Hawthorn: planting and care, description, reproduction. Hawthorn garden: planting and care

More often, hawthorn is grown on suburban plots as a decorative or fruit plant. The main characteristics that have earned him the love of summer residents are unpretentiousness and spectacular appearance. In general, the plant is very popular - garden hawthorn. Planting and caring for him - the procedures are not particularly complicated. About them and talk later in the article.

Description of the plant

It represents a hawthorn large tree-like shrub or even a small tree (up to 6 m high) and belongs to the family of Rosaceae. The crown is dense, and the branches are covered with long spines. Thanks to these qualities, hawthorn is so good in living hedges. Growing varieties in Russia, unlike their American and some European "relatives" special "prickle" do not differ. The leaves of the hawthorn are large and have an ovoid shape. In some species the plate is indented, in others it is even. There are both deciduous and semi-evergreen varieties.

The thorns of the hawthorn are the former twigs. At the first stage of growth, even leaves grow on them. The length of thorns in different species can vary from three to twelve centimeters. They grow at large near the fruit and serve as a kind of protection. A distinctive feature of them is their extraordinary strength. Walk alongside this plant should be carefully, as the thorns of the hawthorn are able to pierce the sole made of almost any material.

Flowers hawthorn garden, planting and care for which - the procedures are not particularly complex, every year. White buds are collected in corymbose inflorescences. They can not boast of a pleasant aroma, unfortunately, they can not. The fact is that they contain a substance dimethylamine, smelling of stale fish.

Fruit hawthorn does not give every year. If the rain during the flowering, a good harvest is not expected. The color of the fruit can be different (from pale yellow to red or even black) and depends on the variety. In shape, the fruits are elongated, spherical, pear-shaped, etc. Their size, depending on the variety, can vary from 4 mm to 3 cm.

Using hawthorn

Hawthorn, planting and care (pruning, etc.) for which should be carried out according to certain rules, is mostly used to create hedges. Formation of the crown in this case is carried out according to certain rules, of which we will talk just below. Also this plant is often used and simply as decorative. In particular, the hawthorn is beautiful in October, when its foliage acquires a juicy red-orange hue. Look at the flowers of this shrubbery, as well as its bright fruits. Since the plant is quite high, it is planted usually either at the wall of the building itself or along the fence. On large plots, the hawthorn of not too tall varieties is sometimes planted in a driveway.

The fruits of some varieties of hawthorn are edible and used for making jams, jam and compotes. They are not only tasty, but also healthy.

Hawthorn. Planting and care: reproduction

Propagation of hawthorn can seedlings, seeds and method of budding. Most often, of course, the first method is used. It is believed that two-year seedlings are best taken. Seeds for reproduction are taken from unripe fruits. Since hawthorn often has "dummies", they should be planted several times at once. Okulirovku do in the autumn, inserting the bud of varietal hawthorn into a T-shaped incision at the root of the ordinary wild.

Reproduction by seedlings

Planting and caring for hawthorn - procedures are not particularly labor-intensive. The soil under this plant is suitable for almost any. Only very acid soils are undesirable. In this case, it is necessary to make liming. A good solution will also be to add a little ash to the soil when planting. Fertilize hawthorn is not necessary, but for a better growth you can use a little humus or compost. As for lighting, hawthorn will feel good both in the sun and in the penumbra. However, in the first case, it will be better to bear fruit and bloom.

A young hawthorn, planting and caring for which will be successful only if certain rules are observed, is planted to a depth of about 50-70 cm. The step between the individual plants should be about 1.5-2 m, depending on the variety. Plant the hawthorn so that the root cervix is located at the soil level. You can put it into the soil a little (no more than 2 cm). All roots must be in the ground. When they go out, hawthorn begins to lag far behind in development. Installing the seedling in the hole, it must be covered with earth and slightly damped. Then the plant is flooded with water. The soil under the seedlings must be permanently moist until fully cured.

The planting can be done both in spring and in autumn. In the first case, this is done immediately after the thawing of the soil and its heating. In autumn, the hawthorn is planted after the beginning of a massive leaf fall and before the start of frost.

Reproduction by seeds

From seeds, you can also grow a healthy, beautiful hawthorn. Planting and caring for him afterwards will not take too much time. In fact, this wonderful shrub grows simply by itself. Its seeds are covered with a very hard shell. Therefore, shoots appear not earlier than one and a half years after disembarkation. Sow them densely, previously soaked in a 1% solution of potassium nitrate (per day). In the first year, the seedlings will grow very slowly and higher than 12 cm, they will not rise. Next year they will have to be planted for growing. In the third year the bushes (which by this time usually reach a height of half a meter) are cut off, leaving 2-3 kidneys above the soil level. After this, the lateral shoots begin to develop actively in the plant. To subsequently get a beautiful crown, you need to leave no more than two. The rest is removed.

How to get a beautiful hedge of hawthorn

Thus, we have examined how the hawthorn is planted. Care for the hawthorn will subsequently consist in almost only pruning. Being planted along the perimeter of the site, this remarkable shrub forms an unusually spectacular, deaf hedge. To get such beauty at the dacha, the first thing to do is dig a trench under the seedlings. The marking for it is performed in the same way as for a conventional fence. Since hawthorn almost any variety - the plant is quite high, the width of the trench should be at least 60 cm. The seedlings are planted at a distance of at least half a meter from each other. Place them strictly in the center of the trench. As the hawthorn grows for a long time, it is advisable to arrange a temporary fence from the side of the street from planks, fences, slabs or mesh netting.

Under adult plants dig not a trench, and landing pits. Best of all, if they will have a square shape and strictly vertical walls. Their size should be such that the roots of the planted plants did not reach the main soil on the sides and from the bottom by 15 cm.

Which varieties to choose for hedges

Almost any hawthorn is suitable for creating a beautiful hedge . The best varieties are:

• "Hawthorn prickly";
• "Spurted";
• "Soft";
• "Pinnately trimmed";
• "Blood red";
• "Arnold".

The last three varieties, in addition to forming a blank, impenetrable wall, also bloom very beautifully.

Care for the hawthorn

Next, consider how to grow a beautiful thick hawthorn. Planting and caring for him, as has been repeatedly mentioned, do not take much time. However, some rules are still necessary to comply with. To the soil hawthorn is not exacting, but from time to time it is still better to feed. In spring, a mixture of "Kemira-universal" in the amount of 120 grams per square meter is placed under the roots. Before the blooming, the hawthorn should be fertilized with manure diluted in water (1 * 10 to 8 liters per plant).

Water this plant once a month. At the same time, for every adult bush there should be about ten liters of water. In very dry and hot weather, the amount of irrigation is increased to two per month.

Fruit hawthorn, planting and caring for which are aimed at obtaining a good harvest, it is necessary to feed. Watering in this case is carried out in exactly the same way as in the cultivation of purely ornamental varieties.

Preparing the hawthorn for the winter

Some varieties of hawthorn winter colds are not at all afraid (sorts of "plumy", "cockerel spurs"). For others, for example, such as "common hawthorn" (planting and caring for which are carried out in the same way as for other varieties), shoots and flower buds may freeze. Of course, sheltering adult plants is quite problematic. Therefore, it is better to use frost-resistant varieties in cold regions. If some shoots still freeze, they should be removed in the spring. New branches in hawthorn will grow very quickly. Young plants that have just been planted are covered with foliage for about 15 cm for the winter. This will prevent the roots from freezing out.

Hawthorn. Planting and care: trimming

Hawthorn - one of the ornamental plants, requiring mandatory artificial formation of the crown. In particular, it is important to do this regularly and correctly in the case when it comes to hedges. The lower branches of hawthorn die with time, as a result of which a solid green wall is thinned.

The first molding is done on the second - the third year after planting in the spring. The bushes are cut to a height of 10 cm from the ground. This procedure is repeated two to three years, until the bushes become very dense. Further, the fences are given a square or semicircular shape. Pruning is desirable to be done every year. In spring, all the sick and dried branches are cut from the plants. Next proceed to the proper formation of the fence. Carrying out this procedure, you need to remember that cutting branches and shoots more than one-third of their original length is highly undesirable.

Hawthorn diseases

This is how the hawthorn garden is grown. Planting and caring for him, carried out according to all the rules, will allow you to get beautiful lush plants. However, sometimes it happens that all efforts are reduced to zero due to some kind of infection. One of the most unpleasant diseases of hawthorn is rust. Detected infected shoots should be immediately removed, and the sick plant itself should be sprinkled with a 5% solution of Bordeaux fluid. This procedure can be performed for healthy bushes in the spring, for the prevention.

Another common disease of this ornamental plant is the hawthorn mite. In case of infection, the branches are also cut off (in spring or in autumn). The bush itself is treated with colloidal sulfur. In the event that the plant is severely affected, spraying is repeated after bloom.

Thus, we have found out what a hawthorn plant is (description, reproduction, care, planting). As you can see, growing it is a simple and even pleasant thing. All you need is to periodically water the bushes and perform proper pruning. If you allocate a little time to care for this wonderful plant, you can get an unusually spectacular decoration for the countryside.