Distinctive features of abelia, agricultural techniques for growing at home, recommendations for transplantation and reproduction, problems with cultivation, species. Abelia is a genus of plants that includes the subfamily Linnaeaceae, which is a member of the Honeysuckle family, which sounds like Caprifoliaceae in Latin. Under the conditions of natural growth, Abelia settles on the lands of East Asia and Mexico (only 2 species grow there). Some species are grown in floriculture as ornamental plants. The family includes up to 30 varieties of abelia.
It got its name from Clark Abel, a doctor, naturalist, botanist and zoologist from England, who worked in China in the 19th century. As a naturalist, he was a member of Lord William Pitt Amherst's expedition in 1816 across Chinese lands to Beijing. After this trip, Abel published a story about all the miracles and unknown facts that he met along the way, and also described the flora, after which Abel became known precisely as a naturalist.
Abelia is a deciduous or evergreen plant with a shrub form of growth. Its diameter and height can reach 1, 5-2, 5 meters, but sometimes its size reaches up to 6 meters. The growth rate is very slow.
The stems are sufficiently branchy. On the shoots, leaf plates are arranged in an opposite order, painted in a dark emerald tone, with a glossy surface.
The flowers have a fragrant aroma. The form is funnel-shaped or bell-shaped, can be located in the leaf sinuses or on the peduncles of the tops of the shoots. The shape of the buds is oblong, the petals are collected together and have bent edges, their shade is whitish or pinkish.
Abelia bears fruit with small leathery fruits with an oblong or curved shape, containing one seed.
When flowering ends, Abelia does not lose its decorative beauty. When discolored buds fall off, sepals of a purple hue remain at the ends of the shoots, which also give the shrub extraordinary beauty and attractiveness.
It is customary to grow abelia as a plant for greenhouses or for decorating large rooms (halls, terraces, etc.). In garden plots, abelia is grown either as a single bush or in phytogroups; many landscape designers decorate recreation areas, terraces, verandas and gazebos with these plants. Since Abelia is not at all afraid of pruning, hedges are grown from it. You can plant the plant in both pots and mixborders.
Agrotechnics when growing abelia, home care
- Illumination and choice of place for the plant. Abelia is a sun-loving shrub and for planting in open ground they select a place that is sufficiently illuminated by the sun. But when the growing season comes, it is necessary to arrange some shading. This is especially true on summer days with intense heat, so that streams of harmful ultraviolet radiation do not fall on the bush from 12 to 16 o'clock in the afternoon. The same rule must be followed when growing abelia in a pot. A window facing east or west is ideal for her. In the north, the bush will not have enough illumination and the shoots will begin to stretch strongly, and in the southern location, it is necessary to hang tulles or curtains so that a sunburn of the leaves does not happen. With the arrival of the spring-winter period, when the possibility of spring morning frosts passes, the pot with the plant can be exposed to fresh air, but make sure that the place is with an openwork shadow, protected from rain and drafts, since under their actions the plant will throw off the foliage …
- Content temperature. Growing abelia in rooms, it will be necessary to maintain room heat indicators (approximately 20-24 degrees) in the spring-summer period. With the arrival of mid-autumn and until March, the temperature can be lowered to 10-15 degrees. If the thermometer readings drop even lower, this will lead to a sharp drop of foliage. Since the plant does not tolerate drafts, but loves the influx of fresh air, then during the ventilation of the premises, the pot with abelia must be rearranged to another place, away from the influx of cold ether.
- Air humidity. Abelia is not too picky about indoor humidity, but still, when the summer heat comes, you will need to spray with soft water at room temperature. You can install a humidifier next to the pot. In winter, these procedures are not carried out, especially if the plant is kept at a lower temperature.
- Watering. Only young plants really need watering. Those that are already rooted need to be moistened if they grow in the garden only when the dry season comes. Abelia, which is grown in a pot, will require moisture from March days to early fall. The soil is watered abundantly, but make sure that the substrate does not become waterlogged. Substitution, moisture is greatly reduced, but it is monitored so that the soil in the flowerpot does not dry out. For watering, you must use soft water at room temperature. You can also take rainwater, river water or melt snow in winter, and slightly warm the resulting liquid.
- Fertilization. It is necessary to make top dressing with the arrival of spring before the beginning of autumn days. Regular feeding every two weeks. You can use complex mineral preparations for indoor plants and organic additives (for example, mullein solution). In winter, they do not disturb Abelia with top dressing.
- Transplantation and selection of soil. Transplant a plant that is grown as a penny crop as needed when the root system has taken over the entire land. If the plant is young, then it will need to change the pot twice in the first year, since the abelia has a very high growth rate. When the bush is grown in a tub, it will take a container change every 2-3 years. The time is selected for changing the pot in the spring. The acidity of the soil is preferably neutral with a pH of 5, 5–6, 0. For planting in a pot, it is necessary to mix sod soil, humus, peat soil and river sand, in proportions of 2: 2: 2: 1. Many growers add leafy soil, coniferous soil, and chopped sphagnum moss to the substrate. If Abelia is planted in open ground, it is recommended that the substrate be well drained and with sufficient mineral salts. Landing will be required in the autumn or early spring.
- Abelia pruning and shrub formation. Since the plant has a high growth rate, it will be necessary to regularly correct its crown. In February or early March, it is necessary to cut half the height of the branches in deciduous varieties of Abelia. The same goes for evergreen varieties, but pruning is done immediately after flowering. The cuttings are then used for rooting. If you want, you can grow this plant as an ampelous crop.
- Abelia's wintering when grown in the garden. It is not necessary to cover the plant for the winter, since it is not too sensitive to frost, however, the Schumann Abelia variety is not so hardy. They can be covered with spruce branches, wrapped in burlap or agrospan (special material). The most stable in the winter frosty period is a variety of large-flowered abelia.
Recommendations for self-breeding abelia
The plant can be propagated using seed material, cuttings and root shoots.
With the help of seeds, Abelia multiplies very reluctantly, since their germination is very low. Seeds must be sown in the month of January in seedling boxes. The substrate is selected light (sand or peat-sand mixture). After disembarkation, the container is wrapped in plastic wrap or placed under glass. You will need to periodically ventilate and moisten the soil. Seedlings grow very quickly, and as soon as a pair of true leaves appear on the sprouts, you can dive (transplant in separate containers) with the same substrate as for adult specimens. As soon as the height of the plants reaches 15–20 cm, another transplant is carried out into pots with a large diameter or on a garden plot.
When pruning, you can select suitable branches for rooting, they must be from the apical shoots. Spring time is suitable for such rooting. The length of the cutting should not be less than 10 cm. The cuttings are planted in moist soil (sand, peat, perlite, or a mixture of these components). During rooting, it will be necessary to maintain heat within 20-25 degrees. After 2-3 weeks, the plants can be transplanted into a suitable abelia substrate and into a large container. These cuttings grow quickly and from them you can form a beautiful bush that will bloom this summer.
Abelia's root shoots grow annually next to the roots of the bush. Young plants are carefully separated from the mother bush and planted in the ground in a pot or in a garden.
Problems in plant cultivation
Aphids are most harmful to the plant. When damaged by this pest, a sugary sticky coating appears on the leaf plates, which, if no action is taken, will turn black - a sooty fungus will develop (fungal disease). It is also possible, in case of violation of the conditions of detention, that abelia is affected by spider mites and thrips. In the presence of these pests, needle punctures of the surface are visible on the back side of the leaf blades (the pest drinks the vital juice of the leaves), and then the same sticky bloom or a thin cobweb appears that wraps all the leaves and internodes of the plant.
If abelia is affected by scale insects or mealybugs, then brown-brown or gray-brown dots (pest eggs) form on the back of the leaf plates, and a sticky bloom covers the surface of the foliage. The mealybug is immediately recognizable by the discharge in the form of lumps of cotton wool, which are visible in the internodes and leaves.
With any damage, the leaves turn yellow, they are deformed and reset, flower buds do not open and fly around, and the whole plant slows down in growth.
Often, experienced flower growers make a solution from cyclamen tubers, it also helps to remove harmful insects and remove plaque, this drug does not harm the plant as much as chemicals. But re-processing must be carried out already on the 5-6th day. Usually, when damaged by pests, wipe the leaves and shoots with a soap, oil or alcohol solution. They are prepared as follows:
- to create a soap product, 10–30 g is dissolved in a bucket of water. grated laundry soap (or washing powder), then wait a few hours, the liquid is filtered and ready for use;
- for oil in 1 liter of water, it is necessary to dissolve 2-3 drops of rosemary essential oil;
- an alcoholic tincture of echinacea or calendula is purchased at the pharmacy.
The agent is applied to a cotton pad, and insects, eggs and their waste products (plaque) are carefully removed from each leaf and branch. Indoors, you can spray the very place where the pot with the plant is located.
If methods that do not contain "aggressive" chemistry do not give a positive result, then insecticide treatment (such as "Aktara", "Aktellika" or "Confidor") will be required.
Description of abelia species
Abelia grandiflora (Abelia grandiflora). Depending on the conditions, temperature indicators and air humidity, it can be either an evergreen or deciduous plant with a shrub form of hybrid origin. Shoots, if grown indoors, are long and drooping, when the bush is young, then they have a pinkish color. The leaf blades are opposite. They are small in size, oblong outlines, there is a sharpening at the top, the surface is glossy, the color is dark emerald. The flower buds are large, consisting of 5 petals, fused at the base, from which carpal inflorescences are collected, located in the leaf axils. The petals are white, the flowers have a pleasant aroma. Abelia has long and abundant flowering. This type is the most common in the culture.
It is customary to grow the following most decorative varieties:
- Francis Mason, is a compact shrub with golden leaf blades;
- Edvard Goucher, a plant with flowers, the petals of which take on lilac-red tones and reach 2 cm in length.
The most common types:
- Abelia Chinese (Abelia chinensis). A shrub representative with a semi-evergreen foliage crown, growing to a height of two meters. Shoots are very numerous, with graceful outlines, drooping to the ground. The leaf plates have an oval-pointed shape, painted in a dark green color. Flowers in the form of bells, whitish with reddish streaks.
- Abelia floribunda (Abelia floribunda). A plant with a shrubby form of growth, an evergreen representative of the green world of the planet. Its shoots have reddish pubescence. The leaves have a glossy surface, dark emerald color. The funnel-shaped flowers are distinguished by a strong aroma, up to 4 cm in length. Their color is very intense, pink. The flowering process begins in May-June and continues for several more months. In natural conditions, this variety can be found on the southern shores of Crimea and Ashgabat, as well as in the regions of the Caucasus.
- Abelia shuman (Abelia shumanii). Shrub with deciduous crown. The shape of the leaf plates is oval, the color is green. The petals of the buds have a pinkish-lilac tint, begin to appear and bloom in June, and flowering ends by September.
- Abelia triflora (Abelia triflora). The plant is a shrub-growing plant, but under favorable conditions it can grow to the size of a small tree. Stable, with a deciduous crown. The leaves are elongated and elongated, the color is dark emerald. Flowering begins in June. Flowers of light pink tones are blooming. The native land of the plant is the western regions of the Himalayas.
- Abelia biflora (Abelia biflora). The homeland of the plant is considered to be the territory of the south of the Far East and the lands of northern China. A shrub-shaped plant, reaching a height of two and a half meters. Like Abelia corymbosa, which is native to Central Asia, these species are little known in the cultivation culture. Both varieties have excellent decorative properties. Their wood is beautiful, with a high density.
- Abelia Korean (Abelia coreana). This species comes from the lands of the Far East or the southern territories of Primorye, can successfully winter in central Russia. It often settles in fir-spruce forests, on the outskirts of stony placers. The plant is a sprawling bush that grows up to two meters. The leaf plates are elongated-ovate, measuring 6 cm in length, the edge is serrated. The flowers are large in size, painted in whitish-pink shades, have a strong fragrant aroma. The usual arrangement of buds is in leaf axils, where they grow in pairs. The flowering period is quite long. This variety has no varieties and subspecies, and only its wild form is grown as a garden culture.
What Abelia looks like, see this video:
