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A lush, low shrub strewn with small white flowers is the oak-leaved spirea. Plants are used for decorative purposes for arranging park areas and personal plots. Spirea is an unpretentious plant, therefore it is quite widespread, even in the northern regions.
Description of oak-leaved spirea
The name of the oak-leaved spirea in Latin is written as Spiraeachamaedryfolia. The homeland of the plant is considered the middle zone of Our Country. Currently, the shrub is rarely found in the wild. It is mainly grown for landscaping and landscaping.
The description of the oak-leaved spirea should begin with a photo demonstration. It is known that the shrub reaches 2 m in height. It has long branches down to the ground. During flowering, they acquire a beautiful curve. The crown of the shrub is quite lush, has a rounded shape.
The flowers are small, white, collected in lush inflorescences of 20 pieces each. Spirea pleases with flowering from the beginning of May until the end of the month, on average about 25 days. The leaf of the oak-leaved spirea is oblong, with notches, dark green above, gray below. It reaches 4–4,5 cm in length.
In diameter, a lush bush can reach 2 m.
Planting and caring for oak-leaved spirea
On well-fertilized soils, this crop grows and develops better. Also, the plant needs to highlight the sunny side of the site where it will grow.
Preparation of planting material and site
It is important to fertilize the land for planting with humus, peat or river sand. The place is chosen sunny, bright, light partial shade is possible. The darker the side, the fewer flowers will form on the spirea.
The soil for planting must be thoroughly loosened and slightly moistened. This crop does not tolerate abundant watering, as well as the presence of lime in the soil.
Seedlings are soaked in water before planting to avoid excessive root dryness. For planting in open ground, plants with a well-developed root system are chosen.
Rules of landing
When planting young plants in open ground, they follow certain rules and take into account the characteristics of the plant. Oak-leaved spirea does not like shaded places with drafts.
Landing is carried out in the spring-autumn period as follows:
- Dig a hole no deeper than half a meter.
- Drainage is laid at the bottom: pebbles, gravel or expanded clay.
- Before planting, the rhizome of the seedling should be soaked in water for 1 hour.
- The seedling is lowered into the hole vertically and covered with fluffy earth, not higher than the level of the root neck.
- The soil around the trunk is slightly trampled. After the bush is watered abundantly. A bucket of water will suffice. Then the soil around the trunk is sprinkled with peat.
Watering and top dressing
On rainy days, the oak-leaved spirea does not need watering. In summer, in a drought, the bush is watered 2 times a month. The amount of water for one irrigation is 12-14 liters. After watering, the soil must be loosened and mulched. Do not allow stagnation of moisture at the rhizome. In the process of loosening, care must be taken not to damage the roots located close to the surface of the earth.
In spring and summer, it is necessary to feed the plant, but no more than 2 times. For the first time, oak-leaved spirea can be fertilized with universal mineral additives, then with a solution of mullein.
Trimming
In order to preserve the beautiful shape of the spirea crown, protect it from pests and fungal diseases, it is important to prune in time. Do this in the summer after the bush has faded. Carry out the procedure annually. Pruning begins with cutting off dry, broken branches. Then shorten too long and old processes. Leave branches about a quarter meter long.
This can stimulate the growth of side shoots, the crown will lose its shape, the bush will stop blooming.
Preparation for winter
The oak-leaved spirea tolerates winters well in central Our Country. But, if, according to forecasts, a cold is promised, or the crop is grown in the northern regions of the country, the oak-leaved spirea must be wrapped up. Only the rhizome is insulated. To do this, the soil around the trunk is covered with spruce forest, large pieces of bark, fallen leaves.
Reproduction
The oak-leaved spirea propagates by seeds and shoots. For sowing seeds, prepare boxes filled with a mixture of soil and humus. The earth is well fluffed up and the seeds are evenly spread at a sufficient distance from each other, at least 5 cm. After that, the planting material is covered with peat. The layer should not be thicker than 1 cm. Sowing in boxes is carried out in early spring.
After about 7-14 days, the first sprouts of oak-leaved spirea will appear. It is important during this period to disinfect them with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After 2 months, grown plants can be transplanted into open ground. For the beds choose a shady place. Young seedlings need regular watering. The annual growth of oak-leaved spirea in the first season after planting will not exceed 10 cm. The next year, plant growth will accelerate.
Also, a young plant of oak-leaved spirea can be obtained by rooting shoots. To do this, choose the longest and strongest process. Gently tilt it to the ground and fix it. The place of contact between the branch and the earth is sprinkled with soil. The free end of the shoot is directed upwards and tied to a support.
In the warm season, the mother bush and layering are watered. The rooting of the shoot will occur this year before the onset of autumn, but it will be possible to separate it from the mother bush of the oak-leaved spirea only next year. The first color on the layer must be cut off. So the seedling will develop better.
You can also propagate the oak-leaved spirea by cuttings. They are cut from branches with a formed dense bark. Each cutting should not be longer than 10 cm. The cut is treated with a tool for better formation and development of the root system.
For planting cuttings, prepare plastic or wooden boxes and fill them with earth from the garden, loosen it well. After about a couple of months, half of the cuttings should form a root. In the spring, such seedlings can be transferred to garden beds.
Diseases and pests
The oak-leaved spirea is often attacked by the most common pests of horticultural crops: aphids, leafworms, spider mites. Insects cause particular damage to the plant from June to August.
Spider mite females can even spend the winter in the leaves of the plant, and in the summer lay eggs and breed. In case of a disease with a spider mite, leaves rolled into a tube, cobwebs on the branches can be observed. Later, the foliage begins to dry out and crumble.
As a preventive measure, it is important to carry out autumn pruning to remove pests with branches and prevent them from overwintering. Cut shoots and branches are carried outside the garden plot. Then they are burned or lowered into a compost pit.
To avoid fungal diseases of the rhizome, the soil around the spirea is regularly fluffed up. This prevents stagnation of moisture and the formation of fungi.
Conclusion
Oak-leaf spirea is a beautiful flowering ornamental plant that is successfully used in landscape design. The bush looks good against the background of deciduous and coniferous trees. With the help of spirea, you can create a lush snow-white hedge or fence for a flower bed.
