Content
Strawberry mock orange is an ornamental shrub that has long been actively used in the design of large and small garden plots. It is also valued for its compactness, unpretentiousness and wonderful aroma of snow-white flowers.
Description of Jasmine Strawberry
Very often, gardeners call mock orange garden jasmine, although these are two completely different plants. This confusion has existed for a long time, and both names are firmly entrenched. Mock orange (Philadelphus) is a deciduous shrub from the Hydrangeaceae family. In the 17th century folk craftsmen cut smoking pipes - chibouks - from its stems. It is believed that the plant was named after Pharaoh Philadelphus, the son of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony, who was very fond of fragrant flowers and fragrant incense.
The Latin name of the small-leaved mock orange or Strawberry variety is Philadelphus microphyllus. In nature, the plant grows in North America, and it has been grown as a garden crop in many countries for more than 130 years.The variety was popularly called Strawberry because of the similarity of the aroma of flowers to berries. A crop can grow in the same place for many years.
Small-leaved mock orange is a neat, small shrub with thin branches. Its maximum height and crown diameter reach 1.5 m. Every year the crop grows no more than 7 cm. Under the weight of the flowers, the shoots hang down, and the round bush resembles a cloud of numerous snow-white flowers.
The leaves are a distinctive feature of the variety: pointed, narrow and small, they reach only 2 cm in length. White flowers are usually located singly on the shoots, less often they are combined into inflorescences.
The description of the strawberry mock orange is well demonstrated by the photo:
Even in a small area, a compact flowering bush looks very impressive.
How the garden strawberry mock orange blooms
The size of the snow-white semi-double flowers is small - no more than 2 cm in diameter. They are most often single, but can be collected in small brushes of 3-4 pieces. The aroma, like the size of the leaves, is a distinctive feature that is reflected in the name of the variety. The flowers smell like strawberries and a little like pineapple. This is not at all typical for mock orange. The plant blooms in the 3rd or 4th year after planting.
The Strawberry variety blooms very profusely for three weeks. Its aroma spreads throughout the garden at the beginning of summer - from the second half of June to July.
The strawberry mock orange flower is shown in the photo:
Main characteristics
Strawberry mock orange is resistant to diseases and is little susceptible to attack by pests. The shrub tolerates short-term drought well.However, frost resistance is the weakest side of the crop. Even in a place protected from the wind, the plant can only withstand air temperatures dropping to -15 °C. Young shoots that have not yet become lignified are more susceptible to freezing.
Features of reproduction
Strawberry mock orange is propagated in several ways.
The most natural, but not the easiest method is propagation by seeds. They need to be sown for the winter, before the onset of cold weather. The crops are covered with spruce branches. They will sprout in the spring, but mock orange will bloom only after 8 years.
Much more often, strawberry mock orange is propagated by layering and cuttings. In the first case, the healthiest shoots are bent to the ground, placed in a hole, sprinkled with soil and watered. After 1.5 - 2 months, roots and twigs will begin to appear on the layering. In autumn they can be disconnected from the mother bush.
In the second case, during the flowering of Chubushnik Strawberry or immediately after it, cuttings are prepared and placed in water for 14 - 16 days of weeks. Rooting is best done under a bag or jar to ensure sufficient air humidity. In August - early September, cuttings are planted on the site.
Dividing a bush is a very common method. The mock orange must be dug up and the root carefully divided into several parts, each of which must be planted in a separate hole prepared in advance.
Planting and caring for strawberry jasmine
Gardeners consider the Strawberry mock orange variety to be undemanding from the point of view of planting and care. If you follow a few simple conditions, it will bloom longer and will delight you with a large number of buds with a rare and pleasant aroma.
An example of abundant flowering of Strawberry jasmine in the photo.
Recommended timing
It is recommended to plant and replant Strawberry mock orange in the fall.The most optimal period is considered to be the first half of September - the beginning of October. In spring you can also plant shrubs; it is important to do this before the buds swell.
Site selection and soil preparation
Chubushnik small-leaved Strawberry prefers:
- Lots of sun. In the shade of the inflorescence, the plants become very small, the shoots stretch;
- Place protected from drafts and strong winds. An area near a building or under tall trees is suitable;
- Fertile soil, in composition reminiscent of forest. It can be a mixture of sand, rotted leaves, turf soil;Important! Poor soils must be fertilized with organic matter. 1 bucket of humus is added to each hole. In heavy clay soils, where access to oxygen and water is difficult, peat or sand must be added.
- Soil without excess moisture. The bush needs drainage, especially if groundwater is located nearby.
Landing algorithm
Sequential description of the stages of planting strawberry mock orange:
- It is necessary to prepare a hole 50 - 60 cm deep, the bottom of which should be covered with a layer of drainage. It can be pebbles, expanded clay, gravel, broken brick or crushed stone. A layer is needed 15 cm thick. It is also necessary to add humus to the planting hole, and in the case of clay soil, also sand;
- Distribute the roots of the seedling over the hole, deepen the root collar, but not more than 2 cm;Attention! If you plan to plant several strawberry mock orange bushes, the distance between them should be about 1.5 m, and in the case of a hedge - 50 - 80 cm.
- The planting hole is covered with earth, lightly compacted and a root circle is formed. Regardless of the season - autumn or spring - the seedling must be watered with 1 - 2 buckets of water;
- It is important to mulch the root circle with sawdust.
Growing rules
Mock orange with the scent of strawberries is quite unpretentious. But if you water, fertilize, prune and spray the bush from pests in time, it will look well-groomed and will be able to bloom longer.
Watering schedule
Strawberry mock orange requires watering, especially during flowering and on hot summer days. During these periods, the plant requires weekly and sometimes even daily watering: up to 3 buckets of water per bush. Drooping leaves indicate a lack of moisture.
Weeding, loosening, mulching
It is recommended to loosen the soil to provide air access to the mock orange roots after each watering. In addition, it is important to regularly weed the soil in the root circle. Mulching helps retain moisture in the soil and also prevents weeds from actively germinating.
Feeding schedule
When planting strawberry mock orange, fertilizer is added to the soil, and then for a couple of years the shrub will easily tolerate the lack of fertilizing. Every spring, when the buds bloom, it is recommended to water the garden jasmine with a bucket of mullein in a ratio of 1:10. For mock orange, you can use another nitrogen fertilizer: immediately after flowering, wood ash is poured under the bush. It is added during loosening, and then the plant is watered.
Mineral fertilizers are used after 3 years of cultivation. In spring, the shrub is fed with urea, potassium sulfate and superphosphate, and after flowering - with potassium sulfate.
Trimming
First of all, it is necessary to prune frozen, as well as diseased and damaged shoots every spring. After flowering, a bush is formed, removing excess growth and faded tops of branches.After pruning, 10-15 branches are left on the Strawberry mock orange, on which young shoots with buds will soon begin to appear. The secret is that flowers form more abundantly on last year's strong shoots.
Anti-aging pruning of mock orange is carried out once every few years, before the start of sap flow - in the spring, and sanitary pruning - in the fall, as necessary. The bush will bloom longer if its branches are pinched.
Preparing for winter
In autumn, the soil in the root zone is mulched with a thick layer of sawdust. The shrub does not tolerate low temperatures. But since the Strawberry mock orange bush is small, it is convenient to cover it in winter. Even if the tips of the shoots are damaged by frost, after pruning the plant will regain its strength quite quickly. The bush can be bent to the ground, or simply covered with special material or spruce branches.
Pests and diseases
Small-leaved strawberry mock orange is resistant to diseases, but it can be attacked by pests, in particular aphids, weevils and spider mites.
You can protect the plant by spraying with folk remedies or insecticides. For example, Karbofos solution helps against aphids. The procedure should be repeated several times with an interval of 10 days, until the bush is completely cured.
Conclusion
Strawberry mock orange is a popular shrub. This compact plant does not require significant care and looks good even in a small garden plot.In addition, the Strawberry variety is universal in terms of use in landscape design and is especially valued for its pleasant strawberry aroma.
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