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A photo and description of Macrophylla spirea will introduce those who do not yet know to an unusual, deciduous shrub. In the wild, it is distributed throughout almost the entire Northern Hemisphere. Breeders have done a lot of work to develop varieties that would be suitable for growing at home. The attractive shapes of the leaves and the play of color of the Macrophyll spirea allow landscape designers to realize the most extraordinary ideas.
Description of Spiraea Japanese Macrophylla
The Macrophylla variety is the best variety among decorative deciduous spirea. Its homeland is considered to be the Far East and Eastern Siberia. It also grows in Northern China, Europe, and Southeast Russia. The plant chooses areas on the shores of lakes, reservoirs, forest edges, and mountain slopes.
The height of the spirea is 1.3 m, and the width of the crown reaches 1.5 m. Among its fellows, it is distinguished by its rapid growth, the annual growth is 25-30 cm. The foliage is wrinkled, swollen, and large in size. The length of the leaf is 20 cm and the width is 10 cm.During the blooming period, the leaves are purple in color, changing to green over time.
Spiraea Macrophylla is a summer flowering plant. The beginning of flowering period is July-August. Inflorescences are corymbose-shaped, 20 cm long. Pink color.
Frost-resistant perennial. Sun-loving. Grows in soils of various compositions. Does not tolerate long periods of drought.
Spiraea Macrophylla landscape design
Spiraea Macrophylla is suitable for creating a romantic style design on the site. The variety stands out clearly for its foliage, or rather its color. In spring, it has a purple tint, which gradually turns into green closer to summer. In autumn, the leaves acquire a rich yellow color, thanks to which the plant fits harmoniously into the overall atmosphere.
The shrub looks ideal both in group and single plantings. Looks original when framing sidewalk paths, borders, mixborders. Spiraea Macrophyll is used to create flower beds and compositions of ornamental shrubs. Looking at the photo, it is not always possible to guess that the main element of garden decor is the Japanese spirea Macrophylla.
Planting and caring for Macrophylla spirea
This ornamental plant is not at all demanding. Even those who have never done this can grow a healthy and strong bush. For Macrophyll spirea, standard agricultural practices apply.
Preparation of planting material and site
The key to quick adaptation of a plant to a new place and rapid growth is healthy planting material. This is evidenced by the flexibility and presence of buds on the shoot.If you have a Macrophylla spirea seedling with an open root system, then first of all it is necessary to inspect the root system. Remove all dry, yellow areas. Shorten roots that are too long. It is also worth trimming the top part of the seedling by 1/3 of its length.
Planting material with a closed root system must first be removed from the container. Pour over warm water. If hardenings have formed, it is better to leave the seedling for several hours in a container with water.
The light-loving nature of the ornamental shrub determines its active development in the sun. If necessary, you can plant Macrophylla spirea in partial shade. The shrub produces abundant basal shoots, which increases the occupied area. This fact should be taken into account when planning a landing site.
Any soil is suitable as a growing medium. Of course, in fertile and loose soil, flowering will be much more abundant. The depleted substrate is fertilized with peat or a mixture of river sand and leaf soil. It would be useful to arrange a drainage layer of broken bricks and pebbles.
Planting Spiraea Macrophylla in the garden
The planting procedure for summer-blooming spirea Macrophyll is carried out in the spring. The main task is to be in time before the leaves bloom. During the warm period, the plant will take root well and will survive the first winter without any problems.
It is advisable to choose a cloudy or rainy day for planting. To plant shrubs in rows, it is necessary to leave a gap of about half a meter between the holes. Algorithm for planting spirea Macrophylla:
- Prepare a hole 1/3 larger than the root ball. Approximately 50x50 cm.
- The bottom is lined with crushed stone, gravel, expanded clay. Layer height – 15 cm.
- Then a mixture of turf soil, peat and sand is added.
- A spirea Macrophyll seedling is placed in the center of the recess and sprinkled with earth.
- The soil is not compacted.
- The plant is watered with 20 liters of water.
- When the water is absorbed, the tree trunk circle is sprinkled with peat.
Watering and fertilizing
Due to the fact that the ornamental plant does not have the ability to penetrate deeply, the issue of moisture is acute. Especially during periods of drought, then the volume of liquid is increased. The water norm for Macrophyll spirea is on average 15-20 liters over a period of 7-10 days. The watering process should be regular, starting from the moment of planting. Young animals need to be moisturized more often. It is preferable to use water at room temperature.
During the entire growing season, Spiraea Macrophylla should be fed 3 times. The first time - in March, they are fertilized with nitrogenous preparations. The second procedure occurs in June, and the next one is performed in August. In summer they are fed with complex mineral and organic substances.
Trimming
An important stage in the process of caring for Macrophylla spirea is pruning. Bushes tend to grow, so adjustments are required from time to time. With the help of pruning, gardeners achieve a beautiful shape and long flowering.
In early spring, diseased, dry, poorly developed shoots are removed. Long branches are shortened by cutting off the tips to strong buds. Bushes that are more than 4 years old need to be pruned heavily, leaving shoots only 20-25 cm long from the root.If after this Macrophylla spirea produces weak growth, it’s time to think about replacing the bush. Although the life expectancy of this culture is on average 15 years.
Preparing for winter
From the description it follows that Spiraea Macrophylla is a winter-hardy plant. It can endure even harsh winters without shelter. However, extra protection will not hurt if we are talking about a young plant. Bending the shoots to the ground will help you endure the cold without consequences. They are pinned to the surface with twigs, and a 15 cm layer of dry leaves is sprinkled on top.
Reproduction of Spiraea Macrophylla
Spiraea Macrophylla reproduces by dividing the bush, layering and seeds.
By layering
A reliable method that does not take much time. The process occurs in spring, when the first leaves appear. You need to select a couple of side branches and bend them to the surface of the earth. Then secure tightly with pins. As a result, the shoots should grow horizontally rather than vertically. Sprinkle soil on top and water. It is important to control soil moisture levels. It should not be dry or wet. Excessive liquid under the bush can lead to rotting of the shoots. For the winter, the branches should be covered with dry grass or leaves. If all recommendations are followed, then young plants can be planted the next season.
Dividing the bush
For this method, it is necessary to select bushes that are 4-5 years old or more. In this case, you cannot use young Macrophyll spirea, since this procedure can cause irreversible damage to it. The technology itself is simple and does not require special skills. In the fall, after the leaves have fallen, they dig up the bush, remove excess soil from the roots and wash it with water.Then the rhizome is cut into 3 equal parts, each of which should have a well-developed root system with 4 long shoots. Otherwise, it will be quite difficult for the seedling to take root in a new place.
Seed method
The planting material of Macrophyll spirea takes root well and sprouts. In spring, the seeds are planted in a container with a peat-earth mixture. Around June, seedlings are planted in open ground, after pinching off the main root. This is done in order to stimulate rapid growth in the plant. The photo shows a sprout of Macrophyll spirea planted in the ground, which in 3-4 years will delight you with flowering with proper care.
Diseases and pests
The shrub gets sick infrequently. It is also unusual for spirea to be attacked by harmful insects. However, under unfavorable conditions, damage to health is caused by leaf rollers, aphids, and spider mites.
The females of the latter overwinter in a pile of fallen leaves, and with the arrival of warmth they move to the plant. They live on the underside of the leaf. As a result, the leaves of Macrophylla spirea turn yellow and dry out prematurely. The following drugs will help to cope effectively: Akrex (0.2%) and Karbofos (0.2%).
The leaf roller caterpillar appears at the end of May. They chew out all the green tissue on the leaves. Aphids feed on plant sap. The drug Pirimor (0.1%) completely destroys these parasites.
You can prevent pests from appearing on your site by carrying out regular preventive maintenance:
- loosening the soil;
- collection of dry leaves;
- pruning;
- weeding weed.
Conclusion
A photo and description of Macrophyll spirea will allow you to learn about the ornamental shrub in more detail: planting features, basic care recommendations. And the beauty of flowering will prompt florist designers to create new compositions.
