Japanese spirea, vangutta, gray and other species. Spirea Soil and Planting Hole Size

Spirea is a shrub that attracts attention with 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 landscaping option. But in order for the spirea to show all its decorative "opportunities", 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 spireas are divided by flowering time.

spring blooming

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

summer blooming

Another group of spireas is covered with inflorescences in July - August and belongs to summer-flowering. These include dwarf, birch, Japanese, loose leaf, white, Douglas and densely flowered.

Planting spirea

Landing place

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

Landing time

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

Soil and planting hole size

Spirea grow best and develop on loose, breathable lands with large quantity 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 in your area is exactly what the spirea likes, the planting pits should be 25-30% larger than its root system and 40-50 cm deep.
• If the land at the site for cultivation 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 depth.

The mixture that will fill the pit, are made up of sand (river), peat and sod or leafy soil. Moreover, two parts are taken of the earth, but sand and peat are taken one at a time.

Distance between planting holes depends on the placement of spirae 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 a group planting, they maintain a distance of 50-70 cm, 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 landing pits are dug at a distance of 50-70 cm.

Landing technology

Before planting, soil is first poured into the bottom of the pit, and then a seedling is installed, all the roots must be straightened and only, then everything is carefully covered with earthen mixture.

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

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

If you plant a seedling with a clod of earth, then after planting a good watering is carried out.

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, indoleacetic acid and various other preparations that can be purchased at any garden or flower center. Plants treated in this way are immediately planted on permanent place cultivation.

Spirea pruning

Now let's talk about pruning, which is different for summer-flowering and spring-flowering spireas, since inflorescences in these groups form on shoots of different years.

Pruning spring flowering spireas

1. In spireas that bloom in May-early June, flower buds are evenly laid along the entire length of the shoots, but they bloom only the next year. Therefore, pruning such spirals is reduced to shortening frozen and dried shoots. It is usually held annually in early spring(from March to April).
2. Adult old branches and weak shoots are harvested once every two years in the spring.
3. Also, such bushes carry out rejuvenating pruning. To do this, the old branches (older than 7 years old) are cut out completely.

Pruning summer flowering spireas

In plants that bloom in July - August, inflorescences are formed at the ends of the shoots of this year. The following year, these inflorescences dry out, and new flowers form again on young shoots.

1. Pruning of shrubs of this group is carried out 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 cut the bushes at a height of 25-30 cm.

Spirea Care

Watering

Freshly planted plants and plants in hot, dry times need regular watering. It is especially necessary to pay attention to the Japanese spirea, because without sufficient watering it can dry out and die.

Weeding and loosening

Young plants need to be weeded from weeds. You also need to periodically loosen the soil under them, because. when weeding and watering, it is compacted.

Mulching

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

top dressing

For the full development and lush flowering it is advisable to feed the bushes with fertilizer with nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and trace elements (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 top dressing in June.

Reproduction of spirea

This ornamental shrub can reproduce

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

Growing spirea from seeds

For sowing seeds, wide and low containers are selected, which are filled with a mixture of peat (top) and leafy soil.

Seeds after sowing cover thin layer peat or light earth (1 cm).

The first seedlings appear on the 8-10th day.

To prevent the appearance of fungal diseases, the earth and the plants that have appeared must be treated with phytosporin, potassium permanganate solution or foundationol.

After 60-90 days, young bushes are transferred to a garden bed (shade or partial shade) and at the same time they must pinch the roots. 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

Spirea 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 sprinkled with earth.

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

Propagation of spirea by cuttings

The most accessible and fairly simple The propagation method of spirea is cuttings. In this way, any type and hybrid of this ornamental shrub can be propagated.

Cuttings are harvested after the intensive growth of shoots ends. Here it is worth considering that cuttings from spring-flowering species begin to be cut from the beginning of June. And in spireas that bloom 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 horse). For friendly and fast rooting, you definitely need 4-5 one-time watering or a mist-creating installation.

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

Diseases and pests and their control

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

spider mite

Perhaps the most formidable among them is the spider mite, since from 8 to 10 generations of this pest can appear in one growing season. On the surface of the leaves, on which the spider mite has settled, whitish panicled spots appear. Then the leaves turn yellow, dry out and fall off.
The number of 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

Aphids, which feed on the juice of leaves, pedicels and tender young shoots, also do quite a lot of damage. It is especially dangerous from June to mid-August.

This pest can be destroyed with solutions of pyrimor, actellik, kronefos, fosalone. At small defeat help and folk remedies, such as tincture of tobacco, capsicum, onion, garlic, soap solution.

Blue meadowsweet 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 fundazol, fitosporin-m, ditan m-45, Bordeaux mixture, colloidal sulfur.

About a hundred species of spirea shrubs are known. They differ in crown, shape and color of leaves and inflorescences, but they all have one thing in common: a magnificent appearance. For planting a plant in your garden or yard, it will be useful to learn about the main types of spirea.

Spring flowering group of spirea

The group of spring-flowering species is made up of spireas, which bloom on the shoots of the previous year of life, and the flowers are often white in color. The flowering period of spring spireas begins in late May and early June and lasts approximately three weeks.

Did you know? The genus Spirea belongs to the rose family. Its Latin name comes from Greek word"speira" ("bend") due to the presence of gracefully curving branches.

This variety of spirea is a hybrid of Thunberg's spirea and multiflorous spirea.

The height of the bush reaches two meters. The crown is wide and lush. Dark- green leaves have a narrow shape. Snow-white flowers with a diameter of 0.8 cm are connected in numerous umbrella-shaped inflorescences covering graceful arched branches.

The earliest of the group of spring flowering spireas. Spirea arguta (or sharp-toothed) blooms every year and looks beautiful in the form of a hedge, when planted alone and in combination with other plants. It tolerates slightly dry soil but needs good lighting.

Spirea oak-leaved˜ - shrub up to two meters high, with a rounded dense crown and long ribbed shoots. In nature, it prefers rocky and mountainous terrain, the growth area is from Eastern Europe to the Far East.

The oblong pointed leaves are bright green above and gray below, with teeth to the base. White spirea flowers are connected in hemispherical inflorescences. This species is highly winter-hardy, demanding on soil and lighting.

Result hybridization of Cantonese and three-lobed spirea species.

Vangutta spirea bush very large: its diameter and height are two meters. The shape of the crown is a cascade of spreading arcuate branches. Along the entire length of the shoot there are many hemispherical inflorescences of small white flowers.

Sometimes spirea Vangutta blooms a second time - in August. It looks beautiful in large flower beds, as well as in a landscape with coniferous trees and near water bodies. Likes well-lit places and well-drained soil.

Important! Spirea plants are good honey plants; beehives can be placed on their planting sites.

It grows in the southeast of Western Europe and Russia, in the Caucasus, Altai and the north of Central Asia.

Spiraea hornate –small shrub (about 1 m). Distinctive features species - crenate edge of leaves and the presence of three vein below. The leaves are grayish-green, the flowers are white with a hint of yellow, the inflorescences are wide and corymbose.

This species is not very common in culture. In nature, spirea crenate grows in thickets on rocky mountain slopes and in meadow, shrubby steppes.

This species is native to Japan.

The bush has a height of two meters. Its crown is dense and spherical, the branches spread horizontally.Spiraea nipponicablooms in early June, the buds are purple and the flowers are cream. Large complex inflorescences densely cover the branches. Green leaves retain their color until late autumn.

Nipponian spirea is good in a single planting and in a hedge. Not picky about the soil, but demanding on lighting. There are two of its decorative forms: round-leaved and narrow-leaved.

Did you know? Name medicinal product"Aspirin" comes from the word "spirea". Acetylsalicylic acid was first isolated in the 19th century from meadowsweet (Filipnedula ulmaria), at that time classified in the genus Spiraea (Spiraea ulmaria).

Very decorative thunberg spirea shrub in height reaches 1.2-1.5 meters. The crown of the shrub is openwork, with thin dense branches. The leaves are very thin and narrow (length 4 cm, width 0.5 cm); they are yellow in spring, bright green in summer, and orange in autumn.

At the base of an umbrella-shaped inflorescence with a few flowers is a rosette of small leaves. The flowers are white with oval petals on thin stalks. Spirea Thunberg blooms in May before the leaves appear.

She loves light and prefers sunny landing sites, unpretentious to soil and watering. AT harsh winters shoots can freeze, but this species is quite frost-resistant.

Spiraea gray bred as a result hybridization of St. John's wort spirea and whitish-gray spirea in Norway in 1949.

It got its name from the shade of the leaves: they are gray-green above and slightly lighter below, turning a faded yellow in autumn. The inflorescences are also gray on the underside, and the flowers themselves are snow-white. The height of the bush is 1.8 m.

The main pest of gray spirea is the snail. Most famous variety gray spirea - Grefsheim. It is distinguished by a wide rounded crown, very thin, beautifully arched shoots and long flowering.

Spiraea Grefsheim unpretentious to the composition of the soil and lighting, in the shade it just does not bloom so profusely. It is cold hardy and can be grown in climates with low winter temperatures.

Important! A beautiful composition is created by a combination of a gray spirea bush with multi-colored tulips, daffodils, crocuses, primroses, alyssums. An elegant hedge will be obtained from spirea bushes of the same or different species planted along the fence or grid.

Spirea average – very branchy shrub two meters high and 1.2 meters in diameter. The crown is round and dense, the shoots are brown with a red or yellow tinge, with peeling bark, round and glabrous.

The leaves of the medium spirea are oval-oblong, with short petioles, with teeth at the top, bright green. White flowers are collected in corymbose inflorescences. The flowering period is 15-20 days in May. In nature, it grows in thickets of shrubs, on dry slopes.

It occurs naturally in China and Korea. The height of the shrub is up to two meters, the branches are thin, twig-like. Bright green leaves have an oval-oblong shape, with a sharp top and a narrowed base.

In autumn they turn reddish brown or orange. 3-6 white double flowers with thin pedicels are combined into umbrella inflorescences with a rosette of small leaves.

The species is not resistant to frost. For planting, it is recommended to choose a windless place in partial shade or in the sun, the optimal soil is moderately moist, without lime.

Did you know? The species was first described in 1840 by the Germans Philipp von Siebold and J. G. Zuccarini in the book Flora of Japan.

Summer flowering group of spirea

Plants of this group are distinguished by the fact that their corymbose and pyramidal inflorescences are formed on young shoots that dry out the next year. Flowering begins in June, the flowers have red-pink hues.

Japanese spirea bushreaches a height of 1.5 meters, it is slow-growing and straight. In autumn, its leaves are painted in rich shades. orange flowers. The leaves are oblong and with teeth along the edge, small pink flowers collected in wide shields. The period of abundant flowering is from late June to mid-August.

This species is not particularly demanding on the conditions of detention, but it feels better on sunny places and in moist soil. The plant is frost-resistant and can do without special shelter.

Many varieties of Japanese spirea have been bred: Little Princess, Shirobana, Macrophylla, Candlelight, Goldflame, Golden Princess, Gold Mound.

undersized shrub spirea Japanese variety Goldflame (height - 0.6-0.8 m, diameter up to 1 m) at first has an orange-red or bronze-gold color of young leaves, later - bright yellow. During the flowering period, the leaves acquire a yellow-green hue, in the fall - copper-orange with a golden hue.

Did you know? On one inflorescence of the Shirobana variety spirea, flowers of snow-white, pink and lilac-red shades can be found.

Motherland spirea douglas- North America. The shrub has a height of up to 1.5 meters. Its shoots are straight, pubescent, reddish-brown. Leaves up to 10 cm long, narrow and oblong, with teeth in the upper part, green and silvery on the other side.

Pyramidal narrow inflorescences-panicles are collected from bright pink flowers.

Grows well in both sun and partial shade. Blooms from July to September. beautiful bush Douglas spirea will look spectacular in group plantings, along park roads, it has the ability to fix slopes and areas destroyed by water and wind.

This hybrid of Japanese spirea and white-flowered spirea often found in culture. Spirea Bush Bumalda – compact and low (0.75-1.0 m), crown spherical shape, straight branches.

Young shoots are green, glabrous and slightly ribbed, later becoming reddish brown with scaly bark. Leaves ovate-lanceolate. The flowers are painted in different shades of pink - from light to dark. Inflorescences are flat and corymbose.

Several varieties (Anthony Waterer, Gold flame, Darts Red) and decorative forms ("dark pink", "curly", "graceful", etc.) of Bumald's spirea have been bred. This type winter-hardy and picky about soils, but in a dry season good watering is needed.

Important! Bumald and Douglas spireas need careful annual pruning. In the first year, the main branches and branches growing inside the bush are cut, and in the following years, they monitor the shape of the crown.

Spirea Billard created by hybridization of varieties of spirea Douglas and spirea willow. The shrub reaches a height of more than two meters.

The leaves are long (up to 10 cm) and sharp, in the form of a lancet, like a willow spirea. Long and fluffy inflorescences-panicles of pink flowers - a reminder of the second grade, Douglas spirea.

It blooms in July-August, and the flowers fall off after the first frost. It is a very frost-resistant spirea and feels good in cold weather. northern regions. Looks great in hedgerows.

Naturally grows in the Far East, in Japan and Korea, in Eastern Siberia. The shape of the leaves of this species is similar to the shape of birch leaves - oval with a wedge-shaped base, for which it got its name.

In autumn, green leaves become bright yellow color. The undersized birch-leaved spirea shrub (height 60 cm) has a spherical dense crown and ribbed, sometimes zigzag-curved shoots. Inflorescences have the form of a dense panicle of numerous white or pinkish flowers. Flowering starts in June.

In nature, the shrub grows in coniferous and mixed forests, on the slopes of mountains. The plant is shade-tolerant, but blooms better in lighted places and moist soils. Shelter in winter is not required.

Natural range - North America. white spirea shrub has red-brown ribbed shoots and pointed leaves. White flowers of a summer-flowering species are an uncharacteristic phenomenon for this group of spireas. The flowers are connected in loose pyramidal inflorescences-panicles at the ends of the shoots.

Flowering lasts from early July to early August. The plant is moisture- and light-loving, of medium winter hardiness. Used for single and group planting, in hedges.

It grows in the west of North America, in Europe, Siberia, the Far East, China, Korea, Japan. In nature spirea willow grows near ponds and swamps. Its erect bush has a height of up to two meters.

The leaves are shaped like willow leaves: narrow, elongated and pointed, up to 10 cm long, dark green above and light below. Its straight and elastic shoots are colored in different shades: brown, yellow, brown, reddish. Panicle inflorescences of white or pale pink flowers are long and fluffy, reach a length of 20-25 cm.

The plant is frost-resistant, the optimal soil is fresh, slightly moist. Used in group plantings.

All types and varieties of spirea have excellent decorative properties and different flowering periods. Knowing these features, you can skillfully combine plants of different species and create beautiful garden, which will delight the eye with a variety of colors and shapes from spring to autumn.

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Spirea love to use landscape designers in a variety of compositions, amateur gardeners also appreciate it. This one is beautiful flowering shrub it is unpretentious and has many decorative varieties.

Spirea (Spiraea) belongs to the Rosaceae family. This is a beautifully flowering perennial shrub. Previously, some of its species were called Meadowsweet, now, according to the official classification, the name Meadowsweet refers only to herbaceous plants.

Spirea is a deciduous shrub with lignified branches. About ninety species of spirea are known, many hybrids and garden varieties. They differ in appearance and flowering time. In nature, spireas are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Many species are winter-hardy, non-capricious, tolerate drought well.

Conventionally, spireas can be divided into two large groups: spring-flowering and summer-flowering. Spring bloom in mid-May, then they are replaced by summer, late varieties bloom until cold. This diversity allows you to create in your garden a continuous change of colors and aromas. Plants of the first group usually have white flowers and bloom on the last year's shoots. Plants of the second group are distinguished by bright color of flowers (pink, raspberry) and bloom in summer on young shoots. current year, their flowering lasts longer.

The branches of different species can be upright, beautifully curving, creeping. Young shoots are most often light green or yellowish brown, old ones are reddish or brown. Varieties with a drooping crown are especially valued.

The leaves are alternate, petiolate, from narrow lanceolate to almost round, often with serrated edges. In many varieties, the color of the leaves becomes bright orange or purple-red closer to autumn.

Spirea flowers are small, five-petalled, with long filaments. They are collected in many-flowered inflorescences and seem fluffy. In spring-flowering spirea, inflorescences are umbrellas or corymbose brushes with a rosette of leaves at the base. Species that bloom in summer form corymbose or paniculate inflorescences. In some species, the inflorescences completely cover the entire shoot, in others they are located only at the ends of the branches.

The root system of spirea is fibrous, shallow. This allows you to grow this shrub where they stand high. ground water, use to strengthen the slopes.

Popular types of spirea and their hybrids

Spring flowering spireas:

Spirea Thunberg(Spiraea thunbergi) - grows naturally on mountain slopes, found in Japan and China. Low shrub, up to 1.5 m in height, densely branched. Leaves up to 4 cm long, very narrow, green, turning orange or yellow-orange in autumn. The flowers are white and bloom very early. Inflorescences are small umbrellas. Drought tolerant shrub. In severe winters, the ends of the shoots can freeze over.

Spirea sharp-toothed, or argument(Spiraea x arguta) - a persistent hybrid between Thunberg's spirea and multiflorous spirea. One of the most effective spirey. It grows up to 2 m tall, the crown is spreading, the branches are arched. The leaves are serrated, narrow, dark green. The flowers are white, the inflorescences densely cover the shoots. Winter-hardy, can be used to create hedges. Does not reproduce by seeds.

Spirea Vangutta(Spiraea x vanhoutte) also has a hybrid origin. Large bushes with curving branches form beautiful cascades. The leaves are serrated, 3-5-lobed, dark green above, dull gray below. The flowers are white, the inflorescences are numerous, hemispherical, cover the entire shoot. It blooms for several weeks in spring, sometimes there is a re-bloom in August. It grows quickly, unpretentious, can grow in partial shade. Frost-resistant.

Spiraea three-lobed(Spiraea trilobata) in nature grows on rocky slopes, drought-resistant. About 1m high. The leaves are three-lobed, up to 3 cm long, pale blue-green below and light green above. Prefers sunny places. Flowering in June, it is abundant, long, up to 4 weeks.

Summer flowering spireas:

Japanese(Spiraea japonica) native to Japan, China. Low shrub with bright pink flowers collected in corymbose-paniculate inflorescences. The average duration of flowering is 45 days. Plant height up to 1-1.5 m tall. Leaves are green and change color in autumn. Frost-resistant. Widely used right up to create low hedges and borders.

Spiraea Bumalda(Spiraea x bumalda) is a popular hybrid between Japanese spirea and white-flowered spirea. Low shrub, up to 75 cm tall, with graceful, spherical crown and upright branches. Leaves up to 8 cm long, serrated. Flower color varies from pale pink to dark pink. Blooms almost all summer.

Spirea Billard(Spiraea x billardii Dipp) is a winter-hardy hybrid between Douglas spirea and willow spirea. It grows as a shrub with spreading branches, up to 2 m tall. Broadly lanceolate leaves up to 10 cm long almost from the base, sharply or more often, doubly serrated, grayish-felt below. Bright pink flowers are collected in narrow, dense pyramidal, paniculate inflorescences, sometimes strongly branched, up to 20 cm long, felt-pubescent. Blooms in the second half of summer until frost. Can be pruned in early spring for more abundant flowering on young shoots.

Spirea in landscape design

A wide variety of spireas, differing in the shape of the bush, color and flowering time, ensured their high popularity among designers. They are used in landscaping gardens and city parks.

Unpretentiousness, high bushiness, tolerance for pruning allow them to be successfully used in the creation of hedges. A flowering green hedge of spirea around the perimeter of the site or along the driveway looks very impressive.

Spireas can also be used to strengthen the soil on the slopes. The fibrous, branched root system holds the soil well, quickly absorbs moisture over the entire area of ​​the slope, preventing it from slipping.

Spirea is suitable for both group plantings and single ones. AT single landings most commonly used spirea sharp-toothed, spirea Vangutta, spirea Douglas. These are tall spireas, often with a very beautiful bush shape.

In group plantings, you can use almost all types of spirea. They are planted in a compact group, I combine several copies of the same variety or select different types according to the height and shape of the bush.

Low varieties are suitable for creating borders or framing a group of trees. These are birch-leaved spirea, Bumald's spirea, Japanese spirea, dwarf spirea.

Dwarf spireas can be used to create rockeries, planted on a hill, used as groundcover. Due to the abundant formation of root offspring, this shrub forms picturesque curtains, and the ability to easily tolerate drought allows you to limit yourself to minimal care.

Location. Spireas grow best in sunny places, but some species can be planted in partial shade.

The soil. Soddy or leafy soil, peat, sand (2:1:1) is suitable. Low-growing spireas that come from highlands can grow on poor soils. On the fertile soils the shrub develops more magnificently, blooms more abundantly.

Landing. The beauty of spirea largely depends on its proper fit. You can plant it in the spring, immediately after the snow melts, or in the fall, no later than a month before the soil freezes. landing pit make about 50x50 cm in size. If the soil is heavy, clayey, then they dig a hole deeper, drainage from broken brick and sand, with a layer of 10-15 cm. The pit is filled with a soil mixture consisting of sod or leaf soil, peat and sand (2: 1: 1).

The roots of a spirea seedling are carefully inspected before planting, rotten and broken ones are removed. It's good to dip them in clay talker. The roots are straightened in a hole and covered with earth. It is very important that the root neck is at ground level or slightly higher. The bush is watered abundantly, then the soil is mulched with peat.

If several specimens are planted, then the distance between the spireas is chosen taking into account their varieties. It can be 50-70 cm and more than a meter for large bushes. For hedges, plant at a distance of about 40-50 cm.

pruning. The method of pruning depends on the shoots of which year the inflorescences form.

spring blooming spireas cannot be cut in the spring, their flowers are formed on the shoots of the previous year. These include spirea Vangutta, oak-leaved, Nippon, sharp-toothed, medium. Their inflorescences are formed along the entire length of last year's shoot. In the spring, you can cut only the frozen ends of the branches. And the main pruning is done after flowering. To rejuvenate the bush after 7-14 years old shoots are removed. They are cut almost to the stump, which gives a strong development of young shoots. Then, from the young shoots, 5-6 of the strongest are left to form a bush.

summer blooming spireas form inflorescences on young shoots of the current year, mainly at their ends. They need to be cut annually in early spring, at the beginning of the awakening of plants. The shoot is shortened to well-developed buds. Small shoots are removed completely. This group includes Billiard's spirea, birch-leaved, Bumalda, Japanese, loose-leaved, white, Douglas, white-flowered. This group of spirals is less durable. For their rejuvenation after the 4th year, you can annually cut off the upper part at a height of 30 cm from the ground.

Fertilizer. Fertilize all spireas in early spring, the second dressing is done in the summer. Fertilizers for spirea are prepared as follows: 1 bucket of fresh slurry is taken for 5 buckets of water, then 5-10 g of superphosphate is added to 1 bucket of solution.

reproduction. Spireas are propagated by seeds, spring and summer cuttings, layering. Spirea species can be propagated by seeds, hybrids do not produce seeds or seeds do not germinate. All hybrids are propagated only vegetatively - by cuttings, layering or shoots from the root.

Most spireas are easiest to propagate by cuttings. In different species, cuttings take root in different ways, some take root poorly. Spring flowering spireas are cut from the first half of June, summer ones are cut after flowering. A lot of cuttings are cut and planted in a mixture of washed river sand and high-moor peat. Landings are useful to cover with a film to maintain moisture. High humidity air helps the cuttings to take root quickly.

To improve the percentage of successful rooting, the cuttings are pre-soaked in root stimulants (indolylbutyric acid, for example).

Spireas with long flexible shoots are easiest to propagate by layering. Their lower branches are bent to the ground in spring, pressed in the right place and covered with soil. It is better to pinch the tip of the branch. By spring, the shoot takes root, and it can be planted in a permanent place. Places of rooting for the winter is better to sprinkle with leaves.

winter hardiness. Most of the spireas known to us are quite winter-hardy. Sometimes, in the most severe winters, the shoots of some species are damaged. Frozen branches are pruned in spring.

If a variety grows in your garden that often freezes over, then tying the tops of the shoots into a bunch for the winter will help. To fully guarantee the successful wintering of spirea, its shoots are bent to the ground and covered with a dry leaf.

Spirea is a genus of deciduous ornamental shrubs of the Rose family. They are found in the forest, forest-steppe and semi-deserts, as well as mountainous regions in the north. In the Asian part, one of the borders runs along the Himalayas, the other - through the territory of Mexico.

There are about 100 varieties of spirea. Some of them are frost-resistant, tolerate drought and need quality soil. Reproduction occurs by cuttings, division of bushes, as well as growing from seeds.

Description of spirea

Spireas are distinguished by a wide variety of shapes and colors, depending on the type and variety of the bush. Some specimens tend to change color from one to another closer to autumn. The height of certain species can exceed the mark of 2 m.

Delicate flowering of spirea will decorate your garden

The flowering of spring varieties is short, in summer species it is longer and more massive. The first flowering occurs in the 3rd year of the plant's life, and this may be the opening of only a few buds.

The range of uses of plants is very diverse. They are used in medicinal purposes, forestry, landscape design. The root system of plants perfectly strengthens the soil.

When choosing a variety, pay attention to the flowering period of the crop

All spireas can be divided into two large groups:

1. A group of spring flowering spireas.
2. A group of summer flowering spireas.

Spring-flowering spireas: characteristics of varieties

The category includes representatives of spirea, the flowering of which occurs in spring or at the very beginning of summer. In these varieties, the buds are laid on last year's branches. Therefore, shrubs should be cut only after the culture has completely faded.

Spirea gray

hybrid shrub. Released in the middle of the 20th century. It has a branched structure with felt shoots. About 2 m high.

Spirea gray

The leaves of the shrub are pointed, grayish-green in color and slightly lighter in places. Flowers of a snow-white color are collected in shields. At the top of the shoot, the inflorescences are sessile, a little further - on long deciduous branches. Flowering can begin in May, and by the end of June the spirea is already ripe. In size, gray spirea is a very compact shrub due to falling branches with snow-white flowers. Suitable as a single or group planting. Flowering shoots look great in decorative bouquets.

Attention! Reproduction of hybrid species of shrubs by seeds is impossible. Shoots do not inherit the characteristics of the mother bush.

by the most popular variety of this species is Grefsheim - a compact shrub with lowered branches that look like arches. The narrow-leaved flowers are terry, white. They gather in dense inflorescences located along the stems.

It is a wintering species.

Spirea arguta

The second name of the species is sharp-toothed spirea. It is a hybrid species of spirea thunberg and many-flowered. Arguta is an early spirea that blooms first. Differs in special decorative effect and powerful flowering. After flowering, the garden turns into a beautiful openwork carpet. Height is approximately 1.5–2 m. It has a large crown, graceful branches and narrow leaves of a rich greenish color.

Spirea arguta

Flowering is plentiful, begins in May and lasts quite a long time. Arguta flowers are snow-white, collected in inflorescences.

Compacta is a variety of Arguta spirea, which was bred in Germany in the 19th century. Is a shrub. Its height and circumference are 1.5 m. Distinctive features are long growth and instability to frost.

Spirea Vangutta

A shrub that belongs to the profusely flowering spireas on last year's branches. The height of the spirea is not more than 2 m. Flowering occurs in late May or early June. Flowers of white color are collected in brushes in the form of umbrellas. The color of the leaves is very unusual - blue-green.

Spirea Vangutta

They look great in single plantings, as a hedge, as well as in combination with other shrubs or trees. Original compositions are obtained from the Vargutta spirea with maples and conifers.

Attention. Spirea Vangutta is the only spirea of ​​the genus that has chosen limestone soils.

Vargutta's famous variety is Pink Ice (Catpan). Flowers on the tops of cream-colored shoots. The leaves are light green in color, gradually turning into cream-colored spots.

Variety Pink Ice

The variety is winter-hardy, but in the meantime, the tips of the shoots may freeze in young growth.

Spiraea hornate

Distributed in the southern latitudes of Russia, Western Europe, Caucasus and Altai. It grows in steppe meadows, as well as in mountainous areas.

The height of the shrub is not more than 1 m, has a loose top. Its leaves are oblong about 4 cm long, greenish-gray in color. It is the three-veined leaves that are the identification marks of the hornate spirea.

Spiraea hornate

The flowers are white-yellow, collected in corymbs. The branches are short, leafy.

Flowering begins in June and lasts about 3 weeks. Fruiting occurs only in July.

Spirea gornate is not afraid of frost or drought, its root system is very developed. Good lighting is the key to abundant flowering. It occurs mainly in nature, is used in the forest-park landscape. It has hybrid varieties.

Spirea oak-leaved

Distributed in Siberia, Europe and Central Asia. A small shrub, its height is about 2 m. The leaves are bright, green in color, their length is 3.5–4 cm, they have pronounced tooth outlines. AT autumn period The foliage turns yellow-orange.

Spirea oak-leaved

Flowers white, heavy. Under their weight, the branches bend to the ground. Blooms during May. The average period is 3 weeks. shade plant, not afraid of cold weather and lack of moisture.

Advice. This type of spirea is successfully used in landscape design as a hedge. This species can be sheared, thereby achieving the desired shape of the shrub.

Spiraea nipponica

Dense spherical shrub. Its height is only 1.5 m. The birthplace of culture is Japanese islands. The leaves are round, crenate and entire. Their length is 4-5 cm. White flowers gather in inflorescences that stick around the shoot.

Spiraea nipponica

Flowering occurs in May and lasts about 3 weeks. Nippon spirea likes sunny areas, but can grow in some shade. Resistant to winter cold and undemanding to the composition of the soil.

Reproduction is carried out by three known options: dividing the bushes, growing from seeds and green cuttings.

It has many varieties, with Snowmound and Halward's Silver being the most popular.

Flowering of both varieties begins in June.

Spirea average

Shrub with erect stems. Its height varies from 1 to 2 m. The crown looks like a ball, dense. The leaves have an oblong appearance with teeth in one part, and infrequent hairs in the other. Foliage color is green.

Flowering occurs in May and lasts only 14 days.

Spirea average

This species is not afraid of frost and shady areas. Propagated by the root system: it is well developed. The average spirea begins to bear fruit after 3 years of age. You can cut, cut. Suitable for various kinds landings.

In nature, it can be found in Siberia, Central Asia and the Far East.

Spirea Thunberg

Distributed in Korea, China and Japan. Grows on the slopes of mountains.

A shrub with an average height of 1.5–2 m. The leaves are green, dense, 3.5–4 cm long, in autumn they acquire a yellowish tint. It is decorative.

Spirea Thunberg

The flowers are white, collected in sessile umbrellas. The beginning of the flowering of the plant is May, the end is June. The ripening of the fruits of Thunberg's spirea occurs very quickly. Fruiting begins at 3 years of age.

Growing from seeds and cuttings are the main methods of propagation of this species. Spirea is a sun-loving plant with abundant flowering. In winter frosts, the extreme part of the shoots may freeze.

Summer-flowering spirea: characteristics of varieties

In a plant of this category, inflorescences appear on young shoots of the current year. The following year, they re-form on young branches, and the old ones wither. After the age of three, the old shoots are pruned, thereby rejuvenating the spirea. Due to the developed root system, the plant is considered durable. But despite this, it should be pruned once every four years.

Japanese spirea

The birthplace of this extraordinarily beautiful view are Japanese and Chinese expanses.

Japanese spirea is a small bush, whose height is 1.5 m. The leaves are oblong. Top part The leaf is colored green, the reverse is bluish. After blooming, reddish tones appear.

Japanese spirea

The flowering of the plant occurs throughout summer season. Pink flowers are collected in inflorescences in the form of corymbose panicles.

Used to decorate flower beds and decorate hedges. The prerequisite is spring pruning plants.

Japanese spirea has a lot different varieties. Here are some of them:

1. little princess- undersized bush. Its height barely reaches half a meter. The circumference of the crown is about 120 cm. The crown is semicircular in shape. Leaves are rich greenish in color. The flowers are pink-red in clusters. Flowering occurs in June or July. Grows slowly. Frost resistant.

   

   Grade Little Princess

2. Shirobana- a small shrub, the height of which is about 50–80 cm. The leaves are small green, up to 2 cm long. The color of the flowers is different: from snow-white to pinkish-red. It usually blooms in July and August. Perfectly harmonizes with other shrubs and plants. They are decorated with alpine slides and lawns. Suitable as a decoration for mixborders.

   

   Variety Shirobana

3. macrophylla- another one of the varieties. Height up to 130 cm. Has long leaves. They are purplish-red during the blooming period, later they turn a little green, and closer to autumn they acquire a yellowish tint. The flowers of the plant are lost against the general background of the conspicuous variegation of the leaves. Flowering occurs from the end of July and lasts for one month.

   

   Variety Macrophylla

4. Candlelight- a small bush with foliage of a soft creamy and yellowish hue. Height up to half a meter. In summer, the spirea foliage looks a bit brighter and pairs perfectly with the pink flowers.

   

   Variety Candlelight

5. gold flame- a shrub whose height is about 80 cm. It has orange-colored foliage, later it becomes rich yellow, and closer to autumn - copper-colored. Often, yellow foliage forms on the shrub. The flowers are small, pink and red.

   

   Grade Gold flame

6. golden princess- a small bush. Its height is only 100 cm. The flowers are yellow and pinkish in color.

   

   Grade Golden Princess

7. Gold Mound- mini-grade 25 cm high. It differs small size. leaves saturated golden color. flowers pink shade. Flowering occurs in the middle of the summer season.

   

   Grade Gold Mound

Spirea white

A very common species in our country. Grown since the 18th century.

Small bush. By the age of ten, it grows 160 cm. It has ribbed, drooping red-brown shoots. The leaves are acute in shape, their length is 6.5 cm and 2 cm wide. White flowers are collected in pyramids in the form of panicles.

Spirea white

Flowering occurs annually in July. Its duration is about a month. Ripening usually occurs in October.

The plant loves moist soil and moderate watering. It is grown from seeds or propagated by cuttings.

Spirea birch leaf

It is found in forests, on the slopes of mountains and the sea coast. It can be found in Siberia, the Far East, Japan and Korea.

Light-loving shrub, but feels good in the shade. It is under protection in the reserve.

Spirea birch leaf

It owes its name to the similarity of its own foliage with birch leaves. They are ovoid, about 4 cm long and 1.5-2 cm wide. The height of the shrub is about 60 cm. The crown is spherical. The flowers are white and pinkish, collected in corymbs.

Flowering lasts from June. Duration - one month.

Spirea Billard

A hybrid species of Douglas spirea and willow. It is a winter-hardy plant, therefore it grows well in the northern latitudes of our country.

Spirea Billard

It is a small shrub with spreading branches. It reaches a height of 200 cm. It has wide leaves. The flowers are pink. Gather in inflorescences in the form of pyramids. Flowering occurs during the summer season and before the onset of the first cold weather.

Ripening does not occur, because Billard's spirea is a hybrid species.

Spiraea Bumalda

Hybrid species of Japanese and white-flowered spirea. beautiful plant, sometimes it is difficult to distinguish it from the Japanese spirea itself.

Its height is 75–80 cm. The shoots are ribbed, the branches are erect. The leaves are sharp, about 7.5 cm long. There are species with flower colors from pinkish to dark carnation. Blooms throughout the summer.

Spiraea Bumalda

It is grown from seeds and by cuttings. Moreover, the second option is optimal for Bumald's spirea.

Among the variety of varieties of this species, the most famous can be distinguished.

Douglas spirea

This species is native to North America. Spiraea Douglas is an upright shrub. The leaves are lanceolate, their length varies from 3 to 10 cm. The flowers are dark pink in color. The duration of flowering is 1.5 months. Flowering occurs in July, and fruit ripening occurs in September. It is grown from seeds and by cuttings.

Douglas spirea

Spirea willow

Luminous look. It grows everywhere, but mainly near water bodies. It is under protection in nature reserves.

The height of the shrub is 200 cm. The shoots are smooth, red-brown in color. The leaves are sharp, their length is about 10 cm. White and yellow spirea flowers are collected in pyramidal panicles.

Spirea willow

Spiraea nipponica- Spiraea nipponica Max.

Originally from Japan, where it grows on the island of Hondo.

Shrub 1-2 m tall, with a very dense, spherical crown, branches horizontally directed; with rounded, crenate in the upper part, sometimes entire, green leaves up to 4.5 cm long, retaining a green color until late autumn. It blooms in early June and blooms for 15-25 days. The buds are purple, the flowers are yellowish-green, up to 0.8 cm in diameter, in corymbose inflorescences, densely covering the shoots.

In GBS since 1938, 1 sample (2 copies) was grown from seeds of unknown origin. At 8 years old, height 0.8 m, crown diameter 100 cm plant grows from mid-April to October. The growth rate is low. Blooms from mid-May to early July. Fruits in 4-5 years, the fruits ripen in October. Winter hardiness is high.

Differs in a compact crown structure and abundant flowering. Effective in single plantings and in hedges. Very light-loving. In culture since 1882. In Russia, it grows throughout the European part. The richness of the soil is not demanding. Propagated by seeds, cuttings and division of the bush. Cuttings without pre-treatment take root by 100%. Seed viability - 100%. Seeds sown in June germinate in 12-14 days.

It has two decorative forms: round-leaved(f. rotundifolia) - in addition to the shape of the leaves, it differs from the typical one in a more powerful bush size and larger inflorescences; narrow-leaved(f. tosaensis) - with narrow leaves and smaller, numerous flowers. Two varieties are popular in Europe.

"Halware Silver"("Halward "s Silver") - see photo on the left, the bush has a height of about 1 m and a crown diameter of 1.3 m, dark green leaves. The flowers are white in large convex inflorescences, open in June. In GBS since 1994. 1 sample (8 specimens) grown from seedlings obtained from Germany.Height 0.6 m, crown diameter 70 cm.The terms of phenological development coincide with the main species.Growth rate is average.Winter hardiness is average.100% of cuttings take root when treated with phyton.

"Snowmound"("Snowmound") - see photo on the right, shrub 1.3 -2.2 m high, crown diameter up to 4 m. The crown is very dense, the branches are gracefully curved. Leaves are dark green, oblong obovate. The flowers are white, collected in medium-sized corymbose inflorescences, appear in June. Both varieties deserve testing in the temperate zone of Russia. Partial freezing of the ends of annual shoots almost does not reduce their decorative effect. In GBS since 1980, 1 sample (4 copies) was grown from seeds obtained from Germany. Height 2.0 m, crown diameter 250 cm. The terms of phenological development coincide with the main species. The growth rate is average. Winter hardiness is average. 100% of cuttings take root when treated with phyton.

Photos by Epictetov Vladimir