Content
Chubushnik Minnesota Snowflake is of North American origin. It was obtained by crossing the crown mock-orange and the terry mock-orange (Leman). From his "ancestors" he inherited the best characteristics - a rather extensive and spreading crown shape, coupled with large double flowers. The following will be a description of the Minnesota Snowflake jasmine, a photo of it and recommendations for growing this plant.
Description of the Mock Minnesota Snowflake
The Minnesota Snowflake is a perennial deciduous shrub that grows up to 2 m in height. The shrub is very dense and fast growing. The annual growth is about 20 cm.
The plant has ovoid leaves of dark green color. In young plants (up to 5 years old), the leaves can be gray-green. The color remains until the moment they fall off, this happens at the beginning of winter.
Photo of Jasmine Minnesota Snowflake is shown below:
How Garden Jasmine Blossoms Minnesota Snowflake
Jasmine blooms are thick and abundant. On the shoots, there can be up to several dozen densely double flowers. Each of the flowers consists of many white petals. The petals expand with distance from the center of the flower. The outer diameter of the flowers is 25-30 mm. Flowers are collected in inflorescences of the type of shield, 5 pieces each.
Flowering begins in late May and early June. Blooming in sunny areas lasts about 20 days, in the shade - 25-30 days. It should be understood that flowering in plants in the shade is much less intense. The plant has a pleasant aroma that spreads over long distances.
Main characteristics
Chubushnik can be grown in the 1st and 2nd zones of frost resistance, that is, it is able to withstand negative temperatures up to - 45-50 ° С.
There are few representatives of ornamental plants, especially those of subtropical origin, with a similar resistance to frost.
Chubushnik's disease resistance is high. There are practically no cases of its defeat by fungal diseases with appropriate care (no excessive moisture in the root zone).
Breeding features
The Minnesota Snowflake is propagated in several ways. These methods are listed below in order of increasing complexity and complexity:
- division of the root system;
- layering;
- cuttings;
- seeds.
The easiest way to propagate a chubushnik is by dividing the root system (dividing the bush). The principle is very simple - the root of the dug up jasmine is split into several fragments so that each fragment has at least one young shoot. They do this at the end of autumn.
The bush propagates by layering in the same way as, for example, gooseberries or currants - one of the branches is tilted to the ground and buried in. Within 1-2 months, the roots appear at the buried branch, and the next season it can be separated from the mother plant.
Propagation by cuttings and seeds is quite lengthy and laborious, they are used relatively rarely. Such methods are used to obtain a large amount of material for sale and for selective breeding.
Planting and Caring for Jasmine Minnesota Snowflake
Planting a mock-orange has several features that can have a certain impact on its growth and development, especially in the first years of life.
Recommended timing
The chubushnik should be planted either in the spring or in the fall. In the middle of summer, it is not recommended to transplant the mock-orange, since it will be much more vulnerable to pests.
Site selection and soil preparation
Jasmine prefers well-lit areas, although it can grow in partial shade. If there is little light, the mock-orange may begin to shed flowers and leaves.
There are no requirements for the quality and composition of the soil - the mock-orange can grow on soils of any density, fertility and acidity.
Preparing the soil for planting includes the preliminary introduction of humus or compost into the planting pit in an amount of 10 kg per plant. Also, either 100 g of superphosphate or 500 g of wood ash is introduced into the pit. Preparation is carried out a month before planting a mock-orange.
Landing algorithm
The depth of the planting hole should be at least half a meter. Diameter 40-60 cm. It is dug out in advance, and fertilizers are placed in it, as mentioned above. Immediately before planting, an additional amount of fertilizers (organic matter 8-10 kg) or mineral fertilizers in the amount of 40-50 g per 1 sq. m.
Next, a chubushnik bush is placed in the pit, sprinkled with earth, tamped and watered.
Planting scheme in the case of group plantings: 1.5 by 1.5 m, in the case of the formation of a hedge - 50 by 50 cm.
Growing rules
The rules for growing a mock orange Minnesota Snowflake are quite simple and can be easily implemented even by a novice gardener.
Watering schedule
Chubushnik requires abundant and, most importantly, regular watering. An insufficient amount of moisture leads to a decrease in growth rates and a deterioration in the condition of the bush as a whole. The plant tolerates drought very poorly - up to the fall of flowers and leaves.
The frequency of watering is 3-4 days. At the same time, irrigation requires at least 20 liters per 1 sq. m of the area of the zone located under the crown.
On the other hand, the chubushnik also does not like excessive watering, since its root system can begin to rot.
Weeding, loosening, mulching
It is recommended to loosen the soil once every two weeks, combining this procedure with watering. Weed control may not even be carried out, since jasmine is able to "strangle" any weed: a young mock orange has a fairly high growth rate, and adult bushes are not afraid of any competitors.
Mulching can save a lot of water for the gardener, since the watering rates for the chubushnik are quite large. Therefore, if it is possible to mulch the area under the crown of the jasmine bush, it is better to do this. Sawdust or pine needles can be used as mulch. At the same time, the intensity of watering is reduced to 1 time per week.
Feeding schedule
In total, you should feed the Minnesota Snowflake mock three times per season. Description of dressings is given below:
- The first feeding is carried out in early spring, until the buds open. Chubushnik during this period requires nitrogenous fertilizers. It is advisable at this stage to use organic fertilizers: a solution of manure or poultry droppings at a concentration of 1 to 10.
- The second feeding is carried out about a week before flowering or a week after it starts. In this case, mineral complex fertilizers for ornamental garden plants are more preferable.
- The last feeding of the season is done at the end of autumn. In this case, preference is given to phosphorus fertilizers: superphosphate or double superphosphate.
Pruning
Pruning is a must-have for Minnesota Snowflake jasmine. With a properly formed crown of the mock-orange, which is devoid of damaged and growing "inside the bush" branches, it forms flowers of a larger diameter and in greater numbers.
The first pruning at the beginning of the season is sanitary. It is produced even before the blooming of vegetative buds. At the same time, frozen, diseased and dried shoots are removed.
This is followed by pruning after flowering. With it, the tops of the shoots with faded flowers are removed. At the same stage, young shoots are pruned and the middle of the bush is partially thinned. The final pruning of the branches growing inside the bush is performed at the end of August.
When the chubushnik reaches the age of 5 years, it needs replacement of skeletal branches. It is carried out in stages: older branches are gradually replaced with young shoots. Usually, no more than three old skeletal branches are removed per season. This procedure is performed immediately after the beginning of flowering.
In addition, in August and September, a "control" pruning of the plant is carried out - all non-flowering old branches are removed and on all branches, without exception, the tops are slightly pinned.
Preparing for winter
Jasmine Minnesota Snowflake is able to withstand frosts down to -50 ° C, so the plant does not need any specific preparation for winter.
Nevertheless, one procedure still exists, and it was already described earlier: this is cutting off the tips of all branches by a few centimeters. Thanks to this procedure, the growth of plant shoots is suspended, and they quickly woody. This greatly simplifies the wintering process.
Pests and diseases
Chubushnik Minnesota Snowflake is a very unpretentious plant, practically invulnerable to most fungal and viral diseases. This can partly be explained by the high concentration of essential oils in the plant, which give almost no chance to fungi and viruses. However, there are several types of pests for which such protection may be ineffective.
Such pests include aphids and spider mites. These animals are capable of parasitizing almost any plant, therefore, a gardener should always have remedies against them in his arsenal. And not necessarily industrial production.
Aphids can be removed from the plant by treating it with ordinary soapy water. But in the fight against spider mites, acaricides are likely to be needed.
Conclusion
Chubushnik Minnesota Snowflake is an unpretentious plant that is resistant to many diseases and pests. This variety of chubushnik can withstand severe frosts, so it adapted without problems in Russia. The plant is widely used in landscape design, as it has a high decorative effect and a pleasant aroma. Due to the ability to easily change the state of the crown of the mock-orange, it can be used as a single plant, as a component of group plantings and as a hedge.
Reviews of Chubushnik Minnesota Snowflake
Below are gardeners' reviews of the Minnesota Snowflake jasmine variety.
