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In the first half of the last century, breeders set out to create a new variety of mock orange, or garden jasmine, as the shrub is popularly called, with an unusual color. Jasmine Belle Etoile was the first successful work of the French originator Lemoine, who developed this variety at the beginning of the 20th century.
Description of mock orange Belle Etoile
The compact Belle Etoile jasmine bush reaches a height of more than one and a half meters in favorable conditions. In cold climates, the shrub grows no more than a meter. Its crown volume is not too large and does not exceed one and a half meters.
The oblong dark green and slightly pointed leaves (4 - 5 cm long) acquire a lemon tint over time.
How garden jasmine Belle Etoile blooms
Large white flowers, collected in small inflorescences of up to 5 pieces, have a bright pinkish-purple spot on the corolla. This is the main distinguishing feature of the hybrid.The mock orange Belle Etoile blooms in late spring. Flowering can continue until mid-June. The splendor, length of flowering and size of the corollas largely depend on the growing conditions and proper care. Unlike most varieties of mock orange, the garden jasmine variety Belle Etoile is sensitive to conditions. With a lack of nutrients in the soil, a lack of moisture and light, the flowers of this beautiful shrub become smaller, and their flowering period becomes shorter.
Photo of Belle Etoile jasmine blooming:
The amazing strawberry aroma with notes of exotic fruits has not left gardeners indifferent for many decades.
When choosing a shrub seedling for planting, it is easy to make a mistake. The varietal characteristics of the shrub become visible when the first flowers appear. In addition to Belle Etoile mock orange, there are several other varieties with two-color flowering. But the spots on the corollas of other garden jasmines are less bright.
It is better to purchase seedlings in specialized stores or nurseries, where they can provide documents with photos and descriptions of the Belle Etoile mock orange.
Main characteristics
Despite the heat-loving shrub, the hybrid mock orange Belle Etoile can tolerate frosts up to 25 degrees. At lower temperatures, young shoots of the plant suffer. After pruning, mock orange grows back easily.
The Belle Etoile variety is relatively resistant to diseases. If there is an excess of moisture or the wrong place for planting, the bush may suffer from leaf spotting and some fungal diseases of the trunk and roots.
Garden jasmine Belle Etoile can be attacked by leaf-eating insects. Aphids, spider mites and some other pests are dangerous for the decorative appearance of shrubs.
You can watch an overview of the characteristics of the Belle Etoile mock orange in the video:
Features of reproduction
Mock orange Belle Etoile, like other garden jasmines, is easily propagated by dividing the bush, layering, cuttings and sowing seeds. But not all methods are equally good for a hybrid variety of garden jasmine.
Dividing the Belle Etoile mock orange root is made difficult by the size of the bush. It is difficult to dig a highly branched, meter-high plant out of the ground without damaging the roots. Therefore, this method of reproduction is used very rarely.
The easiest way to propagate garden jasmine is by layering or cuttings. These methods allow you to quickly propagate mock orange in the garden while preserving the varietal characteristics of the hybrid variety.
Belle Etoile mock orange can be propagated by layering throughout the season. Young shoots located close to the ground are tilted and secured with pins. Foliage must be removed from most of the shoot. Otherwise, when filled with soil, the future seedling may rot. Caring for garden jasmine layering involves regular watering. You can plant a bush either in the year of digging, or the next year, when the root system of the crop is developed.
Experts recommend propagating the varietal mock orange Belle Etoile by cuttings. A mass of planting material can be obtained by formative pruning of the bush. Cuttings are harvested in spring and autumn. Autumn preparations of mock orange are stored in a cool basement or buried in the area in places where there is high snow cover in winter.
Rooting cuttings of garden jasmine requires light sandy loam soil. Constant humidity must be maintained. To do this, containers with cuttings are covered with film or plastic caps.
The cuttings are cut with a sharp knife at an angle of 45 degrees. The length of the workpiece can be from 15 to 25 cm with two pairs of leaves. The upper leaves are cut in half, and the lower ones are completely removed.
For rooting in indoor or greenhouse conditions, cuttings are ready for planting within one and a half to two months.
Planting and caring for Jasmine Belle Etoile
To plant garden mock orange Belle Etoile, you need to choose the right place. The shrub cannot develop well in swampy soils or soils with close groundwater. Garden jasmine needs good drainage so that the moisture-loving plant does not suffer from fungal diseases during the rainy season.
Recommended timing
Belle Etoile mock orange can be planted in early spring or early autumn. Spring seedlings require more care, while autumn ones require mandatory shelter. Young seedlings may be damaged by frost. After all, the winter hardiness of the Belle Etoile mock orange is not too high.
Site selection and soil preparation
In order for garden jasmine to actively develop and bloom, the site must be chosen to be sunny and protected from strong winds. The shrub can also grow in partial shade. But at the same time, the decorative effect of mock orange flowering is reduced.
When preparing the soil, it should be taken into account that this is a long-lived shrub. If anti-aging pruning is carried out in a timely manner, then mock orange can be grown in one place for more than 20 years. Therefore, the soil must be highly fertile. Otherwise, garden jasmine will lose its decorative effect over time.
To plant mock orange Belle Etoile, prepare a mixture of turf soil, peat, humus and sand.The pH level should not exceed 7.7.
The interval between separately planted bushes is from a meter to one and a half. But when creating a hedge of mock orange Belle Etoile (Beautiful Star), the shrub is planted at a distance of 50 - 60 cm.
Landing algorithm
For a single planting of mock orange, a hole is prepared measuring 0.5 m in width and length. The depth must be calculated taking into account the location of the root collar of the seedling. Usually they dig a hole about 50 - 60 cm. Sequence of actions:
- Pour 15 - 20 cm of coarse drainage mixture (shards of brick and tile, large pebbles, coal).
- Pour at least a bucket of water into the hole.
- Try on a seedling (its root collar should be no more than 3 cm below the soil level).
- Pour heaps of soil into the middle of the planting hole.
- Install the seedling.
- Sprinkle with water to straighten the roots.
- Cover the soil evenly, lightly compacting it in a circle.
- Mulch the tree trunk circle with compost or humus.
For several days after planting mock orange, you need to monitor the condition of the trunk circle. The soil may gradually settle, exposing the root collar. The soil should be added as necessary.
Growing rules
According to the description, Belle Etoile jasmine is quite demanding in terms of care. For the normal development of the shrub and its lush flowering, regular watering, weed removal and loosening are required.
Watering schedule
The first time after planting mock orange in the ground, it needs to be watered daily. You need to pour up to 30 liters of water onto one bush. In the future, such frequent watering is carried out only in hot and dry weather. During the rainy season, it is enough to water the bush no more than once a week.
Weeding, loosening, mulching
Weed control around garden jasmine is ongoing.Wild plants not only take away nutrients from the Belle Etoile mock orange, but can also become a source of infection.
After the first watering, the soil in the tree trunk circle must be loosened to a depth of 8 cm. The soil must then be mulched. These actions will help maintain its moisture and permeability. If the mulch layer is made thick enough, then repeated loosening will not be required soon.
Feeding schedule
In the spring before flowering begins, fertilizing is carried out every year. Mock orange requires organic matter. Gardeners use cow manure at a dilution of 1 to 10. This amount is enough to fertilize an adult plant or two young shrubs.
Jasmine of the second year of life during the flowering period is fed with mineral fertilizer. You can use ready-made complexes for shrubs or make your own solution from urea and potassium sulphide, 15 g per 10 liters of water, with the addition of 25 g of superphosphate. This amount of solution is enough to feed a bush that has reached its maximum size.
When the mock orange blooms, gardeners feed it a second time. To restore strength, the bush needs potassium fertilizers. You can use wood ash in dry or dissolved form or potassium sulfate (20 g per bucket of water).
Trimming
Sanitary pruning is carried out in early spring. After the snow melts, you need to remove frozen shoots and damaged branches. Infected or weak shoots are removed completely “to the stump”.
At the same time, formative pruning is carried out, shortening strong shoots by several centimeters. This stimulates the growth of bushes.
Anti-aging pruning should be carried out no more than once every 7-8 years. In this case, all the old growth is cut out, leaving 4 - 5 strong shoots.
Preparing for winter
Unlike the mock oranges of the Vekhov selection (Academician N.K. Vekhov), the guest from France needs shelter for the winter. It is especially important to insulate the plant in winters with little snow.
Before the first snow, you need to fill the root space with a thick layer of mulch. To do this, use a mixture of humus, compost and dry leaves.
Young bushes must be covered with lutrasil or other non-woven material. It's easy to do. A high pole is installed in the middle of the bush, onto which the winter shelter is attached.
Pests and diseases
Garden jasmine Belle Etoile is considered resistant to plant diseases; problems arise mainly due to errors in care. If the soil is very waterlogged or has insufficient permeability, gray rot or similar diseases can affect the bush. Treatment consists of removing the affected parts of the bush and treating with a fungicide.
Bean aphids and weevils most often infect mock orange. To combat them, sticky traps are installed and the plants are treated with an insecticide. To avoid infection of garden jasmine, preventive treatments are carried out in early spring.
Conclusion
Jasmine Belle Etoile is one of the most beautiful representatives of its species. Thanks to its delicate aroma and original colors, the shrub has enjoyed the well-deserved love of gardeners for many decades.
frost resistance of jasmine belle etoile?