Spirea - species and varieties
The belonging of the spirea to a particular species and variety affects not only the appearance of the crown and flowers, but also the duration of the flowering season, as well as the requirements for soil composition, care, pruning.
Spirea in the garden
The origin and species diversity of spirits
The deciduous shrub of spiraea (Latin Spiraea) belongs to the Pink family (Latin Rosaceae). Translated from the Greek, "spir" is "spiral". It is her that drooping branches of a plant resemble. Natural forms are common throughout the Northern Hemisphere, and in South America - in Mexico.
All currently known types of spirits are conventionally divided into three groups:
- Blooming in spring. Inflorescences are corymbose or umbellate with rosettes of leaflets at the base. The flowering season is no longer than 3-4 weeks, but it is very abundant, foliage is almost invisible under the flowers.
- Blooming in summer. Inflorescence is a scutellum, simple or complex, formed at the end of a short twig with leaves on the shoots of the current year. The season lasts almost all summer.
- Late flowering (second half of summer). An elliptical or broadly pyramidal panicle grows at the end of a long shoot with this year's leaves. The number of flowers is significantly less than that of other species, and the inflorescences replace each other as they wilt.
Note! Almost all spireas bloom from 3-4 years of age. Sometimes very few flowers appear for the first time, or the buds do not have enough strength to dissolve
General description of the shrub
The shrub can grow, depending on the species, from 15 cm to 2.5 m in height. The root system of all types is fibrous with a shallow horizontal bedding. Shoots are erect, spreading or creeping. The bark is flaky, usually brown or gray in color. Young branches are green or reddish-brownish, glabrous, but sometimes pubescent.
Small buds can sometimes reach 1 cm in length. They are located on the branches singly or in pairs. The alternate leaves do not have stipules, are round or lanceolate-linear with 3-5 lobes, they are double-serrate-toothed. Inflorescences in the form of paniculate brushes or scutes consist of numerous flowers with 5 petals up to 2 cm in diameter each. Fruits (capsules with very small seeds) ripen within 2-2.5 months after pollination.
How to choose a variety of spirea
Varieties are selected based on the preferred climatic zone, flowering duration and crown habit. You can choose bushes with spring or summer flowering, various shades of petals, as well as undersized or tall spreading ones.
Note! The largest spireas are widely used to form hedges.
Recommendations for growing in different climatic zones
In the southern regions, all varieties and varieties can be planted without restrictions. At the same time, no measures to prepare for wintering will be required. In the middle lane, preference is given to spring-flowering varieties that are characterized by increased frost resistance and also do without shelter.
Note! For the Moscow region, the Urals, Siberia. Of the Far East, varieties of increased frost resistance are chosen, but they must also be covered after the foliage has fallen or spud to a height of at least 50-60 cm
Planting spirea
Planting spirea in spring
In the spring, only summer flowering spireas are planted. The main condition for a spring planting is to be in time before the leaves bloom. If you buy spirea seedlings, carefully consider the roots - they should not be overdried. Check the shoots of the seedling and only buy if they are flexible and have good buds.Adjust the planting material: if the roots of the seedling have grown too much, carefully shorten them, if, on the contrary, the roots are too dry or damaged, cut the branches. If the root system is dry during storage, spill it with water or soak it briefly in a bucket of water, and only then plant it.
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Spirea is an unpretentious plant, but for long and abundant flowering, certain conditions must still be met: the site for the spirea must be sunny, the soil fertile. In addition, spirea bushes give abundant root growth, which increases the area occupied by the plant, and this must be taken into account when planning spirea planting.
In the photo: Blooming spirea in the garden
So, in the area where the spirea will grow, you need to make a pit with strictly vertical walls, at least a third larger than the volume of the root system of the seedling. Then you need to let the pit stand for 2-4 days. On the day of planting (preferably rainy or cloudy weather), you need to make a drainage layer of 15-20 cm from broken bricks, especially if the soil is clay, add 2 parts of leafy or turf soil and one part of peat and sand to the pit, mix this mixture, lower the roots of the spirea into the pit, spread them, cover them with earth to the root collar and then compact. Immediately after planting, the spirea is watered with one or two buckets of water and mulched with peat.
Planting spirea in the fall
In autumn, both spring-flowering spireas and late-flowering ones are planted. Usually, the autumn planting is combined with the spirea planting by dividing the bush. This must be done until the leaf fall is over. Spireas, which are 3-4 years old, are divided and transplanted, older plants can also be planted, but this is already quite difficult to do because of the large earthen coma, which is difficult to remove and wash from the ground.
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The spirea bush must be dug out, capturing slightly more than half of the crown projection around the circumference. You will probably have to chop off a few roots, but this will not do much harm to the plant. Then the roots of the extracted bush must be washed well. If the plant is young and not very overgrown, just place it in a container of water and let the soil turn off and settle in the water, then rinse the roots under running water while spreading them out. Cut the bush with pruning shears into two or three parts so that each delenka has a good root lobe and 2-3 strong shoots. Trim the cordlike roots.
In the photo: Young spirea bush
Dig a hole, put a mound in the middle, set the seedling on a mound and smooth out the roots. Fill the hole with soil and apply it over the surface. In several steps, pour the planted cuttings with water.
Transplantation after purchase
Spirea can be planted both in spring and in autumn, and in spring only summer-flowering varieties of shrubs are planted
It is very important to have time to disembark the bride before the buds bloom on the shoots.
When purchasing seedlings in the store, you need to inspect the roots and shoots. If they are strong enough and not damaged, you can safely plant a shrub on the site.
In autumn, the spirea is planted before the end of the leaf fall. For planting, usually bushes are taken, which are 3-4 years old. They are optimally suited for dividing.
What is needed
To plant the spirea you will need:
- Scissors for cutting off excess roots;
- Shovel;
- Drainage (for example, broken brick);
- Soil mixture;
- Irrigation water;
- Peat;
- Pruner.
Important! In autumn, both spring-flowering and summer-flowering spireas can be planted.
Optimal location
Despite the general unpretentiousness of the shrub, it is advisable to choose a well-lit, spacious place with nutrient-rich soil for it.
If the choice is small, meadowsweet can also be planted on a rocky area, in partial shade near a fence, gate, or next to other shrubs.
It is worth remembering! The more spacious and lighter the plant, the more luxuriant and longer it will bloom.
Planting process
Spring planting of the bride bush step by step:
- A pit is prepared on the site, the volume of which is about a third larger than the volume of the root system of the seedling. It is advisable to do this a couple of days before the planned planting.
- Before planting, the seedling is placed in a bucket with a little water.
- Drainage is laid out at the bottom of the pit, in a layer of about 20 cm.
- Combine 2 parts of leafy soil with 1 part of sand and 1 part of peat. Pour the resulting mixture to the bottom of the pit.
- Place a seedling in the hole, gently spread the roots. Cover them with earth, gently tamping them with your hands. The root collar should be flush with the soil surface.
- Water the seedling with water (it will take 18-20 liters) and mulch the near-trunk circle with peat.
Autumn planting of spirea in stages:
- Three, - or a four-year-old bush to dig out of the ground.
- Wash the root system in running water.
- Using a pruner, divide the bush into 3 parts.
- Prepare the landing pits.
- Put drainage on the bottom, pour soil mixture.
- Plant the plants, gently cover the roots with earth and tamp.
- Water the planting abundantly with water.
Important! It is best to choose a cloudy day for planting.
Types of spirea white or spring flowering
Almost all spirea bushes blooming in spring have white inflorescences. Meanwhile, their external variety is quite large, for which unpretentious culture is highly appreciated by landscape designers.
Gray
The height of the bush, which resembles a fountain during flowering, is on average about 90-180 cm. The shoots are drooping, arched. The lanceolate leaves are gray-green on the face, and lighter on the inside. Numerous white corymbose inflorescences bloom along the entire length of the shoots from mid-May to mid-June. Winter hardiness - up to -35 ° С.
Spiraea cinerea
Arguta
It is a hybrid of Thunberg spirea and multiflorous. The bush, up to 3 m wide, consists of numerous shoots up to 2 m long. Narrow serrated green leaves up to 4 cm long. Flowering lasts 4 weeks from the last decade of May. Umbrella white inflorescences are formed only on last year's branches.
Spiraea arguta
Wangutta
A dense-flowered hybrid of Cantonese and three-lobed spire. Rounded bushes grow up to 2 m in height. Arcuate branches droop strongly. An obovate leaf, up to 3.5 cm long, has 3-5 lobes, is painted in a dark green tint, and becomes orange-red in autumn. Hemispherical snow-white inflorescences bloom along all shoots in May.
Spiraea vanhouttei
Gorodchaty
It has been grown in gardens since 1800, but today it belongs to rare species. A bush up to 1 m high has a loose crown. The leaf is gray-green up to 3.5 cm in length, oblong, rounded. The edge of the leaf plate is crenate with three pronounced veins on the seamy side. The shade of the petals is slightly yellowish. The diameter of the rims is up to 5 mm. Inflorescence - corymbose from 10-20 buds.
Note! The variety blooms from mid-May for about 20 days.
Spiraea crenata
Dubravkolistnaya
Spiraea oak-leaved is a shrub 1.5-2 m high. The crown is rounded with ribbed shoots. White corymbose inflorescence is formed by 6-20 buds. Long bloom from May to June. A pointed rounded leaf with a double-serrated edge up to 4.5 cm long, painted from the face in bright green, and from the inside out - in a bluish tint.
Spiraea chamaedryfolia
Nippon
This shrub can grow up to 2.5 m in height. Long arched branches are covered with dark green leaves up to 4 cm long, which turn crimson in autumn. The variety is long-lived - the usual life span is 40-50 years. The annual growth is fast - about 30 cm. Globular up to 8 cm in diameter, white inflorescences bloom in June for 15-25 days.
Spiraea nipponica
Average
A viable shrub - medium spirea, up to 3 m tall, almost never suffering from diseases. Oval green leaves with 2-4 teeth are slightly pubescent. Blooms in May-June with umbellate white multi-flowered racemes.
Spiraea media
Thunberg
A shrub native to Korea and Japan has been grown in gardens since 1863. Light brown arcuate shoots form a crown up to 1.8 m tall.Yellowish finely toothed leaves up to 2.5 cm long turn golden in autumn. Pinkish buds up to 8 mm in diameter form inflorescences up to 3 cm in diameter. Blossom along the entire length of the shoots in May.
Spiraea thunbergi
Care features
Spirea needs regular watering, mulching, feeding with nutrients and other procedures necessary for its cultivation.
Watering
It is necessary to irrigate the near-trunk zone 1-2 times every 15 days, pouring about two buckets of water under each bush. It is possible to completely stop watering in cool weather (+10 degrees and below). Mulch is placed after watering, the optimal materials are peat chips, loosening in this case is irrelevant.
Fertilization
Twice during the growing season, the plant is fertilized - in the spring the soil is watered with a solution of liquid manure mixed with superphosphate. Before the formation of buds, it is required to add agents that include phosphorus and potassium to the soil.
Pruning
For group plants, a shaping cut is important to keep the bushes neat. Sanitary pruning is carried out in the spring - old and young shoots are cut to the first internode. In adult shrubs at the age of 4-5 years, branches with a length of 25 cm are left for rejuvenation.
Preparing the spirea for wintering consists in examining and removing spoiled shoots, the bushes are mulched with organic matter and peat to protect the plant from small animals, and they enclose the shrub with a fine mesh. There is no need to cover frost-resistant shrubs with special protective materials.
