Planting and caring for spirea. Japanese spirea - the best varieties, planting and care

The beautiful meadowsweet (also known as spirea) has been known to people for a very long time, but the high decorative value of this shrub was appreciated only with the advent of landscape design. Gardeners take care of maintaining the lushness of the bush and the luxurious flowering of spirea in the fall, by pruning and providing care in preparation for winter. But not every gardener knows that the cutting technique various types meadowsweet is very different. We will help you understand the nuances of caring for this spectacular plant.

The genus Spiraea is part of the Rosaceae family and includes over 80 species of ornamental deciduous shrubs. The average height of the crop is 90–170 cm, the crown circumference reaches 2.5 m. The openwork crown is made up of thin shoots that bend under the mass of inflorescences almost to the ground. Therefore, spirea is often compared to a snow-white fountain. The first flowering occurs in the 3-4th year of the growing season and is limited to the appearance of individual inflorescences. In subsequent years, the shrub tirelessly pleases gardeners with its splendor. The plant can act as a spectacular soloist or join a group. Due to their hardiness, unpretentiousness, and resistance to dust, spirea are often used as hedges.

If you choose the right cultivars according to flowering time, you can achieve continuity of this process for 3-3.5 months.

The timing and features of pruning shrubs directly depend on its variety. All types of spirea are usually divided according to flowering time into spring-blooming and summer-blooming. Let's look at the main representatives of these groups.

Early flowering (spring) species of meadowsweet

Snow-white flowers with a yellow core and incredibly long stamens are a characteristic characteristic of early-blooming spirea. Dense corymbose or umbrella-shaped inflorescences densely cling to thin shoots, causing them to bend to the ground. The appearance of “snow” on the branches occurs at the end of spring or beginning of summer. Flower buds are formed on last year's shoots and are located along the entire length of the branches. May " blizzard"lasts only 2-3 weeks, fills the garden with fragrance, attracting a lot of pollinators.

The following spring types of spirea are most often found in cultivation:

  • Wangutta;
  • Nippon;
  • Thunberg;
  • oakleaf;
  • Gray;
  • Arguta;
  • Average;
  • Gorodchataya.

They differ slightly in height, shape of crown and leaves, size of flowers and inflorescences. Some representatives have a snow-white color, others have a cream color. Nippon spirea dresses up in a crimson dress in autumn, and Vangutta burns with an orange flame.

The listed varieties are light-loving, but tolerate light shading. Spiraea are able to grow in Spartan conditions, but without correct pruning and periodic rejuvenation, they first grow and look sloppy, and then begin to wither and lose their decorative effect.

Summer-blooming spirea

Representatives of this group bloom throughout the summer. They are characterized by bright, rich colors of inflorescences - pink, reddish, purple. Inflorescences are formed on the current year's growths and have the shape of panicles or large corymbs.

Summer-flowering spirea include the following species:

  • Birch leaf;
  • Billard;
  • Felt;
  • Willow;
  • Japanese;
  • Dwarf;
  • Boumalda;
  • Douglas;
  • Densely flowered.

Like their spring sisters, summer-blooming spirea are unpretentious, light-loving, and can withstand gas pollution. The listed crops will fit perfectly into the design of any garden and will decorate a garden bed or mixborder. Gardeners are especially attracted Japanese spirea, on the basis of which the mass was obtained beautiful varieties and decorative variegated forms. Cultivars of Japanese meadowsweet can be easily shaped and used to create garden sculptures.

Types and timing of shrub pruning

Throughout the growing season, meadowsweet must be periodically pruned. This plant is so plastic that it can be easily shaped, and reacts very positively to pruning, throwing out more powerful shoots and forming a larger number of inflorescences. Thanks to shearing, it is possible to achieve an increase in the decorative value of the crop, because meadowsweet is a fast-growing species. It produces a lot of root shoots and shoots, so without timely trimming it will become a sloppy bush.

Depending on the goals pursued, spirea pruning is divided into the following types:

  • sanitizing;
  • stimulating;
  • formative;
  • rejuvenating.

Meadowsweet shoots are short-lived and after 1-2 years they begin to dry out. If you leave them on the bush, the branches will become a haven for pests and a breeding ground for fungal spores. Some types of shrubs do not tolerate frost very well; the tips of the branches freeze slightly. To protect the crop from diseases and restore its decorative appearance, gardeners remove diseased, dry, broken branches throughout the growing season. Frozen shoots are cut out in the spring before the buds open.

Stimulating haircut is used for early flowering meadowsweet over 3-4 years old. By removing weak shoots, branching is stimulated and flowering is enhanced. This approach will improve illumination and ventilation of the crown, which will have a beneficial effect on the health of the crop. Stimulating haircut is carried out in early autumn.

The formation of shrubs is usually done in spring or autumn. Autumn period Gardeners are less busy with work, so the spirea crown is most often formed in the fall.

A shaping haircut can be moderate or dramatic. In the first case, the silhouette of the bush is simply slightly adjusted, in the second, so many branches are cut off so that the crop takes the desired shape.

Plants older than 15 years will need anti-aging pruning. From this age, biological aging begins, the bush gradually loses its attractiveness. Autumn pruning is done 2-3 weeks before frost, so that the wounds have time to heal.

Pruning early flowering spireas

Early flowering spirea tend to grow a large number of shoots, and therefore require the mandatory removal of part of the shoots. If the bush grows alone, gardeners recommend creating a strong skeleton by removing weak shoots. In autumn, cut off a quarter of the shoots at soil level. Over the next season, the bush will expel new young branches.

Early flowering species are pruned after the inflorescences wither, in mid-summer, but more often the event is postponed until autumn, when the crown is clearly visible. You can’t be overzealous with your haircut, because flower buds have already been established, so gardeners prune only a third of the annual growth. This stimulates tillering and enhances flowering. Unbranched branches, which are often observed in spirea gray Grefsheim and Vangutta (hybrids), are cut in half, and a third of the growth is cut off at each fork.

In spring, pruning is not carried out so as not to lose some of the inflorescences. Only the frozen tips and branches broken by snow are removed.

Pruning spirea blooming in summer

Summer-flowering varieties of shrubs respond well to pruning. The more shoots are removed, the more intensively the green mass grows. Haircuts are carried out every autumn, starting at the age of 3–4 years. Be sure to cut out all weak growth at the level of the root collar. In autumn or in early spring trim the branches, leaving 2-3 developed buds above the woody part.

Stimulating pruning consists of complete removal of vegetation at a height of 30 cm. The event is carried out in early spring to stimulate tillering. Spiraea, which is cared for according to all the rules, will recover very quickly and will delight you with abundant flowering already in the current season.

Pruning after planting, replanting, dividing the bush

Planting and replanting of ornamental shrubs is carried out in the fall. At the same time, it is customary to divide bushes that are 3–4 years old to obtain new specimens. To facilitate the adaptation of the bush in a new place, planting work is combined with pruning.

The work is carried out in early autumn, as soon as there is a change in the color of the foliage. Choose a cloudy or rainy day and follow the following algorithm.

  1. Remove the bush from the soil, having first dug it around the perimeter of half the crown projection.
  2. Rinse the roots thoroughly, divide into several parts so that the division has renewal buds, shoots and a developed network of roots.
  3. In advance (3-4 days in advance), arrange a planting hole with a diameter and depth of 40-50 cm.
  4. Fill the hole with drainage from broken bricks or crushed stone to a height of 15 cm.
  5. Prepare a peat substrate leaf soil and coarse sand (1:2:1), fill a third of the hole with it.
  6. Place the cutting, seedling or transplanted plant in the hole, add soil so that the root collar is level with the surface of the earth.
  7. Compact the substrate a little, water and mulch with peat chips.
  8. Remove all weak and damaged branches.
  9. Shorten the skeletal shoots to the level of mature wood.
  10. If the bush has old shoots, remove them immediately, since in the spring they will die anyway and attract pests.

The distance between bushes for solo planting should be at least 1.5 m, for group planting - 70-80 cm. If you plan to plant a hedge, reduce the step between specimens to half a meter.

How to rejuvenate a bush?

Mature specimens over 15 years old require anti-aging pruning. The event is held in the fall by complete removal the above-ground part of the bush at the level of the root collar. The same scheme is used for a plant that has been severely damaged by pests. After such a drastic intervention, summer-flowering varieties will bloom next season, and spring varieties only a year later.

Do not leave stumps after cutting. Young thin and weak branches will grow from the dormant buds on the pruning in the spring.

Hedge modeling

A spirea hedge is an excellent solution for garden plot. It will protect your property from dust and exhaust gases, serve as decoration and a screen from prying eyes, without causing strong shading.

After adjusting the shape of the hedge in autumn, be sure to apply potassium-phosphorus fertilizer and mulch the soil. This measure stimulates the healing of wounds and will help prepare for winter.

Systematic trimming of hedges allows you to:

  • achieve density by stimulating shoot branching;
  • give the plant fence compactness, a certain silhouette, height and shape;
  • maintain the health of the hedge by improving ventilation and lighting of the bushes.

Hedge modeling begins a year after planting. Young bushes are pruned, removing a third of the annual growth. After 2-3 years, you can cut off up to half of each branch to maintain the shape of the green fence. As it ages, periodically trim off drying branches inside the crown.

Low pruning of an old fence will lead to the risk of drying out or freezing, since old bushes have an increased tendency to expose the root collar.

Preparing spirea for winter

Autumn care for spirea necessarily includes preparation for the dormant period. Young animals are wrapped up for the winter to avoid freezing. To do this, the branches are loosely tied together with twine and wrapped in covering material. In harsh climates, it is better to build an air-dry shelter.

The root system of spirea lies close to the soil surface, so it is better to insulate even adult bushes. Cover the root collar with a 10–15 cm thick layer of leaf or peat mulch.

With proper care, including systematic pruning and rejuvenation, ornamental shrub spirea will decorate the garden for 20-25 years. Because the spring work take a lot of time from gardeners, it is convenient to postpone caring for lush bushes until the fall.

Spiraea - lush early or late bloomer flowering shrub, which is often grown in plots as a separate element of the landscape or in group plantings. The plant has gained popularity among gardeners due to its beautiful inflorescences of various colors and the absence of the need to create special conditions for growth.

But even for unpretentious plant you need to care for it to be healthy and decorative. It is especially important to provide spirea with autumn care and properly prepare it for winter.

Features of care and preparation for winter - general tips and recommendations

In order for the plant to benefit from the care provided, all actions must be carried out exactly as recommended. Autumn care for spirea includes the following necessary manipulations.

Watering. Spiraea has good drought resistance, so the shrub is unpretentious to watering. Moisten the tree trunk circle beautiful flowering plant Only necessary if it’s a dry autumn. To completely saturate the bush with moisture, add 15 liters of water to the root of an adult bush.

Important! The next watering can be done only after most of the earthen clod has dried out: roots that come into contact with wet soil for a long time rot.

Feeding. In order for spirea to gain strength before winter, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied at the root of the plant in doses specified by the manufacturer.

note! Despite nutritional value, mullein cannot be introduced: it contains a lot of nitrogen, which stimulates the formation of young shoots, as a result of which the plant wastes the energy accumulated for wintering. For the same reason, spirea is not used for autumn feeding. mineral fertilizers nitrogen based.

Trimming. Such fast growing shrubs, like spirea, needs to be pruned annually so that the plant blooms luxuriantly and has decorative look. In addition to the aesthetic component, garden manipulation - excellent prevention from fungal diseases.

Mulching. Despite the fact that spirea is endowed with excellent cold resistance, to be on the safe side, the roots of the shrub, which are located close to the surface, are covered with a layer of peat, leaves or hay. The same mulch is placed on top of bent shoots to protect them from frost.

Shelter. Most varieties of spirea are endowed with high frost resistance: the bushes can tolerate temperatures dropping to -35..-50 C. Only species such as Japanese, white-flowered and Nippon spirea suffer from frosts in the middle zone. When spring arrives, the owner of such spireas often discovers that the tips or all shoots have frozen.

Video: caring for spirea, including in autumn and in preparation for winter

Pruning in autumn

Grow beautiful ones on your plot flowering bushes impossible without regular pruning. Thanks to autumn pruning, spirea acquires lush crown, which next season will be completely covered bright flowers. In addition, as a result of proper pruning, the plant reacts less painfully to cold weather, which is very important when growing relatively heat-loving varieties of spirea.

Why trim

Having planted a lush bush on their plot for the first time, many doubt whether it should be pruned, for fear of harming the plant or ruining its appearance. Spirea needs pruning for the following reasons:

  1. Trimming improves the bush's breathability, making the plant more resistant to fungal diseases and insect pests.
  2. Removing dried, deformed and too protruding shoots from the crown improves decorativeness.
  3. Pruning old branches stimulates the plant to form new growth.
  4. Due to the shortening of the shoots, the bush blooms more abundantly and becomes more luxuriant due to the active growth of side shoots.

Thus, pruning is an indispensable component of normal growth. beautiful flowering shrub. And if the pruning was done according to all the rules, there is no need to worry about the plant at all, since spirea is endowed with the ability to quickly recover.

When is it better to prune - in spring or autumn?

One part of gardeners postpones pruning before the cold to the beginning of spring, thereby saving their time and not injuring the plant before winter, while the other is confident that autumn pruning of spirea increases resistance to adverse conditions and helps to survive the winter.

Despite this division of opinions, manipulation in equal parts effective both in spring and autumn. Therefore, each spirea owner needs to determine optimal time for pruning, based on the condition of the plant and your own preferences.

Timing for pruning in autumn

To ensure that the cuts have time to heal before cold weather sets in, autumn pruning of spirea should be carried out no later than 2 weeks before frost. Depending on weather conditions in different regions, the optimal time for manipulation is in September or October.

How to trim correctly - instructions and diagram

The shrub begins to be pruned in the second year after planting. Trimming is carried out in the following order:

  1. Remove dried, pest-affected and diseased shoots. Broken and damaged branches are cut off to the first living bud.
  2. The tips of young shoots that have not yet become lignified are cut off.
  3. On late clear bushes, dried inflorescences are cut off.
  4. To rejuvenate the plant, 1-2 branches 3-4 years old are cut into a ring and replaced with young ones.

Anti-aging pruning begins for plants older than 4-5 years. The aging of the plant indicates a large number of old shoots and lack of young shoots. In order to bring your favorite bush back to life, all shoots are cut at a height of 30 cm from the ground. As a result of pruning, spirea quickly replaces lost branches with young ones, on which many flower buds are formed.

If the bush is not only very old, but also severely damaged, deep pruning is used: all branches of the spirea are completely cut off. After such manipulation, there should be no stumps left, otherwise lifeless thin shoots will grow from the buds, and the bush will lose its beauty.

Video: autumn pruning of Japanese spirea

Worth knowing! Spiraea lives about 15-20 years, and if after anti-aging pruning the bush does not form strong shoots, it's time to replace it with a new one.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the cultivation of hedges. In order for group plantings to have a well-groomed appearance, spirea need to be pruned annually. During pruning, hedges are given or maintained in the required shape by shortening protruding shoots from the general green mass. Maximum length pruned branches should not exceed a third of the length of the annual growth. In plants that have reached the age of 4-5 years, shoots can be shortened by half of the growth.

Video: how to trim spirea

Care after pruning, feeding and fertilizer

Having completed the pruning, the area close to the spirea is cleared of debris. And then the trimmed bush is watered abundantly and complex fertilizers with large amounts of phosphorus and potassium are applied.

Shelter for the winter

Warming plants in the garden before winter is by far the most important manipulation, the quality of which can save the plant or cancel out all other preparatory work and destroy it. For construction winter shelter no special materials or skills are required, all you need is available materials and half an hour of free time.

Do I need to cover it for the winter?

The advisability of covering spirea for the winter depends on the characteristics of the variety and the weather conditions of the region. In our country, subject to a snowy winter, medium, low, gray, oak-leaved, and three-lobed spirea can do without shelter: representatives of these species survive until spring when temperatures drop down to -50 C.

Shelter is especially important for recently planted spirea bushes, which have not yet had time to form a powerful root system, and are therefore highly susceptible to influence subzero temperatures regardless of the variety.

How to properly cover for the winter

When covering spirea for the winter, it is important to observe established rules so that the shrub feels comfortable during winter and does not dry out.

To protect a lushly flowering shrub from the cold, you need to do the following:

  • The shoots are collected into a loose bunch and tied with a rope.
  • The tree trunk circle is covered with a 10 cm layer of dry mulching material: peat, straw or foliage.
  • The prepared branches are carefully bent to the ground and secured with a metal hook.
  • A layer of dry foliage 10-15 cm thick is placed on top of the bush and applied with several branches so that the wind does not blow the mulch.

In winter, the shelter is supplemented with snow, throwing thermal insulation material from other parts of the garden. Such a simple shelter will protect the shoots and the plant itself from freezing.

What are the features of preparing for winter in different regions?

Climate different regions Russia is very different from each other, so in order for the winter to end successfully, during preparatory work weather conditions must be taken into account.

In the middle zone and Moscow region

If it's a snowy winter, top part adult shrubs are not covered, since the snow cover will protect the spirea branches from unexpected severe frosts. To protect the root system, the spirea tree trunk circle is covered with a 10 cm layer of mulch, which is applied with tops or branches.

In the Volga region

The plant is insulated in the same way as in Middle lane. The only thing I would like to remind you of is the need to carefully cover young seedlings, regardless of the region of growth.

In the Urals and Siberia

IN northern regions grown only winter-hardy varieties, which are capable of reinsurance during six-month cold weather. Pruning in the Urals and Siberia is carried out in the spring, since large-scale removal of branches can take a lot of energy from the plant, and it will not be able to survive the winter. They cover the shrubs in the same way as in other regions. The only difference is that the thickness of the mulch layer increases to 20 cm.

Typical mistakes in autumn care and preparation for winter

Doubts or poor knowledge of the technology of growing spirea are the main reasons for making mistakes that have a detrimental effect on the shrub. The following mistakes when caring for spirea in the fall and preparing for winter will help you avoid repeating the wrong actions:

  • In the hope of preventing the ground from freezing, spirea is often and abundantly watered. Due to excessive watering, the rhizome rots and the bush dies.
  • Nitrogen-based mineral fertilizers are applied.
  • They do not comply with pruning deadlines. As a result of cutting too late, the plant does not have time to recover by winter.

Having given the spirea a little time before winter, you can safely expect a most beautiful sight in the form of abundant, bright flowering. The main condition is all the components autumn care must be implemented correctly.

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Gray spirea is a fast-growing ornamental shrub from the Rosaceae family. This species was obtained in Norway as a result of the hybridization of two other species: St. John's wort and whitish-gray spirea.

Gray spirea bush

The shrub can reach a height of two meters, so pruning spirea sulfur after flowering is enough actual question in this case. In mid-May, the beautifully curved branches along their entire length are covered with loose inflorescences for the whole month. The decorative effect of the bush is due to the arched drooping shoots, compactness of the bush and snow-white inflorescences.

Gray spirea has two decorative forms. Spiraea Grefshaim has a bush height of no more than 1 meter. The shoots are drooping; immediately after the end of the flowering period, the flowers completely fall off. Spiraea Graciosa bushes range in height from 80 to 120 centimeters.

Peculiarities of flowering of spirea sulfur

All types of spirea are divided into early-flowering and late-flowering. This is important to know, since the features of plant care and pruning depend on it.

Gray spirea is an early flowering variety. Flowering begins in May and lasts until about mid-June. The branches are completely covered with white shields of inflorescences. Flower buds form along the entire length of last year's shoots. This is also related to the peculiarities of cutting these plants. If you prune annually, flower buds will inevitably be removed. This means that your hedge will not please you with a cap of snow-white flowers.

Features of pruning spirea gray

Trimming shrubs is an important part of caring for a spirea hedge. To ensure annual flowering, it should be trimmed only after flowering. The pruning method will depend on what your goals are. In what cases and how to prune gray spirea, let's look at it in more detail.

  1. To reduce the size of the bush and increase its density, you can just shorten its shoots after flowering. This species is remarkable in that it grows quickly and forms many new shoots after pruning. The formation of many young branches increases its density and decorativeness.
  2. Basic care only involves removing old branches that spoil the entire appearance, as well as pruning dry branches. Every year in the spring you need to cut off only frozen shoots. This is how these shrubs are cared for from about the age of seven.
  3. To rejuvenate the entire shrub, gray spirea needs to be trimmed to a stump. Dormant buds, which are located at the very root neck, come to life after cutting and produce a lot of young growth. From it you can form a new bush. To do this, you need to leave five or six strong young shoots. And remove the rest during the first growing season. Every couple of years, weak, old branches should be removed.
  4. In order to form a new bush, pruning should be done in early spring. In this case, the bush will bloom only when next year. But sanitary pruning is carried out in the summer and only after flowering.

How to prune gray spirea Grefsheim

The characteristics of the Grefshaim variety are similar to gray spirea, since it is its hybrid. Reddish branches create a spherical crown. This makes the bush look neat and compact. The leaves have a greenish-gray color, hence the name of this type of spirea.

Spiraea Grefshaim blooms profusely for a month and a half, starting in May. The variety is very unpretentious. Shrubs grow quickly, so they like to be trimmed.

Grefshaim haircut is one of the main elements of care. This variety is easy to trim to give it the desired shape. If you prune it in time, then next year it will delight you with abundant flowering.

The best time for a haircut is July. At this time, the Grefshaim variety is already fading. Young branches that have completed their flowering are pruned to strong buds. Old shoots are completely removed.

Adult plants are cut by ¼ after flowering, and young plants are slightly shortened.

How to prune Gray Spiraea Graciosa

The round, spreading crown of Graciosa spirea is created thanks to thin, decoratively hanging branches. Flowering occurs in May and lasts about one and a half months. This variety of spirea grows quite quickly, adding 10-15 centimeters per year.

Spiraea Graciosa tolerates pruning well. If pruning is not done in time, the bushes will take on a sloppy appearance. To keep the bushes compact and provide abundant flowering next season, it needs to be trimmed properly. The cutting time, like other varieties, depends on the flowering time.

In Spiraea Graciosa, buds are formed in the fall. In May they begin to bloom. Therefore, spring pruning can lead to the fact that the bush simply does not bloom. The most best time for cutting - immediately after the end of the flowering period, somewhere in July.

It is better not to touch the strong young shoots that have grown this year. Old and long-blooming branches can be cut back to strong buds. If the shrub has been growing for more than seven years, then you can safely part with old shoots that are dried out or broken, cutting them off to the very base.

You cannot ignore pruning if you want to get a beautiful, healthy and lush flowering shrub. In this case, you need to follow several rules:

  1. The first cutting should be done two years after planting.
  2. Each shoot of spirea develops up to four years, after which the process of dying begins. If you do not regularly trim the bush in a sanitary manner, it begins to dry out very quickly.
  3. Stems over seven years old are cut out completely.
  4. General sanitary pruning should be done in July, when it has completely faded.
  5. Radical pruning involves cutting off all branches to strong buds. Broken and dead stems are removed entirely.
  6. You cannot leave stems of the same age on a bush. Ideally, a few old and many new shoots should be preserved. Then the death of adult branches will not affect appearance the whole plant.
  7. It should be remembered that complete rejuvenation of a bush and pruning it to a stump does not always give the desired effect.

Love your plants and care for them properly. And they will thank you with their freshness and beauty.

Spiraea is a very common plant in our country, loved because of its long, abundant flowering and amazing ease of care. In garden design and landscape plantings it is used often. This is a multifunctional honey plant. Even a novice gardener can grow spirea. As with any bush, Special attention devote it to trimming.

Trimming has great importance, with its help they are revealed decorative possibilities plants - flowering intensifies and the bush shows itself in all its glory. Unpruned spirea bushes, after some time, acquire a “dull”, sloppy appearance.

How and when to prune spirea

Spiraea, which bloom in spring and towards the beginning of summer, is pruned after flowering - flower buds are laid in the fall. It is better to shorten old flowering branches so that the buds of the lateral branches develop well.

The procedure of pruning a bush is carried out with the aim of forming a bush.

When pruning, it is worth removing dried and frostbitten branches, if any.

They act differently. They are pruned in early spring (before the flowers appear), shortening last year's shoots that have lost their appearance to strong buds.

If the Spiraea have become quite bulky, they are cut back and then they bloom. You can prune them at any time of the season if the size or shape of the Spiraea bush does not suit you.
Plant shoots are reduced to 6-8 parts - this is a common practice in spring. When you do this, remove the old, thick and therefore unproductive stems. In no time, your spirea will be the same size as the season before.

You can trim them right after they bloom and they will rebloom for you in August and September.

Yellow deciduous trees (Goldflame, Goldmound) undergo a second pruning/haircut. This is even more desirable since the new growth of copper/red branches is the main attraction of the plant, not the flowers.

In the second pruning, cut the shoots in the bush to half, without causing any harmful effects. Cutting deeper will not give the plant enough time to grow back to its previous size.

A note of caution, be sure to collect all debris (leaves, twigs, twigs) after pruning. Spireas roots germinate easily and you may end up with unwanted plants sprouting in unwanted places. Whereas they can be easily removed from the site at a young age. For 2-3 years, the seedlings have a good root system and may not be good companions for less aggressive perennials.

Sanitary pruning should be carried out, completely cutting out branches older than 7 years.

In autumn, the procedure of pruning shrubs is carried out with the aim of forming a bush. For spirea species that bloom until autumn, pruning is carried out at the end of flowering.

Some types of spirea grow rapidly and soon become old. To rejuvenate a bush, there is a method called “planting it on a stump.” After such an operation, strong young shoots grow from dormant buds. The main thing is not to forget to water and fertilize the bush so that it quickly restores its crown.


Please tell me when is the best time to replant Grefsheim spirea bushes? Two years ago we planted tiny seedlings with a closed root system and missed the mark. They grow in a more illuminated and warmer part of the garden, next to apple trees and lilacs; the buds have already appeared. Now the bushes have already grown to 60 cm and it has become obvious that they need to be replanted, but I am afraid of ruining them untimely transplantation. And another question about spirea. The same spirea, only the bush is 4-5 years old. Can it be transplanted painlessly or only after severe pruning and with a high risk of loss?

I obviously delayed my answer, but, on the other hand, my answer in May will demonstrate that spirea is a very easy-to-care crop. She is not afraid of transplantation at any age, and with a little tricks, she can be transplanted even in summer.
Strict experts flora Recommendations are rewritten from post to post: spirea can be replanted in early spring before buds open or late in autumn after leaf fall. I admire such experts: they manage to do everything in the garden on time. But what about those summer residents who can go to their garden only at the end of April, or even during the May holidays, and in the fall they end the season not at the end of October, but at the beginning of September? Is it really possible to deprive yourself of the joy of having variety in the garden, not only fruit trees, but also beautiful bushes, bright colors?
No way!!! In practice (rarely do I have time to complete all the work in best timing!) convinced: replant mature bushes ornamental crops You can do it with leaves and even flowers. If you need it, then you need it!
It is important to follow only a few rules.
First, choose right place for spirea. Almost all species and varieties love a sunny place, although Grefsheim and other species that bloom in spring can tolerate light partial shade from large trees (which also appears when these spirea have almost faded).
Secondly, clearly mark the planting sites, taking into account what diameter and height this or that species or variety reaches. SpireaGrefsheimby the age of 10 it reaches a diameter of 2 m, andLittle Princessonly 70-80 cm.
Thirdly, prepare the soil and planting holes at least 3-4 days before planting. Here you need to take into account that heavy soils will have to be loosened with sand and peat, and light soils will have to be “weighted” by adding moisture-retaining materials, for example, finely lumpy clay. Acidic soils need to be limed, but not overdone, because Billard's spirea and all its hybrids do not grow well on calcareous soils. The heavier the soil, the larger the drainage layer should be: from 5 cm on light soils to 20 cm on clay soils.
The hole for planting needs to be dug about a third larger than the earthen ball of the plant being transplanted. But when planting, you need to take into account that the root collar should be at the same level as in the old place.
It is very important to transplant an adult plant in cloudy weather and stock up on an old sheet.
The work algorithm is as follows:
1. The hole was dug and covered with phosphorus-potassium fertilizer in 3-4 days.
2. Towards evening, pour water into the hole and at the same time water the plant that we will replant.
3. We dig up the plant, moving 15-20 cm around the perimeter from the root collar. Carefully trim the roots and take them out along with the earthen lump. If the bush is large, then immediately lay it on a piece of film or fabric and transfer it to the planting hole.
4. We lower the seedling into the planting hole and control the level of the root collar. If necessary, add soil under the roots, or remove a little soil from the bottom of the hole.
5. Filling up the planting hole garden soil, lightly trampling the ground. We water the plant with water with the addition of root. Mulch the tree trunk circle with a thick layer of peat or humus (5-7 cm).
6. We install 3-4 pegs around the perimeter of the bush, as tall as the bush itself.
7. An old sheet or big piece soak the gauze in water, wring it out a little and cover the bush completely, pulling it onto the pegs. We fix the fabric near the ground so that it does not blow away in the wind.
8. For 3-4 days every day, and in hot dry weather we moisten it with water 2-3 times a day.
9. Then in the evening we remove the fabric and let the spirea grow freely. True, it will be necessary to water regularly for a month, because the plant’s roots are damaged and cannot fully provide the plant with moisture.
If you replant spirea during the flowering period, it is better to trim the inflorescences. In summer-bloomers, this technique will cause repeated flowering, and in spring-bloomers, more abundant flowering next spring.

It would seem that the closer the cold weather gets, the more freely flower growers and summer residents can breathe. But not everything is so simple, autumn time they still have a lot of work to do, preparing the plants and garden for the cold weather. So, some crops must be covered, others must be trimmed, and others must be dug up and moved to the basement. And today we are talking about what activities false spirea needs - preparation for winter, care in the fall, and we will also clarify whether it needs pruning.

False spirea is what astilbe is sometimes called. And that is why we also named the plant that way. Astilbe is quite popular and attractive herbaceous perennial. This plant decorates personal plots in many parts of Russia, but not all gardeners know how to properly care for it in the autumn.

So, readers of Popular About Health need to start preparing false spirea for the cold in the first month of autumn. It is especially important to properly prepare for winter those plants that were planted this season, since they are especially sensitive and vulnerable and cannot be left without close attention.

Features of caring for false spirea in autumn

Experienced summer residents It is recommended that in the first year of growing astilbe, do not let it bloom - cut off all developing inflorescences until flowering begins. Thanks to such simple manipulation, the shrub will be able to fully form strong renewal buds on its root system, take root with ease and withstand the cold.

Even after the end of the summer season, it is necessary, if necessary, to weed the soil around the plant to prevent the formation of a soil crust and the germination of weeds. True, in more mature plants there is a developed root system quite effectively displaces weeds.

Watering false spirea is not necessary for winter, unless, of course, there is a complete drought outside. Usually the plant has enough moisture contained in the soil. Since the roots of mature specimens of such a crop are exposed, it is necessary to add fertile soil to them closer to winter.

Does false spirea need pruning in the fall??

Yes, such a culture needs autumn pruning. In principle, its shoots begin to die off naturally. Gardeners recommend cutting them after the very first frost has passed and the stems have darkened. The shoots must be cut with sharp pruning shears down to the base (to ground level).

Preparing false spirea for wintering

After trimming the astilbe hemp, it is necessary to hill it up and sprinkle it with mulch. The thickness of such a shelter should be five to seven centimeters, and it should form a sort of slide over the shoots. Peat, chopped tree bark, or already rotted compost can be used as mulch.

If mulching is not carried out, astilbe can easily withstand a frosty winter. But in such a situation, its root system will most likely weaken, which will lead to a decrease in the decorativeness of the plant and a shortening of the flowering period.

Mulching and hilling are extremely important when caring for astilbes that were planted this year, and for those whose age has already exceeded the five-year mark. Indeed, in mature plants, the rhizomes grow upward, which makes them especially sensitive to frost.

Before mulching the soil, many gardeners add fertilizer to the soil. It is believed that organic matter (the same manure) decomposes slowly when fertilized, and begins to act especially actively only with the arrival of spring. But you can also use mineral compounds, so for each astilbe bush you should use twenty-five grams of potassium and phosphorus.

Plants ranging from one to five years old require only radical pruning and mulching when preparing for winter. But more mature crops require not only cutting off the shoots to the ground, but also building a structure that protects the already middle-aged shrub from cold and winds. For this purpose, it is necessary to knock down the boards into a square and place them near the astilbe stump. Dry leaves should be folded inside such a structure, and a covering material, lutrasil, should be pulled over it. Top layer shelter must go polyethylene film, capable of protecting the shrub from liquid ingress or moisture accumulation in the root system area. The film must be secured with stones or staples so that it is not damaged by gusts of wind. Such a shelter should be built annually if the astilbe on your site is more than five years old. Robust design will protect the root system from frost, which will allow the plant to delight you with luxurious flowering during the next growing season.

Experienced summer residents claim that astilbe is quite frost-resistant and shade-tolerant plant. Therefore, residents of the southern regions do not need to cover it for the winter. But at the same time, the shelter protects the shrub from the possibility of the dangerous effects of return frosts, which, in combination with the bright rays of the sun, can greatly harm the plant.

Astilbe is popular among summer residents as a fairly unpretentious, decorative and easy-to-care plant. But at the same time, you need to remember that the stronger a given crop goes from autumn to winter, the easier it will be for it to withstand frosts.

Spiraea is a shrub that attracts attention with its lush flowering, spectacular coloring of leaves and inflorescences, the size and size of the bush, as well as unpretentiousness and endurance; this plant can be used in any type of landscaping. But in order for spirea to show all its decorative “possibilities”, you need to know some details of caring for it. Let's get to know them.

Classification of spirea species

To begin with, it is worth remembering that all spirea are divided according to flowering time.

    Spring-flowering

    Species such as spirea middle, sharp-toothed, plum-leaved, Vangutta, Thunberg, three-lobed bloom in May - early June and belong to the group of spring-flowering spirea.

    Summer flowering

    Another group of spireas becomes covered with inflorescences in July–August and is classified as a summer bloomer. These include dwarf, birchleaf, Japanese, loosestrife, white, Douglas and densely flowered.

Planting spirea

Landing location

The area for these shrubs must be located in a sunny place, even in hot southern regions.

Boarding time

The best time to plant spirea is September. Favorable weather is cloudy, or even better – rainy, when the soil is well saturated with moisture.

Soil and size of planting holes

Spiraea grows best and develop on loose, breathable soils with a large amount of humus. Of course, plants will grow on poor soils, but in this case they will not be able to show all their beauty.

Planting hole size defined as follows:

  • If the soil on your site is exactly what spirea likes, the planting holes should be 25-30% larger than its root system and 40-50 cm deep.
  • If the soil at the site for growing is not entirely suitable, then it is advisable to dig a hole three times larger than the root system of the seedling. Both in width and in depth.

The mixture with which the hole will be filled, are made up of sand (river), peat and turf or leaf soil. Moreover, two parts of earth are taken, but sand and peat are taken in one part.

Distance between planting holes depends on the placement of spirea and flowering time:

  • Summer-flowering spireas, when planted in a hedge, are planted at a distance of 40-50 cm from each other; when arranged in several rows, the distance between rows is 30-40 cm. In group plantings, a distance of 50-70 cm is maintained, sometimes up to 1 m.
  • Spring-flowering spireas are planted more freely. In hedges at a distance of 70 cm - 1 m, in group plantings - 1-1.5 m.
    For group planting, holes are dug at a distance of 50-70 cm.

Landing technology

Before planting, soil is first poured into the bottom of the hole, and then the seedling is installed, all the roots are straightened out and only then everything is carefully covered with an earthen mixture.

The bush is planted so that the root collar (the junction of the trunk and roots) is located at ground level.

Before planting, the root system must be inspected and broken and dried roots must be cut off.

    If you plant a seedling with a lump of earth, then after planting, carry out good watering.

    And if the root system is bare (without soil), then it is placed for 12 or 24 hours in a solution of water and a root formation stimulator. It could be heteroauxin succinic acid, indolylacetic acid and various other preparations that can be purchased at any garden or flower center. Plants treated in this way are immediately planted permanent place growing.

Spirea pruning

Now let's talk about pruning, which differs for summer-flowering and spring-flowering spirea, since the inflorescences of these groups are formed on shoots of different years.

Pruning spring-flowering spirea

  1. In spireas that bloom in May and early June, flower buds are evenly laid along the entire length of the shoots, but they bloom only the next year. Therefore, pruning such spireas comes down to shortening frozen and dried shoots. It is usually carried out annually in early spring (March to April).
  2. Mature old branches and thin shoots are removed once every two years in the spring.
  3. Also, such bushes undergo anti-aging pruning. To do this, old branches (over 7 years old) are cut out completely.

Pruning summer-blooming spireas

In plants that bloom in July–August, inflorescences form at the ends of the shoots of that year. The next year, these inflorescences dry out, and new flowers form again on the young shoots.

  1. Shrubs of this group are pruned in early spring, at the very beginning of the appearance of leaves. Each well-developed branch is shortened to powerful buds, and small and too thin shoots are cut out completely.
  2. After the fourth year of cultivation, it is advisable to prune the bushes at a height of 25-30 cm.

Spirea care

Watering

Newly planted plants and plants in hot, dry times need regular watering. You especially need to pay attention to Japanese spirea, since without sufficient watering it can dry out and die.

Weeding and loosening

Young plants need to be weeded. You also need to periodically loosen the soil under them, because... When weeding and watering, it becomes denser.

Mulching

It is good to mulch the ground around the spirea with peat, sawdust or husks from seeds, nuts or buckwheat. The mulch height is from 6 to 8 cm. This helps keep the soil moist and loose long time, and also reduces the number of waterings.

Top dressing

For full development and lush flowering It is advisable to feed the bushes with fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and microelements (for example, Kemira-lux). This is done in early spring.

For spireas that bloom in July-August, it is also advisable to carry out another feeding in June.

Reproduction of spirea

This ornamental shrub can reproduce

  • seeds,
  • layering and
  • cuttings (summer and spring).

Growing spirea from seeds

To sow seeds, select wide and low containers, which are filled with a mixture of peat (moor) and leaf soil.

The seeds are covered after sowing thin layer peat or light soil (1 cm).

The first seedlings appear on 8-10 days.

To prevent the appearance of fungal diseases, the soil and emerging plants must be treated with phytosporin, a solution of potassium permanganate or foundationazole.

After 60-90 days, the young bushes are transferred to a garden bed (shade or partial shade) and the roots are always pinched. Then be sure to water and cover with a small layer of mulching material.

In the first 3-4 years of life, spirea must be regularly watered and loosened. But it is worth considering that the root system of young spireas is shallow in the ground and can be easily damaged.

Bushes obtained from seeds begin to bloom in the 3rd or 4th year of cultivation.

Reproduction by layering

Spiraea should be propagated by layering in the spring. At this time, low-lying shoots are pressed to the ground in specially made grooves and attached with small forks. The end of the shoot is cut off and its entire length is covered with earth.

For the winter, the cuttings are covered with fallen leaves. By next spring, rooting occurs, the shoot is cut off and planted in a permanent place.

Propagation of spirea by cuttings

The most accessible and quite simple The method of propagating spirea is cuttings. In this way, you can propagate any species and hybrid of this ornamental shrub.

Cuttings are harvested after intensive growth of shoots ends. It is worth considering here that cuttings from spring-flowering species begin to be taken from the beginning of June. And for spirea, which blooms in July-August, cuttings are harvested from mid-June.

Chopped shoots are placed in containers filled with a mixture of washed river sand and peat (preferably high-moor). For friendly and quick rooting, you definitely need 4-5 times of watering or an installation that creates fog.

Most species of this shrub give a high percentage of survival rate (from 50 to 70 percent). And if you treat the cuttings in a solution of a root formation stimulator (12-24 hours), then the rooting percentage can reach 100 percent. The rooted cuttings are transferred to the beds next spring for growing or planted in a permanent place.

Diseases and pests and their control

All types of spirea are not often attacked by various pests, but sometimes it happens. Let's get to know some of them.

Spider mite

Perhaps the most formidable among them is the spider mite, since in one growing season 8 to 10 generations of this pest can appear. Whitish paniculate spots appear on the surface of the leaves on which the spider mite has settled. Then the leaves turn yellow, dry out and fall off.
Particularly noticeable is the increase in the number spider mite from July to August (during hot and dry summers).

To combat this pest, arex (0.2 percent solution), metaphos, fozalon, keltan and phosphamide are used.

Aphid

Also, quite a lot of damage is caused by aphids, which feed on the sap of leaves, peduncles and tender young shoots. It is especially dangerous from June to mid-August.

This pest can be destroyed with solutions of pirimor, actellik, kronefos, fozalon. In case of minor damage, they will also help folk remedies, such as tincture of tobacco, capsicum, onion, garlic, soap solution.

Blue meadowsaw sawfly and whitefly

To combat these pests, you can use the drug Fitoverm, Decis Pro.

Diseases

In addition to pests, spirea can be affected by fungal infections, such as gray mold and various spots. For treatment, fungicidal preparations are used, such as foundationazole, phytosporin-m, ditan m-45, Bordeaux mixture, colloidal sulfur.