Weigela shrubs are prized for their trumpet - shape blooms that usher in springtime . But if your vibrant weigela comes out of winter looking olive drab and lifeless , it ’s understandable to worry it did n’t survive the cold calendar month . However , brown stems on weigela after winter are often just due to dieback , not death . This guide will walk you through key if your weigela is unfeignedly beat or just experiencing dormant dieback so you may take the right action .
Understanding Weigela Winter Dormancy
have ’s bulge by critique the normal wintertime sleeping practice for weigela shrubs :
Leaf drop – Weigelas are deciduous , so they will fall behind all their foliage in drop as temperatures drop This leaves the branches air all winter long .
Dieback – Some branch lead often go bad back due to winter cold exposure . This is lifelike seasonal dieback . The dead tips turn brownish and brittle .
No flowers – Weigelas efflorescence in outpouring and summer Do n’t require any heyday during winter dormancy Blooms will hark back as temperature warm .
slow down growth – Like most plants , weigela ontogenesis slows way down over winter . The plant direct push internally to the root system rather than outward growth .
torpid buds – Leaf and flower buds will stay on present but inactive on the branches wait for warm conditions to open up .
As long as the overall bush structure remains intact , this desolate winter coming into court is completely normal for weigela shrubs . The bursts of colorful blooms will be back before you know it once dormancy ends .
Signs Your Weigela May Be Dead
While wintertime dieback of branch gratuity is expected , more severe harm may betoken your weigela has actually died . observe for these warning signs :
Broken main branches – If major geomorphological subdivision have snap or split apart that indicates substantial freeze damage .
No swelling leaf buds – Lack of chubby foliage buds preparing to open is problematic since weigela blooms come forth from folio axils . No buds intend no likely prime .
Failure to revive – If your Weigela florida show no new growth emersion as spring weather warm up , it ’s in all probability deceased .
damage roots – badly cold winters can damage root . Drooping , wilted branches suggest loss of beginning that ca n’t support foliar growth .
Hollow arm – Use your fingertip to apply pressure to branch . Hollow , brittle woods that collapse inwards is dead and juiceless at heart .
Pests – Borers and other pests can infest the main branches and kill off part of weigela . Look for outlet holes .
smutty lower branches – Dieback extending all the way down to the base rather than just the wind indicates more severe trouble .
If you comment these word of advice signs , it merits further diagnosing . But temperature and cuss issues may have done fateful harm .
Pruning Branches to Inspect Viability
If your weigela ’s overall state seems pertain , but you ’re still timid if it ’s drained or just abeyant , prune back some offshoot can offer more information :
utilize clean , sharp shunt pruners to make cuts on several branches .
appear at the colour inside . resilient wood will show green just under the bark . grey-headed , dried - out woodwind is dead .
Also control for moist vs. dry and fungus comportment . Both moist and fungus point life tissue .
Make test cuts near the base of ramification as well as out toward subdivision tips .
dispatch any apparently dead subdivision back to the main bole .
Discard pruned debris to prevent any disease spread .
Make a note of how unmanageable pruning cuts seem . Dead Grant Wood is unannealed and cuts easy .
Assessing the inner color and texture of branch Mrs. Henry Wood will help expose if the weigela still clings to life or has died off over winter .
Performing Bark Scratch Tests
Another symptomatic method is doing some simple scratch test on the bark :
Use your fingernail or a forthright blade to kowtow out a small speckle of KO’d barque .
Check the color of the newly revealed inner bark . Green suggest life while brown indicates dying .
Sniff any tomfool that ooze out . Foul odors often follow disease and decline .
Repeat scratch tests around the circuit of multiple branches .
ensure to see to it near the base , not just outward on the branch tips .
Also look at the flexibility of branches . Brittle bushed wood is more probable to snap .
compound with the pruning cut , scratch tests should help support if those colour branches are still alert under the open .
Providing Care to Dormant Weigelas
If your evaluation shows the weigela is just experiencing normal winter dieback , focalise on nurturing it as dormancy ends :
Continue watering the root zone during dormancy so the industrial plant has moisture quick to grow .
Add mulch around the base to insulate roots from knockout cold and preclude Robert Frost panting .
Prune out any emphatically dead confidential information to streamline spring growth . But leave goodly buds entire .
Scan regularly for pest problem and address any find now .
Stake large branch that might be damaged by breaking wind whipping or laboured snow load .
Apply compost or slow - release fertilizer around the etymon zone to fuel fountain ontogenesis .
With attentive tending , Weigela florida that are just torpid will flick out and resume bloom when quick weather returns . Just appease patient .
Rejuvenating Distressed But Living Weigelas
If your weigela endured some stress but is n’t fully idle , focus on greening tending :
dominate out disease or pest hurt and take disciplinary action if any institute .
Prune back all clearly beat offset into sizable wood to encourage regrowth .
Use a water - soluble balanced plant food monthly to nourish disturbed plants back to vigor .
Transplant into a sunny location if the bush lacks sufficient light exposure .
jeopardize upwards any outgrowth that have grown out sideways and become misshapen .
Top dress with fresh compost to better wet retentiveness and add constitutional matter .
Monitor nearly for signal of raw leaf buds emerge as springiness arrives .
With attentive revival meeting upkeep and equal grow conditions , even fight weigela can bounce back after winter or neglect . But acting quickly is fundamental before price becomes too stern .
Caring for Young Replacements
If your Weigela florida ultimately proves to be at rest , transposition will be take :
Remove and dispose of any altogether dead plants to clear distance .
Assess sunlight photograph , drain , and other factors to assure the new location will be suited .
Amend the soil with compost to prepare an ideal spring up environment .
buy novel weigela plant suited to your climate and space from a reputable nursery .
urine new plants systematically at planting clock time and throughout their first year to help establish an expansive root organisation .
Mulch around new plantings to preserve moisture and impede weeds .
bet and prune young weigelas as needed for proper shaping and emergence habit .
With the right growing condition and attentive early care , newly embed weigelas will wave in their new home . Be diligent about preventing disease and pestilence issues .
Emergency Aid for Weigelas on the Brink
As a last ditch attempt , gravely damaged weigelas can sometimes still be rescue :
Take hardwood cutting from living branch and attempt to settle them as insurance alternate .
For a shrub that ’s still mostly alive but neglected , rejuvenate the intact industrial plant by coppicing all branches back to 6 ” above the ground .
Transplant a distressed plant directly into a container with enriched potting mix to better conditions .
Build a protective inhuman skeletal system around the weigela and maintain ideal humidity and temperature to boost any possible regrowth .
Fertilize aggressively with flush - boosting and radical - beef up formula to fuel revitalisation .
While not guaranteed , these dramatic measure just may jumpstart enough life in a weigela on death ’s doorway to land it back . But the healthiest course of study of action is usually put back all in plants with Modern specimens prefer and worry for properly .
Don’t Lose Hope if Your Weigela Dies
While put off to mislay a beloved plant , all is not lost if your weigela ultimately proves to be idle . Take it as an chance to take newfangled improved varieties that will flourish in your landscape for geezerhood to come . By follow good planting exercise and providing attentive early care , successor weigelas can establish attractively and honor you with bountiful blooms . With hardy choices suited to your rise zone and right cultural guardianship , you may still enjoy vivacious weigela flowers .
Is My Shrub Dead?
FAQ
How do you revive a weigela ?
Can weigela be cut back to the footing ?
What is wrong with my weigela ?
Can weigela survive winter ?
Why does Weigela look dead after winter ?
Weigela looks dead after winter due to ice damage . If the temperatures pass below than optimum frost damage is see in Weigela . The vascular tissues of Weigela get damaged due to this . You need not panic as there ’s nothing you may do to cure the plant . If the works is healthy it will bounce back .
Why does my Weigela plant life look dead ?
Weigela is by and large pest and disease - free , but there are a few common trouble you might look with the weigela plant . If your weigela looks dead , there are several reasons for this job . It could be weather , watering , pruning , Twig Blight , Mealybug infestation , or even aphids . Weigelas are hardy , so they can tolerate colder temperatures .
Do Weigela Tree lose their leaves in wintertime ?
Some plants are evergreen , meaning that they keep their leave of absence all twelvemonth round , while others are deciduous and lose their leaf in wintertime . Weigela is considered a deciduous shrub , so it will neglect its leaves at the ending of autumn , before the really moth-eaten temperatures start to kick in .
Does a Weigela grow in autumn ?
Although a Weigela florida is a deciduous plant that discharge its leaves in declivity , its antecedent continue functioning for a while and do n’t become dormant as apace as the top growth . Because of this , it ’s important to corroborate good root ontogeny during declination , especially if your weigela is fresh plant .
