Spiraea gray grefshame planting and care in the open field

Spirea (translated from the Greek word means spiral, bend) has long been known and loved in Russia. People often call it meadowsweet, and this word applies to the genus Spiraea, although the meadowsweet plant (meadowsweet) refers to herbaceous, not shrub species.

Spiraea gray Grefsheim is the most common type of ornamental shrubs in personal plots. Its hanging branches with dense white flowers resemble a flower waterfall.

Spirea: varieties and description

There are 90 varieties of spirea in the world, and they differ not only in shape and color, but also in terms of flowering.

Most varieties have curved hanging branches, although upright shrubs are also found. The division is made according to the flowering time.

Spring varieties bloom on last year's shoots, so pruning is done immediately after flowering. Although the flowering of spring varieties of spirea is abundant, it is short-lived, and the flowers are exceptionally white.

Spireas, blooming in summer, delight not only with a variety of colors - from pink to crimson, but also with the duration of flowering. These varieties are pruned in the spring as they bloom on young shoots.

Spring varieties include:

Spiraea arguta (Arguta) has long serrated leaves up to 4 cm long. White umbellate inflorescences densely cover a two-meter shrub.
Spiraea vanhouttei (Vangutta) grows up to two meters in diameter and has long branches curved in an arc.
Spiraea cinerea (gray). Spirea gray Grefsheim (photo below) is the most frequent guest on personal plots. Its white, fragrant flowers cover the bush in a solid carpet, giving it the appearance of a large white ball.

Summer varieties are most often represented by varieties:

S. Japonica (Japanese spirea). It is an erect shrub up to 1.5 meters in height with large leaves up to 10 cm in length. It blooms for a month and a half, has many species that differ from each other in color.
S. Betulifolia (birch-leaved). It is unique in that its foliage, which is very similar in shape to birch, takes on a bright yellow and purple appearance in autumn. Inflorescences of corymbose form are pink or white.
S. x billardii (Billard's spirea) is often planted as a hedge because it is easy to maintain and trim. It has large pyramidal inflorescences of pink color.

A separate species is considered to be spirea with spike-shaped inflorescences (Douglas, Lemoine, willow and others). They bloom in mid-summer, rarely reaching September.

Spirea gray Grafsheim: choosing a place for planting

This amazing plant always attracts attention. During flowering, it looks like a snowball, and during dormancy, its grayish in summer and bright yellow in autumn leaves, densely covering the curving branches, resemble a ball.

To decorate the site, it is important that the plant takes root and grows quickly. Gray spirea Grefsheim is no exception. Shrub planting begins with site selection. It should be well lit, as even partial shade slows down its growth.Many summer residents plant spirea along the fences on the sunny side of the site.

The quality of the soil in the selected area is also important. Spirea gray Grefsheim takes root well on any soil (alkaline, neutral, acidic soils), if it is not overdried. The best time for planting is autumn, when the foliage has already been shed, although it can be done in the spring, before the buds appear.

Planting scheme for gray spirea

Since gray spirea Grefsheim grows quite powerfully, when creating a hedge, it is recommended to adhere to a distance of up to half a meter between the bushes. It is 40 cm between the rows.

If you plant plants in groups when decorating a site, then the distance should be 50-70 cm, sometimes up to one meter. The width of the planting pit for the spirea should be 30 percent larger than the size of the root system. The depth is 40 to 50 cm, including drainage.

This ratio of the distance between the bushes and the volume of the holes allows the spirea to grow quickly.

Sulfur spirea care

Spirea gray Grefsheim, the care of which does not require close attention, is very attractive for gardeners.

For this variety, moderate watering with loosening of the soil and cleaning of weeds is recommended. Mulching can be done for a young seedling, for which it is enough to sprinkle the earth with a layer of peat. Since gray spirea Grefsheim is used to form a hedge and retain dust and cold air, we can safely say that this is a frost-resistant plant.

The only thing that this variety of spirea reacts badly to is temperature changes. In an unstable climate, it is advisable to cover the roots of the shrub for the winter, for which it is enough to pour a thick layer of leaves on them. One of the most important factors in caring for a spirea is pruning it.

Pruning gray spirea

In order for the gray Grefsheim to bloom and grow as long as possible on the spirea area, pruning is not carried out every year.

The peculiarity of this variety of spirits is that their flower buds cover the entire last year's shoot. If pruned annually, the bush will not bloom that season. Optimal for gray spirea will be pruning only the frozen ends, and after seven years of growth, it is time to remove old branches.

Spirea gray Grefsheim, planting and caring for which is not at all burdensome, lives up to 30 years, therefore, deep pruning is recommended to rejuvenate the bush. In this case, the plant is cut to the state of a stump, which allows it to gain strength and start up new young shoots. In the area of the root collar, the spirea has numerous dormant buds, which wake up when deep pruning is carried out.

A bush is formed from new shoots. To do this, it is enough to leave 5-6 strong branches, and the rest are removed during the first growing season.

It is recommended to thin out the spirea every two years, cutting off broken and weakened shoots. To form a beautifully shaped bush, pruning should be done in early spring.

Reproduction of spirea gray Grefsheim

In order for a beautiful blooming gray spirea Grefsheim to grow on the site, it is better to reproduce it by cuttings.

Young shoots are absolutely not suitable for this, even if they give an exuberant color. For reproduction, it is necessary to select only lignified branches, from which the top and part of the leaves are removed immediately after cutting.

The tip of the branch should be cut obliquely, and then the cutting should be planted in loose, moist soil. To grow strong and healthy seedlings, cuttings should be planted at a distance of up to 20 cm from each other and kept in a warm room with high humidity. If there is no greenhouse or greenhouse, then it is important to ensure that the ground does not dry out. Frequent watering of cuttings is the key to their rapid growth.

In open ground, a stalk that has taken root can be transplanted both in spring and autumn. Sulfur spirea bushes rarely get sick, but prevention from pests and diseases will not be superfluous.

Diseases and pests of spiraea gray Grefsheim

Although spiraea is considered a sturdy shrub, it also has pests, albeit a few. To avoid trouble, it is advisable to carry out preventive work.

The spider mite affects not only this type of shrub. The main signs of sabotage are the appearance of cobwebs on the shoots, yellowed out of time and fallen leaves, holes in the leaves and inflorescences and an unhealthy look of a shrub. It is easy to get rid of it by spraying with 0.3% karbofos.
Aphids primarily harm inflorescences and young foliage, as they bite off and suck out the juice. To destroy aphids, spraying with a 0.1% solution of pyrimor is suitable, which is also harmful to other types of pests.
Rose leafworm is able to destroy from 20% to 60% of shrub leaves. The caterpillar twists and gnaws them.

If spiraea is sprayed with chemicals before the vegetative period, then it is not in any danger, since this plant is extremely rare.

Spirea gray in the landscape

Landscaped gardens are becoming more and more popular and shrubs such as spirea are in constant demand. They are used to create a hedge, and for alpine slides, and for group compositions.

For the formation of beautiful groups, the best companions for gray spirea will be broom, viburnum, multiflorous oak and conifers. Against their background and in their environment, the spirea looks even more elegant and whiter.

Spirea gray grefsheim, also known as meadowsweet, is probably the most popular ornamental shrub in summer cottages. You have probably seen this plant and more than once, its cascading white cascades, cause pleasant associations with a stormy waterfall. Today our topic is as follows -spirea gray grefsheim planting and leaving a photo.Therefore, let's talk in more detail about this shrub, find out how to care for it, and how to plant it, in the photo selection you can enjoy the beauty of the spriya.

Description of the spirea variety:

Now a little less varieties of this shrub are known, they differ in their shape, color, and flowering period. The unifying feature is the curved branches that hang down, there are of course exceptions, and some bushes grow upward. They are divided according to the timing of flowering.

Varieties with spring bloom, bloom profusely but for a very short period of time, their flowers are white. Immediately after they have faded, they are pruned because they bloom on last year's shoots.

Varieties with a summer flowering period are more diverse and will delight you with all the richness of colors, they also have a longer flowering period. These varieties need to be pruned in the spring, as they will bloom on young shoots.

Spring varieties of spirea:

Spiraea arguta (Arguta) - has long serrated leaves, their length reaches four centimeters;
Spiraea vanhouttei (Vangutta) - a tall plant, bushes grow up to 2 meters in diameter;
Spiraea cinerea (gray). Spirea gray Grefsheim is the most common and favorite variety among summer residents.

Spirea gray Grefsheim

Summer varieties of spirea:

S. Japonica (Japanese spirea). - The height of the bush reaches about one and a half meters, the leaves are long, about ten centimeters. There are subspecies of this variety, they differ in their colors.
S. Betulifolia (birch-leaved) - The leaves look like birch, and this is one of its most distinctive features, in the fall, its leaves turn yellow and look very attractive.
S. x billardii (Billard's spirea) - Used in most cases as a hedge, it is very easy to maintain, so it is popular.

Spirea gray planting and care:

Choosing a place where to plant a bush.

First of all, you need to choose the place where the bush will grow. There is no need to plant it somewhere in the back of the yard, or garden, the spriya always attracts a lot of attention, so it is planted in a conspicuous place to show guests and admire themselves. But of course, other factors must be taken into account, such as sunlight, it should be abundant, as if the bush grows in the shade, it will develop poorly. Planting a spirea along your fence is a good option.

Pay attention to the soil on which the bush will grow, the gray grefshame is not whimsical to the type of soil spriy, but its quality matters, it should not be overdried.

When to plant spirea?

It is best to plant it in the fall, after the foliage is shed, it can also be planted in the spring, before the buds appear.

How to plant spriya?

If you want to make a hedge out of spirea, then you should take into account that it has a developed root system so that the plants do not interfere with each other, it is recommended to plant them at a distance of about 0.5 m, if you plant bushes in a row, then observe between the rows the same distance.

The pit for planting should be wider than the root system of the spirea by a third, up to half a meter deep.

How is sulfur spirea caring for?

Spirea gray Grefsheim, fell in love with many gardeners because of its unpretentiousness. It is watered moderately, and the soil is loosened, you also need to take care that weeds do not get close to it. If you want to mulch a plant, then you just need to take peat and pour it over the ground.

How to trim sulfur spirea:

It is recommended to prune it at least in a year, the fact is that they usually bloom on last year's shoots, and if you pruned this bush, then this year it will no longer bloom. They carry out sanitary pruning of frozen shoots. Once every seven years, she needs to remove the already pretty old branches.

We cut off the spirea every few years

As you can see, the gray spirea is really not demanding, planting and caring for it does not require much time and you will not work beyond measure. Such a bush lives for about thirty years, so that you will acquire a garden pet for a long time, from time to time, in order to rejuvenate the bush, it is almost completely cut off.

To form a new bush, it is enough for us to have about five good branches, while others can be removed during the first growing season.

Reproduction of spirea gray Grefsheim:

It is best to carry out this procedure using cuttings. Reproduction is carried out by old, already stiff cuttings. We cut off such shoots, and they should immediately remove the top and part of the leaves.

The end of the branch should be cut obliquely, then we plant it in the soil, it must be loosened and moistened in advance. It is best to grow young bushes in a greenhouse or greenhouse, if this is not possible, you should closely monitor the soil, it should in no case dry out. Also, the stalk needs to be watered often. Landing in open ground is carried out in the spring or autumn.

Spirea gray sinews planting and leaving is not particularly difficult, and in the photo you can be sure that such a bush will undoubtedly decorate your yard. Therefore, we can safely recommend trying to plant such a bush at home, and it will certainly delight you with its beauty. On this we say goodbye to you, we wish you good luck, and all the best, until we meet again on our website - a farmer without hassle!

The variety "Grefsheim", actually read as "Grefsheim", since the name is of German origin, belongs to the category of spring-flowering spirits, as a result of which it has adopted some of the peculiarities of its appearance. In particular, these are small white flowers collected in umbrellas. When flowering enters its peak stage, the branches descend under the weight of the inflorescences, and the spirea bush itself looks as if it is covered with a lush snow cap.

Spirea gray Grafsheim: photos and features of the plant

The main difference between "Grefsheim" and other representatives of spring-flowering spirits is dense leaves with a fluffy outer side, having a dusty green color, as if powdered with ash. For this reason, this spirea is often called sulfur.The height of the bush rarely exceeds 2 m, but it spreads well in breadth if you create suitable conditions for it. However, most gardeners prefer to give the gray spirea the appearance of a spreading fountain, for which they subject the plant to frequent pruning.

After planting (if it was carried out through sowing), it is required to wait 2-3 years before the plant releases buds. During this time, the bush will not add much in growth, which can cause questions for novice gardeners, but such a kind of stagnation is a lull before a spike in intensive growth.

The flowering of the Grafsheim variety begins in May or closer to June, usually occurs on the shoots that formed last year, so it is important that they survive the winter, otherwise there will be almost no flowers. The issue of frost resistance of gray spirea, in fact, is very often raised by gardeners on thematic forums: as you can find out from the discussions, the bush blooms best if it is completely covered with snow in winter. The absence of a natural "blanket" can lead to a decrease in the abundance of flowering, but nothing more - even in the coldest regions of spirea, Grefsheim tolerates winter well.

Gray spirea Grefsheim: the subtleties of planting and care

As already mentioned, the "Grefsheim" variety refers to the spring-flowering species of spirea, which leads to some peculiarities of its planting and further care. In particular, to the establishment of certain dates for sowing and subsequent flowering of the bush.

So that the biological schedule of the plant does not go astray, it is planted in the fall, but the sowing itself is carried out in the summer, 2-3 months before the transfer of the bush to the open ground: this is exactly the period necessary for the gray spirea for the development of seedlings. If the winter is snowless and cold, it is better to hold the bush on the balcony or in any other cool room until March, since for all its winter hardiness, a young spirea may not appreciate such climatic conditions.
Gray spirea is a connoisseur of sunlight, and even direct rays do not interfere with its development, therefore, the area on which it will sit should be on a hill or slope, not shaded. A frequent lack of light usually leads to the fact that the development of the bush practically stops, and it not only does not add in volume, but also blooms with great difficulty.
To remove the seedling from the pot, the soil needs to be moistened - otherwise, damage to the root system is possible. Here it is better not to spare the water: the soil must be completely saturated with it, and some gardeners even recommend putting a bush with a clod of earth at the roots in a bucket of water for a few minutes before lowering it into a dug hole.
In terms of its chemical composition, the substrate for sulfur spirea can be absolutely anything: this plant takes root well even in arid rocky areas, although it does not relate too well to loams, which will have to be drained and often loosened to prevent moisture stagnation. It is desirable to lower the acidity as much as possible.
A large hole for the seedling is being prepared, because after 1-2 years the bush will come into force and significantly increase in size, and it is undesirable to transplant it. The minimum parameters of the width and depth of the pit are 50 * 50 cm, and for the gray spirea "Grefshaim" they can be increased to 70 * 70 cm. in wet weather.
It is noteworthy that the gray spiraea practically does not need watering: the abundant moisture that is produced at the time of planting in open ground is enough for it, and subsequently the only reason that can prompt manual watering is drought for 14-15 days. Even cuttings that need to develop a root system do not need frequent watering.
But feeding for spirea is, if not a mandatory item, then a very important one.The abundance of flowering and the splendor of the bush depends on the nutritional value of the soil, therefore, with the onset of May-June, it is recommended to start making the mullein infusion. However, it can be replaced with peat or humus, which are stacked as a mulching material around the circumference. The same move will help extend the life of the bush without natural watering.
Spiraea gray Grefsheim is a winter-hardy plant, but very sensitive to temperature extremes. For this reason, in regions with a harsh continental climate, it is worth taking care of a shelter for the winter: ordinary branches (for the roots) and any dense material for the ground part of the bush can play its role.

Spirea gray Grefsheim: features of reproduction and pruning

This shrub, like most of its kind, needs not only the selection of the right place of residence and the creation of comfortable conditions - it also needs molding, without which the flowering will not be abundant enough, and the bush itself will start to grow actively, losing all attractiveness. Novice gardeners have a lot of questions about this procedure, so you should turn to the experience of professionals.

Since Grefshaim is a spring-flowering variety, all old branches must be removed from it. At the same time, they are not shortened, namely, they are cut out under the base, otherwise new shoots will crawl in the same place, which leads to deformation of the bush.
Some gardeners do not touch old dried brushes, since the plant is able to get rid of them on its own, closing them with new buds, but this negatively affects the splendor of flowering.
"Grefshaim" is a rather difficult variety, and it is important to keep the line here: this spirea cannot be cut off annually - it is enough to carry out this procedure every 2-3 years. If you want to prune more often (for example, to prevent overgrowth of the bush), work in individual areas, not across the entire volume.
The pruning procedure for this variety is carried out in the summer, when flowering is complete. About 1 / 4-1 / 3 part can be removed from the base, if the bush has grown too large, weak shoots can be removed completely.

As for reproduction, the gray spirea Grefsheim can be propagated in 3 ways at once: simple cuttings, layering and ordinary sowing. The last method was considered above, but cuttings are considered the most practiced: shoots 10-12 cm long are buried in the ground or peat, where they take root within 1-2 months. This is done in the summer. If you want to propagate with a gray spirea by layering, then the branches must be bent and held against the ground in the spring, when the leaves appear. Here, frequent watering to stimulate root formation will be a guarantee of success.

In May or at the very beginning of summer, in many gardens, parks and squares you can see a real "waterfall" of branches covered with small white flowers with a yellow center inside - this is the Grefsheim spirea. She is so beautiful and graceful, despite her spreading, that she involuntarily attracts the eye.

Spiraea cinerea grefsheim looks like snow in May or a white air cloud, but flowering is far from its only advantage, it does not lose its decorative effect throughout the season.

Closer in autumn, its foliage turns yellow and the bush looks like a large yellow ball. Spirea is a real find for lovers of bush flowering plants.

Description of the Grafsheim variety

This variety has a lot of similarities with the gray spirea hybrid:

they have the same height, reaching one and a half or two meters, the shape of the bush is spherical;
the branches are also of the same shade, they are reddish-brown;
the leaves are pointed.

The name of the gray or ash spirea comes from the color of the branches, they have a gray or slightly greenish color throughout the summer season, and a delicate downy fluff also grows on the leaves below, also whitish grayish. By autumn, the foliage changes and acquires a golden yellow color, and since the branches also change color, the bush becomes like the sun (see photo).

The most amazing action takes place with the plant in the spring, or rather, at its end. It is at this time that the time of flowering begins and a huge number of tiny white flowers appear along the branches, which are collected in inflorescences. This exuberant action lasts almost a month and a half and amazes everyone who passes by with its beauty.

In the second year of its flowering, the plant begins to emit a magnificent honey aroma and "buzz", as it gathers around itself a large number of bees, being an excellent honey plant. If you do not have enough of these "workers" and pollinators on your garden plot, you should urgently plant a spirea, it will collect bees from all over the area.

The main advantage of this bush plant is its simplicity. Spirea Grefsheim is not afraid of cold weather, frost, shade, or open sun, she will take root everywhere, and will delight you with her rapid growth. For this reason, it should be cut off at least once a year, then the avalanche of its branches will always be decorative.

Planting a plant

Despite the unpretentiousness of the plant, some features during planting must still be observed.

A sunny place on the site is what you need for rapid growth, although in the shade the plant will take root without problems, but growth will be much slower.
The site must have high quality soil and an alkaline or acidic content, too dry places are not desirable.

The preparation of the seat must comply with the following rules:

First, a hole is dug, the size of which is 50 by 5 cm.
Peat, turf soil and sand are added inside the hole in equal proportions.
Leave the hole open for a couple of days before starting planting.
The plant is planted in cloudy weather, or in the late afternoon, spreading the roots, gently pressing the soil and watered.
The best time for planting spirea is autumn, then the plant does not need to spend energy on leaves, but all the energy will focus on rooting.

Spring planting of a bush is also allowed, until the buds begin to bloom.

Plant propagation

Like any shrub plant, Spiraea cinerea grefsheim can be bred in two ways: by cuttings or by cuttings.

Gardeners prefer the first method, it is quite simple and not laborious. It is necessary to cut ten-centimeter cuttings and plant them in a prepared place, or in boxes with soil. The process of root germination is fast, if you plant cuttings in July, then in the fall you can get ready-made seedlings.
The second method, by layering, is also widespread, and takes place in the spring. The extreme layers are pressed against the soil and watered well, having previously fixed them to the ground with staples or other devices. In the fall, the rooted layers are cut off from the mother bush and planted in a permanent place.

Spirea care Grefsheim

Care is traditional and involves watering, pruning and feeding, as well as sheltering for the winter if it is too harsh and snowless.

The bush is watered only in particularly dry times, quite twice a week, 1-2 buckets per adult plant.
A shelter during the winter can be made from litter or sawdust, but if a sufficient amount of snow falls in the winter, there is no need for a special shelter.
Pruning is an important activity that the plant loves and responds to readily. Pruning is done after flowering with a sharp pruner, previously disinfected in some kind of insecticide. In young bushes, all branches that are incapable of life, broken off or damaged shoots are cut off. Adult bushes are cut one-fourth of all branches from the very base, the remaining shoots are slightly shortened by 15-20 cm.

Diseases and insect pests

Spider mites, leafworms and aphids are the main pests of this plant.Therefore, preventive measures should be carried out in advance, in the spring, when the buds have not yet blossomed and the vegetative period has not come.

No diseases have been identified in relation to spirea, and this is another of its advantages.

Gray spirea is an excellent decoration for a garden, park, public garden, it focuses on itself as a dominant if undersized plants are planted around and perfectly complements tall plantings.

Among other varieties of the Rosaceae family, one can distinguish the Wangutta spirea, it blooms with white flowers with a pink tint. Good as a hedge or as an element of the garden composition. Looks beautiful by water bodies, among ground cover plants and as an arrangement in a recreation area. Blooms in the second year and is completely unpretentious in care.

Any kind of spirea can only evoke positive emotions, and low-effort care will save time and money. This plant is so responsive to a good attitude towards it that it is ready to grow and bloom with a vengeance, therefore, to increase the positive energy on the site, it is definitely worth growing.

Date of publication:Landing in open ground