Contents
Strawberry mock orange is an ornamental shrub that has long been actively used in the design of large and small garden plots. It is also valued for its compactness, unpretentiousness and wonderful aroma of snow-white flowers.
Description of Jasmine Strawberry
Very often, gardeners call mock orange garden jasmine, although these are two completely different plants. Such confusion has existed for a long time, and both names are firmly entrenched. Mock orange (Philadelphus) is a deciduous shrub from the Hydrangea family. In the XNUMXth century folk craftsmen carved smoking pipes – chibouks – from its stems. It is believed that the plant was named after Pharaoh Philadelphus, the son of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony, who was very fond of fragrant flowers and fragrant incense.
The Latin name for the variety is small-leaved or Strawberry – Philadelphus microphyllus. In nature, the plant grows in North America, and as a horticultural crop it has been grown in many countries for more than 130 years. The people called the variety Strawberry because of the similarity of the aroma of flowers with berries. A culture can grow in the same place for many years.
Small-leaved mock orange is a neat, small shrub with thin branches. Its maximum height and crown diameter reach 1,5 m. Each year, the culture grows by no more than 7 cm. Under the weight of flowers, the shoots hang down, and the round bush resembles a cloud of numerous snow-white flowers.
The leaves are a distinctive feature of the variety: pointed, narrow and small, they reach only up to 2 cm in length. White flowers are usually located on the shoots singly, less often they are combined into inflorescences.
The description of the strawberry mock orange demonstrates the photo well:
Even in a small area, a compact flowering bush looks very impressive.
How the strawberry garden strawberry blossoms
The size of snow-white semi-double flowers is small – no more than 2 cm in diameter. They are most often solitary, but can be collected in small brushes of 3-4 pieces. The aroma, as well as the size of the leaves, is a distinctive feature that is reflected in the name of the variety. The flowers smell of strawberries and a little pineapple. This is not at all typical for a mock-up. The plant blooms in the 3rd or 4th year after planting.
Variety Strawberry blooms very profusely for three weeks. Its aroma spreads through the garden already at the beginning of summer – from the second half of June to July.
The strawberry strawberry flower is shown in the photo:
Main characteristics
Mock orange Strawberry is resistant to diseases, little susceptible to attack by pests. The shrub tolerates a short drought well. However, frost resistance is the weakest side of the culture. Even in a place protected from the wind, the plant can only withstand a decrease in air temperature to -15 ° C. Freezing is more susceptible to young shoots that have not yet had time to lignify.
Features of reproduction
Mock strawberry is propagated in several ways.
The most natural, but not the easiest method is propagation by seeds. They need to be sown for the winter, before the onset of cold weather. Crops are covered with spruce branches. They will sprout in the spring, but the mock orange will bloom only after 8 years.
Much more often strawberry mock orange is propagated by layering and cuttings. In the first case, the healthiest shoots are bent to the ground, placed in a hole, sprinkled with soil and watered. After 1,5 – 2 months, roots and twigs will begin to appear on the layering. In autumn, they can be detached from the mother bush.
In the second case, during the flowering of Strawberry Chubushnik or immediately after it, cuttings are prepared and placed in water for 14-16 days of the week. Rooting is best done under a bag or jar to ensure sufficient air humidity. In August – early September, cuttings are planted on the site.
Dividing a bush is a very common method. Mock orange must be dug up and the root carefully divided into several parts, each of which should be planted in a separate hole prepared in advance.
Planting and caring for jasmine Strawberry
Strawberry mock orange variety, in terms of planting and care, gardeners consider it undemanding. If you follow a few simple conditions, it will bloom longer and please you with a large number of buds with a rare and pleasant aroma.
An example of the abundant flowering of strawberry jasmine in the photo.
Recommended dates
Mock strawberry is recommended to be planted and transplanted in the fall. The most optimal period is the first half of September – the beginning of October. In the spring, you can also plant a shrub, it is important to do this before the buds swell.
Site selection and soil preparation
Small-leaved mock orange Strawberry prefers:
- Lots of sun. In the shade of the inflorescence, the plants become very small, the shoots are drawn out;
- Protected from drafts and strong winds. Suitable area near the building or under tall trees;
- fertile soil, in composition reminiscent of the forest. It can be a mixture of sand, rotted leaves, sod land;Important! Poor soils must be fertilized with organic matter. 1 bucket of humus is added to each pit. In heavy clay soils, where oxygen and water access is difficult, peat or sand must be added.
- Soil without excess moisture. Drainage is necessary for the bush, especially if groundwater is located nearby.
Landing algorithm
Sequential description of the stages of planting strawberry strawberry:
- It is necessary to prepare a hole 50 – 60 cm deep, the bottom of which should be covered with a layer of drainage. It can be pebbles, expanded clay, gravel, broken bricks or gravel. A layer is needed 15 cm thick. Humus must also be added to the planting pit, and in the case of clay soil, also sand;
- Distribute the roots of the seedling in the pit, deepen the root neck, but not more than 2 cm;Attention! If it is planned to plant several strawberry bushes, the distance between them should be about 1,5 m, and in the case of a hedge – 50 – 80 cm.
- The planting hole is covered with earth, lightly tamped and a root circle is formed. Regardless of the season – it’s autumn or spring – the seedling must be watered with 1 – 2 buckets of water;
- It is important to mulch the root circle with sawdust.
Growing rules
Mock orange with the smell of strawberries is quite unpretentious. But if you water, fertilize, prune and spray the bush from pests in time, it will look well-groomed and will be able to bloom longer.
Watering Schedule
Mock strawberry needs watering, especially during flowering and on hot summer days. During these periods, the plant requires weekly, and sometimes even daily watering: up to 3 buckets of water per bush. Lowered leaves will signal a lack of moisture.
Weeding, loosening, mulching
It is recommended to loosen the soil in order to provide air access to the roots of the mock orange after each watering. In addition, it is important to regularly weed the ground in the root circle. Mulching helps retain moisture in the soil and also prevents weeds from sprouting.
Top dressing schedule
When planting strawberry mock orange, fertilizer is applied to the soil, and then for a couple of years the shrub will easily endure the lack of top dressing. Every spring, when the buds open, it is recommended to water the garden jasmine with a bucket of mullein in a ratio of 1:10. For mock orange, you can use another nitrogen fertilizer: immediately after flowering, wood ash is poured under the bush. It is applied during loosening, and then the plant is watered.
Mineral fertilizers are used after 3 years of cultivation. In the spring, the shrub is fed with urea, potassium sulfate and superphosphate, after flowering – with potassium sulfate.
Trimming
First of all, it is necessary to cut off frozen, as well as diseased and damaged shoots every spring. After flowering, a bush is formed, removing excess shoots, faded tops of branches. After pruning, 10-15 branches are left on the Strawberry mock orange, on which young shoots with buds will soon begin to appear. The secret lies in the fact that flowers are more abundant on strong last year’s shoots.
Anti-aging pruning of the mock orange is carried out once every few years, before the start of sap flow – in the spring, and sanitary – in the fall, as needed. The bush will bloom longer if its branches are pinched.
Preparation for winter
In autumn, the soil in the root zone is mulched with a thick layer of sawdust. The shrub does not tolerate low temperatures well. But since the strawberry bush is small, it is convenient to cover it in the winter. Even if the tips of the shoots suffer from frost, after pruning, the plant will regain strength fairly quickly. The shrub can be bent to the ground, and also simply covered with special material or spruce branches.
Pests and diseases
Small-leaved mock orange Strawberry is resistant to diseases, but it can be attacked by pests, in particular, aphids, weevil and spider mites.
You can protect the plant by spraying folk remedies or insecticides. For example, a solution of Karbofos helps against aphids. The procedure should be repeated several times with an interval of 10 days, until the shrub is completely cured.
Conclusion
Mock strawberry is a popular shrub. This compact plant does not require significant care and looks good even in a small garden area. In addition, the Strawberry variety is versatile in terms of application in landscape design and is especially valued for its pleasant strawberry aroma.
Reviews
