined with conifers, lilac, honeysuckle, and viburnum. The plant will decorate an alpine hill and enliven a rocky garden.
Spiraea tolerates pruning painlessly, without limiting the gardener's imagination. The shrub looks beautiful both on its own and next to other crops. A hedge of plants with flowers of different shades looks luxurious. The aroma of honey attracts butterflies and other beneficial insects to the garden.
Billard's spirea is a noble, beautiful shrub. To maintain its shape and maintain good condition, it is important to follow the rules of care. It is necessary to ensure timely watering and monitor the condition of the soil. Special attention should be paid to disease prevention.
Spiraea Billarda: distinctive features
The plant belongs to the genus Spiraea from the Rosaceae family. These are decorative deciduous shrubs, especially beautiful during flowering. The name of the genus is translated from Greek as “bend”. The plants were named this way for the gracefully curved branches of most varieties of spirea.
The genus includes about 100 species of wild and cultivated shrubs. They differ from each other in the flowering period and the appearance of the bush. The foliage and inflorescences are also of different shades and shapes. This species abundance is explained by the fact that spirea produce persistent hybrids.
All shrubs are divided into 3 main groups:
The former decorate the garden from May to June, the latter - at the end of summer. Plants from the last group form inflorescences when they meet autumn. Billard's spirea is a summer-flowering species. The bush is the result of crossing Douglas spirea and willow spirea. Since 1854 in culture.
The plant is large, reaches a height of 2 m. It is not afraid of the cold.
The bushes are beautifully grown from Arkhangelsk to the Caucasus, in Central Asia. On the spreading straight branches, interesting leaves attract attention: broadly lanceolate, 10 cm long, grayish-tomentose on the underside. With the arrival of autumn, their color changes to brownish-red.
The bright pink pyramidal or paniculate inflorescences are quite long (up to 20 cm). They crown the top of each shoot. They consist of many flowers, somewhat reminiscent of small cherries. The bush throws them out starting in the second half of summer and continues to do so until the first frost. Billard's spirea is a spectacular late bush that is valued for its long flowering.
Spiraea blooming in summer
Varieties of spirea, which bloom in July and continue to bloom until August, are distinguished by bright, lush inflorescences that form on the young shoots of the current year. Late-flowering varieties include spirea:
- Japanese;
- Billiard;
- Douglas;
- willow;
- birch leaf;
- Bumalda.
Billard's spirea shrub
In the year after planting, while the root system is being formed, the spirea is not subjected to heavy pruning. In subsequent years, the late-flowering spirea is heavily pruned, and the bush is thinned out to remove weak growth. Young shoots are pruned in the fall to the first developed buds above the woody part of last year's shoot. All faded parts of the plant are also removed, forming a bush. The remaining shoots will branch in the spring and form a dense, compact bush.
Removing part of the internal shoots maintains the decorative appearance of the plant, promotes better access of light to each branch, and ventilation of the entire volume of the bush. Such sanitary pruning creates a healthy microclimate, prevents the proliferation of mold fungi, the penetration of bacterial infections, and the infestation of insect pests.
Care and pruning - bringing beauty
In order for spirea to always delight us with its beauty, it is necessary to properly care for it. All care consists of competent and timely pruning. The main thing is to remember two rules: prune spring spirea before flowering, and cut summer spirea after. It is practically impossible to spoil the plant by excessive pruning. To ensure that the bushes are always lush and green, you need to cut out old shoots every year in the spring. Right at the root. And form the rest the way you like. The main thing is not to do this during flowering.
After the buds have bloomed, they can be removed immediately. This is done so that the plant does not waste its strength and juices to form a seed fund. Subsequently, the spirea bush will bloom again in early autumn. The top of each branch can be cut off. This can control growth and stimulate the development of secondary shoots. Interestingly, every cut bush or twig can be used as planting material.
It is also necessary to remember that, like any plant, spirea needs minerals and fertilizer. But you don't need to do this too often. An adult plant can even survive a slight drought. Feeding can be done two or three times per season, and the first time in early spring. During the dry summer months, it won't hurt to water it, but not too often. A good and developed root system is capable of producing its own food.
After a few years, the spirea may fade a little. To make it come to life again, it is enough to thin it out. Choose an autumn, cloudy day for this so that the roots do not dry out in the sun during transplantation. Water the soil generously and dig up the desired bushes the next day. Free as many roots as possible from the soil; it is better to take this soil to the other end of the garden. Remove all damaged roots and leave strong ones with lateral branches. When planting in a new place, add compost or peat to the hole. Mulch the planting site properly. Do not forget to water every day until the leaves on the bushes rise.
Thinning flower bushes
Do not forget that spirea may be favored by some unwanted insects, such as aphids. And where there are aphids, there are ants. You can get rid of these insects the same way you get rid of aphids from raspberries. For example, a regular solution of soapy water: 2 teaspoons of liquid soap to 2 cups of water. You can also add a little vegetable oil. Spray aphid clusters with this solution and literally the next day you will see the result. The viscous solution envelops the parasites, and the aphids breathe through the skin, and a whole generation of pests will disappear from your garden.
The leaf roller is a moth-like butterfly. Its caterpillar rolls several leaves into a tube and gnaws out the entire contents. In case of danger, the caterpillar crawls out of the leaf and hangs on the cobweb. Usually this insect attacks fruit plants, and if spirea grows nearby, it can become infected with these parasites from them. Avant, Agravertin, Lepidocide will help you cope with it. Summer residents also tear off the affected leaves, collect them and burn them (it is best to crush the caterpillar inside).
One of the dangerous pests of spirea is the spider mite. Its females spin webs on the insides of leaves and lay eggs there. Infected leaves have white spots on the upper side. The leaves soon turn yellow, dry out and fall off. You can cope with the scourge with the help of Agravertin, Actellik, Vertimek, as well as other tick repellents.
If you see blackened ends on the branches, these are signs of fire blight. You need to completely cut out this shoot and burn it.
Geographic summary
Spiraea got its name due to the elasticity and flexibility of the branches. From Latin this word “spiraea” is translated as “spiral”. And from the Greek “speira” means “bend”. Indeed, the bush is able to bend bizarrely and grow in the right direction. In landscape design, it is often used as a basis for hedges.
Lush and abundant flowering of the bush
The popular name of the culture is meadowsweet. The name "White Bride" is also found. According to data from the dictionary of V.I. Dahl, in the old days its thin shoots were used to produce ramrods and whips.
A plant planted in a large group looks luxurious. A bush with single flowers looks no less impressive. An artistic approach to garden design will help you create a skillful composition from different specimens.
Spiraea hedge
Spiraea feels most comfortable in forest-steppe, semi-desert and steppe zones. Found mainly in the Northern Hemisphere. The Asian southern border is the Himalayan mountains, the North American border is the territory of Mexico.
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The plant is noted to be resistant to drought and severe frost. Its soil-strengthening properties are highlighted. Some varieties are used as a source of medicinal raw materials due to the presence of ascorbic acid, carotene, saponins and other healing substances in the composition.
