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Planting and caring for buddleia in the Moscow region differs from agricultural practices in the southern regions. The plant enters the flowering phase in the fall and remains decorative until the first frost. In warm climates, winter preparation work is minimal. To preserve the root system in a temperate climate, the crop requires a number of additional measures.
Buddleia varieties for the Moscow region
Budleya comes from South Africa, the plant is heat-loving and does not tolerate low ambient temperatures. Thanks to hybridization, new varieties of buddleia have been developed, which, according to reviews from gardeners, have become possible to grow in the Moscow region. The culture is used in the design of plots. Budleya Davida with spike-shaped plumes and its breeding varieties are common in temperate climates. Hybrids differ in flower color and bush height, but their agricultural technology is the same.
The most popular varieties of David's buddleia for the Moscow region:
- Budleya Flower Power or Bicolor - a hybrid with double coloring of flowers. They are divided into orange and dark purple.The bush grows up to 2 m, the crown is spreading, with stems drooping at the ends.
- Budleya Black Knight (Black Knight) - medium-sized shrub (up to 1.5 m) with silvery foliage, compact, drooping ends of branches. The inflorescences are 30 cm long and consist of dark purple flowers with a lemon core.
- Budleya Blue Chip (Blue Chip) is a low-growing shrub 45 cm high, crown diameter 85 cm. It has a long flowering period - from July to October. Spike-shaped inflorescences are bright blue with a purple core.
- Budleya David Alba – medium-sized shrub (1.3 m in height), spreading with drooping branches, large, white inflorescences.
The main varieties of buddleia are less frost-resistant than hybrids. In the Moscow region they plant Buddleia spherical with orange rounded inflorescences and Buddleia alternate-leaved; the crop is valued for its decorative appearance, but it requires more careful preparation for winter.
Planting and caring for Buddleia David in the Moscow region
According to designers, planting buddleia in the Moscow region and subsequently caring for it will not be difficult if the requirements of agricultural technology are met and frost-resistant varieties are selected. Budleya has time to bloom before the onset of frost, and there is enough time left to prepare the plant for wintering.
Timing of planting work
The plant is planted in the spring, when the soil has warmed up to +180 C, approximately - end of May or beginning of June. In spring, the seedling propagation method is recommended. Sow seeds at the end of April, a month before placing them in open ground.
Planting buddleia in the fall in the Moscow region is undesirable; the plant may go into winter with a weak root system.There is a big risk that the budleya will not survive the winter. If autumn planting is necessary, take a well-rooted cutting or layering; alternatively, purchase a seedling from a nursery. Work is carried out a month before frost, if the root system of the planting material is well developed, the budleya will take root safely and overwinter.
Site selection and soil preparation
The plant is light-loving and tolerates excess ultraviolet radiation much more easily than its deficiency. Choose an open site, protected from the north wind. The composition of the soil is chosen without excess moisture, loose, neutral, fertile. If the soil is clayey, sand is added, and sandy soil is mixed with humus, the acidic composition is neutralized with lime or dolomite flour. The area is dug up and the roots are removed. weed. The work is carried out 14 days before planting the seedling.
Landing algorithm
Successful wintering of buddleia in the Moscow region depends on proper planting:
- Dig a planting hole so that it is 15-20 cm wider than the root, deepen it by 50 cm.
- A drainage layer is placed at the bottom; for this purpose, pebbles, crushed stone or expanded clay are used, the layer is approximately 10 cm.
- Mix turf soil with superphosphate - 50 g of product per 8 kg of soil, pour onto drainage.
- The buddleia seedling is placed in the center, the roots are distributed so that there is no intertwining, and covered with earth.
- The soil is compacted, watered and mulched with peat or straw.
If planting in groups, the interval between buddleia bushes is 1 m.
Rules for growing buddleia in the Moscow region
Buddleia agricultural technology in the Moscow region does not differ from crop care in the Southern regions, with the exception of autumn preparation.To preserve the decorative appearance of the plant, it must be fed, watered, and weeds removed from the site.
Budleya is drought-resistant and can survive without watering for a long time. But it reacts poorly to dry air; the flowers and leaves turn yellow and then dry out; frequent sprinkling is necessary. Young seedlings require more watering. Activities are determined by seasonal precipitation. If it rained twice a week, this is enough for the seedling, but in dry weather the moisture deficit is supplemented by watering.
For an adult plant, one watering every 14 days is enough; the root system of buddleia is superficial; a constantly moistened root circle can cause the development of a fungal infection. The climatic conditions in the Moscow region are unstable; a sharp change in temperature at night and during the day has a bad effect on budley if the soil is constantly wet.
Loosen the crop as weeds appear. Loosening is carried out in a thin layer so as not to damage the root. Fertilizer is applied later in the spring using superphosphate (Kemira Universal). In the fall, fertilize before preparing for wintering.
Buddleia is pruned in the fall; the entire crown is cut off if conditions allow it to be covered for the winter and not subjected to drastic pruning. In the spring, remove frozen, weak branches and shorten the length of the shoots as desired. Budleya is mulched immediately after planting and without fail in the fall.
How to prepare a buddleya for winter in the Moscow region
Buddleia David winters in the Moscow region only in a covered state. Even on a previously insulated plant, frozen shoots are found in the spring. It's not scary, the stems will grow back in the spring. But if the root is frozen, it will not be able to restore the missing fragments of the budley. There is a high risk that the plant will gradually die.In the fall, they take care not only of shelter, but also pay attention to preparatory work.
Preparing David's buddleia for winter in the Moscow region:
- 2 weeks before the onset of frost, feed the plant with phosphorus fertilizer.
- A week after fertilizing, water-recharging irrigation is carried out. If the summer was rainy, this event is not necessary.
- In the southern regions, the crop is pruned in the spring; in the Moscow region, pruning buddleia for the winter is a mandatory procedure. Leave the stems 20 cm from the ground, cut off the entire crown.
- The plant must be hilled up, mulched with peat, straw or dry leaves in a layer of 15-20 cm. Sawdust is not recommended for covering the root circle; they are able to accumulate moisture and create a favorable microclimate for fungi and bacteria.
Then cover the buddleia bush in any convenient way.
How to cover a Budleya for the winter in the Moscow region
Sheltering buddleia for the winter in the Moscow region can only be done in late autumn, when the plant is dormant. Early activities can lead to steaming and then rotting of the stems. If young buddleia seedlings look weak, it is better to dig them up for the winter and transfer them together with a soil ball to a dark room.
An adult, trimmed buddleia is covered in the following way:
- After the leaves fall, the budleya is covered with soil up to the 4th bud.
- The top is covered with a wooden structure in the form of a quadrangle; the sides of the improvised box should be higher or at the level of the cuts.
- Budleya is covered with boards or slate, and roofing felt is placed on top.
- In winter, the structure is covered with a thick layer of snow.
Instead of a box, you can use arcs with lutrasil stretched over them. The structure is about 30 cm high.After installing the arches, the budleya in the Moscow region is completely covered with dry leaves, only then the covering material is pulled on. You can put spruce branches on top or cover the mini-greenhouse with snow.
A video with step-by-step instructions on how to cover a buddleia for the winter in the Moscow region will help you carry out the preparatory work correctly, and the plant will safely overwinter.
Warming adult buddleia bushes is no less important than young ones. Over time, buddleia loses its frost resistance and can die even in slight frosts.
Conclusion
Planting and caring for buddleia in the Moscow region will be successful if the variety is chosen correctly and the planting deadlines are met. An important role in the successful growing season of a plant is played by the correctly chosen location and soil composition. In a temperate climate, the crop will not survive the winter without preliminary measures taken. Budleya is trimmed, mulched and covered.
