A beautiful shrub barberry dreams of having every gardener on his plot. Ornamental plant looks impressive, especially at the time of ovary color and fruit. Its sweet and sour berries are used for making compotes, preserves, liquors, and confectionery. It belongs to the large family of barberry, in natural conditions it grows on the slopes of the mountains of the northern hemisphere.
The stems of a deciduous, evergreen shrub are covered with thorns. Depending on the variety, the leaves can be regular, simple, leathery. On the shoot, they are located singly or in a spiral. Small flowers are collected in a racemose or thyroid inflorescence, have a diverse color - from yellow-gold to red.
Barberry is an excellent honey plant. When it begins to bloom, it exudes a pleasant aroma that not only gives pleasure to visitors to the summer residence, but also attracts bees. An unpretentious bush feels great in any conditions, tolerates even infertile, stony soil. Barberry is comfortable both in the eco zone and in urban environments.
As a crop, barberry is grown in the garden. Small-fruited varieties are used for decorative purposes - they make a hedge. Spreading crown easily pruned, which allows you to give it any shape. The flowering period falls on April-May, lasts about three weeks. In September, oblong fruits of yellow, red, purple color appear. Based on the variety, barberry can have a sweet, sour-tart taste. The average berry length is 1.5 cm.
Useful properties of barberry
All parts of a unique plant are used for therapeutic purposes. Its beneficial properties have been known for a very long time. Even official medicine considers the bush to be medicinal, allows for the sale through the pharmacy network of drugs for many diseases based on it.
Useful substances are found not only in berries, but also in leaves and roots. All parts of the medicinal shrub are rich in vitamins, trace elements, pectin, tannins, and organic acids. In addition to the decorative appearance, garden varieties are of great medicinal value. The fruits of the bush have the following useful properties:
Purify the blood from harmful substances, strengthen the walls of capillaries;
They help to avoid complications from colds;
Decoctions of fruits and bark relieve gum inflammation;
Berry jams and syrups compensate for the lack of vitamins;
Normalize the pancreas;
Have a choleretic, diaphoretic, diuretic effect;
Normalize blood pressure;
They help the body cope with diarrhea and poisoning;
Effectively fight diseases of the digestive tract.
The main types and varieties
In total there are about 170 species of plants. Barberry is distinguished by its shape, taste of berries, leaf type, productivity, size. Each type of shrub is adapted to specific growing conditions. There are edible, dwarf, fast-growing, columnar, variegated and other varieties. The most popular varieties are as follows:
Barberry ordinary. The shrub grows up to 2 meters in height. Photophilous, drought tolerant, prefers loose drained soil. It looks beautiful with a single landing and in a group with other varieties. The sprawling crown is green; in the fall it acquires a crimson hue. Sweet and sour berries are widely used as seasoning.
Thunberg. Deciduous bush with a wide drooping crown. White arched, leaves bright green. Barberry is unpretentious to the ground. It tolerates urban conditions (gas, dust). It looks good growing freely and pruned.
Ottawa Auricoma. An unpretentious plant grows rapidly, tolerates all types of soil. The crown is wide and spreading with branches down. It grows well in the sun, in the shade it loses the brightness of leaves and color. At a temperature of -25 ° C it can partially freeze.
Barberry spherical. A thermophilic plant needs good preparation for winter. Leaves are dark green, shoots are red. The name was due to the edible fruits of a round shape. Blue berries are used for cooking various dishes.
Emerald. The plant is characterized by vertical growth of shoots, which are covered with numerous small spikes.A beautiful wide crown in the form of a pyramid is gradually formed. Green leaves change color depending on the season. Bright red oval fruits are sung in October, do not crumble on their own until the frosts.
Kobold. The height and width of the dwarf ornamental bush is up to 0.5 m. The leaves are small, oval in shape. In the spring they are green, in the summer they become yellowish. In early April, young shoots grow, in May, yellow flowers with a red border appear.
Landing Features
Barberry is absolutely unpretentious to the growing conditions. It develops well in the sun and in shaded areas. Only healthy seedlings should be transferred to the ground. The appearance of the branches is not as important as the state of the root system. The main root should be well developed, additional subordinate roots whole and straight.
What time of year to plant
The cultivation of barberry is best organized in warm, well-lit areas. The most suitable period for planting a young seedling is early spring. You need to choose the perfect moment when the buds on the trees have not yet opened, but a constant plus temperature has already been established.
If there is no opportunity to plant garden barberry in spring, transfer to open ground can be done in summer or autumn. Do not pull until a significant cooling, otherwise the plant may become ill and not take root. An underdeveloped root system will make the plant vulnerable in winter. In autumn, barberry is best planted in September.
Choosing a planting site should be based on the variety and purpose of the plant. Direct sunlight will suit ornamental plants. In partial shade it will be comfortable edible varieties.
Site selection and soil preparation
Any barberry variety, regular or undersized, must be planted in open areas protected from the winds. Penumbra is suitable only for green species, variegated, golden from lack of light will lose their decorative effect.Before being transferred to the ground, the depth of groundwater should be determined. The plant does not tolerate waterlogging, the root system rots, molds, and the bush dies. It is better to plant a bush on a hill to avoid flooding during heavy rains and spring thaws.
The planting hole must be prepared 2 weeks before planting. The depth of the pit depends on the type of soil. The average size is 40x40x40 cm. If the soil has an admixture of clay, deepen the hole by 10 cm, put additional drainage in the form of stones, pebbles at the bottom. The next layer is laid turfy soil, humus, add fertilizer.
When group planting, it is important to take into account the size of the crown of adult plants and provide for a sufficient distance between the bushes. A trench is being prepared for the hedge. Barberry seedlings are lowered into holes, straighten the roots and sprinkled with earth, leaving the root neck at the top.
Care Tips and Tricks
Properly organized planting can minimize the care of decorative barberries. In order for the shrub to have an attractive appearance and bear fruit abundantly, it is necessary to properly water it, feed it in a timely manner. Pruning is optional, but will help the plant form a beautiful crown. With well-organized care, barberry will delight the owners of the site with a beautiful color and amazing aroma from May to October.
Watering and feeding
Barberry is better to overdry than to overdo it with watering. A 1 bucket of water once a week will be enough for a young plant. It is necessary to wet the soil to a depth of at least 40 cm. Water is poured strictly under the root, trying not to wet the leaves on the lower branches. In rainy weather, soil moisture must be completely eliminated.
In the second year of life, barberry will need top dressing. Fertilizers introduced during planting will be fully absorbed, so it is necessary to update the supply of nutrients.If the rooting period has successfully passed in the shrub, it should be maintained at the time of active growth. Fertilizing the plant annually is not necessary, enough every 3 years.
For edible varieties of barberry, there are certain rules for feeding. A portion of nitrogen fertilizer is introduced into the soil every spring. In the middle of summer, mineral fertilizing is carried out. In the fall, potassium phosphate mixtures are added.
Pruning
Barberry perfectly responds to pruning. The shape of the crown of the bush is easy to shape and control. Plants tolerate haircuts well. Features of the procedure depend on the final goal. There are three cropping options:
Rejuvenation. Carry out a procedure to increase decorativeness and increase productivity. You can achieve natural renewal by periodically pruning the branches that grow in the middle of the bush and do not have an ovary of berries. A cardinal haircut at once of all the extra branches of the barberry does not tolerate well, is slowly being restored. Rejuvenate shrubs that are more than 10 years old.
Sanitary cleaning. The procedure is carried out regularly twice a year - in spring and autumn. Sick, dry, underdeveloped branches are removed. The event is superior in importance to the other types of pruning, as it prevents infection of the plant with a fungus, attacks of pests.
Formative pruning. Haircut allows you to keep an attractive appearance of a regular garden, hedges. The shape is controlled by shortening the branches by one third or two thirds of the length. Pruning is carried out twice a year - in June and in August.
Care in the fall and preparation for winter
In addition to pruning, the number of mandatory autumnal arrangements for preparing the shrub for winter includes mulching, feeding, shelter. Bushes of barberry with the mulching of the trunk circle carried out well tolerate the cold. This is a necessary procedure, especially for plants under 5 years old. At the base of the stems spread leaves, sawdust, peat.
Also in the autumn, it is necessary to strengthen the plant with fertilizers. Potassium-phosphorus mixtures are dissolved in water and poured under the base of the bush. Manure and nitrogen fertilizers should not be used in autumn, since they stimulate the growth of barberry.
Shrubs have good winter hardiness. Adult plants, from 3 years old, do not even need shelter for the winter. Varieties of southern origin and young barberry require high mulching and hilling. In a region with severe winters, the upper part of the crown is covered with spruce branches, non-woven material.
Breeding methods
Propagate decorative barberry, like any plant, in several ways. Each option has positive and negative sides. Before choosing the appropriate method, you need to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of planting material, assess the possibility of creating a suitable environment for proper growth and formation of shoots. Due to its unpretentiousness and good survival rate, any of the methods can be used to propagate the bush at home.
Seed cultivation
The method is suitable for all varieties of barberry, in addition to seedless. To get the seeds, choose the ripest fruits, clean the pulp and wash the planting material well. In order to disinfect, the seeds are treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and dried. Sowing dried barberry seeds in the open ground can be in spring or autumn.
Spring sowing is carried out in early May. A shallow groove is made and the material that has been stratified in advance at home (in the refrigerator) is placed in it. For a while, the bed should be covered with a film. Autumn planting suggests that the seeds will undergo natural processing under the snow.
When choosing the seed method, it is necessary to take into account that the planting material of barberry does not have genetic memory, does not retain the characteristics of the variety.
Propagation by cuttings
An effective reception of cuttings can be carried out in spring, summer or autumn.The method allows to maintain the grade. Despite the complexity and some complexity, it is very popular. By cutting, you can immediately get a large number of seedlings that are easily rooted and grow quickly.
For propagation of the shrub use lignified branches. They are cut in the spring, before the appearance of buds, or in the fall after leaf fall. It is necessary to choose an annual branch, cut with a sharp knife at the root, transfer the process to a jar of water and leave it in a dark place.
Cuttings are also carried out by green shoots. The material used is the middle part of the stem. Prepared twigs are bundled and lowered into the water with a lower cut. After a while, the cuttings are transferred to the greenhouse, then to the open ground.
Propagation by layering
The easiest method, since it always guarantees root formation. Suitable for some varieties of barberry, which are not able to give root shoots. The procedure is carried out in the spring. The selected shoots of the lower tier are bent to the ground, fixed with brackets and sprinkled with humus, sand and soil.
The roots of new barberry plants will be formed by autumn. Next spring, shrubs are separated from the mother bush and planted in containers for the period of strengthening. The first winter, the plant should be kept on the veranda or wrap well.
Bush division
A simple method of reproduction allows you to get 2-3 new plants from one shrub. The option is not suitable for shrubs that are grown in the form of a tree, the branching of which begins above soil level. Separation work must be carried out with great care, there is a high probability that the disconnected barberry will not tolerate the transplant.
You can only share pre-prepared barberry. When planting the main plant, the root neck is specially buried in the ground a few centimeters in order to stimulate tillering. In a couple of years, the plant will be completely ready for propagation by division.
The separation procedure is carried out in the fall. They carefully dig out the bush and cut the root into three parts with garden scissors. Each new plant must have a powerful root base, at least three stems.
Diseases and pests
Berry shrubs often give in to various diseases, which deplete it, worsen the quality of the crop and the number of healthy fruits. Preservation of fruiting rates is possible only with timely prevention of diseases, tactful treatment. All types of barberry are more likely to suffer from the following diseases and pests:
Powdery Mildew Fungal disease affects only ornamental shrubs. The fungus appears white plaque on the leaves. The plant dries, cobwebs. From a lack of moisture, the leaves curl. Treatment measures begin with the collection of affected branches and leaves. The bush is sprayed with a solution of laundry soap and soda or a special chemical agent.
Rust. Appears due to lack of nutrients. Shoots and leaves on the inside cover orange spots. For treatment, drugs containing sulfur are used. Gardeners recommend spraying a diseased shrub with a solution of Bordeaux fluid.
Necrosis. A dangerous sign indicating the defeat of a plant by a fungus. Necrosis appears on the cortex. Some of its sections crack, overgrow with tuberous formations. You can save the plant by cutting infected shoots. Then a solution of copper sulfate is sprayed onto the entire bush.
Cancerous diseases. With exhaustion and a significant drop in immunity, the bush is covered with cancerous spots, the bark cracks, growths form. Get rid of cancerous lesions by trimming and thorough stripping. Slices are treated with copper sulfate.
Caterpillars. The larvae of various insects left on the leaves and under the bark feed on the sap of the plant, causing great harm to it. This is manifested by curling sheets, drying out the shoots.As a means of combating caterpillars use fumigation, spraying with infusion of wormwood.
Aphid. Many small insects cling to the stems and the inside of the leaves. Pests feed on the juice of barberry, weakening its immunity. You can fight aphids with the help of sulfur-containing solutions and homemade mixtures with a sharp aroma.
Examples of use in landscape design
Barberry has excellent decorative effect. Thanks to what it is used in landscape design everywhere. Low-growing varieties will definitely find a place in rock gardens, flat rockeries. Shrubs are well combined with coniferous, deciduous representatives. A wide palette of shades of sheet and color forms a bright contrast.
Ornamental shrub perfectly copes with the role of the background plant and the dominant. It will look beneficial on a Japanese-style site. Near tall bushes it looks like a bright edge. Beautiful leaves in autumn do not lose their attractiveness. The rocky gardens with the participation of barberry become even brighter.
Conclusion
A huge number of available varieties of barberry and its unpretentiousness allows the use of shrubs for a variety of purposes. Fruitful flowering plants require minimal maintenance to increase yield. Decorative views need to be trimmed periodically to form an attractive crown.
A beautiful shrub barberry dreams of having every gardener on his plot. Ornamental plant looks impressive, especially at the time of ovary color and fruit. Its sweet and sour berries are used for making compotes, preserves, liquors, and confectionery. It belongs to the large family of barberry, in natural conditions it grows on the slopes of the mountains of the northern hemisphere.
Content
Features and description of the plant
The stems of a deciduous, evergreen shrub are covered with thorns. Depending on the variety, the leaves can be regular, simple, leathery. On the shoot, they are located singly or in a spiral. Small flowers are collected in a racemose or thyroid inflorescence, have a diverse color - from yellow-gold to red.
Barberry is an excellent honey plant. When it begins to bloom, it exudes a pleasant aroma that not only gives pleasure to visitors to the summer residence, but also attracts bees. An unpretentious bush feels great in any conditions, tolerates even infertile, stony soil. Barberry is comfortable both in the eco zone and in urban environments.
As a crop, barberry is grown in the garden. Small-fruited varieties are used for decorative purposes - they make a hedge. Spreading crown easily pruned, which allows you to give it any shape. The flowering period falls on April-May, lasts about three weeks. In September, oblong fruits of yellow, red, purple color appear. Based on the variety, barberry can have a sweet, sour-tart taste. The average berry length is 1.5 cm.
Useful properties of barberry
All parts of a unique plant are used for therapeutic purposes. Its beneficial properties have been known for a very long time. Even official medicine considers the bush to be medicinal, allows for the sale through the pharmacy network of drugs for many diseases based on it.
Useful substances are found not only in berries, but also in leaves and roots. All parts of the medicinal shrub are rich in vitamins, trace elements, pectin, tannins, and organic acids. In addition to the decorative appearance, garden varieties are of great medicinal value. The fruits of the bush have the following useful properties:
The main types and varieties
In total there are about 170 species of plants. Barberry is distinguished by its shape, taste of berries, leaf type, productivity, size. Each type of shrub is adapted to specific growing conditions. There are edible, dwarf, fast-growing, columnar, variegated and other varieties. The most popular varieties are as follows:
Landing Features
Barberry is absolutely unpretentious to the growing conditions. It develops well in the sun and in shaded areas. Only healthy seedlings should be transferred to the ground. The appearance of the branches is not as important as the state of the root system. The main root should be well developed, additional subordinate roots whole and straight.
What time of year to plant
The cultivation of barberry is best organized in warm, well-lit areas. The most suitable period for planting a young seedling is early spring. You need to choose the perfect moment when the buds on the trees have not yet opened, but a constant plus temperature has already been established.
If there is no opportunity to plant garden barberry in spring, transfer to open ground can be done in summer or autumn. Do not pull until a significant cooling, otherwise the plant may become ill and not take root. An underdeveloped root system will make the plant vulnerable in winter. In autumn, barberry is best planted in September.
Site selection and soil preparation
Any barberry variety, regular or undersized, must be planted in open areas protected from the winds. Penumbra is suitable only for green species, variegated, golden from lack of light will lose their decorative effect.Before being transferred to the ground, the depth of groundwater should be determined. The plant does not tolerate waterlogging, the root system rots, molds, and the bush dies. It is better to plant a bush on a hill to avoid flooding during heavy rains and spring thaws.
The planting hole must be prepared 2 weeks before planting. The depth of the pit depends on the type of soil. The average size is 40x40x40 cm. If the soil has an admixture of clay, deepen the hole by 10 cm, put additional drainage in the form of stones, pebbles at the bottom. The next layer is laid turfy soil, humus, add fertilizer.
When group planting, it is important to take into account the size of the crown of adult plants and provide for a sufficient distance between the bushes. A trench is being prepared for the hedge. Barberry seedlings are lowered into holes, straighten the roots and sprinkled with earth, leaving the root neck at the top.
Care Tips and Tricks
Properly organized planting can minimize the care of decorative barberries. In order for the shrub to have an attractive appearance and bear fruit abundantly, it is necessary to properly water it, feed it in a timely manner. Pruning is optional, but will help the plant form a beautiful crown. With well-organized care, barberry will delight the owners of the site with a beautiful color and amazing aroma from May to October.
Watering and feeding
Barberry is better to overdry than to overdo it with watering. A 1 bucket of water once a week will be enough for a young plant. It is necessary to wet the soil to a depth of at least 40 cm. Water is poured strictly under the root, trying not to wet the leaves on the lower branches. In rainy weather, soil moisture must be completely eliminated.
In the second year of life, barberry will need top dressing. Fertilizers introduced during planting will be fully absorbed, so it is necessary to update the supply of nutrients.If the rooting period has successfully passed in the shrub, it should be maintained at the time of active growth. Fertilizing the plant annually is not necessary, enough every 3 years.
For edible varieties of barberry, there are certain rules for feeding. A portion of nitrogen fertilizer is introduced into the soil every spring. In the middle of summer, mineral fertilizing is carried out. In the fall, potassium phosphate mixtures are added.
Pruning
Barberry perfectly responds to pruning. The shape of the crown of the bush is easy to shape and control. Plants tolerate haircuts well. Features of the procedure depend on the final goal. There are three cropping options:
Care in the fall and preparation for winter
In addition to pruning, the number of mandatory autumnal arrangements for preparing the shrub for winter includes mulching, feeding, shelter. Bushes of barberry with the mulching of the trunk circle carried out well tolerate the cold. This is a necessary procedure, especially for plants under 5 years old. At the base of the stems spread leaves, sawdust, peat.
Also in the autumn, it is necessary to strengthen the plant with fertilizers. Potassium-phosphorus mixtures are dissolved in water and poured under the base of the bush. Manure and nitrogen fertilizers should not be used in autumn, since they stimulate the growth of barberry.
Shrubs have good winter hardiness. Adult plants, from 3 years old, do not even need shelter for the winter. Varieties of southern origin and young barberry require high mulching and hilling. In a region with severe winters, the upper part of the crown is covered with spruce branches, non-woven material.
Breeding methods
Propagate decorative barberry, like any plant, in several ways. Each option has positive and negative sides. Before choosing the appropriate method, you need to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of planting material, assess the possibility of creating a suitable environment for proper growth and formation of shoots. Due to its unpretentiousness and good survival rate, any of the methods can be used to propagate the bush at home.
Seed cultivation
The method is suitable for all varieties of barberry, in addition to seedless. To get the seeds, choose the ripest fruits, clean the pulp and wash the planting material well. In order to disinfect, the seeds are treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and dried. Sowing dried barberry seeds in the open ground can be in spring or autumn.
Spring sowing is carried out in early May. A shallow groove is made and the material that has been stratified in advance at home (in the refrigerator) is placed in it. For a while, the bed should be covered with a film. Autumn planting suggests that the seeds will undergo natural processing under the snow.
When choosing the seed method, it is necessary to take into account that the planting material of barberry does not have genetic memory, does not retain the characteristics of the variety.
Propagation by cuttings
An effective reception of cuttings can be carried out in spring, summer or autumn.The method allows to maintain the grade. Despite the complexity and some complexity, it is very popular. By cutting, you can immediately get a large number of seedlings that are easily rooted and grow quickly.
For propagation of the shrub use lignified branches. They are cut in the spring, before the appearance of buds, or in the fall after leaf fall. It is necessary to choose an annual branch, cut with a sharp knife at the root, transfer the process to a jar of water and leave it in a dark place.
Cuttings are also carried out by green shoots. The material used is the middle part of the stem. Prepared twigs are bundled and lowered into the water with a lower cut. After a while, the cuttings are transferred to the greenhouse, then to the open ground.
Propagation by layering
The easiest method, since it always guarantees root formation. Suitable for some varieties of barberry, which are not able to give root shoots. The procedure is carried out in the spring. The selected shoots of the lower tier are bent to the ground, fixed with brackets and sprinkled with humus, sand and soil.
The roots of new barberry plants will be formed by autumn. Next spring, shrubs are separated from the mother bush and planted in containers for the period of strengthening. The first winter, the plant should be kept on the veranda or wrap well.
Bush division
A simple method of reproduction allows you to get 2-3 new plants from one shrub. The option is not suitable for shrubs that are grown in the form of a tree, the branching of which begins above soil level. Separation work must be carried out with great care, there is a high probability that the disconnected barberry will not tolerate the transplant.
You can only share pre-prepared barberry. When planting the main plant, the root neck is specially buried in the ground a few centimeters in order to stimulate tillering. In a couple of years, the plant will be completely ready for propagation by division.
The separation procedure is carried out in the fall. They carefully dig out the bush and cut the root into three parts with garden scissors. Each new plant must have a powerful root base, at least three stems.
Diseases and pests
Berry shrubs often give in to various diseases, which deplete it, worsen the quality of the crop and the number of healthy fruits. Preservation of fruiting rates is possible only with timely prevention of diseases, tactful treatment. All types of barberry are more likely to suffer from the following diseases and pests:
Examples of use in landscape design
Barberry has excellent decorative effect. Thanks to what it is used in landscape design everywhere. Low-growing varieties will definitely find a place in rock gardens, flat rockeries. Shrubs are well combined with coniferous, deciduous representatives. A wide palette of shades of sheet and color forms a bright contrast.
Ornamental shrub perfectly copes with the role of the background plant and the dominant. It will look beneficial on a Japanese-style site. Near tall bushes it looks like a bright edge. Beautiful leaves in autumn do not lose their attractiveness. The rocky gardens with the participation of barberry become even brighter.
Conclusion
A huge number of available varieties of barberry and its unpretentiousness allows the use of shrubs for a variety of purposes. Fruitful flowering plants require minimal maintenance to increase yield. Decorative views need to be trimmed periodically to form an attractive crown.