Kolkvitsiya: features, varieties, cultivation and reproduction

Kolkvitsiya adorable (pleasant) fully justifies its name. This unusual ornamental plant can be a decoration for any garden. However, in our country, this shrub is not yet very popular. That is why we suggest that you find out better what a colquitia is, how to properly care for it and what are the features of its use in gardening.

Pleasant kolkvitsia is a monochromatic perennial shrub. In its natural environment, the culture is common in Western China. The culture was brought to the countries of the Old World more than 100 years ago, but it has not become widespread in garden and landscape design.

The crown of the plant is spherical, the shoots near the roots are abundant. In the wild, the height reaches 3 m, and the crown width reaches 4 m. Cultivated varieties are more compact - their size does not exceed 1-2 m.

Young branches are initially straight, but as they grow, they bend in the form of an arch, bending downward under the weight of flowers. The bark is brownish-red; in the process of growing the plant, it exfoliates in plates.

The leaves are rather wide, oval, slightly pointed towards the apex, shaggy at the edges... The upper half of the plate is usually painted in a dark burgundy color, closer to the base the shade becomes lighter, with the onset of autumn the foliage acquires a red or rich yellow color.

The five-lobed bell-shaped flowers are collected in inflorescences. The color is usually pale pink, the flowers exude a pleasant aroma. Fruits in early September; fruits are single-seeded, dry, covered with light bristles.

The plant begins to bloom when it reaches 4-5 years of age. This happens in spring or summer, depending on the natural and climatic conditions of the region. For example, in the central part of Russia, flowering occurs in early July and lasts about 3-4 weeks.

The varietal diversity of the culture is small; varieties such as Pink Cloud as well as Rosea and Dreamcatcher.

• Pink Cloud. Popularly known as "Pink Clouds". The flowering is pale pink, more abundant than all other varieties. At the same time, the shrub is distinguished by the smallest size: in adulthood, its height reaches only 80 cm, and the maximum crown diameter is 2 m.Shoots grow in a vertical direction. The variety is characterized by resistance to drought and frost.

• Rosea or Rosea. At the very beginning of flowering, “Rosea” produces bells of deep dark pink color. However, as they bloom, they become lighter, gradually changing color to pale pink, almost white. The plant responds well to pruning, so growers form spectacular even balls from it, the surface of which is strewn with flowers. Shoots of culture can also be decorated in the form of a flowering fountain.

• Dream Catcher Beauty Bush. This plant, unlike all other varieties, does not bloom abundantly.The foliage has a pronounced golden hue. It is characterized by disease resistance.

Planting and cultivation of kolkviktsia is not difficult even for inexperienced flower growers. The plant is planted in open ground with the arrival of spring, when the threat of return frosts has completely passed, and the ground is completely warmed up. For the southern regions, the first decade of April is considered the optimal time for transplanting; for the Moscow region and other territories located a little further north, it is best to carry out work in early May.

The ideal place for planting kolkvitsia must meet several requirements.

• Be well lit, light openwork partial shade is allowed... If the darkening is significant, the plant simply will not give flower stalks.
• Be reliably protected from strong drafts and gusts of wind. It is best to plant plants near a fence or near a building.
• Groundwater should not run too high... Planting in a low area is not recommended, where stagnation of rainwater and melted snow is possible.
• Best of all, the shrub grows and blooms on loose and nutritious soil, cleared of weeds. Mix the substrate with river sand, rotted manure and compost.
• The soil in which the planting of kolkvitsia is planned must give an alkaline or neutral reaction. If the soil is acidic, lime it or add a little crushed wood ash.

For planting shrubs, healthy seedlings are usually selected at the age of one or two years with a developed root system. When carrying out work on planting a culture, it is necessary to adhere to a certain algorithm of actions.

1. Prepare a landing hole 60x60 cm in size with a depth of 40-50 cm. If you plan to plant several plants at once, then the distance between the bushes should be at least 1.5 m.
2. The prepared pit must be covered with a mixture from sod land, river sand, and humus, taken in a ratio of 2: 1: 1.
3. The colquation is carefully placed in the hole, straighten the roots, then add the soil mixture in portions. The root collar should not be buried.
4. The trunk circle needs to be tamped a little and watered well, after which the ground around the seedling is covered with mulch (for this you can use straw, pine needles, peat or rotted compost). Mulch helps to retain moisture in the ground, thereby protecting the roots from overheating

After planting, you need to properly care for the plant.

For watering kolkvitsiya use warm, necessarily settled or filtered water. The intensity of irrigation directly depends on the average air temperature: in hot weather, irrigation is done more often, in rainy weather, it is limited. Watering is desirable in the evening.

Kolkvitsiya responds very well to top dressing. However, in this case, you should adhere to the rule: it is better to underfeed the plant than overfeed. The fact is that an excess of nutrients stimulates growth processes, which often lead to a decrease in the decorative effect of flowering shrubs.

It is best to apply fertilizer on a regular schedule. Throughout the growing season, 2-3 times can be fed with inorganic compounds, as well as mineral supplements. If the bush develops too weakly, you can use liquid formulations, for example, superphosphate or mullein infusion.

The adorable colquitia requires molding. For this purpose, gentle pruning is carried out. The apical and lateral shoots are usually not touched, since this can adversely affect the flowering of the culture. Usually, the tops of young shoots are shortened, thereby stimulating the strengthening of the bases and giving the bush the desired shape. The works are carried out in the summer.

After the colquitia has completely bloomed, it needs anti-aging pruning. To do this, all old shoots are cut completely under the base. In early spring, after waking up, the plant directs all its vitality to the formation of new branches, and a year later they bloom.

Despite the good frost resistance, the successful wintering of kolkvitsiya is possible only if it is properly prepared for the cold season. You need to start work in the fall, without waiting for the onset of frost. The first step is to reduce the amount and frequency of watering. Immediately after flowering, nutrients are stopped.

Closer to November, the ground around the bush should be covered with mulch with a layer of 7-15 cm - for this you can use compost mixed with peat or sawdust, as well as chopped bark. We draw your attention to the fact that the radius of soil mulching around the colquation should be approximately equal to the diameter of the projection of its crown. It is imperative to protect the crown of young plants from frost, for this it is covered with agrofibre or any other non-woven covering material.

In case of non-compliance with agricultural technology The lovely colquition has some problems.

• Weak bloom - its reasons can be reduced to a lack of lighting or excessive use of fertilizers. Often, cultivation in an insufficiently fertile substrate leads to a lack of flowering.
• Death of young shoots - this happens if the bush freezes in winter.
• Rotting roots - there is only one reason for this unpleasant phenomenon: stagnation of moisture in the ground. As a rule, this is a consequence of excessive watering or an unsuccessfully chosen place for planting a crop, for example, in a lowland or in areas with a high level of groundwater.

Colquitia is highly resistant to fungal and bacterial infections, however, in dry weather, the plant often becomes the subject of an attack. aphids, caterpillars, thrips, and spider mites.

Like most other perennial crops, colquia can be propagated in a variety of ways: seeds, layering, as well as cuttings and dividing the bush... Let's dwell on each of them in more detail.

Immediately, we note that the seeds of this plant have a rather low germination rate - no more than 25-30% and this must be taken into account when choosing this reproduction method.

When breeding colquitsia from seeds, special attention should be paid to the fertility and nutritional value of the soil. It is advisable to make it from a mixture of peat and river sand, taken in equal amounts. Seed growing begins in early April. The seeds are preliminarily stratified - for 2-3 months they are kept in a cool place at a temperature of 0 to +5 degrees Celsius. You need to store the seeds in a hermetically sealed bag with the addition of moistened vermiculite.

Before planting, it is advisable to soak the seeds in a sulfuric acid solution for 10 minutes. The prepared seeds are deepened into the soil mixture by 5 mm, after which they are watered abundantly. The next year after planting, in the spring, the seedlings dive and move to a permanent place of growth.

This method is considered one of the most effective. For reproduction of colquitsia, it is necessary to choose a healthy shoot, dig a small groove under it, then bend the branch, carefully lay it in the groove and pin it to the ground. In the zone of contact between the layer and the ground, it must be slightly incised and treated with any growth stimulant, for example, "Epin". Sprinkle the shoot with earth so that the top remains open.

The cuttings are kept in the ground for about a year, keeping it moist. Next spring, it will already take root, then it can be separated from the parent bush and moved to a permanent site.

Reproduction of kolkvitsia by cuttings is permissible only in regions with warm winters, since this vegetative material is characterized by a reduced resistance to frost.

Cuttings are carried out using one of two methods.

• Lignified cuttings. In this case, in November, a lignified shoot is removed from the bush and carefully added in a slightly shaded place. Before the onset of cold weather, the cuttings are mulched with rotted foliage, compost or hay and sprinkled abundantly with snow. The next year, the young plant will give roots and it will be possible to transplant it to a permanent site.
• Annual cuttings. These works are carried out in early spring: young one-year-old cuttings are separated from the parent shrub and cut. After that, they are placed in containers with soil mixture, covered with a greenhouse and kept in a warm, bright place. With the onset of the summer season, planting material should be taken outside, put in the shade and moistened daily, preventing the earthen coma from drying out.

As soon as young shoots appear, the plant can be transplanted into open ground. In autumn, the seedlings are covered with agrofibre or other material, with the arrival of heat, the colquation can be moved to a permanent place.

Another popular method of shrub propagation, which is used when transplanting. The bush is carefully dug up, the roots are carefully examined, all dry and decayed areas are cut off. Then it is divided so that a healthy shoot remains in each part, the cut sites are treated with charcoal and planted.

According to the reviews of experts in gardening, kolkviktia looks best as part of flower arrangements. It is most often used to create accents on a green background. In this case, the shrub is planted individually on a trimmed, well-groomed area, decorative molding is carried out, giving a spherical appearance to the entire composition.

Kolkvitsiya is often used for rockeries and alpine slides, it is harmoniously combined with the texture of dark wood and natural stone. Looks no less impressive shrub, planted as a hedge.

Invariably attract with their beauty group landings - in this way, you can always give a resting place some privacy or arrange a central entrance on the territory of the personal plot.

Thanks to the use of a collection of several varieties, it is possible to arrange stylish color overflows from dark pink to milky. Culture is often applied as part of mixborders - in this case, varieties of a pale pink color scheme lighten the central part of a darker shrub group.

For more information on colquation, see the next video.