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Lilac Aukubafolia is a variegated hybrid variety, bred not so long ago, but has already gained popularity around the world, including in Our Country. The advantages of the shrub include high frost resistance and abundant flowering.
The originator of the variety is the French breeder Auguste Gaucher, who bred it in 1919 on the basis of the President Grevy variety.
Description Aucubafolia cheeses
Common lilac Aucubaefolia (Aucubaefolia) is one of the upright tall varieties – bushes grow up to 2,5-3 m under favorable growing conditions. Distinctive features of the Aucubafolia variety: a wide crown, rich aroma of flowers and variegated foliage. This color of the leaf plate formed the basis of the name of the variety – green leaves with light yellow stripes and spots resemble aucuba foliage.
The flowers of the Aukubafolia variety are pale blue with a purple tint, semi-double. They are collected in large loose inflorescences of a paniculate type, the length of which reaches an average of 20-25 cm. Lilac blooms extremely abundantly.
The decorativeness of the shrub is extended in time and falls not only in spring and summer, but also in autumn, since the Aukubafolia variety sheds foliage late.
Methods of reproduction
Lilac varieties Aukubafoliya are propagated vegetatively:
- cuttings;
- layering;
- vaccination.
With the seed method of breeding, lilac loses its varietal qualities, so it is suitable for breeding wild species. The cultivation of the Aukubafoliya variety by layering is popular, followed by cuttings.
The withdrawals are obtained as follows:
- Deep furrows are dug near the bush.
- Several young shoots, which have already begun to lignify, are bent to the ground and fixed in the ground. The base of the branches is pulled with copper wire.
- By autumn, young shoots will develop from the buds of the allotted shoots.
- Before the onset of frost, the layers are finally separated from the mother bush and harvested for growing.
Cuttings are made by harvesting green cuttings, which are cut in June-July. The middle part of the obtained blanks is suitable for reproduction.
For vaccination use privet or common lilac.
Rules of landing and care
Aucubafolia lilac tolerates a short drought without any negative consequences and withstands colds down to -35-40 ° C, which is why it is not necessary to cover the bushes. The variety is pruned moderately; it does not need regular treatments against diseases and pests. The only difficulty that arises when growing lilacs is choosing the right place for landing. Despite the unpretentiousness, the Aukubafolia variety is demanding on the type of soil.
When to plant
The recommended landing dates on the territory of central Our Country are the last days of August and the beginning of September. So the Aucubafolia variety will have time to take root in a new place before the onset of frost.
If the lilac is planted too late, you can correct the situation with the help of mulching. The trunk circle is abundantly sprinkled with dry leaves, straw, peat or sawdust – such insulation will slow down the freezing of the soil. In the spring, it is important to remove the mulch in time so as not to delay the thawing of the soil.
Site selection and preparation of soil
When choosing a place for growing lilacs, the following recommendations are followed:
- Aucubafolia loves sunlight and prefers open areas. In extreme cases, penumbra is suitable. When grown in the shade, shrub growth slows down, and flowering is poor.
- The recommended type of soil is fertile, drained and moderately moist soil, preferably neutral acidity. You can reduce acidity with dolomite flour or lime.
- Lilac does not respond well to stagnant moisture and the proximity of groundwater – they must pass at a depth of at least 1 m. Lilacs cannot be grown on swampy and damp soils – otherwise the young roots begin to die.
- The surface of the site for planting lilacs should be flat. Shrubs are planted on a hill, but it is not recommended to place the Aukubafolia variety in the lowlands. Under such growing conditions, lilac roots will flood excess moisture after precipitation and watering.
Additionally, it is worth noting that it is better to choose a site without strong drafts. They do not cause damage to the shrub, but the Aucubafolia lilac thrives better in places with less cold air flow.
How to plant
The optimal planting pattern for the Aukubafolia variety is 2-3 m. It is not recommended to thicken the plantings, since fungi multiply in conditions of severe shading. In addition, this is how lilacs will compete for the nutrients contained in the soil.
The process of planting lilacs is as follows:
- In the selected area, pits are dug with a depth of about 50 cm and a diameter of 50-60 cm. On poor soil, the dimensions of the landing pit are increased to 80 cm in depth and 100 in width. Additional space is filled with a nutrient mixture of the following composition: 15 kg of humus or compost, 250 g of wood ash, 25 g of superphosphate.
- The seedling is set in the center of the pit and the roots are carefully aligned along the bottom.
- The roots are carefully sprinkled and lightly compact the earth in the region of the near-trunk circle. In this case, the root neck of the lilac seedling should be at the level of the soil.
- Immediately after planting, lilacs are watered abundantly.
- As soon as the water goes to a depth, the area around the trunk circle is mulched with grass, leaves, humus or peat to a thickness of 5 to 8 cm.
Care instructions
Caring for the Aucubafolia variety is easy, the most important thing is to follow the rules of watering.
The shrub is watered as the topsoil dries. On 1 bush, an average of about 25 liters of water is consumed. Reduce watering in August and September.
Aukubafolia lilacs should be fertilized only if fertile soil mixture was not placed in the planting pit during planting. This first top dressing is enough for a bush for 3-4 years.
After that, the Aukubafolia variety is fed with both organic matter (bird droppings, manure) and mineral fertilizers (phosphorus-potassium compounds, nitrogen). Adhere to the following recommendations when making dressings for lilacs:
- Aukubafolia variety is fed with nitrogen in the spring, when the plant begins to gain green mass. Optimal dosage: about 50 g of urea or 60 g of ammonium nitrate per 1 bush. It is better to replace mineral top dressing in the spring with organic fertilizers: a mullein solution prepared in a ratio of 1: 5 or slurry. Organics are introduced not at the root, but at a distance of half a meter from the trunk, so as not to burn the root system.
- Phosphorus and potassium top dressing is carried out in the fall. For these purposes, double superphosphate (40 g per 1 bush) and potassium nitrate (30 g per 1 bush) are suitable.
- Of the complex fertilizers, wood ash is considered the best. To feed 1 lilac bush, 8 liters of water with 200 g of the substance diluted in it is enough. With this solution, lilacs are watered during growth, in summer – only in extreme heat.
Caring for the Aukubafolia variety also consists in regular loosening of the soil in the area of the near-stem circle. The procedure is carried out at least 3 times a season. A decorative look to the bush gives timely pruning.
Aucubafolia lilacs are pruned in March-April. To do this, remove 2/3 of the number of flowering shoots, which stimulates the growth of the remaining branches. So the flowering of the variety will be plentiful – intact shoots form a large number of new flower buds.
Sanitary pruning is carried out at any time of the year.
Diseases and pests
According to the description, Aukubafoliya lilac is a variety resistant to diseases and pests, which is confirmed by numerous reviews. However, occasionally the plant is affected by such diseases:
- Bacterial necrosis – the disease is determined by the change in color of the leaves from green to gray, young shoots also change color to brown. It is almost impossible to cure a diseased bush of the Aukubafolia variety. The affected areas are cut out and burned. If the disease has covered more than 50% of the shrub, it is uprooted.
- Mučnistaâ rosa – this disease often affects young lilac bushes. The first sign of the disease is that the leaf plate becomes white, its surface is covered with a whitish coating. The affected areas are cut and burned. For prevention purposes, in March or April, bleach is added to the soil at the rate of 100 g of the substance per 1 m2. After that, the soil is carefully dug up. During growth, Bordeaux liquid (1%) is used to combat powdery mildew.
- Verticillary wilting – Lilac leaves curl, brownish spots appear on them. Ultimately, the shrub sheds its foliage and the lilac dries up. To combat the disease, Aukubafolia lilacs are sprayed with a solution of laundry soap and soda ash taken in equal proportions (100 g of the substance per 15 liters of water). Also use the drug “Abiga-Peak”. The damaged growth is burned.
Of the insects, the following pests are dangerous for Aukubafoliya lilacs:
- Lilac leaf mite – this parasite sucks juices from the underside of the leaf plate, as a result of which it becomes brown. Control measures involve, first of all, the treatment of the plant with copper sulphate. For the purpose of prevention, the trunk circle is fertilized with phosphorus-potassium compounds. The affected parts of the lilac are cut and burned.
- Lilac bud mite – the presence of a pest is determined by deformed buds in which the pest lives. The Aucubafolia variety is treated with a solution of copper sulphate. All damaged shoots are removed.
- Lilac mining moth – the presence of the pest becomes apparent when small dark spots appear on the leaves, after which they curl. Against these insects, the plant is treated with Baktofit, Bordeaux liquid or Fitosporin-M.
Diseases are prevented by observing the rules of agricultural technology.
Application in landscape design
To decorate garden and park areas, Aukubafolia lilacs are planted in group plantings or as part of a hedge. The combination of shrubs with coniferous crops looks beautiful. Compositions of lilac bushes of the Aukubafolia variety and peonies that bloom simultaneously with the shrub are also good.
Conclusion
Lilac Aukubafolia is a variety that is easy to care for. If you take into account the moderate need for irrigation of the shrub and choose the right site for planting, there are no problems with it. Subject to the rules of agricultural technology, he does not get sick.
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