Kerria japonica is a weeping shrub with bright green shoots and golden-yellow flowers that look like small roses. The flowering period begins in the spring, for which the plant is popularly called the “Easter rose.” Abundant flowering continues for about a month, and begins again in early autumn.
Kerria is hardy and undemanding. Feels good in a brightly lit area and in the shade. It tolerates cold well, but in severe frosts the tips of the shoots may freeze. After pruning, the bush quickly recovers.
Description of Kerry bush
The shrub is named after the first botanist in Ceylon and collector of flora - W. Kerr. Kerria is popularly nicknamed the Easter Rose. This is due to the fact that it begins to bloom on one of the main church holidays, and its flowers look like pink buds.
The bush grows very quickly, reaching a height of 3 m. It has stems in the form of green twigs. The leaves are lanceolate, toothed, with a pointed end. Up to 10 cm in length. The outer side of the plate is smooth, the lower side is pubescent. During the growing season, the foliage is pale emerald, and in the fall it turns yellow.
The buds exude a pungent aroma (similar to the smell of dandelions), are located singly, and reach 4.5 cm in circumference. The petals are simple and double. Blooms from May. The life cycle of flowers is 25-35 days. If the necessary conditions are created, the re-formation of buds can be observed in the fall.
After flowering, a dark brown drupe appears. In central Russia, the bush, as a rule, does not bear fruit.
An undoubted advantage of the plant is its tolerance to polluted air. Therefore, it can be planted near highways, factories and other places with high gas pollution.
Story
Hoya received its name from the then famous botanist Robert Brown, the author of the theory of “Brownian motion”. In 1810, he described just this type of hanging vines and gave them the name of his friend Thomas Hoy, the gardener of the English Duke of Northumberland. Thomas worked for many years in the Duke's greenhouse and devoted his entire life to growing tropical plants.
Hoya belongs to the Lastovnevye subfamily in the Kutrovye family. In total there are over 200 varieties of Wax Ivy. Most often, the flower can be found in the forests of Asia, on the west coast of Australia, and in southern China. It grows in Madagascar and the Canary Islands. In tropical areas, it lives in open forests, where it spreads along rocky slopes and clings to sparse trees. Reaches a length of ten meters.
Types and varieties of Japanese kerria
The shrub has only one variety - Japanese kerria. Its most popular forms grown in Russia:
| Name | Description | Leaves |
| Picta (Variegata) | Up to 1 m. With yellow flowers. | Variegated, with whitish-beige spots and a border on the surface. |
| Albomarginata | A distinctive feature is slow growth. | Asymmetrical, with snow-white edging. |
| Argenteo-marginata | Up to 2 m. With canary buds. | The perimeter is framed by a line thinner than the previous variety. |
| Plena (buttercup) | Produces numerous root shoots. Because of this, it is often used to create hedges. | Similar to raspberry foliage. |
| Pleniflora | With double flowers of golden color, reminiscent of pompoms. | |
| Golden Guinea | Blooms profusely. The buds are simple, regular in shape, with dark lemon petals. | Light green, form a cone-shaped crown. |
| Kin Kan | With many decorative flowers. | |
| Albiflora | With white petals. |
Planting Japanese kerria in open ground
You can plant immediately in open ground or pre-grow seedlings in containers. In the first case, planting is carried out in the spring, after the ground has warmed up, or in October before frost. Shoots grown indoors are replanted in any month except winter.
The place should be sunny, protected from drafts. However, ultraviolet rays can burn greenery. Therefore, at noon the bushes need shading. The ideal option would be to plant near fruit trees, which with their crown will protect the foliage from burning out. It is not advisable to plant in the shade, as this will prevent lush flowering.
Step by step planting process:
- In moist, loamy, humus, nutritious soil, dig a hole 0.4 m deep.
- Pour a mixture of humus and turf on the bottom, add 6-8 tablespoons of complex mineral fertilizer (to form a small hill).
- Place the bush in the center on a mound, straightening the rhizome.
- Fill the voids with substrate. The root collar should be level with the ground surface.
- Compact the soil a little and water it.
What conditions need to be created
The tropical symbol of lovers loves warmth, light, moisture and nutritious soil: there is nothing difficult in fulfilling these requirements at home.
Selecting a location
The growth and appearance of the flower depend on the correct choice of location. He loves light, but diffused, since direct sunlight can scorch his foliage. Based on this, the ideal location for the flower would be western or eastern windows.
If possible, then it is advisable to install hoya on them in the second row, behind other flowers, so that it is slightly shaded. This combination of light and shadow will ensure the annual appearance of flowers in all internodes.
Important! When placing the plant, you need to remember that during flowering sweet and sticky nectar appears, which can fall on the windowsill, so the space around the pot
should be covered with something.
Temperature
In spring and summer, it is necessary to maintain room temperature - +17...+22°C. If the thermometer rises a little higher, then it’s okay, the main thing is that there is plenty of watering and suitable air humidity. In the autumn-winter period, you need to lower the temperature a little, to +16...+18°C.
It is imperative to regularly ventilate the room all year round so that humid air does not stagnate.
Air humidity
To maintain humidity at the proper level, you do not need to place containers of water near the hoya. It will be enough to spray with warm water and take a warm shower weekly.
During flowering, it is necessary to ensure that during these procedures moisture does not fall on the flowers. If this happens, you need to immediately blot up the drops. The remaining water can provoke the appearance of dark spots, which means that the decorative effect of the plant will be lost.
Caring for kerria in the garden
After planting, the shrub needs proper care. Only in this case it will not get sick and will become a wonderful decoration for the garden.
Watering, fertilizing, pruning
Kerry needs daily watering only in the first 2-3 weeks after planting. Take settled, warm, soft water. Then there will be enough natural precipitation. However, in dry weather and during the formation of buds, regular moisturizing is necessary. The top layer of soil (about 10 cm) should not have time to dry out. This is necessary for better flowering, the growth of new shoots and their protection from high temperatures.
To ensure that moisture is retained well in the soil, it is recommended to mulch it. For example, fallen leaves. If the weather is too rainy, you need to constantly loosen the soil and weed out the weeds to prevent stagnation of liquid.
Pruning branches must be done frequently, because... the bush grows quickly. In March, remove frozen, dried out or broken branches during the winter. Shorten young shoots by 1/4. Prune the branches a second time after the first flowering. Remove old shoots during the process. Perform the third manipulation at the end of July-August so that the re-formation of buds is more abundant.
To make it more decorative, too long shoots must be shortened to the same size. Young shoots do not need to be touched. It is also necessary to periodically thin out the bush. Thanks to these procedures, the bush will be more compact, but at the same time lush.
The plant must be fertilized for the first time in the spring, immediately after pruning. Use organic matter as a top dressing (preferably mullein diluted with water 1 to 10). After 1.5-2 weeks, you can add wood ash (100-200 g per square meter) and compost (1:10). After the first flowering, it is recommended to water with complex mineral mixtures.
Care after flowering
If kerria was cultivated in nurseries in our country, it usually easily tolerates Russian frosts. However, it is recommended to check winter hardiness for each individual specimen.
When landing in southern Russia, there is no need for shelter. If the flower is grown in the middle zone with cold winters, the bush should be mulched with spruce branches or dried leaves to prevent freezing, and covered with waterproof material on top. This must be done when the temperature drops to -10° C, remembering to leave holes for air circulation. When wet, rotting and stagnation of melt water, the bush will begin to rot and die.
In spring, the cover is removed gradually so that the plant has time to get used to the surrounding atmosphere. First, remove the film, then reduce the height of the mulch to 15 cm, only after that the bush is completely freed.
Reproduction methods
The simplest method is dividing layerings. This happens as follows:
- In summer, dig small trenches (5-7 cm deep) next to the mother bush.
- Press flexible branches to the ground.
- Secure them with brackets.
- After the leaves appear (after about 3-4 weeks), fill the ditch with substrate, leaving only the ends of the branches on the surface.
- The root system will begin to develop in the fall. In the spring, separate the grown cuttings.
Step-by-step propagation by cuttings:
- In early April, separate woody shoots, and in July - green ones. At least a pair of buds should be formed on the cuttings.
- Plant in a cool, shady area of the greenhouse.
- It takes a lot of time to develop the root system, so leave young bushes in a greenhouse for the winter.
- In May, transplant the cuttings into containers and bring them into a warm room.
- Next season, transplant outside.
In autumn, kerria is propagated by offspring. Separate the shoots from the mother bush and plant them separately. When the necessary conditions for development are created, the root system quickly adapts, young bushes grow into an adult full-fledged plant.
When transplanting, you can divide the bush. This is another way to propagate kerria. During picking, clear the rhizome from the soil and carefully divide it into several parts. Each of them should have well-developed roots and powerful stems. Plant the cuttings in exactly the same way as the initial planting. Water young bushes generously.
Diseases and pests
Kerria is one of the strongest decorative foliage plants. When the necessary conditions are created, it is rarely affected by insect pests and various infections.
In rare cases, spider mites may begin to live on seedlings. This happens due to errors in care: dry air, dust and dirt on the foliage, the presence of dry leaves in neighboring pots. The pest can be destroyed with insecticides. For example, Fitoverm, Fufanon and others. To prevent damage to the room, it is recommended to install a humidifier, wipe the bushes with a damp cloth, and promptly remove fallen greenery.
Possible difficulties during cultivation
Hoya has good immunity, but if you don’t care for it well, it can get sick or be attacked by pests:
- Root rot. Appears due to waterlogging of the soil. The damaged part of the roots needs to be removed, and the plant should be replanted in new soil and the watering schedule should be reviewed.
- Mealybug, thrips, whitefly, scale insect. All these pests appear due to low air humidity. Due to their attack, the plant becomes covered with spots and gradually begins to fade. Detected pests are collected manually from the flower, and then the vine is treated with insecticides, soap solution (15 g per liter) or garlic infusion (15 g per liter).
As you can see, Hoya Kerry is absolutely unpretentious in care, unlike many flowers that come from the tropics; even a novice gardener can grow it. The main thing is that he has enough patience to wait until the plant can please him with its unusual beauty.
Mr. Summer resident informs: how to grow kerria in the Moscow region
When planting in the central region, special conditions must be observed. They also apply to the Leningrad region. Such requirements are related to the peculiarities of the climate.
In late autumn, in dry weather, lay polystyrene foam around the base. Cover with pine branches or dry leaves so that the shoots are slightly pressed to the ground. To prevent them from straightening out, build a frame. It must be taken into account that the shelter must be well ventilated. Therefore, you need to leave holes in it for air circulation.
At the beginning of spring, in cloudy but dry weather, remove the structure. First remove the frame, then clean it of spruce branches and foliage. The bright sun can damage the kerria, so at first it needs to be protected with covering material. It can be purchased at a gardening store. Burnt shoots, of course, can be pruned, but then the flowering process will be disrupted.
If the rules for planting and care are followed, kerria begins to form buds earlier than other trees. Its flowering is colorful and abundant; the shrub will decorate any landscape design. It is not difficult to maintain it in Russian gardens; it is enough to water it in a timely manner, prune it and apply fertilizers. If you do everything correctly, no diseases or pests can harm the plant.
Preparing for winter
It cannot be said that kerria is a frost-resistant plant, but with proper preparation for severe tests, the shrub will be able to survive the winter cold. In the southern regions, where winters are not characterized by low temperatures, keria need not be covered. But in the central and northern regions you will have to work hard to provide the bush with heat.
To prevent the plant from dying from excess moisture and cold, protective measures must be taken in dry weather. Having laid a waterproof substrate, for example, foam plastic, near the bush, the shoots are bent and carefully laid on it. Around and on top the stems are covered with spruce branches and fallen leaves. A wooden frame is built on top, which is covered with a special covering waterproof material. Small holes are left for air circulation.
With the retreat of winter cold and the arrival of warm spring days, the shelter is removed, but not immediately, but gradually, so that the shoots get used to the light, otherwise bright sun rays can lead to the formation of burns on the bark.
