Bright decorative shrub of Weigel, planting and care of which unfairly scares some gardeners with its complexity, in the middle lane it feels quite well. Knowing the characteristics of this plant and making some efforts, everyone will be rewarded with a beautiful and beautifully blooming miracle in their area.
Description
The plant belongs to the family of honeysuckle and got its name by the name of the German professor of botany K.E. von Weigel (1748-1831). The genus Weigel is made up of 15 species that grow in countries of East Asia and in the southern regions of the Far East (varieties early, Middendorff and Pleasant).
As can be seen in the presented photo, weigels, the planting and care of which will be given below, is a flowering deciduous shrub with large flowers (up to 5 cm), prone to remontance (repeated flowering). Its flowers have a tubular-bell-shaped form, in some species they are similar to funnels, the color is all shades from white to bright pink and red, the corolla is two-lipped. They gather in inflorescences, which are located in the axils of the leaves, with repeated flowering - on the tops of the shoots.
The fruit is a 2-fold box, inside which small, angular seeds are stored, often with wings.
In some varieties, shrubs are adorned with leaves with the original coloring: green with a white border, or dark with a purple frame. However, even with ordinary foliage, the weigel bush looks very elegant, thanks to the numerous bright bell flowers. A great advantage is the fact that weigela belongs to perennial plants and is able to bloom for 50 years.
Weigela: photo, landing and care in the open ground
Weigela loves good lighting, feels best in an open area, some species suffer a slight shade. To plant a plant, it is first necessary to select the optimal place, paying attention to the purchased variety of weigela, which are divided into 2 main types:
- beautifully flowering shrubs that can be located in a sunny or partial shade;
- variegated, which are distinguished by decorative foliage only, but prefer to grow in bright sunshine.
The advantage of this plant is that it can be planted as a hedge, but cutting it in the future is not recommended. Weigel bushes, planting and care in the open ground for which depend on the species, look great both as a single plant and as constituent groups from others (conifers, forsythia, cotoneaster, viburnum, juniper, spirea, etc.).
The main task during planting is to choose a place protected from cold winter winds, because of which the formation of groups of more resistant plants will help protect the Weigel from freezing or breaking fragile branches with the wind, and it will also hold snow well.
Soil, planting dates and preparation
Weigela tolerates any soil well, but prefers fertile soil with good air and moisture permeability. it does not tolerate overdrying.
Preparing the soil before planting is not difficult: it is enough to dig a hole about 50 cm deep, mix the soil well with compost and 150 g of nitrofoska. You can make a mixture of humus, sand and sod land (1: 2: 2 ratio), drainage with a layer of up to 15 cm (gravel and sand) is put on the bottom.
Due to the low frost resistance, the weigel shrub, planting and care of which has its own nuances, it is better to plant in the spring so that it can adapt and take root, it is better after thawing the soil and snow melting in April. Seedlings should be purchased 2-3 years old, younger poorly take root.
Given the size of adult plants, when group planting, it is recommended to adhere to a distance between the bushes of at least 3 m. The root neck of the plant cannot be buried, 1.5-2 cm should be left, because it will lower with the ground. Top soil should be mulched to avoid drying out.
Watering and caring for Weigela
Weigela belongs to hygrophilous plants, therefore it must be watered abundantly and regularly, after which it is imperative to loosen or mulch the surface of the soil in the trunk circle.
Top dressing has a very positive effect on the beautiful and abundant flowering of shrubs, experienced gardeners advise doing them twice a season:
- early in the early spring, before the snow melts: a mixture of 10 g of potassium sulfate, 10 g of superphosphate, 20 g of urea is poured on top;
- during the formation of flower buds, in early June, is fed with a mixture of potassium sulfate, double superphosphate 30 g each.
Newly planted young bushes additionally need to be fed in September with phosphorus-potash fertilizers to strengthen and adapt before winter.
Wintering Weigels
In addition to planting and care for weigels in the open field, wintering is a very important period. To protect the shrub from death as a result of freezing, it is necessary to purchase only its winter-hardy species that are most adapted to the local climate. This is especially necessary to consider for beginner gardeners who dream to keep up with the splendor and beauty, not taking into account the possibility of plants. At first, it is recommended to buy more hardy types of weigels, and then go on to refined and original ones.
Planting material is considered an ideal option: a seedling grown by cuttings from a neighboring bush, which has been growing safely for several years.
The only reliable way to winter the Weigela is to cover it for the winter months, it is optimal to use covering materials (spanonda) that wrap the entire bush. The soil should be covered with spruce branches or sawdust, even better - build a frame of wood or wire around the plant, covered with insulating material on top, inside - fill with dry leaves. This method will help to hide the trunk and branches of the bush from frost and cold wind.
If the weigel is slightly frozen, then experienced gardeners advise it to try to pour abundantly at the rate of 1-2 buckets per bush. During the winter, you need to monitor plantings and clean the excess snow layer so that the branches do not break off its weight.
Spring pruning
It should be remembered that pruning is carried out only in the spring, after the shelter of the bush is removed. Be sure to cut the frozen ends of the branches, as well as those that are completely frozen. Such sanitary pruning is done annually.
Once every 2-3 years, it is necessary to do forming pruning, which is done after the flowering of the bush in the summer. It is necessary to remove weak shoots and those that are directed to the center of the bush. Productive branches are cut to 1/3 or 1/2 length. When forming the crown, the young shoots pinch, this is done in between breaks.
After this procedure, the shrub often blooms repeatedly, so it is better to water it immediately and feed it with complex fertilizers.
Breeding
For weigels, the optimal and most reliable way of propagation is the rooting of the green cuttings. For this method, in the period of laying the buds on a young shrub, a stalk 10-12 cm long is cut, on which there are 2 leaves.
For veigella, planting and caring for cuttings should begin by soaking them in a stimulating solution (Epin, Heteroauxin, Kornevin, etc.) to form roots for 8-12 hours. Then they are planted to a depth of 1 cm in the soil mixed from peat and sand in equal proportions, in the shaded corner of the garden. Top cuttings are covered with a jar or make a small greenhouse of polyethylene.
Care consists in daily watering (preferably 2 times), after which after 1.5 months. it will take root well. It is not necessary to rush to transplant, it is better to grow it for another 1-2 years, covering well for the winter. During this time, he will grow and get stronger.
Reproduction is also practiced by seeds that are sown in spring, at home in pots that are covered with glass on top. The pickling of seedlings is done after the appearance of 2 leaves. It should be borne in mind that seeds taken from hybrids and garden weigel forms often do not retain varietal characteristics. Therefore, grafting is a more common way.
Types of shrubs
In the middle zone of Russia, 3 types of weigel shrubs grow, planting and caring for which can tolerate frosts well:
- Blooming (Weigela florida).
- Middendorf (Weigela middendorffiana).
- Early (Weigela praecox).
It should be borne in mind that with age, bushes become more resistant to cold climates.
Flowering weigela
This is a shrub up to 3 m high, distributed in Japan, in the north of China, in Primorye. The leaves have a short-eared, ellipsoidal shape, pointed at the tops, pubescent below. The flowers are bright pink, on the bush are abundant, flowering time - May-June for 20 days. Recommendations for flowering weigela for planting and care: the plant prefers moist, slightly acidic soil, with severe drought, it needs watering. It grows quickly and is used both in single and in group planting.
The most popular garden forms:
- Weigela Victoria, whose planting and care consists of frequent watering and sheltering a young bush for the winter, is distinguished by the original color of brown-red leaves, which increases its decorativeness (photo above). Its height does not exceed 1.2 m, grows more slowly (10-15 cm per year), flowers - bell-shaped purple-red color 3-4 cm long, inside - pale pink, collected 3-4 each, appear in June and July.
- Purple (Purpurea) - a bush up to 1.5 m high, having brown-red ellipsoid leaves up to 8 cm long, flowers of a bright pink color, the middle is yellowish; flowering time: June, winters only when covered.
- Variegata (Variegata) - a bush up to 2.5 m high, tolerates frosts better, has small leaves, up to 5 cm long, white-pink flowers collected in brushes; for Weigela Variegata, landing and care (photo below) are not very difficult.
- Blooming Nana Variegata - a shrubbery shorter (up to 1.5 m) spherical shape, leaves are bright green, trimmed with cream border, flowers are collected in inflorescences of 4, small up to 2.5 cm, color - white-pink or raspberry, growing slow. Recommendations for Weigela Nana Variegata: planting and care (photo below) for it consist of regular watering and top dressing, average frost resistance, planted singly or in groups.
Weigela hybrid
Breeders bred special hybrid forms of this shrub that feel comfortable in Russia. These are the forms of Weigel, landing and care in the Moscow region for which it becomes much easier, because plants are less demanding on climatic conditions.
The hybrid shrub (Weigela hybrida Jaeg.) Grows up to 1.5 m in height, has a spreading crown, branches are dotted with inflorescences collected in lush tubular-funnel-shaped flowers that bloom preferably on young shoots, emitting a pleasant aroma. The color of the flowers is represented by many shades: white, pink, pink-violet, purple, violet-carmine.
Hybrid forms of Weigela, which were obtained by crossing, differ in color and shape of leaves and flowers:
- Bristol Ruby - grows up to 3 m, has bright green elongated leaves up to 10 cm, the flowers have a colorful ruby-red border, the middle is red-orange, the flowering time is June; Weigel planting and care (photo by Bristol Ruby below) are similar to other species.
- Eva Rathke (Eva Rathke) - a shrub undersized (up to 1 m), a hybrid of Korean and abundantly blooming forms, the leaves are ellipsoidal, bright green, up to 10 cm long, the flowers are tubular, shiny, red-carmine in the middle - a bit lighter.
- Rose (Rosea) - a sprawling bush up to 1.5 m tall, decorated with large flowers, bending in the shape of a spikelet, pink with white transitions. Of these species, Rosea is the most frost-resistant, for the colder months it needs a small leaf shelter.
- Red Prince (Red Prince) - a variety of American breeding, received an award from the Royal Society of Gardeners of England in 2002, where an increased number of bright red bells on each branch were noted, also has a long flowering time, good frost resistance. Planting and care for Red Prince weigela are simple, the plant is unpretentious, its height reaches 1.5 m, width - up to 1.6 m, the flowers have a bright raspberry color, blooms twice.
Weigel Middendorff
Such a shrub is widespread in the undergrowth of coniferous and deciduous forests in the Primorsky Territory of Russia, is found in cedar forests, and is also known on about. Sakhalin, in Japan and northern China. Weigela Middendorff is located in separate bushes, less often - in groups, on wet slopes, forms thickets along rivers, comes across stony placers.
The height of the bush reaches 1.5 m, has elongated leaves, large flowers are collected in inflorescences of several pieces, color - yellow with orange dots inside. A feature of this species, with proper planting and care (photo of Middendorff varigella below), is the ability of the bush to bloom twice a year (in May-June and September-October), respectively, and the seeds ripen 2 times.
In the autumn months, the color of the leaves on the shrub changes, and leaf fall occurs throughout October. This species, according to gardeners and breeders, is considered the most promising for decorating and landscaping the landscape, due to its graceful appearance and original colors.
Weigela early
In nature, it can be found in solitary bushes or groups in the southern part of the Ussuri Territory at the edges of forests and slopes, also in China and North Korea. This plant is a tall (up to 2 m) spreading dense shrub with gray bark and brown branches, its young shoots have a reddish color. Leaves - elliptical or ovoid oblong in shape, pointed at the ends, pubescent on all sides. During the season, they change color from colorful green to yellow-brown in the fall.
In the winter months, this species is susceptible to freezing, and it must be covered, which is done similarly to planting and care described above. The flowers of early weigela are bright pink and are arranged in three on peduncles; the flowering duration is 1 month, which increases the decorativeness of this plant.
Early weigel shrubs are often used for hedges that do not need to be trimmed.
Diseases and Pests
All types of Weigel are resistant to diseases and pests. Sometimes the bushes can be affected by aphids, powdery mildew, leafworm, fruit moth, etc. To protect plants, it is recommended to treat with fungicides: preventive spraying in spring.
The most dangerous pest is considered to be the scrub, against which shrubs are treated in April with preparations containing imidacloprid (Prestige, Antichrush, etc.). In this case, the solution should be applied not only to the crown, but also to the trunk and root neck. Spraying is carried out every 40 days during the growing season, "Aktara" is similarly applied.
Use in landscape design
Various forms of weigels, planting and caring for which do not present great difficulties, taking into account the peculiarities of its development and the rules of wintering, can be planted both as individual shrubs and groups, used in borders, trellises, in contrasting color compositions. Blooming wigels look picturesque and bright against the background of green lawns.