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Spirea Japanese Golden Princess is a representative of a large group of deciduous shrubs. Spireas are found almost everywhere in the northern hemisphere. The genus of the plant has more than 90 species, which differ in the shape and height of the bush, different flowering periods, arrangement and configuration of flowers. Golden Princess is considered the most popular variety of Japanese spring-flowering meadowsweet. In the photo of the Golden Princess spirea:
Description of the Golden Princess spirea
In summer-flowering varieties, flowers are formed on young shoots. One shoot grows and develops within 7 years, while the roots of the bush are actively growing. This explains the good growth of the bush. The maximum height of an adult Golden Princess spirea reaches 70cm.
Other characteristics of the plant:
- The average diameter of the bush is about 1 m. The crown is compact, rounded, growing slowly. The branches are slightly curved upwards.
- Leaves are serrated oval, about 7 cm long. They change their color depending on the season. In spring, the bush is covered with bright yellow leaves. In summer they are colored golden yellow, in autumn they turn red, orange or bronze. The translation of the name into Russian - "golden princess" is fully justified by the external beauty of the bush.
- The inflorescences of the Golden Princess variety are corymbose, the diameter reaches 4 cm. Japanese meadowsweet blooms in June-July with beautiful pink or reddish flowers. They look very harmonious in bouquets, so Golden Princess is used for cutting.
In the description of the Japanese spirea Golden Princess, it should be added that the plant is a honey plant. Flowers attract bees with their smell, so beekeepers often place hives near shrub plantings.
Spirea Golden Princess in landscape design
Spirea of this species is very decorative, therefore it is popular among landscape designers. The dimensions of the Golden Princess spirea bush fit perfectly into various compositions. With the help of meadowsweet, you can create a low border, an edge, a mixborder from different types of similar shrubs, add colors to a rocky garden. The plant is combined with perennial herbs and flowers. Ideal for seasonal compositions. In addition, the Japanese species has the longest flowering among its counterparts. For 45 days, the garden is filled with colorful shrubs.
Golden Princess spirea border
Each variety is used in specific compositions. The Japanese Golden Princess has a good haircut. Therefore, a chic curb along the path or a strip for fencing the zone will turn out from the bush.
Spirea hedge Golden Princess
Most often, the Japanese spirea of the Golden Princess species in landscape design is used for planting hedges. The shrub takes root well. The optimal companions for spirea are junipers, spruce and thuja. Plants match color and size. To make the hedge attractive, you need to plan the planting. A long hedge is first marked with pegs, then the rope is pulled. Holes for plants are marked along the rope. With this approach, the spirea hedge will turn out to be even.
Planting and caring for the Japanese Golden Princess spirea
The Japanese meadowsweet is considered an unpretentious species, but the development of any plant depends on the correct planting and care. Rooting will occur faster if the gardener follows the Golden Princess spirea care rules after planting.
Preparation of planting material and site
Competent planting involves choosing a place with suitable conditions for the plant, preparing seedlings and performing the algorithm accurately. The best time to plant the Golden Princess is spring. It is during this period that summer-flowering spireas are planted. Some recommendations:
- Meet the deadlines. Bushes need to be planted before the buds swell. If the deadline is missed in the spring, then you can plant the Golden Princess spirea in the fall, when the leaf fall ends.Important! In this case, it is necessary to shelter the shrubs from frost and strong winter winds.
- Choose a lighted place. A little shading will not hurt, but prolonged absence of the sun will negatively affect the flowering of meadowsweet. The bush is not recommended to be planted in a lowland, the variety does not tolerate waterlogging.
- Prepare the soil. Golden Princess is undemanding to its composition, but it grows better on fertile land and blooms more luxuriantly. In addition, he loves loam or sandy loam.
- Correctly prepare the spirea seedling for planting. Cut off all dry or rotten roots, healthy ones must be shortened, leaving 30 cm in length. Cut the branches to 1/3 of the total length. If the seedlings were bought in a container, fill the plant with water and then remove. It is good when the seedling is without leaves, such specimens take root better.
Landing technology will not cause difficulties.
Planting the Golden Princess spirea
Planting seedlings begins with the preparation of holes. You need to dig a hole with vertical walls. The size of the hole should be 1/3 larger than the root system. Leave the prepared hole without soil for 2 days. Leave a distance of at least 50 cm between the two planting pits.
Then lay a drainage layer on the bottom. Expanded clay, crushed stone, broken brick will do.
Prepare a nutrient mixture from garden soil, peat, sand. Mix all components in equal amounts.
Spread the roots of the Japanese spirea seedling, put the plant on the bottom of the hole, sprinkle with earth. The root collar should be at ground level.
Tamp down the trunk circle and water well. Then lay a layer of mulch.
Watering and feeding
Among the list of measures for caring for the spirea of the Japanese Golden Princess, watering and feeding are the main ones.
Watering the shrub is necessary in a timely manner, but in moderation. In summer, in the hot season, it requires 2 times of watering per month. 20 liters of water are poured onto one plant. It is good if it is warmed up in the sun.
Top dressing improves the flowering of spirea. Liquid fertilizers are suitable for Golden Princess. In the spring, the bushes are fed with complex fertilizer after pruning. The second time, food is brought in during the flowering period (second decade of June). Now organic matter is bred - chicken manure (1:18), mullein (1: 6). Additionally, mix 10 g of superphosphate for each bucket of water. Spirea is fed after 2 years of age.
How and when to trim the Golden Princess spirea
The variety tolerates pruning and shearing well. Spring pruning is recommended for summer-flowering spirits. It consists in shortening the shoots. Above the surface of the earth, leave 20 cm of the length of the shoot. The main requirements for pruning for the formation and rejuvenation of the bush:
- First, cut out all branches that are sick, withered, frozen, too inclined to the ground or very weak.
- Shorten last year's shoots and remaining branches to the first large buds.
Gardeners need to remember that when pruning, you should not spare the older branches. Japanese meadowsweet thrives best with careful pruning. Otherwise, in the summer, they will dry out and spoil the exterior.
Gardeners do not practice autumn pruning of the Japanese Golden Princess spirea.
Preparing for winter
The Japanese spiraea of the Golden Princess variety belongs to plants of medium winter hardiness. Therefore, the bushes must be covered. Gently bend the shoots to the ground and cover with a non-woven material.
How to propagate the Golden Princess spirea
Several methods are acceptable for the variety. Reproduction of Golden Princess spirea occurs using:
- Cherenkov. They are pre-soaked in a root-forming solution and placed in a rooting substrate. This is done in October. Then in the spring, when the weather is warm, the cuttings are planted in open ground. The survival rate with this method is more than 70%, so gardeners most often use it.
- Layers. The selected shoot is bent to the ground, fixed in a convenient way and sprinkled with soil. For best results, it is best to dig a small trench and then lay the shoot. At the same time, the characteristics of the variety are preserved, as in the case of cuttings. It is used in the spring in the phase of leaf blooming. Then abundant hydration and removal of inflorescences is required.
- Seed. This method is the longest and requires a lot of attention.
- Dividing the bush. A convenient option for breeding at any time of the growing season - spring, summer, autumn. It is carried out on bushes at the age of 3-4 years. Each division should have 2-3 powerful shoots and one healthy root bud.
The most practical and popular are the first two breeding options.
Diseases and pests
The defeat of diseases in the spirea of the Japanese Golden Princess is quite rare. The most dangerous pest is the spider mite. At the first signs of its appearance (spots on the leaves, drying out), use solutions of Acrex or Phosphamide (2%). Process the entire Spirea bush.
In addition to the mite, the plant is harmed by the rosacea and aphids. In this case, the bush is sprayed with solutions of Aktelik, Pirimor, Etaphos, bitoxibocillin. Preventive formulations are prepared from infusions of herbs and roots, for example, dissected hogweed.
Conclusion
Spirea Japanese Golden Princess is a very decorative and unpretentious plant. Observing the rules of simple care, gardeners can easily decorate their sites with plantings of summer flowering shrubs.
