Content
Weigela is an ornamental shrub used in landscape design as an independent element or as a background for other crops. Weigela can be propagated in various ways, in order to choose the optimal method for breeding a culture, you should study them in more detail.
How weigela reproduces
Shrub breeding methods have their own characteristics that must be taken into account when choosing a particular method:
- Seed propagation - this method is lengthy and troublesome. Seeds do not always germinate, so you need to take care of a sufficient amount of seed. For planting, use fertile soil, which is poured into pots or boxes, and then the seeds are sown. They are sprinkled with sand on top and covered with glass. Only after three weeks the gardener can see the shoots. But planting a plant in the garden will be possible only when the seedling is three years old.Important! When propagated by seeds, not all species properties of weigela can be inherited.
- Propagation by cuttings - lignified shoots are not suitable for this breeding method. It is recommended to choose cuttings from last year, or summer, green. It is better to reproduce weigela by cuttings in the fall. Cuttings about fifteen centimeters long are suitable, from which the lower leaves are removed. The top of the cuttings is shortened by about half. The cut is treated with a root root and planted in a peat-sand mixture covered with a thin layer of sand. It is necessary to insert the stalk into the ground not too deeply, about one centimeter. A jar or a cut plastic bottle is placed on top, which will subsequently need to be removed every day in order for the weigela to be ventilated. It will take about a year and a half for the cutting to take root and take root. After that, it can be put in a permanent place.
Below is a photo of weigels and a description of the reproduction algorithms.
How to propagate weigela by cuttings in spring, summer or autumn
Weigela breeding algorithms differ depending on the season. In order to propagate weigela in the spring, green cuttings are suitable. Cuttings covered with lignified bark will take root long enough, about five years.
Algorithm for grafting weigela in the spring:
- a stalk 10-15 cm in size with two small leaves is cut at a right angle;
- for reproduction, weigel cuttings are soaked in settled water;
- peat and sandy substrate are prepared in advance in a ratio of 1: 1, as well as a medium-sized pot;
- the cutting is buried in a pot in half, covered with humus and river sand, covered with foil.
It is best to place it in a greenhouse for the most comfortable conditions.
For about 45 days, the weigela stalk should be in such conditions. In order to transplant it into open ground, it will take a year and a half of growth. Over time, the weigela will increase, so you will need to transplant it into a larger container.
Cutting of weigela in autumn and summer is no worse than spring, and is also widely used among gardeners. As soon as the plant stops blooming, you can start the grafting procedure, but if the leaves begin to change their usual dark green color, you will have to postpone the procedure until spring.
Below is a photo of weigela cuttings and a description of the propagation algorithms for shrubs in autumn and summer.
Algorithm for summer and autumn cuttings:
- the lower leaves located on the handle are eliminated;
- choose a place in partial shade, in which the plant will temporarily be;
- dig a hole about 10 centimeters in size;
- a cutting is planted;
- a thin layer of sand is poured over the ground.
It will be possible to plant the plant in a permanent place next year in mid-April. By this time, the first flowers will already appear on the weigel.
You need to water the cutting once a day, and you should also control the soil moisture. When frosts begin, the bush will need to be covered.
Recommended timing
The ideal time for plant propagation in spring is considered the end of April or the beginning of May, but the climatic conditions of the region must be taken into account.
Summer reproduction, which then flows into autumn, begins in the middle of summer. The second half of July is the best time for planting cuttings.
Preparing cuttings
Before planting weigela, cuttings must be prepared. Preparatory measures differ depending on what time of the year the plant will be planted.
Summer cuttings are distinguished by productive reproduction, since weigela will begin to bloom at the age of two. Use young shoots in the first stage of lignification. The green mass is cut off, leaving only half of the part of the leaf plate. Then the cuttings are immersed in water for a couple of hours, and then treated with stimulants for growth. For example, Heteroauxin or Kornevin.
If the planting of the weigela is planned in the spring, then it is necessary to prepare the cuttings in April. Harvesting must be done before the leaves bloom. Cuttings about 15-20 centimeters long are cut so that the upper cut is above the upper leaves, and the lower cut is under the lower leaves.
Important! The cut made from below must be made straight.
In order for the crown to form, the shoots are pinched, and the first buds are torn off.
How to plant cuttings
The procedure for planting weigela cuttings is as follows:
- young green cuttings are cut, having a length of up to 25 centimeters and a thickness of half a centimeter;
- the lower and upper leaves are cut off;
- cut the length of the remaining leaves in the middle of the cuttings in half so that the moisture evaporates more slowly;
- sprinkle compost on the ground in a small layer;
- sprinkle on top with a layer of sand (about 4 cm);
- cuttings are planted in a pre-prepared greenhouse, deepening the buds slightly into the ground. Cuttings must be planted with a slope;
- seedlings are watered;
- in order to create the effect of a greenhouse, the cuttings are covered with a cut bottle on top.
Water the plant as needed. Thirty days later, small stones can be placed under the bottle so that the weigela gets used to the environment. The plant can be planted in a permanent place only next year.
How to grow weigela from a cutting
Despite the fact that the weigela plant is unpretentious, it needs to be cared for. In particular, attention should be paid to young bushes that have not yet taken root. Watering the plant is mandatory, as well as removing weeds and loosening the soil in the near-stem circle.
In order for the shrub to be beautiful, lush and healthy, it is important to observe the following rules:
- Produce top dressing... The use of plant food is very important. Thanks to fertilizers, the shrub will grow fully and bloom in the future.If fertilizer was applied during planting in the ground, then during the first two years it is not necessary to use top dressing. In the third year, you can use complex fertilizers.
- Cut shrub in time... Young seedlings and plants do not need pruning. But when the weigela is already large enough and takes root well, it is necessary to remove the frozen and damaged branches. Bushes that have been growing for a long time are recommended to be pruned every three years, and it is better to choose spring for this. All shoots older than three years of age are cut off. In some cases, the entire bush can be cut off. This rejuvenating pruning allows for a refreshed weigela bush.
- Insulate for the winter... When frost sets in, the weigela should be insulated for the entire winter period. Starting in October, you can sprinkle the plant with fallen leaves to a height of about 20 cm.To tie the branches, it is best to use twine. The snow that falls will protect the plant from the cold. If in the area where the shrub grows, a little snow falls in the winter, then the shrub can be covered with burlap, special material, film. If the bush is still slightly frozen, pruning of damaged branches will be required. The culture quickly recovers after freezing of the shoots.
- Transplant... In some cases, it may be necessary to transplant a plant due to the fact that it did not take root in the selected area. For this, the spring period is better suited, since a bush transplanted in the autumn period may not survive the winter.
Propagation of weigela shrub by seeds
Weigels that are grown in gardens are hybrids or varieties. The flowers of such plants differ from their wild-growing counterparts. They have a larger size and a variety of colors. One of the main disadvantages of this method is that the weigela shrub can be propagated by losing its varietal properties. A plant that is propagated by seed usually quickly loses its germination capacity.
It happens that the weigela shrub reproduces by self-seeding, but attempts to plant the plant do not end in success. Under such seedlings, there is a fairly dense soil and when you try to remove them from the ground, the root of a young plant breaks off.
Timing
Sowing weigela is necessary in early spring. April or May are suitable months. Only in spring is there a good chance to propagate the shrub. Unlike propagation by cuttings, the fall and summer seasons are not suitable for seed propagation.
The choice of capacity and preparation of the soil
For seed propagation, pots or boxes are ideal, in which fertile soil is poured. The soil from the garden mixed with peat or sand can be used as a substrate. Before sowing a plant, the soil must be moistened by watering it. Only then can you land.
How to plant weigela seeds
Seeds are sown in a prepared container with fertile soil. In order to maintain the temperature necessary for the seeds inside the soil, the pot is covered with foil. The seeds are regularly watered or sprayed with a spray bottle. In such a comfortable environment, there is a high chance of sprouting. After the leaves appear on the sprouts, the film can be removed. The first shoots hatch two weeks after planting. After a month, they can be planted in open ground.
Growing weigels from seeds
When the first leaves appear and before planting the plant in the ground, you need to make a pick of young bushes. They are dug up in the fall before the frost sets in, and they are transplanted into a room with a cool temperature. The roots are covered with burlap, which is subsequently periodically moistened. When spring comes, the plant can be planted outdoors.
Propagation of weigela by layering
Weigela can also be propagated using layering. The method consists in the fact that first they find a branch, which is located at a close distance from the ground.It is bent and cut a little along with the bark. The cut is treated with root root and crushed coal. Then a match is inserted into the cut, and this place is buried in the ground. Studs made of metal or electrodes can be used to secure the layering. You can cut off the new plant next spring, but it is better to wait until autumn. After that, the resulting seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place.
Is it possible to propagate weigela by dividing the bush
Weigela can also be propagated by dividing the bush. Shrubs that are more than three years old are suitable. Numerous shoots should be formed on the bushes, growing directly from the ground. The division of the bush is carried out in the fall, after the leaves have already fallen off. The plant is dug up, and then a part of the root with the shoot is separated from it. For this, a sharp knife or pruner is suitable. The cut must be treated with charcoal. The separated part must be dried in a warm room. After the bush dries out, the shoots are shortened in half. When the snow melts, the new plant can be planted. In order to prevent the bush from dying in winter, it must be dug in a pot and left in a dark room, sometimes watering.
Weigela transplant
It is possible to transplant a weigela seedling if it is at least three years old. If you plan to plant several bushes, then you need to make a distance of about one meter between them. If the variety is high, then the distance should be chosen about two meters.
Weigela landing algorithm:
- dig a hole 50x50 cm in size, about 40 cm deep;
- the hole is covered with gravel about 15 cm;
- the roots are treated with a special solution and distributed in the pit;
- the landing hole is covered with soil;
- watering the soil;
- earth is added to the settled soil;
- sprinkle with peat chips around the bush.
You should not transplant adult plants just like that, if this is not necessary.
Conclusion
Weigela can be propagated by both a professional gardener and an amateur gardener and even a beginner. This is a very beautiful and unpretentious plant to care for, which can decorate any garden or local area.
