Bright beauty in your flowerbed - Japanese spirea Darts Red
Among the variety of spirea species, the Japanese variety Darts Red is perhaps one of the most beautiful, moreover, it deserves attention because of its magnificent flowering: many inflorescences bloom one after another and this lasts quite a long time. That is why this variety is popular among flower growers, in addition, it is not difficult to grow a spirea, since its character is simple and absolutely undemanding.
Description of the variety
Darts Red is a compact shrub with quite modest sizes:
- the total height does not exceed 1 meter (most often spireas with a height of 60 to 80 cm are found in flower beds);
- the diameter of the bush is about the same.
The shoots are straight, but they branch well, due to which the crown of the bush is very dense and almost without gaps. On the branches, in turn, there are elongated small leaves, with a sharp tip and denticles along the edge of the leaf plate. Spirea does not grow very quickly - it rises by a maximum of 15 cm per year.
It is noteworthy that young twigs and leaves are colored reddish. Over time, the shade disappears.
At the beginning of summer, the spirea transforms: the entire bush is covered with large inflorescences, consisting of small flowers from dark pink to light red. They form on the tops of young branches that have appeared in the current season. Darts Red blooms for a long time, until the very end of summer.
Sometimes Japanese spirea can bloom a second time, decorating the flower bed until October, while the pink-red color does not fade by the end of flowering, and remains the same saturated.
Growing features
Like most types of spire, the Dart Red variety prefers sunny places: there its rich color shows itself in full force. When planting in the shady part of the flower bed, the bush will also grow and even bloom, but from a lack of light, the inflorescences will become faded, and the branches themselves will begin to stretch.
As for the soil, it is best to grow spirea in fertile and moist soil, but in soil poor in nutrients and moisture, it can survive, however, it will develop slowly.
Since the bushes grow lush, when planting, leave a distance of at least 40 cm between them.
In early spring, to stimulate active flowering, spirea is recommended undercut, leaving shoots up to 30 cm high. Darts Red winters without losses, tolerating severe frosts well.