Content
Alder-leaved cletra is a beautiful ornamental plant that is very popular in landscape design. An additional advantage of the shrub is its unpretentiousness to growing conditions; it is quite simple to care for the plant.
General description of the alder cage
The alder-leaved cage is a perennial deciduous shrub from the Heather family. The homeland of the plant is considered to be North America, it grows mainly on the banks of reservoirs, but in an ornamental form, the shrub is bred all over the world and grown in private gardens.
In height, the plant can reach 2 m or more, the crown of the shrub at a young age is vertical, and as it grows, it becomes spherical or oval. The leaves of the plant bloom late - the shrub becomes completely green only at the end of May. The photo and description of the cage demonstrate that in the autumn period the crown of the shrub becomes bright yellow and very beautiful in appearance.
When and how alder cage blooms
Cletra is a late flowering shrub. The first flowers on the shoots appear in July, and flowering continues until August-September. The alder-leaved cage produces vertically pubescent panicles 5-16 cm long, formed by large white or pink flowers 8 mm in diameter. The plant is a good honey plant, which increases its value when cultivated in a summer cottage.
The use of alder cage in landscape design
The alder-leaved cage shrub is highly valued in landscape design, because it allows you to decorate the garden at a time when most of the perennials and shrubs have already faded and lost their decorative appearance. Unlike most garden plants, the alder-leaved cage in the middle of summer is only gaining a maximum of decorativeness, it is completely covered with foliage and produces abundant bright flowers.
The plant looks attractive in single plantings. But no less often it is used in artistic compositions, for example, a shrub looks good next to wild rosemary or azalea. Also, amateurs often create groups of several different varieties of cages, use shrubs in alpine slides and stone gardens.
Common varieties of alder cage
There are several dozen varieties of shrubs. But several varieties of an ornamental plant are especially popular with gardeners.
Pink Spire
This variety is the most popular because it demonstrates high unpretentiousness. For example, the frost resistance of the cage of the alder-leaved Pink Spaer allows the plant to withstand temperatures down to - 29 ° C.
Pink Spire alder cage produces inflorescences of a very pleasant pale pink color, and its flowering begins towards the end of July.
Hummingbird
Another popular variety is the Hamminbird alder-leaved cage, which blooms with thick, bright white panicles. The variety is also characterized by increased frost resistance and is suitable for cultivation in gardens throughout the entire middle zone, tolerates frosts down to - 29 ° C.
Ruby Spice
A shrub of the Ruby Spice variety is distinguished by a beautiful flowering, the plant at the end of July or in August releases short, fluffy panicles of flowers of a dark pink color. The foliage of the cage of the alder-leaved Ruby Spice is dark green, very dense, and in the fall it acquires a bright yellow color and does not fall off for a long time.
September Beauty
Variety Beauty of September refers to late - this type of cage blooms in September. In the photo of the alder-leaved cage, it can be seen that the flowers of the plant are white, small, look great against the background of the dark green foliage of the bush. After flowering, closer to cold weather, the plant acquires a bright yellow color of the crown.
How the alder cage reproduces
For reproduction of shrubs at their summer cottage, mainly 3 vegetative methods are used:
- Cuttings. Green shoots are cut in the spring, rooted first in temporary containers and grown at a temperature of about 18 ° C, and at the end of May they are planted in open ground on the site.
- Layers. This method is suitable for propagation from an adult plant - one of the low-lying branches is bent to the ground, laid in a shallow trench, fixed and sprinkled with soil. For a month, the cuttings are watered, usually this time is enough for rooting. Then the shoot is separated from the main bush and planted in a permanent growing area.
- Root shoots. Since the adult alder cage produces many root shoots, these can be separated and used for propagation. It is recommended to cut off the shoots in the spring after the very first leaves appear; shoots are usually planted in temporary containers, followed by transplantation into the ground in early summer.
With the help of seeds, alder-leaved cage is propagated quite rarely. Planting material is sown into the soil in indoor pots or greenhouses, usually in December. After 3 weeks, shoots should appear, and then the shoots will only need to be looked after until the onset of spring and the transfer of the plant to open ground.
Landing rules
In order for the alder-leaved cage at the summer cottage to please with a beautiful flowering and a lush crown, it must be properly planted. The place of planting and the composition of the soil, as well as other nuances, must be taken into account.
Recommended timing
Vegetation in the alder cage begins rather late, the plant begins to be covered with foliage only towards the end of spring. Therefore, it is recommended to plant shrubs in the ground in May, when the soil is completely warmed up, and the cage is ready for active development.
Site selection and soil preparation
The alder-leaved cage is a shrub that needs good shading. The plant should be planted under the cover of taller bushes or trees, in the shade or in a place where shade is established at least after lunch.
As for the soil, alder cage prefers loose and acidic soil - it cannot be planted on alkaline and fertile soils. The following soil mixture will be optimal for the shrub - forest soil and sand are mixed in equal proportions, and then more peat and a little sawdust are added.
Landing algorithm
The site for planting alder cages is prepared as follows:
- the upper part of the soil is removed to a depth of about 10 cm;
- dig a planting hole, in size it should be approximately twice the volume of the plant's root system;
- at the bottom of the hole, a drainage system is organized, and a prepared soil mixture of sand, peat and forest land is poured on top to half of the hole;
- the soil is poured with water with dissolved citric acid or apple cider vinegar - add 100 ml of solution to a bucket of water;
- the seedling is carefully lowered in the center of the hole and covered with earth to the end.
Growing features
Growing a Pink Spire alder cage or any other variety is easy enough. The shrub does not require any special measures, it is enough to adhere to the watering regime and regularly trim the plant.
Watering and feeding schedule
The alder-leaved cage does not tolerate drought well, so it should be watered often and abundantly. It is especially necessary to carefully monitor the moisture content of the soil on dry summer days - the soil should not dry out. Watering is recommended early in the morning or late in the evening, in the absence of bright sun, and the water for the plant should be well settled and slightly warm.
The ornamental shrub almost does not need feeding - this is one of its advantages. In the first year, the alder cage has enough acids and sulfur introduced into the soil during planting. Subsequently, the shrub can be fed annually before flowering with liquid complex fertilizers.
Pruning rules
Pruning for a plant is carried out mainly sanitary, every year in early spring or autumn, all dried and broken shoots must be removed. It is also recommended to remove root shoots, which grow very quickly, and pinch the tops of young shoots. This allows you to achieve the maximum decorative effect of the bush, as it forces the cage to release new branches.
Preparing for winter
Reviews of the alder-leaved cage Pink Spire and other varieties claim that the plant is distinguished by excellent frost resistance - it is not afraid of cold up to -29 ° C. Therefore, the alder-leaved cage in the Moscow region for the winter can only be mulched with peat or sawdust, this will prevent the roots from freezing.
In more northern regions, for the winter period, the bush can be bent to the ground and covered with spruce branches or lutrasil.
Pests and diseases
The plant is rarely affected by ailments and insects. Of the fungal diseases, it is mainly late blight, which develops in conditions of high humidity, that is dangerous for him. The main symptom of the disease is the appearance of gray spots on the leaves and drying out of the branches. Late blight is treated with fungicidal agents or copper sulfate, while all diseased parts of the bush are removed.
Of the pests for the alder cage, the scabbard is dangerous - an insect that damages leaves and shoots. When a pest appears on a plant, it is necessary to treat it with ordinary soapy water or use insecticides for severe infection.
Conclusion
Alder-leaved cletra is a beautiful and undemanding flowering shrub. The plant becomes especially attractive in the middle of summer and retains its decorative effect until autumn, for which it is appreciated by gardeners.
