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Every summer resident or owner of a private house wants to make his plot bright and unique. Weigela Carnival is an excellent solution for decorating the local area. The shrub blooms incredibly beautifully, is unpretentious in care and undemanding to environmental conditions.
Description of weigela Carnival
The plant was first introduced to European soil from the distant eastern regions. This variety is one of the most widespread throughout the world. A special feature of the shrub is its significant size. Adult plants are capable of reaching a diameter of 3.5 m with a bush height of 50-70 cm. The shoots of the bush grow straight up, falling a little closer to the ground with age, forming a lush spherical crown. The leaves are green, elongated, slightly pointed towards the end.
The weigela variety Carnival is one of the most frost-resistant among other representatives of this plant. It easily endures the winters of central Russia. The only exception for cultivation can be the northern part of the country with heavy and prolonged snowfalls.
How weigela blooms Carnival
A special feature of this variety is that the flowers can be painted in different colors. Unlike traditional solid colors, Carnival pleases with three different colors at once - white, pink and purple. A scattering of multi-colored buds makes a great impression on guests of the local area.
Flowering of the bush begins at the age of 4 years. The period of active flowering begins in early summer and lasts until approximately the end of June. The flowers are small but frequent. Flowering lasts constantly - dead flowers are replaced by new ones. Photo of blooming weigela Carnival amazes with the abundance of blossoming buds.
Application in landscape design
Weigela Carnival can be used in landscape design in different ways: you can create twists on the lawn, you can plant it alone in a remote area of the territory or attach it to trees with a wide crown. Low-growing weigels are best suited for rocky surfaces, while tall ones are used to create hedges.
Having about 10 seedlings, you can divide them into 2-3 groups depending on the overall desired composition. Each group includes from 3 to 4 bushes for a more impressive appearance. They are all planted side by side on the lawn, forming lines or circles. For each group, they try to create a common tree trunk circle, making sure to mulch. If Carnival weigels are planted far from each other, it is necessary to fill the distance between them with green spaces - ferns or hosta.
Reproduction methods
Reproduction of weigela Carnival can be done in two ways - seeds or cuttings.In the first case, sowing is carried out in the spring without preliminary preparation of seeds. They are placed in a pot and covered with transparent film or glass. After the second leaf appears on the seedlings, it is necessary to thin out the crops. A one-year-old weigela plant is approximately 6-7 cm in height and 3 cm in diameter of the root system.
The following year, Carnival weigela in pots is taken out into the open air. It is placed in a slightly shaded area of the garden - a tree with a sparse crown is best suited. For the winter, the plant is brought back into the house. The result of 2 years of such cultivation will be a seedling 40-50 cm long, ready for transplanting into open ground.
To get a Carnival weigela cutting, a fresh green branch that is just beginning to grow woody is cut from an adult bush. An ideal cutting is considered to be a shoot one internode long with two pairs of leaves. A straight cut is made with a sharp knife.
The leaf blades of the shoot are removed and placed in water for a couple of hours. Then a special nutrient liquid is prepared, which contains 150 mg of growth stimulator per 1 liter of water. After 12 hours of preparation, the plant is ready for planting.
Planting weigela Carnival
Planting in open ground is one of the most important moments in the life of every plant. If done incorrectly, the future shrub will not take root and will soon die. Strict adherence to all planting rules and regulations guarantees the health and intensive growth of the bush.
Weigela Carnival, like other flowering shrubs, requires fairly strict adherence to planting rules.An established plant later becomes more unpretentious, but still requires care. Regular watering, mulching the soil around the bush and periodic pruning of the crown are needed.
Recommended timing
In order for the plant to take root well, the soil must be as warm as possible. The ideal time for planting Carnival weigela cuttings in open ground is considered to be early to mid-June. Warm soil and ample feeding will speed up the formation of new roots.
Young weigela Carnival absolutely does not tolerate cool nights. Since the root system of the plant is not yet fully formed, lowering the thermometer below 6-8 degrees can spoil the nascent roots. It is necessary to make sure that warm weather has established - in the last 2 weeks the night temperature should not fall below 10 degrees.
Planting of seedlings grown from seeds occurs in the third year of the plant's life. Since at this age the root system of weigela Carnival is already formed, planting can be done starting in May. The main thing is that there are no sudden cold snaps at night, which are detrimental to this plant. You can also plant the plant in the fall - in September or early October.
Site selection and soil preparation
Although some types of weigela prefer shaded areas, the flowering Carnival grows best in open spaces. The growing location should not be protected from direct sunlight. You should not place weigela in the shade of a country house or near a fence on the south side of the site.
The correct soil for planting Carnival weigela is the key to a healthy plant in the future. Carnival is very demanding on the substrate in which it grows. To prepare ideal soil, mix:
- 2 parts leaf soil;
- 2 parts sand;
- 1 part of turf land.
What Carnival doesn't like the most is wind. The shrub has too thin flowers that easily tear off during strong gusts of the elements. The site must be fenced with a high solid fence.
How to plant correctly
A week before planting, it is necessary to prepare the holes. The ideal size of the recess for planting Carnival weigela is 50x50x70 cm. The bottom of the hole is lined with a drainage layer of sand, gravel and coarse crushed stone. The height of the layer must be at least 15 cm.
The planting depth should be such that the root collar of the weigela is at ground level. The roots are buried to 40-60 cm. In spring, the plant is placed perpendicular to the ground. In the fall, it is recommended to tilt it on its side so that the vegetative system produces additional roots.
Growing rules
In order for weigela Carnival to receive the maximum amount of nutrients from the soil, it is very important to weed its tree trunks to remove weeds. Weeding should be done every 2 weeks. A large number of foreign plants absorb water, leaving Carnival without a source of nutrition.
At the same time, it is important to avoid overfilling weigela Carnival. This shrub really does not like areas with close groundwater. Therefore, watering must be carried out as carefully as possible. In constantly wet soil, weigela may refuse to bloom.
Watering
If the winter was not snowy, or if a large number of frostbitten shoots are detected, the plant is watered abundantly. The main watering occurs in March, when the soil has already completely thawed. The norm per bush is 8-10 liters.
Weigela Carnival is also watered before flowering. During this period, about 4-5 liters of water are poured under each bush. Of course, you should not forget about the plant during dry periods.If there has been no rain for a long time, the soil looks very dry; preventive watering with a garden hose is recommended.
Top dressing
Applying the right fertilizers is the key to healthy weigela. The Carnival variety is fertilized 2 times a year. The first application occurs immediately after the snow melts and the soil thaws. A full range of fertilizers is applied so that the plant recovers faster from wintering. At this time, the best bait will be urea, superphosphate and complex potassium fertilizer.
The second feeding occurs in the summer during the period of swelling of flower ovaries. Weigela is watered with double superphosphate and potassium sulfate at the rate of 30 ml per 1 square meter. m of soil. This fertilizer prolongs flowering, filling Carnival with all the substances necessary for the plant.
Loosening, mulching
For the proper development of the weigela bush, it is recommended to keep the tree trunk circles in good condition. Constantly loosening and mulching the soil will improve the health of the plant and speed up its growth. Loosening must be done after each serious watering of the plant. The area around the Carnival trunk should be loosened to a depth of about 7-8 cm. The diameter of the serviced circle around the weigela should be at least 2 m.
Mulching is necessary to slow the evaporation of water from under the roots of the tree. The mulch layer should be at least 8-10 cm. Traditionally, sawdust is used for it. Oak or apple tree is best.
Pruning, crown formation
At the beginning of spring, it is imperative to remove shoots damaged by severe frost. This will speed up the growth of green mass of weigela Carnival due to the fact that excess juice will not be supplied to the affected areas. Pruning is done with pruning shears. After removing the dead parts, the weigela is treated with garden varnish.
Also, pruning is done every 2 years to form the correct crown of the plant. It is best to produce it after flowering has ended. Remove side shoots that are too long, as well as new branches growing inside the crown.
Preparing for winter
From mid-October, Carnival weigelu begin to prepare for wintering. The first priority is to collect fallen leaves and bend branches to the ground. At this time, additional mulching of the soil is performed. The mulch layer should be larger than usual. Usually peat and dry oak chips are added for wintering.
In November, young plants are covered with film to protect them from severe frosts. Rodent traps are installed around the weigela. After the first snow falls, it is trampled down to create a kind of thermos around the planting hole.
Pests and diseases
The biggest disaster for Carnival weigela is considered to be the common aphid. These flies can completely destroy the leaves and young shoots of the plant. To get rid of unwanted pests and diseases, use:
- anabasine sulfate solution 0.2%;
- karbofos 0.2%;
- chlorophos 0.4%;
- nicotine sulfate 0.4% with soap solution.
Natural ingredients will also help protect weigela from diseases. Decoctions based on shag, garlic and onions are very effective. Among spices, allspice and black pepper show the best effectiveness.
Conclusion
Weigela Carnival will decorate any garden and local area. It is ideal for landscape design, combined with other shrubs and small trees.Subject to planting technology and constant painstaking care, the plant will delight its owners with lush flowers throughout the long summer months.
