Deytsia is a beautifully flowering ornamental shrub from the Hortensian family. In nature, it can be found in Mexico, as well as in Japan and China. Plants with a slender vertical or more spreading crown effectively green the area. In spring and summer, they are covered with flowers for a long time, for which the action was called "Oriental Beauty." Deytsiya is perfect for single plantings in the garden, creating a hedge or design a recreation area near arbors and benches. It’s not difficult to take care of the plant. With minimal effort, it pleases with lush vegetation and delicate flowers, so it is a welcome acquisition for many gardeners.
Plant description
Deytsiya is a perennial deciduous shrub that is 0.5-4 m high. Its life span is about 25 years and annually shoots add up to 25 cm in length. Lateral processes are formed from the ground itself. The plant prefers to dwell on moist soils among forest glades or on the slopes of low hills.
Rhizome of action mixed type. It combines 1-2 long rod processes that are surrounded by fibrous roots in the upper part. Branched stems are covered with smooth dark brown bark. On old branches, the thin bark is peeled off by plates that, like rags, hang from the branches. This is not a sign of any disease. Inside the branches are hollow, therefore they do not have strength and easily break from the load.
The shoots are covered with opposite petiole oval or ovoid leaves. The smooth, rigid leaf plate of bright green color has a slightly pronounced relief pattern of veins and serrated edges. In autumn, the leaves become yellowish brown.
In late spring, lush, raceme blossoms bloom on the shoots of last year. They consist of small bisexual flowers with a diameter of 1-2 cm. Each corolla has a double perianth and 5 oblong, pointed petals. The core consists of long stamens and ovaries. There are varieties with simple and double flowers. Their petals are painted in white, pink, purple or raspberry color. Some flowers have a double color with a contrasting core.
Flowering lasts up to two months, it is accompanied by an almost imperceptible pleasant aroma. Over time, in place of pollinated flowers, spherical seed boxes ripen. Ripening, they independently crack and release the smallest seeds. Some decorative varieties are sterile and may not be fruit-bound.
Species diversity
According to international classification, the genus of action includes 72 species. Some of the species are especially popular.
The action is rough. A sprawling shrub up to 2.5 m high grows thin branches that slope to the ground. The old bark exfoliates on them. Shoots are covered with petiole oval leaves with a thin elongated tip. The size of the foliage is 3-8 cm, rare short hairs are located on its surface. The plant blooms by mid-June with small white flowers collected in loose brushes up to 12 cm long. Varieties:
- Terry - dissolves beautiful double flowers of double color, the outer bracts have a pink tint, and inside are snow-white petals;
- Vaterara - terry flowers on the outside are painted in carmine color, and inside they differ in white colors;
- White-dotted - dark green leaves covered with small white spots.
The action is graceful. Plants live on the mountain slopes of Japan. A shrub 50-150 cm tall has a rounded crown with thin, arched branches. The pointed oblong leaves are painted in a light green color. Their length is 6 cm. At the end of July, the bush is abundantly covered with simple flowers, collected in numerous brushes 9-15 cm long. Flowering continues for more than a month.
Hybrid action. This group of plants combines intraspecific hybrids. The most interesting of them:
- Strawberry Glade (Strawberry Fields). A sprawling shrub up to 1.5 m high is covered with pointed dark green leaves. In June-July, large pink flowers bloom.
- The action is magnificent. A slender plant up to 2.5 m high consists of weakly branched shoots covered with red or dark brown bark. Over elongated dark green leaves, large double white flowers bloom in July. They are collected in panicle inflorescences up to 10 cm long.
- The action is pink. A tall, sprawling shrub up to 2.5 m in height is densely covered with dark green broad-oval leaves, which turn yellow-red in autumn. In June-July, pink terry flowers bloom.
- Pink Pom Pom. A small but very spreading shrub with branches bent to the ground throughout the summer is abundantly covered with large pink and white flowers. They look like wide bells. Under the flowers is a dark green rough foliage of oval or elongated shape.
Breeding methods
Deytsiya propagated by seeds and vegetatively. Seeds are sown before winter immediately into the open ground. In the spring, the first sprouts appear. Care for them is the same as for an adult plant. In winter, it is necessary to more carefully cover the seedlings with non-woven material and spruce branches, as they are very sensitive to frost. The action blooms 3 years after sowing. The method is not so popular, because many decorative varieties do not produce viable seeds.
Most often, the action is propagated by cuttings. Green cuttings 20-25 cm long are cut in early June. Immediately after cutting, the lower leaves are removed and the shoots are kept in the Kornevin solution. Planting is carried out in containers with sand and peat soil mixed with humus. It is moistened and deepened by twigs at an angle of 5-10 mm. Landings are covered with a transparent cap and put outside. As rooting takes place, shelters are removed, but for the winter plants are brought into the greenhouse to protect from frost. Next spring they plan to transplant into the open ground.
When propagated by lignified cuttings, branches of 15–20 cm long are cut in late autumn. They are tied into small bundles, sprinkled with sand and stored in a cold greenhouse until spring. In March-April, cuttings are planted in open ground at an angle and covered with a film. When the roots appear and the buds begin to bloom, the shelter is removed.
You can use the layering method. Bending the lower shoots to the ground, they are sprinkled with soil. In order for the roots to form more quickly, you can apply several scratches to the bark. The following spring, rooted cuttings are cut from the mother plant and transplanted to a permanent place.
Landing and care
In open ground, the action is planted from April to June. For her, well-lit places are selected without strong gusts of wind. Bushes are afraid of drafts. It’s good if a shadow falls on the bush at noon. The soil should be nutritious and well-drained, but not too dry. Before planting, the earth is dug up and introduced peat, compost and humus. Too heavy clay soils add sand. Acidity must be neutral or slightly acidic; hydrated lime is added to acidic soils.
A planting hole is dug in proportion to the rhizome of the seedling. Its approximate depth is about 50 cm. Crushed stone and sand are poured onto the bottom. Spread the roots and fill the empty space with soil mixture. The root neck should remain on the surface. In group plantings, the distance between plants should be 2.5 m. The same should remain until any building. After planting, the earth is tamped and watered. It is better to immediately mulch the surface with peat.
Watering. Young plants need regular watering. As they grow, drought tolerance increases. If there is no rain, a bucket of water is poured weekly under the bush. After watering, it is recommended to loosen the soil. Since autumn, irrigation is reduced, preparing plants for wintering.
Fertilizer. In the spring under each bush make a solution of compost, ash and rotted manure. During the flowering period, fertilizer is fertilized with the mineral complex twice more. Fertilizers are not needed later.
Pruning. To give the bush a shape, pruning is done. The plant tolerates this procedure very well. In the spring, frozen and dry branches are removed. Remove up to 25% of the vegetation. When the flowering is over, you can remove some of the young shoots and old branches for thinning. In the fall, molding is carried out at the expense of young shoots. If you remove last year's branches, you can lose flowering in the coming year.
Rejuvenation. Old dense bushes every 5-8 years can be completely rejuvenated. To do this, cut off all ground parts in the fall, leaving only small stumps. In May, young shoots will appear, the development of which also needs to be controlled. Flowering after rejuvenation occurs in 2-3 years.
Wintering. Deytsiya prefers warm winters and can withstand only small frosts. If the temperature drops to -20 ° C, the entire shoot can freeze. Low bushes try to bend harder in the ground, cover with non-woven material, spruce branches and dry foliage. After they are spudded to a height of 15-20 cm. As snow falls, it is thrown on top of the bush. Such a cover serves as an excellent protection against frost. Old stiff branches are easy to break, so they are tied up vertically and propped up. From above, the plant is covered with lutrasil. In April, when frosts fall, the shelter can be removed and the snow spread further from the trunk so that the bushes do not rot during flooding.
Diseases and pests. Deytsia is resistant to plant diseases. Of the parasites, bumblebees and bright green caterpillars attack. They feed on the succulent foliage of the plant. Insecticides ("Karbofos", "Decis", "Lepidocide-BTU") help to cope with parasites.
Action in the garden
Beautiful cascading thickets, abundantly covered with white-pink flowers, are used in single plantings or in groups - in the form of a hedge. Dwarf varieties are suitable for mixborders and alpine slides. Tall, sprawling bushes are planted near gazebos or near the house as a spectacular solo plant. Deytsiya goes well with evergreen shrubs and conifers (rhododendron, terry kerriya).
