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Mock orange Dame Blanche is a hybrid bred by the French breeder Lemoine. This is a chic during flowering, a versatile plant that can cover up unsightly corners of the garden or become the main highlight of a flowering composition. This variety of jasmine is excellent for creating spectacular hedges.
Description of mock orange Dame Blanche
It’s worth mentioning right away that the mock orange is not a jasmine – these are different cultures. However, they have similarities in the abundance of lush flowering and the sweetish-viscous fragrance of strawberry aroma. Therefore, the people call mock orange garden (false) jasmine.
Chubushnik Dame Blanche, as is clear from the description and the photo below, refers to dwarf shrubs. It is a neat, compact shrub with a maximum height of 1,5 m and a crown diameter of 1 m. Dark green leaves are narrow, ovoid and small in size, turn yellow by autumn, which enhances the decorativeness of the shrub.
How jasmine dam blanche blooms
The garden jasmine of the Dam Blanche variety blooms in July with white, semi-double flowers, the diameter of which does not exceed 4 cm. The flowers of the shrub are collected in inflorescences of 6-7 pieces. During the flowering of the mock orange, the garden is filled with the sweet, pleasant aroma of fragrant flowers.
Main characteristics
Hybrid mock orange Dam Blanche is quite easy to grow, unpretentious variety. It is light-loving, but it can also grow in slight shade, prefers moist, but without stagnant water, not saline soils. The shrub puts up with somewhat depleted soil, but it fully reveals all its wonderful qualities on fertile, loose soil. Garden jasmine Dam Blanche is hardy and can tolerate frosts up to 27 – 28 degrees. However, young plants can freeze slightly in harsh winters, but subsequently recover quickly. The mock orange variety Dam Blanche is resistant to pests and diseases, and also easily adapts to various growing conditions and, due to its unpretentiousness, has taken a special place in urban gardening.
A useful video about the description, characteristics of Dame Blanche jasmine with visual photos will allow you to learn more about this culture:
Features of reproduction
For propagation of garden jasmine, one of the following methods is used:
- seeds;
- cuttings or layering;
- division of the bush.
Dame Blanche cuttings are harvested at the beginning or end of the growing season. They are rooted in greenhouse conditions and, after the formation of a developed root system, they are planted in a permanent place. For propagation by layering, a trench is formed around the shrub and strong, developed shoots are bent down, fixing them. Layering requires regular watering and loosening the soil. After the formation of roots, they are planted on temporary ridges, and after two years – on a permanent place. A quick way to plant mock-up Dam Blanche is the method of dividing the bush. Previously, the plant is well shed, dug up and its root system is divided into parts with a sharp knife. Seedlings with roots and developed buds are planted immediately after division.
Planting and caring for garden jasmine Dame Blanche
The unpretentious mock orange Philadelphus Dame Blanche is undemanding to growing conditions. However, some agrotechnical features must be observed when growing. So, when planted in partial shade or shade, jasmine will not please with abundant flowering: its flowers will be small, rare and scarce. The lack of moisture will affect the leaves, which will lose their elasticity and sag. The mock orange will not be able to fully show its decorative qualities on acidic, saline soils. The plant also needs regular pruning, fertilizing, loosening and mulching.
Recommended dates
Jasmine Dame Blanche is planted in early spring – in April. In exceptional cases, seedlings can be planted in the fall – in late September or early October, however, there is a high probability of freezing of young, immature plants. This is especially true for climatic regions with severe winters.
Site selection and soil preparation
The place for Dame Blanche mock orange should be sunny, well lit and protected from cold winds and drafts. Ideally, you can place it on the south side of the wall of the house or building, fence. In the shade and even partial shade, jasmine shoots stretch out, become weak and may die. Flowering without sufficient lighting will be sparse and rare. Fertile soil for mock orange is prepared from a mixture of sand, humus and leafy soil (1: 2: 3).
Landing algorithm
For planting, pits of 60 × 60 in size are prepared at a distance of 0,7 m from each other for hedges and 1,5 m for group plantings. Be sure to pour a drainage layer of expanded clay or gravel at least 15 cm into the bottom of the pits. Pre-prepared fertile soil is poured onto the drainage and the seedling is set vertically so that the root neck of the mock orange is at soil level. In exceptional cases, it can be slightly deepened, but not more than 2 cm, otherwise the root system of the plant will rot.
Growing rules
In order for garden jasmine to please with its abundant flowering and decorative effect, it needs to be provided with:
- good lighting, wind protection and fertile soil, the composition of which is described above;
- correct timing and composition of fertilizer application;
- sufficient amount of moisture;
- mandatory drainage during landing;
- regular pruning;
- shelter for the winter of young plants that have not reached 1 year;
- shelter of the root neck in winter.
Watering Schedule
Dam Blanch mock orange needs regular, abundant watering, without waterlogging the soil. Immediately after planting, 1-20 liters of warm, settled water are poured onto 30 seedling. In the summer, jasmine should be watered once a week in a volume of 1 liters per bush. If the drought is severe, then the number of waterings is increased to 30-3 times a week.
Weeding, loosening, mulching
Regular weeding and loosening 5-6 times per season will keep the soil clean and saturate the root system of Dam Blanche garden jasmine with oxygen. Mulching with fallen leaves or humus ensures the optimal level of soil moisture, preventing moisture from evaporating intensively. Mulch seedlings immediately after planting, during the summer and during preparatory activities before winter.
Top dressing schedule
In order for Dam Blanche to please with its decorative effect, as can be seen in the photo, regular feeding is a prerequisite for its cultivation. The main thing is to apply them correctly and ensure a good composition of fertilizers:
- Every year, the mock orange is fed with slurry diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 in the amount of 1 bucket per 1 bush.
- From the second year of growth, plants make mineral fertilizers from superphosphate (30 g), urea and potassium sulfate (15 g each). This amount of top dressing is enough for 2 bushes. Bring it in in the spring.
- After flowering, from the 2nd-3rd year of life, superphosphate (20g) mixed with potassium sulfate (15g) and wood ash (150g) is applied directly to the soil.
Trimming
Dame Blanche lays flower buds on annual shoots, which must be taken into account when pruning. In the spring, before the leaves bloom, sanitary pruning is carried out with the removal of frozen, dry branches. After flowering, shoots with dry inflorescences are cut out, which will enable the plant to actively develop the growth of the current year, which will please flowering next year. In autumn, corrective pruning of garden jasmine is carried out with the removal of branches that thicken the crown. At the same time, a shaping haircut is performed to give the bush a beautiful, neat shape.
Preparation for winter
Mock orange Dame Blanche is able to withstand frost, its winter hardiness zone is 5B, which allows it to be grown almost throughout the country, except for the northern regions. Preparing for winter is as follows:
- young seedlings are wrapped with light, dense material – agrofiber or burlap, fixed with ropes from above;
- fallen leaves are used to cover the root system;
- in winter, they monitor the amount of snow cover on the bushes, and if there is a lot of it, then they free it from excess snow to prevent breakage;
- with the onset of spring and the melting of snow, the mock orange is freed from the heavy cover of snow.
Pests and diseases
The plant is resistant to diseases and pests, however, improper planting and care of Dame Blanche jasmine can cause:
- aphids;
- green leaf weevil;
- spider mite.
Against pests, mock orange is treated with insecticides in spring and summer. As a drug suitable for mock orange, Karbofos has proven itself to be excellent.
Conclusion
It will not be difficult to grow mock orange Dam Blanche on your own plot if you use all the above recommendations. The shrub is not capricious in growing conditions and annually pleases with its delightful beauty of flowering, decorative leaves, crowns both in the southern and central regions of Our Country. The hardiness and tenacity of garden jasmine has made it a favorite and one of the most sought after plants by landscape designers.
