Barberry planting and care in open ground. Planting and caring for the spectacular barberry shrub. Plant growing conditions

Barberry bushes look very decorative not only in summer. The cultural forms of this shrub are very diverse and unpretentious. Its plantings are often used as a hedge, given that barberry easily tolerates cutting and pruning. A particularly valuable quality of this shrub is its unpretentiousness to growing and care conditions.

Barberry is a beautiful plant that can decorate any garden or play the role of a reliable hedge. About 500 species of this plant grow in nature. Varieties of barberry differ in the height of the bush, the color of the leaves and fruits (yellow, purple, red), size, color and number of flowers.

Unlike Thunberg and monetolifolia - decorative varieties, common barberry is grown mainly for its berries. They are used to prepare various preparations for the winter, liqueurs, marshmallows. Berries are added to pilaf, marinades, and fried vegetables in Central Asia and the Caucasus.

The benefits of the berries of this shrub are obvious - high content of vitamins (E, C, A and various groups B), organic acids (citric, malic and tartaric) and a complex of mineral compounds.

Unripe barberry berries cannot be eaten - they are poisonous!

Is it possible to grow barberry from a seed?

From a small seed you can grow a beautiful bush at home. However, you should prepare for difficulties in advance:

• germination percentage very short (from 20% to 40%),
• the process is long(requires seed stratification),
• the seedling will be ready for transplantation to a permanent place only in 2-3 years,
• to get berries vaccination will be required.

Barberry seed

Barberry can also reproduce by self-sowing from berries that fall in the fall.

A lone barberry bush, with the most careful care, will not please you with a harvest. This shrub is one of the plants that require cross-pollination of flowers. For successful formation of ovaries, it is necessary to have several bushes on the site. Take care of this right away.

How to grow barberry from seed at home?

Let's take a closer look at how to do this correctly.

It is necessary to select the ripest berries, separate them from the pulp, and rinse them in running water. Then these seeds must be disinfected, soak for 20 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, rinse and dry.

Seeds can be immediately planted in loose soil, cleared of weeds, in furrows no more than 3 centimeters deep. During the winter, under the snow, the seeds will harden and germinate in the spring.

Barberry sprouts

You can do otherwise if you were unable to plant seeds in the fall:

1. Disinfected seeds mix with damp (attention - not wet) sand and keep them at a temperature of +3°C until spring, vegetable shelf refrigerator.
2. In April they plant it in the garden.
3. When two true leaves appear - seedlings are thinned out. Weak seedlings are removed and the strongest ones are left.

The distance between shoots is at least 3 centimeters.

1. Before planting in a permanent place it is better to grow seedlings another year in this “school” (a bed for very young plants, which you carefully care for and control).
2. Fruits on seedlings will appear only after two years, but he still has to be vaccinated.
3. Barberry transplant into open ground.

Barberry is common in central and southern Russia, in the North Caucasus and the Black Sea coast, in Western and Eastern Siberia, the Moscow region and the Urals, where they feel quite well on rocky soil and without any care. The cultivated forms of the shrub are also very unpretentious:

1. For a young plant prepare a planting hole no larger than 50x50 centimeters in size(this is even with a reserve).
2. Half hole fill with compost or humus (about a bucket).
3. Preferably add lime for additional soil deoxidation (up to 0.5 kg).
4. Add approx. half a bucket of regular sand- this will increase the supply of oxygen to the roots.
5. All mix thoroughly so as not to burn the roots.
6. Having installed the seedling in the planting hole, sprinkle the roots with soil and water well.
7. Mulch with peat, compost or rotted sawdust.
8. Last thing, cut off the top of the plant, leaving 3-4 well-developed buds - this way the plant tolerates replanting more easily and will grow as a bush faster.

The frequency of planting barberry bushes depends on the variety

Like most garden plants, barberry can be replanted twice.:

• in autumn- until the end of October,
• in the spring- until the end of April.

Care after landing

All varieties of barberry are grown the same way - whether you have ornamental Thunberg barberry or common barberry.

• timely watering,
• feeding
• weed removal,
• pruning in spring before buds open and in late autumn.

Conveniently, barberry is fed only once every few years according to a standard schedule.:

• nitrogen- only in spring,
• potassium-phosphorus- in the fall.

How to prune barberry in autumn

No trimming barberry bush easily reaches a height of 3 meters. This light-loving thorny shrub can not only serve as a hedge, but also annually produce a harvest of very useful berries.

Barberry Thunberg

But this is only possible:

• if the bush grows well bright place,
• has not too thickened crown,
• pollinators grow nearby- a few more barberry bushes.

And pruning bushes is one of the main conditions for fruiting.

Sanitary pruning

The bush forms impenetrable thickets very quickly. Pruning not only creates a beautiful plant shape. By cutting out broken, dry, old branches, you rejuvenate the bush.

Fortunately, this type of garden shrub is practically not susceptible to fungal diseases. Thickened barberry bushes may turn out to be an intermediate link - fungi will find shelter in its thickets, and when favorable conditions spread to neighbors.

That's why, All branches that are too thin and strongly thicken the bush must also be removed.. This improves the ventilation of the bush space. It is enough to carry out such pruning twice a year.

Formative pruning

Forming a barberry bush is not particularly difficult. Just it is necessary to remove all branches growing inside the bush- they will certainly create excessive thickening of the crown. Such a dense bush will definitely not bear fruit.

If your barberry is part of a hedge, then the number of branches will be in the dozens. In this case, remove only dry and damaged branches. In fact, only sanitary pruning is carried out.

Pruning barberry in a hedge

Decorative bushes can be trimmed with garden shears or special trimmers, giving barberry plantings a wide variety of shapes.

Bush rejuvenation

The main thing to remember when rejuvenating barberry bushes is This plant produces flowers and fruits mainly on annual growths. It follows from this that if the branches are severely shortened, one should not count on a harvest (this technique is only suitable for decorative forms barberry).

For rejuvenation of fruit forms:

• or cut out an old branch to the base and in its place a young one is formed,
• or by pruning transfer growth to a branch.

Although barberry is not afraid of haircuts and pruning, do not get carried away with severe shortening of the branches - you will be left without flowers and berries.

Preparing for winter in Siberia, the Moscow region and the Urals

With the arrival of autumn, it is time to transplant young seedlings of bushes from the “shkolka” to a permanent place, or sow seeds into the “shkolka” to grow new plants.

It is necessary to restore order in tree trunk circles:

1. remove various debris and dig up the soil under the bushes,
2. feed the plants humus or compost,
3. carry out sanitary pruning,
4. trim for rejuvenation if necessary.

Before the onset of cold weather, tree trunk circles must be mulch with loose peat, compost or dried leaves.

Only very young bushes (up to 5 years of age) are very sensitive to winter cold - their need to be covered when the first frost sets in. The easiest way is to cover it with spruce branches, this is especially true for evergreen barberry varieties.

At the first frost, young barberry bushes are covered with spruce branches

Large bushes must be tied with rope or twine in front of the shelter. A lattice box is installed around it, where dry leaves are filled to the top, and wrapped on top non-woven material(for example, agrofibre),

This applies to winter insulation of any garden crops. You should not rush to cover the plants - it is better to be a little late than to do it too early. Particularly dangerous for wintering heat-loving crops hermetically sealed space (covering with film). During a thaw, condensation forms under the film, which will definitely destroy the bush with the onset of frost.

Reproduction of barberry and planting in open ground

In addition to the seed method of propagating barberry, seedlings of this bush can be obtained much faster using vegetative methods. The main advantages of such reproduction:

• you receive a ready-made seedling in one season,
• the varietal properties of the plant are completely preserved - no vaccination needed.

How to propagate barberry in the country?

Cuttings

The cutting method allows you to obtain a very large number of seedlings in a year without grafting. However, without the use of heteroauxin or other root growth stimulants, barberry cuttings proceed very slowly.

Propagation of barberry by cuttings

1. Early summer (June) annual lateral branches are cut into cuttings approximately 15 centimeters.
2. The lower leaves are removed and treated according to instructions with a root growth stimulator.
3. Cuttings prepared in this way planted in a mixture of humus, fertile soil, peat and sand (1:1:1:0.5).
4. Install film shelter.
5. Several times a day needs to be ventilated and spray the cuttings.
6. Land as needed loosen and water.
7. Take care of covering the “school” for the winter.

Next spring, seedlings can be planted in a permanent place.

By layering

For layering from the lower parts of the bush in the spring, choose strong annual branches.

1. Bend them to the ground and place it in the grooves 15-20 centimeters depth.
2. Fix the position of the branch wire bow or flyer branch.
3. Cover with earth so that only one shoot tip remains on the surface.

Reproduction of barberry by layering

Apart from watering, layering does not require special care. By autumn it will be ready for transplanting.

Dividing the bush

If you have a barberry bush that suits you in all respects, it can be divided into several. The best time for this is in the spring before the buds open..

1. Carefully dig up the mother bush.
2. Cut into pieces. Powerful roots are cut with a hacksaw.
3. The division parts are planted in pre- prepared holes.
4. Trim the bush to balance the above-ground part with the roots and improve the survival rate of the damaged plant.

Further care for the cut bush is no different.

Conclusion

Growing barberry in the garden is not at all difficult. Caring for this shrub is not difficult even for an amateur gardener. The plant is so unpretentious that it practically does not require fertilizing; any soil without stagnant water is suitable for it. Densely planted bushes will create a hedge that will add a touch of classic English parkland to your garden design.

Barberry - planting and care, the use of this beautiful plant for garden design is the topic of our conversation. Common barberry is an ornamental deciduous shrub that was grown in Ancient Rome, Greece, the monasteries of Tibet, and Ancient Rus'. It was valued not so much for its high decorative value, but for the most valuable healing properties of the berries. In our time, barberry has become an ornamental and “caramel” plant.

Why caramel? If we lived in the Amazon jungle, we could become the owners of such wonderful plants as the milk tree, cabbage tree or chocolate tree. And if fate threw us into the African savannah, we would successfully grow a bottle tree, breadfruit or melon tree, while at the same time admiring the blooming flowers on a tulip tree.

However, having a wonderful and cozy corner of our native nature in our dacha or garden plot, we can easily afford to grow an equally exotic “caramel tree”. This is what the well-known barberry is often called, reminding us of carefree childhood times when we happily enjoyed the fragrant, scented caramel candies “barberries”.

Long before our era, barberry berries were used as effective remedy for rejuvenation, blood purification, treatment of many diseases. Mentions of this were found on clay tablets made by the ancient Assyrians.

The enormous value of barberry has now been scientifically proven. The set of useful substances it contains can remove toxins, cleanse the body, slow down the aging process, restore damaged cells, cope with inflammatory processes in the body, and prevent cardiovascular diseases, resist atherosclerosis.

And this is just a small list of the healing benefits of the “caramel tree,” which can not only give us health, but also bring a piece of beauty, harmony and charm into our lives.

Barberry bushes have been used in gardening and landscape design for a long time and quite successfully. This plant is spectacular at any time of the year, and can also bring tangible benefits to both you and your garden.

In spring, the aroma of blooming barberry will attract hardworking bees; in summer, bright greenery will delight the eye with its freshness; in autumn fantastic combination bright colors of foliage will enliven a sad garden, and in winter, ruby ​​drops of berries on a snow-white blanket of snow will remind you of the hot summer.

Thanks to its decorative properties, barberry looks great in single plantings, in compositions with other plants, and in hedges.
The bushes lend themselves well to shaping and pruning, and low-growing varieties Great for borders and decorating rock gardens. The variety of leaf colors allows you to create interesting color compositions, combining purple with greenery, and variegated varieties with edged ones.

Despite its unique usefulness and high decorative value, barberry is completely unpretentious, and caring for it is not difficult.

Its only “whims” are good lighting and moderate soil moisture.

The composition and fertility of the soil, changes in temperature and humidity do not affect its decorative effect. If you still give him regular “haircuts,” then the grateful barberry will grow, bloom and bear fruit with truly royal generosity.

There are many ways to propagate barberry; you can always choose the one that is most convenient for you. Seeds, cuttings, dividing a bush, root layering, self-seeding, grafting - the entire arsenal of tools is at your disposal.

Propagation by seeds makes it possible to obtain a lot of planting material, but this is a rather lengthy process. It is better to sow seeds in winter, before the onset of severe frosts. For spring sowing, seed stratification is carried out for 3-4 months at a temperature not exceeding +5°C. The seedlings are left at the seedling site for 2 years, and then left for another 1-2 years to grow in the “school”. And only after that they are assigned to a permanent place. The fastest way of propagation is by dividing the bush and root suckers. For cuttings, summer cuttings are taken and rooted in moist soil.

Do not forget that the older the barberry bush, the worse it adapts after transplantation.

Planting methods depend on the end goal. When placing a bush alone, the distance to the nearest plants is left at least 2 m.

A single-row hedge usually includes 4 plants, a two-row - 5. A free-growing hedge involves planting 2 plants per 1 linear meter.

Due to its unpretentiousness, barberry can grow in any soil with any acidity level. However, if possible, it is advisable to provide him with the most comfortable conditions by adding humus and sand to the soil mixture and liming the acidified soil.

One of the elements of care is fertilizing, which allows you to maintain the decorative appearance of the bushes and abundant fruiting for a long time. It is recommended to start fertilizing in the second year after planting. The first fertilizing is carried out in the spring with nitrogen fertilizers at the rate of 30 g of urea per 10 liters of water. In the future, it is enough to apply complex mineral fertilizers once every 3 years.

Traditional watering, weeding and loosening are carried out once every 2 weeks, and immediately after planting new plants it is necessary to mulch the soil under them.

An important point in maintaining the decorative appearance of bushes is pruning. Hygienic pruning is carried out annually in the spring; all old, dried, weak and poorly developed shoots are removed. The shaping of hedges begins in the second year. With it, up to 2/3 of the above-ground part of the plant is initially removed, and in subsequent years in June and August, up to 1/2 of the height of the hedge is cut off.

Like all plants, barberry needs protection from pests and diseases. Its main enemies are barberry aphids, flower moths, powdery mildew and various fungal diseases.

As a preventative measure in the spring, it is necessary to treat with a solution of laundry soap prepared from 30 g of soap and 10 liters of water. If caterpillars are found, barberry bushes are treated with chlorophos or decis, according to the instructions.

To protect against fungal diseases, spraying with a solution of Bordeaux mixture or colloidal sulfur is considered effective; spraying is carried out in three stages: after the leaves appear, and then two more times with an interval of 20 days.

Barberry is a very picturesque plant. There are forms with green, purple and variegated leaves that fit perfectly into joint plantings with deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs. This property of barberry is widely used in landscape design. Its berries are edible and healthy. Young leaves can be added to salads. In folk medicine, barberry has long been known and widely used.

Barberry - let's get to know each other

The barberry family includes several hundred species of trees and shrubs. Deciduous and evergreen forms are known. In the wild, this plant is found on almost all continents.

Barberry is found on almost all continents

Prefers a warm climate, but can tolerate moderate frosts. In extreme cold it requires shelter. The plant is prickly, the fruits are small and edible. Common barberry or Thunberg barberry, less commonly Amur, Canadian (Ottawa) and Korean are grown in culture.

The highly decorative plant is popular in landscape design and is widely used. This is facilitated by a huge selection - from dwarf forms (30 cm) to giants (3 m), with a spherical, columnar and spreading crown. Barberry gets along well with various plants and does not strive to seize territory, since it does not have root shoots.

Drought resistant, shade tolerant, unpretentious.

There is a small drawback - thorns. But it can be made an advantage: a hedge made of barberry will become an insurmountable obstacle for uninvited guests and a beautiful frame for your site. The maximum decorative value of the plant occurs at the age of 7–8 years.

It can live 50 years; with good care, it bears fruit for up to 35–40 years. Blooms in May, about 3 weeks. A good honey plant.

Barberry looks impressive in joint plantings

Planting and care If you decide to plant a plant with variegated or bright foliage, then it should be in a well-lit place. In the shade, the decorative effect is lost, the leaves become paler or turn green. Planting is carried out in early spring, before the buds open. If the plant has a closed root system, then you can plant it in the fall, in September or in the first half of October (at least a month before the onset of frost). Barberry can grow on almost any soil, even sandy and rocky, but not acidic. Stagnation of moisture depresses it.

The planting pit is prepared 2 weeks before planting. Its size is 40x40x40 cm.

Pit preparation:

When planting several bushes nearby, you need to take into account their adult sizes and leave required distance. If you decide to build a hedge, then you need to dig a trench of the required length. Plants are planted at a distance of 0.5 m from each other. For a two-row hedge, the bushes are planted in a checkerboard pattern.

A few years after planting, the barberry hedge will be impassable

When planting, carefully straighten the roots and cover them with soil so that the root collar is at soil level. The shoots are trimmed, leaving 3–5 buds, the plant is watered and mulched.

Watering and fertilizing

Barberry tolerates a lack of moisture better than its excess. In rainy weather, an adult plant needs enough precipitation. In hot weather, you need a bucket of water per bush once every 2 weeks. Newly planted barberry is watered 1-2 times a week until it takes root. Then - as needed.

For the first 2–3 years, the plants need only the fertilizers applied during planting. Next, for ornamental shrubs in the spring, urea is added (30 g dissolved in 10 liters of water) once every 3 years. If the plant is a berry plant, then, in addition to urea, every year after flowering it is fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers (according to the instructions).

Preparing for cold weather

In winter, young plants (the first 3–5 years) require shelter, regardless of the frost resistance of the variety. If winters in your region are mild, then barberry will tolerate this period well. During severe frosts, especially in Siberia or the Urals, adult plants are also covered. To do this, they make a kind of hut from branches and spruce branches and additionally cover them with snow.

For the first 3–5 years, barberry needs shelter for the winter.

Trimming

Sanitary pruning is required annually in spring and autumn. Remove broken, dry and diseased branches. If barberry is planted for decorative purposes, then its formation begins in the second year after planting. All types of plants tolerate pruning well, and to maintain a given shape, the bush is pruned at the beginning and end of summer every year.

Proper formation of the bush requires annual pruning

Dwarf barberry species, as a rule, have a dense, compact crown and can do without formative pruning. They look great in border plantings and on alpine slides.

Dwarf forms of barberry do not need formative pruning

Reproduction

Barberry reproduces well using seeds, cuttings and layering. Good results gives division of the bush.

Methods for propagating barberry:

Diseases and pests

Barberry has few pests. Aphids appear on young shoots and leaves. You can notice it quickly. The leaves begin to curl. To destroy the pest, you can use the drugs Inta-Vir, Actellik. If there are only a few aphids, a soap solution (3 tablespoons of dish soap per 1 liter of water) will come in handy. In addition, the plant can be affected by moth (spoils the berries) and sawfly. To destroy them, drugs are used:

• Aktara,
• Karate,
• Karbofos.

All products are prepared strictly according to the instructions.

The flower moth caterpillar is one of the barberry pests

Barberry is rarely affected by fungal diseases.

Table: how to deal with barberry diseases

To prevent diseases, the plants and the soil underneath are treated three times. Bordeaux mixture. Treatment interval - once every 3 weeks.

Types and varieties of barberry

Of all the species, the most decorative is the Thunberg barberry. Dwarf plants from 30 cm with red, yellow, green and variegated foliage - that’s all. Its fruits are unsuitable for food, they are very bitter.

• Green Carpet. A low shrub up to 1 m high with a spreading crown. Dense foliage, light green in summer, turns bright orange, yellow and red in autumn. The flowers are pale, greenish in color. Light-loving, but tolerates light shadow. Drought-resistant, frost-resistant, resistant to diseases and pests. Young plants up to 2–3 years old need shelter in winter; in Siberia, the Urals and northeast Russia this is done up to 5 years old.
  

  In autumn, the Green Carpet barberry bush looks like a colorful blanket

• Admirishin. Shrub with lush crown and beautiful red leaves with a bright yellow edge. The flowers are pale pink and bloom at the end of May. The berries are dark red. The plant is very decorative and tolerates shaping well. Easy to care for, frost-resistant, easily tolerates lack of moisture. The variety is resistant to diseases and pests.
  

  The Admireyshin barberry has beautiful leaves with a golden edge.

• Erecta. Dwarf variety (up to 0.5 m). The crown is pyramidal in shape. The leaves are green. Frost and drought resistant. Unpretentious. Rarely affected by disease.
  

  The Erecta variety is rarely affected by diseases

• Gold ring. Medium sized bush. The leaves have a golden edge. Undemanding in care.
• Carmen. The leaves are blood red. The plant reaches a bush height of 1 m in 10 years. In the shade the leaves lose their brightness. Resistant to frost and gas pollution.
  

  Carmen barberry foliage attracts attention

• Golden Rocket. Height up to 1.5 m. Grows slowly. Reaches maximum height at 10 years. The leaves are yellow-green.
• Natasha. Compact spherical shrub. The leaves are green with white and pink spots. Frost resistance down to -35°C. In the shade it loses its brightness. The fruits are decorative, but are not used for food.
  

  The color of the leaves of barberry Natasha is unusual and attractive

• Orange Rocket. Columnar shrub up to 1 m high. Crown diameter 0.5 m. Grows slowly. Frost and drought resistant. The leaves are small, yellow-orange, turning bright red in autumn. In the shade, the foliage loses its brightness.
• Pink glow. Tall, up to 2 m, spreading shrub. The leaves are purple with white and pink spots. Frost resistance down to -35°C.
  

  The Pink Glow variety lives up to its name

• Helmut Pillar. Columnar (up to 1.5 m) shrub. The leaves are small, dark red in color, turning green in the shade. Frost-resistant. Drought resistant. Tolerates haircuts well. Unpretentious.
• Harlequin. A shrub 1.5–2 m high and a crown width of about 2 m. Purple leaves with white spots become amber-golden in autumn. Tolerates haircuts well. Used for joint plantings as a bright accent. Frost-resistant. Shelter for the winter is necessary only for young plants when grown in harsh climates. Drought resistant. Rarely affected by disease.

  The variegated leaves of the Harlequin barberry are very beautiful

• Auria. Shrub about 80 cm high. Leaves turn yellow-orange in autumn. It blooms in May, covered with yellow fragrant racemes. The fruits are red, ripen in autumn and remain on the branches for a long time. Drought resistant. Rarely affected by disease. Frost-resistant. When grown in the shade, the leaves lose their brightness and turn green.
  

  The yellow foliage of the Auria barberry is combined with the greenery of coniferous trees

• Kobold. A dwarf shrub only 40 cm tall and a dense spherical crown about 50 cm in diameter. The leaves are yellow-green in summer, turning yellow-purple in autumn, and can grow in light shade. In May, the beautiful yellow-red flowers open for several weeks. Frost and drought resistant. Rarely affected by disease.
  

  The size of Kobold barberry is suitable for an alpine slide

• Bagatelle. Another dwarf variety. An adult plant, with a height of only 30 cm, has a dense crown with a diameter of about 60 cm. The foliage is red-brownish in summer and dark red in autumn. Bagatelle goes well with other plants in park compositions. It grows slowly. Frost and drought resistant. Rarely gets sick.
  

  Bagatelle goes well with other plants in park compositions

Tibetan barberry was previously known in Russia as common dereza. ABOUT healing properties its berries have been known for a long time and were widely used in folk medicine. One of the most famous species is Goji Shambhala. This is a spreading bush up to 3 m high. It blooms from June to October, at the same time the berries ripen. Easy to care for. Grows on any soil except wetlands. Prefers sunny places, but will also grow and bear fruit in the shade. Frost and drought resistant. Very prickly. Tolerates haircuts well.

Goji Shambhala fruits look like small peppers

Red-leaved varieties of Canadian (or Ottawa) barberry are not very common in Russia. The leaves have a color from dark purple to bluish-red, which goes well with the greenery in parks and squares. He tolerates haircuts well. The height of adult plants is from 1.5 to 3 m. It grows quickly. Tolerates frosts down to -35°C. When grown in the southern regions and central Russia, it does not require shelter. In Siberia and the Urals it grows well when insulated in winter.

A popular variety of Canadian barberry is Superba. Tall, fast-growing shrub up to 2.5 m. Leaves are almost purple in summer, turning purple in autumn. Unpretentious. In May, yellow-red flowers appear in clusters. The fruits are bright red and ripen in October. Annual shoots grow up to 35 cm per season. Drought and frost resistant. It is rarely affected by diseases.

Barberry Superba has purple leaves

In addition to it, the following varieties of Canadian (Ottawa) barberry have excellent decorative qualities:

• Auricoma,
• Atropurpuria,
• Silver Miles.

Amur barberry in wildlife grows in the Far East, China and Japan. It is a tall, up to 3 m, shrub with a low-branched, spreading crown. The berries are edible. In summer it is bright green, in autumn barberry turns golden-red. The flowers are light yellow and very fragrant. Rust resistant. In Siberia it can grow without shelter. Tolerates lack of moisture. Undemanding in care.

The flowering plant of Amur barberry is fragrant and beautiful

Evergreen (or ordinary) barberry is a fairly large shrub up to 2 m high, and about the same in diameter. This is a slow growing species. The leaves are narrow and long (up to 10 cm), bright green above and bluish-green below. Frost-resistant. Resistant to diseases. The leaves remain on the branches all winter and fall off when they begin to grow in the spring. Tolerates haircuts well. Resistant to gas pollution in the urban atmosphere.

Common barberry has plants with unusually colored fruits. In the Alba variety they are white, and in Lutea they are pale yellow.

Black barberry actually has green leaves that turn bright red in the fall and bronze after frost. And they call it that because of its dark blue, almost black, berries. This is warty barberry. Its homeland is Western China. It grows slowly. The height of an adult plant is 1–1.5 m. It can withstand frosts down to -30°C. Drought resistant. Tolerates haircuts well.

Barberry warty has dark blue berries with a waxy coating.

Barberry as a houseplant

Dwarf varieties of Thunberg barberry are suitable for growing at home:

• Bagatelle,
• Erecta,
• Kobold,
• Natasha.

Since the species tolerates pruning well, the shape of the crown and the height of the plant can be easily adjusted. Barberry in an apartment will cause you no more trouble than any indoor plant. Growing miniature trees how art originated in Japan many centuries ago. This is a well known bonsai. For this purpose, conifers and deciduous plants, which in nature may not be small. Barberry is ideal for creating bonsai. It tolerates pruning well and is very flexible in creating such compositions.

Barberry makes stunning miniatures

Features of caring for homemade barberry:

• Planting is done in a mixture of coarse sand, turf land and compost (2:2:1). A layer of stones or expanded clay must be poured onto the bottom of the pot. When planting, trim the roots a little and shorten the shoots by 2/3.
• Water as needed. In spring and summer, frequent irrigation has a beneficial effect on the plant, especially on hot days. In autumn and winter, the frequency of watering is reduced. Since in heating season The air in the apartment is very dry, then periodic spraying from a spray bottle is useful for the plant, but not during flowering.
• For feeding, use any organic fertilizer in the form of powder or granules (according to instructions) once a month from May to September.
• When pruning, the cut site quickly becomes indistinguishable in color from the bark and additional processing does not require.
• Barberry can grow in a sunny window or in a shaded room, but to ensure that variegated varieties do not lose their brightness, the plant needs good lighting and additional lighting in winter.
• In summer, the plant will feel good on an open balcony.
• Diseases and pests in indoor barberry are the same as in nature, and the same drugs are used to combat them.

Dwarf barberry varieties can be grown in a container (for placement on terraces). Planting and caring for such a plant is no different from growing in a garden or apartment.

Features of cultivation in the regions

Barberry can grow in different climates. In the southern regions it easily tolerates drought. Mild winters do not require high frost resistance. The plant tolerates urban air pollution, which allows it to be widely used for landscaping parks.

The warm climate makes it possible to choose almost any type and variety of barberry for planting.

• In central Russia, for growing, it is better to choose plants with frost resistance of at least -20°C. This requirement is met by:
• most varieties of Thunberg barberry,
• Canadian,
• Amur,

warty.

• Barberry with frost resistance down to -20–25°C is suitable for the Moscow region. You can choose varieties:
• Canadian (Ottawa) - Superba,
• ordinary - Alba variegata,
  • Thunberg's barberry:
  • Harlequin,
  • Green Carpet,

Carmen and others. Since in the Moscow region the soils are often high, when landing, a device is required good drainage(or the seedlings should be placed on a hill or hillside).

Young plants must be covered for the winter for the first 3–5 years. For the Golden Rocket variety, it is recommended to tie the crown or wrap it with a net for the winter, since it can fall apart during heavy snowfalls. During the humid, cool summer, fungal diseases are possible, so prevention is the best way to prevent them.

• In Siberia, varieties with high frost resistance are most suitable for cultivation:
• Canadian,
• Canadian barberry,
• Amur,

ordinary,

They are adapted to harsh conditions and tolerate frost well with large amounts of snow. These plants need shelter for the first 3–5 years. Thunberg barberry can also be grown in this region, but with obligatory winter shelter for not only young but also adult plants.

In this case, dwarf varieties are suitable for the Siberian climate. Alternatively, it is possible to grow plants in a container, overwintering in a greenhouse or room where the temperature will not be very low.

Many owners of their garden plots and summer cottages plant shrubs that have high decorative properties. One of them is barberry. Planting and caring for this shrub is not particularly difficult. The article discusses how to properly plant a purchased plant and care for it. Tips on propagating barberry and combating pests and diseases that affect it may also be useful. Varieties and varieties of barberry Barberry is a spectacular ornamental plant with elongated fruits of bright red, yellow or white. It is unpretentious, drought-resistant and

frost-resistant shrub

• with elliptical leaves of a wide variety of colors: green, yellow, red, purple. The berries of barberry are edible and widely used in cooking and medicine. They have a pleasant sour taste and are used for making compotes, jelly, jam, marshmallows, syrups, etc.
• Due to the presence of many useful substances - malic, tartaric and citric acids, carotenoids, vitamins, mineral salts, the fruits and leaves of the plant are used to make preparations:
• lowering blood pressure;
• having a bactericidal effect;
• preventing the development of lamblia in the human body;
• to stop bleeding;

relieving fatigue; fight psoriasis. Exists

1. three main varieties of barberry, reaching 3 m in height. The most popular varieties are Atropurpurea, Alba-variegata, Aureo-marginata, Vyemchaty, and Krupnokolyuchkovy.
2. Barberry ottawa. This species reaches 2-4 m in height, has very beautiful yellow flowers, pink-purple in summer and bright purple leaves in autumn. The most common varieties are Superba, Auricoma, Silver Miles, and Purple.
3. Barberry Thunberg. Plant height is 0.5-1.5 m. The varieties Rose Glow, Maria, Coronita, Harlequin, Red Chief, Aurea, Golden Ring, whose bright coral leaves bordered with a gold rim are very decorative, are very popular among gardeners, as can be seen in the photo .

There are also types of barberry that are similar in appearance to common barberry:

• hybrid Provençal barberry, obtained by crossing common and Siberian species plants;
• spinous, native to the Himalayas;
• barberries Zimbold, James, Diels.

Planting barberry

In order for the seedlings to develop well, bloom and bear fruit profusely, it is important to carefully consider the choice of planting site and soil preparation. For barberry, soil that has normal acidity is most suitable; if its pH is more than 7.0, it is recommended to add slaked lime before or during planting.

The optimal distance between bushes when planting alone is 1.5 m, when creating a hedge - 0.5 m. Barberry does not tolerate stagnant water, so it should be planted in the highest places of the site and the soil should be drained by adding sand to improve aeration of the plant's root system.

Attention! Despite its hardiness and unpretentiousness, barberry is light-loving; when planted in the shade, the bright shades of the color of its leaves fade and may disappear decorative elements on the leaves for which this plant is especially valued: spots, stripes and other patterns.

Boarding order:

1. A planting hole with sides 40 x 40 x 40 cm is being prepared.
2. A small layer of sand is placed at the bottom of the pit, then a mixture of turf soil with 8-10 kg of humus or compost. If organic fertilizers are not available, mineral fertilizers can be used instead (200 g of superphosphate and 100 g of potassium sulfate). If the soil pH is high (high acidity), add 400 g of lime or 200 g of wood ash.
3. The plant is placed in a hole, the free space is filled with prepared earthen mixture, watered abundantly, and the surface is mulched with peat or compost. The root collar of the bush should be at the level of the ground surface.
4. The top of the plant is cut off, leaving 3-5 strong buds at the bottom.

The best time for planting or replanting it is in the fall - from September 15 to October 15, in the spring - from the 20th of March to April 15. Plants that are in a container when purchased can be planted in the summer, choosing a non-hot day and protecting them from direct sunlight during the first days.

Seedling care

The main operations for caring for barberry bushes are:

• loosening the soil, facilitating access of oxygen to the roots of the plant;
• watering in dry weather, weeding and weed removal;
• pruning weak and diseased branches, forming a bush;
• feeding

In the first 2 years after planting, the seedling should be covered with burlap for the winter to protect it from the cold. Mature bushes can tolerate negative temperatures quite easily. If the winter is harsh and frost damages the branches, they are pruned in spring to healthy buds.

Barberry is a fast-growing shrub that is recommended to be pruned regularly in spring or fall. This will not only remove the skeletal branches located in the central part of the bush, which lead to its excessive thickening, but also give it a beautiful decorative shape with the help of pruning. The first pruning is done a year after planting, removing half or two-thirds of the branch growth. The best time to give a neat shape to a barberry hedge is June and August.

Attention! Some varieties of barberry have sharp thorns, so you should protect your hands when caring for them. strong gloves. Regular watering (once every 4-7 days) is required only when the soil dries out in dry hot weather and for recently planted plants.

Fertilizer and feeding of barberry bushes

Barberry doesn't need too much frequent feeding. The first feeding of the plant is carried out a year after planting, then every 3-4 years. In the spring, nitrogen fertilizers are applied (20-30 g of urea is dissolved in 10 liters of water per bush), in the fall - phosphorus, potassium (15 g of superphosphate, 10 g of potassium salt per 1 plant), organic fertilizers. It is good to combine these drugs with microelements.

In July, plants can be fertilized with the complex preparation Kemira-universal at a concentration of 15 g per 10 liters. Nitrogen fertilizers - ammonium nitrate, urea promote powerful growth, the formation of leaves and stems of seedlings, potassium and phosphorus provide abundant flowering and fruiting of bushes.

Barberry propagation

At propagation of barberry by seeds, they are separated from the stone and kept for 3-5 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Dried seeds are buried 1-2 cm deep in the soil; with the arrival of spring, the seedlings are thinned out, leaving a distance of 3 cm or more between them. After 2 years, the seedlings can be transplanted to another location. When sowing seeds in spring, they must first be stratified: mixed with sand and placed in the refrigerator for 2-5 months. The stratification temperature should be within 2-5 ºC. In order for the plants to bear fruit after a few years, you need to place several specimens nearby, since this is a cross-pollinated shrub.

Cuttings produced in the morning in mid-July. Preparation of cuttings consists of removing the lower leaves, shortening the upper leaves by half and placing them in an aqueous solution of heteroauxin or other root former for 3-5 hours. After washing with water, the cuttings are planted in a greenhouse. The soil should consist of equal parts of turf soil, humus and peat, to which a small amount of sand is added. For two weeks, the greenhouse is regularly ventilated and the soil is moistened, and when the cuttings are completely rooted, the film is removed.

For propagation of barberry layering in the spring, a powerful annual shoot is selected from the lower part of the bush, bent down, laid and secured in a small groove, which is covered with earth so that only the upper part of the branch peeks out from under the ground. By the end of the season, the cuttings will be able to take root; they are separated from the bush and replanted.

Diseases and pests affecting barberry

The most dangerous insects for barberry are the flower moth, aphids and sawflies. Signs of a plant infestation with aphids are drying and wrinkling of the leaves. The pest can be eliminated by spraying the bushes with a soap solution (300 g of laundry soap per 10 liters of water). Other pests can be destroyed using a 1-3% chlorophos solution.

Barberry can also be affected by fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew, as seen in the photo, leaf spot, rust and other diseases. To destroy powdery mildew pathogens, the bush must be treated with 1% colloidal sulfur solution, diseased branches must be cut off and burned. If a plant is affected by rust, it should be treated three times with 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture or colloidal sulfur, once a week. For spotting disease, copper oxychloride (30-40 g per 10 liters of water) is used twice before the flowers bloom and at the end of flowering. Plants affected by wilting caused by fungi are treated with copper oxychloride or Bordeaux mixture. If bacteriosis occurs, manifested by cracks and tumors on the stems, it is necessary to cut off the diseased shoot, capturing the healthy part of the plant and burn it, and spray the bush with Bordeaux mixture or its equivalent.

By planting barberry in your garden, you can get great pleasure from the amazing beauty of this plant, create beautiful compositions using its branches densely strewn with fruits, and also use the berries to prepare many dishes and medicinal tinctures.

Barberry for the garden: video

Growing barberry: photo

Many gardeners want to know how to grow barberry shrubs, plant them and give proper care. The plant is unpretentious: it is easy to cultivate. But you need to get a neat and beautiful bush. Many gardeners grow the crop for its sour fruits. They contain vitamins and antioxidants, so they are very useful. The berries make excellent marmalade and vitamin compotes.

Almost all gardeners grow barberry. On old dacha you can find a spreading barberry bush. It has green leaves and bright fruits collected in a cluster. Common barberry, planted in a row, forms an impenetrable hedge. Decorative varieties are grown in a modern summer cottage. They have variegated leaves that brighten up the area. Dwarf species are planted on an alpine hill.

The main conditions for successful plant cultivation:

• well-lit place;
• soils with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction;
• moderate soil moisture.

The plant quickly adapts to living conditions in the garden and begins to bear fruit.

In what regions is cultivation possible?

IN natural conditions barberry is found in the Caucasus and Primorye. There it forms impenetrable thickets in open ground. The plant has perfectly adapted to life in the gardens of the middle zone.

Adult bushes overwinter without shelter, although young ones require preparation for the cold season.

In the Urals, summers are short and hot, and winters are long and cold. Barberry successfully winters only under a well-made shelter. Without it, the above-ground and underground parts of the bush freeze. In Siberia, in addition to the main shelter, it is necessary to throw snow on the bushes. In the spring, the snowdrift is raked and the cover is removed. Barberry begins to grow.

How to select and prepare seedlings for planting

Preference should be given to 2-year-old seedlings: they take root faster. Plants should have 2-3 well-developed shoots. When purchasing plants with a closed root system, you should turn the container over and inspect the drainage holes. White or light yellow roots should be visible through them. This means that the plant has a developed underground part and will soon take root in the garden.

When purchasing barberry with an open root system, you need to choose a bush with 1-2 strong roots and a developed fibrous part.

Required soil composition

Before planting a bush, you should remember what kind of soil barberry likes. It grows and develops on light soils and prefers soil that has a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction.

Under natural conditions, the shrub settles on mountain slopes or in the foothills. The soils there are not rich in humus and have an alkaline reaction due to the admixture of crushed stone. Therefore, it needs soil in the garden, as well as in its habitat. It is recommended to sand clay soils (to create a lighter environment); acidity must be reduced by adding lime.

Additionally, small crushed stone should be added to the planting hole.

Selecting a location

Before planting, you need to decide what type of barberry will grow in the garden. This determines where the shrub will be planted. Ornamental varieties thrive in partial shade, but fruit-bearing varieties require a place well lit by the sun. Barberry is a spreading plant, so it should be planted away from other crops. The distance should be at least 2.5-3 m.

Disembarkation dates and scheme

Gardeners are interested in: when to plant shrubs. The ideal time for planting is early spring, as soon as the snow melts. The barberry will have enough time to adapt to the new location and build up its root system for winter. Sometimes it is permissible to plant a bush in the fall, but in this case the planting time should be calculated so that the plant has time to take root before the onset of persistent frosts. This will take 3-4 weeks.

But if the purchased plant has a closed root system, it can be planted in the summer. The bush is carefully removed from the pot, the roots are straightened, the dried roots are cut out, and placed in the planting hole.

Barberry purchased in August with an open root system can wait until spring in a trench. To do this, a ditch is torn off and the excavated soil is placed on the south side of the ditch. The bush is placed obliquely (with its top on the mound) and dug in. At the top of the hill, part of the shoots with 2-3 buds is left. With the onset of frost, the trench is covered with white lutrasil and covered with snow.

Advantageous neighborhood

Barberry grows intensively, but does not take over the neighboring territory. The exception is old varieties: they produce an abundance of root shoots. The shrub lives in one place for up to 50 years; an adult plant cannot tolerate transplantation. But during flowering, pollinating insects flock to it: and this should be used.

Experienced gardeners place strawberry beds next to it: bees pollinate the flowers, and the yield increases. It is important to plant plants nearby that bloom at the same time as barberry.

How to care for a tree on your property

In order to get a beautiful and regularly fruiting plant, it needs to create conditions close to real ones. The beginning of fruiting depends on how correctly the barberry is planted.

The rules for growing shrubs are simple: you need to feed the bush on time, water it and prune it.

Irrigation

Barberry does not tolerate excessive moisture. It only needs to be watered during severe drought. In a normal summer, he provides himself with water. Monitoring the humidity of the tree trunk is required for young plants that were planted last spring.

In order to retain moisture in the soil, the tree trunk circle should be mulched with dried plant debris or chopped wood chips. To prevent the outflow of nitrogen from the soil, it is recommended to spill the wood chips with a urea solution.

Weeding and loosening the soil

Young barberries require regular weeding: the plants are light-loving, and quickly developing weeds inhibit them. Weeding is recommended to be combined with loosening. In this case, you should be especially careful not to damage the roots. Mature plants feel great on turfed tree trunks. With this growing method, the grass should be mowed regularly.

Fertilizer and regularity of watering

In nature, the plant does well without fertilizer. But cultivated varieties need fertilizing. But it is important to remember: the plant cannot tolerate excess nutrition. When planting, the planting hole is filled with complex fertilizer. Therefore, there is no need to feed barberry for the next 3 years.

Starting from the 4th year, decorative varieties require the application of nitrogen in the spring. You should water them with a urea solution (30 g per 10 liters of water). Fruit bushes require the addition of potassium and phosphorus. The first feeding is carried out in May-June, the second in the fall, before preparing the plant for winter.

You should not feed shrubs often: excess nutrition causes depression of the plant and provokes diseases.

Crown formation

Barberry is an ideal plant for the garden. Without formation, it turns into a spreading ball, but tangled branches are very rare: the shoots grow almost vertically. The gardener is only required to promptly cut out damaged and dried branches, as well as those that interfere with the care of the shrub.

Decorative varieties can be formed in the form of any shape: pyramid, cube, cone. Beginning gardeners will need a topiary frame or template for this. The hedge is usually formed in the form rectangular parallelepiped. After pruning, the plant should be fed: decorative varieties should be given foliar feeding on the leaves. An infusion of fermented herbs will do.

After sanitary pruning in the fall, the plant is fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. But it is important to remember: barberry recovers quickly, so pruning should be done regularly.

Preparing the bush for wintering

In regions where winter temperature is rarely negative; barberry overwinters without shelter. It is enough to carry out sanitary pruning and add a mineral complex.

But in other areas the plant requires additional preparation for winter:

• cut out immature shoots (they are light green);
• shorten the rest by 2/3;
• tie the crown with twine or wire;
• cover the top with white lutrasil or spunbond;
• cover the root zone with spruce branches with a layer of 15-20 cm (it will also protect from rodents).

After heavy snowfalls, snow should be poured onto the shelter: this way the plant will be better protected.

Preventive treatment of shrubs

Barberry is damaged by aphids, moths and sawflies. To prevent pest attacks in spring time It is recommended to carry out preventive treatment of shrubs. Spraying with Karbofos solution and copper-containing preparations is suitable.

Features of flowering and fruiting

Blooming barberry is an excellent honey plant. It attracts pollinating insects to the garden. Long-lasting flowering: up to 3 weeks.

What year does it begin to bear fruit?

Berry barberries, when planted as 2-year-old seedlings, begin to bear fruit in the 3rd year of life in the garden. When forcing plants from seeds - in the 5th-6th year. The shrub produces a harvest annually.

Flowering and harvest period

Flowering begins in May, but there is no clear date: it depends on average daily temperatures. The bush blooms for 2-3 weeks. At the same time, it smells nice.

Collection and use of berries

Red barberry ripens at the end of July. The fruits do not fall off and remain on the branches until cold weather. But their taste deteriorates: for use as food and for preparing preparations, the fruits must be picked before the beginning of September.

How to propagate barberry

Gardeners know various ways barberry propagation:

1. Old varieties of barberry reproduce by abundant root shoots. It is dug up and planted in permanent places in the spring.
2. Hybrids and plants on a rootstock should be propagated exclusively by cuttings or grafting into the crown of another barberry: other methods will not convey the qualities of the mother plant.
3. The varieties are effectively (albeit time consuming) propagated by seeds. In this case, the need to stratify the material should be taken into account. It is required to either sow before winter or keep for 60 days in the refrigerator in a damp cloth.
4. A method that does not require labor from the gardener is propagation by layering. In early spring, the branch is pinned to the ground, covered with soil, and the top is cut off. Next spring, the finished plant with a lump of earth is planted in a permanent place.
5. Delenka is a method used when there is a desire to transplant an adult bush. In the spring, the plant is carefully removed from the ground, excess soil is shaken off, and damaged roots are cut off. Then they are divided into the required number of parts, weak shoots are cut out from the above-ground part, strong shoots are cut to stumps with 3-4 buds. The delenki are immediately planted in a permanent place and shaded from the sun.

It is important to remember: seed and planting material should be taken only from healthy plants.

The use of shrubs in landscape design

The main value of barberry is its rapid recovery after pruning and decorative value throughout the year: from early spring to winter.

Against the background of snow cover, scarlet clusters of berries look attractive. It is the decorative nature of the shrub that makes it attractive for landscape design.

Gardeners use large trees to create impassable hedges. In this case, they are planted in a checkerboard pattern at a distance of 50-100 cm from each other. Common barberry can be used as a solitary plant. It is given its original shape by pruning and admired throughout the year.

What problems do beginning gardeners face?

Barberry is an unpretentious plant, and novice gardeners have nothing to fear: they can easily cope with caring for it. But it is recommended to anticipate the possibility of making some mistakes:

1. Planting in lowlands or areas flooded in spring. Barberry does not tolerate wet roots.
2. Placement on acidic soils. The bush stops growing.
3. Excess nitrogen in the soil. This mistake leads to fungal disease.
4. Too much frequent landing. Plants are difficult to care for.
5. Frequent and abundant watering. The roots rot and the plant dies.
6. Neglecting regular pruning. In fruit barberries it leads to a decrease in yield, in ornamental ones it leads to a loss of foliage color.
7. Placement in the shade. The plant will be oppressed: it loves sunlight.
8. Planting too close to other crops. Barberry is actively growing, and its shoots will interfere with caring for your neighbors.
9. An attempt to replant an adult bush. Most likely he will die. It is recommended to use layering or cuttings for planting in a new location.
10. Planting a seedling with an open root system at the wrong time.

For successful cultivation bush, you should carefully study all the rules and follow them.

Thanks to its exceptional decorative properties, barberry can increasingly be seen in garden plots. This plant is great for various landscape compositions (looks good both in single and group plantings, including as a hedge), and can also have edible fruits. Some even call barberry the king of the autumn garden, because it is during the autumn season that it literally flashes with bright colors and attracts everyone's attention.

Growing a shrub is quite simple, since it is a fairly unpretentious plant that can grow in almost any soil and can withstand long droughts and severe frosts.

Let's talk about when and how to plant barberry correctly, how to care for it after spring or autumn planting.

Barberry, like many other shrubs, can be planted in both spring and autumn, especially if you purchased a container plant, and it is in this form that it is sold in most garden centers and nurseries.

Planting dates in spring and autumn

If you decide to plant barberries in the spring, then you need to do this immediately after the temperature outside is above zero and the snow has melted.

For example, in the central zone (Moscow region), barberry is planted in the spring starting in April (usually in the 2-3rd decade).

Autumn planting of barberry can be done until stable frosts and freezing of the ground are established, but it is better to do this 2-3 weeks before, so that the plant has time to take root well in the new place before wintering.

In other words, approximate dates planting barberry in the fall in the middle zone (Moscow region) is September - the first half of October (if the autumn is warm, then, of course, you can plant it at the end of October).

Video: planting barberry in autumn

According to the lunar calendar in 2019

This can help you choose the optimal date for planting seedlings. moon calendar.

So, favorable days for planting barberry in 2019, according to the lunar calendar, are:

• in April - 11-17; 21-26.

Yes, this is not a mistake! Saplings of fruit and berry crops, according to the lunar calendar, it is recommended to plant in spring only in April.

• in September - 17-24, 30;
• in October - 2-4, 12, 13, 21-25, 30, 31.

Of course, it is not always possible to get to the dacha exactly in favorable days, so the main thing is not to land on unfavorable days.

Unfavorable days according to the lunar calendar for 2019 The dates for planting barberry seedlings are as follows:

• in March - 6, 7, 21;
• in April - 5, 19;
• in May - 5, 19;
• in June - 3, 4, 17;
• in July - 2, 3, 17;
• in August - 15, 16, 30, 31;
• in September - 14, 15, 28, 29;
• in October - 14, 28;
• in November - 12, 13, 26,27.

According to the lunar calendar, from the magazine “1000 tips for a summer resident.”

How to plant barberry correctly: step-by-step instructions

Varieties and popular varieties

There are several varieties and varieties of barberry:

Naturally, in landscape design, as a rule, Thunberg barberry is used, which comes in many varieties with different leaf colors and sizes.

Atropurpurea Nana

The most popular varieties of Thunberg barberry are: Aurea (yellow, up to 80 cm), Atropurpurea Nana (purple-red, up to 50 cm), Admiration (red, up to 50 cm), Golden Ring (dark purple or red, up to 1 meter) , Kobold (green, up to 40 cm, very similar to Boxwood), Bagatelle (dark purple), Red Carpet (red, up to 1 meter) and Green Carpet (green), Coronita (purple-red, up to 1.5 meters) , Maria (yellow, up to 1.5 meters), Natasha (pink-green-white), Pink Queen or Pink Queen (pink), Red Chief or Red Leader (purple), Orange Rocket (orange-red).

Video: the most interesting varieties barberry top 10

What should a seedling be like?

When buying a seedling, you need to pay attention not only to appearance branches and leaves, but also on the root system of the plant. It should be sufficiently developed, with a powerful main root and many additional adventitious roots (if you find a seedling with an open root system - OKS).

It is best to purchase seedlings from specialized garden centers or nurseries. As a rule, they sell seedlings in containers with soil (with a closed root system - ZKS).

By the way! You can do it yourself in several ways.

Landing location

Barberry is a heat-loving plant; accordingly, it is recommended to plant it in sunny areas, but protected from drying northern winds.

If you plant a shrub in a shaded area of ​​your dacha, then most varieties will lose their decorative properties in the shade (only green varieties can grow in partial shade, but variegated ones, in other words, red and yellow - no).

Of course, ideally you should find a place in the garden where the barberry will be well lit in the morning and evening hours sunlight, and at midday it will be slightly shaded and receive diffused light.

Barberry does not like soils with close groundwater (closer than 1.5-2 meters) - as a result, the root system begins to mold, rot, and the bush dies. Also, however, barberry should not grow in a place where moisture stagnates after the spring melting of snow or heavy rainfall.

Therefore, the plant should be planted on slopes (preferably southern) or hills (an artificial embankment can be made).

Barberry looks very beautiful in composition with heather and coniferous crops.

Suitable for framing ridges and borders.

You need to know that barberry should not be planted next to windows facing the garden. The plant attracts in large quantities various insects and midges, so if you do not want to constantly keep the windows closed or drive annoying insects out of the room, then you should choose another planting location.

At what distance to plant

The distance from other plants must be calculated depending on the purpose for which the barberry is planted and what variety it is.

If you want to plant a single barberry, for example, on a lawn, then the shrub should be placed at a distance of 2-3 meters from other plants (we’re talking about ordinary ones), although decorative Thunberg barberry can be planted closer (especially dwarf varieties - 50-60 cm) than usual - 1-1.5 meters.

If you plan to make a hedge from barberry, then the bushes should be placed much closer, i.e. the distance between plantings can be about 30-40 centimeters.

Moreover, barberry can be beautifully planted in a checkerboard pattern.

Let's write it down! Decorative varieties (for example, Thunberg barberry) at a distance of 50-150 cm, ordinary barberry - 2-3 meters.

To what depth (dimensions of the landing pit)

As a rule, the standard dimensions of a planting pit for barberry are 50 by 50 cm (depth and width/diameter).

If you have a seedling in a container, then the hole should be 2-3 times larger than the earthen coma of the plant (i.e. the container).

But a drainage layer is poured into the bottom of the hole, and then it is approximately half filled with a nutrient mixture (more on this in the next paragraph).

What kind of soil is needed andHow to fertilize (fill the planting hole)

Barberry can grow in any soil - neutral or slightly acidic - so it can be grown in almost any garden.

How to prepare a nutrient substrate to fill a planting hole?

So, you will need a bucket of humus or compost, peat and phosphorus-potassium fertilizer (according to the instructions on the package), as well as the top layer of fertile soil that remains after digging the hole.

For example, a mixture of superphosphate and potassium sulfate, or a complex fertilizer - diammofoska (optimally for autumn planting) or nitroammofoska (for spring planting).

If you are not a supporter of using mineral fertilizers and prefer organics, then your choice is wood ash and bone meal.

Direct landing

Step-by-step instructions for planting barberry seedlings in open ground:

• Fill the planting hole with fertile soil in advance, leaving a depression the size of the seedling’s root system.
• If desired, lightly spill the hole with water.

To water or not to water before planting a seedling is a controversial issue. Many water only after planting, others - both before and after.

• Place the seedling in the center of the hole on a mound, carefully straightening the roots down (The roots should under no circumstances bend or stick up!)

If the seedling is in a pot (with ZKS), then there is no need to pour any mounds - just place it in the center without damaging the earthen ball.

• Bury the root collar 3-5 cm below ground level (the root collar is the place where the first root leaves the plant trunk).
• Cover with soil and compact lightly.
• Sprinkle generously and wait until the soil shrinks.
• Add soil, make a circle around the trunk, water again.
• Mulch.
• At the end, it is recommended to trim the bush, leaving only 4-5 good buds (although you don’t have to do this).

Video: how to plant barberry correctly

Caring for barberry after planting

Caring for the plant after planting is quite easy.

If you planted in the spring, then during the season you will only need to monitor the humidity (But do not overdo it!), Watering the bush periodically (especially in the case of hot and dry summers).

When planting in autumn, at the end of autumn, insulate it for the winter, or rather, mulch the tree trunk circle in order to protect the still fragile root system of the plant from possible freezing.

In the future, caring for barberry is completely standard:

• timely watering (but infrequently and only when necessary, for example, in the case of a very dry summer. The fact is that the shrub is very drought-resistant and does not like waterlogging);
• fertilizing (as a rule, once a year with complex fertilizer is enough, but 2 times are possible: in the spring - with nitrogen fertilizer, and in late summer-early autumn - with phosphorus-potassium fertilizer);
• regular pruning (sanitary and anti-aging once every 3-5 years) and haircut/shaping (best done in June or mid-late August);

• treatment against diseases and pests;

As a rule, most varieties of barberry, especially Thunberg, are resistant to all diseases, but in late summer and early autumn the shrub is often affected by powdery mildew, especially if there are occasional rains and your barberry is planted in the shade or is too thick. In general, in this case, it is possible to carry out an autumn eradication treatment of the bush with copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture, but this is not necessary, because next spring Your plant will be fine.

• carry out autumn care.

Important! Read more about how to care for barberry in the fall in order to properly prepare it for winter, you can read.

Now you know that planting barberry is no more difficult than any other shrub or tree, which means that you do not need any extra effort or new knowledge. It's more important to choose the right one sunny place on a site where all the beauty of barberry foliage can be fully revealed.

Video: features of growing and caring for Thunberg barberry

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Preface

Spreading barberry will decorate any area. To make caring for this representative of the flora as easy as possible, you should plant it in the fall. This is exactly what we will devote our article to, and after studying the material, even a novice gardener will be able to cope with the task.

Do we know everything about barberry?

We all know barberry-flavored lollipops and soda, but that’s usually where our knowledge is limited. Barberry belongs to the ornamental shrubs. You can meet it not only in the gardens of our vast Motherland, but also in the countries of southern Europe, and some species have taken root well in Central Asia and even in the mountains of the Trans-Ili Alatau (Kazakhstan).

There are many species of this representative of the flora, among which there are evergreens and deciduous ones. There are also semi-evergreen shrubs. In this case, with the onset of cold weather, only part of the foliage is shed. Barberry is one of the favorite plants of landscape designers. Firstly, it is easy to cut. Secondly, the resident of the garden will be pleasing to the eye throughout all year round. In spring, the bushes are showered with unusually beautiful yellow flowers, collected in clusters. With the onset of summer comes the time for rich green colors. And in autumn and winter, the plant will be decorated with bright red clusters of berries.

Barberry in landscape design

This shrub is not afraid of heat or frost, it is unpretentious and takes root easily, the main thing is to plant it correctly. Young plants have rather thin and spreading branches, but after a few years the bush will grow and become a fairly dense barrier. Due to this, it is very often used as a hedge. Typically, these representatives of the flora reach a height of about 3 m, but there are also dwarf varieties, no more than 30 cm. It is worth saying a few more words about the branches: they are strewn with sharp thorns, which can be up to 1 cm long.

Despite the fact that the shrub is decorative, its vocation is not only to decorate the area. It is used to make yellow paint: wood parts (roots, bark and wood) are used. But berries containing 3 types of acid have found use in cooking. They are used to prepare sweets, jams and drinks, and when dried they are an excellent addition to various dishes, such as pilaf, risotto, etc. In the past, red fruits were often used by pharmacists. The leaves will be an excellent addition to marinades.

How to choose a suitable garden resident?

Let us dwell on the features of various varieties, because planting and further care largely depend on the type of plant. And the aesthetic component plays an important role; different types differ in the size and color of the leaves.

Berberis vulgaris grows up to 3 m. The flowers are yellow, very bright and exude a sweet honey aroma. The foliage is predominantly green, although decorative forms with unusual colors are also found. For example, the Aureo-marginata variety has green leaves with a golden border. But the foliage of Atropurpurea is completely purple-violet. This variety can be planted both in sunny areas and in the shade. It has excellent frost resistance and grows well on light loams.

Shrub "Berberis vulgaris"

Berberis thunbergii is a deciduous plant. It, like its predecessor, is not afraid of cold weather, but grows no more than 1.5 m. Its berries taste bitter and are not suitable for food. The root system is incredibly powerful. Thanks to it, this variety is used to strengthen slopes and ravines. Depending on the decorative form, the color of the foliage ranges from golden yellow to purple-red. But Golden Ring is famous for its red leaves, the edges of which are decorated with a golden border.

Let's pay attention to one more thing rare view– Berberis x ottawiensis. An incredibly beautiful plant grows up to 2 m in height. Its highlight is the foliage, the color of which changes depending on the time of year. If in summer it is pink-violet, then by autumn it becomes bright crimson. The scarlet fruits also deserve admiration. The flowers have a standard yellow color. Among this species there is Superba, reaching 4 m in height. The red leaves of this representative have a bluish tinge in summer, but with the onset of cold weather their color changes to orange. The Silver Miles variety is famous for its variegated foliage. Gray stripes and spots are randomly located on their red surface.

Reproduction methods - seeds, cuttings or division?

There are several ways to propagate a plant; we will dwell on each, because only by knowing all the nuances can you choose the right method. To grow barberry from seeds, you need to collect ripe fruits and remove the stone from them. Then we prepare a weak solution of potassium permanganate and soak the seed material in it for several minutes. We remove the seeds, dry them and sow them directly into the ground. If you decide to plant the seeds not in the fall, but in the spring, then you should mix them with sand and store them in the basement or other cool place.

Barberry is also propagated by cuttings. Cut small shoots and remove lower leaves, and the upper branches should be shortened by half. Next, prepare a root former solution and soak the branches in it for several hours. Then we take out the cuttings and dry them thoroughly. And now you can plant the prepared material in a special substrate. It is prepared from fertile soil, humus, peat and sand, taken in a ratio of 1:1:1:1/2. The cuttings are planted in a greenhouse, ventilating it periodically. Only after rooting can you leave them in the open ground.

Low shrubs reproduce well by division. If you decide to give preference to this method, you need to dig up the bush in the spring and divide it into approximately equal parts. It is quite possible that in this matter one pruner will not be enough and you will have to resort to more serious garden tools, such as a saw. You should act extremely carefully, because if you damage the root system, the new bushes will not take root. Next, you need to treat all the cuts with crushed coal and plant the plant. This method is not suitable if the shoots branch above the soil level.

The last method is propagation by layering. In the spring, carefully examine the bush and select a strong annual shoot from among the lower branches. Then prepare a groove next to it and bend the selected branch so that it ends up in the recess. Fix it in this position, and then sprinkle it with soil. Moreover, the tip of the shoot should remain on the surface. After just a few months, in the fall, the shoot will take root, and you will receive ready-made seedlings. All that remains is to transplant them and grow them.

Rules for planting a new garden resident

Now is the time to talk about how to properly plant such an amazing plant. Most often this is done in the spring, but this procedure can also be carried out in the fall. It was already mentioned earlier that the bush is unpretentious, but you still have to adhere to some rules.

It is very important to choose the right site. In principle, the shrub grows both in the sun and in shaded places, but if you want to please the eye with gorgeous greenery, it is better to give preference to a more illuminated area. In addition, in the shade this representative of the flora stops bearing fruit. Avoid areas with close groundwater. Light soils or loams are excellent, as long as there is no stagnant moisture. Pay attention to acidity; if it exceeds 7 pH, then the soil should be limed. Moreover, this procedure can be carried out directly during planting. To do this, add a mixture of peat, humus, turf soil, wood ash (200 g) and slaked lime (400 g) to the hole.

Growing fruiting barberry

The distance at which you place the bushes largely depends on the purpose. For example, if you plan to plant a single specimen, then it is necessary that there is no vegetation within a radius of at least 1.5 m. But when you use the plant as a hedge, the bushes are planted every 50 cm.

The holes must be prepared 14–21 days before planting. For one shrub, a hole measuring 40x40 cm is dug; in the case of a hedge, a trench of the same depth should be prepared. Next, fill the bottom with sand. This will have the most positive effect on the aeration of the root system. Now you need to place the seedling in the hole and fill it up bottom part earth. We compact the soil well, act carefully, otherwise you will harm the roots, which will negatively affect the future condition of the plant. Now all that remains is to water the new resident generously and mulch with peat or compost. At the end of the process, the upper part of the seedling is cut off so that 3 or maximum 5 well-developed buds remain.

How to care for bushes?

How to plant this one correctly ornamental shrub, we found out, but in order for it to please us for many years, it is necessary to provide proper care. Timely irrigation plays an important role. If the summer turns out to be dry, then this procedure should be carried out every week. And with normal precipitation, there is no need to water the barberry at all. When watering, try to avoid water contact with the foliage. Only planted specimens should be irrigated weekly until they take root.

Remember to actively control weeds. Also remove root shoots that grow too actively and abundantly. Regularly loosen the soil around the bush to ensure oxygen access to the root system. By mulching the area with peat, you can significantly ease your worries.

Like most shrubs, barberry needs pruning. In spring, the branches of one-year-old plants are shortened by half. All weak and dried shoots are completely removed. In the future, this procedure is carried out twice a year. Moreover, pruning can be not only sanitary, but also decorative.

Pruning a barberry bush

Planting any plant involves fertilizing the soil; there are enough nutrients for exactly a year, then the supply of nutrients must be replenished. Nitrogen fertilizers are applied in the spring. The urea solution has proven itself to be excellent. It is necessary to dissolve 20 g of the product in a bucket of clean water. The next fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers is repeated only after 3 years. If barberry acts as fruit bush, after the flowering period it is necessary to feed it with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. One bush requires 15 g of superphosphate and 10 g of potassium fertilizers.

It is important to prevent diseases and pests. Wrinkled and dried leaves indicate the appearance of aphids. Treat the barberry bush with soapy water. To do this, dissolve 300 g of laundry soap in 10 liters of clean water. A more dangerous pest is the moth, which harms fruits. You can get rid of it using a 1–3% chlorophos solution.

Fungal diseases can also be fought. For example, it is easy to get rid of powdery mildew using a one percent solution of colloidal sulfur. To remove rust, it is necessary to apply the same product three times. The procedure is repeated after 21 days. Copper oxychloride (30 g) diluted in water (10 l) will help combat spotting. But of all, the most dangerous disease should rightfully be called bacteriosis or bacterial cancer. Affected shoots should be immediately removed and burned. If the disease has spread to the trunk, then the barberry cannot be saved.

Barberry bushes look very decorative not only in summer. The cultural forms of this shrub are very diverse and unpretentious. Its plantings are often used as a hedge, given that barberry easily tolerates cutting and pruning. A particularly valuable quality of this shrub is its unpretentiousness to growing and care conditions.

Barberry is a beautiful plant that can decorate any garden or play the role of a reliable hedge. About 500 species of this plant grow in nature. Varieties of barberry differ in the height of the bush, the color of the leaves and fruits (yellow, purple, red), size, color and number of flowers.

Unlike Thunberg and monetolifolia - decorative varieties, common barberry is grown mainly for its berries. They are used to prepare various preparations for the winter, liqueurs, marshmallows. Berries are added to pilaf, marinades, and fried vegetables in Central Asia and the Caucasus.

The benefits of the berries of this shrub are obvious - a high content of vitamins (E, C, A and various B groups), organic acids (citric, malic and tartaric) and a complex of mineral compounds.

Unripe barberry berries cannot be eaten - they are poisonous!

Is it possible to grow barberry from a seed?

From a small seed you can grow a beautiful bush at home. However, you should prepare for difficulties in advance:

• germination percentage very short (from 20% to 40%),
• the process is long(requires seed stratification),
• the seedling will be ready for transplantation to a permanent place only in 2-3 years,
• to get berries vaccination will be required.

Barberry seed

Barberry can also reproduce by self-sowing from berries that fall in the fall.

A lone barberry bush, with the most careful care, will not please you with a harvest. This shrub is one of the plants that require cross-pollination of flowers. For successful formation of ovaries, it is necessary to have several bushes on the site. Take care of this right away.

How to grow barberry from seed at home?

Let's take a closer look at how to do this correctly.

It is necessary to select the ripest berries, separate them from the pulp, and rinse them in running water. Then these seeds must be disinfected, soak for 20 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, rinse and dry.

Seeds can be immediately planted in loose soil, cleared of weeds, in furrows no more than 3 centimeters deep. During the winter, under the snow, the seeds will harden and germinate in the spring.

Barberry sprouts

You can do otherwise if you were unable to plant seeds in the fall:

1. Disinfected seeds mix with damp (attention - not wet) sand and keep them at a temperature of +3°C until spring, on the vegetable shelf of the refrigerator.
2. In April they plant it in the garden.
3. When two true leaves appear - seedlings are thinned out. Weak seedlings are removed and the strongest ones are left.

The distance between shoots is at least 3 centimeters.

1. Before planting in a permanent place it is better to grow seedlings another year in this “school” (a bed for very young plants, which you carefully care for and control).
2. Fruits on seedlings will appear only after two years, but he still has to be vaccinated.
3. Barberry transplant into open ground.

Barberry is common in central and southern Russia, in the North Caucasus and the Black Sea coast, in Western and Eastern Siberia, the Moscow region and the Urals, where they feel quite well on rocky soil and without any care. The cultivated forms of the shrub are also very unpretentious:

1. For a young plant prepare a planting hole no larger than 50x50 centimeters in size(this is even with a reserve).
2. Half hole fill with compost or humus (about a bucket).
3. Preferably add lime for additional soil deoxidation (up to 0.5 kg).
4. Add approx. half a bucket of regular sand- this will increase the supply of oxygen to the roots.
5. All mix thoroughly so as not to burn the roots.
6. Having installed the seedling in the planting hole, sprinkle the roots with soil and water well.
7. Mulch with peat, compost or rotted sawdust.
8. Last thing, cut off the top of the plant, leaving 3-4 well-developed buds - this way the plant tolerates replanting more easily and will grow as a bush faster.

The frequency of planting barberry bushes depends on the variety

Like most garden plants, barberry can be replanted twice.:

• in autumn- until the end of October,
• in the spring- until the end of April.

Care after landing

All varieties of barberry are grown the same way - whether you have ornamental Thunberg barberry or common barberry.

• timely watering,
• feeding
• weed removal,
• pruning in spring before buds open and in late autumn.

Conveniently, barberry is fed only once every few years according to a standard schedule.:

• nitrogen- only in spring,
• potassium-phosphorus- in the fall.

How to prune barberry in autumn

No trimming barberry bush easily reaches a height of 3 meters. This light-loving thorny shrub can not only serve as a hedge, but also annually produce a harvest of very useful berries.

Barberry Thunberg

But this is only possible:

• if the bush grows well bright place,
• has not too thickened crown,
• pollinators grow nearby- a few more barberry bushes.

And pruning bushes is one of the main conditions for fruiting.

Sanitary pruning

The bush forms impenetrable thickets very quickly. Pruning not only creates a beautiful plant shape. By cutting out broken, dry, old branches, you rejuvenate the bush.

Fortunately, this type of garden shrub is practically not susceptible to fungal diseases. Thickened barberry bushes may turn out to be an intermediate link - fungi will find shelter in its thickets, and under favorable conditions they will spread to neighbors.

That's why, All branches that are too thin and strongly thicken the bush must also be removed.. This improves the ventilation of the bush space. It is enough to carry out such pruning twice a year.

Formative pruning

Forming a barberry bush is not particularly difficult. Just it is necessary to remove all branches growing inside the bush- they will certainly create excessive thickening of the crown. Such a dense bush will definitely not bear fruit.

If your barberry is part of a hedge, then the number of branches will be in the dozens. In this case, remove only dry and damaged branches. In fact, only sanitary pruning is carried out.

Pruning barberry in a hedge

Decorative bushes can be trimmed with garden shears or special trimmers, giving barberry plantings a wide variety of shapes.

Bush rejuvenation

The main thing to remember when rejuvenating barberry bushes is This plant produces flowers and fruits mainly on annual growths. It follows from this that if the branches are severely shortened, one should not count on a harvest (this technique is only suitable for decorative forms of barberry).

For rejuvenation of fruit forms:

• or cut out an old branch to the base and in its place a young one is formed,
• or by pruning transfer growth to a branch.

Although barberry is not afraid of haircuts and pruning, do not get carried away with severe shortening of the branches - you will be left without flowers and berries.

Preparing for winter in Siberia, the Moscow region and the Urals

With the arrival of autumn, it is time to transplant young seedlings of bushes from the “shkolka” to a permanent place, or sow seeds into the “shkolka” to grow new plants.

It is necessary to restore order in tree trunk circles:

1. remove various debris and dig up the soil under the bushes,
2. feed the plants humus or compost,
3. carry out sanitary pruning,
4. trim for rejuvenation if necessary.

Before the onset of cold weather, tree trunk circles must be mulch with loose peat, compost or dried leaves.

Only very young bushes (up to 5 years of age) are very sensitive to winter cold - their need to be covered when the first frost sets in. The easiest way is to cover it with spruce branches, this is especially true for evergreen barberry varieties.

At the first frost, young barberry bushes are covered with spruce branches

Large bushes must be tied with rope or twine in front of the shelter. A lattice box is installed around it, where dry leaves are filled to the top, and wrapped on top with non-woven material (for example, agrofibre),

This applies to winter insulation of any garden crops. You should not rush to cover the plants - it is better to be a little late than to do it too early. A hermetically sealed space (covering with film) is especially dangerous for wintering heat-loving crops. During a thaw, condensation forms under the film, which will definitely destroy the bush with the onset of frost.

Reproduction of barberry and planting in open ground

In addition to the seed method of propagating barberry, seedlings of this bush can be obtained much faster using vegetative methods. The main advantages of such reproduction:

• you receive a ready-made seedling in one season,
• the varietal properties of the plant are completely preserved - no vaccination needed.

How to propagate barberry in the country?

Cuttings

The cutting method allows you to obtain a very large number of seedlings in a year without grafting. However, without the use of heteroauxin or other root growth stimulants, barberry cuttings proceed very slowly.

Propagation of barberry by cuttings

1. Early summer (June) annual lateral branches are cut into cuttings approximately 15 centimeters.
2. The lower leaves are removed and treated according to instructions with a root growth stimulator.
3. Cuttings prepared in this way planted in a mixture of humus, fertile soil, peat and sand (1:1:1:0.5).
4. Install film shelter.
5. Several times a day needs to be ventilated and spray the cuttings.
6. Land as needed loosen and water.
7. Take care of covering the “school” for the winter.

Next spring, seedlings can be planted in a permanent place.

By layering

For layering from the lower parts of the bush in the spring, choose strong annual branches.

1. Bend them to the ground and place it in the grooves 15-20 centimeters depth.
2. Fix the position of the branch wire bow or flyer branch.
3. Cover with earth so that only one shoot tip remains on the surface.

Reproduction of barberry by layering

Apart from watering, layering does not require special care. By autumn it will be ready for transplanting.

Dividing the bush

If you have a barberry bush that suits you in all respects, it can be divided into several. The best time for this is in the spring before the buds open..

1. Carefully dig up the mother bush.
2. Cut into pieces. Powerful roots are cut with a hacksaw.
3. The division parts are planted in pre- prepared holes.
4. Trim the bush to balance the above-ground part with the roots and improve the survival rate of the damaged plant.

Further care for the cut bush is no different.

Conclusion

Growing barberry in the garden is not at all difficult. Caring for this shrub is not difficult even for an amateur gardener. The plant is so unpretentious that it practically does not require fertilizing; any soil without stagnant water is suitable for it. Densely planted bushes will create a hedge that will add a touch of classic English parkland to your garden design.

Barberry is a wonderful ornamental shrub plant, which, depending on the variety, can have either edible or simply incredibly beautiful berries. It is often used in landscape design, in other words, it is planted as the highlight of a personal plot. How barberries are planted in spring and autumn, what the seedling should be like, what the peculiarities of planting in different regions should be known before planting.

When is it better to plant barberry in spring or autumn?

Barberry is a heat-loving plant; it is recommended to plant it on sunny areas. The best time to plant a young seedling is spring. If it was not possible to plant a bush in the first warm months or the seedling was purchased only in the fall, then you should not pause and wait until next spring; it is better to plant the seedling in open ground as quickly as possible.

Attention! If you plant barberries in the spring, it is recommended to do so by the time when the outside temperature has already reached above zero, but the buds on the plant have not yet blossomed.

If the shrub is planted a little later, it will be sick for a long period, trying to develop the root system and take root completely. At the same time, the ground part will stretch out from the seedling, growing leaves and new shoots. Therefore, it is recommended to monitor weather conditions and plant a young barberry seedling after the last return frost.

In autumn, barberry should be planted in September-early October, but so that the temperature is kept at +10...+15 C. This is necessary so that the young bush grows a root system and takes root completely before the onset of the first frost.

It is necessary to lay mulch in the tree trunk circle of the seedling to insulate the root system, and after snow falls, rake a large snowdrift so that the young shrub does not feel cold during a strong drop in temperature.

Advantages and disadvantages of planting in spring and autumn

Spring planting of barberry is different big amount advantages than disadvantages. The following are the advantages for planting shrubs in the first months of rising temperatures in the new year:

The disadvantages of planting in spring include elevated temperature air, which, in the absence of proper watering, can cause drying out of the root system and death of the seedling. The disadvantage is the need to track climatic conditions. Experienced gardeners successfully cope with this task, but beginners find it difficult to control weather conditions and choose the best option for planting. In other words, there are no specific deadlines, so landing should be done at your own peril and risk.

When planting a barberry bush in the fall, there is again a possibility of deepening it at the wrong time. Therefore, you should also monitor the weather. The landmark is the complete fall of leaves from the bush. Planting should be done so that at least 30-45 days remain until the onset of the first cold weather, then rooting will be successful and the plant will favorably survive the winter cold.

How to plant barberry: features and step-by-step instructions

Inexperienced gardeners are advised to familiarize themselves with the rules for choosing planting material before purchasing and planting barberry seedlings. In addition, you need to choose the optimal place for planting, as well as properly prepare the place for planting. Several nuances need to be taken into account both when preparing the bush for deepening and during planting in the ground.

Barberry varieties

There are several varieties and varieties of this shrub:

• Ordinary or berry barberry (the fruits are large and edible, grows up to 3 meters in height).
• Decorative barberry Thunberg (fruits are small and inedible, grows up to 1.5 meters).

  Barberry Thunberg Aurea

Naturally, in landscape design As a rule, Thunberg barberry is used, which comes in many varieties with different leaf colors and sizes.

Atropurpurea nana The most popular varieties of Thunberg barberry are: Aurea (yellow, up to 80 cm), Atropurpurea nana (purple-red, up to 50 cm), Admiration (red, up to 50 cm), Golden Ring (dark purple or red, more than 1 meter) , Kobold (green, up to 40 cm), Red Carpet (red, more than 1 meter), Coronita (purple-red, up to 1.5 meters).

Video: barberry varieties - top of the brightest shrubs

What should a seedling be like?

What a seedling should look like should be determined depending on its location and the functions it will perform. If barberry is planted in a flowerbed for decorative purposes, then it is better to purchase a plant of compact size, less spreading, for example, Thunberg barberry.

In the opposite case, if it is assumed that the shrub will become the highlight of the garden, then seedlings with long and spreading branches, for example, common barberry, are ideal.

Attention! When buying a seedling, you need to pay attention not only to the appearance of the branches (they will still have to be partially cut off), but to the root system of the plant. It should be sufficiently developed, with a powerful main root and many additional adventitious roots.

The root system should be wet or moist; if the top layer of the root is slightly damaged, a fresh cut of a greenish or whitish hue should be visible under the bark. If the dry part is visible when the root is damaged, such a seedling should not be taken.

It is best to purchase the plant in specialized stores, garden centers or nurseries. It is better if the root system is in a pot of soil, that is, it will be a seedling with a closed root system (ZKS).

By the way! Propagate barberry possible in several ways.

Landing location

It is recommended to place a young barberry seedling in open sunny areas, protected from cold northern winds. If you plant a shrub in a shaded area of ​​the dacha, then many varieties will lose their decorative properties in the shade (only green varieties can grow in partial shade, but variegated ones, in other words, red and yellow ones, cannot). The plant does not like soils with close groundwater, as a result of which the root system begins to mold, rot, and the bush dies.

Important! Barberry does not like stagnant water after snow melts or heavy rainfall in spring. Therefore, the plant should be planted on slopes (preferably southern) or hills, and even better, make a drainage layer.

In order for the root system to develop well, you can plant the plant in a slightly shaded corner (in light partial shade) of the country garden, but in such a way that the barberry receives sunlight in the morning and evening hours, and at midday it receives diffused light.

What you can’t plant with

It is not recommended to plant barberry next to fruit trees such as pear, apple and plum. They pull everything out useful material from the soil, preventing the bush from using mineral fertilizers. In addition, they greatly shade the plant, blocking full development.

It is beautiful to plant barberry next to conifers.

You need to know that barberry should not be planted next to windows facing the garden. The plant attracts various insects and midges in large numbers, so if you do not want to keep the windows closed all the time or drive annoying insects out of the room, then you need to choose a different planting site.

At what distance

The distance from other plants should be calculated depending on the purpose for which the barberry is planted. If it is intended for rooting in the singular, so to speak, as the highlight of a personal plot, then the shrub should be placed at a distance of 1.5-2 meters from other plants, although the decorative Thunberg barberry can be planted closer (especially dwarf varieties - 50-60 cm) than usual.

If you plan to make a hedge from barberry, then you should place the bushes much closer and constantly carry out formative pruning to curb the growth of plants. In this case, the distance between plantings should be about 0.5 meters, and the seedlings can be beautifully planted in a checkerboard pattern.

At what depth to plant

When planting a young barberry seedling up to 3 years old, dig a planting hole up to 50 cm deep, the width should be identical.

If a sufficiently mature specimen (4-7 years old) is being planted, then it is recommended to dig a hole significantly larger than the first option (2 times). The pit should be at least 90-100 cm deep and wide.

If you plan to plant shrubs for hedges, then a trench is first dug. Its depth should be at least 50 cm, and its width can vary from 40-50 cm.

What kind of soil is needed andwhat to fertilize before planting

Barberry prefers neutral soil. If the soil is acidic, it is recommended to deacidify the soil in advance with slaked lime or wood ash.

If the soil is loamy or black soil, then a small amount of peat should be added to the soil. Clarifying detail: peat provides not only nutrients, but also a kind of drainage for the bush.

Humus, superphosphate, peat and garden soil (or 2 parts of turf soil, 1 part of humus and 1 part of sand) should be added to the hole prepared in advance, and then be sure to mix thoroughly so as not to burn the roots of the plant with fertilizers. Drainage must be placed at the bottom of the recess or trench. The latter promotes normal plant growth, preventing the root system from rotting due to stagnant water. For drainage, broken bricks, small pebbles collected from the garden, or expanded clay are suitable.

Direct landing

Planting a barberry seedling should proceed as follows:

1. A little substrate should be poured into a pre-prepared hole (already with drainage).
2. Place the seedling on it, carefully straightening the roots (if it is in a pot, then simply place it together with a lump of earth).
3. Cover the seedling with soil and compact it lightly.
4. Water thoroughly and wait until the soil settles.
5. Add soil, make soil around the tree trunk, water again.
6. Mulch with peat.
7. It is recommended to trim the bush, leaving only 4-5 good buds (although you don’t have to do this).

Video: how to plant barberry correctly

Care after landing

Caring for the plant after planting is quite easy. There are no special events. To maintain the plant in conditions comfortable for growth, the following recommendations should be followed:

1. Watering– after planting, the seedling should be irrigated as necessary. As the plant takes root, watering should be kept to a minimum; barberry gets enough rainwater that comes with precipitation. If there is no rain for a long period, you should resort to stationary moderate watering. Frequent watering Doesn't like bushes. It also does not tolerate water getting on the crown and leaves.
2. Top dressing– in the first year, fertilizers should not be applied immediately after planting; even in the second year, you can do without them. For the seedling there will be enough of those nutrients that arrived during landing. Although in the second year you can do a couple of foliar feedings (spraying with a fertilizer solution). In the future, barberry will need to be fertilized with urea in early spring, and if you have a fruit-bearing variety (more precisely, an ordinary or berry variety, whose fruits are edible), then after flowering you should carry out abundant potassium and phosphorus fertilizers, which are also recommended to be repeated in the fall. Decorative varieties also need similar fertilizers, but less abundant and frequent (once every 2 years is enough).
3. Loosening and removing weeds it is required that weeds do not clog the young seedling, and also that nutritious liquid reaches the bush and does not stagnate on the surface. In addition, oxygen is very important for the bush, which is necessary for quality development.
4. The branches of barberry grow almost vertically, so the shrub can be given virtually any shape (spherical, pyramidal) using shaping pruning; the shrub also needs a sanitary variety. It is best to prune barberry in early spring before the sap begins to flow, or after fruiting - in the fall.

Important! You can read more about pruning and preparing (sheltering) barberry for winter In this article.

Thus, caring for barberry after planting in most cases does not force the gardener to be overly strained. Periodic monitoring of the condition of the bush allows you to grow a voluminous, luxurious plant with many branches and a good harvest.

Video: features of growing barberry - care, pruning, feeding

Features of planting in different regions

Planting in different regions implies different terms. This depends on climatic conditions and temperature conditions. In any place or region, you should optimally select a site where barberry will successfully develop.

In the middle zone (Moscow region)

In the Moscow region, barberry is planted in April, as soon as the last snow has melted and the weather has sharply warmed up. Later periods may entail a long period of acclimatization and rooting of the seedling in a new place.

In Siberia and the Urals

IN northern regions All deadlines for planting barberry are postponed to a later date. This is due to climatic conditions, so planting is carried out only in June. In the autumn months, you should not plant the plant if you live in Siberia or the Urals due to the proximity of the first frosts. But when planted at the beginning of summer, the seedling has the opportunity to take root well.

Possible errors during landing

What farmer doesn't make mistakes? There are some of the most common mistakes that provoke plant diseases and long-term rooting of barberry:

1. Incorrectly selected seedling– strong branching does not allow the plant to take root properly, so part of the growth should be eliminated, leaving small shoots.
2. Landing location– if a shaded area is chosen, the plant will not develop properly.
3. Bad timing– if you plant a seedling too early, then return frosts will freeze it young plant, which will provoke either his illness or death. In case of late rooting, the plant cannot contain the above-ground part and develop rhizomes.

Thus, barberry does not require much effort when planting. The main thing is to follow the rules for choosing a seedling, the time and place of planting it. And after planting, one should not forget about caring for the young seedling.

Video: features of growing and caring for Thunberg barberry

This plant has many faces. Among its many species, one can find shrubs that are highly decorative, and some plant species have edible fruits sour taste. 100 g of berries contain 5 daily norms of vitamin C and 2.5 norms of vitamin A. This plant makes an impenetrable hedge, and it is also a natural healer that saves from many diseases. All this is about barberry, planting and caring for which is not particularly difficult.

Types and varieties of barberry

There are about 500 wild species and various varieties of barberry in nature. Many of them gave birth to cultivated varieties, and there are also many of them. When crossing different types The result was plants that were particularly decorative.

The most famous natural forms are the following:

• Common barberry. Inhabitant of the southern regions of our country. Grows up to 2.5 m. Arched yellowish-brown shoots are covered with dark green ovoid leaves and tripartite spines, reaching a length of 2 cm. At the end of spring, the bushes are covered with fragrant flowers collected in brushes. In autumn, edible bright red fruits more than 1 cm long ripen. Their taste is sour and refreshing. There is also a red-leaved form - Atropurpurea, up to 2 meters high with orange-yellow flowers and dark red fruits. There is also a variegated one – Albovariegata.
• Amur barberry. It is native to the Far East and also grows in China and Japan. The shrub, up to 3.5 m high, is decorated in spring with long clusters of flowers, and in autumn with shiny edible juicy red fruits that do not fall off for a long time.
• Canadian barberry. In Russia it is rare. The tall bush consists of shoots of a dark purple color and is distinguished by abundant fruiting.
• Ottawa barberry. It is the result of hybridization between the Thunberg barberry and the red-leaved form of the common barberry (Atropurpurea). The bush grows up to 2 meters. The yellow flowers have a reddish tint, and its fruits are dark red. One of the most famous varieties of this species is the Ottawa barberry Superba. It has very decorative dark red leaves and unusual red-yellow flowers. The variety is winter-hardy and almost not affected by diseases.
• Barberry is spherical. This is a fairly frost-resistant shrub native to the mountainous regions of Central Asia. It is distinguished not only by its serrated edge leaves, which are not characteristic of barberry, but also by spherical edible fruits of a dark blue color.
• Barberry Thunberg. It forms a low, spreading bush with small leaves and beautiful fruits that have a bitter taste and are unsuitable for food. This type is most suitable for decorating gardens and parks. Numerous varieties have been bred for this purpose: Aurea and Bonanza Gold with yellow leaves, Red Chief with dark red leaves, Harlequin and Corniche with variegated foliage. One of the most famous is the barberry Thunberga Atropurpurea. Its bush up to 1.5 meters high is covered with purple-red foliage that changes color to bright carmine in autumn. The real decoration of the plant is the yellow flowers with red streaks collected in brushes.

Planting shrubs in the garden

Most varieties of garden barberry are unpretentious, but they still have their own preferences and must be taken into account when planting plants in the garden.

How and when to plant?

Planting time depends on which root system the seedling was purchased with – closed or open. In the first case, planting can be carried out throughout the growing season.

In the second, her time is limited to two terms:

• in early spring until the buds have not yet blossomed, but the ground has already thawed;
• in the fall at the time of leaf fall, but at this time planting is associated with the risk of the plant freezing in winter.

Since the rhizome of barberry is creeping and located in the surface layers of the soil, they do not dig a large hole for it. Its diameter depends on the age of the bush.

• For children 2-3 years old, a hole 25 cm deep with the same diameter is enough.
• For 5-7 year old plants it should be larger - about 50 cm in depth and diameter.
• When using barberry bushes as a hedge, do not limit yourself to holes, but dig a trench 40 cm wide and deep along the entire length of the plantings.

But in any case, the guideline is the size of the seedling’s root system. She should not be cramped in the landing pit. It is necessary to prepare the place for barberry in advance so that the soil has time to settle and there are no voids in it.

After a drainage layer of pebbles or broken bricks has been laid at the bottom of the hole, it is filled with a soil mixture of the following composition:

• humus or well-ripened compost - 1 part;
• garden soil - 1 part;
• sand - 1 part.

Each bush will need 200 g of ash and 100 g of superphosphate. The planting hole is spilled with water. If the seedling is grown in a container, before planting it, together with the container, is immersed in water for 20 minutes so that the earthen ball is well saturated with water. For plants with an open root system, the soaking time is longer - from 2 to 3 hours, and it is good to add a root formation stimulator to the water. If the roots are not dry, the seedling does not need to be soaked, but the root system can be sprinkled with a root formation stimulator.

If several bushes are planted, when choosing a scheme for their placement, you need to remember that they grow greatly in width, so the distance between them should not be less than 1.5 m. The only exception is planting as a hedge - 2 plants are planted per 1 linear meter. It is very important not to bury them when planting; the root collar should be slightly above the soil level.

Requirements for location and soil

All barberries are drought-resistant plants, wet soil they don’t need it, so places with high groundwater levels or flooded in the spring are not suitable for them.

They are also demanding on lighting. In shade and even partial shade, the intensity of leaf color decreases, and fruiting will be weak.

In nature, barberries most often grow on sand; in cultivation, they have not changed their preferences - they love light soil. Heavy soil with a high clay content will have to be improved by adding sand. The soil reaction should be neutral or very close to it. Acidic soils must be limed.

Barberry care

A properly planted bush does not require special care, but in order for it to show itself in all its glory, the gardener will have to take care of it.

Watering the plant

Only recently planted plants need weekly watering. Once established, they should only be watered during droughts and extreme heat. The water must be heated by the sun. If immediately after planting you mulch the ground around the bush with crushed wood chips, bark or nut shells, this will not only reduce watering to a minimum, but will also stabilize the temperature regime of the soil and make it looser.

Feeding and fertilizer

Natural species often grow in poor soils and thrive there. Garden forms are more demanding in terms of nutrition. In the first year, the plant has enough of the nutrients that were provided during planting.

Starting from the second year of life, the feeding scheme is as follows:

• in spring - nitrogen fertilizers: 20 g of urea per 10 liters of water;
• before flowering – full mineral fertilizer with microelements (you can simply embed it in the soil and then water the bushes);
• in September, 10 g of potassium and 15 g of phosphorus fertilizers are applied to each adult plant, incorporating them into the soil.

Trimming

This is the most difficult job when caring for this shrub. Numerous sharp thorns can seriously injure your hands, so thick, preferably leather, gloves are needed.

1. Sanitary pruning is done annually in the spring, removing all frozen and dried shoots.
2. To form, the bushes are pruned only after flowering, since it occurs on last year’s shoots.
3. A hedge of tall bushes begins to be formed in the second year after planting.

In adult specimens, annual and biennial branches are pruned by half or a third. Low-growing border varieties are usually not pruned.

Care in autumn, wintering

Winter is a difficult test for newly planted bushes, especially if they are not very frost-resistant Thunberg barberries. Plants are prepared for it in the fall. Conducted on time autumn feeding and moisture-recharging watering after leaf fall will help barberry better prepare for winter. But this is not enough.

All young (and in the case of Thunberg barberry, also grown) plants need to be covered. Before sheltering, they must be hardened by light frosts, so the procedure begins when the temperature drops persistently to -5 degrees and the soil freezes to a depth of 3 cm. For this shrub, not only frost is terrible, but also dampness, which poses a threat of damping off, so the shelter should be dry and airy.

Small bushes can be easily covered with spruce branches and dry leaves, taking care to protect them from mice. Thunberg barberry is first wrapped in burlap or kraft paper, and then covered with covering material on top, securing the cover so that it does not unravel. At the base of the bush you need to provide space for ventilation. Winter protection must be removed in time in the spring to give the bushes complete freedom to grow.

Barberry propagation

The barberry shrub reproduces both by vegetative parts of the plant and by seeds.

Dividing the bush is possible only in those forms that branch from its base. Usually bushes are divided at the age of 3-5 years. It is especially convenient to divide the plant if it is planted with some depth. Each division should have stems and part of the roots. For the procedure, pruners are used.

Cuttings of some types of barberry do not take root well, but the new plants will look like their parents. This is a good way to get many of the same plants at once for a hedge.

Propagation by cuttings

June cuttings taken in the morning take root best. They are taken from the middle part of the current year's green shoot. Lignified cuttings take root much worse.

• The cutting should have 4 leaves and one internode. Its length is about 10 cm, and its thickness is approximately 0.5 cm. The cut at the top is horizontal, at the bottom at an angle of 45 degrees.
• The lower leaves are removed, the upper ones are shortened by half. The thorns are not removed.
• Treat the lower part of the cutting with a root formation stimulator.
• The cuttings are planted in a greenhouse with an arc height of about 20 cm. The soil is leafy, sprinkled with a 4 cm thick layer of sand, well moistened. Planting pattern: 5x7 cm, tilt angle - 45 degrees. They are deepened by 1 cm.
• Maintenance conditions: always moist soil, air humidity about 85%, frequent spraying. The use of an artificial fog installation increases the survival rate.

The cuttings overwinter in a greenhouse; plants are planted in a permanent place after 1-2 years.

When propagated by seed, most plants will not repeat their parents, with the exception of the common barberry form Atropurpurea. Most of these seedlings will retain their varietal characteristics. Seed germination is low - in different species it is from 20 to 40%.

Seed propagation

• The largest berries are freed from pulp, washed and dried.
• When sown in a growing bed in the fall, the seeds undergo natural stratification. In winter, they are stratified in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 months, depending on the type of shrub. Sowed in the spring in the garden.
• Seedlings are thinned out in the phase of 2 true leaves, but are not picked or transplanted. They are resettled to a permanent place only after 2 years.

Main problems when growing

If initially selected appropriate place for planting and it is done correctly, there should be no problems in growing. But in cold, rainy summers, the bushes can be affected by fungal diseases.

Pests, diseases and methods of controlling them

There are not so many of them, but they can cause serious harm to the plant.

• Powdery mildew. Appears as white plaque on all parts of the plant. Severely damaged leaves and stems are removed. The entire plant is treated with colloidal sulfur.
• Rust. Characteristic orange spots appear on the leaves. Control measures include treatment with copper-containing preparations or colloidal sulfur.
• Spotting. Spraying with copper oxychloride.
• Bacteriosis. If the upper part of the plant is damaged, all diseased branches are cut off. If the base of the trunks is affected, the plant is uprooted and burned.
• Barberry aphid. Spraying with soap solution.
• Barberry sawfly and flower moth. Treatment with chlorophos solution 2% concentration.

Decorative use of shrubs

A wide variety of plant species and varieties allows you to choose the right bush to decorate your garden in any style. It is often used in landscaping. A bush with brightly colored foliage can become a tapeworm or fit into an existing plant composition. It will decorate a mixborder, and low specimens will be appropriate on an alpine hill. Barberries make an excellent hedge in natural form or formed by pruning, which this plant tolerates well.