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Fothergilla Blue Shadow – 7 Caring Tips and 2 Propagating Methods

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Fothergilla Blue Shadow is a compact and deciduous shrub with creamy-white and fragrant bottlebrush flower heads. It has blue-green rounded leaves that form a vivid shade of orange, yellow, or red in autumn.

Fothergilla Blue Shadow is excellent in adding rich color to the homestead. The plant produces fragrant, bottle-brush-like, and fluffy blooms in spring once the foliage emerges.

Its leaves turn shades of orange, red, and gold for the brilliant display in autumn. It is a great choice with is beautiful when planted near walkways, patios, and decks because of the enjoyable scent.

Fothergilla Blue Shadow
Fothergilla Blue Shadow – via Wikimedia

Fothergilla Blue Shadow Care Tips

1.       Lighting

The plant loves soft and diffused light, so it is best to put pots on the western and eastern windows. If the place is only on the south side, it is better to hang a curtain or blinds on the glass to shade the delicate plant from direct sunlight at noon.

When the daylight hours become shorter in winter, photolamps can be used. The pots are taken out onto the street or the balcony in a warm season, covering the plant itself from a draft.

2.       Temperature

The optimum air temperature in a residential area for Fothergilla Blue Shadow is considered to be 14-18 degrees. If the room is warmer, the number of buds and the flowering period will significantly reduce.

In addition, the plant’s immunity decreases, it becomes susceptible to all kinds of fungal and bacterial infections. During the wintering period, heating should be kept at around 12 degrees.

3.       Humidity

Fothergilla Blue Shadow prefers high humidity, but it is strictly forbidden to spray it with water, as moisture can damage the cushion of leaf plates. A room fountain should be placed near the plant to achieve optimal humidity.

The container tray should be lined with sphagnum moss, where the experienced flower growers additionally put the pot in a flowerpot, filling the entire interior with wet moss.

4.       Fertilizer   

Caring for Fothergilla Blue Shadow involves feeding the plant with soluble mineral fertilizers twice a month, starting two weeks after planting and before flowering begins.

In autumn and winter, the plant is not fertilized, and after flowering, it is cut off transferred for one and a half to two months to a cool and gloomy place. You need to moisten the soil in a pot occasionally.

When new shoots begin to grow in the Fothergilla Blue Shadow, the moisture intensity gradually increases, the plant moves to its usual place, and mineral supplements are resumed.

5.       Watering

From November to February, when Fothergilla Blue Shadow is in a dormant phase, it is necessary to moisten the earth only after the substrate dries out. 

With the onset of heat, as soon as young shoots appear, the number of waterings should be increased because regular irrigation is essential during flowering. 

The need for watering can be judged by the state of the top layer of soil. If it is dry, it’s time for you to take up the watering can. At the end of flowering, it is necessary to moisten your pet much less often.

6.       Top dressing

Every two weeks, Fothergilla Blue Shadow requires top dressing. It is best to use ready-made mineral complexes because they contain the micro and macro elements necessary for the plant. 

At the end of the flowering period, top dressing is not required. If the optimal growing conditions are not observed, the plant begins to dry, the leaves turn yellow, and flowering is sharply reduced.

7.       Transplant

You can transplant Fothergilla Blue Shadow once a year, provided the root system has filled the entire volume of the pot. A new pot is taken 2 cm thicker. 

If the root system is underdeveloped, it is recommended to transplant into a smaller pot. It is enough to transplant adult plants every 3-4 years.

Fothergilla Blue Shadow 2
Fothergilla Blue Shadow – via Wkimedia

Propagation methods

a)      Propagation by seeds

When propagating Fothergilla Blue Shadow by seed materials, the sowing time directly depends on when you want to see flowering. If you prefer slippers to decorate your window sills in the spring, you need to plant the seeds in June, and if you like autumn flowers, then it is better to grow in March.

Preparing a substrate for sowing, including peat and river sand, is necessary. It is advisable to add a little ground chalk. Also, it should be regularly moistened with water from a spray bottle. After about 10-14 days, the first sprouts will appear.

b)      Propagation by cuttings

The easiest way to propagate Fothergilla Blue Shadow is by cuttings at home. It is known that at the end of the flowering phase, the plant is pruned, and there is enough material for rooting. It is advisable to carry out work in August and February or March. 

An apical and lateral shoots segment is kept in the Kornevin solution then placed in a suitable substrate. For the first 2-3 weeks, it is desirable to maintain the greenhouse effect where the pot is covered with a bag or a glass jar. Several cuttings are planted in each container to make the bush grow fluffy.

Diseases and pests

Diseases can attack Fothergilla Blue Shadow, and several signs can manifest this. The leaves become lethargic, the edges dry out, and young buds fall off. Most likely, the reason lies in insufficient watering or too high air temperature in the room.

If a white coating appears in the pot and the upper leaves turn yellow, there is an excess of calcium in the substrate. To save the plant, you should transplant it with a complete soil replacement and take measures to reduce water hardness.

The whitish spots on the leaf blades directly indicate too cold water or color spraying. Also, Fothergilla Blue Shadow be affected by pests that appear mainly due to dry and hot air.

It can often be mealybug, scale insect, and spider mite. Insecticides are used as a control, but they must be applied carefully enough not to spoil the plant’s appearance even more.


Conclusion

Fothergilla Blue Shadow is a rounded deciduous shrub with broad oval leaves that colors well in autumn and spring. It prefers acidic and moist soils in part shade or full sun; however, it is tolerant of drought and alkalinity. 

Fothergilla Blue Shadow is the best choice for massing and hedges and is disease and pest-resistant.