A Detailed Guide to Planting Weigela and Points to Note

Weigela (Weigela florida) belongs to the Caprifoliaceae family and the Weigela genus; it is a deciduous shrub, also known as five-color plum, mountain sesame, and sea fairy flower. Weigela has dense branches and leaves, bright flower colors, and abundant blooms; its flowering period falls right when spring flowers are fading and summer flowers are still scarce, and the flowering period can last as long as more than four months, so this flower is an important flowering shrub in Northeast China and North China. It is also an excellent landscaping tree for courtyards; because its flower color is red as fire, it is suitable for planting among green clusters, and is also suitable for group planting or solitary planting on lawns and around the front and back of courtyard houses, mass planting by lakesides, and can also be used as a flower hedge along forest edges or in group plantings, and can further embellish rockeries and slopes, or add a touch of soft color to sharply angular garden stones.

Choice of Soil

The choice of growing soil is a very important and easily problematic part of the flower-growing process. If the right growing soil is chosen, they can often bloom very luxuriantly, but if the wrong choice is made, sometimes they cannot even bloom. This requires us to choose growing soil for it according to the flower's preferences.

The growing soil for planting it needs to have sufficient nutrients, that is, when choosing growing soil we should choose one with as high fertility as possible. This kind of soil can supply more nutrients to young plants and meet their needs for growth and development.

Second, choose loose growing soil as much as possible.

First, because this kind of growing soil is good for oxygen supply. Whether it is seed germination or root development, oxygen is indispensable; choosing loose growing soil can be more favorable for flower growth.

Second, because loose growing soil is good for retaining moisture in the soil.

Weigela likes moisture, and growing soil that can retain moisture can give it a comfortable "home" and help it grow better.

Sowing Method

Choose a flower pot of suitable size and put the prepared growing soil into it; note that it should not be filled too full, eight-tenths full is enough.

Evenly scatter the pre-germinated seeds on the soil surface; note that the distance between seeds should be kept moderate, neither too small nor too large.

If the sowing distance is too large, the grown flowers will be too far apart, appearing very scattered and unattractive. If the distance is too small, there will not be enough space between the flowers, growth resources will be insufficient, and growth will be poor.

Cover the seeds with a layer of growing soil of moderate thickness so that the seeds are buried in the soil.

Finally, pour some water into the flower pot to ensure the growing soil is moist.

The germination time of seeds varies depending on specific conditions, but as long as they are cared for properly, new seedlings will emerge in about 20 days.

Watering: During this growth process of Weigela, good water control is the most important thing. In spring, which is its growth period, we should increase the amount of watering a little to ensure the moisture of the potting soil. In summer, when the temperature is relatively dry, it is also fine to water Weigela a little more appropriately, but even if more water is needed, there must not be standing water in its pot causing waterlogging. If standing water appears in the pot and is not drained in time, root rot of Weigela can easily occur.

Fertilizing: In the planting process of Weigela, fertilizing is also a very important step. Fertilizer is the main nutrient for Weigela, especially during its growth period. During this growth period, Weigela has a great demand for fertilizer, and basically needs to be given organic fertilizer 1-2 times every month. Diluted fertilizer should be applied, to avoid applying concentrated fertilizer that would burn the plant's roots and stems.

Division planting: Generally, we carry out division planting in spring when repotting Weigela, directly digging the entire Weigela plant out of the soil and dividing it into multiple plants. When dividing, do not damage its roots and stems, then plant the divided Weigela in other pots. Before division planting, first shake off the soil on the roots, then cut off all the old roots and dead roots, and according to the size of the prepared flower pot, use scissors to cut off the longer fibrous roots.