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Unpretentious plants are always appreciated by gardeners, especially if they are unusual and versatile at the same time. The Little Devil bubble plant can become a real highlight of the garden on its own or in tandem with other plants.
Description of the Little Devil vesicle
The genus Bubbles (in Latin Physocarpus) is a plant of the Rosaceae family, native to North America. It has been cultivated in our latitudes since 1793. The name comes from the shape of the fruit "physo" - "bubble", "carpos" - "fruit".
Deciduous shrub of miniature size, the Little Devil Viburnum (Physocarpus opulifolius Little Devil) is one of the undersized varieties of the species. An adult plant can be 80 cm in height, maximum - 1 m. Sprawling branches grow in a vertical direction, looking up. They create a spherical crown with a diameter of 70 to 90 cm.
The neat bush of the Little Devil bladder has graceful, narrow leaves with 3 to 5 toothed maroon blades, with regular arrangement. The unusual color of the culture does not change throughout the season. If you plant the plant in a shady place, instead of maroon, they will turn green, with a slight purple tint.
Small pinkish-white flowers are collected in corymbose inflorescences about 3-4 cm in diameter. There are many of them, they appear in June. The Little Devil Bubble Garden blooms for 2 to 3 weeks. Its fruits appear in September-October and are swollen purple leaflets.
What the blooming Little Devil bubblegum looks like can be seen in the photo:
Bubbles Little Devil in landscape design
Standing out in a group next to other shrubs, the culture is often used to decorate the edges of flower beds and flower beds, as well as in compositions with various conifers and herbaceous plants.
Bushes of several varieties with colorful leaves - yellow, green and red - look very impressive. The Little Devil bubble plant is also used as geometric borders with a height of 40 - 50 cm, as well as low hedges.
Growing conditions for the Little Devil vesicle
The growing conditions for such an unpretentious plant as the Little Davil vesicle are rather modest:
- He feels comfortable in conditions of gas pollution, for example, it grows calmly along the roads.
- Refers to light-loving. It develops well in shaded areas, but the leaves lose their bright color and turn green.
- It grows in almost any type of soil with good drainage and moderate moisture. Fertile sandy loam and loamy soils without lime, with an acidic or neutral alkaline environment, are preferable for the Little Devil vesicle. The plant will look richer on them.
Planting and caring for the Little Devil vesicle
The Little Devil bubble plant is unpretentious, however, it is better to follow the basic rules of agricultural technology, and then this perennial bush (whose age reaches 20 - 25 years) will grow quickly and retain its unusual color.It is not difficult to provide proper care, it consists in timely watering, fertilization, and pruning.
Landing site preparation
The prepared area for the Little Devil Vinephilis should be free of trees or other objects that could create shade. The unusual color of the leaves will remain only with direct access to sunlight.
Planting several bushes is carried out based on the rate of 10 - 25 pieces per 1 m2. The distance between the plants is left 0.8 m so that the crown grows freely.
Landing rules
The container plant can be planted throughout the growing season. A bare-rooted bush is planted only before the leaves appear in spring or early autumn. The roots of the Little Devil vesicle are previously recommended to be soaked in water for several hours (2 - 5), and only then planted in the ground.
The main stages of planting:
- The depth of the planting pit should be about 50 - 60 cm. Peat soil or humus is poured into it on 1/3 of a hill, the roots are straightened without deepening the root collar.
- Then the bush is covered with soil, slightly pressing it down. This is necessary for the dormant buds in the lower part of the plant to wake up and give additional shoots.
- The planted bush is watered abundantly.
- After all the manipulations, it remains only to mulch the root circle with straw, needles or dry grass. Mulching prevents the crust from forming on the surface, thereby ensuring constant aeration of the roots. In addition, mulch retains water and nutrients.
Watering and feeding
In the first case, 0.5 kg of mullein or bird droppings are taken for 1 bucket of water and 1 liter of weed infusion / 2 tbsp. l. urea and nitrate. Other nitrogen fertilizers can be used to stimulate plant growth.
In autumn, the purpose of feeding is different - feeding the plant. To do this, insist 1 tbsp in a bucket of water. wood ash or use alternative mineral fertilizers, for example, 1 tbsp. l. Nitroammophoska, which is added to 1 bucket of water.
Watered with fertilizer solutions at the rate of 15 liters per plant (a pair of buckets).
The Little Devil Bubble Garden, growing on light sandstone, sandstone or loam, should be watered regularly in dry and hot summers. An adult plant will need 4 to 5 buckets of water 2 or 3 times a week.
If the type of soil is completely opposite (heavy clay) or the bush is on the lawn, it is important to observe the measure. Excess water should not be allowed, otherwise it will lead to damage by powdery mildew and the death of the shrub.
Pruning
If the Little Devil bubblegum is in a sunny area and has a maroon color of the leaves, you need to remove the green shoots that appear.
Shoots of young plants will branch out better if they are pruned regularly. In addition, if the Little Devil vesicle is not cut off at all, it will resemble a fountain in shape. To get a wide multi-stemmed bush, its maximum height should be no more than 50 cm. To form a vertically growing vesicle, thin stems growing from the base are cut out. Leave a maximum of 5 of the strongest branches. They are also pruned to stimulate growth after reaching a height of 1.5 m. This should be done in early spring (before the first leaves appear), and then again at the end of the growing season in autumn.
Bubble fruit Little Devil tolerates annual cutting and pruning quite calmly, young shoots immediately appear at the bush.
Dry, broken or frozen branches must be removed every spring.
Preparing for winter
In winter, it is recommended to mulch the root circle.The Little Devil bubbly plant tolerates frosts, it is not necessary to cover an adult bush, but at low temperatures, freezing of shoots, especially young ones, is possible.
Reproduction of the bladderwort of the Kalifolia Little Devil
The Little Devil Vine-leaved Bubble plant reproduces by means of seeds, cuttings, cuttings or by dividing the bush.
The seeds are sown after harvest in October-November. It will not be superfluous to stratify them within 2 months at a temperature of 5 oC. Gardeners rarely use this method, because not every seedling results in an unusual color of foliage.
The division of the overgrown bush of the viburnum bush is recommended to be carried out in spring or autumn. In the summer, only experienced gardeners can correctly perform the procedure.
The main method of reproduction of a culture is considered to be vegetative.
Layers
They select beautiful and healthy young branches, cut off all the leaves from them, except for 2 - 3 at the top. Next to the bush, small grooves are made in the ground with a depth of no more than 15 cm. The layering is bent down, placed in the prepared grooves and fixed with wooden brackets in several places.
The most appropriate time is the beginning of spring. During the growing season, the layers will have time to take root. If the summer turns out to be dry, the soil must be constantly moistened. In autumn, young bushes are separated from the mother. In the first year of wintering, young plants must be covered.
Cuttings
Green cuttings 20 cm long are cut from the bush in the second half of summer. Each should have at least 4 - 5 buds (of two later, roots are formed, and from the other two or three, aerial shoots).
Previously, the cuttings are placed for several hours in a solution with a root growth stimulator, and then in a soil of sand and peat. River sand can be used instead of peat. It is important to create a favorable microclimate. To do this, the cuttings are covered with a film or each is covered with a plastic bottle with a cut off neck.
Then there are two options - keep it indoors until spring and wait for the new season. The second way is to immediately plant in a shaded area of the garden. In winter, shoots that have not yet matured should be covered. The young bubblegum Little Devil, who survived the frost, can already be planted on the site in a permanent place.
Diseases and pests
The Little Devil bibular plant is resistant to diseases, as well as to the effects of pests. Powdery mildew can attack the bush only if you water it too much.
Conclusion
Bubbles Little Devil - a charming "little devil" is not picky and resistant to diseases and adverse factors. A neat shrub adds color and is great for creating low purple hedges as well as borders and contrasting groups.
