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Spiraea japonica Golden Princess is a representative of a large group of deciduous shrubs. Spiraea are found almost everywhere in the northern hemisphere. The plant genus includes more than 90 species, which differ in the shape and height of the bush, different flowering periods, location and configuration of flowers. Golden Princess is considered the most popular variety of Japanese spring-blooming meadowsweet. In the photo is the Golden Princess spirea:
Description of Spiraea Golden Princess
In summer-flowering varieties, flowers form on young shoots. One shoot grows and develops for 7 years, while the roots of the bush actively grow. 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, round in shape, grows slowly. The branches are slightly curved upward.
- The leaves are serrated, oval in shape, about 7 cm long.They change color depending on the season. In spring, the bush is covered with bright yellow leaves. They are golden yellow in summer and turn red, orange or bronze in autumn. 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 scent, so beekeepers often place hives near shrub plantings.
Spiraea Golden Princess in landscape design
Spiraea of this type is very decorative, therefore it is popular among landscape designers. The size of the Golden Princess spirea bush fits perfectly into various compositions. With the help of meadowsweet you can create a low border, edge, mixborder from different types of similar shrubs, and add color to a rocky garden. The plant combines with perennial herbs and flowers. Ideal for seasonal arrangements. In addition, the Japanese species has the longest flowering time among its counterparts. For 45 days the garden is filled with colorful bushes.
Border from Golden Princess spirea
Each variety is used in certain compositions. The Japanese Golden Princess is good to trim. Therefore, the bush will make a chic border along the path or a strip for fencing the area.
Golden Princess spirea hedge
Most often, Japanese spirea of the Golden Princess species in landscape design is used for planting hedges. The shrub is taking root well.The optimal companions for spirea are junipers, spruces and thujas. Plants are selected for color and size. To make the hedge attractive, you need to plan the planting. A long fence is first marked out using pegs, then a rope is pulled. Holes for plants are marked along the rope. With this approach, the spirea hedge will turn out smooth.
Planting and caring for the Japanese Golden Princess spirea
Japanese meadowsweet is considered an unpretentious species, but the development of any plant depends on proper planting and care. Rooting will occur faster if the gardener follows the rules for caring for the Golden Princess spirea after planting.
Preparation of planting material and site
Proper planting involves choosing a place with suitable conditions for the plant, preparing seedlings and accurately implementing the algorithm. The optimal time for planting Golden Princess is spring. It is during this period that summer-blooming spireas are planted. Some recommendations:
- Meet deadlines. The bushes need to be planted before the buds swell. If the deadline in the spring is missed, then you can plant Golden Princess spirea in the fall, when the leaf fall ends.Important! In this case, it is necessary to protect the bush from frost and strong winter winds.
- Choose a lighted place. A little shading will not hurt, but a long absence of sun will negatively affect the flowering of meadowsweet. The bush is not recommended to be planted in lowlands; the variety does not tolerate waterlogging.
- Prepare the soil. Golden Princess is undemanding in terms of its composition, but on fertile soil it grows better and blooms more luxuriantly. In addition, it loves loam or sandy loam.
- Properly prepare the spirea seedling for planting. Trim off all dry or rotten roots; be sure to shorten healthy ones, leaving 30 cm in length. Cut the branches to 1/3 of the total length. If the seedlings were purchased in a container, fill the plant with water and then remove it. It’s good when the seedling has no leaves, such specimens take root better.
The planting technology will not cause any difficulties.
Planting spirea Golden Princess
Planting seedlings begins with preparing 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 finished pit without soil for 2 days. Leave a distance of at least 50 cm between two planting holes.
Then lay a drainage layer on the bottom. Expanded clay, crushed stone, broken brick are suitable.
Prepare a nutrient mixture from garden soil, peat, sand. Mix all components in equal quantities.
Spread the roots of the Japanese spirea seedling, place the plant at the bottom of the hole, and sprinkle with soil. The root collar should be at ground level.
Compact the tree trunk circle and water well. Then lay a layer of mulch.
Watering and fertilizing
Among the list of measures for caring for the Japanese Golden Princess spirea, watering and fertilizing are the main ones.
You need to water the bush in a timely manner, but moderately. In the hot summer, it requires watering twice a month. 20 liters of water are poured onto one plant. It will be good if it is heated in the sun.
Fertilizing improves the flowering of spirea. Liquid fertilizers are suitable for Golden Princess. In the spring, feed the bushes with complex fertilizer after pruning. The second time nutrition is introduced 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.They begin to feed spirea after 2 years of age.
How and when to prune Golden Princess spirea
The variety tolerates pruning and shearing well. For summer-blooming spirea, spring pruning is recommended. It consists in shortening the shoots. 20 cm of shoot length is left above the ground surface. Basic pruning requirements for the formation and rejuvenation of a bush:
- First cut out all branches that are sick, dry, 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, they should not spare older branches. Japanese meadowsweet grows best when carefully pruned. 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
Japanese spirea variety Golden Princess is a plant of average winter hardiness. Therefore, the bushes need to be covered. Gently bend the shoots to the ground and cover with non-woven material.
How to propagate Golden Princess spirea
Several methods are acceptable for the variety. Reproduction of Golden Princess spirea occurs with the help of:
- Cherenkov. They are pre-soaked in a root former solution and placed in a substrate for rooting. 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. To improve the result, it is better to dig a small trench and then lay the shoot. At the same time, the characteristics of the variety are preserved, as with cuttings.It is used in the spring during the leaf blooming phase. Then abundant moistening and removal of inflorescences are required.
- Semyon. This method takes the longest and requires a lot of attention.
- Bush divisions. A convenient option for propagation 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
Damage to diseases in the Japanese Golden Princess spirea is quite rare. The most dangerous pest is considered to be the spider mite. At the first signs of its appearance (spots on leaves, drying out), use solutions of Acrex or Phosfamide (2%). The entire Spiraea bush is treated.
In addition to mites, roseate leaf rollers and aphids also cause damage to the plant. In this case, the bush is sprayed with solutions of Aktelik, Pirimor, Etaphos, and bitoxybocillin. Preventive compositions are prepared from infusions of herbs and roots, for example, dissected hogweed.
Conclusion
Spiraea Japanese Golden Princess is a very decorative and unpretentious plant. By following the rules of simple care, gardeners can easily decorate their plots with plantings of summer-flowering shrubs.
