Spiraea is a perennial shrub with a ligneous decorative branch, popular in modern landscape design. It is quite often found on the sites of amateur gardeners, but even when decorating city squares and parks this plant is used at least as often. Not the least role in the popularity of this shrub was played by the fact that it is fairly easy to breed. Propagation spirea cuttings or seeds - the process is grateful and not laborious. Even more striking is the number of varieties and species of this plant. What can we say about the diversity of the color of the inflorescences. Only spiraea species are known at least 90, and varieties can not even be counted.
So, the first question that arises in gardeners who chose the spiraea reproduction by cuttings, about when to start it cuttings. Usually it is done in the first months of autumn, but if desired, you can begin the process of rooting at the end of July. If you make cuttings in late September or early October, then you can be sure that the vast majority of seedlings will take. Still not having given the first roots, cuttings will leave under a snow, and consequently long time they can manage without watering and sprayings. In the spring they will germinate. Some experienced gardeners prefer the propagation of spiraea cuttings in late February-early March. Root the outgrowths on the windowsill, and with the arrival of a stable warm weather they transfer them into the garden to the open air. Despite the fact that this method is more troublesome than the previous ones, since constant monitoring and spraying are required, it is he who gives the highest percentage of survival.
The second question is that many beginning gardeners do not know how to cut the stem properly for rooting. First you need to choose the best material for landing. A good escape should be one-year, direct-growing and without visible damage. In general, we can safely say that the successful reproduction of spiraea with cuttings largely depends on the successfully selected planting material. On each cut off shoot should be at least 5 leaves. The lower pair must be completely removed from the petioles and the remaining leaves trimmed by 2/3.
Now that the stalk is ready, it must be rooted. In order to increase the percentage probability of survival, seedlings before planting are soaked for 12 hours in a solution of "Epin". In general, enough 2 liters of water, in which you need to add 1 ml of the substance. Also, it is not superfluous to powder the lower knots of the cuttings with any stimulant of the root formation, only our spiraea will grow stronger. Reproduction of it, as already mentioned, is a troublesome business, requiring a number of nuances. For example, they plant the sprouts in moist sand and place them not vertically, but at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. This is done in order to provoke the development of not upper, but lower kidneys. Saplings need to be sprayed from the spray gun every 2 days. The container itself, in which sprout is sprouted, is covered with a film or glass cover. With the onset of frost, the container is buried in the garden area, and rooting saplings are sprinkled with foliage. They are transplanted into the open ground only with the advent of spring, when new leaves will appear on them.
There is a large number of varieties of this very beautiful ornamental shrub, Japanese spiraea enjoys special respect among designers and simple gardeners . Reproduction of it does not differ from other varieties, but the variety of forms and species of this plant is really amazing.