BOOM!
All of the fireworks a couple of weeks ago made me think of Sonic Bloom® weigela. Mind you, here in West Michigan, we had a downpour during fireworks hours, so I wasn’t kept awake afterward until 11:45 PM – which I discovered is how late you can legally set off fireworks at your home over the holiday weekend.
Bloom or boom, most people will find at least one of them exciting. I’ll take Sonic Bloom® Pink weigela and a full night’s sleep.
Sonic Bloom® Weigela comes in a series of five that includes Sonic Bloom® Pink, Red, Pearl, and Pure Pink (a lighter pink). I know, Sonic Bloom Red® seems more “July 4 appropriate”, but I already posted about that one! So let’s take a look at its flashy sibling.
While regular weigela flower in spring and then just sit around the rest of the season, Sonic Bloom® Weigela (no matter the flower color) reblooms for a respectable summer flower display, too.
Sonic Bloom® Pink is a nice, deer-resistant shrub that makes an impressive, colorful low hedge that explodes with color. All weigela in the Sonic Bloom® line will grow best in full sun and get about 4-5′ tall.
Pruning reblooming plants.
Reblooming versions of old favorites can be a little confusing, especially with regard to pruning.
Many of us go with the traditional advice to prune spring-flowering shrubs immediately after flowering and to cut back summer bloomers in late winter and early spring. But what do you do with a plant that flowers in spring and again in summer and fall?
First off, don’t prune the plant back in late winter. Reblooming plants carry the spring flowers over from the previous season, so if you prune them back or they are damaged by harsh weather, the spring flowers will be gone.
It’s best to trim these plants immediately after their spring bloom. As with traditional varieties, pruning at this time means the plant has plenty of time to set flower buds for the following season.
Trimming reblooming plants back after the spring bloom also encourages the new growth, which is where the repeat summer flower buds are created. The plant may go through a rest period before reblooming, but it will rebloom if you don’t cut it back again and again.
Many rebloomers will flower again without trimming in spring, but if you do want to shape a plant, after the spring bloom is the time to do it.
Cultivate
I’m at Cultivate this weekend! The Proven Winners® ColorChoice® booth is #915, near the New Varieties Zone, but you probably won’t find me there. I tend to wander. I’ll be around until Tuesday, so if you’d like to meet up, shoot me an email at natalie@springmeadownursery<dot>com, and we can exchange telephone numbers.
It’s July 15th. Is it too late to trim? My sonic bloom is really spindly and I’d like it to be more bushy
Hi Jennifer,
You can trim it now if you’d like, but I wouldn’t recommend waiting too much longer, as your weigela typically starts forming flower buds for next year around mid-July.
I just planted a Sonic Bloom. It has many flowers on it. Should I prune this after flowers have died off? this shrub is about 2 feet tall. Also when I prune how far down on the branch do I go. When should I prune I very nervous about doing this.
Thank you. Dee
Hi Dee,
Sonic Bloom® Pink weigela doesn’t actually need regular pruning. In fact, we don’t recommend it. Since yours is just planted, we suggest hand-picking the spent flowers off as they come, but even that isn’t necessary. It is best to leave the plant alone for a year so it can get established. By then, you can see if any corrective pruning is needed. When you do prune, make sure to always cut back to a spot where you want to encourage branching, just above a set of leaves.
I have a sonic bloom and it is still flowering in ct. it’s about 2 years old and a bit leggy. Is it too late to trim it?
Hi Toni,
If you want to shape your reblooming weigela, the best time is right after its spring bloom. Trimming now can strip away next spring’s buds. However, you can safely snip out dead or broken branches now.