Weigela plants are deciduous shrubs that produce beautiful, colorful blooms during spring and summer. These plants are a popular choice for home landscapes due to their hardiness and ease of care. If you’re considering planting a weigela shrub, it’s important to understand the different stages of growth that these plants go through so that you can properly care for them and enjoy their beauty for years to come.
The first stage of a weigela plant’s growth is dormancy. This stage typically occurs during the winter months when the plant goes into a state of rest. While in dormancy, the plant’s leaves will fall off and it will not produce any new growth. During this time, it’s important to provide your weigela with proper winter care to ensure its survival.
As the weather begins to warm up in early spring, your weigela will enter its second stage of growth, bud swell. During this stage, the plant’s buds will begin to swell and prepare to open up into beautiful blooms. This is an exciting time for weigela owners as they look forward to seeing the colorful flowers that their plant will produce.
Once the buds on your weigela have fully opened up, the plant will enter its bloom time stage. This is when you’ll see the full beauty of your shrub on display as it produces an abundance of colorful flowers. Weigelas typically bloom from late spring to early summer, and their flowers can range in color from pink and red to white.
After your weigela has finished blooming, it will begin to focus on foliage growth. During this stage, the plant will produce new leaves and branches as it prepares for the next growing season. It’s important to continue caring for your weigela during this time to ensure that it stays healthy and strong.
In the late summer and early fall, your weigela will enter its final stage of growth for the year. During this time, the plant will put on a final burst of growth before going back into dormancy for the winter. This is a critical time for your weigela as it prepares to go through another winter and survive until the next growing season.
By understanding the different stages of growth that your weigela plant will go through, you can better care for it and ensure that it thrives in your landscape.
During dormancy, it’s important to provide your weigela with proper winter care. This includes:
Weigelas prefer moist soil but can be susceptible to root rot if overwatered. As a general rule, you should water your weigela once per week during the growing season, and less frequently during dormancy.
Weigelas should be pruned in late winter or early spring before new growth begins. This will help promote healthy growth and prevent overcrowding within the plant.
Weigelas can be propagated through stem cuttings or layering. To propagate via stem cuttings, take a cutting from a healthy branch in early summer and place it in a pot with moist soil. Keep the cutting in a warm, shaded area and mist it regularly until roots begin to form. To propagate via layering, bend a healthy branch down to the ground and cover it with soil. Roots will begin to form where the branch makes contact with the soil, and a new plant can be separated from the parent once it has established its own root system.