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In the first half of the last century, breeders set out to create a new variety of mock orange, or garden jasmine, as the shrub is also called among the people, with an unusual color. Jasmine Belle Etoile was the first successful work of the French originator Lemoine, who brought this variety at the beginning of the XNUMXth century.
Description mock orange Belle Etoile
The compact jasmine bush Belle Etoile in favorable conditions reaches a height of more than one and a half meters. In cold climatic conditions, the shrub grows no more than a meter. Its crown volume is not too large and does not exceed one and a half meters.
Oblong dark green and slightly pointed leaves (4-5 cm long) acquire a lemon hue over time.
How the garden jasmine Belle Etoile blooms
Large white flowers, collected in small inflorescences up to 5 pieces, have a bright pinkish-purple spot on the corolla. This is the main distinguishing feature of the hybrid. Belle Etoile blooms in late spring. Flowering can continue until mid-June. Splendor, longevity of flowering and the size of the corollas largely depend on the growing conditions and proper care. Unlike most mock orange varieties, Belle Etoile garden jasmine is sensitive to conditions. With a lack of nutrients in the soil, a lack of moisture and light, the flowers of this beautiful shrub become smaller, and their flowering period is shorter.
Photo of flowering jasmine Belle Etoile:
An amazing strawberry aroma with notes of exotic fruits has not left gardeners indifferent for many decades.
When choosing a shrub seedling for planting, it is easy to make a mistake. Varietal features of the shrub become visible when the first flowers appear. In addition to the mock orange Belle Etoile, there are several other varieties with two-color flowering. But the spots on the corollas of other garden jasmine are less bright.
It is better to purchase seedlings in specialized stores or nurseries, where they can submit documents with a photo and description of the mock orange Belle Etoile.
Main characteristics
Despite the thermophilicity of the shrub, the Belle Etoile hybrid mock-up can tolerate frosts up to 25 degrees. At lower temperatures, young shoots of the plant suffer. After pruning, the mock orange grows back easily.
The Belle Etoile variety is relatively resistant to diseases. With an excess of moisture or an incorrectly chosen place for planting, the bush may suffer from leaf spot and some fungal diseases of the trunk and roots.
Garden jasmine Belle Etoile can be attacked by leaf-eating insects. Aphids, spider mites and some other pests are dangerous for decorative shrubs.
You can see an overview of the characteristics of the Belle Etoile mock orange in the video:
Features of reproduction
Mock orange Belle Etoile, like other garden jasmines, is easily propagated by dividing the bush, layering, cuttings and sowing seeds. But not all methods are equally good for a hybrid variety of garden jasmine.
The division of the root of the mock orange Belle Etoile makes it difficult for the size of the bush. It is difficult to dig a highly branched meter plant out of the ground without damaging the roots. Therefore, this method of reproduction is used very rarely.
The easiest way to propagate garden jasmine is by layering or cuttings. These methods allow you to quickly breed mock orange in the garden while maintaining the varietal characteristics of the hybrid variety.
Layering can propagate mock orange Belle Etoile throughout the season. Young shoots close to the ground are tilted and secured with pins. Foliage must be removed from most of the process. Otherwise, when filling with soil, the future seedling may rot. Caring for garden jasmine layering consists in regular watering. You can plant a bush either in the year of digging, or the next, with a developed root system of culture.
Experts recommend breeding Belle Etoile varietal mock-up by cuttings. The mass of planting material can be obtained with the formative pruning of the shrub. Cuttings are harvested in spring and autumn. Autumn blanks of mock orange are stored in a cool basement or dug in a plot in places where there is a high snow cover in winter.
To root cuttings of garden jasmine, light sandy loamy soil is required. It is required to maintain constant humidity. To do this, containers with cuttings are covered with a film or plastic caps.
The cuttings are cut with a sharp knife at an angle of 45 degrees. The length of the workpiece can be from 15 to 25 cm with two pairs of leaves. The upper leaves are cut in half, and the lower ones are removed completely.
For rooting in room or greenhouse conditions, the cuttings are ready for planting in one and a half to two months.
Planting and caring for jasmine Belle Etoile
To plant a Belle Etoile garden mock-up, you need to choose the right place. The shrub cannot develop well on swampy soils or soils with a close occurrence of groundwater. Garden jasmine needs good drainage so that the moisture-loving plant does not suffer from fungal diseases during the rainy season.
Recommended dates
Belle Etoile can be planted in early spring or early autumn. Spring seedlings require more care, while autumn seedlings need mandatory shelter. Young seedlings may suffer from frost. After all, the winter hardiness of the mock orange Belle Etoile is not too high.
Site selection and soil preparation
In order for garden jasmine to actively develop and bloom, the site must be chosen sunny and protected from strong winds. The shrub can also grow in partial shade. But at the same time, the decorative effect of the flowering of mock orange decreases.
When preparing the soil, it should be noted that this is a long-lived shrub. If rejuvenating pruning is carried out in a timely manner, then mock orange can be grown in one place for more than 20 years. Therefore, the soil must be highly fertile. Otherwise, garden jasmine will lose its decorative effect over time.
For planting mock orange Belle Etoile, a mixture of soddy soil, peat, humus and sand is prepared. The pH level should not exceed 7,7.
The interval between separately planted bushes is made from a meter to one and a half. But when creating a hedge from mock orange Belle Etoile (Beautiful Star), the shrub is planted at a distance of 50 – 60 cm.
Landing algorithm
For a single planting of mock orange, a pit is prepared with a size of 0,5 m in width and length. The depth must be calculated taking into account the location of the root neck of the seedling. Usually they dig a hole about 50 – 60 cm. The sequence of actions:
- Pour 15 – 20 cm of coarse-grained drainage mixture (fragments of bricks and tiles, large pebbles, coal).
- Pour at least a bucket of water into the hole.
- Try on a seedling (its root neck should be no more than 3 cm below the soil level).
- Pour soil into the middle of the planting hole with a slide.
- Install seedling.
- Sprinkle with water to straighten the roots.
- Evenly cover with soil, lightly tamping it in a circle.
- Mulch the trunk circle with compost or humus.
A few days after planting the mock orange, you need to monitor the condition of the trunk circle. The soil may gradually settle, exposing the root neck. As necessary, the soil should be poured.
Growing rules
According to the description, Belle Etoile jasmine is quite demanding to care for. For the normal development of the shrub and its lush flowering, regular watering, weed removal and loosening are needed.
Watering Schedule
The first time after planting the mock orange in the ground, it is required to water it daily. Up to 30 liters of water should be poured onto one bush. In the future, such frequent watering is carried out only in hot and dry weather. In the rainy period, it is enough to water the shrub no more than 1 time per week.
Weeding, loosening, mulching
Weed control around garden jasmine is ongoing. Wild plants not only rob Belle Etoile of nutrients, but can also become a source of infection.
After the first watering, the soil in the near-trunk circle must be loosened to a depth of 8 cm. After that, the soil must be mulched. These actions will help maintain its moisture and permeability. If the layer of mulch is made thick enough, then re-loosening will not be required soon.
Top dressing schedule
In the spring, before flowering, top dressing is carried out every year. Chubushnik needs organic matter. Gardeners use cow dung at a dilution of 1 to 10. This amount is enough to fertilize an adult plant or two young shrubs.
Jasmine of the second year of life during the flowering period is fed with mineral fertilizer. You can use ready-made complexes for shrubs or independently make a solution of urea and potassium sulfide, 15 g per 10 liters of water with the addition of 25 g of superphosphate. This amount of solution is enough to feed a bush that has reached its maximum size.
When the mock orange fades, gardeners feed it a second time. To restore strength, the shrub needs potash fertilizers. You can use dry or dissolved wood ash or potassium sulfate (20 g per bucket of water).
Trimming
Sanitary pruning is carried out in early spring. After the snow has melted, frozen shoots and damaged branches should be removed. Infected or weak shoots are removed completely “to the stump”.
At the same time, formative pruning is also carried out, shortening strong shoots by several centimeters. This stimulates the growth of the shrub.
Anti-aging pruning should be carried out no more than 1 time in 7 – 8 years. At the same time, all the old growth is cut out, leaving 4-5 strong shoots.
Preparation for winter
Unlike mock oranges of the Vekhi selection (Academician N.K. Vekhov), a guest from France needs shelter for the winter. It is especially important to warm the plant in winters with little snow.
Before the first snow, you need to fill the root space with a thick layer of mulch. To do this, use a mixture of humus, compost and dry foliage.
Young bushes must be covered with lutrasil or other non-woven material. Make it simple. A high pole is installed in the middle of the bush, on which the winter shelter is attached.
Pests and diseases
Garden jasmine Belle Etoile is considered to be resistant to plant diseases, problems arise mainly due to care errors. With severe waterlogging or insufficient soil permeability, the bush can be affected by gray rot or similar diseases. Treatment consists in removing the affected parts of the bush and treating it with a fungicide.
The bean aphid and the weevil are more likely to infect the mock orange. To combat them, sticky traps are installed and the plants are treated with insecticide. To avoid contamination of garden jasmine, preventive treatments are carried out in early spring.
Conclusion
Jasmine Belle Etoile is one of the most beautiful representatives of its kind. Thanks to its delicate aroma and original coloring, the shrub has enjoyed a well-deserved love of gardeners for many decades.