Contents
The low lush shrub of the spirea Anthony Waterer is used for landscaping park areas and gardens. The bright green of the foliage and the lush color of the carmine inflorescences make this species a true decoration of the landscape. The shrub has become widespread not only because of the bright colors, but also due to its unpretentiousness.
Characterization
The beauty of Anthony Waterer’s spirea can be judged from the photo and not go into a detailed description. For the layman – it’s just a very beautiful bush, from a distance like a lilac. But each type of spirea has its own characteristics.
The Japanese spirea is a compact, globular shrub. The height and diameter of the crown of Anthony Waterer’s spirea does not exceed 80 cm. The shrub grows slowly and for a long time – no more than 5 cm per year.
The leaves of the plant are dark green, rich in color, pointed with notches, oblong in shape. In spring they can become reddish, in late autumn – bright scarlet.
The flowers are small bright pink or crimson, sometimes with a lilac tint. Many small flowers form a large inflorescence, about 15 cm in diameter. They densely cover the entire plant, forming a lush purple cap.
The beginning of the flowering of Anthony Waterer’s spirea falls on the first days of June. The bush blooms at the end of September. The entire period is approximately 3 months.
The shrub grows well in lighted glades and in partial shade. The composition of the soil does not affect growth and flowering.
Spiraea of this species is unpretentious, tolerates winters and hot summers well. Resistant to pests and diseases.
The plant is used in landscape design to create decorative hedges. Spirea is included in living flower arrangements, used as a fence in flower beds. It goes well with all types of coniferous plants.
Planting and caring for spirea Anthony Waterer
It is necessary to place Anthony’s spirea in sunny, well-lit areas. Young plants are planted in a warm autumn – in September. Before planting, the soil must be fertilized with peat and sand. So the plant will quickly take root, grow and give a lush color.
Preparation of planting material
To transfer Anthony Waterern’s spirea, a cloudy or rainy day in September is chosen as a permanent place. For planting, cuttings of a plant that are well rooted, or shoots with the same qualities, are suitable. They are carefully removed from the soil, trying to preserve as much as possible all the branches of the root system. All broken and dried shoots must be carefully cut off. Seedlings with a well-developed rhizome are soaked for half an hour in a growth stimulant solution with water. Succinic acid is suitable for these purposes.
Rules for planting spirea Anthony Waterer
For planting choose a site without groundwater. In the garden where the spirea will be placed, it is necessary to loosen and fertilize the soil. For this, sand and peat are added to it. You can mix the soil with humus. Then they dig a hole 50 cm deep. Its diameter should be 30% larger than the seedling’s earthen coma.
Drainage is placed at the bottom: expanded clay, broken brick, pebbles. The plant is placed in the center of the hole so that the root neck is at or above the soil level. The root should fit freely in the hole, all branches must be straightened.
The seedling is covered with loose soil mixed with peat and pitch in a ratio of 2: 1: 1, respectively. Then they trample her. Then the plant is watered, a bucket of water will be enough. At the end of the work, the soil around the trunk is mulched, sprinkled with peat.
Watering and top dressing
Spiraea Anthony Veterer needs watering in the first year after planting and during dry summers. During this period, the shrub is watered 2 times a month. A bucket of water to moisten the soil will suffice. Before watering, the earth is loosened to avoid stagnant water. After – mulch, sprinkling moist soil with a layer of peat or sawdust. This will prevent the soil from drying out.
In order for the plants to grow and develop quickly, they feed it 2 times a year. In early spring, before the formation of buds, potash, nitrogen, phosphate or complex fertilizers are applied to the soil. In June, the procedure should be repeated.
Trimming
This is an important factor in Antoni Waterer’s spirea care process. Timely pruning will avoid premature wilting of the plant, stimulate the formation of new peduncles. Pruning spirea Antonio Vatteri is carried out in the fall after the shrub has faded. You can do this in the spring before the formation of the kidneys.
Important steps and pruning rules:
- Old stiff branches are shortened to the level of growth of the first buds. Thin and dry branches must be completely removed.
- Spireas older than 5 years are pruned after the end of the flowering period. For proper development, it is enough to leave a bush half a meter high.
- Spirea Anthony Waterer over 6 years old is pruned after flowering. Leave only a small stump.
- In well-formed bushes, older than 3-4 years, the lower shoots are removed to form a dense lush crown. It is also necessary to remove old stiff branches to form young shoots.
Thus, it is possible to extend the flowering time of the bush and contribute to the formation of new buds.
Preparation for winter
Japanese spirea Anthony Waterer tolerates temperature fluctuations and winters well. Only young shoots and green shoots need shelter and protection. In late autumn, before the onset of frost, they are covered with spruce forest, fallen leaves, dried bark. In a later period, the bush can be covered with a layer of snow, under which the spirea will safely overwinter.
Diseases and pests
The main pest of Anthony Waterer’s spirea is the spider mite. He is able to overwinter in the leaves of the bush, and in the spring begin to devour young greenery. In this case, the foliage curls, turns yellow and falls off.
To combat this pest, various insecticidal preparations and agrotechnical methods are used, such as:
- timely pruning;
- regular removal of weeds;
- loosening and mulching the soil.
If you apply all the control measures in a complex, there will be no problems with the growth and flowering of Anthony Waterer’s spirea.
Aphids are the second most common pest of any kind of spirea. The peak of its invasion falls on the summer months. This insect is able to completely destroy the bush in a matter of days. Also, leafworms and miners may appear on spireas. The methods of dealing with them are similar: spraying with insecticides, loosening and mulching.
The most common, but rare disease of Anthony Waterer’s spirea is fungal infections. They occur with improper care and stagnation of moisture in the soil.
Reproduction
Spirea Anthony Waterer is a hybrid plant, therefore it does not propagate by seeds. It can be rooted only with the help of cuttings and shoots.
Harvest cuttings begin in mid-June, when the intensive growth of shoots ends. Thick stiff branches are cut and divided into smaller ones, 10 cm each. Small branches are lowered at one end into a solution of water with a growth stimulator for 12 hours. Then they are rooted in a mixture of peat and sand (1: 1 ratio). In order for the cuttings to quickly take root, frequent watering is necessary, at least 1 time in 2 days.
In the spring, grown plants with a formed rhizome are transferred to a flower bed and planted in a permanent place, observing all the rules.
You can propagate Anthony Waterer’s spirea with shoots in the spring. To do this, choose strong young, well-developed layering. They are gently bent and fixed approximately in the middle with metal brackets. This must be done so that the shoot is in contact with the soil. Along the entire length it is covered with fluffy earth.
Watering is carried out regularly, about 2-3 times a month. For the winter, the plant is insulated with peat or fallen leaves. Next spring, the spirea will finally take root, it can be separated from the mother bush and moved to the right place.
Most spireas, including the hybrid Anthony Waterer, take root well, their survival rate is high. Therefore, propagating the mother plant is not difficult. The main thing is to follow the rules of watering and protect young seedlings from winter frosts.
Reviews about spirea Anthony Waterer
Conclusion
A beautiful, unpretentious plant with a beautiful and exuberant color is Anthony Vaterer’s spirea. It is quite common in our latitudes due to frost resistance and good survival. In landscape design, it is used to create hedges and low borders. The shrub is perfectly combined with coniferous trees, it is used for tamping tall plants.
