Spirea (Spiraea) is a flowering deciduous shrub plant from the Pink family, which has a high decorative effect, frost resistance, a long flowering period and unpretentious cultivation and care. Spirea or meadowsweet is common in areas with different climatic conditions, it feels great in the steppe and forest-steppe areas, in semi-deserts and on wet lands near meadows. There are about a hundred different species and varieties in the genus. Among them, you can find miniature dwarf varieties about 15 cm in height and tall specimens over 2 m.
Description of the spirea bush
Spirea is a shrub that has a fibrous root located shallow from the surface of the earth, and numerous branches covered with flaky bark of a light or dark brown hue. Depending on the variety, the branches can be straight, recumbent, creeping or outstretched. Spirea blooms with a variety of inflorescences (ears, panicles, shields, brushes), consisting of a large number of small flowers and a variety of colors - white, pastel, light pink and bright raspberry, lilac and yellow.
Reproduction takes place in several ways - with the help of seeds, cuttings, cuttings and root division. The plant can be planted as a hedge or "carpet", in compositions and as a solo crop. Professionals and ordinary flower lovers use spirea for landscaping their backyards, in rocky gardens and rockeries, undersized species can be planted on alpine slides.
Features of growing spirea
- For planting a spirea bush, it is recommended to use sod or leafy soil, as well as a soil mixture, which contains garden soil (two parts), river coarse sand and peat (one part).
- For the full development of shrubs on the site, a high-quality drainage layer is required (for example, from broken red brick).
- The planting hole should be about thirty percent larger than the volume of the root part with a clod of earth.
- The seedling is buried 45-50 cm so that the root collar remains at the soil level.
- A favorable time for planting shrubs is September, it is advisable to choose a rainy day or when the sun is hidden behind clouds.
- It is recommended to take into account when planting future neighbors of the spirea. She gets along well with such plants as thuja, juniper, spruce.
Planting spirea in open ground
Planting spirea in spring
It is very important to plant spirea seedlings in early spring, before the first leaves appear on them. When purchasing planting material, it is necessary to carefully inspect the root part so that there are no damaged or dried roots on young plants.Shoots should be flexible, with good growth buds. Strongly overgrown roots can be shortened a little, dried up cut off, and slightly dried during storage - soak in a large container of water for several hours so that they are saturated with the necessary moisture. Having put the seedlings in full order, you can proceed to the process of planting spirea in open ground.
Spirea, unpretentious in growing, can delight with lush and long flowering only under certain conditions that must be observed:
- Only summer flowering seedlings can be used;
- The landing site should be open and sunny;
- The soil on the site is nutritious and fertile;
- It is necessary to observe the distance between plantings, taking into account the rapid growth of root growth on the bushes, due to which the territory occupied by the plant increases significantly;
- The landing pit should have sheer walls;
- The volume of the planting pit should be one third larger than the diameter of the root system of the seedling;
- At the bottom of the pit, a thick drainage layer with a thickness of at least 15 cm of crushed red brick is required;
- The weather on the day of planting should be rainy or at least cloudy;
- After drainage, a special prepared substrate is poured, consisting of turf and leafy soil (in two parts) and coarse sand and peat (in one part), about one third of the height of the pit;
- The seedling is placed on the soil mixture, the roots are carefully spread, sprinkled with earth to the surface of the earth and compacted;
- The root collar must remain at ground level;
- The first watering is carried out immediately, each seedling requires 10-20 liters of water;
- After watering, the trunks should be mulched with peat.
Planting spirea in the fall
During this period, not only planting of spirea seedlings is carried out, but it is also recommended to plant the cuttings obtained as a result of the separation of adult bushes at the age of 3-4 years. Older bushes are more difficult to remove from the ground. The most suitable time for these procedures is from mid-October to mid-November.
It is recommended to observe the following conditions when planting a spirea in autumn:
- Only spring-flowering and late-flowering species and varieties can be used;
- In a dug out bush, you need to rinse the root part well, this can be done in two ways - lower it into a bucket of water for acidification, or immediately wash it under a strong pressure of water;
- It is necessary to divide the bush so that each division has a strong root and three strong shoots; 2-3 seedlings are obtained from one bush;
- Long thin roots need to be shortened slightly;
- The seedlings are placed on a small mound in the planting hole, covered with earth, tamped down and watered abundantly.
Spirea care in the garden
Watering and mulching
Watering spirea is recommended 2 times a month. Each bush will require 15 liters of water. It is important to have a mulch layer of peat with a thickness of at least 7 cm around each crop.
Loosening, weeding and fertilizing the soil
In order for the soil to be maintained in a loose state, it is necessary to regularly free the area from weeds, loosen the soil and apply fertilizers. In the middle of the summer season, the plants are fed with a mixture of liquid mullein and superphosphate (5 g per 5 l of solution), and after pruning - with mineral dressings.
Pruning
Early flowering varieties of spirea undergo a minimum haircut once a year before bud break. The tips of frozen or damaged shoots are cut off for 7-10 years, after which almost all old branches are subject to pruning to a stump. First, 5-6 of the strongest specimens are left to form young shoots, and then they are cut off. A sanitary haircut is carried out in the spring and summer months.
In summer flowering bushes, every year in early spring, the shoots are cut to large buds or removed completely if they are very small and weakened.
Spirea after flowering
Frost-resistant spirea will only need to be covered in regions with snowless and very harsh winters.Fallen leaves with a thickness of about 15 cm, which cover plantings in the second half of November, are perfect as a "heater".
Spirea breeding methods
Seed propagation
This method of reproduction is not in demand among gardeners, since it does not preserve varietal qualities. Seed material can be planted directly into open ground or sown in planting containers for seedlings.
Propagation by cuttings
Cutting is a more effective way of propagating spirea, in which more than 70% of cuttings root well and adapt to a new place. Depending on the variety, green cuttings are rooted in early or mid-summer, and lignified ones - in mid-autumn.
For cutting cuttings, direct shoots are chosen - one-year-olds, 5-6 leaves should remain on each segment, after which they are placed in a vessel with Epin's solution (for 3 liters of water - 1.5 ml of Epin) for 3-4 hours. Before deepening into the ground, the lower cut is treated with Kornevin or another stimulant and planted at an angle of 45 degrees. The plantings are covered with plastic wrap. Care consists in regular spraying - 2-3 times a day. In late autumn, rooted cuttings are planted in open ground, sprinkled with fallen leaves for the winter. Cuttings can be planted in a permanent place only for the next season, when new shoots are formed on them.
Reproduction by layering
The branch lower to the soil surface is tilted and fixed in the prepared groove using a wire pin, then sprinkled with earth and abundantly moistened. From spring to autumn, the cuttings form their own root system. Around September, they are separated from the main bush and planted in a selected area.
Diseases and pests
Spirea is highly resistant to diseases and pests. She is not afraid of any diseases, and aphids and spider mites can occasionally appear from pests. To destroy them, it is recommended to use the preparations "Pirimor" and "Karbofos".
Types and varieties of spirea with photos and descriptions
All varieties of spirea are conventionally divided by gardeners into two main categories. By the timing of flowering, they are divided into spring and summer.
Spireas blooming in spring
The flowering of such shrubs begins early enough - in late spring or early summer. The inflorescences of these species are most often colored in different shades of white. They are formed only on last year's stems - the shoots formed in the current year do not form flowers. Another feature of spring-flowering spirits is a high degree of bushiness. The following varieties and varieties are considered one of the most popular in gardening:
Spirea gray (Spiraea x cinerea)
A winter-hardy hybrid obtained on the basis of whitish-gray spiraea and St. The shrub owes its name to the shade of the foliage, painted in a gray-green color. The seamy side of the leaves has a uniform gray tint. In height, such a plant usually does not exceed 1.8 m.
Thyroid inflorescences are composed of small white flowers. They are located throughout the shoot, forming spectacular flower clusters. Flowering time falls at the end of May and lasts until mid-June. Despite the formation of fruits, being a hybrid, it does not multiply by seeds.
The most famous variety of this type is "Grefsheim". The size of its bush varies from 1.5 to 2 m. The branches drooping in the form of an arch have a reddish-brown hue and form a lush crown. Centimeter flowers form umbrella inflorescences. Flowering lasts more than a month, and young two-year-old bushes are beginning to bloom. This type of spirea is considered melliferous.
Spirea Vangutta (Spiraea x vanhouttei)
A hybrid based on the three-bladed and Cantonese spirea. Fairly hardy and shade-tolerant, but grows better in the sun. Forms large tall bushes up to 2 m in size. The foliage is five-lobed, rich green on the front side and dull smoky on the back. In autumn, it is painted in red-orange tones. There are denticles along the edges of the leaves.
Bushes begin to bloom from the 3rd year of life.Inflorescences have a hemispherical shape and are located throughout the branch. They are made up of small white flowers up to 0.6 cm in diameter. The flowering period falls in mid-June, sometimes a second wave occurs at the end of summer, but it is less abundant.
Spirea nippon (Spiraea nipponica)
The place of origin of such meadowsweet is the island of Honshu. The size of the bush reaches 2 meters. Its crown is in the shape of a ball, and most of the branches in it are located horizontally. The foliage retains a rich green color until autumn frosts. The average leaf size is just under 5 cm.
Flowering lasts a little less than a month, and begins in the first days of June. Inflorescences are shields of small pale greenish flowers about 1 cm in size. In this case, the buds of such a spirea have a purple hue.
The Nippon meadowsweet has two main forms: round-leaved and narrow-leaved. The first has larger inflorescences and forms a powerful bush. This species is photophilous and undemanding to soil fertility. Along with grafting and dividing, it can multiply by seeds.
Spirea arguta (Spiraea x arguta)
The size of the spreading bush is from 1.5 to 2 m. The branches are drooping, the foliage is narrow, lanceolate, with a large number of pronounced notches. The species is slow growing.
One of the earliest flowering meadowsweets. You can admire its snow-white umbrella-shaped inflorescences from mid-May. They cover the shoots tightly along their entire length. Spirea argut is distinguished by its relative drought tolerance and is often used as a component of a hedge.
Spireas blooming in summer
Such meadowsweet form flowers only on fresh shoots of the current year. Inflorescences appear at their tops. At the same time, old branches gradually dry out. These spireas most often have pink flowers. The most common of these species are varieties of Japanese spirea, but there are other, no less spectacular varieties that have their own characteristics.
Japanese spirea (Spiraea japonica)
Most often found in Asian countries. Medium-sized bushes - no more than 1.5 m in height. On the front side, the foliage has a pale green tint, and on the inside, it is bluish. In autumn, the leaves change color, becoming yellow, burgundy or red. Young twigs have a short fluff that disappears as they grow older.
Flowering lasts up to 1.5 months. Inflorescences of small red-pink flowers appear at the ends of the stems during this period. In spring, all varieties of this species need to be pruned at a level of 25-30 cm from the ground. In forms with golden leaves, shoots with green foliage should also be removed, which are knocked out of the bush not only by their color, but also by their larger size.
The most famous varieties of Japanese spirea:
Little princesses
Slow-growing round bushes up to 1.2 m wide. At the same time, their height is slightly more than half a meter. The leaves are oval and dark green in color. Scutellum inflorescences include pinkish-red flowers. The flowering period lasts until July.
Golden princesses
A similar variety with a large (up to 1 m) bush height. Its yellowish-green foliage is also remarkable.
Shirobana
Forms a bush up to 80 cm in height and up to 1.2 m in diameter. The oblong foliage is dark green in color. One of the most spectacular varieties. Differs in an unusual two-tone color of inflorescences: they can consist of both snow-white and deep pink or red flowers. Flowering dates are in July and August.
Goldflame
Globular shrub about 80 cm tall. It is notable for the gradual change in color of the foliage. The yellowish-orange leaves gradually turn completely yellow, then acquire greenish tints, and by autumn they turn into bright copper. Sometimes leaves of variegated color appear. Inflorescences are reddish flowers.
Crisp
A compact bush - about 50 cm in height and the same in width. It has many erect stems. Flowering lasts up to 2 months, beginning in July.Umbrella inflorescences (about 5 cm in diameter) are quite flat and consist of mauve flowers with a beautiful sheen.
Spirea Bumald
A hybrid derived from Japanese and white-flowered spirits. The height of the bush can be from 0.5 to 0.8 m. Green foliage turns yellow, red or even purple in autumn. Flowering lasts about two months and begins in July. The palette of colors includes shades of pink of varying degrees of saturation. Flowering and fruiting begin only in the third year of the bush's life.
One of the most famous varieties is Goldflame. Forms a bush about 80 cm tall. Orange foliage with bronze tones gradually changes color to yellow, and then acquires a yellow-green color. In autumn, copper tones return to the leaves. But to achieve this effect, the bush must grow in a sunny corner. In the shade, the foliage takes on a classic green color. The variety "Darts Red" is distinguished by pinkish foliage, which changes color to dark green, and in autumn to red.
Spirea willow
Tall (up to 2 m) bushes with upright stems that have a yellowish-brown color. Foliage with sharp tips, the leaf plates themselves reach up to 10 cm in length. Panicle inflorescences can be up to 20 cm in size. They are formed by white and sometimes pink flowers.
Spirea Douglas
North American variety. The size of the bushes reaches 1.5 m. The branches are straight, colored red-brown. There is slight pubescence on their surface. The size of rather long leaf plates can range from 3 to 10 cm. They have teeth only in the upper part. Inflorescences are pyramidal, composed of flowers of intense pink color. Such meadowsweet begins to bloom in July, flowering lasts about 1.5 months.
Spirea Billard
A hybrid created from Douglas spire and willow leaf. Bushes up to 2 m in height have leaves up to 10 cm long. The shape of the leaf plates is round. Graceful inflorescences about 20 cm in size are formed from small pink flowers. Flowering continues from mid-July. Such a spirea does not form fruits, but it is easily propagated by cuttings. The hybrid is considered shade-tolerant, but develops better in sunny areas. It is recommended to prune such bushes starting from the 5-6th year of life. By this time, they have enough time to develop.
