Deutzia is an evergreen woody plant that belongs to the Hortensia family. In total, about 50 varieties of this flowering shrub are found in the botanical literature. The homeland of its growth is Mexico, East Asia and the Himalayan mountain ranges. In our area, action began to grow relatively recently.
The plant looks very attractive due to its long and bright flowering. The appearance in Europe of Japanese and Himalayan varieties of flowers dates back to the early 19th century, when Dutch merchants brought a foreigner to their homeland, and Chinese action gained popularity much later.
Today this flower can be found in various household plots. Breeders have developed a huge variety of varieties and decorative variations of action.
Description of the deytion shrub
The shape of the bush is spreading, the branches are straight and can reach 40-400 cm in length, the placement of the leaves is opposite. The flowering of the plant is carried out on last year's shoots, which are covered with white or pink flowers, collected in the form of racemose inflorescences. They practically do not exude any aroma. The life span of a shrub reaches up to 25 years.
Planting action in open ground
When to plant action
Spring is considered the best time for planting. Planting seedlings that have a closed root system is allowed until mid-summer. An open area in the garden is selected for cultivation, where the midday rays will not burn the plant. It should be borne in mind that the shrub does not tolerate drafts. It is recommended to use a nutritious and moist soil with good drainage properties as a soil for planting. Humus, peat compost and sand are perfect. These components are taken in a ratio of 2: 1: 2 and the well is filled with the prepared mixture during planting. Acidic soil adversely affects the action, so about 300 g of lime is added to the hole to create a slightly alkaline effect.
Selection of seedlings
Before you start breeding in an action garden, you need to learn how to choose a material for planting. First, pay attention to the external characteristics of the bush. There should be no damage or signs of illness on it, as it will often get sick in the future. It is important how suitable the roots of the bush for planting. If they are overdried, and it is impossible to see it in the container, then the plant will not take root. Shoots damaged during transportation are cut, the roots are shortened to about 40 cm in length. Slightly dry roots can be reanimated by lowering them for a couple of hours in a container with a clay mash containing potassium permanganate.
How to properly plant the action
It is necessary to place the action shrub at some distance from other representatives of the garden, because over time it will grow and take up a large area. For a seedling, a hole is dug to a depth of 40 to 50 cm.Drainage material is poured into it: broken brick or sand. The roots are lowered into the prepared hole, the soil mixture is laid around them. Previously, about 100 g of nitrophoska is added to it. Planting is carried out in such a way that the root collar of the bush protrudes above the soil surface. After compaction of the soil, the plant is watered abundantly. Each shoot is pruned to 3-5 buds to stimulate tillering.
Action care
Action does not require special care when growing. However, waterlogging of the soil should be avoided. It is enough to water the bush once a week. If the weather is hot and dry, you can add an extra bucket of water. After each watering, the topsoil must be loosened and emerging weeds must be removed. At the end of summer, it is better to refuse watering altogether. Top dressing is carried out every month. For this, liquid manure is used. A couple of times during the season, action bushes are fed with solutions of complex fertilizers.
Transfer
Spring is considered the most favorable time for transplanting action. When digging up a plant, it is important to keep an earthy ball around the roots. The bush is lowered into a new hole, where there is already drainage material and mineral fertilizers. The hole is filled with a soil mixture close in composition to the one that was used for the first planting. The soil around the seedling is compacted and watered with water, while the old branches are removed, and the remaining shoots are shortened by a third. The soil surface around the bush is mulched with peat. The transplant is better tolerated by young plants than adult bushes.
Pruning
Since the shrub is highly branched, the action must be pruned twice a year in order to maintain the shape of the crown. Faded branches are cut at the root or to the first strong bud. Spring pruning involves removing frozen and broken branches. In the event that almost all shoots are damaged, they will have to be removed at the root.
Deytion after flowering
Blooming action is observed throughout the season. The shrub has a low resistance to cold. To ensure a beautiful and decorative flowering next year, it is necessary to protect last year's shoots from freezing as much as possible. If there is no particular frost in the area where the flower is grown, the shrub can simply be tilted closer to the ground.
Caring for the action in the suburbs
In the Moscow region and other regions in which there are cold and snowless winters, it is necessary to provide additional protection for the plant during the wintering period. The most reliable method is considered to be an air-dry shelter. To do this, the bush is bent to the ground, and a frame is formed on top. Dry foliage is poured on it or spruce branches are laid. The surface of the frame is covered with lutrasil. To prevent it from getting wet, use plastic wrap. This method is used for young shrubs. Adult plants are tied with twine, and the crown is wrapped in breathable material: spunbond or lutrasil.
Diseases and pests
Deutzia is resistant to pests and diseases, but sometimes the plant is threatened by the bumblebee proboscis, which eats the leaves. To combat the pest, a solution of phthalophos or karbofos is used.
Types and varieties of action
There is a huge variety of varieties of this flower, each of which has a unique structure, color and shape. Let's consider some of them.
Deytsia Amur - This is an evergreen deciduous shrub that grows about 2 meters and has a spreading form of shoots. The territory of its distribution is the Far East, North Korea and China. The bark of mature plants is gray in color. Placement of leaves is opposite, ellipsoid shape. They reach a length of up to 6 cm, closer to the top of the bush, they have pointed ends. The surface of the leaf blade, pubescent on both sides, is colored bright green.The inflorescences grow up to 7 cm in diameter and form white flowers that are practically odorless. The flowering period begins at the end of June and is approximately 3 weeks. The fruits of the Amur action are yellow seed pods of a spherical shape. This variety is characterized by drought tolerance, fast growth and early flowering.
Deytion graceful - looks like a stunted shrub with arched branches, strewn with flowers. The native land of the plant is the mountainous regions of Japan. The shape of the leaves is oblong, the color of the leaves is light green. The lower surface is smooth to the touch and the upper surface is rough. White flowers gather in long inflorescences that begin to open in mid-summer. The flowering period of this variety is just over a month.
Rough action - found in its natural environment in China and Japan, reaches a height of 2.5 m. The plant has a bark with a reddish tint and elongated dark green leaves. The surface of the leaf blade is covered with tiny hairs. The variety is distinguished by its late flowering. The flowers are pink or white, the length of the inflorescences can be up to 12 cm. Flowering is observed within 2-3 weeks.
The action is great - has collected the signs of two varieties and looks like a slender evergreen shrub that grows about 2.5 m in length. The shape of the leaves is oblong, white flowers form lush inflorescences, growing about 10 cm in diameter. During flowering, the shoots are literally strewn with them. You can observe this beauty in the middle of summer for 3 weeks. Deytsiya splendid is considered one of the most attractive representatives of this plant species due to its decorative and abundant flowering.
Long-leaved action - can grow from 1 to 2 m in length, is characterized by pubescent shoots and sharp-toothed leaves, the inner surface of which is rough to the touch. The leaves are green above, and have a grayish tint below. The small flowers are bright purple. Flowering begins in the second half of July. Distinguish the Veycha variety, which belongs to the long-leaved action. On the shoots of this shrub, buds of a rich burgundy hue bloom.
Action Lemoine Is a kind of hybrid form of action, which has the properties of both a small-flowered and an elegant plant variety. Its flowering is the earliest. The height of the bush reaches up to 2 meters. Snow-white flowers are collected in small inflorescences. This variety is one of the most frost-resistant species. On personal plots, you can often find three representatives of such a hybrid: Boulle de Nej, Mont Rose and Pink Pompon. The first of them is a beautiful tall shrub with small white flowers, and the other has bright pink buds, collected in lush inflorescences, from which yellow anthers peep out. The name of another variety is Pink Pompon. On its branches, charming carmine double flowers of a spherical shape are formed.
