Content
Weigela Middendorfa is a representative of the Honeysuckle family; in terms of flowering time it replaces lilac. In its natural environment, the plant is found in the Far East, Siberia, Primorsky Territory, and Sakhalin. Weigela is represented by numerous varieties with different colors and bush sizes. They grow crops for landscaping and use them in landscape design.
Description of Weigela Middendorff
In the middle of the 19th century, Weigela Middendorf was listed in the botanical directory; the plant received its name in honor of the secretary of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, researcher and naturalist A. Middendorf. Currently, the bush in the wild is on the verge of extinction; it is listed in the Red Book and is under state protection.In its natural environment, the plant is found in the undergrowth of coniferous forests, on the edges of cedar trees and shrubs, coastal areas and on rocky slopes.
Weigela middendorf (pictured) is a perennial deciduous shrub. In Russia, the variety began to be grown in 1950 in botanical gardens. It has successfully adapted to the Altai climate and is recommended for breeding in the Leningrad and Moscow regions, Western Siberia, and Altai. The frost-resistant Middendorf variety tolerates temperatures down to -38 0C without freezing of the root system. Weigela is also characterized by high winter hardiness; changes in spring temperature do not affect the growing season of the plant. The culture successfully withstands drought. It tolerates moisture deficiency much better than excess.
Description of Weigela Middendorff:
- The variety grows in the form of a multi-stemmed shrub up to 1.5 m high, the crown is oval, growing to the sides. The crop is intensively leafy, the perennial shoots are dark brown in color.
- Leaves are opposite, lanceolate, pointed upward. The surface is finely pubescent with a pronounced network of veins, bright green, no petioles.
- The root system of Weigela Middendorf is slightly deepened, of mixed type, the root circle is wide, with a volume of 1.5 m.
- Seeds - small capsules equipped with a lionfish - are formed in the fall after the second flowering.
Weigela Middendorf planting material is suitable for generative propagation. The annual growth of the plant is insignificant; by the age of five the shrub reaches the end point of growth and is considered an adult. The biological life span of weigela is 55 years.
How weigela middendorf blooms
The variety belongs to crops with an average flowering period; a distinctive feature of Middendorf weigela, which makes it attractive to gardeners, is double flowering. The first wave begins at the end of May, the next one in August. Flowering duration is 4 weeks. Therefore, the bushes look aesthetically pleasing all season long.
The first buds form at the top of last year's stems, and at the end of summer on the current year's shoots. Weigela blooms with single large flowers, less often they are collected in inflorescences of 2-3 pieces. The shape is funnel-shaped or tubular in the form of a bell. The color changes during flowering from bright yellow to light lemon. A bright crimson splash in the middle of the throat makes the flower decorative.
Application in landscape design
Due to the decorative habit of Weigela Middendorf during long flowering, it is widely used for decorating personal plots and landscaping urban recreation areas. An unpretentious plant requires minimal care, the only condition for abundant flowering is that the bush must be located in an open area, periodic shading is acceptable.
All varieties of weigela with different colors are used to decorate the landscape. Several examples of the use of Middendorff weigela in design are presented below:
- Imitation of a corner of wild nature in a city park.
- As a tapeworm in the center of a flower bed near the wall of a building.
- Along the edges of the garden path.
- Near the garden bench.
- Slope design.
- Near the wall of the gazebo.
- In composition with conifers.
- As a hedge.
- Design of the foreground of the ridges.
- For decorating the banks of an artificial reservoir in a rock garden.
Weigela varieties look harmonious in any composition: in mass planting and as a single shrub.
Reproduction methods
According to reviews from gardeners, Middendorf weigela can be diluted in any convenient way:
- Seeds. Sowing seeds in containers is carried out in April, after 3 weeks shoots will appear. The sprouts are kept in the container until next spring, then they are placed on the site.
- By layering. The lower branch is bent to the ground, fixed, and covered with soil. The buds give roots in about 1 month. In the South, rooted material can be cut and planted before winter; in temperate climates, it is planted in the spring.
- Basal shoots. The fastest way.
- Cuttings. The material is cut from last year's shoots, approximately 15 cm from the central part. Harvesting time is August, the material overwinters in containers with soil until spring.
Planting and caring for Middendorf weigela
Weigela Middendorf is an unpretentious plant that gets along well with any representative of the flora, except for dense plantings of large trees, whose dense crown creates shade. In such conditions, you should not expect secondary flowering from weigela.
Recommended timing
The optimal option for placing weigela on the site is early spring, late March - early April. The dates are approximate; for each climate zone, planting time is individual. The earth should warm up to +8 0C, there should be no frost after planting. Autumn planting of Middendorf weigela in regions with cold winters can lead to the death of the plant.
Site selection and soil preparation
Sufficient light is vital for Middendorff's weigela. In the shade, the bush loses its decorative effect. Shading of the area for 2-3 hours a day is allowed.Suitable places for Middendorf weigela will be the slopes of ravines, open areas in the garden, and the south side of the building. When choosing a location, take into account that the crop does not tolerate drafts.
The composition of the soil at the site where Middendorf weigela is planted should be neutral or slightly acidic, light, nutritious, and drained. The plant will react calmly to a dry root ball; overmoistening can cause rotting. Lowlands and wetlands are not suitable for Weigela Middendorf. Before spring planting, they dig up the area in the fall and add organic products, urea, and ash.
How to plant correctly
Before planting, prepare nutritious soil consisting of equal parts of sand, humus, peat and soil from the planting site. Fertile land is divided into two equal parts. Before placing it in a permanent place, the root of the seedling is treated with an antifungal drug and immersed in Kornevin for 4 hours.
Landing:
- Dig a hole measuring 50*60 cm, 70 cm deep.
- Medium-fraction gravel is laid at the bottom; the layer must be at least 10 cm.
- A fertile mixture is poured in and a cone-shaped hill is made in the center of the hole.
- Place the root on the embankment and cover it with the remaining soil.
- Compact and water.
When mass planting, the interval between Weigela Middendorf seedlings should be 1.5 m.
Growing rules
Weigela Middendorf requires certain care conditions, especially in the first three years of growth, and then annually during flowering.
Watering
Adult Weigela Middendorf is calm about the lack of precipitation. Watering is carried out at the time of budding and further flowering, frequency – once every 6 days. For the second flowering, watering depends on precipitation.A large amount of moisture during autumn flowering can give a negative result; the flowers do not have time to fully open and begin to fall off. Young Middendorf seedlings are watered periodically with a small amount of water. The soil should be slightly moist.
Top dressing
The first feeding of weigels is carried out immediately after the snow melts. Complex fertilizers are scattered around the bush; urea or potassium salt will do. At the time of flower bud formation, weigela is given superphosphate. Before the second flowering, organic matter is added.
Loosening, mulching
After each watering of young seedlings, the root circle is loosened, and weeds are removed along the way. Loosening is carried out shallowly to raise the top layer by about 5 cm. Adult plants do not need loosening. Weeds must be removed; this measure prevents the spread of aphids.
Mulch Middendorf weigela immediately after planting. In the fall the layer is increased and in the spring it is renewed. It is recommended to use crushed tree bark as mulch. The material retains moisture well and looks aesthetically pleasing on the site.
Pruning, crown formation
Weigela Middendorf is compact, not spreading, has a natural decorative habit, so the shrub is often left in its original form. Sanitary pruning is carried out, dry areas and shoots that died over the winter are removed in the spring. Every three years the crop is rejuvenated by cutting out 3-4 old branches. Weigela Middendorf responds well to pruning shoots, holds its shape for a long time, and therefore is used by landscape designers.
Preparing for winter
Weigela Middendorf is characterized by increased winter hardiness. An adult plant after 6 years of growth does not require crown cover; abundant watering and a layer of mulch made of straw or pine needles will be sufficient. You can cover the root circle with spruce branches.Young bushes of the Middendorf variety need thorough wintering measures:
- The plant is spudded.
- Cover with a layer of mulch.
- The crown is collected into a loose bundle and carefully secured with a rope.
- I bend it to the ground, install arcs, and tighten the covering material.
The structure is covered with spruce branches on top, and a snowdrift is thrown over it in winter.
Pests and diseases
Weigela Middendorf can hardly be called resistant to infections. The plant reacts painfully to the slightest deviations from the required standards, for example, too high air and soil humidity. Spotting develops on the leaves, and rot in the form of growths on the roots. If juniper is planted next to weigela, rust appears on the foliage. Eliminate all manifestations of fungal and bacterial infections with Bordeaux mixture.
They parasitize on crops:
- aphid;
- caterpillars;
- thrips;
- spider mite
Middendorf pests are eliminated with Keltan, Nitrofen, and Rogor. To exclude the mole cricket and the larvae of the cockchafer, “Karbofos” or “Aktaru” is added to the root.
Conclusion
Weigela middendorf is a perennial deciduous shrub. The plant is widely used in the design of plots, urban recreation areas, and landscaping of neighborhoods. What makes it attractive for design is its beautiful dense crown and the possibility of blooming twice throughout the season. The crop is frost-resistant and is grown in areas with cold climates. Safely tolerates drought, weigela can be found in Central Asia and the North Caucasus.
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