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Preparing weigela for winter is an important part of caring for ornamental shrubs. Abundantly flowering bush of a heat-loving plant grown in the middle lane is a subject of special pride for any gardener. To achieve the decorative qualities of weigela, care should be taken to choose the right variety and provide the plant with the most comfortable conditions. Among the varieties of the plant, Weigela Middendorf, Weigela blooming and Weigela early are distinguished by relative frost resistance. For many flower growers in the Moscow region, weigels of these varieties hibernate even without shelter. The rest of the varieties need careful warming for the winter. Features of weigela protection from winter cold depend on the variety and climate of the area.
Preparing weigela in autumn for winter
If the shrub grows in a sunny place, protected from cold winds, in fertile, not prone to waterlogging soil and receives good care during the growing season and flowering, then it tolerates the cold season well. Experienced gardeners begin preparing weigela for winter long before the end of the summer season. Moderate but regular watering, periodic loosening, proper fertilization help to increase the endurance of the plant.
The purpose of caring for weigela in the fall is to ensure that the plant is prepared for winter. The general algorithm of autumn work is as follows:
- bush cutting;
- top dressing;
- preparation of materials and tools for work and insulation of landings;
- cleaning from the site of all fallen leaves and other plant residues in which pathogens and pests may remain;
- pre-winter watering;
- mulching of near-stem circles;
- plant cover.
Winter watering and mulching
Watering plantings in preparation for winter prevents soil freezing. It is produced at the end of September in such a way that each bush has 3-4 buckets of water. If the autumn is dry, it is enough to irrigate the plantings once a week until frost or snow falls. If rainy weather has set in by this time, there is no need for additional watering, since excessive moisture is detrimental to the roots of this plant.
Mulching is another important step in preparing shrubs for frost. It is produced regardless of whether the plant is covered for the winter or not. To prevent fungal diseases, the ground should be treated with a fungicide before mulching. In the last days of September, the soil of the trunk circle is loosened, the trunk is spudded with a layer of fertile soil up to 30 cm high. Then a layer of mulch up to 10 cm thick is poured. Organic materials are used for this purpose: foliage, peat, humus, spruce branches.
How to cut weigela in autumn
Weigela tolerates pruning well and responds to it with the formation of new shoots, abundant flowering and general recovery. A haircut made in the fall allows you to strengthen the crown, which has a beneficial effect on the ability of the shrub to winter safely. one
Timing of autumn pruning weigela
Weigela of any variety blooms on last year’s shoots, so pruning should be done immediately after flowering shrubs. Some varieties can be pruned as early as the end of June, with others pruning will have to wait until September. If the weigela blooms 2 times, then the haircut should be done in the fall, after the second flowering.
Rules and schemes for pruning weigela in the fall for beginners
The following video illustrates how ornamental shrubs that bloom on last year’s shoots, including weigela, are pruned in autumn.
Weigela pruning technology in summer or early autumn involves the following work:
- trunk circles and lower branches are treated with a fungicide to protect the bush from fungal diseases;
- dried and damaged shoots are cut a few millimeters above the second live bud;
- remove weak branches;
- cut faded inflorescences;
- to rejuvenate the plants, cut off about a third of the old shoots. Anti-aging haircut is carried out 1 time in 3-4 years;
- to thin out the crown, cut off the branches growing inside the bush;
- shoots that are too prominent are pruned to give the weigel more decorative effect.
To prevent the plants from becoming infected, the garden cutting tool is disinfected, for example, ignited on a fire or wiped with alcohol. All sections with a thickness of 15 mm or more are treated with oil paint or garden varnish.
How to feed weigela in the fall
After pruning, the bush should be fed with potash or phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, which strengthen the branches and contribute to a better adaptation of the plant to winter temperatures. Instead of mineral fertilizers, ash is often used. Additionally, you can add compost or a solution of cow manure at the rate of 1 part of the raw material to 10 parts of water.
If weigela pruning was not carried out, autumn top dressing is carried out in the first half of September.
How to cover a weigela for the winter
The quality of its flowering in the next season depends on how well the weigela is covered for the winter.
You need to cover the weigela after the first cold weather sets in. Slight frosts at the beginning of winter will not damage the shrub, but only harden it. In addition, you should wait for the complete cessation of the growing season.
Do I need to cover the weigela for the winter
Weigela winter hardiness improves with age: adult plants practically do not suffer even from long frosts. Long frosts can only freeze the shoots, which will lead to less abundant flowering in the next season, but will not drastically damage the plant.
Be sure to cover the shrub in the following cases:
- young – up to 5 years of age – plants and especially newly planted or transplanted bushes;
- weigels of heat-loving varieties when grown in harsh winters;
- shrubs, the crown of which can be damaged by snow.
How to cover the weigela for the winter
Weigela shelter for the winter should be done on a dry, frosty day so that no moisture remains under the covering material, which can provoke fungal diseases.
Usually, one of two methods of constructing a shelter for overwintering shrubs is used:
- frame. This method is suitable for small bushes up to 50 cm tall. From plastic, metal or wooden arcs, a structure is constructed so that the shrub fits completely under it. Supports are also suitable, from which you can make a semblance of a hut. From above, the structure is covered with a heater, its edges are fixed on the soil. The resulting shelter resembles a greenhouse. If the winter promises to be especially severe, straw or hay is additionally laid on top of it. It is not recommended to use a film as a covering material so that moisture does not accumulate under it during thaws and the plant does not suffer from rot. It is best to use a breathable material, such as agrotex or spunbond.
- Bending down shoots. Trunk circles are insulated with grass, brushwood or spruce branches. The branches are collected, wrapped with insulating material (usually burlap) and carefully bent down. Then it remains to fix the bush in this position with hooks, additionally mulch and cover with roofing material.
In regions with snowy winters, the best covering material is snow, but still you should not count on heavy snowfalls and it is better to warm the shrub.
In winter, care must be taken to ensure that fragile branches do not break under a layer of accumulated snow.
However, in winter, not only frosts are dangerous for weigela, but also the bright winter sun, which can harm the unprotected bark. From sudden changes in temperature, the plant can get a sunburn. If the bushes are not insulated with covering material, the plants should be shaded from especially bright sunlight.
How weigela hibernates
Weigela care for the winter is characterized by the cessation of sap flow and immersion in a state of rest. Depending on the variety of weigela and the winter hardiness zone in which it grows, plants overwinter with or without warming. Heat-loving varieties cultivated in the south practically do not need additional warming measures. Do not cover and frost-resistant varieties in moderately frosty winters. Heat-loving varieties in the northern regions are covered necessarily.
When to open weigela after winter
Weigela spring care is designed to restore the plant after winter, stimulate vegetation and prepare it for abundant flowering. Already in March, before the winter shelter is removed, the bush is fed with mineral complexes.
Shelter from weigela, as well as from other decorative heat-loving shrubs, is removed, adhering to the following rules:
- You can start the procedure when the danger of frost has passed. In the middle lane, as a rule, the plant is opened with the beginning of the second decade of April;
- you need to start with airing the shelter, without removing it completely;
- holes should be made in the covering material for gradual air access;
- the mulch that has packed over the winter needs to be loosened a little to provide fresh air access to the roots;
- it is best to remove the shelter on a cloudy day so that the bush can adapt to the spring sun and does not get burned;
- within 1 – 2 weeks after the removal of insulation, it is recommended to shade the bushes.
After the shelter is removed from the weigela, a sanitary pruning of the bush is done to remove all frozen and damaged branches.
Some gardeners after wintering weigela in the open field complain that the plant has dried up. If this happens, moderate but regular watering will likely help. Even when the plant looks completely lifeless, thanks to periodic irrigation, by the summer it will be able to grow again from the remaining buds, and in some cases even bloom in the same season.
Conclusion
Preparing weigela for winter requires some effort, but still it is not very difficult even for a novice amateur gardener. If all the preparatory work is done correctly and on time, this heat-loving shrub will delight the eye with a long lush flowering even in cold regions. Even if for some reason freezing of the weigela occurs, the shrub will quickly recover due to its amazing ability to regenerate.