Spirea garden planting and outdoor care

Among the ornamental shrubs, spirea occupies a special place. She is surprisingly unpretentious and easily forgives the gardener even the most unobtrusive care. A wide variety of shapes and types allows you to choose the plant to decorate the site that will best fit into the surrounding landscape. Planting and caring for a spirea is not difficult, even a novice gardener can handle it.

Spirea: types and varieties

The genus spirea belongs to the pink family and is quite numerous, it includes more than 70 species. The distribution area of ​​this deciduous shrub is wide. It can be found in the northern hemisphere in most climatic zones. Spirea rarely has single flowers, most often they are collected in a corymbose inflorescence, sometimes in a panicle. The color of flowers depends on the flowering time of the species. Plants blooming in spring have white flowers that bloom on last year's shoots, in species blooming in summer pink-crimson gamut prevails, flowers are located on annual growths.

The most common types.

• Medium spirea - an inhabitant of Siberian and Far Eastern forests, a tall shrub - above 2 m with white corymbose flowers that open in May and do not fall for 3 weeks, frost-resistant and drought-resistant, used in landscaping, suitable for northern regions.
• Spiraea birch-leaved - grows in Siberia, from 1 to 2 m in height, white flowers are collected in huge shields - up to 10 cm in diameter, blooms at the end of May and blooms throughout June.
• Spirea crenate - has been used in landscaping for 200 years, there are cultural hybrid varieties. In nature, it is a low, up to 1 m shrub that blooms at the end of May. Quite large flowers are collected in corymbose inflorescences, due to the large number of long yellow stamens, it seems that they have a golden hue. This type of spirea is drought-resistant and frost-hardy, can be used to strengthen floating soils.
• Spirea St. John's wort is a shrub up to 1 m high, flowering - May-June, white flowers, is used to obtain new forms of the plant.
• Gray spirea - the result of crossing the previous species and whitish-gray spirea, has highly decorative varieties that bloom in spring. The most beloved variety of this species by flower growers is Spirea Grefsheim. The shoots of the tall bush bend towards the ground under the weight of flowers that completely cover the bush. The flowering is so abundant that the leaves are almost invisible.
• Spiraea is oak-leaved - blooms with umbrella-shaped inflorescences of white flowers with a large number of protruding stamens for 25 days, flowering occurs in May-June. The species is used in culture, it tolerates a haircut well.
• Spirea Nipponskaya came to us from Japan - this highly ornamental shrub 1-2 m high is decorated with yellowish-white inflorescence shields that appear in June. It does not differ in frost resistance; in severe winters, the tops of the shoots freeze slightly, but quickly recover. The most famous variety is Snowmound. A huge number of flowers on a bush up to 1.5 m high makes it very decorative at the time of flowering. The width of the bush is 2 times the height.
• No less decorative and spirea Wangutta is a hybrid species that blooms very profusely in June-July with white flowers collected in shields. The bush has an average height and can freeze slightly in frosty winters.
• Japanese spirea is quite thermophilic, but due to the low height of the bush - up to 1 m it winters without loss, covered with snow. The most interesting varieties are Little Princesses and Shirobana. Little princesses - a bush up to 80 cm high and up to 1.2 m wide blooms very profusely in June-July with pink flowers collected in medium-sized shields, grows slowly. Shirobana is a bush up to 0.8 m high and up to 0.6 m wide, blooms in mid-summer. Flowers in corymbose inflorescences have three colors - white, pink and crimson, if you cut off faded inflorescences, new ones will decorate the bush for another month.
• The adorable spirea stands out among other species by double flowering: in June on last year's shoots and in July and August on newly regrown ones. Flowers are collected in complex shields, can be white or pale pink. The species does not differ in frost resistance - up to -18 degrees, so in the middle lane it hibernates under cover.
• Spirea Bumald is a decorative hybrid species, it also has a yellow-leaved form. The bush is low - up to 0.8 m in width and height. It blooms for more than 3 months with bright pink flowers in large shields. The most famous variety is Antoni Vaterer.
• Willow spirea grows wild in Siberia. The tall bush blooms in July and August with bright pink flowers collected in pyramidal panicles.
• Spirea Douglas grows above 2 m.In the second half of summer, it is decorated with pink flowers, collected in a paniculate inflorescence.
• When crossing the previous species and spirea willow leaf we got Billard's spirea. A tall, frost-resistant shrub blooms in the second half of summer and is decorated with large pink paniculate inflorescences until the very frosts.
• Also, the hybrid spirea is lilac-colored for a long time, only paniculate inflorescences, in accordance with the name, have a lilac-pink color. The bush can grow up to 2 m.

Spirea: features of cultivation

Spireas are unpretentious, but with proper careful care they give abundant flowering. Different flowering times dictate different pruning times. Some species and varieties have special soil and maintenance preferences. Most spirits prefer humus-rich, but not heavy soil without stagnant water, but they will feel good even on not very fertile soil. To keep the roots from getting wet, they need drainage. But before you plant a plant, you need to propagate it.

Shrub propagation

Spirea is very easy to propagate. Some species produce root shoots that can be transplanted. Parts of a divided bush take root well. Flexible shoots allow cuttings to be rooted. For propagation of all species, cuttings can be used, and for non-hybrid forms and varieties, seeds can also be sown.

Cuttings

When rooting the cuttings, you will get an exact copy of the parent plant. Green cuttings in early flowering varieties are cut at the beginning of June, and in late flowering varieties at the end of the month. For already lignified cuttings, the best rooting time is autumn, September or October.

• The annual green shoot is cut and cut into pieces with 5-6 leaves.
• Remove the bottom pair of leaves, cut the rest by half.
• The lower cut is placed in a vessel with an epin solution for 12 hours.
• It is treated with a powdery root stimulant.
• They are planted in a container with loose soil, sprinkled with a layer of sand at an angle of about 40 degrees to stimulate root formation.
• Cover with foil or glass jar and put in lacy shade under the trees.
• They moisten the soil in the cuttings, preventing it from drying out, and the cuttings themselves are sprayed several times a day.
• In the fall, the container is dropped into the soil, mulched with fallen leaves and covered with a wooden box.
• In the spring, the shelter is removed. After the appearance of young shoots, the plants are planted in the garden in a permanent place.

Seed propagation

In non-hybrid varieties and species, seed germination reaches 80%. Collect them when the boxes turn brown, but have not yet opened. Dose in the room for 2 weeks. You can sow both before winter and in spring. Seeds do not require stratification. Seedlings dive when 2 true leaves are formed. Further care: watering as needed, 2 dressings with full mineral fertilizer. In the fall, seedlings are planted in a seedling bed, and next year in a permanent place. They begin to bloom for 3 years.

Landing in open ground

Proper planting is the key to abundant flowering and plant health. It is very important to maintain the optimal distance between the plants in order to provide them with the necessary nutritional area. When laying a hedge, it is enough to plant spireas 30 cm apart, for a normal planting, the distance should be greater, since the bushes grow strongly in width: for tall varieties - about 1 m, for undersized varieties - 0.8 m.

The choice of planting material

Now on sale there are many varieties and hybrids of spirea. The choice of a plant depends, first of all, on what place the spirea will occupy in the landscape design of a particular site. A hedge will require many plants of the same species, it is better if they are tall. As a tapeworm, you can plant an openwork bush with long flowering. On an alpine slide, undersized compact varieties will be appropriate. But whichever variety you choose, the plant should have a developed and healthy root system, consisting of 3 taproots and a well-developed lobe covered with a clay mash. With spring planting, not swollen buds, and with autumn planting, already flown leaves. It is best to choose a container-grown seedling that can be planted throughout the growing season.

How and when to plant?

Spirea is planted in pre-dug holes. Their size should be slightly larger than the root system of the plant. Usually the depth is about 70 cm, 20 of which falls on the drainage of expanded clay or brick fragments. The diameter of the hole is determined by the size of the roots.

Landing Algorithm:

• a plant is placed on a mound of earth poured in a hole, spreading the roots;
• fill up the earth, taking into account that the root collar is strictly at the level of the soil;
• watered in the planting circle using 2 to 3 buckets of water;
• mulch the soil around the bush with a layer of peat 7 cm thick.

Planting time depends on the selected variety: late flowering plants are planted in spring, early flowering plants in autumn, but no later than 3-4 weeks before the onset of frost.

Soil preparation and site

The planting site should be well lit by the sun, a little shading is allowed during the day. It must be remembered that in the shade of the spirea it blooms badly.

This plant is undemanding to the soil. The preferred soil for spirea is light sod or leafy, with a neutral or slightly acidic soil reaction.Heavy clay soils are improved by the addition of sand and peat; a little clay should be added to light sandy soils. From fertilizers, you can add Art. tablespoons of long-acting ABA fertilizer for each bush. This amount will be enough for the plant for several years.

The nuances of planting in spring, autumn

If the variety blooms in summer, it is better to plant it in spring, early flowering varieties are planted in autumn, but so that the bushes take root before the onset of frost. In both cases, the plants must be dormant. In the spring, the buds should not swell yet, and in the fall the leaf fall should already end.

Outdoor care for spirea

An unpretentious plant does not require special care measures, but top dressing and watering made on time will provide it with maximum decorative effect.

How to water properly?

Spirea is a drought-resistant plant, but in extreme heat and in the absence of rain for a long time, it must be watered. This is especially true for recently planted bushes. For an adult plant, the watering rate is 1.5 buckets per bush. For undersized species and varieties, one bucket is enough. Watering is sufficient once every 2 weeks, well soaking the root layer.

Fertilization and feeding

In order for the spireas to grow and bloom well, they should be fed regularly.

You can choose the following power plan:

• in spring, nitrogen mineral or organic fertilizer; for early flowering varieties, additional feeding with complete mineral fertilizer with microelements is needed;
• in June, plants are fed with full mineral fertilizer;
• at the end of August, fertilizing with phosphorus and potassium salts is needed so that the spireas are better prepared for winter.

At the end of summer, spireas cannot be fed with any fertilizers containing nitrogen, this can provoke the growth of new shoots that do not have time to ripen and freeze in winter.

All dressings can be applied both dry and liquid, combining them with watering. The next day, the soil around the plant must be loosened.

Spirea pruning

It is held on several dates, depending on the destination.

• Spring pruning is sanitary. Only dry and frost-damaged shoots are removed.
• Formative. Spireas blooming in the summer on the shoots of the current year are pruned in the spring immediately after the snow melts, combining formative pruning with sanitary pruning. Thin branches thickening the bush are removed - they will not give a good flowering. Different types of spirea have their own subtleties in pruning. Douglas and Boomald spire pruning begins only in the fourth year of life. Miniature varieties not exceeding 40 cm in height are cut into 2 buds. Cut out shoots with foliage that does not match the color of the variety. After flowering, the seed pods are removed, if there is no need for seeds - this contributes to the re-blooming of the inflorescences. It is enough to cut off a third of the shoot. The green hedge is trimmed to give the desired shape. Spring-flowering spireas form after flowering, cutting off shoots at the level of a strong young growth. The crown of the bush should be symmetrical.
• Anti-aging pruning. It is carried out in adult bushes, starting from the 7th year of life. All old shoots are removed, leaving no more than 5-7 young ones, while maintaining the symmetry of the bush. This pruning is best done in several stages, so as not to greatly weaken the bush.

Preparing for winter

The first wintering at a recently planted bush is a serious test. But adult plants, despite the frost resistance of most varieties, and species also need to be prepared for winter. For many of them, it is enough to feed the plants in August with potash and phosphorus fertilizers, to carry out moisture-charging irrigation after leaf fall and to mulch the trunk circle with humus.

For less frost-resistant varieties, you will have to build a shelter:

• tie the branches into a bunch;
• bend the beam to the ground, fixing it with special fasteners;
• fall asleep with dry leaves;
• additionally throw in snow.

Plant diseases and pests

Spiraea rarely suffers from disease, but in a damp summer it can be damaged by powdery mildew and gray mold. To eliminate them, copper-containing fungicides, Fitosporin, colloidal sulfur are used.

Among the most common pests are aphids, blue meadow sawfly, whitefly and spider mites. Insecticides are effective against the first three: Fitoverm, Actellik. Insectoacaricides are suitable against the tick: Metaphos.

The nuances of growing in Siberia, the Urals, in the Moscow region

Almost all varieties and types of spirea are suitable for growing in central Russia. Shrubs such as Japanese Spirea and Nippon Spirea need additional winter shelter.

In the Urals, the climate is more severe. In its southern part, almost all types of spirits will grow well. In the middle lane and, especially in the north, frost-resistant shrubs should be preferred. The same can be said for spirea in Siberia. Only undersized varieties are able to overwinter under the snow without much loss. If medium and tall plants are not covered, then constant frosting in winter is guaranteed to them, decorativeness and abundant flowering cannot be achieved in such conditions.

Correctly selected varieties of spirea are able to create a flowering conveyor throughout the growing season and will be a real decoration of any garden.

Spirea, numbering more than 100 varieties, is known as a versatile shrub for landscape design. Among them there are giants over 2 meters high and dwarf species less than 20 cm high. It is successfully grown as a hedge in gardens and parks, serves as an element of rockeries and flower beds.

Lush color, a variety of colors, a long flowering period and unpretentious care are good reasons to settle this beauty in the garden.

You will learn how to grow spirea, how to create ideal conditions for it and all the nuances of care by reading this article.

Description of the plant and species

Spirea, or, as it is often called, meadowsweet, is an ornamental shrub of the Rosaceae family. The natural conditions for its growth are steppe, forest-steppe, semi-desert areas of most of the northern hemisphere.

Her flowers are small, but due to their large number and large inflorescences in which they are collected, the blooming spirea looks luxurious. Flowers of various colors can be collected in inflorescences in the form of a panicle, an ear. Leaves, depending on the variety, are of various shapes: round, lanceolate, colors vary from yellowish green to bright green, small-leaved and large-leaved varieties are found. Therefore, it is not surprising that different varieties of spirea differ significantly from each other.

The meadowsweet varieties are conventionally divided into two main groups: spring-flowering and summer-flowering.

Spring blooming

Plants of this group are characterized by flowering in late spring and early summer. At the same time, the buds are formed in the fall, so in the spring it is absolutely impossible to cut the bushes. From this group, the following varieties are especially attractive, shown in the photo:

Spirea is gray.A characteristic difference of this variety is gray foliage. Snow-white flowers form a shield-like inflorescence. A bush growing up to 2 meters in height with soft branches looks great both growing alone and in group plantings.

Thunberg.The height of the bush is up to 2 meters, in natural conditions it grows in the mountainous regions of China, Japan, Korea. Long bloom - from May to late June. White flowers on drooping branches are collected in umbellate inflorescences.

Arguta.This variety is so lush that the foliage is not visible due to the white lace of the flowers. Due to the spreading structure of the plant, shoots do not need pruning, they grow up to 2m in an arched shape. A short flowering period from the end of April, lasts about 20 days.

Summer blooming

Varieties of this group form buds in the spring only on young shoots, which is why the plant needs pruning of last year's already faded branches. Flowering begins later in the summer.

This group includes:

Japanese spirea.The height of the shrub is no more than 1.5 meters. The peculiarity of Japanese spirea is in oblong bright green leaves, on the underside of a bluish tint, which later become reddish. Long flowering period (all summer), pink flowers are collected in shield-like inflorescences.

White spirea. Sprawling shrub about 1.5 m high with long pointed leaves. Flowering begins in July.

Billard. With pink flowers and wide leaves, it blooms from mid-summer until frost. It grows in height up to 2 meters. Due to its cold resistance, it is successfully grown in the northern regions.

Planting spirea

The condition for obtaining a beautifully blooming spirea is compliance with the basic rules of cultivation, including planting.

The optimal planting time is September.

In spring, only summer-flowering species are planted, it is recommended to plant before bud break. Before buying a seedling, you need to make sure that the planting material is suitable: the root system should not be overdried, and the shoots should be flexible, have formed buds.

It is necessary to prepare the seedling. Overgrown roots should be shortened, and, conversely, with dried roots or if they have damage, the shoots are shortened. It is useful to soak overdried roots in water for a while before planting.

For spirea, leaf or sod soil is optimal. To prepare the soil, sand and peat are added to the sod land in a ratio of 2: 1: 1. The planting hole must be provided with good drainage, since the spirea does not tolerate stagnant water well.

It is advisable to plant in rainy or cloudy weather. Planting depth - 0.5 meters, not less. The planting hole is filled with soil, and the seedling is planted in such a way that its root collar is at surface level. After planting, water should be abundantly at the rate of 15-20 liters per bush.

Care rules

Like all other plants, the relatively unpretentious spirea needs certain growing conditions.

Watering

Watering required abundant and frequent, especially for young plantings and flowering in summer. Well protects against moisture evaporation and the formation of a crust on the surface of mulching. Watering rate: 25-30 liters of water per plant up to 3 times a month.

Top dressing

Top dressing with fertilizers stimulates the growth of spirea and the formation of new shoots. Mineral complexes are introduced into the root circle immediately after pruning. In the middle of summer, organic mullein feeding is beneficial.

To provide the root system with oxygen, it is important to loosen the soil.

Pest control

The most common pests are aphids and spider mites. The fight against them should be started immediately after detection, since due to the spreading of the spirea, delayed processing can be difficult. Treatment with complex insecticides is recommended.

Diseases

One of the advantages of spirea is resistance to many diseases. However, if the rules of care are violated, it can be struck by root rot, the main reasons for which are waterlogging of the soil, lack of drainage and the formation of stagnant moisture, heavy soil. For prevention, such phenomena should be avoided; in case of fungal infection, treatment with fungicides can save the plantings.

Pruning shoots

Pruning is done to prevent overgrowth and shape the plant.

Depending on the type of flowering, it is carried out in different ways.

In spring-flowering varieties of spirea, only the frozen tips are cut off. To update the spirea after 7-14 years, you can remove all old branches, leaving the stumps. A new bush is formed from the young growth. In the first year, 5-6 shoots are left on it, which grow rapidly. After a year, weak and old branches are cut again.

Summer flowering species need annual pruning in the spring.In this case, the branch is cut to large buds, and it is advisable to remove the weakened branches completely. After 4 years of growing season, it is recommended to prune the branches annually, leaving them up to 30 cm from the ground surface.

Reproduction

Layers

The most effective way is propagation by layering, which is also the simplest. During the blooming of the leaves, the shoot is bent to the ground and sprinkled. With regular watering in the fall, a young seedling with a sufficiently strong root system will form from it to separate from the main bush and plant in another place.

If you want to get more than one layer from one branch, you should pinch its top, bend the entire shoot to the ground and sprinkle it. With this method, by the spring of next year, several young plants suitable for transplantation will be formed from the grown lateral shoots.

Cuttings

Cutting is a rather laborious process. Cuttings are cut out at the end of flowering and planted in a peat-sand mixture and placed in a greenhouse. For planting in open ground, the cuttings will be ready for the next one only in a year.

Seeds

Seed propagation is rarely used. Sowing is carried out in the spring under the film. After their germination, the film is removed, and then grown as a normal seedling until the end of summer. Then the seedlings are transplanted into open ground. In the winter cold, young seedlings must be covered with foliage, spruce branches.

Seed propagation is rarely used due to low seed germination and a long waiting period for flowers (after 3-4 years).

When the beauty of a plant is combined with unpretentiousness, it becomes a welcome guest on any site. The variety of species and varieties of spirea only increase its advantages when choosing garden plants. A minimum of effort is required to plant and care for the spirea. The perennial is famous for its undemandingness, frost resistance and stunning beauty of flowering.

Plant features

Spirea is a perennial from the Rosaceae family. The plant is widespread in many parts of the world, it develops equally well both in mountainous areas and in the steppes and forests. Gardeners respect spirea for its resistance to adverse conditions. Frost-resistant shrub varieties are especially popular.

The main feature of a perennial is its lush flowering. Spirea flowers themselves are small, no more than 2 cm, but they gather in large spike-shaped, paniculate, corymbose or pyramidal inflorescences that will decorate any summer cottage. The shade of spirea flowers is from white to pink and deep red. Budding begins in spring or summer and can last until the onset of cold weather.

Shoots of spirea species are straight, creeping or spreading. Leaves are deep green, lanceolate or oval. The height of the bush, depending on the variety, varies from 20 cm to 2 m. There are dwarf varieties that do not exceed 14 cm in height. The shrub is characterized by active growth. The average life of a plant is 20 years.

Shrub growing is available even to gardening neophytes for the following reasons:

• the plant is undemanding to lighting, it grows equally well both in the sun and in the shade;
• not susceptible to attacks of pests, resistant to diseases;
• withstands heat, withstands cold winters;
• tolerates pruning well.

Popular types

There are more than a hundred varieties of shrubs, each gardener will select the right variety for his site. Spireas differ not only in the height of the bush, but also in the shape of the branches, leaves, and the shade of the inflorescences. There are spireas blooming in spring, they are distinguished by a white shade of flowers. A separate group is formed by summer flowering shrubs, mainly with bright inflorescences. Hybrids with variegated and yellow leaves are distinguished.

Popular varieties of spirea for the site:

1. Spirea Wangutta is a tall specimen, it can grow up to 2 m and more. Cascading bush with white corymbose inflorescences. Grows rapidly and densely, blooms very luxuriantly.A frequent inhabitant of the sites, for its beauty was named the White Bride and Snow White.
2. Spirea Douglas is a species up to 1.5 m high and up to 2 m wide.It is interesting in paniculate inflorescences of pink flowers. It develops rapidly, budding begins in summer.
3. Spirea Billard is a hybrid of willow spirea and Douglas. Feature of the species: high growth, bright pink inflorescences, panicles.
4. Nipponskaya is a spherical shrub up to 1.5 m tall. The most popular variety is the Nippon Snowmound Spirea. Its characteristic features: large diameter, curved branches, lush white inflorescences.
5. Ivolistnaya is another tall representative. A bush with erect branches reaches 2 m. Panicle inflorescences are formed from white or pink flowers.
6. Macrophylla is a type of Japanese spirea. The owner of long leaves that change color depending on the season: in the spring - purple, in the summer - green, in the fall - yellowish. Summer flowering variety.
7. Spirea Crispa is also a Japanese species. It is a dwarf shrub, not exceeding 0.6 m. The inflorescences are formed from lilac flowers. The decorative value lies in the leaves that change color from reddish to yellow throughout the year.
8. Arguta (sharp-toothed) is a sprawling tall shrub characterized by early flowering. By the end of May, you can see white inflorescences on slightly drooping branches, which makes it look like a waterfall. In addition, Argut's spirea has a pleasant aroma.
9. Spirea Thunberg is a mountain variety native to Korea, Japan and China. Inflorescences are umbellate white flowers that bloom in May. The species bears fruit from the age of three.

A special place is occupied by frost-resistant spireas. For cultivation in the Urals and Siberia, species adapted to unfavorable conditions are suitable. These include: gray spirea, arguta, Vangutta, Thunberg.

Reproduction of spirea: all methods

If one spirea bush on the site is not enough, it is easy to get a whole hedge out of it with your own hands. The best time for breeding is spring or autumn. Optimal weather conditions: it should be warm, but cloudy.

Both vegetative and seed methods are used. The latter is not used for hybrid varieties, since all varietal characteristics of the parent plant are lost. The advantage of the seed method is a large number of seedlings in one procedure. Seed pods are cut unripe, in the middle (for early flowering) or late summer.

Shoots with fruits are placed in an open box and kept for 14 days. Then the spilled seeds are collected and planted in spring or late autumn. For this, the material is placed directly into the "adult" soil and kept moist until germination. After about 2 months, when the sprouts are extended by 1.5-2 cm, a pick is carried out. Spring plantings in the fall can be moved to the main garden bed, autumn plantings - next spring.

Vegetative breeding methods for spirea:

1. Cuttings. The method allows you to preserve all varietal characteristics of the species. Collection and planting is carried out in the fall. Lignified branches of the first year are selected, growing straight up. At least 5 leaves are left on each cutting, the upper ones are cut in half, the lower ones are removed. Before planting, each cutting is kept in a growth stimulator solution for at least 10 hours, then each cut is sprinkled with Kornevin powder. Planting is done in wet sand, cuttings are placed at a slight angle. Until winter, the seedlings are kept in the shade and in constant moisture. For the winter, containers with plantings are buried in the ground and sheltered. By the spring, young spireas are transplanted to the garden bed, and in the fall they are relocated to a permanent place.
2. By dividing the bush. The method is used at any time of the year, except for winter, but it is best to divide the spirea in the fall, when the bush does not require special care. Plantings are used 3-4 years old, since older plants have a powerful root system, and it is more difficult to dig them out.The bush removed from the soil is immediately placed in a basin of water for an hour, then taken apart. Each of the divisions should have at least 4-5 strong roots and a strong root lobe. Landing is carried out according to the standard scheme.
3. Layers. The method is used when you need to get a small amount of seedlings. In the spring, with the appearance of buds, some shoots are pressed to the ground, for example, with hairpins, and covered with soil. To speed up rooting, the first buds of the mother plant are removed. It is also necessary to maintain constant soil moisture. For the winter, plants are sheltered from frost. The next spring, the layers are separated from the original bush and transplanted to a permanent place.

How to plant

Planting in open ground is done either in early spring or in autumn before leaf fall. Spring planting is preferred for summer flowering varieties. A well-lit area is selected. Although the plant can withstand partial shade, a large amount of sun will only have a positive effect on its development, and a deficiency will lead to shrinking flowers.

Spireas should be planted in loose soil with a slightly acidic reaction. To fill the pit, a mixture of sand, peat and garden soil is prepared in a ratio of 1: 1: 2. The prepared soil is watered abundantly and left for several days.

Planting stages:

1. The hole is dug twice as large as the root system of the seedling, its parameters are approximately 50 × 50 cm. Before planting, the hole must be aired and dry. At its bottom, a drainage layer of 15 cm is laid from broken brick, crushed stone or coarse sand.
2. If several spirits are planted to create a hedge, a distance of at least 50 cm is maintained between the holes. It is allowed to dig a trench. It is also necessary to maintain the distance when planting next to other plants, since the root system of spirits grows significantly over time.
3. The open root system must be inspected before planting. All damaged roots must be removed with pruning shears.
4. The crown of the seedling needs preliminary pruning. Shoots are shortened by about a third with a pruner. If the root system is too dry, more shoots need to be removed.
5. If the seedling has a closed root system, it is watered abundantly and only then transferred to the prepared hole.
6. The seedling is placed in a hole, leaving the root collar at soil level. The roots need to be spread.
7. The plant is sprinkled with prepared soil mixture, trampled down a little and watered. The trunk circle is covered with a layer of peat mulch.

Advice
If the planting is done in the fall, the young plant must be covered during the cold weather.

How to care for spirea outdoors

Spirea care is not difficult. The main requirement is moderate moisture. The roots are close to the surface and can dry out. Water the plant more often, especially in hot weather. One bush is enough for 15 liters of water twice a week. A layer of mulch will protect the roots from moisture loss.

Loosening of the soil is carried out carefully because of the close-lying root system. All weeds must be removed. You don't have to remove the mulch, just update the layer a little every time.

The first years of life of the spirea builds up the green mass, budding occurs only in the third year. When caring for the spirea, fertilizers should be periodically applied so that the flowering is long and abundant. After the autumn pruning, you need to add a mineral complex for flowering plants. In summer, the shrub is fertilized with organic matter, for example, mullein solution. It is allowed to add a little superphosphate to it - about a matchbox on a bucket of liquid.

Pruning is a mandatory procedure in caring for flowering shrubs, as it grows quickly and sometimes unevenly. The manipulation is carried out in the spring. In early flowering varieties, only the tops of the shoots are subject to removal at the end of flowering. In other species, the branches are cut by a third, while the large bud is left in place. Weak shoots are best removed completely.The larger the pruning, the more the bush grows.

Advice
Weak and diseased branches are removed at any time of the year.

The cultivation of spirea captivates not only beginners, but also gardening masters. It's nice to get a lush flowering bush with little effort. Spirea goes well with other plantings on the site, serve as an excellent frame for paths and reservoirs. Spirea is not only a decorative participant in the landscape, but also strengthens the soil and is even used for medicinal purposes.

Spirea is a deciduous shrub with a height of 0.15 - 2 m. There are more than 90 species of spirea in the world with different directions of the branch arrangement - they can be erect, spreading, recumbent. A variety of colors of inflorescences, foliage, crowns, ease in the formation of bushes, quick recovery after exposure to adverse conditions are important qualities that distinguish spirea from many other ornamental shrubs used in floriculture.

Japanese spirea is used for landscaping everywhere, even in the most northern regions. It has all the characteristics of an ideal garden plant. Each annual shoot ends in a large panicle with many pink buds. It is covered with flowers from the beginning of summer until the onset of cold weather. It is unpretentious, easily multiplies, and can decorate any, even the most sophisticated landscape with luxurious flowering.

Description of Japanese spirea

Japanese spirea in landscape design photo

Japanese spirea Spiraea japonica - a representative of the Rosaceae family - migrated to us from Japan and China. A feature of elliptical or ovoid leaves is that when they bloom, they turn reddish-brown shades, turn green in summer, and by autumn they change color again to brown-purple. Breeders, using this effect, have developed many varieties with unusual foliage tones that change throughout the season.

The Japanese spirea is the record holder for the duration of flowering. Its pink-red buds are collected in lush corymbose inflorescences. From mid-June, it is covered with fragrant flower caps. This magnificent sight can continue until the onset of cold weather. Japanese spirea has many garden forms, differing in color of flowers, bush height and size of leaf blades.

How to care for spirea

Despite their unpretentiousness, Japanese spirea bushes love well-lit areas with fertile soil. She may feel great in shady areas, but the flowering will be less impressive, and the foliage is not so brightly colored.

Planting is best done early in the season. When buying seedlings, they choose specimens that have not yet moved into growth with living buds on branches. Check the roots and shoots carefully - they should not break when bent.

How to plant a spirea the video will tell:

If the seedlings are with a closed root system, then the plant may be with blossoming leaves. In this case, carefully inspect all the branches and leaves - they should not be lethargic and dry, and the soil in the container should not be dry or very wet. In case of overflow or overdrying while in a container, such a plant may die.

The planting hole is prepared with a volume significantly exceeding the volume of the roots - taking into account further growth. Drainage from crushed old brick or expanded clay is laid at the bottom. To do this, you can use the remnants of the foam, after crushing it to the size of a walnut. Thoroughly fill with organic matter and mix.

Planting is best done in cloudy, rainy weather. Having placed the roots in the hole, they are carefully covered with earth and well watered. The root collar should be at ground level. The soil around the bush is carefully mulched - this will prevent moisture evaporation and the formation of a soil crust.

After a day or two, plants with blossoming leaves can be shed with ammonia water.It acts as an anti-stress drug - it provides nutrition for the plant at a time when the roots are not yet able to fulfill their direct responsibility.

Watering

Water the plant sparingly if there has been no rain for a long time. If it rains sometimes, the spirea need not be watered. The mulch will help retain moisture.

Another useful top dressing: a tablespoon of pharmacy ammonia is dissolved in 10 liters of water. Plants can simply be watered with such a solution from a watering can so as to moisten all the leaves and twigs. The rest of the solution can be watered on other plants. Ammonia quickly evaporates, so the solution is used as soon as possible and is not stored.

Ammonia solution is a good product with easily assimilable nitrogen, it can be fed with Spirea in a stressed state to quickly improve green mass growth and recovery.

The soil under the bushes is constantly kept in a loose state - this is achieved by mulching with bark, peat or compost.

Top dressing

To enhance the quality of flowering, the plant is fed after spring pruning with liquid complex fertilizer, and in the middle of summer, you can use a solution of organic fertilizer with the addition of superphosphate. Do this after abundant watering or during rains.

Spirea is quite loyal to the winter cold, but in order to avoid freezing in snowless winters, it is worth covering the roots and the lower part of the plant with dry peat, moss, sawdust or foliage. This is especially true for very young or recently transplanted bushes.

Trim spirea in spring video cropping

Spirea can and should be severely pruned. She quickly recovers and gains strength. Pruning is done in early spring. Dry, old, damaged shoots are removed at ground level. They give shape to the crown, shortening the twigs that have been knocked out of the total mass. Spring haircut is only for the benefit of the plant - the more often the spirea is cut, the more powerful and lush the bush grows. This procedure is carried out taking into account the nature of the formation of flower buds.

The shoot is shortened to developed buds. And small shoots are removed completely. After three years of life, the tops of the old twigs are cut to avoid deflecting their tops towards the ground. Thoughtful and timely pruning of spirea is aimed at achieving maximum decorative effect and achieving a beautiful appearance. Sometimes cardinal pruning is used - the entire bush is cut off a little above the ground.

How to cut a spirea in the fall, look at the video:

Pruning spirea after flowering is a mandatory procedure not only to maintain the decorative effect of the bush, it is an excellent stimulation of flowering in the next season.

Decorative haircut for spirea in summer on video:

How to propagate spirea in summer

By dividing the bush

By dividing the bush, adult plants are propagated.

• Do this in the fall or early spring before bud break, watering the plantings abundantly.
• An adult plant is dug up, cut with a sharp tool into pieces with several growth points.
• Slices are slightly dried and sprinkled with crushed activated carbon to prevent rotting.
• New bushes are planted at intervals of 0.6-0.8 m.

How to propagate spirea by cuttings

Reproduction of spirea by cuttings in summer

• For grafting at the end of June, they take a ripe branch and cut it into several 10-12 cm pieces, which are planted in a shady place in the garden and maintain sufficient moisture there.
• You can also use this year's green cuttings.
• Cuttings take root well both in the garden and in pots on the windowsill, you just need to keep the ground moist.
• For the winter, the planted bushes are covered with a layer of fallen leaves or peat, and in the spring they are placed at the intended place of growth.

We look at the video about the grafting of spirea:

Reproduction by layering

For reproduction by layering in early spring, the lower branches are bent to the ground and pinned with a V-shaped wire, falling asleep from above with soil. Already in the fall, roots are formed in these places and young plants can be transplanted to their new place.

Growing spirea from seeds

How to grow spirea from seeds

All types of spirea reproduce without problems by seeds, with the exception of hybrids. They may not set seeds at all, or seeds from such plants do not replicate maternal qualities.

Sowing seedlings

• Seeds are best sown in spring in planting boxes with a light soil substrate.
• Planting depth 1 cm, distance between seeds at least 2-3 cm in a row, between rows 6-8 cm.
• Water in moderation, there must be drainage holes in the bottom of the container so that moisture does not stagnate.
• Usually the germination rate is at least 50%. The first shoots appear within two weeks and in the first year of life they give one winding shoot.
• When 2-4 true leaves appear, they dive into separate cups.

2 months after germination, seedlings can be planted in the ground. At the same time, the roots are slightly shortened to stimulate their branching. In the second year, the bushes begin to branch. It is necessary to monitor the moisture content of the soil and prevent it from drying out. At 3-4 years, the first flowering begins.

Sowing in the ground

Spirea Japanese photo of seedlings in the open field

Spirea can be sown directly into the ground as soon as the ground is ripe, in early spring, or in late autumn, before winter. Densely emerged seedlings are thinned out, and when they rise a little, after 2-3 months, they are planted with an interval of 30-40 cm. For the winter, the seedlings are covered, and in the spring they are planted in a permanent place.

If you do not cut the spirea in the fall, in the spring you can find dense self-seeding shoots. These small seedlings can be left to grow and later transplanted as described above.

Pests and diseases

Usually spiraea is affected by a standard set of pests (aphids, rosaceous miner, rose leafworm, spider mite) to combat which various measures are used - agrotechnical, chemical, biological. Particular attention should be paid to prevention. Healthy and well-groomed plants are less susceptible to attacks from various insects.

Three times treatment with ammonia water with an interval of two weeks, starting from the moment the leaves bloom, will help scare away unexpected guests and increase the spirea's resistance to disease. Such processing will give an additional impetus to the growth of vegetative mass, serving as a kind of foliar feeding. Timely weeding and watering play an important role. Spirea is quite resistant to diseases.

In the design of gardens and parks, spirea is simply irreplaceable. It is distinguished by a wide variety of varieties, does not oppress other plants, and tolerates pruning excellently. Looks great in any garden. Perfectly complements the composition of low trees and shrubs. Serves as an excellent screen for larger brethren with bare trunks.

A spirea bush sprinkled with flowers on a green lawn looks spectacular. She is unusually attractive in a rocky garden in the company of short conifers. It is indispensable for creating a hedge, as it is an inexpensive planting material and is easy to form. It is very decorative in the period of autumn leaf coloring, enlivening the wilting nature.

Varieties of Japanese spirea with photos and descriptions

Spirea Japanese variety Little Princess spiraea japonica little princess photo

Little Princess is a short shrub with a crown diameter of up to 60 cm. It is characterized by slow growth and pink-red flowers in a corymbose inflorescence, appearing at the end of June. This plant makes an excellent hedge.

Spirea Japanese Spiraea japonica Golden Princess ‘Golden Princess’ photo in the garden

Golden Pincess - As short, but with bright yellow leaves and pink flowers. Blooms in July. In autumn, the leaves turn golden orange.

Spirea Japanese Goldflame Spiraea japonica Goldflame photo in the garden

Goldflame - orange-yellow leaves adorn this shrub less than a meter high. Over time, the color of the leaves changes to yellow, and then to green. In autumn, the leaves take on a copper tint. Feels great in urban environments. A powerful and fast growing variety.

Spirea Japanese cultivar Spiraea japonica 'Shirobana' photo in the garden

Shirobana is a short shrub whose flowers change color from white to pink and red. A real chameleon. The round bush reaches a diameter of 0.8 cm.

Japanese spirea Macrophylla Macrophylla photo in the garden

Macrophylla - The large, wrinkled leaves of this variety turn bright red over time. A very decorative variety that produces pale pink inflorescences.

Spiraea japonica cultivar Japanese Dwarf photo in the garden

Japaness Dwarf is a slow-growing dwarf bush up to 30 cm tall. Blooms profusely in mid-summer with pink inflorescences. Ideal on rocky hills, lawns, flower beds.

Spirea Japanese variety Spiraea japonica ‘Crispa’ photo in the garden

Crispa - lilac-pink flowers and wavy-toothed leaves on a spherical bush will decorate any garden.

Spirea planting and care in the open field photo