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A wide variety of shrubs are used as ornamental plants. More and more fans of landscape design are choosing spirea to decorate. There are several varieties of this plant. Spiraea Japanese Firelight is suitable for decoration in a variety of forms. Looks great near water and as a hedge.
Description of spirea Firelight
The lush flowering of such a shrub will always attract the attention of beauty lovers. Outwardly, this is a small shrub that does not grow above 60 cm. The branches are arched, hanging down to the ground, which gives the unique look of spirea. The shrub is especially attractive because of its changing shades of foliage during autumn. In youth, the leaves have a bright red, fiery color. During the summer, the foliage takes on a greenish-yellow hue, and then becomes bright red again.
Shrub blooms with pink inflorescences from June to September. The inflorescences are corymbose and are located on the shoots along the entire length. It is a slow growing, summer flowering shrub.
Spiraea Japanese Firelight in the description is presented as a small sprawling shrub with a crown diameter of up to 80 cm.
Spiraea Japanese Firelight in landscape design
Landscaping professionals use Japanese spirea in a variety of ways. This is a very showy shrub that looks great as a decoration for any site. The plant is used:
- for decorating paths;
- in hedges;
- in rock gardens;
- near artificial lawns;
- group and single landings;
- lawn groups.
Japanese spirea looks very nice next to large plants. Best of all, this small hedge looks like framing paths in the garden.
Planting and caring for Spirea Firelight
In order for the plant to bloom twice a year and decorate the site with its healthy appearance, it is necessary to strictly observe agricultural technology and properly care for the shrub. Special care is not required, it is enough to regularly water, feed, carry out formative and sanitary pruning and prepare the shrub for winter. And also the prevention of diseases and pests will not interfere.
Planting site and seedling preparation
Japanese firelight spiraea (spiraea japonica firelight) requires a sunny position, perhaps with some light partial shade. The soil must be carefully dug up before planting, as the plant loves breathable and fertile soil.
You can plant a shrub both in autumn and in spring. Autumn planting is considered preferable. In the spring, it is necessary to be in time before the sap flow, while in the fall the optimal time is the period of leaf fall.
For planting, you will need to dig a hole with a diameter of 50 cm. In any case, the diameter of the hole should be larger than the root system. In the excavated land, add 2 parts of leafy soil, part of sod, half of humus, the same amount of sand, part of non-acidic peat.
Be sure to install drainage in the pit.
Before planting, be sure to check the root system and remove diseased, dried and too sluggish roots.
Planting a Japanese spirea plant Firelight
After the hole and planting material have been prepared, you can start planting. It is best to do this on a cloudy day.
The seedling should be placed in the center of the prepared hole, the root collar should be 3-5 cm on the surface. The root system should be lightly sprinkled with earth, then tamped and again sprinkled with earth, so to the very surface.
Be sure to pour 1,5–2 buckets of warm water under the bush. So the shrub will receive a sufficient amount of moisture to the nutrient soil.
The best option is to mulch with peat at the end of planting.
Quick rooting and the ability to adapt well will help make the site a flowering garden next year. The plant will delight the owner with its flowering shoots for several months in a row.
Watering and top dressing
Spirea shrub is undemanding to top dressing. If, during planting, a combined fertilizer or a special fertilizer for shrubs is poured into the pit, then in the first 2 years you can no longer remember about feeding or adding additional substances. The shrub will have enough initial nutritional dressings.
Then fertilization will be required, preferably in early spring. Mineral and organic fertilizers are applied in a complex, so that the plant has all the necessary trace elements for full development.
As a fertilizer, a mixture of water – 6 liters and mullein – 10 liters is applied. There also add 10 g of superphosphate. This mixture is enough to feed the bush for the whole year. If the soil is fertile enough, then it is quite possible to do without fertilizer.
Spirea is considered a drought tolerant plant, and excessive waterlogging can be harmful. A sufficient dose for an adult shrub is 20 liters of water for 7 days. A little more dosage for a young spirea during the rooting period.
Trimming
After planting, the first two years you can not do pruning. Then comes the formative pruning, which is carried out after the shrub has faded. In single plantings, most often the plant is given the shape of a ball, and in group plantings – a rectangle.
Old branches should be cut every 3 years. To do this, they are cut right at the base. Be sure to annually inspect the plant for the presence of diseased and damaged shoots, which are also removed as part of sanitary pruning.
Preparation for winter
Japanese spirea tolerates winter well. It is able to endure frosts down to -40 ° C. But you should cover the root part if the winter is expected to be harsh or too frosty. It is also recommended to cover a shrub if it is planted in the northern regions of the country with a harsh climate, where winter lasts a long time and is characterized by severe frosts.
As a shelter, you can use hay or straw, which mulch the root zone. In the spring, it is worth inspecting the plant and removing frozen shoots.
Reproduction of Japanese spirea Firelight
Spiraea Japanese Firelight photo looks very beautiful, will serve as a decoration for the site for a long time, but it must be properly propagated. Reproduction of this shrub occurs in several ways to choose from:
- cuttings;
- layering;
- seed method.
With the help of cuttings, it is excellent to preserve all the characteristics of a particular variety, and therefore it is better to use this particular method. Partially lignified shoots no older than a year are used as cuttings. Enough cuttings 15 cm long. The lower part needs to be dipped in a special solution for the formation of roots and planted in fertile soil.
To form layering, young shoots need to be pressed against the dug groove and pinned with metal staples. Then sprinkle with earth so that the top of the shoot is on the surface. Thus, if you constantly water the shoot, then by the fall you can safely transplant the plant to a permanent place of residence.
Diseases and pests
Japanese spirea has strong immunity, resists many infections and fungal diseases. But there are several types of pests that can cause serious damage to an ornamental plant:
- aphid – a common pest, from which you can escape with a standard tobacco or soap solution.
- spider mite – on the inflorescences of the pest, holes appear, as well as dry and fallen off-season leaves. To combat the pest, there are several types of different drugs that should be used strictly according to the instructions.
- Leaflet – usually appears at the end of May. It got its name for the characteristic symptoms that appear on the leaves of the shrub.
If you follow all the rules of agricultural technology, then the plant will be able to resist pests. It is also important to inspect the shrub and detect the first symptoms of the appearance of intruders in time.
Reviews about spirea Firelight
Conclusion
Spirea Japanese Firelight is popular with both landscape design professionals and amateurs. Its main advantage is unpretentious care and luxurious appearance during flowering. Splendor can be used both in single and group plantings in combination with large trees.
