In our previous article, we have talked about How to Care for Minuet Weigela Plant? Today we will see another beautiful Weigela Plant. Learn to Grow Midnight Wine Weigela. The Midnight Wine Weigela is a dwarf member of this flowering plant family. The Botanical name of Midnight Wine Weigela is Weigela florida “Elvera”. The Midnight wine variety grows only 15 to 20 inches high and 20 to 25 inches wide. This compact round shape gives this plant a unique look. Another eye-catching feature of this plant is its beautiful metallic reddish-purple foliage. The lustrous leaves contrast well with bright pink flowers. The blooming period is short starting from early spring that lasts till early summer. These plants are ideal hedge border plants for USDA hardiness zone 4 through 9. Obviously just like any other Weigela variety this plant can also be easily grown.
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How to Grow Midnight Wine Weigela?– Get a healthy Weigela sapling from a trusted garden store or prepare one from an older plant. Grow this baby plant in partial or full sunlight in moist soil. Fertilize only once in a couple of months. Prune back the old branches after each blooming season. Keep the plant clean and free from disease. This is all you need to do. Good luck, give it a try.
Midnight Wine Weigela plant Info
- Common Name: Midnight Wine® Weigela
- Botanical/ Scientific Name: Weigela Florida “Elvera”
- Plant Type: Perennial Deciduous Shrub
- Hardiness: USDA Zone 4 to 9.
- Plant Size: 1 – 1.5 feet i.e. maximum 15 to 20 inches high. 1.5 to 2 feet spread i.e. 18 to 25 inches widespread. Irregular, rounded top.
- Plant Spacing: minimum 2 to 2.5 feet or 30 inches space between two adjacent plants in a row.
- Foliage: Colorful, Burgundy, Metallic Red Purple leaves. The elliptical leaves can grow up to 3 inches long.
- Flowers: Bright pink trumpet-shaped flowers. The flowers grow up to 2 inches in length.
- Soil: Well-drained slightly acidic soil is good for Midnight Wine Weigela. It can adapt to any soil type like sandy, loamy, clay, or silt. It only requires some nutrition to sustain in this soil.
- Watering: Moderate watering is necessary, Only to keep the plant hydrated. Water Twice per week during summer days.
- Sunlight: Direct 6 to 8 hours of sunlight during the flowering season. Minimum 4 hours of partial sunlight is required to survive year-round.
- Common Pests: Whiteflies, Aphids, mites are common during heavy rainy days. High humidity and moisture on leaves can cause some problems to the Weigela plant.
Where to Grow Midnight Wine Weigela?
You should grow midnight wine weigela in open garden spaces where it can get a minimum of 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight. The plant can survive in partial shade but this can affect the blooming pattern.
Grow this weigela variety in soft well-drained slightly acidic soil. The soil must be healthy and rich in organic matter. It should retain enough moisture to keep the roots hydrated without being soggy. The roots can rot in soggy soil within days.
Overall choose a dry, well-lit open location with healthy soil to grow the midnight wine weigela plant.
When to Grow Midnight Wine Weigela?
You can grow a midnight weigela plant either in spring or in the early autumn season. Although autumn is not the ideal time to grow any plant still you can achieve success with very little effort.
The month of April, May, and June are the best time of the year to grow a midnight weigela. Just wait for the frost to end. The night temperature must rise above 45 degrees Fahrenheit. A temperature lower than this can easily kill the baby weigela plants.
Way to Propagate Midnight Wine Weigela
Midnight Wine Weigela or the Weigela Florida Elvera can be propagated in two different ways. You can either use seeds or a semi-hardwood cutting to grow these shrubs.
Seeds are not very easy to find so commercially plants are grown from cuttings. There is one important advantage to this approach.
Plants grown from cuttings are identical to their parents. They grow faster and result in exactly the same as that of their parent plant. On contrary to this, The Weigela grown from seeds may differ from their parent due to cross-pollination. Also, these plants will take a longer duration to mature. Although these plants are stronger and more adaptable to their surroundings due to healthy root growth.
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Can I grow Midnight Wine Weigela in Container?
Yes, You can grow midnight weigela in Containers. In fact, The size and compatibility of this plant make it ideal for container gardening.
Midnight Wine Weigela are grown as ornamental plants. Therefore you can use these beautiful compact plants as a piece of attraction in the home garden.
You should use a 6 to 8-inch pot or container for this plant. There should be a drainage hole at the bottom of the container. Use good quality healthy porous soil in the container. Also, add extra compost and peat moss or perlite to retain some moisture.
Overall it’s an easy task if done with dedication.
Grow Midnight Wine Weigela
- If you are planning for seedlings, then find some quality Midnight Wine Weigela seeds to germinate. Sometimes you can find the seedlings instead of seeds. They can germinate along with any old mature plant. You just have to find some carefully.
- You can simply spread the seeds in moist soil under a tree. A seedling tray can also be used for this purpose.
- Once seedlings are ready, wait for them to grow at least 4 inches long before transplant.
- Some Weigela varieties can also develop baby plants from their roots. So if you are lucky then you may not require any seed at all. Just find a small plant close to a mature parent plant. Yes, of course, you will need an old mature weigela plant for this to happen.
If there are no seeds or seedlings available then simply grow a cutting. Yes, Definitely you can grow a Midnight Wine Weigela from its cutting.
There are three types of cutting that you can choose from.
- Hard Wood cuttings. Old Mature hard branches are select for this type of cuttings.
- Semi-Hardwood cuttings. Branches of the previous season yet to be hardened are selected for this type of cuttings. They’re neither too hard nor too soft.
- Soft Wood Cutting. Only Fresh green growth is chosen to grow.
You can choose any of these types but the technique will differ along.
- Take 4 to 6-inch cuttings of Hardwood, semi-hardwood, or softwood type. Follow along for details.
How to Root Midnight Weigela Cuttings?
- Use plain water to root the hardwood cuttings. Dip the bottom 2 to 3-inch of hardwood weigela cutting in plain tap water. Water should not be chlorinated. You must change the water twice every week.
- The hardwood cuttings of Midnight Wine Weigela should root in plain water within 55 to 60 days.
- You can use plain water also to root the semi-hardwood cuttings. Instead of waiting for 2 months, you can apply a rooting hormone to faster the growth. Simply dip the bottom 2 inch of the cutting in rooting hormone powder. Tap to remove extra powder and put the cutting in plain wet sand for 30 to 40 days. Always keep the sand moist for better rooting.
- Finally, use only rooting hormone to grow softwood cutting of weigela. It cannot tolerate prolonged water exposer so be careful. Softwood cuttings can form cutting within 45 days. It is the ideal commercial method of growing most weigela plants.
How to grow Midnight Wine Weigela from Cuttings?
- Once your cutting or seedling is ready, Place it in a well-drained soft healthy soil mix. You can also use any commercial flower, or vegetable soil mix to grow midnight wine weigela.
- The soil must be soft and slightly acidic. The ideal soil Ph for the Midnight Wine Weigela plant is 3.7 to 6.8 Ph.
- You can directly grow these baby plants in the garden. Yet it is recommended to grow them in small 4 or 5 inches pots for 15 days for better adaptation. This will help in better root growth.
- Next transplant these baby Weigela plants in garden beds or in borders. Maintain 30-inch space between each plant within a single row.
- The Weigela plants must get full or partial sunlight for more than 4 hours every day. Bright sunlight is essential for better blooming.
- Water the plant twice or thrice during the growth period. Also, check for soil moisture before the next spill. Always Avoid overwatering.
- Fertilize the plants only once in three months. Use balanced Tripple 16 or any NPK for weigela plants. You should apply compost in the soil every month for extra nutrition.
- Prune old branches with sharp shear or pruner after each flowering season. Never prune before blooming as it blooms only in old branches. The brach must be semi-hard to develop buds and form flowers. You can also prune in late summer for better results in early spring.
- Use pesticide soap and oil solution spry to treat any pests or insects attacks. Keep the plant by avoiding splash on leaves during watering. It can protect the plant from many pests and fungal attacks. It is a very hardy plant so you need not worry about any serious disease or problem. Only stay aware and keep a keen eye on the growth pattern.
Final Words
I hope my work can help you in growing these beautiful foliage plants in your garden. If you like this content and want to know more then write it down in the comment box. Remember growing a plant only requires dedication and passion in gardening. Weigela plants are no exceptions. You can easily grow and maintain them as well.
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