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A wide variety of shrubs are used as ornamental plants. More and more fans of landscape design choose spirea for decoration. There are several varieties of this plant. Spirea Japanese Firelight is suitable for decoration in a variety of forms. Looks great near water and as a hedge.
Description of Spirea Firelight
The exuberant flowering of such a shrub will always attract the attention of beauty lovers. Outwardly, it is a small shrub that does not grow higher than 60 cm. The branches are arched, hanging down to the very ground, which gives a unique look to the spirea. The shrub is especially attractive due to its change in foliage shades during the fall. In youth, the leaves have a bright red, fiery color. During the summer, the foliage takes on a greenish-yellow hue, and then becomes bright red again.
The shrub blooms with pink inflorescences from June to September. Inflorescences are corymbose and are located on the shoots along the entire length. It is a summer flowering shrub with a slow growth rate.
Spirea Japanese Firelight in the description is presented as a small spreading shrub with a crown diameter of up to 80 cm.
Spirea Japanese Firelight in landscape design
Landscaping professionals use Japanese Spirea in a variety of ways. This is a very spectacular shrub that looks great as a decoration for any area. The plant is used:
- to decorate paths;
- in hedges;
- in rock gardens;
- near artificial lawns;
- group and single landings;
- groups on lawns.
Japanese spirea looks very nice next to large plants. Best of all, this small hedge looks like a framing of paths in the garden.
Planting and caring for spirea Firelight
In order for the plant to bloom twice a year and decorate the site with its healthy look, it is necessary to strictly observe agricultural techniques and properly care for the shrub. Special care is not required, it is enough to regularly water, feed, carry out formative and sanitary pruning and prepare the shrub for winter. And also the prevention of diseases and pests will not hurt.
Planting plot and seedling preparation
Spirea Japanese firelight (spiraea japonica firelight) requires a sunny location, possibly with light partial shade. The soil should be thoroughly dug before planting, since the plant loves breathable and fertile soil.
You can plant a shrub in autumn and spring. Autumn planting is considered preferable. In the spring it is necessary to be in time before the sap flow, while in the fall the optimal time is the period of leaf fall.
For planting, you will need to dig a hole with a diameter of 50 cm. In any case, the diameter of the hole should be larger than the root system. In the excavated land, add 2 parts of leafy soil, part of sod, half of humus, the same amount of sand, part of non-acidic peat.
It is imperative to install drainage in the pit.
Before planting, be sure to check the root system and remove diseased, dried out and too sluggish roots.
Planting a Japanese firelight spirea plant
After the hole and planting material have been prepared, you can start planting. It is optimal to do this on a cloudy day.
The seedling should be placed in the center of the prepared hole, the root collar should be 3-5 cm on the surface. The root system should be lightly sprinkled with earth, then tamped and sprinkled with earth again until the very surface.
Be sure to pour 1.5–2 buckets of warm water under the bush. So the shrub will receive a sufficient amount of moisture to the nutritious soil.
The best option is to mulch with peat at the end of planting.
Rapid rooting and the ability to adapt well will help to make the site a blooming garden next year. The plant will delight the owner with its flowering shoots for several months in a row.
Watering and feeding
Spirea shrub is undemanding to feeding. If during planting a combined fertilizer or special fertilizer for shrubs is poured into the pit, then in the first 2 years you can no longer remember about feeding or adding additional substances. The initial nutritional supplements will be enough for the shrub.
Then fertilization will be required, preferably in early spring. Complex mineral and organic fertilizers are introduced so that the plant has all the necessary trace elements for full development.
A mixture of water - 6 liters and mullein - 10 liters is applied as fertilizer. 10 g of superphosphate is also added there. This mixture will be enough to feed the shrub for the whole year. If the soil is fertile enough, then it is quite possible to do without fertilization.
Spiraea is considered a drought-resistant plant, and excessive waterlogging can be harmful. A sufficient dose for an adult shrub is 20 liters of water for 7 days. Slightly more dosage for young spirea during rooting.
Pruning
After planting, the first two years, you can not do pruning. Then there is a formative pruning, which is carried out after the shrub has faded. In single plantings, the plant is most often given the shape of a ball, and in group plantings - a rectangle.
Old branches should be pruned every 3 years. To do this, they are cut right at the base. It is imperative to inspect the plant annually for the presence of diseased and damaged shoots, which are also removed as part of sanitary pruning.
Preparing for winter
Japanese spirea tolerates winter well. It can withstand frosts down to -40 ° C. But you should cover the root part if the winter is expected to be severe or too frosty. It is also recommended to cover a shrub if it is planted in the northern regions of the country with a harsh climate, where winter lasts long and is characterized by severe frosts.
As a shelter, you can use hay or straw, which mulch the root zone. In the spring it is worth inspecting the plant and removing the frozen shoots.
Reproduction of Japanese Firelight spirea
Spirea Japanese Firelight photo looks very beautiful, it will serve as a decoration of the site for a long time, but it must be properly propagated. Reproduction of this shrub occurs in several ways to choose from:
- cuttings;
- layering;
- seed method.
With the help of cuttings, it is excellent to preserve all the characteristics of a particular variety, and therefore it is better to use this particular method. Partially lignified shoots no older than a year are used as cuttings. Enough cuttings 15 cm long. The lower part must be dipped in a special solution for the formation of roots and planted in fertile soil.
For the formation of layers, you need to press the young shoots to the dug groove and pin them with metal staples. Then sprinkle with earth so that the top of the shoot is on the surface. Thus, if you constantly water the shoot, then by autumn you can safely transplant the plant to a permanent place of residence.
Diseases and pests
Japanese spirea has strong immunity, resists many infections and fungal diseases. But there are several types of pests that can cause serious damage to an ornamental plant:
- Aphid - a common pest, from which you can escape with the help of a standard tobacco or soap solution.
- Spider mite - on the inflorescences of the pest, holes appear, as well as dry and off-season leaves. To combat the pest, there are several types of different drugs that should be used strictly according to the instructions.
- Leaf roll - usually appears at the end of May. It got its name for the characteristic symptoms that appear on the leaves of the bush.
If you follow all the rules of agricultural technology, then the plant will be able to resist pests. It is also important to examine the bush and detect the first symptoms of the appearance of intruders in time.
Reviews of spirea Firelight
Conclusion
Spirea Japanese Firelight is popular with both landscape design professionals and amateurs. Its main advantage is ease of maintenance and a luxurious look during flowering. The splendor can be used in both single and group plantings in combination with large trees.
