Weigela: propagation by cuttings in spring, summer, autumn

Weigela is an ornamental shrub used in landscape design as an independent element or as a backdrop for other crops. Weigela can be propagated in various ways, in order to choose the optimal method of breeding a culture, one should study them in more detail.

How weigela breeds

Shrub breeding methods have their own characteristics that must be considered when choosing a particular method:

1. Reproduction by seeds – this method is long and troublesome. Seeds do not always sprout, so you need to take care of a sufficient amount of seed. For planting, fertile soil is used, which is poured into pots or boxes, and then seeds are sown. From above they are sprinkled with sand and covered with glass. Only after three weeks the gardener can see shoots. But planting a plant in the garden will be possible only when the seedling is three years old.
   Important! When propagated by seeds, not all species properties of weigela can be inherited.
2. Reproduction by cuttings – lignified shoots are not suitable for this method of reproduction. It is recommended to choose cuttings from last year, or summer, green ones. It is better to propagate weigela by cuttings in the fall. Suitable cuttings about fifteen centimeters long, from which the lower leaves are removed. The top of the cuttings is shortened by about half. The cut is treated with rootstock and planted in a peat-sand mixture covered with a thin layer of sand. It is necessary to insert the cutting into the ground not too deep, about one centimeter. A jar or a cut-off plastic bottle is placed on top, which subsequently will need to be cleaned every day so that the weigela is ventilated. It will take about a year and a half for the cutting to take root and take root. After that, it can be planted in a permanent place.

Below is a photo of the weigela and a description of the breeding algorithms.

How to propagate weigela cuttings in spring, summer or autumn

Weigela breeding algorithms differ depending on the time of year. In order to propagate weigela in the spring, green cuttings are suitable. Cuttings covered with lignified bark will take root for a long time, about five years.

Weigela grafting algorithm in spring:

• a stalk 10-15 cm in size with two small leaves is cut at a right angle;
• for propagation, weigela cuttings are soaked in settled water;
• prepare a peat and sand substrate in advance in a ratio of 1: 1, as well as a medium-sized pot;
• the stalk is buried in a half-pot, covered with humus and river sand, covered with a film.

It is best to place it in a greenhouse, there will be the most comfortable conditions.

For about 45 days, the weigela stalk should be in such conditions. In order to transplant it into open ground, it will take a year and a half of growth. Over time, the weigela will increase, so you will need to transplant it into a larger container.

Weigela cuttings in autumn and summer are no worse than spring ones, and are also widely used among gardeners. As soon as the plant stops blooming, you can start the cutting procedure, but if the leaves begin to change their usual dark green color, you will have to postpone the procedure until spring.

Below is a photo of weigela cuttings and a description of the breeding algorithms for shrubs in autumn and summer.

Algorithm for summer and autumn cuttings:

• the lower leaves located on the handle are eliminated;
• choose a place in partial shade in which the plant will temporarily be located;
• dig a hole about 10 centimeters in size;
• plant a cutting;
• a thin layer of sand is poured over the soil.

It will be possible to plant a plant in a permanent place next year in mid-April. By this time, the first flowers will already appear on the weigel.

You need to water the cuttings once a day, and you should also control the soil moisture. When frosts begin, the bush will need to be covered.

Recommended dates

The ideal time for plant propagation in spring is considered to be the end of April or the beginning of May, but the climatic conditions of the region must be taken into account.

Summer reproduction, which then flows into autumn, begins in mid-summer. The second half of July is the best time for planting cuttings.

Preparation of cuttings

Before planting weigela cuttings must be prepared. Preparatory measures differ depending on what time of the year the plant will be planted.

Summer cuttings are distinguished by productive reproduction, since weigela will begin to bloom at the age of two. Use young shoots that are in the first stage of lignification. The green mass is cut off, leaving only half of the leaf plate. Then the cuttings are immersed in water for a couple of hours, and then treated with growth stimulants. For example, Heteroauxin or Kornevin.

If weigela planting is planned in the spring, then it is necessary to prepare the cuttings in April. Harvesting should be done before the leaves bloom. Cuttings about 15-20 centimeters long are cut in such a way that the upper cut is above the upper leaves, and the lower cut is under the lower leaves.

Important! The cut made from below must be made straight.

In order for the crown to form, the shoots are pinched, and the first buds are torn off.

How to plant cuttings

The procedure for planting weigela cuttings is as follows:

• young green cuttings are cut, having a length of up to 25 centimeters and a thickness of half a centimeter;
• cut off the lower and upper leaves;
• cut the length of the remaining leaves in the middle of the cuttings in half so that the moisture evaporates more slowly;
• pour compost on the ground in a small layer;
• sprinkled with a layer of sand on top (about 4 cm);
• cuttings are planted in a pre-prepared greenhouse, deepening the kidneys slightly into the ground. Cuttings must be planted with a slope;
• seedlings are watered;
• in order to create the effect of a greenhouse, the cuttings are covered with a cut bottle from above.

The plant needs to be watered as needed. After thirty days, small stones can be placed under the bottle so that the weigela gets used to the environment. The plant can be planted in a permanent place only next year.

How to grow weigela from cuttings

Despite the fact that the weigela plant is unpretentious, it needs to be cared for. In particular, attention should be paid to young bushes that have not yet taken root. Mandatory is watering the plant, as well as removing weeds and loosening the soil in the trunk circle.

In order for the shrub to be beautiful, lush and healthy, it is important to follow the following rules:

1. Produce top dressing. Plant nutrition is very important. Thanks to fertilizers, the shrub will fully grow and bloom in the future. If the fertilizer was applied during planting in the ground, then it is not necessary to use top dressing during the first two years. In the third year, complex fertilizers can be used.
2. Trim shrubs in a timely manner. Young seedlings and plants do not need pruning. But when the weigela is already large enough and takes root well, it is necessary to remove frozen and damaged branches. Bushes that have been growing for a long time are recommended to be cut every three years, and it is better to choose the spring period for this. Cut off all shoots older than three years of age. In some cases, you can cut off the entire bush altogether. Such anti-aging pruning allows you to get an updated weigela bush.
3. Warm up for the winter. When frosts come, weigela should be insulated for the entire winter period. Starting in October, you can sprinkle the plant with fallen leaves to a height of about 20 cm. It is best to use twine to tie branches. The snow that falls will protect the plant from the cold. If in the area where the shrub grows, a little snow falls in winter, then the shrub can be covered with burlap, special material, film. If the bush is still slightly frozen, pruning of damaged branches will be required. Culture after freezing shoots quickly recovers.
4. Transplant. In some cases, a plant transplant may be necessary due to the fact that it has not taken root in the selected area. The spring period is better suited for this, since a bush transplanted in the autumn may not survive the winter.

Weigela shrub propagation by seeds

Weigels that are grown in gardens are hybrids or varieties. The flowers of such plants differ from wild counterparts. They are larger and have a variety of colors. One of the main disadvantages of this method is that weigela shrub can be propagated by losing its varietal properties. A plant propagated by seeds usually loses its viability quickly.

It happens that the weigela shrub propagates by self-sowing, but attempts to transplant the plant do not end in success. Under such seedlings, there is a fairly dense soil, and when you try to extract them from the ground, the root of a young plant breaks.

Deadlines

Weigela should be sown in early spring. April or May are suitable months. Only in spring there is a good chance to propagate the shrub. Unlike propagation by cuttings, the autumn and summer periods are not suitable for propagation by seeds.

Tank selection and soil preparation

For seed propagation, pots or boxes into which fertile soil is poured are ideal. Garden soil mixed with peat or sand can be used as a substrate. Before sowing the plant, the soil must be moistened by watering it. Only after that you can land.

How to plant weigela seeds

Seeds are sown in a prepared container with fertile soil. In order to maintain the temperature necessary for the seeds inside the soil, the pot is covered with a film. Seeds are regularly watered or sprayed with a spray bottle. In such a comfortable environment, there is a high chance for sprouts to sprout. After leaves appear on the sprouts, it will be possible to remove the film. The first sprouts hatch two weeks after planting. A month later, they can be planted in open ground.

Growing weigela from seeds

When the first leaves appear and before planting the plant in the ground, you need to pick young bushes. They are dug up in the fall before frost sets in, transplanted into a room with a cool temperature. The roots are covered with burlap, which is subsequently moistened periodically. When spring comes, the plant can be planted in open ground.

Weigela propagation by layering

Weigela can also be propagated using layering. The method consists in the fact that first they find a branch that is located at a close distance from the ground. It is bent and cut a little along with the bark. The cut is treated with root and crushed coal. Then a match is inserted into the cut, and this place is buried in the ground. To fix the layering, you can use studs made of metal or electrodes. It will be possible to cut off a new plant next spring, but it is better to wait until autumn. After that, the resulting seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place.

Is it possible to propagate weigela by dividing the bush

Weigela can also be propagated by dividing the bush. Bushes that are more than three years old are suitable. Numerous shoots growing directly from the ground should be formed on the bushes. The division of the bush is carried out in the fall, after the leaves have already fallen. The plant is dug up, and then part of the root with the shoot is separated from it. For this, a sharp knife or pruner is suitable. The cut must be treated with charcoal. The separated part must be dried in a warm room. After the bush dries, the shoots are shortened by half. When the snow melts, a new plant can be planted. In order for the bush not to die in winter, it must be dug in a pot and left in a dark room, sometimes watering.

Weigela transplant

It is possible to transplant a weigela seedling if it is at least three years old. If you plan to plant several bushes, then you need to make a distance of about one meter between them. If the variety is high, then the distance should be chosen about two meters.

Weigela landing algorithm:

• dig a hole 50×50 cm in size, about 40 cm deep;
• the hole is covered with gravel by about 15 cm;
• the roots are treated with a special solution and distributed in the pit;
• the planting hole is covered with soil;
• water the soil;
• earth is added to the settled soil;
• around the bush sprinkled with peat chips.

Do not transplant mature plants just like that, if it is not necessary.

Conclusion

Weigela can be propagated by both a professional gardener and an amateur gardener, and even a beginner. This is a very beautiful and unpretentious plant in the care, which can decorate any garden or local area.