How to care for spirea after flowering and in autumn to properly prepare for winter

Spiraea is a very beautiful flowering shrub that is often grown in plots as a separate element of the landscape or in the form of group plantings (for hedges or curbs). The plant has gained particular popularity among flower growers not only due to its external beauty, but also to the lack of the need to create special conditions for its growth, in other words, spirea is a very unpretentious shrub.

However, even such an absolutely not capricious plant requires some care in the autumn. We will talk about this further.

To do with spirea in the fall after flowering, to properly prepare for winter

Autumn care for spirea includes the following activities:

• Autumn pruning after flowering (read more in a separate paragraph).
• Watering. Spirea has good drought resistance, so the shrub is unpretentious to watering.It is necessary to moisten the near-stem circle of the plant only if it is a very dry autumn.
• Top dressing. In order for the spirea to gain strength before winter, autumn fertilizers can be applied under the plant - phosphorus-potassium.

• Mulching. Despite the fact that the spirea is endowed with excellent cold resistance, for reinsurance, the trunk circle of the bush can be mulched.
• Shelter (all information in a separate paragraph).

Pruning spirea after flowering, fall and spring

Spirea tolerates a haircut very well, it can be given absolutely any shape.

Why cut a spirea?

• To give it a neat and aesthetic appearance and shape.
• In addition, regular trimming stimulates both vigorous growth and branching of the shoots and vigorous flowering.

However, depending on the variety, the timing of trimming the spirea is slightly different.

In any case, in early spring (it is advisable to prune before the buds swell, but already at a stable above-zero temperature), sanitary pruning of frozen and damaged branches is done.

Spireas can be roughly divided into:

• White-flowering spireas (White, Gray, Vangutta, Nipponskaya) - bloom on the shoots of last year (they are also called spring-flowering). Such spireas need to be formed only after flowering, otherwise they may simply not bloom next year. As a rule, when forming, the branches are shortened by an average of about 1/3.

But rejuvenating pruning (for shrubs over 4-5 years old) can be done both in early spring (before flowering) and in autumn. The same goes for thinning pruning (when excess and thickening branches are removed).

So, for example, in early spring, all old thick branches (as thick as a thumb) should be removed, and after flowering, give (or restore) the desired shape to the bushes.

• Pink-flowering spireas (Japanese, Bumalda) - bloom on the shoots of the current year (they are also called summer-blooming), so they can and should be cut both before and after flowering, i.e. Anytime. As a rule, Japanese spireas are cut 3-4 times per season (including in autumn).

Advice! Prune the Japanese spirea in the summer, after the first flowering, then it will bloom again in the fall.

Video: how many times a year to cut a Japanese spirea - pruning in summer, autumn and spring

Thus, after flowering and in autumn, it is worth cutting off all varieties of spirea.

How to cut spirea in the fall?

As for the timing, it is advisable to do the autumn pruning of the spirea 2-3 weeks before the first frost, so that the sections after pruning have time to tighten and heal.

• First, at least, remove all faded peduncles from the spirea.

• Further implement formative pruning. For example, you can trim the tips so that the spirea resembles a ball in shape, completely cut out all the branches that fall on the ground, cut off the shoots that grow inward on the outer bud.
• Of course, you shouldn't forget about sanitary pruning (removing broken, dry and painful shoots).

Video: autumn pruning of Japanese spirea

Shelter of spirea for the winter: is it necessary to cover and how to do it correctly

Spiraea gray, Japanese is a very winter-hardy and hardy plant, which is not afraid of any frosts. However, it can also suffer in winter.

Important! And here nippon spirea high does not differ in frost resistance…

The same goes for variegated varieties: they prefer regions with mild winters.

For the most part, a spire shelter is necessary so that the bush does not break during a heavy snowfall.

Although a small layer of mulch will not be superfluous anyway.

Alternatively, you can wrap the bush with a plastic net and then secure it (top, bottom, and middle). If the bushes are tall, then it is better to additionally tie them with a rope (twine).

This protective structure will prevent snow and icing from damaging the bush in winter.

Video: preparing a spirea for winter - installing a shelter

If your spirea, for some reason, still freezes in winter, it is recommended to carry out its sanitary spring pruning.

Having devoted a little time to spirea in the fall, before its wintering, one can safely expect the most beautiful sight in the form of abundant and bright flowering in spring or summer.

Video: pruning, feeding and preparing spirea for winter