How to propagate Weigela florida? Introduction to common propagation methods
Weigela florida is native to China, Korea and Japan. It is highly adaptable, tolerates semi-shade and dry environments, and can withstand low temperatures of -15°C in winter, making it very popular. Some gardening enthusiasts want to propagate their own Weigela florida once it has grown to a certain size. Here we have compiled several common propagation methods for Weigela florida; interested friends can learn about them together.
Weigela florida
1. Division:Carry out in early spring before budding. Separate the rooted sucker shoots at the base of the mother plant; they can be planted directly.
2. Cuttings:Carry out in June to July. Cut semi-lignified young shoots 15-20 cm long and insert them into a sand bed; they root about 40 days after insertion. Alternatively, after leaf fall, use mature 1-year-old branches for cuttings, which gives a high survival rate.
3. Layering:Carry out in June; the mound layering method can be used. In the same autumn they can be separated from the mother plant and planted elsewhere.
4. Sowing:The seeds are tiny and difficult to collect, and are mainly used for breeding. Generally, seedlings can bloom in 3 years.
Transplanting Weigela florida seedlings is best done after leaf fall in autumn or winter, or before budding in spring. Since flower buds mainly form on 1- to 2-year-old branches, special care should be taken when pruning in early spring; generally only dead and weak branches are cut off. Renewal pruning is carried out once every 2-3 years, cutting out branches more than 3 years old to promote the growth of new branches. If seeds are not wanted, remove the flower clusters after blooming, which benefits branch growth. Base fertilizer can be applied before planting the seedlings, and fertilizer can be applied 1-2 times during the growing season.
Propagation methods of Weigela florida
Weigela florida is commonly propagated by cuttings, division and layering. It is easy to cultivate, grows quickly and has few pests and diseases. Flowers bloom on 1- to 2-year-old branches, so in early spring pruning only dead and old weak branches need to be cut off; prune once every 2-3 years at the roots to encourage new branches. Applying well-rotted compost once before blooming in early spring will result in abundant blooms year after year.[Cuttings]: In summer, cut current-year semi-lignified branches as cuttings, insert half of each into the soil, then water thoroughly and keep the soil moist afterwards. In the plum rain season, softwood cuttings can be used and the survival rate is also high. In March of spring or during the plum rain season, hardwood or softwood cuttings can be used; cut the cuttings into 15 cm lengths and insert them into a sterilized seedbed with a shade frame, or after leaf fall take 1-year-old branches and root them as open-field cuttings; all root easily.
[Layering]: Layering can be done all year round, usually after flowering by selecting lower branches and pressing them down. The lower branches of Weigela florida tend to be prostrate, so during the growing season press them into the soil for layering propagation; they root and survive very easily at the nodes.
[Division]: Division is carried out in early spring and in autumn and winter. It is often done around spring budding combined with transplanting: dig out the whole plant, divide it into several clumps, and plant them separately. In February to March of spring, use 1-year-old mature branches for open-field cuttings, or in June to July use semi-lignified young shoots for cuttings under a shade frame. Layering can be done in June. When transplanting seedlings in spring and autumn, keep the original soil; in summer, keep a soil ball. After planting, apply well-rotted compost once every early spring and prune away aged branches.
[Sowing]: Carry out in early to mid-April. After sowing, water by seepage irrigation; do not use a watering can to spray the soil surface, as this may wash the seeds out of the soil. Seedlings emerge about 15 days after sowing. However, the sowing method has a long growth period, so it is generally not used for small-scale propagation.
Cultivation and management of Weigela florida
Weigela florida (scientific name: Weigela florida (Bunge) A. DC.) is a shrub 3 m tall and 3 m wide, with spreading branches and a somewhat cylindrical shape; some branches bend to the ground. The branchlets are slender and weak, with 2 rows of soft hairs when young. The leaves are elliptical or ovate-elliptical, acute at the tip, rounded to wedge-shaped at the base, serrate along the margin, with hairs on the veins of the upper surface and especially dense on the underside. The corolla is funnel-shaped and bell-like, rose-red, with 5 lobes. The capsule is columnar; the seeds are wingless. The flowering period is April to June. Weigela florida has dense branches and leaves and brilliant flower color, and the flowering period can last more than two months. In landscaping, it is a major early-spring flowering shrub in North China. It is suitable for group planting at courtyard wall corners and lakesides; it can also be used as a flowering hedge or in grouped plantings at the edge of woods, and as a dot planting on rockeries and slopes. Cultivation methods. Weigela florida can be cultivated by cuttings, division and layering, with cuttings being the most commonly used.1. Cutting cultivation. Generally, softwood cuttings are taken in June to July of summer. Select robust current-year semi-lignified branches, cut them into cuttings about 15 cm long, remove the lower leaves that go into the soil, keep 2-3 leaves at the top, and insert them into a seedbed of fine sand, vermiculite or peat soil that has been turned over and watered thoroughly; set up a shading curtain, cover with film, shade, keep warm and retain moisture. Generally they root more than 20 days after insertion. Hardwood cuttings can also be taken in March of spring, and the survival rate is also very high. Cutting seedlings generally bloom in 2-3 years.
2. Division cultivation. This is mostly carried out in early spring before budding. Dig out the new shoots sprouting at the root crown together with roots and plant them separately, dividing every 4 to 5 branches into 1 plant, and plant them bare-rooted in a courtyard section with deep soil and no low-lying waterlogging. It can also be combined with transplanting: dig out the whole plant, divide it and plant the divisions separately.
3. Layering cultivation. The lower branches of Weigela florida plants are mostly prostrate, so in early June the branches can be pressed into the soil following their natural growth direction; they root very easily at the nodes. The following spring, separate them from the mother plant and plant them elsewhere.
Cultivation management. For planting Weigela florida, a spot with sufficient sunlight and good drainage should be chosen; the planting time is generally after leaf fall in autumn and before budding in spring. Apply 2-3 shovelfuls of well-rotted compost in the planting hole as base fertilizer, and no further fertilizer is needed afterwards; however, to make the flowers abundant and the leaves lush, a trench can be dug around the plant and fertilizer applied after leaf fall in autumn. Generally, no additional topdressing is needed during the growing season. Weigela florida is highly adaptable and daily management is relatively simple; do not water too much ordinarily. In dry periods of spring, summer and autumn, water appropriately 1 to 2 times. Water when dry and drain when rainy; after autumn fertilizing, water to protect against freezing and prevent wind-drying and branch dieback. The flower buds of Weigela florida mainly form on 1- to 2-year-old branches, so in early spring in March it is necessary to cut off old branches, diseased and weak branches and dead branches to reduce nutrient consumption and promote flower bud formation. For 3-year-old branches, all should be cut off from the base to encourage the growth of new branches. Renewal pruning is done once every 2 to 3 years. If seeds are not to be collected, promptly remove the spent flower clusters after flowering to promote branch growth. Renewal pruning can be carried out once every 2-3 years, cutting out branches more than 3 years old to encourage new branches. For potted seedlings, use fertilized culture soil in a cylindrical pot with an inner diameter of 13 cm to 20 cm; shape and prune to keep the new branches even and full, and move them into a greenhouse for maintenance in winter, so that by Spring Festival they will be a mass of brilliant flowers.