Spirea Vangutta - an elegant hit in the garden

During flowering, this magnificent shrub resembles a snow-white cloud, but not in the sky, but on the ground. In addition to the spherical inflorescences that cover the branches of the shrub, it also has foliage that is luxurious in its beauty, painted on both sides in different shades Green colour(from above - to dark, and from below - to light), which in autumn changes from green to orange-red. Sometimes you can hear how Spiraea is mistakenly called "Meadowsweet" because of the similarity of plants to each other. In fact, they are not even "relatives", since Vangutta's spirea is a shrub, and Meadowsweet is a grass. To see this beautiful plant with your own eyes, you need to know how planting and care is carried out.

Spirea Vangutta - description

This frost-resistant species was bred in France as a result of crossing by breeders of two already existing species– Cantonese spirea and three-lobed spirea. tall the new kind does not exceed 2 meters. During the flowering period of the shrub, its branches are completely covered with flat umbrella-type inflorescences, which are usually painted white - in the photo is the Snow White variety.

But there are also pink flowers. It is this color that has Spirea Vangutta, a variety bearing the name " pink ice ».

Despite the fact that given plant belongs to the shade-tolerant, stronger and more beautiful, it will only be when the area where Spirea Vangutta lives is well lit by the sun - care comes down to regular watering.

This shrub is also unpretentious to the soils of the areas where it grows, although experts note that Spiraea develops best on sandy soils, and not in areas with high soil moisture - then care is much more complicated.

The beauty of this ornamental shrub is the main reason that landscape designers most often plant Spirea Vangutta as part of a hedge. However, the same landscape designers recommend planting this shrub on the banks of artificial reservoirs on the site (for example, on the bank of a pond), where they will become a miniature analogue of a weeping willow, or near a low fence.

A single bush of Spirea Vangutta, planted in the middle of a flower bed or lawn in front of the house, looks original and very beautiful ( see photo).

Reproduction of Spirea Vangutta

Reproduction of this ornamental shrub can be carried out both by seeds and cuttings. Seeds do not need to germinate before planting in the soil. They are sown dry in the soil ( see photo), which should be the most fertile in its composition on your site. Her upper layer it is necessary to pre-mulch, mixing with peat crumbs and compost - care is only in watering. When the seeds sprout and the sprouts reach a height of 10 cm, they must be dived. Landing on permanent place performed next spring.

However, the germination of seeds of Spirea Vangutta is very low (only 5%). Therefore, they multiply this shrub most often cuttings.

To obtain high-quality cuttings, only strong, strong shoots are selected, which are cut from the bush, two weeks after the flowers wither. Then the cuttings must be planted in containers with a pre-prepared substrate from a mixture of sand and peat, taken in equal parts. After that, the containers are placed in greenhouse conditions, where care is to constantly maintain high humidity air. spring next year plants can be planted in open ground at the place of their permanent growth, for example, as part of a hedge.

Planting Spirea Vangutta and care in the first year

Depending on when you want to contemplate this shrub in bloom, the time of its planting in the soil is also chosen. If you love when Spirea makes you happy spring bloom, then its planting should be carried out in the fall, as soon as the shrub sheds all its foliage. Then it will bloom throughout April-May. If you want to see Spirea inflorescences in the summer, then it can be planted both in spring and autumn. The main requirement that must be observed in this case is that planting should be carried out either before the buds open (in spring), or after full reset leaves (autumn).

If it is necessary that the shrub bloom in autumn, then it should be planted in the spring, but before the first leaves appear on the branches of Spirea.

Another important requirement for planting this shrub is that before being placed in the ground, it is necessary to trim excess shoots (too long and thin), and also thin out too thick root system.

First of all, remove those roots that:

• shrunken;
• were damaged during excavation;
• affected by some phyto-disease.

If you did not dig up the bushes before planting, but purchased them in containers, as in the photo, then you should not free the roots from dry soil. It is better to fill the container with water for three hours, after which the plant can be easily removed from the box, and caring for the transplanted bushes will be greatly simplified.

Before planting Spirea Vangutta, it is necessary to prepare landing pit, which should be deep enough to fit both the roots of the plant and the drainage layer, as well as a layer of fertilizer in the form of tofu crumbs mixed with compost. More precisely, the depth of the planting hole should exceed the length of the plant by approximately 0.2 meters. The drainage layer is made of sand and gravel mixture or crushed stone. All soil removed from the planting pit during digging must be mulched by mixing it with sand and compost before falling back into the pit. Then the soil around the seedling must be very well tamped and watered abundantly. At the same time, please note that seedlings cannot be watered. cold water but only the one at room temperature.

shrub care

Despite the unpretentiousness of this ornamental shrub, improper care (for example, if the soil is too waterlogged) can lead to the fact that Spirea can be affected by pests such as:

• meadowsweet blue sawfly ( see photo);
• kidney gall midge;
• beet aphid.

If you notice the first signs of damage to the shrub by these insects, then immediately remove the leaves on which they settled from the branches and burn them, and the entire plant must be treated with a fungicide.

The main thing that needs to be done when caring for Spirea Vangutta is regular, but not too plentiful watering, as well as crown pruning. For this variety of this ornamental shrub, the autumn formation of the crown by pruning is a prerequisite for the healthy growth of the plant and its violent flowering. Do not be afraid to cut the shoots, because after this procedure the plant will very quickly start up new shoots that will bloom much more magnificently than the old branches.

If during the wintering period the plant suffered very coldy, then the tips of its branches, as a result of freezing, may die. These dried shoots must be removed without fail in the spring before the first foliage appears on Spiraea.

For normal growth and violent flowering of Spirea Vangutta, it is enough to produce only one top dressing of the plant throughout the year. To do this, in the spring, complex fertilizers must be applied to the soil.

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Blooming spirea Vangutta leaves no one indifferent experienced gardeners, nor novice plant growing enthusiasts. And the point is not only in the amazing shoots strewn with white flowers, but also in the unpretentiousness of this ornamental shrub, in the ease of planting and caring for the Vangutta spirea. This variety of spirea has been grown since 1868, and was obtained through the efforts of breeders who crossed Cantonese and three-lobed spirea plants. As a result, a plant with a 2-meter crown was obtained, which, during flowering, turns into a cascade of shoots strewn with snow-white flowers.

The mass opening of Vangutta spirea buds occurs in June or July, if the spring turns out to be protracted and rather cold. With a favorable set of circumstances, inflorescences appear again on the spirea bush in August, but there are much fewer of them than the first time.

If in the 19th century botanists managed to get spirea only with white five-petalled flowers and dark green leaves, today there are forms with pink and double flowers, as well as with variegated very decorative foliage.

This expands the possibilities of using spirea in landscape design and expands the circle of admirers of this amazing plant.

Spirea Vangutta requirements for soil and planting site

A truly abundant flowering of Vangutta spirea can only be achieved if the plants receive enough sunlight. If a hedge from spirea or free-standing shrubs will be in the shade, you should not wait for a scattering of white flowers on the shoots. Otherwise, the plant is unpretentious and does not require special care for the landing site. Growing and caring for spirea can be further simplified if you create optimal conditions for the growth of the shrub.

Like all members of the family, Vangutta spirea prefer loose, well-drained soils with a moderate amount of nutrients and acidity from 6 to 7 units.

The best soil is a mixture of two parts of soddy land, one part of sand and the same volume of lowland:

• Peat or sand is introduced into dense loamy soils or chernozem before planting spirea.
• Sandy loams poor in organic matter are enriched with humus and mineral additives.
• Excessively acidic soil in the area must be deoxidized.

Planting Vangutta spirea and caring for seedlings

For spirea shrubs, it is preferable autumn planting. If it is not possible to plant a seedling in the ground until mid-October, this can be done in the spring, before the active movement of juices begins. Even large bushes Vangutta spireas acclimatize well after transplantation. The main thing is that the plant that has got to a new place:

• had enough space for the root system;
• did not experience a lack of nutrition and moisture;
• had time to take root before the onset of frost.

As a rule, the habituation of seedlings with an open root system is more painful, but young bushes that fall on the site in containers and are transferred to the ground along with an earthy clod immediately begin to grow. Therefore, planting and caring for spirea in this case is much easier, and you can plant shrubs at any warm time of the year.

A tall shrub of this species is perfect for both single landings and for use in hedges. In both cases, the pits for spirea should be 20–25% larger in volume than the root system of the seedling.

In this case, it should be taken into account that at the bottom of the planting pit, a drainage layer with a thickness of 7 to 20 cm is provided, depending on the type of soil and occurrence. ground water.

If Vangutta spirea shrub is used:

• in a single planting, the pit for the plant should have a depth of 50 cm and the same diameter;
• in groups, the distance between adjacent seedlings should not be less than 0.7–1.5 meters.
• in a spirea hedge, then dig holes for planting at a distance of half a meter between individual plants and adjacent rows.

Spirea care begins immediately after planting. Stem circles compact and water well warm water with the expectation to wet the entire root system of the shrub. To save moisture, the soil under the crown is mulched with peat.

Vangutta spirea shrub care

All measures for growing and caring for the Vangutta spirea come down to regular plants, weeding and shallow loosening of the soil in the trunk circle, pruning and top dressing. In the dry season, and also after pruning, spirea bushes are watered so that the soil is wetted to a depth of about half a meter.

Weeding and loosening the soil will improve the aeration of the soil, the plant will receive more moisture, nutrition and oxygen. To reduce the volume of irrigation water, you can use mulching.

Spirea hedges of this species easily tolerate sanitary cutting, but it is important to consider that flower buds develop on the shoots of the second year of life, and their pruning should not be affected. But after flowering, nothing prevents the gardener from cutting off the faded shoots, and completely shortening the old ones to a strong bud, from which a new powerful branch will appear. In time sanitary pruning remove branches older than 7 years of age, lateral processes shading the crown and shoots with traces of diseases and the presence of pests.

After the removal of weak and interfering shoots, the spirea shrub is quickly restored. Plants and frosts are not strongly affected. Even if some of the shoots are damaged by frost, after pruning, the green mass soon resumes.

To support the strength of the shrub, before flowering, complex plants are introduced under the roots for ornamental crops. The same top dressing will not hurt before the onset of cold weather.

Spiraea in landscape design: photos and examples of use

Plants of this species have found the widest application as spirea hedges, which help not only hide the site from prying eyes, but also become its true decoration.

A voluminous bush with drooping shoots will look good against the background of other ornamental crops, such as mock orange or lilac. Vangutta spirea shrub is good in both group and single plantings. It will not be lost anywhere and will become the center of any composition.

Good neighbors for the Vangutta spirea will be relatives of the summer flowering period that take over the baton.

From the photo of spirea in landscape design, one can judge the versatility and high decorativeness of this plant in different seasons of the year. In the spring, the shrubs are covered early with beautiful green or variegated foliage, followed by abundant flowering lasting up to three weeks. And even after him, the Vangutta spirea does not lose its charm. By autumn, its leaves take on a variety of shades of yellow, orange, red and deep purple.

Spirea Vangutta White Bride - video

It is probably impossible to imagine a more beautiful and ornamental shrub than spirea. A magnificent waterfall of falling snow-white flowers is able to turn the Vangutta spirea from an ordinary shrub into a lush one. decorative ornament garden. In this species abundant flowering with strong honey aroma. The name of the shrub comes from Greek word speira, which means "bend". In the people, the shrub is called meadowsweet. In our today's article, let's talk about the Vangutta spirea. Planting and care, photos of this amazing shrub - all this is presented below!

Spirea varieties

Before we move on to the description, characteristics and recommendations for caring for this plant, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the most popular varieties of this species. He has several decorative forms Let's talk a little more about them:

1. Snow White. Another name for this spirea is the White Bride. A classic variety with huge snow-white inflorescences in the form of lush umbrellas, about 60 cm in diameter. Spreading shrub, up to two meters high.
2. Snow white. Spirea white, the variety was bred in Canada. The plant is compact - no more than 150 cm high, 180 cm in diameter. It has rather large inflorescences white color.
3. Pink Ice. Unusually beautiful and delicate spirea with large white inflorescences. Pink Ice has young growths of rich crimson color with white-marbled foliage. Which soon (it happens gradually) are covered with cream spots. The variety is winter-hardy, but in severe frosts the tips of young shoots can freeze slightly.
4. Gold Fontaine. The variety was bred by Polish breeders. Spreading shrub, slowly growing, not more than 120 cm high and up to 150 cm in crown. White flowers of this variety are collected in corymbose inflorescences.

Spirea Vangutta: photo and description

The plant belongs to the fast-growing ornamental shrubs from the Pink family. A deciduous hybrid was obtained by crossing between two spireas - three-lobed and Cantonese. This variety has been known since 1868. If in the 19th century botanists managed to get plants with only white five-petal flowers and dark green leaves, then today there are various forms spirea with pink double flowers and variegated decorative foliage.

According to the description, the Vangutta spirea grows up to 2 meters in height, the diameter is exactly the same size, it has a sprawling, cascading crown. The branches of the shrub curve down in an arcuate manner. Spirea leaves are 3- or 5-lobed, obovate, serrated at the edges. Most often, their length is about 3.5 cm. The upper side is painted dark green. saturated color, and below they are a dull bluish hue. Huge hemispherical inflorescences, consisting of white flowers, cover the shoots along the entire length. Blooming Spirea Vangutta (pictured below) blooms in mid-June, and sometimes in early July, flowering continues for several weeks. In the second half of July or in August, the spirea blooms again, but there are slightly fewer inflorescences than in the first bloom. Vangutta fruits ripen by mid-autumn.

Planting spirea: soil selection

It is possible to achieve lush abundant flowering of this shrub only on the condition that the plant has been in the sun for a sufficiently long time. Otherwise, spireas are unpretentious in their care, and they do not need special care and a specific place for landing.

For representatives of this family, loose, drained soils are most suitable, with the presence (in moderation) of nutrients. It is best to prepare soil for planting, consisting of the following components: 2 parts of soddy land, 1 part of sand and the same amount of lowland peat. It is recommended to conduct a soil analysis before planting and perform the following activities:

1. In heavy loamy soils or black soil, peat or sand must be added before planting shrubs.
2. Soils poor in organic matter, on the contrary, are enriched with fertile soil and mineral additives.
3. If the composition of the soil is too acidic, it should be deoxidized.

Landing

For this type of shrub, autumn planting is preferable. Spirea Vangutta is planted in the ground no later than mid-October. If this was not possible, planting can be done in the spring before the active movement of plant juices begins. When planting a plant in a new place, you need to pay attention to the following nuances:

• optimal place for the root system;
• eliminate the lack of nutrition and moisture;
• plants need to take root before the onset of frost.

It has been noticed that seedlings with an open root system take root much more painfully than young bushes brought to the site in containers along with an earthen clod. Such plants start growing almost immediately, and therefore planting and care are much easier. In this case, plants can be planted at any warm time of the year. When planting Vangutta spirea at the bottom of the planting pit, it is necessary to lay drainage, the thickness of which is from 7 to 20 centimeters, it depends on the type of soil, as well as the occurrence of groundwater. If a spirea shrub is used:

• in a single landing, in this case it is necessary to prepare a landing pit with a depth of 50 cm and the same diameter;
• in groups, the distance between seedlings must be maintained as follows - 0.7-1.5 m;
• as a hedge, planting holes in this case are located at a distance of one and a half meters both between plants and between adjacent rows.

After planting, Vangutta spirea care begins immediately. First of all, it is necessary to compact well and shed with warm water in such a way that the entire root system of the plant is well moistened. For longer preservation of moisture, soil mulching is carried out around the trunk circles.

Care

Planting the Vangutta spirea (the photo cannot convey all the features) and caring for it are quite simple and not laborious. In a drought, and also after pruning a shrub, it must be watered so that the soil in the near-stem circle is wetted to a depth of about 50 cm. The water consumption per one seedling will be about two large buckets. The rest of the time, the Vangutta spirea does not need abundant watering during care, but prefers moderate watering. After this event, the soil must be loosened and weeds removed in a timely manner.

pruning

Pruning not only forms the crown of the shrub, but also provokes the formation of new shoots, as well as laying flower buds, which allows the spirea to bloom even more magnificently. Pruning is carried out after flowering, at the time when the branches are exposed, partial drying occurs, and the flowers become smaller. This procedure is performed depending on the timing of flowering shrubs. Branch pruning is performed either under the stump (especially in older plants), or only dry, old or damaged branches are cut. If suddenly mature plant it became scarce to bloom, then after it sheds foliage, it is necessary to carry out rejuvenating pruning of the shrub. In order for it to develop well and bloom profusely, it is necessary to carry out one top dressing. complex fertilizers designed for ornamental plants.

reproduction

Spirea Vangutta has the following feature: seed germination is only 5% of the total. Therefore, most often plants are propagated by layering, dividing the bush or cuttings. Let's consider these methods in more detail.

Rooting layering

This is one of the easiest ways to propagate spirea. For this in early spring the lowest semi-lignified branch of the shrub is bent to the surface of the earth, and then placed in a specially dug groove, leaving only the top of the shoot on the surface. The branch is fixed with a metal pin, and then sprinkled with fertile soil. Throughout the season, the layers are moderately watered, and before the onset of winter they are covered with dry leaves. With the onset of spring, the rooted branch is cut off and transplanted to a new place.

The division of the bush

This method of propagation of Vangutta spirea is easy to carry out during plant transplantation. The shrub is dug up and divided into right amount parts, in each of which strong roots and well-developed shoots should remain. Slices are best treated with crushed coal. Then the roots are planted in pre-prepared holes.

cuttings

This method is used 2 weeks after flowering. Healthy and strong shoots are chosen as cuttings. Prepare a substrate consisting of river sand and peat, taken in equal proportions, and cuttings are planted in it for rooting. It is recommended to place the shoots in a greenhouse or greenhouse, this will provide high level air and substrate humidity. A year later, the cuttings have a well-developed root system and are planted for growing in separate containers.

Pest protection

dangerous pests for the Vangutta spirea, aphids, rose leaf, multi-colored miner are considered. But the most dangerous pest for this plant species is the spider mite. In the last month of spring, females spider mite settle on the underside of the leaves and weave a web there. During the season, about a dozen generations of ticks are formed, which completely destroy the leaves. The latter begin to turn yellow, dry out and fall off. For pest control, the following methods are used: chemical, agrotechnical and biological. If you carefully look after the shrubs, carry out timely watering, apply spraying of the plant in drought, carry out top dressing, then such actions will surely give positive result.

landscape design

Most wide use kind of these ornamental shrubs received in the creation of hedges. Attracted in the Vangutta spirea following characteristics:

• decorative qualities;
• abundant flowering;
• spherical crown.

The shrub is used for single and group plantings, as well as in more complex compositions - for borders. With its help, artificial reservoirs located on the site are also framed. Vangutta looks very impressive against the backdrop of a green lawn, near the fountains, next to the pool. With the help of these shrubs, you can decorate unsightly buildings, any outbuildings or old dilapidated houses. You can combine this type of spirea with various trees, such as pines, spruces, maples or firs.

(Spiraea vanhouttei)

General characteristics

It's amazing for its size. Its height and crown diameter reach 2 m. It is distinguished by sprawling, arcuately bending down branches, forming a beautiful "cascading" crown shape. Leaves up to 3.5 cm long, obovate, serrated, 3-5-lobed, dark green above, dull gray below, glabrous.

Flowering and fruit ripening

The flowers are snow-white, collected in numerous large inflorescences-shields, completely cover last year's shoots. It blooms beautifully and profusely from the beginning of June for several weeks, all the while enchanting the eye with the whiteness of its many flowers, under the weight of which the flexible branches bend almost to the base of the bush. This spirea sometimes also re-blooms in July-August, but not as plentiful as the first time. Beautiful and its foliage. The fruits ripen in October. Flowering time begins at three years.

Optimal conditions cultivation

It grows quickly, relatively shade-tolerant, unpretentious. Although he prefers sunny places and well-drained soils. Frost-resistant, sometimes only the ends of the shoots freeze slightly, which should be cut off in the spring.

Breeding methods and planting rules

To preserve all the characteristics of the variety, spirea must be propagated vegetatively - by cuttings or layering. Cuttings are cut from semi-woody shoots of the current year 10 cm long, both apical and from the middle part. To improve root formation, you can use a root former. This variety of spirea is well cut. The rooting rate of cuttings without treatment is more than 90%. If you plant cuttings in the middle of summer, then good roots will have time to form by autumn. Reproduction by layering is also a reliable and troublesome way. To do this, in the spring, during the blooming of the leaves, you need to bend the growing side branches to the ground, pin them with a hairpin and sprinkle with earth. You can also tie them to pegs so that they grow horizontally. Throughout the season, you need to keep the soil around the bush in a moderately moist state, then by autumn or next spring you can get independent plants. It is also desirable to remove the very first inflorescences on young bushes, then their development will go much faster.