Weigela


Weigela

The Weigela florida is a deciduous shrub native to East Asian countries, such as Japan and South Korea, which has become a popular garden plant, with many varieties available ranging from dwarf plants to specimens up to 3 meters in length. high.

It is a shrubby plant that has a rounded shape due to having a wider diffusion than the height. There are many cultivars available but the typical plant has a height range of 180 to 300 centimeters, and a crown diameter that can range from 250 to 350 centimeters.

Weigela Florida: Characteristics And Culture

The bark of the stalk of the Weigela florida is gray-brown and the branches have a habit of arching towards the ground.

The leaves of this species are simple, opposite, elliptical to obovate (egg-shaped), are green and measure approximately 11 long, being present from spring to autumn or early winter, maintaining their color throughout the growing season. The great variety of cultivars has given rise to many other colors of the leaf including the embroidery, gold and edges of the leaves in white and cream.

The Weigela florida blooms for about two weeks from spring to early summer with striking pink flowers. These appear in rather small corimbos, and measure about 2.5 to 3 centimeters long and funnel-shaped or bell shaped.

The flowers are followed by an inconspicuous fruit about 2.5 centimeters long, inside which contains seeds without wings.

The cultivation of the Weigela florida requires a good exposure to sunlight if you want to obtain the best results, although they can grow and develop well in slightly shaded areas, but the flowers will not be as showy.

The plants of this species need fertile soils, with good drainage but quite humid. It can also grow and develop on clay substrates.

In general, the Weigela florida spreads easily from soft or semi-mature cuttings in the summer, or hardwoods towards the end of autumn and during the winter.

If it is multiplied from the seed, it can be planted in trays under a cold frame at any time of the year. Once buried, the grain should be covered lightly with sand. The floor of the tray should be kept moist. It should be noted that germination can be slow.

Definitive transplant of the Weigela florida

When the Weigela florida seedlings are placed in their definitive culture place, it is convenient to place them with a separation margin of no less than 250 centimeters. They can also be placed in pots.

The specimens of this species require an annual pruning. This will help prolong the life of the plant, encourage more vigorous growth, and maintain a more neat general appearance. This work should be carried out immediately after flowering.

The Weigela is very resistant and of easy growth and is that when supporting very low temperatures, it behaves very well in any soil, provided it is a little humid and draining. It is a plant that likes semi-shade, so you have to avoid direct sunlight. The flowering will be a little less dense, but it will last a little longer. Once on the ground this shrub does not require special care. After the flowering that is usually in July and to preserve its silhouette, remove the old branches and those at the base of the trunk.

(Weigela florida) is originally from East Asia. Its distribution area covers East China, Manchuria, Korea and Japan. The honeysuckle plant has been cultivated since the mid-19th century as an extremely robust and flowering shrub in European gardens. In addition to the wild species, various hybrids are available from gardeners. They originated in England, Germany and the USA by crossing the Liebig Weigelie with other East Asian weigela species.

If the summer is hot and dry, consider watering it regularly. The Weigela appreciates a bit of freshness. A light mulch installed at its base during the spring will help to conserve soil moisture. It is advisable to fertilize it with organic matter during the autumn or at the end of the summer, instead, a mineral fertilizer will be used at the beginning of spring to favor its growth.

Of all the essential care for that plant, we will perceive that some are more delicate and “charge” a little more of our attention, as happens with the ideal temperature for plant.

This plant, categorized as living shrubs and fences, despite being native to the places mentioned above, can be easily cultivated in any part of the world since it offers the ideal conditions of climate, humidity and lighting.

Being cultivated according to the conditions that will be cited below, the veigela grows between 90 cm and 3 m in height, reaching that maximum already in the adult phase of his life. The plant presents a perennial life cycle which means that we will have that type of plantation sprouting throughout the year in your garden.

The Weigelas are also very resistant to air pollution , being an interesting shrub to have in a pot and its general characteristics are:

  • Type of foliage: deciduous
  • Port: rounded
  • Size: 1.20 mx 1.20 m
  • Growth: medium
  • Flowering time: May-June.
  • Foliage shape: ovoid
  • Foliage color: coppery
  • Foliage color in autumn: orange red
  • Shape of the flower: trumpets
  • Flower color: pink
  • Type of soil: all
  • Exposure: sun, partial shade.
  • Resistance: – 25 ° C (USDA area 5b)

Where to Plant it?

The surface of the Weigela can reach 2 meters in diameter. Therefore, it is necessary to install it in a sufficiently open place so that it develops correctly. Isolated, this shrub can spread at will and during the spring hatch into a gigantic bouquet. By supporting the light well, it can also be seen in a hedge of flowers, especially in the midst of lilacs, forsythias or buddleias.

Multiplication

In spring or fall you can start cutting the stems. Take a 15 cm branch with only four leaves at the end. Then place the cuttings in a pot with a mixture of soil and sand and keep it away from the cold . In the following spring, he rethinks his cuttings and waits at least two years before the final sowing.

The cuttings are performed from healthy and vigorous stems in late summer, with 15 cm in length. The basal cut should be done under a knot: the leaf surface is decreased and the lower pair of leaves is removed. The use of hormones will help facilitate the formation of roots. Inserts in the moist substrate, composed of peat and pearls in equal parts.

Cover with a plastic bag and uncover after three weeks. In a bright place and with the substrate constantly wet rooting in 4 weeks.

Pests or diseases

It is very resistant and there is no evidence of significant pests or diseases, although, in case of drought may appear the annoying aphids, so that a specific fungicide will be applied for this.

Different species

Weigela ‘Eva rathke’ : with dark pink flowers.

Weigela florida ‘Variegata’ : with varied foliage.

Weigela florida ‘Purpurea’ : with dark purple leaves and pink flowers.

Weigela “Bristol Ruby “: bright red flowers.

“Carnival” of Weigela : white, pink or red flowers, usually present in the same tree.

Weigela “Variegata” : green and white foliage with pink flowers.

Weigela Florida : small size, about 100 cm high.

Weigela “Red Dwarf” : dwarf variety 80 cm high. Flowers of red orange color.

Weigela “Pink Poppet” : dwarf variety 80 cm high. Satin pink flowers.

Weigela “Marjorie” : 150 cm high. Variety with an excellent bloom that consists of a gradient from white to bright pink.

Weigela “Ruby Queen” : 200 cm high. Variety of red flowers.

Care

The cuts and pruning are preferably done in August. It is sown throughout the year, excluding periods of frostwith a preference for falling. It is necessary to make a mulch at the time of sowing and during flowering, the irrigations should be regular because the soil should not be dry.

When the flowering is finished, prune the deflowered branches to about 20 centimeters to promote the new branching and maintain its shape.

The Weigela progresses in fertile soils , deep, humid, slightly compact and with good drainage. It adapts very well to large containers with more than 30cm deep. As for the luminosity, it prefers the luminous places with direct sunlight in the morning.

The incorporation of 30g of bone meal in spring and summer benefits next year’s flowering. It requires a moist soil in periods of intense heat; An irrigation is sufficient every 3 days in the summer and almost no irrigation during the winter.

Cultivation of the Weigela

  • The Weigela is transplanted outdoors during the winter avoiding the days too cold.
  • It is ideal to grow it in isolation or grouped with other bushes of persistent foliage and different periods of flowering.
  • It resists intense frost, but it is damaged by the midday sun in the summer.
  • The Weigela blooms on stems of two years . The thinning of the crown usually benefits and the branches of more than three years are cut from the base at the end of flowering in the spring.

Physically, the veigela is a very branched plant and these branches are always well erect and arched, which makes its flowering creates a decorative aspect, so the plant is used as a living fence.

Its leaves are oval and placed opposite each branch with a few petioles and martyrs, always alternating between the green and reddish hue.

The flowers of the veigela are always solitary or in a few curls, always in the end of each branch. They are small and the colors vary and can be pink, yellow, white or red. The fruits, in capsule form, are dry, but contain many seeds.


Because it is a rustic plant, it will be necessary to worry so much about the care, because the vetch will not charge so much that of the one who cultivates it. The maintenance of the plant is restricted to practically the annual fertilizations as well as the prunings that must also be done with this interval of time.

Regular cultivation should be done under full sun, with well fertilized, drained soil, rich in organic matter and irrigated with regularity. Although for the right crop to be indicated the full sun, the vetch will prefer to be cultivated in cold weather and with a little humidity.

This plant will also not tolerate very hot climates, especially the tropical heat and does not respond very well to periods of drought. If you are to grow the vegetable in places where the predominant climate is subtropical, you should always leave the plant in the shade so that it grows well.

Fertilization, regardless of climate, should be rich in phosphorus at the beginning and end of spring, as this will stimulate the flowering of the plant.

When finishing the flowering of the vetch, a pruning should be done in a maximum of one third of the older branches to give space to the new ones that will grow in the next flowering. The vetch is reproduced by cuttings made from woody branches and seeds.

WEIGELA FLORIDA

Diseases Every plant is prone to acquire some diseases and would not be different with the veza. In the event of an error in the operating system, in the event of an error in the system, it may have been verified in the statements mentioned above, the occurrence of some diseases and fungi may occur, and which will be recognized. Every plant is subject to acquire some diseases and would not be different with the vetch. It presents the common ailments in both live fences and shrubs and you need to be very careful that the vetch is not contaminated. Being a rustic plant, as you could already notice in the affirmations mentioned above, the appearance of some diseases and fungi may occur, and it will hardly be noticed.

The most common problem is root rot that can happen to the plant. This is because the vetch will require a well moist soil and the ideal climate is not the one with higher temperatures, it will happen from periods where you will irrigate the plant and the soil will remain still moist for a time beyond the ideal. This will generate a rotten wood growth in addition to withered leaves.

Powdery mildew is another common problem in the vetch. This fungus begins to act in the plant through the absorption of its nutrients leaving a whitish noda in the leaves.

To address any of these problems, it is best to look for fungicides that are easily found in stores that sell plant products. The application will vary according to each fungicide and some will still be needed to blend with water, due to high volume concentration.

Always opt for the most natural ones to avoid that the fungicides attack your plant so much, opt for the most natural ones and only suspend the application when you perceive that the disease disappeared completely.

Don Burke

I am Don Burke, one of the authors at My Garden Guide.  I am a horticulturist that cultivates, grows, and cares for plants, ranging from shrubs and fruits to flowers. I do it in my own garden and in my nursery. I show you how to take care of your garden and how to perform garden landscaping in an easy way, step by step.I am originally from Sydney and I wrote in local magazines. Later on, I have decided, more than two decades ago, to create my own blog. My area of specialization is related to orchid care, succulent care, and the study of the substrate and the soil. Therefore, you will see many articles dedicated to these disciplines. I also provide advice about how to improve the landscape design of your garden.

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