Weigela Korean

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Weigela Korean (lat. Weigela coraeensis) - flowering ornamental shrub; a representative of the Weigela genus of the Honeysuckle family. Japan is considered the homeland, where shrubs are found in natural conditions. Currently, the species is cultivated in many European countries, as well as in the southern regions of Russia, the Far East, Korea, China and Japan.

Characteristics of culture

Weigela Korean is a deciduous shrub up to 1.5 m high (in nature up to 5 m) with a spreading crown and bare shoots. The leaves are large, green, shiny, glabrous on the outside, pubescent with sparse hairs on the reverse side, broadly elliptical, with crenate-serrate edges, wedge-shaped base and pointed tip. The flowers are medium in size, up to 3.5 cm, as they bloom, they change color from pale pink to bright carmine.

Weigela Korean blooms in late May - early July for 20-30 days. The duration of flowering depends on the location of the shrubs and climatic conditions, which play an important role for weigel. Fruits are nondescript boxes, contain winged seeds. In the conditions of central Russia, the seeds do not have time to ripen.

Flower buds in plants are laid in the axils of leaves of last year's shoots, so they must be given special importance in the autumn. As you know, the species under consideration does not differ in frost-resistant properties and needs shelter for the winter. The abundance of flowering depends on a successful wintering with the preservation of flowering shoots. In harsh winters, Korean weigela is often affected by frosts, by June the shoots are restored, but flowering does not occur or comes closer to autumn.

The seeds of the species under consideration under the correct storage conditions, namely in a tightly closed glass container or fabric bags made of flax or cotton, remain viable for up to 3 years. True, by the age of three, germination significantly decreases and varies from 1 to 10%. For sowing, it is advisable to use freshly harvested seeds, in this case the germination rate will be 90-100%.

Growing features

Weigela Korean, like other species, is photophilous, grows well and pleases with abundant flowering in intensely lit areas or in partial shade with diffused light. The culture of areas blown by the wind will not tolerate; strong gusts can break fragile branches of shrubs. The best places are on the south side or along tall trees or shrubs that protect plants from the wind, but do not shade them.

Weigela Korean is an adherent of light, fertile, loamy or sandy loam soils with a slightly alkaline or neutral pH reaction. The culture reacts negatively to dry soil and waterlogging, mulching within a radius of 50 cm from the bush will help to keep a sufficient amount of moisture in the soil. The mulch application is optional, but encouraged. It will not only prevent the emergence of weeds, but also retain the incoming moisture for a longer period. Peat, sawdust or small pebbles can be used as mulch.

Korean weigela is favorable to watering, especially in heat and drought. It is highly undesirable to allow the soil to dry out. After a not entirely successful wintering with regular moisture, the shoots will recover faster and, most likely, will bloom. 8-10 liters of water is enough for a bush. Systematic feeding is important for plants. In the spring, when the snow melts, a full mineral fertilizer is applied under the bush. In late May - early June, weigela is fed with potassium sulfate (30 g per bush) and superphosphate (30-40 g), dissolved in water. In early September, re-feeding is carried out, such a procedure will accelerate the ripening of the shoots.

Landing

For planting, it is preferable to choose 2-3-year-old seedlings. Planting is carried out in the spring, but before bud break. Autumn planting is also possible, but undesirable, since the plants do not have time to take root before the onset of cold weather. If the autumn planting could not be avoided, gardeners are advised to bury the seedlings at a slight angle into the open ground until spring, but with the condition of insulation.

The dimensions of the planting pit are 50 * 50 cm, in the presence of a drainage layer, the depth reaches 70 cm. Part of the soil removed from the pit is mixed with humus and sand (in a ratio of 1: 1: 1). In the prepared soil mixture, you can add 100 g of nitrophoska. Saplings are planted at a distance of 2-2.5 m from each other. On heavy soils or with a close occurrence of groundwater, drainage is required with a thickness of at least 15 cm. The root collar of the seedling is not buried during planting, during precipitation it will drop by 2-3 cm.