Contents
Mock orange Virginal is an ornamental deciduous shrub of the Hydrangea family. It is unpretentious, hardy, has a good growth rate and is immune to air pollution, which makes it possible to grow a plant within the city.
In Our Country, the erroneous name of the shrub is widespread – jasmine. The confusion is caused by the similarity in appearance and flavor of the two cultures.
Description of the mock orange Virginal
Virginal mock orange (Philadelphus Virginal) is an old terry variety of garden jasmine that can grow up to 2,5-3 m in height. The crown of the shrub can reach 3 m in diameter, which gives it a rather lush and massive appearance.
The branches of the plant of this variety are erect, covered with dark green leaves. The leaf plate of the mock orange Virginal is smooth to the touch, the length of the leaf is on average 5-6 cm. By autumn, the foliage turns yellow and falls off. The average annual growth of the variety reaches 30 cm.
How the mock orange Virginal blooms
Jasmine garden Virginal blooms in June, flowering continues until July. At the same time, one feature of the flowering of this variety should be mentioned – from year to year its flowers can change their shape. Terry flowers are often replaced by simple ones and vice versa, regardless of care.
The flowers of the Virginal mock orange are snow-white, as seen in the photo below. Their size reaches 5 cm in diameter. The inflorescences in which the flowers are collected can reach 10-12 cm in length.
The flowers of the Virginal variety smell of vanilla, however, many gardeners note the similarity with the aroma of an orange tree and real jasmine. The scent intensifies as the night progresses.
Main characteristics
The Virginal variety belongs to cold-resistant species – it winters safely when the temperature drops to -25 ° C. Of course, it is still better to warm the plant for the winter, especially in the middle latitudes and in the north of the country, since in especially severe winters the ends of the shoots can freeze over.
Disease resistance in the Virginal variety is good, it almost does not get sick. Sometimes mock oranges are affected by pests.
Features of reproduction
Virginal mock orange is usually propagated vegetatively:
- layering;
- division of the bush;
- cuttings.
The easiest way to propagate the Virginal mock orange is by layering. This process looks like this:
- In the spring, a healthy shoot is chosen on the bush and bent down to the ground.
- The branch is securely fixed with a bracket and sprinkled with earth.
- In the fall, when the mock orange shoot takes root, it is transplanted to a new place.
Seeds of garden jasmine of the Virginal variety are not bred. First, this method is very labor intensive. Secondly, it often leads to the loss of varietal qualities.
Planting and caring for Virginal jasmine
Planting a Virginsky mock orange, as well as the subsequent care of a shrub, usually does not cause any special problems. The plant is hardy and unpretentious, it takes root well on almost any type of soil. A significant exception is only soil with extremely high acidity.
Recommended dates
Mock orange seedlings with an open root system are planted in spring and autumn. Planting material with a clod of earth grown in containers can be planted throughout the season, but it is better to do this in the spring in central Our Country and the north. So, Virginal mock orange will have more time to settle down in a new place.
Site selection and soil preparation
The site for planting the virginal mock orange is chosen taking into account the following recommendations:
- Garden jasmine of this variety loves the sun, so plantings are placed in well-lit places. In extreme cases, penumbra is suitable. In the shade, the flowers of the Virginal mock orange become very small.
- Garden jasmine prefers soils with good water conductivity.
- The high level of groundwater occurrence has a negative impact on the development of Virginal mock orange.
- Too wet soils also do not benefit the shrub. It is better not to plant it in wetlands.
If the soil is too heavy, it is dug up on a spade bayonet 2 weeks before planting the mock orange and diluted with sand.
Landing algorithm
During the preparation of the planting pit for garden jasmine Virginal, attention should be paid to the size of the mock orange root system, however, the average depth of the hole is 50 cm. The diameter of the pit should be in the range of 50-60 cm.
The procedure for planting a mock orange Virginal is as follows:
- A drainage layer is placed at the bottom of the landing pit. Material suitable for this: broken brick, expanded clay, pebbles, clay shards or just small stones. Regardless of the nature of the material, it can be mixed with river sand. The thickness of the drainage layer should be 10-15 cm.
- From above, the drainage is sprinkled with a small amount of garden soil mixed with humus and sand in a ratio of 3: 1: 1. Additionally, the mixture is diluted with a small amount of nitrophoska.
- Then a mock orange seedling is lowered into the pit and its roots are covered with soil. It is important to ensure that the root neck is not below ground level.
- Immediately after planting, garden jasmine is recommended to be watered abundantly.
- After that, the area under the seedling is lightly tamped and mulched by 4-5 cm. Dry leaves, sawdust, peat or compost are used as mulch.
In group planting, the distance between two adjacent pits should be at least 2 m. In order to grow a hedge from mock orange seedlings, the seedlings are placed at a distance of 1-1,5 m from each other.
Growing rules
The rules for growing mock oranges of the Virginal variety are the most standard: for the full development of the bush, timely watering is needed, 2-3 top dressings per season and good shelter for the winter. At will, garden jasmine is mulched, the soil is loosened and the ground near it is weeded.
Watering Schedule
Jasmine garden variety Virginal develops best on moderately moist soils, so it is important to observe the regularity of watering and a number of basic rules associated with this process:
- For watering the Virginal mock orange, only water that has settled in the sun is suitable. Cold water should not be used, it should at least warm up a little.
- Water garden jasmine about 2 times a week if the year is moderately hot. In the dry season, the frequency is increased to 3 times a week. If the season promises to be rainy, watering can be reduced to 1 time per week. With particularly heavy rainfall, it is completely stopped. During the flowering of the mock orange, it is watered every day.
- Each time after watering, it is recommended to slightly loosen the soil under the garden jasmine and renew the mulch layer.
Weeding, loosening, mulching
Loosening the soil is necessary in order to improve air permeability. It is especially important to carry out this procedure if, after watering or rain, the top layer of soil has compacted and began to resemble a crust.
Mulching is carried out immediately after planting, using peat, sawdust or needles for this. This is done so that moisture remains in the soil longer after watering.
Weeding the soil is carried out as needed if too much weed grows under the bush. A small shoot does not cause much harm to the mock orange.
Top dressing schedule
Virginal mock orange is fed only in the second year after planting in open ground. Before this, it is better not to apply fertilizers – they can cause burns of the root system in young fragile seedlings. On average, 2-3 top dressings are applied per season.
In the spring, the mock orange can be fed with organic fertilizers, and both mulching the near-stem circle and fertilizing the soil are suitable.
The second time the shrub is fed during the formation of buds. At this time, complex mineral fertilizers are used.
In autumn, organic matter is again used as top dressing. So, the mock orange will receive enough nutrients to safely survive the winter. If desired, instead of organic fertilizers, phosphorus-potassium mixtures can be used.
Trimming
In order for the bush to remain attractive and retain its decorative appearance, it needs to be cut from time to time. Do it in spring and autumn.
In the spring months, the mock orange is inspected immediately after removing the shelter for the winter. All frozen or broken shoots are removed from the bush and the branches that have broken out of the crown are slightly shortened.
In autumn, after flowering, all wilted inflorescences should be removed from the Virginal mock orange. In addition, it is necessary to thin out the shrub, since the thickening of the crown negatively affects its development – the leaves in the depths of the crown receive an insufficient amount of light, so the plant begins to weaken.
Preparation for winter
Garden jasmine Virginal is necessarily sheltered in the north of the country and the territory of the middle zone, especially young plants. Mature plants are not so vulnerable to low temperatures. In the south of Our Country, it is possible not to warm the mock orange at all before winter.
Preparing a shrub for wintering involves the following steps:
- The area under the bush is mulched with peat or any other suitable material.
- Then the branches of the mock orange are carefully tied up and the bush is wrapped in agrofiber.
- When precipitation begins to fall, the snow is raked up to the bush, using it as an additional shelter from the wind and cold.
Pests and diseases
In the description for the garden jasmine Virginal, it is indicated that the variety is extremely rarely sick. This is also confirmed by the reviews of gardeners – the shrub does not need preventive treatments throughout the season, which greatly simplifies the process of growing this plant.
The Virginal variety is not as resistant to insects as it is to diseases. Quite often, landings are affected by the following pests:
- bean aphid;
- spider mite;
- green leaf weevil.
To combat them, you can use industrial means (insecticides) or folk methods. The second option is preferable, since insecticides can harm the plant if the dosage is violated. In order to get rid of insects, it is better to use various infusions and decoctions of herbs:
- wormwood;
- tansy;
- yarrow;
- dandelion;
- marigolds;
- tops of potatoes and tomatoes.
Conclusion
Mock orange Virginal is considered one of the most unpretentious and durable shrubs. The combination of undemanding shrubs, its high decorative qualities and pleasant rich aroma was the reason for its wide distribution. This garden crop can be grown without much difficulty not only by a professional in the field of gardening, but also by a complete novice in this matter. Also, the virginal mock orange is a great garden decoration option for those who do not want to spend a lot of time caring for the garden. The plant needs the most minimal care to maintain its attractive appearance.
You can learn more about the features of growing mock orange from the video below:
Reviews of mock orange Virginal
It is even better not to plant the plant in the shade. I planted one bush separately from the others, in another place, so it became quite weak in the shade. I am planning to transplant.