Contents
A photo and description of Bumald’s spirea, as well as reviews from other gardeners about the shrub, will help you choose the best option for your summer cottage. An ornamental plant deserves attention, because throughout the season it pleases with lush flowering and an attractive view.
Description of Bumald’s spirea
Spirea Bumalda is an ornamental deciduous shrub. It is quite compact in size, its height does not exceed 1,2 m. Some varieties rarely grow more than 85-100 cm.
The crown of the spirea is rounded, spherical. Branches erect, ribbed. The young bark is green, with the age of the shrub it acquires a red-brown hue. Leaves ovate, small, light green. In autumn, they change their color to pink or red-orange. Flowers are collected in small inflorescences. The color of the petals is from light pink to purple.
The Bumald hybrid came from the crossing of 2 species: Japanese and White-flowered spirea. The description states that the plant takes root well in any climatic zone. The flowering of the deciduous shrub is long, lasting from the beginning of summer for about 2 months. Some varieties delight with inflorescences until early September.
This type of decorative spirea has its advantages:
- unpretentiousness;
- undemanding of soil composition;
- tolerable winter hardiness.
In addition, the plant adapts well to the urban climate, tolerates air pollution and drought.
Varieties of spirea Bumald
In total, more than 90 species of spirea are known in breeding. There are weeping, erect, pyramidal, creeping and spherical shrubs. All of them belong to ornamental deciduous plants.
The Bumald hybrid has several popular varieties. They differ in the height of the bush, the color of the inflorescences and the timing of flowering. Spireas grow quickly, for 3 years they will delight with flowers.
Spiraea Boumalda Anthony Waterer
Shrub Anthony Waterer is the most spectacular among Bumald’s spireas. It has bright crimson inflorescences that appear until September. The leaves of the shrub turn red in autumn, which only adds to its attractiveness. The variety was bred in 2001. The height of the plant is no more than 50 cm.
Spirey Bumald Frobeli
Variety Froebelii reaches 1,3 m, spreading crown. This Bumalda spirea blooms from late May to late September. Inflorescences are bright with a lilac tint. The disadvantage of the variety is that the tops of the shoots often freeze slightly.
Spiraea Bumalda Crispa
Crispa shrub is notable for its small height and wine-red carved leaves, which later turn green. Blossoms 2 times: in early July and again in September. Inflorescences are dark purple. Shoots tolerate frost well, do not freeze at the ends.
Spiraea Bumalda Darts Red
The variety is decorative throughout the season. The leaves of the shrub are pink at first, then dark green, by autumn they are red. Inflorescences are bright crimson. The bush itself is sprawling, low, not more than 50 cm.
Planting and caring for Bumald’s spirea
Bumald’s spirea is planted at different times. In early spring, shrubs are planted before buds swell, and in autumn – immediately after leaf fall, a few weeks before the upcoming frosts. If planting is postponed, the plant will not have time to take root and will die in winter. However, it is worth considering in which region the spirea will grow, since late planting in the Central part of Our Country will not bring positive results.
All varieties of Bumald’s spirea prefer sunny areas that are evenly lit throughout the day. In the shade, flowering will not be as attractive. The most suitable place for shrubs is the south side of the site, where there are few trees.
Spirea prefers well-drained soils, which necessarily contain leaf humus. The groundwater level at the site should be low. The shrub does not tolerate excessive soil moisture and may die.
Preparation of planting material and site
In order for spirea to please with flowering, you need to choose the right seedling. The frost resistance of the shrub and its ability to reproduce depend on this.
Bumald’s spirea seedlings are best purchased in early or mid-April in order to immediately start planting them. When buying, pay special attention to the root system. It should be well developed, without external signs of disease and damage.
If it is too early to plant a seedling, then it must be properly preserved. For this purpose, the shrub is lowered into the cellar. At a temperature of + 5 ° C, spirea is stored for 2-3 weeks.
During this time, you need to prepare a site and a pit for planting, the size of which is 30% larger than the root system. The depth of the pit is on average 40-50 cm. The bottom is well drained, a mixture of fertile soil, humus, peat and sand is poured on top.
If there are several shrubs, then it is better to arrange them in rows. Up to 50 cm is left between plants. The row spacing is no more than 45 cm. Bumald’s spirea cannot be planted too tightly, otherwise development will be disrupted.
Planting spirea Bumald
In order for Bumald’s spirea to remain decorative, the shrub must be properly planted. The photo shows the process itself. Subsequent care of the plant is simple and does not involve special manipulations.
Landing algorithm:
- Before planting, all roots are carefully straightened and cut to a third of the length.
- The seedling is kept for a day in a growth stimulator solution.
- During planting, they are deepened so that the root collar remains level with the ground.
After planting, the spirea shoots are shortened, the bush is watered abundantly. The soil is mulched so that moisture does not evaporate.
Seedlings with a closed root system are planted a little differently:
- The plant is well watered so that the moisture completely saturates the soil.
- The seedling is taken out of the container, trying not to damage the earthen ball, and immediately placed in the prepared hole.
- The root neck is left at the same level as before. You don’t need to deepen it anymore.
After planting, the plant is cared for as usual.
Watering and top dressing
The description of Bumald’s spirea indicates that the plant does not tolerate too wet or dry soil, the Anthony Waterer variety is especially sensitive to watering. The level of soil moisture must be carefully monitored, water the shrub regularly, as soon as the top layer dries.
Immediately after planting, the seedling is watered every day until it takes root. This takes over 2 weeks. In the future, the bush is watered at least 1 time in 5 days. In especially dry periods, it is necessary to moisten the soil more often.
In order for the spirea to retain the decorativeness of the leaves and fully bloom, it must be fed on time. Use nitrogen, phosphorus and potash fertilizers.
Top dressing is applied several times:
- in early spring;
- before flowering;
- after November
In early spring, nitrogen fertilizers are used, after which, throughout the growing season, mineral complexes alternate with organic matter. For lush flowering, gardeners often use humus or the Kemira Universal preparation. It is bred strictly according to the instructions.
Trimming
Bumald’s spirea is pruned in spring and summer, as this procedure does not affect the development and growth of the shrub. The shape of the crown can be formed any, in the form of a ball or a pyramid.
During spring pruning, poorly overwintered branches, dry and broken shoots are cut out. Summer haircuts are done only in the southern regions of the country so that the bush blooms again in the fall.
Once every 10 years, the bush is rejuvenated. To do this, in the spring, all shoots are shortened to the level of the soil. During the season, new young shoots will grow, which will surely bloom next year.
Preparation for winter
Spirea Bumalda is a winter-hardy plant, but it is necessary to prepare it for cold weather, especially young shoots. In autumn, the bushes are spudded with soil, covered with dry foliage, covered with spruce branches. In winter, snow is thrown under the spirea.
In regions with severe winters, spirea is covered more carefully. The shoots are tilted to the ground, pinned and covered with dry foliage. After that, the bush is covered with spruce branches and arcs for non-woven material are installed.
Diseases and pests
Spirea Bumalda is resistant to diseases and pests, but with insufficient care it can get sick. In order to prevent the bush is regularly sprayed throughout the growing season. Particular attention is paid to early spring treatments to destroy overwintered pests.
The plant is especially bothered by aphids, leafworms, and spider mites. To combat them, special preparations or folk methods are used.
aphid
Aphid attacks spirea during flowering. You can get rid of it with an infusion of onions or chemicals. Onion infusion is used at the beginning of the growing season, when there are still a few pests.
To prepare it:
- 200 g of onion peel pour 10 liters of hot water.
- Insist 5 days, after which it must be filtered.
- Use 2-3 times every 5 days.
The infusion repels not only aphids, but also has a beneficial effect on the soil, destroys all pathogenic microflora. In addition, it enriches the shrub with vitamins A and B.
Leaflet
At the end of May, when a stable temperature of + 15 ° C is established, a leaf-rolling caterpillar appears. It not only spoils the appearance of the plant, but also eats away the buds, inflorescences, which leads to a delay in flowering or its complete absence. It is necessary to fight the leafworm immediately, since the pest multiplies rapidly and gives up to 3 generations per season.
In order to prevent the bushes of Bumald’s spirea, they are sprayed with new generation chemicals. They are used every 2-3 weeks to prevent the parasite from multiplying.
Of the folk methods, field chamomile has proven itself well. The flowers and leaves of the plant are dried, ground into powder and infused for a day in the dark. For 1 liter of liquid, 100 g of raw materials will be needed. The working solution is prepared from 100 g of infusion and 0,5 l of water, to which 50 g of liquid soap are added. Spraying is repeated every 10 days.
spider mite
A particularly dangerous pest of Bumald’s spirea is the spider mite. The females of this insect hibernate in plant debris, and in spring they lay their eggs on the underside of the leaf. The affected plant dries up, white spots appear on the leaves. The tick is especially active during the dry season.
The fight against the pest is carried out by spraying the bush with the drug “Acrex”. This is the most effective remedy. Bred it according to the instructions.
Conclusion
Photos and descriptions of Bumald’s spirea, information about planting and care help to grow a beautiful shrub that will delight in flowering for more than 15 years. That is how much time spirea can successfully grow in one place.