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Spirea |
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Spirea are beautiful
plants and are easy to grow. The most common type of
Spirea is the bridal wreath
type which has clusters of white flowers on arching
branches in spring. Depending on the variety, the mature
size can range from 7 to 10 feet tall and more than
15 feet wide. The variety of Spirea determines the best
use for it in the landscape. Spirea are used as specimen
plants or as screens. Spirea are deciduous shrubs but
in the mild winters along the Gulf Coast, they may keep
their leaves through the entire year. |
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Pruning: |
| This
is a fast growing species. Pruning should be done after
flowering has finished each year. You should remove the
old or weak canes at ground level but never remove more
than 1/3 of the canes. If you remove 'spent' blooms, you
will stimulate the growth of more flowers. Other varieties
may be as small as 3 to 5 foot high and wide. You should
verify the type of Spirea before planting in order to
be sure it has sufficient room to grow. |
| Planting
Conditions: |
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Spirea like full to partial
sun. The more sun it gets, the better the flowering
will be. Spirea are not especially picky about soil
type and will perform well except in wet or soggy situations.
Transplanting Spirea is
usually easy. The plant usually performs better when
Spirea are transplanted in the early spring or late
fall. |
| Water: |
| Spirea
need regular, moderate amounts of water (about 1 inch
per week during the growing season) for best results.
Weekly deep watering which wets the entire root ball is
better for the plant than more frequent light watering.
Normal rainfall is usually enough but should be supplemented
in periods of drought. |
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Fertilizer: |
| This
plant will benefit from a yearly application of all-purpose
fertilizer applied in the very early spring before flowering.
In the South, a good time to apply the fertilizer
is usually late February. Too early an application of
fertilizer could stimulate growth too early that could
be hurt be a late frost. |
| Fungal
Control: |
| Spirea
does not usually suffer from many serious pests or diseases.
Some insects, such as aphids, can present occasional problems. |
| Mulch: |
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Surround the base of the
plant with 2 or 3 inches of mulch to minimize water
loss in the summer and to protect the roots from winter
temperatures. |