Probably, it is impossible to imagine a more beautiful and ornamental shrub than spirea. A magnificent waterfall of flowing snow-white flowers is able to turn the Vangutta spirea from an ordinary shrub into a lush decorative decoration of the garden. This species has abundant flowering with a strong honey aroma. The name of the shrub comes from the Greek word speira, which means "bend". In the people, the shrub is called meadowsweet. In our today's article, let's talk about the Vangutta spirea. Planting and care, photos of this amazing shrub - all of this is presented below!
Spirea varieties
Before we move on to the description, characteristics and recommendations for caring for this plant, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the most popular varieties of this species. It has several decorative forms, let's talk about them in a little more detail:
- Snow White. Another name for this spirea is Whitebride. A classic variety with huge snow-white inflorescences in the form of lush umbrellas, about 60 cm in diameter. Spreading shrub, up to two meters high.
- Snow white. Spirea white, the variety was bred in Canada. The plant is compact - no more than 150 cm high, 180 cm in diameter. It has rather large white inflorescences.
- Pink Ice. Unusually beautiful and delicate spirea with large white inflorescences. Pink Ice has young growths of rich crimson color with white-marbled foliage. Which soon (it happens gradually) are covered with cream spots. The variety is winter-hardy, but in severe frosts the tips of young shoots can freeze slightly.
- Gold Fontaine. The variety was bred by Polish breeders. Spreading shrub, slowly growing, not more than 120 cm high and up to 150 cm in crown. White flowers of this variety are collected in corymbose inflorescences.
Spirea Vangutta: photo and description
The plant belongs to the fast-growing ornamental shrubs from the Pink family. A deciduous hybrid was obtained by crossing between two spireas - three-lobed and Cantonese. This variety has been known since 1868. If in the 19th century botanists managed to obtain plants with only white five-petal flowers and dark green leaves, today there are various forms of spirea with pink double flowers and variegated decorative foliage.
According to the description, the Vangutta spirea grows up to 2 meters in height, exactly the same size is the diameter,she has a spreading, cascading crown. The branches of the shrub curve down in an arcuate manner. Spirea leaves are 3- or 5-lobed, obovate, serrated at the edges. Most often, their length is about 3.5 cm. The upper side is painted in a dark green saturated color, and below they are a dull bluish hue. Huge hemispherical inflorescences, consisting of white flowers, cover the shoots along the entire length. Blooming spirea Vangutta (pictured below) blooms in mid-June, and sometimes in early July, flowering continues for several weeks. In the second half of July or in August, the spirea blooms again, but there are somewhat fewer inflorescences than in the first bloom. Vangutta fruits ripen by mid-autumn.
Planting spirea: soil selection
To achieve a lush, abundant flowering of this shrub is possible only if the plant is in the sun for a sufficiently long time. Otherwise, spireas are unpretentious in their care, and they do not need special care and a specific place to land.
Loose, well-drained soils are most suitable for representatives of this family, with the presence (in moderation) of nutrients. It is best to prepare soil for planting, consisting of the following components: 2 parts of soddy land, 1 part of sand and the same amount of lowland peat. It is recommended to conduct a soil analysis before planting and perform the following activities:
- In heavy loamy soils or black earth, peat or sand must be added before planting shrubs.
- Poor organic mattersoils, on the contrary, are enriched with fertile soil and mineral additives.
- If the composition of the soil is too acidic, it should be deoxidized.
Landing
For this type of shrub, autumn planting is preferable. Spirea Vangutta is planted in the ground no later than mid-October. If this was not possible, planting can be done in the spring before the active movement of plant juices begins. When planting a plant in a new place, you need to pay attention to the following nuances:
- optimal place for the root system;
- eliminate lack of nutrition and moisture;
- plants need to take root before frost.
It has been observed that seedlings with an open root system take root much more painfully than young bushes brought to the site in containers along with an earthen clod. Such plants start growing almost immediately, and therefore planting and care are much easier. In this case, plants can be planted at any warm time of the year. When planting Vangutta spirea at the bottom of the planting pit, it is necessary to lay drainage, the thickness of which is from 7 to 20 centimeters, it depends on the type of soil, as well as the occurrence of groundwater. If spirea shrub is used:
- in a single landing, in this case it is necessary to prepare a landing hole with a depth of 50 cm and the same diameter;
- in groups, the distance between seedlings must be maintained as follows - 0.7-1.5 m;
- as a hedge, planting holes in this caseare located at a distance of one and a half meters both between plants and between adjacent rows.
After planting, Vangutta spirea care begins immediately. First of all, the near-stem circles must be well compacted and spilled with warm water in such a way that the entire root system of the plant is well moistened. For longer moisture retention, soil mulching is carried out around the trunk circles.
Care
Planting Vangutta spirea (the photo cannot convey all the features) and caring for it are quite simple and not laborious. In drought, and also after pruning a shrub, it must be watered so that the soil in the near-stem circle is wetted to a depth of about 50 cm. Water consumption per seedling will be about two large buckets. The rest of the time, the Vangutta spirea does not need abundant watering during care, but prefers moderate watering. After this event, the soil must be loosened and weeds removed in a timely manner.
Cutting
Pruning not only forms the crown of the shrub, but also provokes the formation of new shoots, as well as the laying of flower buds, which allows the spirea to bloom even more magnificently. Pruning is carried out after flowering, at the time when the bare branches appear, partial drying occurs, and the flowers become smaller. This procedure is performed depending on the timing of flowering shrubs. Branch pruning is performed either under the stump (especially in older plants), or only dry, old or damaged branches are cut. If suddenly an adult plant has become scarcebloom, then after it sheds foliage, it is necessary to carry out rejuvenating pruning of the shrub. In order for it to develop well and bloom profusely, it is necessary to carry out one top dressing with complex fertilizers intended for ornamental plants.
Reproduction
Spirea Vangutta has the following feature: seed germination is only 5% of the total. Therefore, most often plants are propagated by layering, dividing the bush or cuttings. Consider these methods in more detail.
Rooting layering
This is one of the easiest ways to propagate spirea. To do this, in early spring, the lowest semi-lignified branch of the shrub is bent to the surface of the earth, and then placed in a specially dug groove, leaving only the top of the shoot on the surface. The branch is fixed with a metal pin, and then sprinkled with fertile soil. Throughout the season, the layers are moderately watered, and before the onset of winter they are covered with dry leaves. With the onset of spring, the rooted branch is cut and transplanted to a new place.
Dividing the bush
This method of propagation of Vangutta spirea is easy to carry out during plant transplantation. The shrub is dug up and divided into the required number of parts, in each of which strong roots and well-developed shoots should remain. Slices are best treated with crushed coal. Then the roots are planted in pre-prepared holes.
Cutting
This method is used 2 weeks afterflowering. He althy and strong shoots are chosen as cuttings. A substrate is prepared, consisting of river sand and peat, taken in equal proportions, and cuttings are planted in it for rooting. It is recommended to place the shoots in a greenhouse or greenhouse, this will provide a high level of humidity in the air and substrate. A year later, the cuttings have a well-developed root system and are planted for growing in separate containers.
Pest Protection
Dangerous pests for Vangutta's spirea are considered to be aphids, rose leaf, multi-colored miner. But the most dangerous pest for this plant species is the spider mite. In the last month of spring, female spider mites settle on the underside of the leaves and weave a web there. During the season, about a dozen generations of ticks are formed, which completely destroy the leaves. The latter begin to turn yellow, dry out and fall off. For pest control, the following methods are used: chemical, agrotechnical and biological. If you carefully look after the shrubs, carry out timely watering, apply spraying of the plant in a drought, carry out top dressing, then such actions will surely give a positive result.
Landscape design
The type of these ornamental shrubs is most widely used in the creation of hedges. The following characteristics attract the Vangutta spirea:
- decorative qualities;
- abundant flowering;
- spherical crown.
The shrub is used for single and group plantings, as well as inmore complex compositions - for borders. With its help, artificial reservoirs located on the site are also framed. Vangutta looks very impressive against the backdrop of a green lawn, near the fountains, next to the pool. With the help of these shrubs, you can decorate unsightly buildings, any outbuildings or old dilapidated houses. You can combine this type of spirea with various trees, such as pines, spruces, maples or firs.
