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The Rochester lilac is an American cultivar created in the 60s of the XX century. The culture was included in the top 10 breeding varieties of the international collection and earned the highest marks for decorativeness. This is an original, unique variety that has no analogues. On the basis of the Rochester lilac, several hybrids with radial multipetality were created, differing from each other in the color of the inflorescences.
Description of Rochester cheeses
Rochester lilac is a perennial deciduous plant belonging to elite varieties with a high degree of decorativeness. Created a culture for landscape design. The frost resistance of lilac allows it to be grown in all climatic zones of Our Country. The Rochester variety without loss resists a drop in temperature to -40 0C. The vegetation is not affected by moisture deficiency. The season with minimal precipitation tolerates much better than high humidity.
The exotic appearance and unpretentiousness in the care of the Rochester lilac have found application in the design of home gardens and summer cottages. In the garden, lilac occupies a leading position in terms of decorative habit. The plant is used in mass planting to form a hedge. The shrub looks colorful as a tapeworm and as part of a composition with flowering and coniferous plants.
The variety of lilac Rochester refers to the average flowering period. The plant gives a slight annual increase, at the age of 6 years is considered an adult. During this period, the shrub grows up to 2 m. It forms a spherical crown of the correct shape. The main direction of growth is in width. The diameter of an adult plant is 3,5 m. The bush of the variety is dense, densely leafy, branched.
Description of the Rochester lilac shown in the photo:
- Bush multi-stemmed, perennial stems of medium thickness with a gray rough surface. Flexible, strong, resistant to strong winds. Young shoots are thin, olive in color, after a year they acquire the color of the main trunks.
- At the tops of perennial shoots, 2 inflorescences of large flower buds are formed.
- Leaves are medium sized, opposite, dark green, lanceolate. The surface is smooth, glossy, with dark beige streaks. The shape of the leaf plate is wide at the bottom, pointed at the top. Length – 13 cm, width – 8 cm. Petioles are long, curved.
- The fruits are small in small quantities, the seeds are equipped with lionfish, ripen in the second half of autumn.
How the Rochester lilac blooms
Lilacs bloom in June, if spring is early and warm, bud formation begins in the second half of May, flowers bloom a week later. During this period, the uniqueness of the plant is manifested. Standard varieties of common lilac have 4 petals, while the Rochester variety can have up to 20 petals. There are multi-petal and classic forms on the panicle.
The photo shows the Rochester lilac during flowering. General characteristics:
- The formation of inflorescences begins on perennial shoots and last year’s. Inflorescences are long – 25 cm, vertical, pyramidal, dense, heavy.
- Green buds, rounded.
- The flowers have the shape of a regular oval, the petals are non-double, waxy, radially located from the center. The flowers are large, the average diameter is 3 cm, the color is white. If the plant has received insufficient ultraviolet light, a slightly noticeable pink tint is present in the color of the petals. The core is yellow, in four-petal forms it is small, the more petals, the larger the middle.
- The duration of abundant flowering is 25 days. The shrub forms inflorescences after five years of growth. In a sunny area, a three-year-old Rochester lilac bush can bloom. The aroma of the plant is strong, persistent, characteristic of the culture.
Features of reproduction
Generative propagation of Rochester lilacs is possible, but not productive. Seed germination is low, this method is used in specialized nurseries, creating conditions as close as possible to the climate of the historical homeland.
At the initial stage of breeding, a seedling is acquired. The stem of the variety is short, the formation of the first branches begins close to the soil surface, therefore the best option for lilac propagation is by layering from the mother bush.
Cuttings are used less often, because the material takes root poorly. Green shoots with two full-fledged buds are used, material is harvested before sap flow. You can propagate the shrub by root shoots, it begins to grow when the lilac reaches the age of four. It is not much, but quite enough for a mass landing.
Planting and care
Planting work and subsequent agricultural technology of Rochester lilac does not differ from other varieties of culture. The plant can be classified as unpretentious, but to obtain a decorative crown, the conditions stated in the varietal characteristic are created.
Recommended dates
Landing work is carried out at the end of summer. For regions with a temperate climate, this is the end of August. Before the onset of frost, at least 1,5 months should remain, this time is enough for the seedling to take root and overwinter safely. In the south, the culture is planted at the end of September. Plant adaptation in warm climates is faster.
Site selection and preparation of soil
Lilac Rochester, according to gardeners, blooms in partial shade, but the decorative habit is higher in a place open to the sun. Place the plant in accordance with the design decision. The northern side is not considered, near large trees with a dense crown. The plant feels comfortable on the southern slopes, partial shading is allowed from the wall of the building on the east side.
The Rochester variety does not respond well to the acidic composition of the soil, in this case the plant produces small flowers, the snow-white color of which is often diluted with beige. Soils for planting choose neutral or slightly alkaline. The acid composition is neutralized with alkali-containing agents. The soil for planting should be loamy, light, fertile, drained. Wetlands are not suitable for planting.
2 weeks before the placement of the lilac, a planting hole with a diameter of 50 * 50 cm is dug on the site. The depth depends on the seedling. Based on the following calculation: the height from the root to the neck, it is left on the surface, plus 20-25 cm for drainage and a layer of nutrient mixture. Gravel or crushed stone of the middle fraction is used as drainage, it is placed immediately in the landing pit. The soil is mixed with compost, ash, sand, 10 g of superphosphate is added per 200 kg. One part of the soil mixture is poured onto the bottom of the hole, the other is left for planting.
How to plant
Rochester lilacs are planted on a cloudy day or in the evening after sunset. Before planting, the root of the seedling is dipped for 2 hours in a growth-stimulating preparation. Step-by-step instruction:
- Lilac root is dipped into a thick solution of clay.
- At the bottom of the pit, a cone-shaped hill is made in the center.
- Put the plant, distribute the roots.
- Pour part of the fertile mixture, gently tamp.
- Pour out the remnants so that there is no void near the root.
- Ashes are poured near the root circle, watered.
During mass planting, at least 2,5 m is left between seedlings. Rochester lilac is a sprawling shrub, so it needs space to form a decorative crown.
Growing Lilac Rochester
If the seedling has taken root and overwintered safely, further vegetation for the gardener will not be a problem. Care for the variety is not laborious, standard.
Watering
The variety is drought-resistant, does not respond well to waterlogging of the root system. Watering is necessary for young seedlings in the spring, if there is no precipitation – 2 times in 10 days. After watering, the soil is loosened so that there is no crust, along the way, weeds are removed. After the formation of leaves, the young siren has enough seasonal rainfall. An adult plant is watered abundantly during the formation of buds. During flowering, shrubs do not water.
Additional fertilizing
When planting a seedling, the required amount of micronutrients is introduced into the hole, they are enough for full growth for 3 years. An adult plant is brought in organic matter in the spring, compost diluted in water or litter along with ash is suitable. The complex of mineral fertilizers is recommended to be applied 1 time in 2 years.
Mulching
During the planting of a seedling, the soil around the plant is covered with sawdust, straw, peat, needles. The layer should be about 15-25 cm, it all depends on the winter temperature. In the spring I remove the mulch, the procedure is repeated until the age of three lilacs. An adult shrub is not mulched.
Trimming
The Rochester lilac bush does not require molding, the crown has a regular rounded shape. The variety as a tapeworm looks harmonious in its natural form. In the spring, sanitary cleaning is carried out, dry branches and frozen shoots are removed. The main activities are to rejuvenate the shrub. Several old trunks are removed. Three-year-old shoots are used as a replacement.
According to gardeners, after flowering at the common lilac Rochester, it is necessary to remove the inflorescences, until autumn, young buds will form on the tops of the shoots, and in the spring the culture will bloom profusely. A variety planted as a hedge is formed according to the design intent.
Preparation for winter
According to the variety description, Rochester lilac is a plant with good winter hardiness. The lower the temperature in winter, the more abundant flowering in spring. An adult plant does not require shelter for the winter, there is no need to mulch the soil. The only autumn event is abundant watering, which is done if there was no precipitation at the end of summer. The root circle is mulched for young seedlings, the crown is not covered for the winter. Lilac completely replaces frozen shoots during the growing season.
Diseases and pests
The Rochester lilac variety rarely gets sick and is practically not affected by pests. If the air humidity is high for a long time, infection with powdery mildew is possible. Eliminate the fungus with fungicides. They parasitize on the Lilac Moth culture, eliminate the adult insect and caterpillars with “Fozalon”. The rose leafhopper is a threat in regions with a warm climate. Destroy the pest “Fitoverm”, “Kemifos”.
Conclusion
Lilac Rochester belongs to the collection of elite varieties of American selection. A perennial, unpretentious to the composition of the soil, a plant with high frost resistance is grown in regions with a cold climate. Decorative culture, undemanding in care, is used for landscaping gardens and household plots.
