Description and characteristics of the Firelight spirea variety, planting and care

When growing shrub plants in the garden, you always want to plant only the best varieties. For example, it is worth paying attention to a plant such as spirea. Spiraea variety Firelight is an unpretentious plant that is easy to care for and grow. This shrub will become a real decoration of any garden.

Description and characteristics of Firelight spirea

Before purchasing a seedling, you need to study the description of the plant. The spirea variety Japonica Firelight is characterized by an unusual shade of foliage - it changes throughout the growing season. Newly blossomed leaves have a reddish tint with an orange tint. Then they acquire a yellow-green color. At the end of the growing season, the foliage turns blood scarlet.

The variety is characterized by long flowering, which lasts from June to September. Inflorescences are bright pink. The shrub is small in height, grows up to 60 cm. The stems are arched, the bush itself is round. The crown is spreading and very thick.

Pros and cons of the plant

Advantages of Japanese spirea Firelight:

• High winter hardiness.
• Long flowering.
• Easy to grow.
• Unusual appearance.
• Compactness.
• Combines with almost all plants in the garden when decorating the site.

No significant deficiencies were found in spirea.

Features of growing the variety

Spiraea japonica Firelight is very unpretentious to grow. The main condition is to find the most favorable place for the bush and prepare the seedlings for planting.

Preparation of planting material

Only healthy seedlings with a well-developed root system are suitable for planting. There should be no damage to the bushes. The roots are elastic and not dried out. Before planting, the root system can be placed in a growth activator for several hours. And just before planting in open ground - in a liquid clay solution.

Selection and preparation of a landing site

Spirea Firelight prefers to grow in well-moistened, loose soil. It grows poorly in poor soil. It is recommended to plant the shrub in the sun.This also applies to cultivation in the southern regions, where the sun is scorching.

In the shade, the foliage is not as rich in color as in the sun. Also takes root in partial shade. Can be planted under trees (provided they do not have a spreading or dense crown). It is best to plant a seedling in September in cloudy rainy weather, when the soil is well saturated with moisture..

Planting scheme and process

The first stage of planting a Firelight P9 spirea seedling is preparing the hole. The size of the hole depends on the type of soil. If the soil is favorable for the plant, then a hole is dug to a depth of 45-55 cm. And if the substrate for planting is not suitable, then a hole is dug three times larger than the root system of the bush. The pit should be larger in both depth and width.

Preparing the soil and pit:

• After the hole has been dug, drainage is poured to the bottom.
• Then the hole is filled with a mixture of peat, river sand and turf or leaf soil (one part sand and peat, two parts earth).
• The distance at which the seedlings will be planted depends on how many of them are planned to be planted on the site.
• The distance between the bushes is left at least 40 cm.
• If there are a lot of bushes, the distance is increased to 70 cm.

Planting spirea:

• If a seedling with a lump of earth is planted, the soil should be watered abundantly before planting.
• If the roots are bare, in this case the seedling is soaked for 12 hours in a growth activator (succinic acid or “Heteroauxin”).
• Place the seedling in the ground and cover it with soil.
• Compact near the base of the trunk.

At the end of planting, water the seedling generously with warm water. If planting is done in the fall, then immediately after planting you can mulch the soil.

Further care of the crop

After planting, you must not forget about caring for the bush.

How to water a bush?

Watering spirea should be regular. It is undesirable to allow the soil to dry out. Spiraea needs irrigation especially in dry weather.

Fertilizer and feeding

For rapid growth and lush flowering, spirea is regularly fertilized with mineral or organic fertilizers. After planting, potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are applied to the soil. In early spring, before the buds open, the soil is fertilized with nitrogen.

A mixture of manure and chicken droppings is suitable for spring feeding. Fertilizers are diluted in water and left for 10 days. Before watering, dilute with water and water the bushes with it. Superphosphate and mullein are also used as fertilizers.

Trimming

The Firelight variety is pruned in early spring. Powerful, well-developed stems are cut back to healthy buds. Small and weak branches are removed completely. In the fourth year of growing the bush, the stems are cut to 25-30 cm.

For pruning, sharply sharpened scissors are used that do not leave creases on the branches. Before each procedure, scissors must be wiped with alcohol. The cut areas are dusted with wood ash to prevent infection.

Possible diseases and pests

Although spirea is rarely affected by diseases and insects, such cases do occur. Among the insects found on the bush are:

• aphid;
• spider mite;
• whitefly

Spraying the bushes with Fitoverm helps against whiteflies. You can get rid of aphids if you treat the plant with Kronefos or Actellik. Spraying with a solution of laundry soap also helps. The drug "Arex", "Phosfamide" or "Metaphos" will help get rid of spider mites.

Diseases on the plant include various types of spotting and gray mold.In order to get rid of these diseases, the drugs “Fundazol”, Bordeaux mixture or colloidal sulfur are used.

But it is better to prevent the development of diseases at all. To do this, it is undesirable to thicken the plantings; you need to organize watering and regularly destroy weeds on the site.

Breeding methods

There are three ways to propagate spirea. This is by seed, cuttings and layering.

Reproduction methods:

• Cuttings are carried out in the spring. For propagation using cuttings, young specimens are cut in mid-June. They are installed in containers filled with river sand and peat. They are watered almost every day. The next year, the cuttings are planted outside.
• Layers are also grown in the spring. To do this, the lower stems are bent to the ground and covered with soil. To keep the branch in place, it is fixed. In autumn, the branch is covered with leaves. Next year, by spring the cuttings will have taken root, and by autumn they can be planted.
• To grow spirea from seeds, containers are filled with a mixture of river sand and peat. Then the seeds are planted. After 10 days, shoots should appear. After 3-3 months, the seedlings can be planted outside. Before the onset of cold weather, it is better to cover young bushes with something.

The most difficult thing to propagate a plant is by seeds, especially those collected independently. The seed method is not suitable for propagating hybrid varieties.

Use in landscape design

The Firelight spirea shrub is suitable for creating hedges and arranging flower arrangements of perennial shrubs and other types of plants.

Looks good in single plantings and together with spirea of ​​other varieties. The shrub is also combined with conifers, lavender, barberry, and St. John's wort.