The beauty of Japanese spirea and its other varieties causes the desire to have more of these plants in different places of the site, and here the question arises about its reproduction. Many fear that they will destroy the flower with their wrong actions. In this article, you will learn how to split a bush of spirea in order to get several new plants.

Is it possible to split the spirea bush

Division of the bush is one of the most successful ways of propagating spirea (it is also called a meadowsweet), especially if it is not more than 4 years old. Older plants can also be divided, but in this case the process becomes more time-consuming due to the overgrown root system and the land adhered to it. Such an adult shrub will have to be washed for a long time and carefully untangle the roots.

When to propagate

Spirea can be propagated in spring, summer or autumn. However, summer planting can complicate plant care - it will need frequent watering to avoid the risk of dehydration. The way out of this situation can be cloudy weather, which will last at least 7 days after transplantation, as well as spring or autumn separation.

The best time to share the spirea begins in late August and ends in early September. Planting in the middle of summer, when it is the hottest, can adversely affect the survival rate of the plant.

In the spring, you can plant a flower before the buds begin to swell. Then follows a break until the leaves cease to grow actively. At the end of May, when the bush is almost ready to bloom, the time will come again when it is possible to transplant it.

How to split correctly

To plant spirea:

1. Dig the roots of the bush from the ground, observing the diameter of the pit not less than 60% of the scope of the crown.
2. If you find that several rhizomes go beyond the boundaries of the shoots, you can chop them off.
3. Lower the root system into a large container with water for at least 1 hour, after which the soil will get wet and move away, or carefully remove the rest of the earth with your hands without soaking.
4. Carefully untangle the soaked roots, being careful not to damage.
5. Take a sharp disinfected secateurs, cut the bush no more than 3 approximately equal parts. For each of them leave at least 2 strong branches and a large bunch of roots.
6. On each cut plant, trim the roots, remove dried or decayed, and cut the places of cuts again.

If you divide the roots without washing away the ground, uneven parts can result, and one of the new bushes will be weakened by their almost complete absence.

Planting new shrubs

How to plant new plants after division:

1. In a sunny place with fertile soil, dig a hole with vertical walls with a diameter 1/3 larger than that of the root system. In this case, leave about 1 m to other plants.
2. Leave the pit for 7 days.
3. Separate shrubs, their roots can be soaked for 1 hour in a root growth stimulator.
4. At the bottom of the pit, lay a drainage layer with a thickness of at least 15 cm, fragments of bricks, stones, gravel can be used.
5. Take a sheet or turf soil, add ½ of its volume of sand and the same amount of peat, mix, pour a little on top of the drainage.
6. Lower the spiraea root system, smoothing out the processes well.
7. Lay the remains of the earthen mixture, leaving the root neck on the surface. Gently tighten.
8. Pour 2 buckets of water onto each bush.
9. Lay out a layer of mulch.

Further care

After planting a spirea, it needs such care:

1. Watering - 1-2 buckets in a period of drought for plants that have taken root, daily for those that had to be replanted.
2. Top dressing: for fertile soil, one-time annual, for the poor - 2-3 times a year. To do this, dilute 1 tablespoon of manure or bird droppings in 200 ml of water, leave for 7 days, pour 2.2 liters of water and feed the bush. Organic fertilizers can be replaced with mineral fertilizers in the amount of 65–70 g per 1 m² of planting.
3. Weed removal.
4. Loosening - after watering, it is advisable to combine with the previous paragraph.
5. Cropping - to create an attractive appearance.
6. Treatment for diseases and pests - before or after flowering.

Gardeners recommendations

If you decide to propagate spiraea by dividing the bush, take into account such recommendations:

1. Plants that bloom in summer can be planted at any time of the year except winter. Autumn is more suitable for blooming in spring.
2. Since spirea is a shrub type of flora, take into account the growth of roots when planting.
3. Plant in slightly acidic or neutral soil.
4. Spruce, juniper, thuja can grow nearby.
5. The drainage layer can be equipped with a slide and distribute the root system over it.
6. Water the new bushes more and more often than usual for at least 2 weeks to improve their survival.
7. To get a hedge, plant the plants at a distance of 40-50 cm from each other.
8. Use mulch to retain moisture in the soil.
9. Protect bushes planted in autumn from winter frosts.
10. Bushes in the form of a sphere or a pyramid look good on the site.
11. To prevent spiraea from blooming again in the fall and not weakening it before winter, do not prune in the summer.

Thus, spirea can multiply by dividing the bush, this method is one of the most recommended for transplantation. The procedure can be carried out at all times of the year, except for winter, but it is better in late summer or early fall. So that young plants take root well, try to divide the bush evenly and water a lot at first.