Dogwood planting and care in the open field in the Urals

Cornel is a deciduous shrub grown for its edible fruit or decorative appearance. Dogwood fruits have a faint but attractive aroma and an astringent, sour-sweet taste. They make preparations for the winter and boil compotes to quench their thirst in the summer heat.

Description of dogwood

Dogwood is winter-hardy to grow in the middle lane. In a botanical garden in Moscow, it has been grown since 1950 without shelter.

There is a popular sign - a large harvest of dogwood berries speaks of a cold winter.

Dogwood fruits are bright red berries with an oblong stone inside. There are varieties with yellow, purple and pink fruits. The shape of the berries can be from round to pear-shaped.

Several dozen varieties of dogwood have been bred. In some, the weight of the berry reaches 30 g. For comparison, in the wild, the weight of a dogwood berry is no more than 5 grams.

Dogwood is decorative throughout the season. In early spring, it blooms with clouds of golden flowers that bloom long before the leaves unfold. Long bloom - 20 days. Many bees gather on the flowers, hungry during the long winter.

With early flowering, dogwood fruits ripen late - at the end of autumn.

Dogwood and cotoneaster - is there a difference

Cornel must be distinguished from cotoneaster. These shrubs belong to different families. Cotoneaster is an ornamental rosaceous plant. Cornel is a plant of the cornel family and it has no similarities to the cotoneaster, except for the name.

Where does the dogwood grow

In the wild, the plant is in the Crimea, Moldova, the Caucasus and Transcarpathia. Its second name is male dogwood.

Despite its southern origin, dogwood tolerates temperate winters and sets fruit. In the area of ​​St. Petersburg and even more so in the Urals, bushes require shelter for the winter. In some years, the berries do not fully ripen, therefore they sour.

In cold conditions, the dogwood does not reach the height that is naturally characteristic of it. Despite the difficulties with cultivation, summer residents of central Russia should not abandon the southern culture, since its fruits have medicinal properties.

Preparing for planting dogwood

In the State Register, the culture is represented by the only Prikubansky variety. It is allowed for cultivation in all zones.

Prikubansky bush of medium growth with a spherical crown and straight shoots. The fruit has a sweet and sour pleasant taste.Prikubansky tolerates the winter of the middle zone without shelter. It is important that the variety reproduces well by rooting green cuttings.

In nurseries, dogwood is propagated by grafting. For rootstock, seedlings obtained from seeds of wild or cultivated dogwood are used. You cannot graft dogwood on stone fruit crops - cherries, plums and apricots, since stone fruits have nothing to do with it.

For planting, summer residents use annual grafted seedlings with a developed root system. A varietal seedling is grown for at least 5 years, so the price of the planting material is rather high.

Dogwood requires cross-pollination to obtain stable yields, so the bushes are planted close to each other. The site will require at least two or three plants. The distance between the bushes is 3-4 meters. In dogwood orchards, cultivar strips of three to four varieties are created.

Planting dogwood

In the south, dogwood is planted in autumn, in the middle lane - in early spring, before bud break.

Cornel is a symbiotic culture. For normal growth, it requires a specific microflora, so the seedling must be with a closed root system. Saplings with "bare" roots, due to the lack of native microflora, lag behind in growth and development.

Cornel is grown on light fertile soil with a ph level of 5.5-6. The culture does not tolerate stagnant moisture. A bright place is chosen for her, from which snow melts early in spring. A site in a lowland where melt water and summer precipitation accumulates is not suitable.

Planting dogwood seedlings is carried out in the same way as planting other fruit crops. The soil is well dug in the fall, weeds, especially rhizomes, are removed.

The planting hole is dug in the spring. Its diameter and depth should be in accordance with the volume of the root system. It is important that the roots when planting are located in the soil without bends and creases.

Before planting, broken bricks or other drainage is poured into the bottom of the pit with a layer of 4-5 cm. The drainage is covered with fertile soil mixed with wood ash 1: 1. The seedling is planted so that the grafting site is at the soil level. After planting, the soil is compacted and watered, then mulched with peat or humus.

Dogwood care

Care consists of weeding, loosening and periodic watering in dry weather.

Problems with growing dogwood:

• freezing of flowers in early spring. Dogwood blooms in April - during this period, snow can lie in the garden. The leaves on the shrub will appear later and will not be affected by frost;
• freezing of wood in severe winters.

Pruning and shaping

In the south, a full-fledged plant has a stem with a height of at least 50 cm and 6-9 skeletal branches. In northern climates, the plant is formed in a bushy form.

Spring sanitary pruning may be necessary. Dry, broken shoots growing inside the crown should be removed from the dogwood. Pruning should be completed before bud break.

Fertilizers

On good soil, top dressing is not needed. If there is wood ash, it can be used annually - 500-600 gr. under each bush. Combine ash top dressing with watering. Fertilize the soil with organic matter from autumn.

When the dogwood bears fruit after planting

A dogwood seedling begins to bear fruit at 8-10 years. A grafted seedling will give signal fruits already in the year of planting, having tied at least one inflorescence. At the age of five, the plants will give a full harvest.

The berries ripen by the beginning of autumn. Dogwood gives a rich harvest - it seems as if the bush is strewn with fruits.

The fruits are harvested without waiting for shedding. You can spread the burlap under the bush, shake the bush, then collect the fruits from the fabric and separate them from the debris.

The absence of diseases and pests on the dogwood guarantees the ecological purity of the crop.

Cornel is a perennial tree-like shrub that is grown not only in the south, but increasingly closer to the north of Russia. The prevalence of this culture is understandable. Eating berries and infusions from them normalizes high blood pressure, strengthens the walls of blood vessels and improves digestion.

Dogwood planting rules

Cornel is a plant that is distributed mainly in the southern part of Russia - in the Crimea and the Caucasus, although new varieties grow in the northern regions. They are frost resistant and can withstand temperatures down to -30 ° C. In colder winters, the ends of the branches can freeze near the bush.

Dogwood is a tall, long-lived tree shrub

General recommendations for gardeners

For landing, you need to choose a bright and spacious place, where there will be at least 5 meters to the nearest source of shadow. But if it is very hot in the region in summer, then it is better for the shrub to provide partial shade by planting it among the trees.

Groundwater should be deeper than 1.5 meters. Calcareous soil is suitable, and although the dogwood will also grow on acidic soil, this will not affect its development for the better.

Another feature of planting is the number of bushes. Since the dogwood blooms very early, at an air temperature of + 12 ° C, and the bees do not fly at this time, then pollination occurs crosswise, by the wind. For the berries to be tied better, you need to have 2-3 bushes on the site, at a distance of 3-5 m.

Dogwood blooms early, when the bees are not yet flying, so it is pollinated by the wind.

In any climatic conditions, six months before planting, they dig a place under the bush to a depth of 50-60 cm, choosing the roots of perennial weeds, especially wheatgrass and bindweed. Organic and mineral fertilizers are introduced. About 6 kg of manure is enough for 1 m2. In autumn, green manures are planted: peas, winter cereals, and in spring - vetch or phacelia, followed by embedding of the green mass into the soil.

It is preferable to plant dogwood before the first frost.

How to plant and grow a shrub: useful tips - video

Landing dates

In the fall, a landing pit must be prepared. Then by spring the earth will settle and be nourished with spring waters. After winter, the plant wakes up early enough, and you need to have time to plant it before the buds bloom. In the southern regions this is mid-February, in Central Russia - the first half of March.

Sapling selection

Two-year-old seedlings take root well, 1–1.5 m high, with a stem diameter of about 2 cm. They should have 3–5 skeletal branches and a well-developed root system. It is better to choose seedlings with a clod of earth where they grew before.

It is better to take dogwood seedlings two years old, from the nursery in your area

Cornelian planting scheme

In hot climates, dogwoods are best planted in the partial shade of tall trees. Each bush should have an area of ​​4 * 4-6 * 6 m. More frequent planting will complicate the processing of plants, collection of fruits and pollination.

In the southern regions, dogwood is best grown in partial shade of tall trees.

Several ways to plant a shrub

For reproduction of dogwood, planting with seedlings is most often used, which bear fruit already for 2-3 years. For comparison, bushes grown from a stone form an ovary only for 8–10 years; moreover, they do not always retain the properties of the parent tree. There are other, vegetative methods of dogwood propagation: layering, grafting, green cuttings.

Planting a dogwood seedling

1. At the place chosen for planting the dogwood, a hole is dug up to 80 cm in depth and width. The excavated soil must be decomposed into two piles: the upper part of the soil and the lower one. If the land was fertilized six months before planting, you do not need to add anything else. If the soil has not been prepared, then mineral fertilizers (100 g of nitrogen and 200 g of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers) or organic fertilizers are added to the bottom of the pit and thoroughly mixed with the ground.

   The planting hole is prepared in advance by introducing humus and mineral fertilizers into it

2. Before planting, inspect the seedling: if the exposed roots are dry, they need to be soaked in water for about 2 hours.

   Before planting, open roots are best left in water for 2 hours.

3. A hill of fertile soil is poured in the center of the pit. A stake is driven in nearby to tie a bush. It is important to place it on the side from which the wind blows predominantly. The seedling is placed in a hole, leaving the root collar 3-4 cm above ground level.

   The roots of the seedling must be straightened when planting, make sure that they do not bend

4. Cover the plant with the soil taken out of the hole, pour 2-3 buckets of water. After the soil subsides, cover the tree trunk circle with humus or dry soil. Tie the seedling to a peg.

Sometimes it is not possible to plant several varieties of dogwood next to each other for cross-pollination. Then 2-3 seedlings of various varieties are placed in one hole. This is done in the usual way, then the trunks are intertwined. So on the bush there will be branches of various varieties that are perfectly pollinated. Sometimes an iron stake is placed between the seedlings, braiding it with trunks.

We grow a shrub from a bone

Cornelian cherries are planted to breed new varieties. You will see seedlings in about 800 days, that is, only in the second year.

Wild dogwood species are propagated by seed, on the seedlings of which cultivars are then grafted

It has been noticed that seeds from unripe fruits germinate after 6–7 months. The method of accelerated cultivation of dogwood was proposed by Svetlana Nikolaevna Litvinenko. She peeled the berries, took out the seeds and treated them with a 2% solution of sulfuric acid for three days. After such a procedure, I sowed them in a box of sand to a depth of 2-3 cm and constantly moistened them for six months. The first shoots appeared by spring. Of course, it was not 100%, but they sprouted quickly.

Further care of the seedlings is usual: do not dry out, shade from the hot summer rays, periodically weed the weeds, mulch the soil. During the first year, the seedlings will grow only 4 cm above ground level. By the second year by 15 cm, then they can be transplanted to a permanent place.

Most often, wild species of dogwood are grown by seed, on the seedlings of which cultivars are then grafted.

Propagating dogwood with green cuttings

Dogwood reproduces well with green cuttings, which are cut at the end of July from 5-6-year-old bushes and older. It is important to take a new shoot with a length of at least 15 cm.

1. A cut on the bush is made from below, at a distance of 1 cm from the bud, obliquely, the leaves are removed and the cutting is placed in a 3% solution of heteroauxin for up to 12 hours.
2. In the shade, prepare a small area for rooting cuttings with fertile soil and cover it 10 cm with well-washed sand.
3. Cuttings are planted in the sand at an angle of 45 ° and watered.
4. Cover the cuttings with a film so that there is an air gap of up to 20 cm between the top and the coating.
5. Maintain the temperature in the greenhouse at about + 25 ° C, if it rises higher, ventilate.
6. The cuttings are periodically watered with sprinkling so that the sand remains moist and the water does not erode the roots.
7. In 3 weeks, the cuttings take root, and they begin to harden, periodically lifting the film for airing, first for a few minutes, then for several hours a day, and after 2 weeks it is removed completely. Cuttings at this time are fed with a liquid solution of ammonium nitrate at the rate of 30 g per bucket of water. They can be planted in a permanent place as early as next fall.

   On average, in 5 weeks you can get seedlings from cuttings ready for planting next fall

Transplanting a shrub to a new location

Small shoots of dogwood sometimes have to be replanted. Of course, it will not be possible to transplant an old tree without consequences, but it is quite possible to divide a young plant and at the same time relocate to a new place. It is best to transplant and divide the bush in the fall, 1 month before frost, while the soil is still warm and soft. It is carefully dug out, trying to preserve the maximum number of roots. Since the root system of the dogwood lies at a depth of about 40 cm, it is not very difficult to transplant it. All old branches and roots are cut off from the plant, leaving good and healthy; a large bush can be cut into 2-3 pieces. They are planted in the same way as a regular seedling.

How to plant and grow dogwood in the regions

Many vacationers in Crimea fall in love with this berry and want to grow it on their plots throughout Russia and the near abroad. For this, more and more new varieties are being developed that are capable of bearing fruit even in Siberia.

Planting dogwood in the south of Russia (Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Astrakhan, Stavropol)

In Volgograd and at its latitude, the dogwood takes root well and bears fruit regularly, although there is a risk of freezing of shoots during the spring cold. Therefore, it is better to grow it in a bush form, and not as a tree, so that in the first years it can be sheltered from frost.

Volgogradsky dogwood variety grows in bush up to 3 meters in height, ripens in August

Variety Volgogradskiy grows in compact bushes with erect shoots. Leaves are ovoid, pointed, flowers are bright yellow, in bunches, fruits are cherry-colored, elongated oval in shape. The flowering period of dogwood is April, ripening is August-September. Productivity is high, disease resistant.

By pruning shrubs, you can create decorative forms and diversify the landscape of the site.

Planting dogwood in central Russia

Closer to the north, in a thermophilic culture such as dogwood, shoots often freeze out due to the level of snow, and due to early flowering, it is not sufficiently pollinated by bees. For cultivation in the central regions, zoned varieties are suitable:

• Vladimirsky (high-yielding variety with large dark-burgundy berries weighing up to 8 g, which ripen in late August and early September);
• Vydubitsky (high-yielding, mid-season variety, dark red berries);
• Elena (early frost-resistant variety, medium-sized berries, ripen in early August);
• Firefly (large-fruited variety with red-black berries, high yield, ripens in the second half of August).

Dogwood berries ripen for a long time, so for central Russia it is better to purchase early ripening varieties.

In the middle lane and in Siberia, the varieties of dogwood zoned here will take root better

Planting dogwood in the Urals and Siberia

When planting dogwood in Siberia, you should choose the lightest areas, without shade. Under local conditions, it is better to grow it in stanza form. Low branches in the spring are bent to the ground and sprinkled with soil. Small trenches are made in the soil and one-year-old shoots are placed in them. The top is cut off so that the main forces go to the formation of roots. By the fall, the shoot will take root. Separate it from the main bush and you have a seedling ready to plant. This method allows the plant to bloom immediately after the snow melts: in late April-early May.

For the ripening of the fruits, it takes about 100 more days, only in September the berries begin to pour in, and often they simply do not ripen due to the onset of cold weather.

Growing dogwood in stanza form will protect the plant from freezing shoots

Another option for growing a frost-resistant plant is planting seedlings from seeds. The dogwood planted in this way blooms only after 8-10 years, then the fruits that have tied up on the bush must be collected and sown again. The second generation of dogwood will already be more frost-resistant than the first. Then you can sow seeds obtained from the second generation of dogwood berries, and grow bushes even more adapted to frost. From them, you can take cuttings and layering for further propagation.

This is how Vladimir Vasilyevich Nikolaev's dogwood garden appeared in the Moscow region. He solved the problem with bees simply: he put a hive in the insulated attic, and in early spring the bush was pollinated.

Planting dogwood in Ukraine

The alkaline soils of the south of Ukraine are very suitable for growing dogwood, and thanks to multiple re-sowing, the shrub bears excellent fruit throughout the country. Near the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, there are wild old plants, which are more than 100 years old.

The only problem for growing dogwood on the territory of the country is planting material, since not every nursery sells seedlings. Grafting a plant is no more difficult than grafting an apple or pear.

The best varieties for growing in Ukraine are:

• Amber,
• Coral,
• Gentle,
• Lukyanovsky.

Dogwood varieties for growing in Ukraine - photo gallery

Cornel is a healthy berry worthy of growing in any garden. The heat-loving shrub is widespread in the southern regions, but is gradually conquering more northern gardens.

Residents of the middle lane know little about this wonderful berry; planting dogwood is mostly familiar to residents of the southern regions. In the Crimea and the Caucasus, jams and preserves are prepared from sweet and sour fruits, they are added to many national dishes. The plant is valued not only for its beneficial fruits, but also for its very durable wood. Depending on the preferences of the gardener, cultivation can be carried out in the form of both a tree and a bush.

Why is dogwood unpopular in cold regions?

Dogwood is unpretentious, it does not require complex care. In the southern regions, wild varieties form huge thickets, and the berries are not worse in taste than cultivated varieties. Frost is not terrible for a hardy tree, only temperatures below -30⁰ can damage its branches. If such phenomena are short-term, young shoots can be covered, and they will winter well. Unlike fruit trees, which give good yields every 2 years, dogwood does not need rest, it bears fruit every season. Why is such a wonderful plant unpopular with summer residents in the middle lane and in the north?

The growing season of dogwood is about 250 days, and it blooms very early. Spring frosts in cold regions can destroy the ovaries, but even if the owners manage to preserve them, the fruits often do not have time to ripen. Breeders are working on solving this problem, species with early ripening of berries have already been bred. Planting and growing regionalized varieties often brings rich yields.

The common dogwood blooms when it is still cool outside, the temperature is about + 12⁰. In this weather, bees cannot pollinate flowers. For the wind to transfer pollen from one plant to another, plant at least 2 trees close to each other in the area. Some gardeners believe that the shrub can pollinate itself. Maybe, but the harvest will be very meager. But if you plant a bush of a different variety nearby and provide them with good care, almost all the flowers will turn into berries.

Advice

If it is impossible to find a place for another tree on the site, plant 2 seedlings of different varieties in one hole. Interlace the trunks and they will develop as one bush and pollinate each other.

Place for planting southern shrubs

Cornel is very fond of soils rich in lime, with a neutral or alkaline reaction. It is desirable that manganese is present in the soil, otherwise you need to add it when feeding, this element is necessary for dogwood. He does not tolerate groundwater, the depth of their occurrence should be at least 1.5 m. In low areas, you need to make good drainage, and sometimes even make a fill mound.

The shrub does not like crowding, it needs that there are no fences, buildings, other trees or tall shrubs within a radius of 4-5 m. Cornelian cherry is a long-liver, it grows in one place for up to 100 years. Over time, the crown increases in diameter, new fruiting shoots appear. If the planting is too tight, the crown will begin to taper and the yield will decrease.

The plant develops well in partial shade, but in the complete absence of sunlight, the harvest will be poor. It is advisable to plant a shrub north of a tall tree. On a sultry afternoon, the foliage will protect the dogwood from the scorching rays, and in the morning and evening it will receive good lighting. If the entire south side is open, tall poles with a clothesline or other temporary structure can be installed.

Where to get planting material

Ready-made seedlings can be purchased at nurseries. Two-year-old trees with a height of about 1.5 m take root well. They must have a fairly thick trunk - at least 2 cm in diameter - and 5 main branches.It is advisable to purchase varieties bred in your region, they do not have to adapt to new conditions.

If you prefer planting from your own prepared material, you can use one of the methods:

• planting seeds;
• layering;
• cuttings;
• root suckers;
• dividing the bush;
• budding.

For residents of the northern regions, where selection varieties of dogwood die from frost, the only way to grow this shrub is to plant seeds. Take seeds from different varieties of fruits, sow them and see how the plants survive. Dogwood will not retain all varietal qualities with this method of reproduction, even from berries from one bush trees with different properties can develop. For several years, observe how the bushes endure the winter, what harvest they give, and leave the best specimens. From them you can take cuttings and layering for further propagation.

Advice

If you want the dogwood seeds to germinate quickly, keep them in a 2% sulfuric acid solution for 3 days, and then sow them in wet sand, keep them in a warm place and make sure that the soil surface does not dry out. The grains will begin to hatch after 3 months.

Low branches in spring can be pressed to the ground and covered with soil. Make small trenches in the soil and place one-year-old shoots in them. Cut off the top so that the main forces go to the formation of roots. If provided with proper care, the shoot will take root by the fall. Cut it off from the main bush and you have a seedling ready to plant.

Often new shoots can be seen around the bush growing from the roots. You can dig up a scion with a fragment of the underground part and transplant it to a new place. Such a planting is not suitable for grafted plants: if a wild bush was taken for the stock, then the offspring will be wild.

You can divide an adult shrub into parts, but each piece should have a good root system and a strong aerial part. This work can be carried out either in early spring or in autumn before frost.

Another way is to plant green cuttings from mature bushes.

Important!

If solid wood has already formed inside the shoot, the cutting will not take root.

Cut twigs 10-15 cm long with two pairs of leaves. Remove the bottom pair and treat the cut with a root growth stimulant. Stick the shoots into the soil, sprinkled with a thick layer of clean sand and equip the shelter with film. 2-3 weeks before rooting, keep the planting at a temperature of about + 25⁰ and protect from bright sun. The soil must be constantly moistened. When the seedlings take root, feed them with ammonium nitrate. For the next fall, young plants can be relocated to a permanent place.

How to plant dogwood

You can grow seedlings from seeds if you like. Perhaps they will make a fruitful tree or a good stock for budding. Grains require a long stratification, they need to be kept in the refrigerator for almost a year. When sowing, keep in mind that the bone does not open, a small hole appears in it, through which a weak sprout emerges. If you bury the seeds deeper than 3 cm, the seedlings may not break through. Shoots grow very slowly, they need care, and the tree will begin to bear fruit only after 7 years. Dogwood loves to surprise gardeners. If ripe fruits germinate for more than a year, then unripe seeds may sprout after 6 months.

Wild dogwood seeds can be used to grow a good rootstock for a varietal bush. Sow many different grains, the sprouts will not take up much space on the site, but you can choose the strongest and most hardy seedling. At the age of 2 years, when the bush takes root well after transplanting, it can be grafted. In the middle of summer, cut a bud with bark and a small layer of wood from the plant you like. A cross-shaped incision is made horizontally and vertically on the rootstock. A scion is inserted into a vertical slot and fixed with a special tape or tape.

All shoots below the grafting site on the rootstock must be cut off.Make sure that the plant does not release new wild branches. After a month, the fixing tape must be removed. Grow the bush in the usual way. Next spring, new shoots will appear from the bud, and after 2 years you will taste the first fruits.

Advice

If you want to grow different varieties of dogwood, and there is only enough space on the site for 2 bushes, plant each tree with several buds of different varieties.

When growing fruit trees, grafting of young shoots is often used, but here, too, the dogwood shows its individuality. In early spring, before the growing season, you can try grafting a cutting. This method rarely gives results, despite careful care, shoots grow poorly. If, with skillful budding, up to 70% of the kidneys take root, then a successful vaccination is no more than 20%.

Shrub planting

You need to plant dogwood in the fall. Each region has its own time when it is necessary to start this work. Popular wisdom recommends: the most effective planting occurs at the time when the poplar began to shed its leaves. In the spring, in the middle lane, it is very difficult to guess the right time for planting: the period when the soil is already warming up, and the buds have not yet begun to bloom.

Dig holes with a depth and diameter of 80 cm at a distance of about 5 m from one another. Drive a stake into the ground from the direction of the prevailing winds, it will hold the tree in windy weather. Place the seedling behind the stake and bury it so that the root collar is a few centimeters above ground level. After watering and rains, the soil will settle, and it will take the desired position. First, pour fertile soil from the top layer into the hole so that the roots take root in the nutrient medium. Spill the soil well with water and tie the trunk to a peg. After a heavy downpour, make sure that the depth is calculated correctly: if the planting is high and the root collar is above the ground, the bush will develop poorly, and when deepened, it will give many root suckers, which will make it difficult to care for the plant.

Some gardeners believe that all branches of the seedling need to be shortened by a third, others do not, and the tree takes root well. What to do is up to you, you can cut off the shoots on one bush, but not on the other and see how it is best. Do not forget that each site has its own soil, its own microclimate, therefore, the cultivation of crops takes place according to different schemes. Any recommendations should be checked in practice, each owner should have individual experience and knowledge about what kind of care his pets need.

Does an unpretentious dogwood need care

Keeping a dogwood tree is easy, but you can make the job even easier if you cover the ground around the trunk with a thick layer of mulch after planting. Make sure that the root collar is not covered, it should be in the air. Weeds will not break through the compost or mowed grass, the ground there will always be loose and moist. Dogwood roots are mainly located in the upper soil layer. In dry weather, you need to water the bushes, and it is better to organize a drip irrigation system.

From May to autumn, the shrub works hard: energy is spent on the formation of fruits, and on growing young shoots. For these processes to take place correctly, the plant needs a sufficient amount of nutrients. Use fertilizers with a predominance of nitrogen and phosphorus until mid-summer, and potassium is needed in the second half of the season. In nature, dogwood prefers calcareous soils, because without calcium, the growth and formation of fruits are impossible. If this component is not in the soil of your site, add it to the top dressing.

Frequent pruning of dogwood is not necessary. Before the growing season, only diseased, dry and broken branches should be cut to prevent them from becoming a source of infection. To give shape to a young plant, leave a short, about half a meter, stem and 5 skeletal branches. To rejuvenate plants over 20 years old, prune off branches that are 4 years old. In their place, new fruiting shoots will appear.The tree tolerates shearing well, and if you want to use it as an ornamental plant, you can give the crown an unusual shape.

Dogwood is resistant to diseases and pests, and proper care will make the bush even stronger. And yet, do not forget to inspect the plant from time to time in order to notice problems in time.

• Powdery mildew - white bloom on the shoots. Treat the plant with colloidal sulfur.
• Rust - yellow spots on the leaves. The bush must be sprayed with Bordeaux liquid.
• Spotting. Bordeaux liquid will also help from this disease.
• Snail worm. The pest is destroyed with lime.
• The caterpillar is a multiflora. Sprinkle the dogwood with Parisian greens.

Conclusion

Dogwood can be grown and harvested not only in the south, but also in the northern regions. If the plant is properly cared for, it will bear fruit for up to 100 years. You can keep one trunk and grow the dogwood as a tree, or you can leave the lower shoots alone and get a bush.

In order for the dogwood to develop well and bear fruit, you need to choose the right varieties and planting method. Growing from seeds is a laborious task, but sometimes only this method is possible in the northern area. Good results are obtained by budding: on a winter-hardy rootstock, you can try to grow shoots of delicate varieties.

Dogwood is tenacious and unpretentious, it will endure any conditions. Does the plant need care? If you want to eat enough berries, do not forget about watering and feeding. You can leave the bush completely unattended, but it will not give good yields. Love your green pets, and your site will always be beautiful and productive.

Dogwood is not often found in our area. But since this plant has unsurpassed useful properties, it is worth considering how to start growing it in a summer cottage.

Planting a dogwood and subsequent care for it is an absolutely not complicated procedure, which even for a novice gardener can do.... This shrub is unpretentious, and at the same time has delicious berries.

Maturation of dogwood in the Moscow region, Krasnodar Territory and Ukraine

Kizil prefers the warm climate of the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, where it grows in mountain forests, on sunny edges, as well as in thickets of other shrubs. In addition, it grows in the territory of Ukraine, Crimea, Central and Southern Europe, as well as in Western Asia. On the territory of Russia, dogwood is successfully cultivated in various regions - Moscow region, Krasnodar Territory and other regions.

The beginning of flowering of the common dogwood falls on March, and the end - in April. Fruits ripen closer to the middle of autumn, depending on the region of growth. When the fruits are ripe, they begin to fall off the bush. The ripeness of the dogwood fruit can be determined by taste.The crop is harvested every year in September, and the roots are harvested at the end of November..

Freshly picked dogwood berries

For long-term storage of berries at home, they are cut off as they begin to ripen. The fruits are placed in small baskets where they ripen., and then stored at a temperature of 0 - +2 C.

Nice, sweet and sour tasting with a specific aroma, dogwood fruits are often consumed fresh, and experienced housewives are in a hurry to buy dogwood to make exquisite jams, jellies, jams, juices, compotes, marmalades, or simply fill the fruits with sugar and store. Also, berries can be preserved by freezing.

In its raw form, dogwood berries are stored in a refrigerator (in a plastic bag with holes) for no more than 12 days.

Reproduction of dogwood seeds at home

Dogwood can be propagated using a bone, i.e. germinate it. To do this, take ripe berries, free the bone from the pulp and place them in boxes with wet sawdust or moss for one year, regularly maintaining a moist environment. This method is used to stratify the seeds before planting them. The seed of this plant is not divided into cotyledons. In this regard, it should be placed in the ground no deeper than 3 cm. Unstratified seeds germinate only after 2 years, while not all... Sprouted seeds germinate in the year they are sown.

Sprouted Dogwood Seed

Taking care of the seeds is simple: watering, feeding, at the beginning of growth, shading from hot sunlight. During the first year, seedlings grow up to 3-4 cm, by the end of the second - up to 10-15 cm... The kernels of the seed-grown dogwood are harvested after 7-10 years from the moment of sowing.

The varietal properties of the dogwood, like all fruit plants, retains during vegetative propagation. Dogwood can be propagated by grafting, green cuttings and replants. The most efficient way - reproduction by budding, the survival rate of the eyes is 92-97%

When to plant dogwood in different regions of Russia?

The best period for planting shrubs on open ground in the southern regions is autumn. It is not difficult to determine the time for planting dogwood - as soon as poplar leaves begin to fall... It is recommended to plant this plant in the fall, since during spring planting it is necessary to plant it in a rather short time: between the time the soil warms up and the period when the buds of the bush begin to bloom.

In the autumn period, dogwood is planted no later than mid-October, 2-3 weeks before the onset of frost... Well-watered and well-watered shrubs manage to take root, tolerate winter well and begin to grow rapidly in early spring.

Advantages and disadvantages of autumn planting

Autumn planting has several advantages:

• Cornelian seedlings planted in autumn manage to heal damaged roots during the winter and build up new suction roots by spring. Thanks to this, the young plant is able to withstand the early spring droughts and dry winds characteristic of the southern regions without complications.
• It is much more profitable to buy dogwood in autumn.... Gardeners and nurseries sell freshly dug planting materials, resulting in a huge selection of products at affordable prices.
• Autumn planting is quite a bit of a hassle... It is enough to do only one watering, and nature will do the rest of the work on its own. Rainy weather in autumn provides the dogwood with the necessary moisture and comfort.
• Another important advantage is saving time... Autumn planting of dogwood seedlings frees up a large amount of time and effort for other work, which becomes quite a lot with the onset of springtime.

The soil for growing ready-made dogwood seedlings should be prepared in the summer.

Autumn planting also has certain disadvantages.:

• Severe frosts can ruin still immature plants.... In winter, there are strong winds, snowfalls and other weather adversities that can break young trees and shrubs.
• Rodents pose a danger to shrubsfeeding on seedlings in late autumn and winter.

Sometimes freshly picked cornel berries with pericarp are planted in August. Germination in this case is 70-80% after 1.5 years from the day of sowing..

Important rules when planting dogwood

During planting, certain rules must be followed.:

• It is advisable to plant dogwood in a shaded place., between the trees. Thus, you can save the area of ​​the garden and solve the problem of using low-light areas on the site.
• When choosing a site consideration should be given to the placement of groundwateras the dogwood root system branches out at a level of 1 m from the ground surface.
• For good yields it is recommended to plant several different plant varietiesme, because they bloom at the same time.
• When planting a bush humus, manure, mineral fertilizers are not used... All you need is land and water.

Below is a detailed description of the process of planting dogwood in the garden.

How to prepare a seedling?

During the acquisition of seed, attention should be paid to the root: the more powerful it is, the faster the plant will develop. Weak, chapped, thin roots with obvious signs of soreness should be treated with concern. You need to purchase powerful seedlings with 2-3 root branches at least 30 cm in length... The bark on the trunk should be intact and the branches intact.

To fully ensure the viability of the plant you like, you need to slightly cut the bark. If the incision is green - means the choice is correct, if brown - you will have to continue searching for a suitable dogwood.

Before planting dogwood seedlings, they should be placed in water for several days.

The seedling rhizome should be well moisturized. In the case of long-term transportation, it is wrapped in a damp material and placed in a plastic bag. If the roots have dried up during the transportation period, they should be placed in water for several days before planting.... If, after the purchase, it is not possible to immediately plant a seedling, it is added dropwise at an angle in a shaded place. It is important here that the soil covers all the roots, as well as half of the seed. A richly watered plant in this form can be stored for a month.

Choosing a place for planting in a garden or cottage

What is the most suitable place in the country for growing dogwood? Any site is suitable for an unpretentious dogwood. To harvest good yields, the soil must be fertilized, drained, moist and alkaline..

To test the acidity of the soil, you need to drip 2 drops of table vinegar on a handful of earth. In an alkaline environment, small bubbles appear, indicating the required amount of lime.

Dogwood does not take root in swampy soils. In addition, clayey areas and poorly lit areas should be avoided. For the first 5 years of growing this shrub, partial shade is perfect.... Then the dogwood can be transplanted into a sufficiently lit area of ​​the garden. To save space, it is advised to plant a shrub between old trees, which, with their shadow, will protect its root system from drying out. Dogwood gets along with each of the fruit plants, the only exception is the walnut.

Description of the process of planting seedlings on open ground in the fall

Dogwood planting rules

To plant a dogwood correctly, you must follow the following steps:

1. Before proceeding with planting, the plant should be carefully examined again and prune broken branches and damaged roots... Then it is good to process all the roots with a previously prepared clay mash. When planting in autumn, the foliage must be carefully removed from the dogwood.
2. The recess for the seedling should easily accommodate the rhizome. Fit pit 30 - 50 cm deep.
3. Digging a hole into it drive in a stake, to which you will then need to bind the plant.
4. Place about 15 cm of pebbles at the bottom of the hole or expanded clay. If the soil is scarce, the drainage is covered by a third of leafy soil.
5. Cornel prefers potassium-rich soil. You can enrich it with lime.mixed with the substrate in a ratio of 150 g to 1 mg.
6. When placing a seedling in a hole, its roots must be carefully spread, and the root collar is under 2 - 3 cm of soil.
7. Falling asleep the hole, you need to watch that voids do not appear around the roots. To avoid this the planted material should be trampled down and well wateredb.
8. Shrub without fail mulch about 10 - 15 cm... This procedure is necessary so that the roots located superficially do not dry out. To do this, you can use pine needles, sawdust, straw or hay.
9. 7 days after planting the bud near the dogwood should be compacted and watered again.

Shrub Care is an Important Moment for Getting a Good Harvest

Dogwood does not need special care. The main thing is to water it constantly for one year from the time of planting.Watering is carried out 2 times a week. To prevent water from spreading over the territory, it is worth making a furrow around the seedling.

In the first growing year, you need to monitor the condition of the leaves. If they begin to dry out and curl, this indicates that the plant does not have enough moisture. Same for the first 3 years, gardeners need to monitor the cleanliness of the soil near the dogwood... Weeds growing at a distance of 1 m from the plant should be disposed of.

To ensure improved air exchange of the layer in which the roots of the plant are located, it is necessary to periodically loosen the soil about 10 cm deep. To make it more convenient to deal with this process, it is necessary to loosen it the next day after watering.

For high yields, the shrub is fertilized several times throughout the year. It is believed that during the growing season, dogwood needs nitrogen-phosphorus supplements, and in the autumn, potassium supplements.

Some gardeners alternately add humus and compost, or every year at the beginning of the summer period they add water with chicken droppings under the plants in a ratio of 10: 1... Others make fertilizers from 0.03 kg of ammonium nitrate and one bucket of humus. At the end of August, 0.5 liters of wood ash is poured under an adult plant. And at the end of the harvest, it is advisable to add 0.1 kg of superphosphates. However, lime is recognized as the most important fertilizer. Thanks to her, potassium is present in the soil, which affects the future number of fruits.

When caring for dogwood, regular soil tillage is essential.... It is carried out annually at least 6-7 times, regardless of the age and fertility of the shrub. They start processing in the spring, and finish in the fall, after collecting all the fruits. The final stage of loosening the soil around the plant is its mulching.

How to transplant an ordinary dogwood?

If there is a need to transplant a plant from one site to another, the technique of reproduction by dividing the bush is applied.

For one year, this method can be used in early spring or late autumn. The plant is removed from the soil and freed from old branches. The root is cleaned of soil, and the shrub is cut into several parts... The roots are trimmed, the old shoots are removed. After that, the individual parts are planted in prepared holes.

The common dogwood is a long-liver. It can produce excellent harvests for 100 years.... Therefore, if you plant a dogwood, it will delight more than one generation with its tasty and healthy berries.