Weigela All Summer Red

Synonym: Weigela Red Prince.

Weigela All Summer Red (Weigela All Summer Red) – a cultivar of flowering shrubs from the species Weigela florida of the genus Weigela. The cultivar was obtained by crossing the cultivars Weigela Evita and Weigela Red Prince. It was bred in 2007 by Geysbertus Verhof in the Netherlands. Patent No. PP23654 was granted in 2011. The cultivar won the "Silver" at the international Plantarium competition in 2014 for the purest red flower color and was awarded the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society.

It is a dwarf, dense and compact shrub 120-150 см in height and up to 180 см in width. Annual growth 20-30 см in height and width.

Leaves broadly elliptic, dark green when mature; young foliage has red tones.

Flowers small, bell-shaped, deep red, grouped 2-3 per inflorescence. Blooms from late May to October.

Hardiness zone: zone 4-8 (-35°C).

Location: sun-loving, shade-tolerant. Flowering quality deteriorates in shade. Tolerates all garden soils, but prefers fresh, moist (but not waterlogged), well-drained, fertile soils, from acidic to slightly alkaline.

Planting: distance between shrubs at least 1.5 - 2 m, preferably 2.5 - 3 m. Planting depth 50 - 60 см, root collar at ground level. It is better to plant three-year-old seedlings in spring. Drainage is essential, a layer of sand and gravel 15 см thick.

Care: in early spring on the snow apply a complete mineral fertilizer to improve the condition of plants after low winter temperatures: urea, superphosphate, potassium fertilizer (20, 10 and 10 g/sq. m); the second feeding at the beginning of June - during the formation of flower buds: double superphosphate and potassium sulfate - 30 g per shrub or per 1 sq. m. In spring water abundantly during drought and if the winter was low in snow and strong freezing of shoots was noted. Rate 8-10 l per shrub. Loosening is carried out after watering and when the soil becomes compacted after removing weeds; the root circle (diameter at least 2 m) is kept loose to a depth of 5-8 cm. Mulch with wood chips up to 10 cm thick. In spring annually remove shoots damaged by frost. Pruning is carried out once every 2 - 3 years. The best time to prune is immediately after flowering. In winter after leaf fall shrubs are tied and bent to the ground. In low-snow winters cultivars are covered with conifer branches.

Propagation: by seed. Sow in spring without prior seed treatment. You can sow at home in pots covered with film or glass. Seedlings usually emerge uniformly. After the appearance of the second pair of leaves, seedlings are pricked out. Seeds collected from garden forms and hybrids produce heterogeneous offspring. Therefore, cultivars are better propagated vegetatively: by winter and summer cuttings. Softwood cuttings are best taken in mid-June, before the beginning of flower bud formation.

Uses: an outstanding foreground plant for any modern landscape and color compositions. Used in single and group plantings, for creating colorful borders, decorative compositions, beds, flower gardens, rockeries, rock landscapes, as well as a container plant.