Gray spirea grefsheim: description, planting and care

How to care for spirea Grefsheim

To succeed in growing spirea Grefsheim and avoid stunting, it is worth providing it with comprehensive care.

Watering

In the description of the Grefsheim spirea, it is said that the plant does not need frequent watering. It is recommended to moisten the soil twice a month. It is recommended to pour 1.5 buckets of water under the bush. In dry weather, the soil should be moistened more often.

The soil in which the bush grows must have high water permeability. The soil around the culture must be systematically loosened and weeded.

The plant needs to be watered in a timely manner.

Top dressing

Planting and caring for the ashy Grefsheim spirea include the mandatory application of fertilizers. For this purpose, chicken manure and cow infusion are used. It is recommended to apply top dressing before flowering and after the end of spring pruning.

Pruning

It is recommended to pay special attention to crop pruning. The procedure should be performed in July after the end of flowering.

Young shoots that have faded should be shortened to strong buds. They form throughout the stem, which is why the procedure should not be carried out annually.

Important! If you cut off living buds, the spirea will not be able to bloom. During the first procedure in the spring, it is worth removing weak shoots to the area of ​​localization of large buds

Spirea care

How to care for spirea

We have already talked about the basic requirements of the spirea: bright lighting (although many species grow well in partial shade), loose fertile soil, good drainage and mulching with a seven-centimeter layer of peat immediately after planting. What else is needed in order for the spirea to delight you with beautiful and long flowering?

Since the spirea has a shallow root system, it does not tolerate dry soil and begins to dry out, therefore it needs moderate watering during the dry season: 15 liters of water per bush twice a month. Loosening the soil is imperative, as is regular weeding. Top dressing of spirea is carried out with complex mineral fertilizer after pruning the bush, and in the middle of summer it would be good to fertilize the spirea with a mullein solution with the addition of superphosphate at the rate of 10 g per 10 liters of solution.

In the photo: Beautiful spirea leaves

Of the pests, aphids and spider mites are the most annoying spire. The mite is destroyed by karbofos, and the aphid by Pirimor. But for the most part, spireas are not susceptible to diseases, and pests cannot do much harm to their beauty and reduce the decorative qualities of the spirea.

Spirea pruning

Bushes tend to grow, so you have to cut them from time to time. In early flowering, since flowering takes place along the entire length of the shoot, only the tips are cut off annually, which froze over the winter, but after 7-14 years all old shoots are removed from the bushes, that is, the plant is cut almost to the stump, so that later from the very 5-6 strong shoots of young growth to form a new bush, removing the remaining shoots during the growing season. After a year or two, weak or old shoots are again removed from the bush. At the ends of the shoots, pruning should be carried out in the spring, before the leaves bloom, sanitary pruning of old shoots can also be carried out in the spring, or in summer.

Summer-flowering spireas are cut annually in early spring. It is necessary to shorten the shoot to large buds, it is better to remove weak and small shoots altogether. The stronger the pruning, the more powerful the shoots will grow. It is necessary to remove aging shoots in time, otherwise they begin to dry out on their own. When the bush is four years old, you can annually cut the bush to a height of 30 cm from the ground, but if the spireas still give weak growth, you should think about replacing the bush, although on average late-flowering species of spirea live 15-20 years.

In the photo: Growing spirea in the open field

Reproduction of spirea

Spireas reproduce, except for dividing the bush, by seeds, cuttings and layering. Only those spireas that are not hybrids can be propagated by seeds, since spirea seeds still do not retain varietal qualities.But the method of cuttings brings very good results - over 70% of cuttings are rooted even without the use of growth stimulants. Early flowering spireas are cut in the first half of June, late flowering - in the second half of June or July. Lignified cuttings are rooted in autumn, in September-October.

Cut a straight annual shoot, cut it into pieces so that each has 5-6 leaves. Remove the lower leaves on each cutting along with the petioles, cut the rest of the leaves into half a leaf and put the cuttings in Epin's solution for half a day (1 ml per 2 liters of water). Then dust the lower knot of the cutting with Kornevin stimulant and plant in a pot in wet sand at an angle of 30-45º. Cover the cuttings with glass or plastic. Place the container of cuttings in the shade and spray them with water two to three times a day. When the frost sets in, dig in the cuttings in the garden bed, cover with leaves, place an inverted box on top and leave until spring. When the cuttings give new shoots the next year, they can be planted in a permanent place.

In the photo: Drops of water on the leaves of spirea

When propagating by layering, the shoot is laid in a groove dug in the ground, pinned and sprinkled with earth. If you want to get several new shoots, then the top of the cut must be pinned, then each lateral bud can give a shoot

In autumn, the layers are carefully removed and divided into regrown shoots, which are planted

Growing tips

Neither inexperienced gardeners nor professionals should have any particular difficulties with planting spirea. Planting and leaving the spirea Grefsheim involves the selection of fertile soil and a well-lit place. It is best to plant plants outdoors in early September and October. During this period, leaf fall has not yet stopped. Some hybrids can be planted in early March, until sap flow has been noted.

Shrubs: names, types of popular plants for summer cottages

The success of growing a crop is determined by how correctly the area was selected for planting. Spirea prefers areas that are well lit by the sun, but also treats partial shade quite calmly. You should not place the culture in shady areas, otherwise you will not be able to get lush large flowers. The substrate should be selected fertile

It is important to equip full drainage. Spirea does not like equally heavy and too light, porous substrates

The shrub is used to obtain hedges. In landscape design, for this reason, Grefsheim gray spirea is used more often than others.

In addition to excellent decorative characteristics, with the help of this flower, you can provide protection from prying eyes, penetration of the piercing wind into the territory. Spiraea gray grefshame is often used in landscape design to form spectacular compositions. You can combine it with pink Japanese spirea and other varieties. Almost all flowers look impressive in the vicinity of the original plant.

After choosing a suitable place, you need to start preparing the substrate. If the gardener decides to create a hedge, a gap of 60 cm must be observed between the bushes. The roots of adult specimens can grow up to two meters. For each seedling, dig a depression of 50 cm.The diameter should be the same. Due to such indicators, the earthen lump will be easily placed inside the recess.

After finishing work with the ground, a hole is left for ventilation for several days. On the day of planting, it is necessary to add a mixture of peat, coarse-grained river sand, turf in a ratio of 1: 1: 2. If the territory is located on soil with an insufficient level of drainage and a predominant amount of clay, it is necessary to place brick chips or small gravel 10-15 cm in height at the bottom. This will give good drainage. If this is not done, there will be stagnation of water near the roots. Accordingly, they will start to rot and lead to the death of the plant.

Planting recommendations

Before planting in open ground, the seedlings are kept in cold water. After that, they begin to examine the root system. If damaged or too long roots are found, remove them with pruning shears. The cut points must be flat. Their delamination is unacceptable. Further, long shoots are cut off and the root collar is found. At its level there should be a surface layer of the substrate.

The roots are well spread and laid out in the recess. Filled with fertile soil and tamped. It is permissible to tie the plant to a support until it is fully rooted. Water each seedling with plenty of water. It will take about one and a half buckets for each. The land around the plants is mulched, for this you can pick up peat.

Deytion plant, planting and caring for a shrub

The first flowering begins in the third year after planting. During this time, it is necessary to pay maximum attention to the young culture. It is necessary to provide it with timely watering and apply mineral fertilizers

Correct pruning is also important.

Spirea care - as easy as shelling pears

To make the shrub look attractive, it is cut off and the crown is formed. The spherical and pyramidal bushes are very beautiful. A specific "haircut" is chosen by the owner, focusing on the general style of the site design. Pruning does not affect plant development. Weak and old (7-14 years old) branches should be removed. They are cut to a stump. It is better to cut the crown in the spring, before the leaves appear. If pruned in mid-summer, the spirea can bloom again by fall.

After pruning, the soil is watered with manure diluted in water. The mixture should be poured under the roots. You can also fertilize with a superphosphate solution. Proportions: 8-10 g of fertilizer per 10 l of water. Kemira Universal is also suitable. For 1 sq. introduce 100 g of the granular product. Spirea does not need intensive watering, it is enough to support the plant during periods of drought. 1-2 buckets of water are enough for the normal life of the bush. For the winter, the roots can be covered with a 10-15 cm layer of foliage.

Spirea can do without pruning, but it is still better to cut it regularly in order to achieve a beautiful appearance and well-being of the plant.

Spirea is susceptible to fungal diseases - ascochitis, ramulariasis, septoria. You can identify them by the appearance of spots. The plant is recommended to be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture, "Fundazol" or colloidal sulfur. The main thing is to process the shrub before or after flowering.

Of the pests, spider mites and aphids can be the most unpleasant. Signs of the tick "work" - the appearance of holes in the leaves, their wilting and dropping, cobweb. You can cope with the pest by spraying with phosphamide or karbofos. The presence of aphids can be identified by bitten off and wilted inflorescences. Pyrimor or similar products are used to control aphids.

Spirea can be attacked by snails. How to deal with them, you can learn from the video, which describes the features of pruning and caring for the plant.

Reproduction of Japanese spirea

Japanese spirea is propagated by generative and vegetative methods, however, for hybrid forms and plant varieties, the seed method is not suitable, and for other varieties, cuttings and propagation of spirea by layering are preferable, since these methods allow you to achieve reliable and quick results with minimal time and labor.

Reproduction of Japanese spirea by layering

In early spring, the lower shoot or root shoots of the spirea are bent to the ground, laid in a trench, fixed in this position, leaving the top of the shoot above the surface. This method will allow you to get a single seedling with a well-developed root system by autumn. If you want to get more seedlings, then pinch the top of the shoot, and then young shoots will begin to grow from the side buds.In the fall, such layers are dug up, divided into parts according to the number of overgrown shoots and planted in a permanent place.

Reproduction of Japanese spirea by cuttings

Cutting is the most productive method of propagation, since the survival rate of cuttings is 70% even without the use of growth regulators. The substrate for planting cuttings is prepared from high-moor peat (1 part) and sand (1 or 2 parts). Experienced gardeners prefer rooting cuttings in September or October: they choose the strongest shoots on the bush, cut them into pieces, each of which should have 4-5 leaves, and the lower leaf is removed, leaving only the petiole, and the rest are shortened by half. Then the cuttings are soaked in water for 2-3 hours, and before planting, their lower sections are powdered with a root-forming stimulator.

Cuttings are planted at an angle of 45 º, immersed in the substrate by 2 cm, after which the cuttings are covered with a transparent cap and placed in the shade. Caring for cuttings during rooting consists of regular watering and spraying. With the onset of cold weather, the cuttings are buried, thrown on top with leaves and covered with an inverted wooden box. In spring or early summer, cuttings are planted in a school for growing, and in autumn they can be planted in a permanent place.

Reproduction of Japanese spirea seeds

If you are in no hurry and are not afraid of difficulties, then it is worth trying to grow a Japanese spirea from seeds. The seeds of this plant do not need stratification. They can be sown in spring or fall without any preparation. The substrate for crops needs approximately the following composition: 4 parts of non-acidic peat and 1 part of vermiculite. A box or container is used as a container. Seeds are sown on the surface of the substrate, without covering, after which the container is covered with foil or glass and placed in the shade of the garden from the west or east. As soon as the seedlings appear, the cover is removed, and when the seedlings reach a height of 2 cm, they are dived in color - by this time it will already be distinguishable. When picking, the long roots are pinched by one third and planted in a larger container at a distance of 5-6 cm from each other. The seedlings are kept in the shade of deciduous trees, not forgetting to water, in the fall they are transplanted to the school garden, and next year it will be possible to plant them in a permanent place.

Reproduction of Japanese spirea by dividing the bush

It is possible to propagate spirea by dividing the bush during the entire growing season, but if you do this in the summer, you need to keep the cloudy weather for at least a week after the divisions are planted. The best time for the procedure is August or early September, when the soil is well warmed up and the air is already getting cool.

The spirea bush is dug in, capturing about 60% of the crown projection. It's not scary if some of the roots have to be chopped off. Wash the roots from the ground, straighten them, because they are strongly twisted, and divide into several parts so that each has at least 2-3 strong shoots and a decent root lobe. Shorten the long, cordlike roots, cut the cuts with crushed charcoal, and plant the cuttings in pre-prepared pits. After planting, you need to water the spirea every other day if the weather is sunny, and in cloudy weather - at least once a week.

How to plant spirea seedlings "Grefsheim"

Planting spirea seedlings can be carried out in the fall. You can plant a spirea in the spring, until the growing season has begun.

Selection of seedlings and soil preparation

A good seedling should not have leaves

When buying seedlings of the gray spirea shrub "Grefsheim", you need to pay attention to the roots. If the root system is open, then there should be no blackness and cuts on it.

The roots must be flexible and moist. If the seedling is sold in a pot, then you need to pay attention to whether the roots have sprouted through the drainage holes. If so, the plant is old and will not take root well.

If the purchased seedlings have an open root system, then they need to be prepared in this way:

Roots that are damaged or too long are trimmed with pruning shears

You should pay attention to the place of the cut - it should not delaminate.
Shoots of seedlings are cut to a third of the entire length .. If the purchased seedlings have closed roots, then they need to be watered with water in large quantities

If the ground around the roots is too petrified and simple watering does not help, then the seedling should be lowered into a bucket of water for two to three hours. The pit for planting the "Grefsheim" spirea should be as deep as the height of the root system of the seedling. And the width is twice the diameter of the root system. If the soil is clayey, drainage is indispensable. It can be made from sand and bricks. To prepare the nutrient soil, sod land, peat, sand are taken and mixed in equal parts. Pour the sand-peat mixture into a previously prepared and ventilated pit

If the purchased seedlings have closed roots, then they need to be watered with water in large quantities. If the ground around the roots is too petrified and simple watering does not help, then the seedling should be lowered into a bucket of water for two to three hours. The pit for planting the "Grefsheim" spirea should be as deep as the height of the root system of the seedling. And the width is twice the diameter of the root system. If the soil is clayey, drainage is indispensable. It can be made from sand and bricks. To prepare the nutrient soil, sod land, peat, sand are taken and mixed in equal parts. Pour the sand-peat mixture into a previously prepared and ventilated pit.

Planting scheme for seedlings

Before planting a seedling in a hole, you must:

• fluff and untangle the roots;
• to clear the roots of dry soil, keeping the main clod in which the seedling was located.

After the performed procedure, we lower the seedling into the hole, cover it with earth and slightly trample it down. Water very abundantly and mulch with peat around.

Gray spirea will dissolve its flowers for the first time in the third - fourth year after planting.

Birch spirea: features and morphological description

Spiraea birch or Spiraea betulifolia is a bright and very decorative shrub that will certainly become an excellent decoration for any garden plot. In addition, it is worth noting that this plant will appeal to any gardener, even a beginner, since caring for it is simple and does not require much effort, while the shrub adapts well to all climatic conditions. The culture is a perennial deciduous shrub that belongs to the Pink family, which includes some of the most spectacular and beautiful ornamental plants.

In nature, birch spiraea prefers to settle in coniferous and mixed forests, on gentle mountain slopes and on the coast of the seas. The habitat of this beauty is considered to be the territory of the Far East, Eastern Siberia and various Asian countries, for example, Japan or Korea. The birch spirea got its name for the striking similarity of the leaves of an ornamental shrub with the leaves of the well-known birch - oval in shape with clearly distinguishable veins on the back. Sometimes among the people you can find another name for this plant - meadowsweet, but it is erroneous, since a herbaceous plant is called meadowsweet, and spirea is a shrub.

Birch spirea is one of the brightest representatives of the whole genus of these shrubs, which has a bright appearance, winter hardiness and drought resistance and perfectly tolerates severe Russian frosts. In addition, in the fall, birch spirea does not lose its attractiveness and continues to decorate the garden plot.

Description of birch spirea:

• Spiraea birch-leaved is a low, compact, perennial shrub with high decorative effect throughout the year, for which it is appreciated by gardeners.
• This plant grows in the form of a low-growing bush, so it is ideal for creating a variety of landscape compositions.
• The root system of birch spirea is quite powerful and branched, which allows you to firmly grasp the ground even on rocky and mountainous slopes.
• This type of spirea is not very tall. The shrub can reach a maximum of 1 meter, but most often the plant grows only 60-70 cm.
• The diameter of the spirea of ​​this species is approximately 70-100 cm, so shrubs are often used by gardeners to create hedges in their areas.
• In an adult plant, the crown shape is spherical or slightly elongated, while being very compact and regular.
• The shrub is formed by upright shoots, densely located. Young branches have a reddish tint and a ribbed surface, often zigzag. Old shoots turn brown over time. The growth rate of spirea birch-leaved shoots is average.
• All branches of the plant are densely covered with foliage, which is decorative throughout the year. Leaves are medium in size, oval in shape. The broadly ovate leaf plate has a serrated edge and clearly protruding veins on the reverse side. The length of the leaf plate is 5 cm on average.

• The leaves of birch spirea have a bright green tint, while the reverse side of the leaf plate is lighter in comparison with the front. In autumn, all leaves become bright yellow, and when grown on acidic soil, the color of the foliage is brighter and more saturated and can be reddish-purple.
• On the bush, leaves appear around mid-April and fall off in October.
• Spirea flowers of this species consist of 5 petals and are approximately 7-9 mm in diameter. Moreover, all flowers form a corymbose inflorescence about 4-8 cm wide, consisting of 20-100 flowers.
• Depending on the specific variety, flowers can have a different shade: white, cream, slightly pinkish and deep pink.
• Shrubs that have reached 3-4 years old begin to bloom. Moreover, flowering occurs in mid-June and lasts about a month. This is the main difference between the species, since most species of spirea bloom in spring.
• In early October, in place of wilted buds, fruits with seeds begin to ripen. If you do not need seeds, it is recommended to cut the buds to prolong the decorative effect.
• Spiraea birch-leaved is unpretentious, has good resistance to cold and drought, can winter well without additional shelter.
• As an ornamental culture, the shrub is most often used by gardeners and landscape designers to create hedges, tree and shrub compositions. Often, plots are decorated with group plantings from different types of spirea. The solitary plantings of birch spirea also look beautiful.

Spirea pink or summer flowering

The most important advantage of this group of shrubs is a long flowering period, which, together with undemanding soil and watering, makes them indispensable for decorating gardens and parks within the city.

Japanese

The bush with erect, strongly branching shoots up to 2 m high has many varieties. An oval leaf 2.5-7.5 cm long with a jagged edge is dark green, light green, yellowish. The inflorescences are colored in different shades of pink and grow back at the ends of the branches.

Spiraea japonica

White

On sale you can often find seedlings, designated - "white spirea" or "bride spiraea". We are talking about a shrub with a height of 1.5-2.5 m, which has a long summer flowering period and is distinguished by an exceptionally high vitality. It survives in highly polluted air and without watering in the summer.

White spirea

Berezolistnaya

The spherical crown of this shrub is no more than 50-80 cm high. The reddish and brown shoots are covered with leaves 2.5-4.5 cm long, deep green in color with veins with a sharp tip and jagged edges.It blooms with white and pink inflorescences from the second half of June for only 2 weeks.

Spiraea betulifolia

Billard

The hybrid is obtained by crossing the Douglas spirea and willow leaf. Tall bushes with erect shoots reach a height of 2.5 m. The lower shoots are tough brown, and the upper ones are flexible with a reddish bark. Pointed leaves up to 10 cm long.It blooms from mid-summer to October with double pink candle-shaped panicles up to 20 cm long.

Spiraea billardii

Boomald

A hybrid of Japanese and white-flowered spirits. A low-growing shrub up to 75 cm high. The egg-shaped leaf is light green in spring and red-orange in autumn. Ribbed, straight branches covered with green bark, which later turns reddish-brown. Lilac-pink inflorescences can be white-pink or white, bloom from June to September.

Spiraea bumalda

Douglas

A shrub with erect shoots - Douglas spirea grows up to 1.5 m in height. Oblong leaves up to 10 cm in length, green from the whorl, pubescent and shine. Pyramidal panicles with large white stamens are crimson or dark pink. Flowering lasts from mid-July to late August.

Spiraea douglasii

Willow

Erect shrub 1.5-2 m high. Red-brown shoots (ribbed on the cut) are directed upwards. Pointed leaves with a serrated edge of a dark green color up to 11 cm long. Pink panicles up to 12 cm in length, almost cylindrical in shape, bloom in June. Flowering lasts about a month.

III. Planting and breeding

Spirea Grefsheim is planted in the fall, when the foliage completely falls, or in the spring - until the buds have blossomed. When decorating a hedge, you should maintain a half-meter distance between the bushes. The row spacing should be at least 40 cm.When a group planting meadowsweet, a meter distance is left between the bushes. The diameter of the planting hole should be one third larger than the volume of the root system. The optimal pit depth (taking into account the drainage layer) is 40-50 cm.

Propagated by gray spirea in three ways:

1. seeds;
2. cuttings;
3. layering.

The signs of offspring of sexual reproduction of hybrids are unpredictable, therefore the Grefsheim spirea is usually propagated vegetatively. When grafting, young shoots are separated from meadowsweet, divided into fragments about 10 cm in length and planted in the soil or in prepared containers. By autumn, the cuttings root perfectly. Spirea Grafsheim is propagated by layering in the spring. The extreme branches are bent to the ground, fixed and watered abundantly all summer. In the fall or next spring, the plants are separated.

We will illustrate the process of reproduction of spirea by cuttings:

Plant the cuttings correctly at an angle of 45 degrees. The sand in the pot must always be moist.

Secrets of proper care

Spirea Grefsheim - a plant from the category of "self-growing", does not show any special whims in its care. It is not difficult to take care of it, the requirements are standard - moderate watering, top dressing, pruning, weeding, loosening.

Pruning

The life expectancy of spirea Grafsheim is up to 30 years. For rejuvenation, the plant should be pruned periodically. To do this, leave a few strong branches, the rest are removed during the first growing season. For preventive purposes, it is recommended to thin out Grefsheim spirea every two years, cutting off weakened and damaged shoots. To form the crown, pruning is carried out in the first spring months.

Soil care

Spirea Grafsheim roots do not grow very deeply and need soil mulching. To do this, it is enough to cover it with a layer of peat after watering. Water the plant twice a month (one and a half buckets of water). The soil must be loosened to remove weeds. As a top dressing, an infusion of mullein with superphosphate (10 g per bucket of infusion) or complex fertilizer is used. Most of all meadowsweet needs feeding before flowering and after pruning.

Organization of "wintering"

The shrub tolerates moderate cold easily, but severe frosts can damage the shoots.To avoid this, for the winter they are tied in a bunch, bent to the ground and covered with fallen leaves. To prevent it from blowing out, cut branches are placed on top.