It will not be a secret for anyone that in the modern world there is a huge number of diverse green cultures that can decorate not only living quarters, but also large summer cottages. The most important thing is to provide them with proper care.
Today, landscape design uses a huge number of ornamental plants, among which a special place is occupied by gray spirea. Planting and care (photos of personal plots look simply amazing) behind the shrubbery are quite simple, so many gardeners are engaged in breeding this crop. Spirea differs from other ornamental shrubs in its surprising unpretentiousness. The plant perfectly adapts to almost any climatic conditions, and also well survives on all types of soils. And thanks to a wide variety of varieties with unique beauty, it will be an excellent decoration for a personal plot.
general information
Gray Spirea, planting and caring for which will not cause difficulties even for beginner gardeners, is a representative of the dogrose family. To date, about 80 varieties of this plant are known, growing almost throughout the globe, regardless of climatic zones. Flowers are not located on the branches of the shrub one by one, but are most often collected in small inflorescences resembling a brush or panicle in shape. Their color can be varied and depends on the flowering period. In May, the plant is covered with snow-white flowers, and in the summer they can be with a delicate pink tint.
Most common varieties
The following shrubs are most popular among gardeners:
- Medium spirea - in Siberia, planting and caring for this variety do not cause any difficulties, since this variety perfectly tolerates the harsh Russian climate. The shrub can grow up to two meters in height. The flowering period begins in early May and lasts about three weeks. The buds are white.
- Birch leafy is another hardy species that grows in Siberian and Far Eastern forests. In its characteristics, it is very similar to the average spirea, but the flowering period is longer.
- Gorodkovaya - was discovered more than two centuries ago and throughout all this time has been successfully used in landscaping and landscaping. The height of the bush, as a rule, does not exceed one meter. Flowering occurs in late spring. The buds are yellow in color and collected in fairly large inflorescences. It is notable for its unpretentiousness and tolerates low temperatures and droughts.
- Gray Spirea (Grefshame) - planting and caring for this variety is a more time-consuming task than for other representatives of this species. This variety got its name thanks to its buds, which are white in color with a slight gray tint. The growing season begins in mid-spring. It is appreciated among gardeners for plentiful flowering.
- Dubravkolistnaya - the first buds appear on the shoots at the end of May. The flowering period is plentiful and lasts about one month. It is widely used in landscaping, as it tolerates rejuvenation well.
- St. John's Wort - grows up to one meter in height. It begins to bloom in late May or early June, depending on the climatic conditions of a particular region. The buds are white and medium in size. Used by breeders to produce new varieties.
- Japanese Spirea (Golden Princesses) - planting and caring for this variety require special efforts, since it does not tolerate frosts. As the name suggests, this species was brought to us from the Land of the Rising Sun. The height of the bush is small and is about 80 centimeters. The growing season begins in mid-June, when the plant is abundantly covered with yellow flowers.
- Bumalda is an ornamental plant obtained by crossing two other species. The height of the bush is quite small, only 80 centimeters, but a very long flowering period. In regions with a mild climate, this type of spirea will delight you with its beauty for more than three months. Flowers are bright pink.
- Adorable spirea is a special variety that stands out from the others in that it blooms twice a year (in July and August). Flowers are white and pale pink, collected in inflorescences of a very complex shape. Not suitable for cultivation in regions with very frosty winters, since at -18 the plant dies.
- Douglas is an ornamental shrub more than two meters high. It begins to bloom in late July, covered with pink flowers. It gave rise to such a variety as Billard's spirea (planting and caring for the plant will not cause difficulties even for beginning gardeners), which has high frost resistance. The growing season begins in early August and continues until the very first frost. Flowers have a bright pink tint and are collected in panicles.
- Loosestrife and Lilac-flowering are two very similar varieties that can be grown even in Siberia. Perfectly adapt in severe climatic conditions. They grow to two meters, and begin to bloom in late summer.
All varieties discussed above are suitable for cultivation in almost all regions of our country. On how to properly breed and care for plants, we will discuss further.
Growing Features
Spirea are quite unpretentious plants, but for good flowering they need proper care. If you grow shrubs for decorative purposes, it is very important to perform timely rejuvenation. However, the optimal time for pruning depends on the particular variety, since they all have a different flowering period. In addition, some species are demanding on the type of soil on which they grow. A universal solution will be humus soil, which allows water to pass through well. If your region is heavy soil, then in the hole when planting, you must definitely make a drainage system to prevent stagnation of moisture and decay of the root system.
Plant propagation methods
What you need to know about this? Spirea propagates, planting and care of which are described in the article, is very simple. Representatives of some varieties give good root growth, excellent for planting. It is also possible to carry out reproduction using a separate part of the bush. Shoots quickly adapt to a new place and begin rapid growth. Regardless of the type of plant, you can use cuttings, and some pure species even give seeds. This will be described in more detail below.
Cuttings
To date, you can find quite a lot of beautiful photos of spirea. Planting and plant care will be presented in the article. The flower in question is best propagated by cuttings. This method is universal and is perfect for absolutely all varieties. Young shoots are ready for pruning and transplanting around the beginning of summer, and for species whose flowering period begins late, in early July. If the new sprouts have already managed to wood, then they can also be used for propagation, but this is best done in early or mid-autumn. Only then can you get the desired result.
The process of reproduction is as follows:
- Young shoots are cut, after which they are cut into pieces so that each of them has 5-6 leaves.
- The lower leaves are removed, and the rest is shortened by about half.
- Cuttings are placed in a vessel with water, in which a growth stimulant is added, for 12 hours.
- After this time, the planting material is removed from the solution, and the sections are treated with powdered biologically active agents that stimulate the formation of the root system.
- Cuttings are planted in pots with a loose substrate, and the surface is sprinkled with a layer of sand.
- Pots are covered with foil and placed in the garden under the trees, which will protect them from direct sunlight.
- Until the plants take root and a strong root system is not formed, the soil is regularly moistened. In addition, cuttings are sprayed daily from the spray gun.
In early autumn, spirea (planting and caring for frost-resistant plants does not require much effort) is transplanted to the open ground. In order for the young shrub to take root in a new place and adapt to winter, as well as tolerate frosts well, it is imperative to mulch. Last year’s foliage is perfect for this.
Seed propagation method
As mentioned earlier, Grefheim spirea (planting and care of the shrub should be subject to certain recommendations) and other non-hybrid varieties can be propagated using seeds. The germination rate can reach 80 if planting material is collected correctly. Experienced gardeners recommend doing this when the boxes have not yet opened, after which they ripen for 14 days in a warm room. The advantage of spirea over other types of ornamental plants is that the seeds do not need to be stratified. Sowing time does not really matter. After at least two full leaflets are formed on the sprouts, a dive is performed. It is not necessary to feed too often, but at the first stage it is recommended to use mineral fertilizers. As for irrigation, they are carried out as the soil dries. But do not fill it too much, since an abundant amount of moisture can lead to decay of the root system.
Spirea, planting and care in the open ground for which fundamentally do not differ from the same when cutting, can be planted in the garden in early autumn. The first flowering with the seed method of reproduction occurs in about three years.
Transplant tips
In order for the shrub to grow healthy and bloom well, it is very important to properly transplant it on open ground. If you will use the plant as a hedge, then you need to observe the optimal distance between them. This is necessary so that each bush has enough nutrients and minerals from the soil. Spirea has a very magnificent crown, so between plants it will be enough to leave an average of about 50 centimeters. However, it all depends on the particular variety.
How to choose planting material?
Make sure that the plant in question is incredibly beautiful, help photo spirea. Planting and care include the selection of high-quality planting material. Today, in stores for gardeners, you can find a large number of different varieties, all of which can be used in landscape design. Which particular type of plant to choose depends not only on your personal preferences, but also on the characteristics of a particular land plot. If you want to make a hedge, it is better to use shrubs of only one variety. But to decorate the garden, on the contrary, it is worth using various types. This will create a great contrast. For alpine hills, low-growing or indoor spirea will be an ideal solution.
When choosing seedlings, pay special attention to the root system. It should be strong and well-formed. This can be determined by the number of rod roots and the presence of powerful kidneys on them. If you buy seedlings in a store, then choose those that are sold in containers. They are suitable for planting on open ground at any time, regardless of the season of the year.
Proper fit
One of the most popular ornamental plants is spirea. Planting and caring for this shrub is a painstaking task. For planting seedlings, you must first prepare the holes, their depth and width should be slightly larger than the size of the rhizome. In addition, it is necessary to leave a reserve for the drainage system, which can be used as expanded clay or crushed brick.
Landing occurs in the following sequence:
- At the bottom of the hole, a small mound is made of fresh loose soil, on which a seedling is set. It is very important to straighten the roots of the plant.
- The pit is covered with earth so that the soil slightly covers the neck of the base.
- The plant is abundantly watered, with approximately two buckets of water.
- The soil around the shoots is mulched with peat.
As for the landing time, it all depends on the particular variety. If spiraea, planting and caring for most species is very simple, begins to bloom late, then planting it in the garden is better in the spring, and late-flowering plants in the autumn, but do not overtighten, because before the onset of frost there must be at least three weeks for the bush to have time adapt to the upcoming winter.
Preparing for landing
So you want spirea to grow in your garden. Planting and caring for the shrub in the open ground will be much easier if you set aside a well-lit area for it. The shadow and lack of sun will negatively affect the flowering of the plant. As for the substrate, there are no special requirements, since the spirea feels great on any neutral soil. If your plot has clay soil that does not allow water to pass through well, then peat mixed with sand can be added to the hole. To speed up the process of plant adaptation in a new place, you can feed it with any fertilizer that has a long-lasting effect. This is enough for him for several years.
When choosing a time for planting, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of a particular variety. If the species blooms in summer, then you need to plant it in the garden in early spring. But the spirea of Golden Princesses (planting and caring for this variety is more time-consuming, since it does not tolerate Russian winters) and other flowering species are recommended to be planted in early or mid-autumn.
Care Tips
So, in your garden there is already a princess spiraea. Landing and care are quite simple, but following some recommendations is desirable. No special measures will be required, however, timely dressing and rejuvenation will make the plant more decorative. As for watering, they should not be too frequent and plentiful, since the spirea tolerates drought perfectly. If during the summer there was a small amount of precipitation, then one and a half bushes of water for two weeks will be enough.
For good growth and abundant flowering, the plant must be fed. In early spring, any fertilizer containing a large amount of nitrogen is perfect for this. In addition, you can use complex products rich in trace elements and nutrients. And at the end of summer, experienced gardeners recommend using potash and phosphorus fertilizers. They will prepare the spirea for the cold, and it will winter well.
Conclusion
Of course, gray spirea, the planting and care of which were discussed in this article, is one of the most common ornamental plants worldwide. Its popularity is due not only to its magnificent appearance, but also to its unpretentiousness and high endurance of the plant. Therefore, no matter what region you live in, following the tips and recommendations given in this article, you can turn your garden into a real paradise, which will delight you with its beauty for more than one year.