Content
The Minnesota Snowflake mock orange is of North American origin. It was obtained by crossing the crowned mock orange and the double mock orange (Leman). From his “ancestors” he inherited the best characteristics - a fairly extensive and spreading crown shape, coupled with large, densely double flowers. Next, a description of Minnesota Snowflake jasmine will be given, its photos will be presented and recommendations will be given for growing this plant.
Description of mock orange Minnesota Snowflake
Mock orange Minnesota Snowflake is a perennial deciduous shrub reaching a height of up to 2 m. The shrub is very dense and fast growing. The annual growth is about 20 cm.
The plant has ovate-shaped leaves of dark green color. In young plants (up to 5 years old), the leaves may be gray-green.The color lasts until they fall, which happens at the beginning of winter.
A photo of Minnesota Snowflake jasmine is shown below:
How Minnesota Snowflake garden jasmine blooms
Jasmine blossoms are dense and abundant. The shoots can contain up to several dozen densely double flowers. Each flower consists of many white petals. The petals expand as they move away from the center of the flower. The outer diameter of the flowers is 25-30 mm. The flowers are collected in corymbose inflorescences of 5 pieces.
Flowering begins at the end of May and beginning of June. Flowering in sunny areas lasts about 20 days, in the shade - 25-30 days. It should be understood that the flowering of plants in the shade is much less intense. The plant has a pleasant aroma that spreads over long distances.
Main characteristics
Mock orange can be grown in the 1st and 2nd frost resistance zones, that is, it is able to tolerate negative temperatures down to -45-50 °C.
There are few representatives of ornamental plants, especially those of subtropical origin, that have such resistance to frost.
Mock orange's resistance to disease is high. There have been virtually no recorded cases of it being affected by fungal diseases with appropriate care (no excessive moisture in the root zone).
Features of reproduction
Minnesota Snowflake mock orange is propagated in several ways. Below are these methods in order of increasing complexity and labor intensity:
- division of the root system;
- layering;
- cuttings;
- seeds.
The easiest way to propagate mock orange is by dividing the root system (dividing the bush).The principle is very simple - the root of the dug up jasmine is divided into several fragments so that each fragment contains at least one young shoot. They do this at the end of autumn.
The bush propagates by layering in the same way as, for example, gooseberries or currants - one of the branches is tilted to the ground and dug in. Within 1-2 months, roots appear on the buried branch, and the next season it can be separated from the mother plant.
Propagation by cuttings and seeds is quite time-consuming and labor-intensive; they are used relatively rarely. Such methods are used to obtain large quantities of material for sale and for selective propagation.
Planting and caring for Minnesota Snowflake jasmine
Planting mock orange has several features that can have a certain impact on its growth and development, especially in the first years of life.
Recommended timing
Mock orange should be planted either in spring or autumn. It is not recommended to replant mock orange in mid-summer, as it will be much more vulnerable to pests.
Site selection and soil preparation
Jasmine prefers well-lit areas, although it can grow in partial shade. If there is little light, the mock orange may begin to drop flowers and leaves.
There are no requirements for the quality and composition of the soil - mock orange can grow on soils of any density, fertility and acidity.
Preparing the soil for planting includes the preliminary addition of humus or compost into the planting hole in an amount of 10 kg per plant. Also, either 100 g of superphosphate or 500 g of wood ash is added to the pit. Preparation is carried out a month before planting mock orange.
Landing algorithm
The depth of the planting hole should be at least half a meter. Diameter 40-60 cm.It is dug out in advance, and fertilizers are placed in it, as indicated above. Immediately before planting, an additional amount of fertilizer is applied (organic 8-10 kg) or mineral fertilizers in the amount of 40-50 g per 1 sq. m. m.
Next, a mock orange bush is placed in the hole, sprinkled with earth, compacted and watered.
Planting scheme for group plantings: 1.5 by 1.5 m, in the case of hedge formation - 50 by 50 cm.
Growing rules
The rules for growing mock orange Minnesota Snowflake are quite simple and can be easily implemented even by a novice gardener.
Watering schedule
Mock orange requires abundant and, most importantly, regular watering. Insufficient moisture leads to a decrease in growth rates and a deterioration in the condition of the bush as a whole. The plant tolerates drought very poorly - even to the point of flowers and leaves falling off.
The frequency of watering is 3-4 days. At the same time, at least 20 liters per 1 square meter is required for irrigation. m area of the zone located under the crown.
On the other hand, mock orange also does not like excessive watering, since its root system may begin to rot.
Weeding, loosening, mulching
It is recommended to loosen the soil once every two weeks, combining this procedure with watering. Weed control may not even be carried out, since jasmine can “strangle” any weed: young mock orange has a fairly high growth rate, and adult bushes are not afraid of any competitors.
Mulching can save a lot of water for the gardener, since the watering rates for mock orange are quite high. Therefore, if it is possible to mulch the area under the crown of a jasmine bush, it is better to do so. You can use sawdust or pine needles as mulch.The intensity of watering is reduced to once a week.
Feeding schedule
In total, you should feed Minnesota Snowflake mock orange three times a season. Descriptions of fertilizers are given below:
- The first feeding is carried out in early spring, before the buds open. During this period, mock orange requires nitrogenous fertilizers. It is advisable at this stage to use organic fertilizers: a solution of manure or bird droppings in a concentration of 1 to 10.
- The second feeding is carried out approximately a week before flowering or a week after it begins. In this case, mineral complex fertilizers for ornamental garden plants are more preferable.
- The last feeding of the season is done at the end of autumn. In this case, preference is given to phosphate fertilizers: superphosphate or double superphosphate.
Trimming
Pruning is a must when caring for Minnesota Snowflake jasmine. With a correctly formed mock orange crown, which is devoid of damaged branches and growing “inside the bush,” it forms flowers of a larger diameter and in greater quantity.
The first pruning performed at the beginning of the season is sanitary. It is produced even before the vegetative buds bloom. At the same time, frozen, diseased and dried shoots are removed.
Next comes pruning after flowering. It involves removing the tops of shoots with faded flowers. At the same stage, young shoots are pruned and the middle of the bush is partially thinned. The final pruning of branches growing inside the bush is carried out at the end of August.
When the mock orange reaches the age of 5 years, it needs replacement of skeletal branches. It is carried out in stages: older branches are gradually replaced by young shoots. Typically, no more than three old skeletal branches are removed per season. This procedure is carried out immediately after flowering begins.
In addition, in August and September, “control” pruning of the plant is carried out - all non-flowering old branches are removed and the tops of all branches, without exception, are slightly pinched.
Preparing for winter
Jasmine Minnesota Snowflake can tolerate frosts down to -50 °C, so the plant does not need any specific preparation for winter.
However, one procedure does exist, and it has already been described: this is trimming the tips of all branches by a few centimeters. Thanks to this procedure, the growth of plant shoots is stopped, and they quickly become woody. This greatly simplifies the wintering process.
Pests and diseases
Mock orange Minnesota Snowflake is a very unpretentious plant, practically invulnerable to most fungal and viral diseases. This can be partly explained by the high concentration of essential oils in the plant, which give fungi and viruses almost no chance. However, there are several types of pests for which such protection may not be effective.
Such pests include aphids and spider mites. These animals are capable of parasitizing almost any plant, so a gardener should always have remedies against them in his arsenal. And it doesn’t have to be industrially manufactured.
Aphids can be removed from the plant by treating it with a regular soap solution.But in the fight against spider mites, acaricides will most likely be needed.
Conclusion
Mock orange Minnesota Snowflake is an unpretentious plant that is resistant to many diseases and pests. This mock orange variety can withstand severe frosts, so it adapted to Russia without any problems. The plant is widely used in landscape design because it is highly decorative and has a pleasant aroma. Thanks to the ability to easily change the state of the mock orange crown, it can be used as a single plant, as a component of group plantings and as a hedge.
Reviews of mock orange Minnesota Snowflake
Below are reviews from gardeners about Minnesota Snowflake jasmine.
