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Weigela Bristol Ruby is a decorative species with red flowers and a dense crown that will decorate any site. Each gardener will appreciate such a plant, because weigela Bristol Ruby is not only beautiful, but also unpretentious, and also resistant to cold.
Description Weigel Bristol Ruby
This perennial ornamental plant is named after the German botanist Christian Weigel. The type of weigela Bristol Ruby was bred by American scientists in 1941 by crossing several other species – weigela flowering, Korean, garden and abundantly flowering. Since then, this new variety has become the most popular in Europe.
Weigela Bristol Ruby belongs to the Honeysuckle family, the Far East is considered her homeland. She lives up to 50 years. The height of the bush is 2,5 m, the crown is about 3,5 m. The leaves of the weigela Bristol Ruby are oblong, and the flowers of 4-5 petals are shaped like ruby elongated bells, combined in several pieces into inflorescences. They are quite large in size – 4 – 5 cm in diameter and smell pleasant.
The name also shows the color of the petals. The yellow center adds brightness to the ruby. Description and photo of weigela Bristol Ruby will help to get a complete picture of this plant.
Weigela Bristol Ruby in the photo:
Weigela is frost-resistant, and this is important, given the climate.
How red weigela Bristol Ruby blooms
Blooming weigela Bristol Ruby pleases the eye for about 2 weeks. She is very beautiful. Its most interesting feature is that the color of the petals changes from pale raspberry to rich ruby, as the bud blooms.
Weigela Bristol Ruby blooms 2 times, the first – in June, and the second – at the end of August. Later, in place of flowers, boxes with small seeds appear.
If you plant this shrub in the shade, it will bloom very little. If the root system is damaged, lack of moisture and nutrients, ruby bells will not please gardeners at all.
The use of weigela Bristol Ruby in landscape design
A beautiful medium sized perennial shrub with luscious green foliage suitable for a growing hedge. It looks advantageous in the garden at the entrance to the site, on a well-groomed lawn, and also as part of various compositions. Bright red flowers look great on a green background. Repeated flowering brings out the autumnal tone of the garden.
Weigela Bristol Ruby does not shed its leaves until the end of autumn, and its bushes adorn the garden for a long time, not only in summer, but also in autumn.
How hybrid weigela Bristol Ruby breeds
Hybrid weigela Bristol Ruby propagates with:
- seeds;
- cuttings.
In late February – early March, the seeds are planted in moist soil in greenhouses or at home. It is not necessary to deepen them much into the ground: just lightly sprinkle with sand (preferably river sand) and cover with a film. After about 3 weeks, the seeds should sprout.
Cuttings fit lignified and young. The first type of shoots is obtained in July, when the flowers fall off. The buds on the Bristol Ruby weigel from such cuttings will be tied up no earlier than in 5 years: that is why the bush is more often grown from young cuttings. They need to be cut in May, before the buds appear. The length of the shoot is 10-13 cm, it should contain 2-3 buds or leaves.
The cut cuttings are left in water with a growth catalyst for 12 hours (150 ml per 1 liter) in the dark and warm. Heteroauxin promotes rapid root growth. After 12 hours, the cuttings are placed in boxes with a mixture of peat and sand under the film. They are planted no deeper than 0,5 cm. It is necessary to moisten the soil well and moisten the leaves, every 3-4 days it can be treated with a very weak solution of potassium permanganate to prevent the appearance of fungi and bacteria. A month later, the roots will sprout, and the cuttings can be transplanted into the ground with the addition of humus to the mixture. It is recommended to plant a shrub on the site after 1 – 1,5 years.
Planting and caring for weigela Bristol Ruby
Weigela prefers a mild climate and is quite unpretentious. It does not need, for example, a certain acidity of the soil. In the case of properly planted and cared for, weigela Bristol Ruby grows in height and width, blooms twice during the summer. The bush adds an average of 25 – 30 cm every year. But at the same time follow a number of rules.
Recommended timing
It is better to plant or transplant weigela Bristol Ruby in spring (March – April), before the start of the flowering period. By this time, the earth will already warm up enough. If you plant in the fall, then before winter the plant may not have time to take root and die. Seedlings older than 3 years take root better.
Site selection and preparation of soil
Choose a location with plenty of sunlight. In addition, it must be protected from the winds. In a small shade, a bush can also grow and flourish, but a strong shade will lead to non-intensive flowering, slow seed ripening and early sprouts stiffening.
Soil types best suited:
- neutral, slightly alkaline;
- loamy, sandy.
Weigela Bristol Ruby loves light, fertile soil without excess moisture or stagnant water. On sandstone, there is no need for drainage.
The roots are sprinkled with peat and humus in equal proportions. An alternative option is to mix turf, sand, humus in a ratio of 1:2:2.
How to plant
Weigela Bristol Ruby is planted in loosened soil, but not too moist. It is not forbidden to add fertilizer to the pit. The roots in the pit need free space (at least 50, and preferably 60 cm deep and wide). The root neck cannot be sprinkled.
Then the seedling should be watered and topped up with soil to the desired level in case of shrinkage. After that, you need to mulch the soil with crushed bark with sawdust or peat. Mulching will retain moisture, keep weeds from growing, and keep the roots from overheating.
Growing rules
It is necessary to water, feed, and loosen and prune the shrub in a timely manner so that it pleases the gardener with beautiful flowers. Care is important even for unpretentious plants.
Growing Veggie Bristol Ruby in the photo:
Watering
Water the plant regularly, but moderately – as the soil dries out. Excess or deficiency will lead to depletion and death of the culture. In autumn, watering is reduced, since the wood needs to mature before the onset of cold weather.
Additional fertilizing
The first time weigela Bristol Ruby is fertilized in the spring with urea (20 g / m2), superphosphate (10 g/m2) and potassium (10 g/m2). If top dressing was applied during planting, the bush is fertilized in the summer when the buds swell with potassium and phosphorus (30 g / m2). The third time you can feed with one potassium at the end of September.
Loosening, mulching
The soil must be loosened every time after watering (no deeper than 5 – 8 cm) to ensure oxygen access to the roots. For mulching, sawdust is usually used, they need to be poured in a layer of 10 cm.
Pruning, crown formation
The plant should be pruned once every 1 – 2 years, in spring or summer. In July (after the first flowering), the withered part of the shoot is cut off or shortened by half. It is better to cover the place of the cut with garden pitch.
Annually it is recommended to remove 1/4 of the shoots, then the shrub will turn out to be sprawling, with a beautiful crown.
Preparation for winter
The winter hardiness of weigela Bristol Ruby is high, the climate is well suited for it. If the winter is mild, the shrub can not be insulated – it will be enough to spud it (the height of the hill is not more than 20 cm) and mulch it with peat or compost.
Usually, the culture is insulated when the leaves from it completely fly around, and the soil freezes slightly. They do it like this:
- The branches are tied together, bent or left straight on a special frame;
- The roots are covered with pine branches and leaves, burlap is laid;
- The bush is wrapped with covering material or pressed down with roofing felt, roofing felt;
- The top is covered with plastic wrap. If snow has already fallen on the site, you can fill up the entire structure. Snow saves shrubs from the cold best of all.
Pests and diseases
Weigela Bristol Ruby is quite resistant to various diseases. If an aphid attacks, the bush is sprayed with Karbofos, a solution with laundry soap or potassium permanganate. Infusions of tobacco dust (shag), garlic, potato tops, onions, hot peppers or wormwood also help. Rusty spots and rot will destroy Topsin. The bush is sprayed with a 1% solution, except for the period when the buds have not yet blossomed – then a 3% composition of the drug is diluted.
It is important to remove fallen leaves from areas where weigela Bristol Ruby grows, because this is a favorable environment for the appearance of fungal diseases.
Rodents and beetles can also be harmful, especially to the roots.
Conclusion
Weigela Bristol Ruby is a beautiful perennial shrub in the Honeysuckle family that can be used as a hedge or combined with other vegetation. It will enliven any site with its ruby-colored bluebell flowers. The culture propagates by seeds and cuttings, blooms twice in one season.
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