It’s time to plant some new shrubs! Do you have a favorite? Some people love the fragrance of lilacs, while others prefer the beauty of redbuds. Yet, what if you’re looking for something that is drought-tolerant and resistant to deer? If so, we recommend you planting Doublefile Viburnum.
This plant has been in our family for generations, and it always looks gorgeous all year. It also likes sun or partial shade and can handle tough weather conditions like poor soil or dry spells without complaint. In case you are interested in planting it, read on for a full guideline and overview about doublefile viburnum!
Table of contents
Doublefile Viburnum Overview
Doublefile viburnum, also known as Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum ‘Mariesii,’ is native to East Asia and grows best in full sun or partial shade. In spring, it blooms with white flowers on 8-16 foot tall plants.
The viburnums are also quite pleasing for the eyes – they have clusters of showy drooping clustered blossoms that look like little bells or snowflakes when seen up close, but take flight as you walk by them on your way through one of America’s many beautiful parks.
Though mariesii doublefile viburnum prefers loam soil, it can also grow in any other type of medium moisture well-drained soil. More specifically, the soil must have an acidic pH of 5.6 to 6.6 (slightly acidic), or it will also grow in slightly alkaline soils as long as the pH ranges from 4-7 (neutral).
You should also know that the Japanese snowball viburnum is different from the doublefile viburnum. The Japanese snowball viburnum has a red flower, while the doublefile viburnum has white flowers.
How To Grow And Care For Doublefile Viburnum?
It is best if you plant this shrub in soil that is moist and drains well. It will grow nicely both under direct sun or with less sun. Continue reading for thorough guidelines on how to grow and care for it!
Planting Doublefile Viburnum
When To Plant?
It is best to plant doublefile viburnum during the spring or fall.
How To Plant?
To plant a container-grown viburnum bush, you need to dig a hole the same height as the root ball. In detail, the hole needs to be at least two times bigger or three times bigger. Remember to loosen any roots before you put the bush in so it is even with or just below ground level!
- Make the hole halfway deep.
- Then, cover the bottom layer of soil with water.
- Next, fill up the rest of the hole and make a ring to hold water.
- Put plants in their place, and water them.
Care Guide
Soil
Viburnum shrubs love oil that is rich with organics and has a pH of 5.6 to 6.6. Also, this shrub likes wet soil that drains well but also tolerates most other types of soil. It would be best to plant Viburnums near plants with similar needs, such as azaleas and rhododendrons, which also require acid soil.
Watering
Please be mindful that you must keep doublefile viburnum consistently moist. It will tolerate dry conditions once it is mature. You can water your newly planted shrub at least once a week for the first year to help it establish a good root system. After that, reduce the frequency of watering when plants are established.
Light
The plant requires a combination of full sun and partial shade. If you put it in full sun, it will produce more flowers!
Fertilizer
To fertilize your plants, use a nutrient-rich fertilizer! This allows and helps the plant grow faster and stronger. Furthermore, you should do this task in the spring when it is warm outside. Make sure that you test the pH of your soil before buying fertilizer as well. The type of fertilizer that is best for your plants will depend on what kind of pH your soil has.
Pruning
When the shrub flowers, cut it off! Remember to do this right after it flowers. In this way, the plant can grow more and have enough time to develop new wood before next year’s spring.
Here is how to do it:
If you have an old or overgrown doublefile viburnum, do renewal pruning early in the spring. Utilize a small pruning saw to cut off one-third of the old and thick branches closest to the ground. As a result, your plant will start to grow faster again.
Pruning of your plants can be done at any time to help keep them healthy. But if you want to rejuvenate them, start by cutting off any stems that are rubbing together. To be more specific, cut back one-third of the plant and cut off any water sprouts or suckers at ground level.
It is also highly recommended to thin out your young and mature shrubs to help them grow. Here are some notes regarding pruning your doublefile viburnum:
- Thinning a viburnum is best to do soon after it has finished blooming. Don’t wait until later in the season because it will affect next year’s bloom.
- When you prune a tree, make sure to remove any branches that are damaged or diseased.
- If you use the shears to cut diseased branches, clean them with rubbing alcohol. This will make sure that the diseased parts don’t get on your healthy plants.
- It is important to trim any branches that rub against other branches. Cut back the branch to the point where it starts on the parent branch. Additionally, make cuts perpendicular to the stem.
- You can remove the weak, thin suckers that grow around the plant’s trunk as they sap the plant’s strength.
Temperature & Humidity
Viburnum likes to live in a moderate climate, and it does not grow well in areas with intense heat. On the other hand, the plant needs some heat for growth, but it can grow in cold weather as well. This plant is good around USDA hardiness zone 5-8.
Common Diseases
Different types of fungus, like gray mold, rust, downy mildew, or powdery mildew, might grow on your plants. To prevent this issue, you must keep good air circulation and dry leaves. You can also try spraying neem oil on the plant to kill any aphids once you detect a sign of it.
Moreover, other pests found include aphids, insects, Japanese beetles, scale, mealybugs, weevils, spider mites, and thrips. The best way to control these pests is by targeting their larvae – not the adults of these pests. The University of Florida Extension suggests biological control, which is using predatory creatures like multicolored Asian lady beetles and lacewings to eat the larvae of pests.
Close This Topic and Start Growing
We hope that this blog post gives you some useful information about doublefile viburnum! With so much to offer in terms of beauty and environmental benefits, doublefile viburnum is a plant worth considering. Yet, please bear in mind some important notices on caring for this plant for the best result!
Last Updated on March 25, 2022 by admin
