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Not only flowers or unusual exotics can decorate a garden, yard, path and become a highlight of landscape design. Variegated geyhera with a riot of colors will compete with you. From our article you will learn how to prepare a geyhera for winter.
Preparation for insulation
Geichera is a fairly frost-resistant plant that, in the middle zone, can overwinter without shelter. However, in the absence of proper care, the plant may be weakened and unprepared for winter. Also, the need for shelter depends on the variety and variety. Preparation for the cold season begins in the fall with seasonal agrotechnical activities.
Video “Proper preparation of plants for winter”
From this video you will learn how to properly prepare geyher and other plants for the winter period.
Trimming
One of the biggest misconceptions when caring for geyhera is the need for mandatory autumn pruning. Most gardeners cut everything to the root, believing that the death of leaves and flower stalks is inevitable. However, in this case, the root system of the plant may suffer. The rhizome of the shrub is located close to the surface of the soil, and not deep in the ground. Therefore, without the protection of the foliage, the growth buds become bare. As a result, severe frost can destroy the decorative bush.
The overgrown foliage becomes a natural shelter for the roots and under a layer of snow the plant can normally overwinter. And flower stalks can be removed without a doubt – they cannot serve as protection, but they can pull life-giving juices and weaken the bush before wintering.
Top dressing and watering
Caring for geyhera in the fall has its own characteristics, without which it will not be possible to properly prepare the plant for winter.
The root system of the shrub is located superficially, so it is important to ensure not only that the soil does not dry out, but also that water stagnation does not form. It is especially important to consider this nuance if the autumn turned out to be rainy. Therefore, if the crop is planted in a lowland, then it is necessary to provide drainage.
Soil cracking can be prevented by mulching, which will help retain moisture and provide ventilation. Watered in the morning or evening with settled water at room temperature. If there is enough rainfall, then watering can be excluded.
In the first year after planting, the flower does not need to be fed, as it is assumed that all the necessary nutrients have been added to the soil. Further, it is recommended to feed the geyher with complex mineral fertilizers. The source of nitrogen for the plant is humus, which is used to mulch rosettes, so additional nitrogen-containing top dressing is not required.
Fertilizers are selected according to the variety grown. For ornamental flowering plants, a universal top dressing for flowering plants is suitable. In the case of growing decorative deciduous shrubs, complex top dressing for deciduous will be required. In autumn, the bush is fed after it has completely faded. The exact time varies by region.
Insulation materials
Depending on the characteristics of winters in the region, the choice can be made on a natural or industrial shelter. From natural heaters, sphagnum moss, tops, and spruce branches can be used to shelter geyhera. Mulch is also suitable – humus, sand or earth. Sawdust and oak leaves are often used. In severe frosty winters, it is better to use one of the special industrial materials. Agrofibre or spunbond is perfect. Covering film is not suitable, as it does not allow air to pass through, and the plant can simply dry under it or rot.
Order of work
The characteristics of the variety and the characteristics of winter in the region will tell you whether you need to cover your geyhera for the winter. After the completion of care activities and with the advent of the first hard frosts, they go directly to the shelter. You need to think about the upcoming shelter even when planting a plant. Group plantings are much easier to cover. Under the conditions of the middle lane, the bush is mulched, spudded with soil and covered with sphagnum or spruce branches.
Severe Siberian frosts require a different type of shelter. The air-dry method is optimal: the bush is covered with a wooden box on top, which is wrapped with spunbond. Additionally, branches can be laid on top. Such a shelter guarantees a comfortable, safe wintering for the geyher. It is important not to overdo it, because some modern hybrid varieties under snow shelter calmly tolerate frost below 40 ° C.
When to remove insulation
Geichera can suffer not only from frost and wind, but the scorching sun’s rays cause no less harm. Therefore, in early spring, when the frosts recede, the shelter must be removed, but not completely. If possible, you need to leave a canopy of covering material so that the earth has time to warm up and the root system begins to function normally.
After the bush has adapted to the spring heat, last year’s leaves, which served as protection for the roots, must be completely cut off. You should not be afraid: thanks to proper spring care, the bush will soon become even larger and more beautiful.
When preparing for winter and sheltering geyhera, be sure to take into account the characteristics of the variety and the peculiarities of the course of winter in the region. Improper care can destroy the plant faster than frost or sun.