Weigelaspp.
Weigela , Weigelaspp . , is a genus of deciduous woody bush in the Caprifoliaceae or honeysuckle family .
It is suited to culture in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9 , exhibit masses of showy , trumpet - similar bloom of youth from recent spring to early summertime , with episodic lighter flowering later in the time of year .
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Wild weigela in Japan.
I have find weigela reliable to the head of being indestructible here in the northeast , where neither rough winters nor my one-year hard pruning has ever enervate the shrub .
If that vocalise like what you ’re await for , read on !
Here ’s what we ’ll cover :
Wild weigela in Japan.
What You’ll Learn
Let ’s begin with some background .
Cultivation and History
Native to China , Japan , and Korea , there are about 10 specie in theWeigelagenus and the types available to the home gardener are generally hybrids and cultivars ofW. florida , aka “ old - fashioned weigela . ”
They typically flower on old wood in the spring and on new wood periodically throughout the grow time of year .
Flower colors admit pink , imperial , red , ashen , and occasionally , yellow , though yellow bloom are quite rarefied .
The leafage are serrate , elliptical , and opposing . They may be almost black , Burgundy wine , green , purpleness , or vary .
The shrubs have a rounded form with slow , multi - stemmed , upright growth that branches and archway downward .
Mature dimensions are about six to 10 feet tall with a ranch of nine to 12 feet , but train miscellanea are broadly smaller , so when you are denounce be certain to read all plant descriptions nearly .
Scottish botanist Robert Fortune is credited with bringingW. floridato England in 1845 . It was the first species in a national collection that mature as more industrial plant hunters lend specimen discovered overseas .
The genus name honors Swedish - born German scientist and professor of flora and multiple disciplines , Christian Ehrenfried von Weigel .
From public gardens to the home landscape painting , weigela is prise for its abundant heyday , well-fixed cultivation , want of pest and disease issues , and low maintenance care requirements .
Let ’s utter about starting one at home plate .
Weigela Propagation
Home gardeners can start a plant life in three way : from seed , via stem cuttings , or by transplanting a nursery start .
Here ’s how :
From Seed
Weigela seeds do not have a high germination rate and may take a month to sprout .
It ’s important to notice that seeds collect from existing industrial plant most in all probability will not grow lawful to the parent works , as many of these are hybrids .
To start weigela from cum , fill a cum starter tray or three - in starter pots with well - drain potting soil or seed - starter admixture .
Moisten the intermediate and surface sow in the seminal fluid , as they take sparkle to evolve .
Set the tray or pots in a location indoors with bright , indirect light , and maintain even wet and provide bright , collateral sun .
Overwinter indoors orin a greenhouseand graft the seedlings to the landscape painting the following spring .
From Stem Cuttings
In early summer , just after florescence , there is a flush of new foliar ontogeny . reduce a mild stem six inch long from the branch top . Make the cut just below a pair of leaves , a natural growing point .
Remove the bottom two leaves and pinch off the tip growth to keep back one or two twain of leave-taking in the midsection .
Fill a six - in - deep container three - quarters full of potting stain .
Dip the bottom of the stalk into rooting hormone powder .
Poke the root into the soil deep enough that the lowest pair of leaves is just above soil tier .
Place the container in bright , collateral sunlight indoors or a sheltered , gay outside location .
Keep the soil evenly moist , never let the container altogether dry out out .
Modern leaves signify successful rooting and readiness for transplant .
you’re able to also utilise hardwood for newspaper clipping , but as these take longer to root , you ’ll need to keep them indoors until the following spring and then transfer them to the garden .
By Layering
If you have an existing flora , it ’s easy to propagate via layering , which you could do at any time during the raise season . Here ’s how :
Select one of the low limb that grazes the flat coat .
Using a knife , carefully scrape off a one - inch segment of bark and cambium to unwrap the inside of the stem .
lie the arm on the priming coat . take note where the area that you scraped touches the grunge .
Make a shallow well in the soil beneath the scraped destiny to jell it just below the soil open .
Mound about two cups of soil on top of the scraped portion to keep it in place . you may put a rock on top of the soil for a more permanent postponement . Contact between the scraped section of branch and the soil generates solution growth .
lead the layered branch in shoes until the following spring .
When you remove the rock and the top layer of soil , you ’ll find the scraped portion is attached to the ground because it has sprouted roots .
Sever the branch six to eight inches below the rooted portion to come off it from the shrub .
drudge at least eight inches deep under the stock-still constituent to lift it and plant the full clump elsewhere in the garden .
Transplanting
Transplant seedling , stock-still cutting , and greenhouse plants out into the landscape at least eight week before the first hoarfrost .
Work the dirt to a friable consistency , and dig up a hollow the same profundity and two to three times as all-inclusive as the current pot or the root clump of the shrub .
localise the flora in the hole so that the diadem where the stems and roots meet is slenderly above ground level . mound promotes good drain , which is essential for successful establishment .
Backfill and tamp the ground to secure the plant in an upright spot . water system well and tamp again .
Maintain even moisture when the plants become establish .
How to Grow Weigela
As mention , weigela shrubs are hardy in Zones 4 to 9 , depending on the cultivar . Choose a locating in your landscape painting with full sun to part wraith and average , well - draining dirt .
The ideal ground pH is slightly acidic to neutral , 6.0 to 7.0.Conduct a soil testeither through your local extension federal agency orwith a home base test kitand amend with compost or humus to increase acidity as need . Average soil is suitable and corpse is tolerated .
Providean column inch of supplementary waterper hebdomad in the absence of rain during the first year .
Once build , the shrubs are drought tolerant , but like most , benefit from water during a prolonged teetotal spell .
If you are growing your weigela shrub in a container , notice that pots dry out quicker than ground soil and may call for more frequent tearing .
Growing Tips
Let ’s recap the growing essentials :
With ethnic requirements satisfy , your Weigela florida is off to a hopeful start .
Pruning and Maintenance
In early spring , fecundate with an all - purpose , slow - loss , granular mathematical product . A 10 - 10 - 10 product is suitable .
wash the soil and sprinkle the granule in a ring 12 to 24 in away from the stems to deflect the plant food throw direct contact . Then , weewee a second time .
A product to try is Southern Ag All - Purpose Fertilizer 10 - 10 - 10,available from Amazon .
Southern Ag All Purpose Fertilizer
This production comes in five - pound bags , contains adequate parts of nitrogen ( N ) , atomic number 15 ( phosphorus ) , and K ( K ) . In add-on to shrubs , you may use it to fee flowers , trees , and veggie .
After a particularly coarse wintertime , some old branches or leg portion may die back completely or partially . If they flush it to produce any foliage , rationalize them off at their level of origin .
If they grow foliage at a distance from the peak , slay the part that is dead by reduce it off just above the first leaf span .
You may desire to abridge blooming stanch for vase arrangements , if so , make indisputable you make your cuts just above a pair of leaves to further speedy regrowth .
I like to give my weigela a surd prune post - bloom , but never remove more than one - third of the full volume to avoid shock .
Some gardeners develop their weigela shrubsas a hedge , shaping them post - flush to keep a rounded or boxed course .
If branches are break up or otherwise damaged , sever them cleanly to off jagged edges that may fail to heal and invite pests and pathogens .
In improver to pruning , supply supplementary water during a drought , supervise your shrubs for signs of blighter and disease , and act as promptly to address both .
In fall , in the cold region , level two to three inches of mulch over the ancestor zona without touching the branches for added wintertime insulation .
Weigela Cultivars to Select
There are many exciting cultivated weigela salmagundi . Here are a few to quicken your appetence :
Crimson Kisses
Crimson Kisses ® ,Weigelax ‘ Slingco 1 , ’ is a prolific cultivar with cherry-red flush that reblooms faithfully from summertime to fall down .
Mature attribute are a compact three to four feet marvelous and encompassing .
This cultivar is easily suited to Zones 4 to 9 and it pair well with other small - height shrubs and perennials in miscellaneous group .
Crimson Kisses ® isavailable from Burpee .
My Monet
My Monet ® akaW. florida‘Verweig ’ is a dwarf variegated variety that have pink flowers and green leaves with cream margins .
Suited to cultivation in Zones 4 to 6 , it has a petite stature of 12 to 18 inches tall and 18 to 24 inch broad , staring for container gardening in small spaces with full sun .
My Monet ® isavailable from Nature Hills Nurseryin # 2 and # 3 container .
Sonic Bloom
Reblooming Sonic Bloom ® ,W. florida‘BOKrasopin,’is suited to Zones 4 to 8 , prefers full sunlight , and display waves of bold magenta - pink flowers and immature leafage from spring to first frost .
Mature dimensions are four to five feet tall and extensive for showy put up - alone specimens .
Sonic Bloom ® isavailable from Fast Growing Trees .
Managing Pests and Disease
Weigela is not generally prone to problems with pest or disease . However , there are some with which you should be familiar .
blighter you may encounter let in :
Aphids , four - lined plant bugs , mealybugs , scale , and wanderer hint are all pests that damage weigela plants by absorb the sap from the stems and foliage .
telling sign of infestation are seeable pests , leaf holes and deformities , and viscous “ honeydew ” excretion trails that canattract sooty mold .
A unfaltering spray of waterfrom the hoseor treatment with constitutional neem oil may be all you need to care for them .
Japanese mallet defoliate shrubs by consuming the leave and are best hand - picked or captured in particularly design traps .
disease to be aware of include :
Anthracnose , Botrytis gray cast , and powdery mold are fungal diseases that can be treat with appropriate fungicides like atomic number 29 . In severe cases , you may need to prune aside feign foliation to curb the spread .
Healthy plants that receive mass of sun and are not under- or overwatered are the least potential to be touch on by garden plague and diseases .
Best Uses for Weigela
Weigela is a versatile bush with many uses in the home base landscape painting .
Some to consider are :
Let ’s brainstorm .
Department of Transportation multiple shrubs along a walkway to your front room access for a repeating border pattern . Choose cultivars of modest size or prune to prevent jam the course . Interplant with familiar as desired .
set up founding planting to increase curb appeal by softening punishing brick and Oliver Stone line of work .
lease the bushes take an loose , natural shape or prune then formally for hedges to divide properties . Keep them low and well-disposed or high-pitched for privateness , as we do below .
In my garden , I bask weigela withbee balm , coneflower , dwarf ornamentalweeping cherry , andMontauk daisyaround my patio . They share similar ethnical prerequisite and are attractive mixed pigeonholing familiar .
produce seclusion with multiple weigela bushes near property perimeter and around pools .
pick out a favorite cultivar and create a stand - alone drift where it can achieve full property and be a focal point in your landscape painting .
Weigela do not attract cervid and tolerate moderate salt photograph , enhancing their durability in both rural and urban setting .
They may attract good pollinators , butterflies , and hummingbirds .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Why Not Weigela?
If you ’re looking for an easy - care flowering shrub that packs a powerful former season punch , it ’s clip to introduce one or more low - alimony weigela cultivars to your home landscape .
In the nine years I had the exclusive right of handle for weigela , I never had a pest or pathogen issue and was reward with pot of cryptical pink blooms .
I ca n’t say it was a pollinator magnet , asthe beesandother good insectsseemed to opt my native bee balm , but it was sturdy , resilient , and dependable . What more could I necessitate ?
If you find this article informative and want toread more about other landscape bush , we recommend the following :
picture by Nan Schiller © Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL right hand RESERVED.See our TOSfor more detail . mathematical product photos via Burpee , degraded Growing Trees , Nature Hills Nursery , and Southern Ag . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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