Barberry planting and care in the open field in the leningrad region

For those who decide to grow barberry, planting and caring for it in the open field will not cause difficulties if you approach the process responsibly and learn some of the features of agricultural technology, which include fertilizing shrubs, watering, pruning, preparing for winter, protecting against pests and diseases, as well as other subtleties and secrets of healthy growth and beautiful appearance ...

barberry Thunberg Green Carpet

Barberry - landing

Barberry is a widespread plant. Many people use it as an impassable and thorny hedge. Often, barberry acts as a decoration for the site, since it blooms very beautifully, after which it is covered with whole bunches of berries.

Barberry should be planted in the spring, until the first buds bloom on the bush. They do this in the fall, during the period of foliage falling. Before planting barberry, several steps should be followed:

1. Location - any site can be determined for planting barberry, but an open place with neutral soil is optimal, and if necessary, alkaline or acidic is suitable, but the latter should be calcified with wood ash or lime

2. Distance between bushes - single barberry bushes should be planted no closer than 2 meters to each other, and if the goal is to create an impassable living fence, the optimal distance is a gap of 0.5 m

3. Formation of holes - planting holes for barberry seedlings should be dug 2 or 3 weeks before direct planting, their size should be 0.4 × 0.4 m.And to get a fast-growing perennial hedge, barberry is planted in a trench, the depth and width of which be at least 0.4 m

4. Preparation of nutritious soil mixture - for cooking, you will need superphosphate (100 g) with humus or garden soil (1 bucket)

5. Providing drainage - before planting the barberry, drainage should be arranged at the bottom of the planting holes, which can be broken brick or sand, after which you need to sprinkle it with ready-made soil mixture on top

The barberry seedling should be placed in the planting pit carefully, straightening the roots. Sprinkle on top with soil mixture and tamp. It is necessary to water the barberry after planting with one bucket of water. Then you need to slightly pull the barberry up a little to completely straighten the root system. After that, you need to fill up the soil, form an irrigation circle and mulch with organic matter. As the last step, pruning of the barberry should be performed, after which only 4 or 5 good formed buds should be left.

Barberry - outdoor care

Regardless of the variety of barberry or its type, care for the shrub will always be the same:

1. Watering... Barberry needs moderate watering, the shrub should be watered at the root, preventing water from entering the foliage surface

2. Cleansing the trunk circle - it is necessary to remove weeds around the barberry in a timely manner with simultaneous loosening of the soil

3. Mulching - carried out after loosening with peat, walnut shells or sawdust are also used

4. Top dressing is one of the main stages of cultivation of the barberry shrub, planting and caring for which is not too difficult. In the first year after planting, top dressing of barberry may not be done, the plant will have enough nutrition from the soil mixture. In the future, the barberry should be fertilized regularly and once every 3-4 years a urea solution should be added (for 10 liters of water from 20 to 30 g). For fruiting varieties of barberry, after flowering, fertilization with potassium and phosphorus is necessary (10 g of potassium fertilizer and 15 g of superphosphate), the second feeding should be applied at the end of the season. You can use a complex fertilizer, for example, suitable for the barberry Kemira-universal (for a bucket of water 15 g of the drug)

The barberry shrub definitely needs regular pruning and you need to start them in the spring, cutting the branches of the barberry exactly in half, and the second pruning of the shrub will be required in the summer. You also need to timely remove shoots from the barberry that are dry, too thin or thickening. It should be borne in mind that low-growing varieties of barberry do not need formative pruning.

If necessary, you should fight against aphids or moths on barberry with Biotlin or Fitoverm, colloidal sulfur (1% solution) will help against rust with powdery mildew, and Bordeaux mixture will help against wilting with bacteriosis. With the onset of the autumn period, sprinkle the irrigation circle with peat chips, compost or dry foliage. And the young barberry during the first 5 years should be covered for the winter with spruce branches or special material.

Popular types and varieties of barberry

Today there are several varieties of barberry, distinguished by beautiful flowering, colorful foliage and the presence of berries.

Types and varieties of barberry	Distinctive characteristics
Common barberry	It is a common type of barberry, growing up to 3 m in height. Features triple thorns (about 2 cm) and elliptical leaves. Blooms in large yellow inflorescences, which are replaced red elongated berries, they have a sourish taste and are quite edible.
Barberry Thunberg	Low (no more than 1 m) deciduous shrub with arched branches or horizontal, on which there are thin thorns. Covered in the spring neat green leaves that turn red in autumn. Blossoms in bunches of yellow flowers which are replaced by bright oval red berries.
Barberry Administration	Dense low (from 30 to 40 cm) barberry with spherical in shape and growing in width up to 1 m (with age). It is characterized by reddish leaves, having a golden hue border. By the first frost they acquire incredible brightness.
Barberry Golden Ring	This variety of barberry often grows up to 3 and characterized by elongated ovoid leaves, growing up to 4 cm. They are distinguished by dark purple tint and yellow edging. Replaces them in autumn intense red tint. By mid-October ripen first berries.

Other, no less popular varieties of barberry are Red Pillar, Orange Rocket, Cornic, Ottawa and Canadian.

Barberry, planting and caring for which is not particularly difficult, can be seen on personal plots, where it most often acts as a hedge. The shrub attracts attention throughout the year with its beautiful foliage, lush flowering and bright berries, and at the same time, it is able to protect the site from strangers, it lends itself well to pruning and can be used as a remedy.With proper planting and proper care, the barberry will delight for a long time with its unsurpassed appearance, invariably attracting the views of others.

Barberry is a very picturesque plant. There are forms with green, purple and variegated leaves, which fit perfectly into joint plantings with deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs. In landscape design, this property of barberry is widely used. 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 unites 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, edible. In culture, common barberry or Thunberg barberry, less often Amur, Canadian (Ottawa) and Korean, are grown.

The large decorativeness of the 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 seek to seize territory, since it does not have root growth. Drought tolerant, shade tolerant, unpretentious.

There is a small drawback - thorns. But it can be made a virtue: a barberry hedge will become an insurmountable obstacle for uninvited guests and a beautiful framing of your site.

The maximum decorative effect of the plant is at the age of 7–8 years. It can live for 50 years, with good care it bears fruit up to 35–40 years. Blooms in May, about 3 weeks. Good honey plant.

Barberry looks spectacular in joint plantings

Planting and leaving

Barberry grows in full sun and partial shade. If you decide to plant a plant with variegated or bright foliage, then this should be a well-lit place. In the shade, decorativeness is lost, the leaves become paler or turn green. Planting is carried out in early spring, before bud break. 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 on sandy and stony soils, but not on acidic ones. Stagnation of moisture oppresses him.

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

Pit preparation:

1. A layer of sand is poured at the bottom.
2. If the soil is clay, then the pit is deepened by another 10-15 cm and drainage is arranged from small stones and pebbles.

   If the soil is clay, then drainage from stones and pebbles is laid on the bottom of the pit

3. Fill with a mixture of turf and humus in equal amounts.
4. Superphosphate is added (100 g per bush), everything is mixed well.

   Superphosphate is added to the barberry planting pit

When planting several bushes nearby, you need to take into account their adult size and leave the required distance. If you decide to arrange 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, the roots are gently straightened, covered with earth so that the root collar is at the level of the soil. Shoots are cut, leaving 3-5 buds, the plant is watered and mulched.

Watering and feeding

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

For the first 2-3 years, the fertilizers that were applied during planting are enough for the plants. Further, for ornamental shrubs, urea is introduced in the spring (dissolve 30 g in 10 liters of water) once every 3 years. If the plant is berry, then, in addition to urea, every year after flowering it is fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers (according to the instructions).

Preparing for the cold

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 the barberry will tolerate this period well. In severe frosts, especially in Siberia or the Urals, adult plants are also covered. To do this, a kind of hut is made from branches and spruce branches and additionally covered with snow.

The first 3-5 years, barberry needs shelter for the winter

Pruning

Sanitary pruning is required annually in the spring and fall. Broken, dry and diseased branches are removed. If the barberry is planted for decorative purposes, then it begins to form from the second year after planting. All types of plants tolerate shearing well, and to maintain a given shape, the bush is pruned at the beginning and at the end of summer every year.

The correct formation of the bush requires annual pruning.

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

Dwarf barberry forms do not need formative pruning

Reproduction

Barberry reproduces well with seeds, cuttings and cuttings. Dividing the bush gives good results.

Breeding methods for barberry:

• Seeds. To obtain seeds, ripe berries are ground, washed and dried. Sow in the fall, immediately into the ground to a depth of 1 cm. The place is chosen so that the seedlings can grow there for 2 years. Then they are transplanted to a permanent place. In the spring, after sprouting, they are thinned out, leaving a distance of about 3 cm. Care consists in regular watering, loosening the soil and removing weeds. For the winter, it is imperative to cover the garden.
  

  When propagated by seeds of some varieties, seedlings may not retain their parental characteristics.

  

  To obtain seeds, ripe berries are ground, washed and dried.

• Cuttings are rooted in a special greenhouse in the summer, where they will grow for 2 years. In June, the shoots of the current year are cut off with a length of about 15 cm. In the lower part, all leaves are removed, treated with a root formation stimulator. The upper leaves are cut in half. Planted in a mixture of humus, peat and sod land with sand. The cuttings are buried 2/3 of the length, watered and covered. Ventilation and humidification are periodically necessary.

  Cuttings are part of the current year's shoots, approximately 15 cm long

• To root the cuttings in the spring, they bend down, fix and sprinkle with earth branches located close to the ground. The next year, in early spring, the shoot is separated with a pruner and transplanted to another place for growing for another year. Then transferred to a permanent place.

  To root the cuttings in the spring, they bend down, fix and sprinkle with earth branches located close to the ground

• For dividing a bush, you can use a plant no older than 5 years. In this way, only undersized varieties are propagated. Before bud break, the plant is dug up and divided with a pruner or knife. The cut is treated with crushed charcoal and planted.

  When dividing a bush on each part there should be 2-3 shoots

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 preparations Inta-Vir, Actellik. If there are not many aphids, a soap solution (3 tablespoons of dish detergent per 1 liter of water) is useful. In addition, the plant can be affected by the flower moth (spoils the berries) and the sawfly. To destroy them, drugs are used:

• Aktara,
• Karate,
• Karbofos.

All funds are prepared strictly according to the instructions.

The caterpillar of the flower moth is one of the pests of the barberry

Barberry is rarely affected by fungal diseases.

Table: how to deal with barberry diseases

For the prevention of diseases, the plants and the soil under it are treated three times with Bordeaux liquid. The processing interval is once every 3 weeks.

Types and varieties of barberry

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

Views:

• Green Carpet. 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. Photophilous, but puts up with a 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 northeastern Russia, they do it up to 5 years.

  In autumn, the barberry bush Green Carpet looks like a variegated bedspread

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

  Barberry Admireshin has beautiful leaves with golden edging

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

  The Erecta variety is rarely affected by diseases.

• Golden ring. Medium-sized bush. The leaves have a golden edging. Undemanding to care for.
• Carmen. The leaves are blood red. The plant reaches a height of a bush 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. The maximum height reaches 10 years. Leaves are yellow-green in color.
• Natasha. A compact globular shrub. Leaves are green with white-pink spots. Frost resistance up to -35оС. In the shade, it loses its brightness. The fruits are decorative, but not used for food.

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

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

  Rose Shine lives up to its name

• Helmut Pillar. Columnar (up to 1.5 m) shrub. The leaves are small, dark red, turn green in the shade. Frost resistant. Drought tolerant. It tolerates a haircut well. Unpretentious.
• Harlequin. Shrub 1.5–2 m high and about 2 m wide crown. Purple leaves with white spots become amber-golden in autumn. It tolerates a haircut well. Used for joint plantings as a bright accent. Frost resistant. Shelter for the winter is necessary only for young plants, when grown in a harsh climate. 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. 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 barberry Auria is combined with the greenery of conifers

• Kobold. The dwarf shrub is only 40 cm tall and has a dense spherical crown about 50 cm in diameter. Leaves, yellow-green in summer, colored yellow-crimson in autumn, 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 the 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 sick.

  Bagatelle goes well with other plants in park compositions

Tibetan barberry used to be known in Russia as Dereza vulgaris. The healing properties of its berries have been known for a long time and are widely used in folk medicine. One of the most famous species is Goji Shambhala. It is a sprawling bush up to 3 m high. It blooms from June to October, while berries ripen at the same time. It is unpretentious in leaving. It grows on any soil, except waterlogged ones. Prefers sunny places, but will grow and bear fruit in the shade. Frost and drought resistant. Very prickly. It tolerates a haircut well.

Goji Shambhala fruits look like small peppers

Red-leaved varieties of Canadian (or Ottawa) barberry are not widespread in Russia. The leaves are dark purple to gray-red, which goes well with greenery in parks and squares. He tolerates a haircut well. The height of adult plants is from 1.5 to 3 m. It grows rapidly. It tolerates frosts down to -35 ° C. When grown in the southern regions and central Russia, no shelter is required. In Siberia and the Urals, it grows well when warmed 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, turn crimson in autumn. Unpretentious. In May, yellow-red flowers appear, collected in brushes. The fruits are bright red, ripen in October. Annual shoots grow up to 35 cm per season. It is drought and frost resistant. Few are affected by diseases.

Barberry Superba has purple leaves

In addition to him, such varieties of Canadian (Ottawa) barberry have excellent decorative qualities, such as:

• Auricoma,
• Atropurpuria,
• Silver Miles.

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

The flowering plant of the Amur barberry is fragrant and beautiful

Evergreen (or ordinary) barberry is a rather large shrub up to 2 m high, and about the same in diameter. It is a slow growing species. The leaves are narrow and long (up to 10 cm), bright green above and bluish green below. Frost resistant. Disease resistant. The leaves stay on the branches all winter and fall off when they begin to grow back in the spring. It tolerates a haircut well. Resistant to gas pollution of the urban atmosphere.

The common barberry has plants with unusual fruit color. They are white in Alba, and pale yellow in Lutea.

Black barberry actually has green leaves, which turn bright red in autumn, and after frost - bronze color. And they call it that because of the dark blue, almost black, berries. This is a warty barberry. His 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. It tolerates a haircut well.

The warty barberry 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 crown shape and plant height can be easily adjusted.Barberry in the apartment will give you no more trouble than any houseplant. Growing miniature trees as an art originated in Japan many centuries ago. This is a well-known bonsai. For this, coniferous and deciduous plants are used, which in nature may not be small. Barberry is ideal for making bonsai. He tolerates pruning well and is very flexible in creating such compositions.

Barberry makes stunning miniatures

Features of home barberry care:

• Planting is done in a mixture of coarse sand, turf and compost (2: 2: 1). At the bottom of the pot, it is imperative to pour a layer of stones or expanded clay. When planting, the roots are slightly pruned and the shoots are shortened by 2/3.
• Water as needed. In the 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 the air in the apartment is very dry during the heating season, periodic spraying from a spray bottle is useful for the plant, but not during flowering.
• For feeding, use any organic fertilizers in the form of powder or granules (according to the instructions) once a month from May to September.
• When pruning, the cut site quickly becomes indistinguishable in color from the bark and does not require additional processing.
• Barberry can grow on a sunny window and in a shaded room, but so that variegated varieties do not lose 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 in an apartment.

Features of growing in the regions

Barberry can grow in a variety of climates. In the southern regions, it easily tolerates drought. Mild winters do not require high frost resistance. The plant tolerates the gas content of the city air, which makes it widely used for landscaping parks. The warm climate makes it possible to choose practically any type and variety of barberry for planting.

In central Russia, for cultivation, it is better to opt for plants with a frost resistance of at least -20 ° C. This requirement is answered by:

• most varieties of Thunberg barberry,
• Canadian,
• Amur,
• warty.

For the Moscow region, barberry with frost resistance up to -20–25 ° C is suitable. You can choose varieties:

• Canadian (Ottawa) - Superba,
• ordinary - Alba variegata,
• barberry Thunberg:
  • Harlequin,
  • Green Carpet,
  • Carmen and others.

Since in the suburbs of Moscow soils are often with a high occurrence of groundwater, when planting, a good drainage must be installed (or seedlings should be placed on a hill or hillside). Young plants for the first 3-5 years must be covered for the winter. 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 a wet, 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 growing:

• barberry canadian,
• Amur,
• ordinary,
• warty.

They are adapted to harsh conditions and tolerate frost well when there is a lot of snow. For these plants, shelter is needed in the first 3-5 years. Thunberg barberry can also be grown in this region, but with the obligatory shelter for the winter not only of young, but also of adult plants. In this case, dwarf varieties are suitable for the Siberian climate. Alternatively, it is possible to grow plants in a container, with overwintering in a greenhouse or a room where the temperature will not be very low.

Reviews

A wonderful bush.The varieties with red foliage are especially beautiful. There are undersized ones. There are variegated forms. We are now combining in plantings with conifers. Good in hedges.

They sit everywhere with me. And in the sun there is, and in partial shade. They tolerate both normally. They love to get their hair cut! And if you do not periodically cut them a little, then their shape will not be beautiful, and the branches are long and alone, and so - there will be a bush! But pick up the pruned branches at once and pick them up. Even a tiny piece.

Barberry is an amazingly decorative and completely unpretentious plant. It looks great in single and group plantings with trees, shrubs or flowers. A rich palette of colors gives a wide scope for your imagination when decorating a site. Berries are an excellent vitamin supplement. And do not forget that it is also a medicinal plant. Having planted a barberry bush on your site, you will not regret it.

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, monasteries of Tibet, Ancient Russia. It was appreciated not so much for its high decorativeness, but for the most valuable healing properties of 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, cabbage or chocolate tree. And if fate had thrown us into the African savannah, we would have successfully grown a bottle, bread or melon tree, while admiring the blossoming flowers on a tulip tree.

However, having a wonderful and cozy corner of our native nature in our country house or garden plot, we can quite afford to grow no less exotic "caramel tree". This is how the well-known barberry is often called, which reminds us of the carefree childhood times when we enjoyed ourselves with aromatic sweet-scented caramel lollipops "barberries".

↑ to content ↑ Barberry - useful properties

Long before our era, barberry berries were used as an effective remedy for rejuvenation, blood purification, and treatment of many diseases. This is mentioned on clay tablets made by the ancient Assyrians.

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

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

↑ back to content ↑ Barberry shrub in the garden

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

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

Due to its decorativeness, barberry looks great both in single plantings, and in compositions with other plants, and in hedges. Bushes lend themselves well to shaping and pruning, and undersized varieties are great for borders and decorate rock gardens. The variety of leaf colors allows you to make interesting color compositions, combining purple with greens, and variegated varieties with edged ones.

↑ to the content ↑ Care and planting of barberry

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

Its only "whims" are good illumination 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 arrange regular "haircuts" for him, then the grateful barberry will grow, bloom and bear fruit with truly royal generosity.

There are many ways of breeding barberry, there is always an opportunity to choose the most convenient for you. Seeds, cuttings, dividing a bush, root cuttings, self-seeding, grafting - the whole arsenal of tools is at your disposal.

Seed propagation 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 severe frosts. For spring sowing, seeds are stratified for 3-4 months at a temperature not higher than + 5 ° C. The seedlings are left at the site of seedlings for 2 years, and then they are left for growing in the "school" for another 1-2 years. And only after that they are assigned to a permanent place. The fastest way to reproduce is by dividing the bush and root suckers. For grafting, summer cuttings are taken and rooted in moist soil.

BY THE WAY!

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

Landing methods depend on the end goal. With a single placement of the bush, the distance to the nearest plants is left at least 2 m.

A single-row hedge usually contains 4 plants, a double-row hedge. A free-growing hedge involves planting 2 plants per meter.

Due to its unpretentiousness, barberry can grow on any soil with any level of acidity. However, if possible, it is desirable 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 top dressing, which allows you to maintain the decorative effect of the bushes and abundant fruiting for a long time. It is recommended to start top dressing in the second year after planting. The first feeding 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 every 2 weeks, and immediately after planting new plants, it is necessary to mulch the soil under them.

Pruning is an important point to maintain the decorative effect of the bushes. Hygienic pruning is carried out annually in the spring, all old, dried, weak and poorly developed shoots are removed. Forming of hedges starts from the second year. With it, up to 2/3 of the aboveground part of the plant is initially removed, and in subsequent years in June and August, up to 1/2 of the hedge is cut off.

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

As a preventive 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 liquid or colloidal sulfur is considered effective; spraying is carried out in three stages: after the appearance of leaves, and then two more times with an interval of 20 days.

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 the 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. In nature, there are about 500 species of this plant. Varieties of barberry differ in bush height, color of leaves and fruits (yellow, purple, red), size, color and number of flowers.

Unlike the Thunberg and the mono-leaved - ornamental varieties, the common barberry is grown mainly for its berries. Various preparations for the winter, liqueurs, marshmallows are prepared from them.... Berries are added to pilaf, marinades, 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.

You cannot eat unripe barberry berries - they are poisonous!

Is it possible to grow barberry from seed?

A beautiful bush can be grown from a small bone at home. However, you should prepare in advance for difficulties.:

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

Barberry bone

Barberry can also multiply by self-seeding from berries fallen in autumn.

A lone barberry bush, with the most careful care, will not please you with a harvest. This shrub belongs to plants that need cross-pollination of flowers. For the 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 it correctly.

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

The 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 differently if you did not succeed in planting seeds in the fall:

1. Disinfected seeds mix with wet (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 their plant in the garden.
3. When two real leaves appear - seedlings thin out... Weak seedlings are removed - leaving the strongest.

The distance between shoots is at least 3 centimeters.

4. Before landing in a permanent place seedlings are better to grow another year in this "school" (a bed for very young plants, for which you carry out careful care and control).
5. Fruits on seedlings will appear only after two years, but it still has to be grafted.
6. Transplanting barberry into open ground.

Barberry is widespread 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 pretty well on stony soil and without any care. The cultivated forms of the shrub are also very unassuming:

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

The frequency of planting barberry bushes depends on the variety

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

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

Care after landing

All varieties of barberry are grown in the same way - whether you have a decorative Thunberg barberry or an ordinary barberry.

Recommendations are suitable for any varietal variety of this shrub:

• timely watering,
• feeding
• weed removal,
• pruning in spring before bud break and late autumn.

Conveniently, the 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 barberries in the fall

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 yield very useful berries every year.

Barberry Thunberg

But this is only possible:

• if the bush grows well illuminated 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. By pruning, not only the beautiful shape of the plant is formed. 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 can be an intermediate link - fungi will find shelter in its thickets, and under favorable conditions they will spread to neighbors.

Therefore, all branches that are too thin and strongly thickening the bush are also subject to removal... This improves ventilation of the bush space. This pruning should be done twice a year.

Formative pruning

The formation of a barberry bush is not difficult. Just it is necessary to remove all branches growing inside the bush - they will certainly create an 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 tens. In this case, remove only dry and damaged branches... In fact, only sanitary pruning is carried out.

Pruning barberry in a hedge

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

Rejuvenation of the bushes

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

For the rejuvenation of fruit forms:

• or cut out the old branch to the base and in its place form a young
• either by cropping translate growth to offshoot.

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

Preparing for winter in Siberia, Moscow region and the Urals

With the arrival of autumn, it is time to transplant young seedlings of bushes from the "school" to a permanent place, or to sow seeds in the "school" for growing new plants.

It is necessary to put things in order in the near-trunk circles:

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

Before the onset of cold weather, trunk circles must 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 at the onset of the first frost... The easiest way is to cover with spruce branches, this is especially true for evergreen varieties of barberry.

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

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

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

Reproduction of barberry and planting on open ground

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

• you get the finished seedling in one season,
• the varietal properties of the plant are preserved completely - no vaccination needed.

How to propagate barberry in the country?

Cuttings

The method of grafting allows you to get a very large number of seedlings per year and without grafting. However, without the use of heteroauxin or other stimulants of root growth, barberry cuttings are very slow.

Propagation of barberry by cuttings

1. Early summer (June) annual side branches are cut into cuttings about 15 centimeters.
2. The leaves of the bottom are removed and treated according to the instructions with a root growth stimulant.
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 need to ventilate and spray the cuttings.
6. Land on demand loosen and watered.
7. Take care of the shelter of the "school" for the winter.

For the next spring, seedlings can be planted in a permanent place.

Layers

In spring, choose strong annual branches as layering from the lower part of the bush.

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

Propagation of barberry by layering

In addition to watering, no special care is required for layering. By the fall, he will be ready for transplant.

Dividing the bush

If there is 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 bud break..

1. Carefully dig the mother bush.
2. Cut into pieces... Powerful roots are cut with a hacksaw.
3. Delenki parts are seated in a preliminary cooked holes.
4. Cut the bushto balance the 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 will suit it without stagnant water... The densely planted shrubs create a hedge that adds a classic English park touch to your garden design.