did you know?

Weigela is an long-favored garden plant named after a German botanist, Christian von Weigel (1748?1831). Always showy in spring, this shrub has been a staple of the garden landscape since the 1800s. This cultivar was introduced by Iowa State University.

general maintenance:

Remove dead branches. If necessary, thin dense growth by removing several stems from the base about every 3 years.

pests/diseases:

Japanese beetles, scale insects, and verticillium wilt may occur.

controls:

Handpick Japanese beetles. Remove and destroy stems heavily infected with scale, or apply horticultural oil, following label directions. To control verticillium wilt, reduce soil moisture or remove severely diseased plants.

how to sow/plant:

Choose a sunny to partly sunny site with well-drained soil, making sure there is enough room for shrub to reach its mature spread. In early spring, dig hole twice the width of container or root ball. Set plant at same depth or slightly higher than it was in pot or, if balled, with top of root ball. Fill in hole around plant with soil, and mound soil to form a 2-inch-high ridge around perimeter of the hole to act as a catchbasin. If plant is balled in synthetic fabric, remove carefully before planting. Burlap may be left around root ball and then peeled back once plant is set in hole. Water thoroughly, filling the basin and allowing water to settle several times. Spread 2 inches of mulch around plant.

water and fertilize:

Maintain uniform soil moisture the first season. Be sure the soil is moist before the ground freezes in fall. Each spring before growth begins, apply an all-purpose fertilizer, following label directions. Once shrub is established, usually by the third year, water only in times of drought.

garden hint:

Make sure to prune weigela only after the flowers have faded. Next year's flower buds are set during the summer, and if you prune in fall or in early spring before the buds break, you remove them.

features:

• Attractive Flowers
• Attractive Foliage
• Attracts Hummingbirds
• Deciduous
• Fragrant

garden uses:

• Edging
• Flowerbed borders

other uses:

combine with:

lilac hydrangea and butterfly bush