Description and application of an unusual variety of bird cherry Colorata

Bird cherry has been grown on the territory of Russia for a long time. This tree is famous for its beautiful appearance and unique aroma during flowering.

Various parts of this plant have medicinal properties. Therefore, they are often used in folk medicine, they are able to best influence the state of human health. The Colorata variety (or it is also called the Virginian Schubert) is highly popular and boasts not only its appearance, but also delicious fruits.

Description of bird cherry

Colorata vulgaris bird cherry was developed in Sweden. It is highly popular among Russian gardeners. This is due to the fact that its characteristics are at the highest level. A young tree grows and develops rapidly. Fruit ripening occurs in late July - early August.

Colorata belongs to the decorative varieties with red flowers and green leaves and is able to decorate any garden plot with its appearance. This is not a bush. This bird cherry looks especially good not on the shore of a lake or pond. Due to its high winter hardiness, such a tree can be grown in any region of Russia. When properly cared for, Colorata produces a high, annual yield. Also, the variety is partially self-fertile.

Characteristics of the species

Bird cherry Colorata is a tall tree (5-6 meters) with a dense, ovoid crown. The bark and shoots of the tree are colored in an unusual purple color, with both light and dark shades present. Young leaves are similar in color to shoots, and at a more mature age they become bronze-green.

The inflorescences are usually collected in clusters. The flowers of the bird cherry are very beautiful and fragrant, painted in a light pink color. It is thanks to them that culture is used in landscape design to create various compositions.

The berries of the Colorata bird cherry are edible, have a pleasant, tart taste, when mature they are painted black, the skin of the fruit is shiny, glossy.

Pros and cons of the Colorata bird cherry variety

• bird cherry Colorata is a rather unpretentious tree and requires much less care than other crops growing in the garden;
• beautiful appearance bird cherry and aroma during flowering can decorate any, even the most dull area;
• also the tree perfectly tolerates frost and drought, which allows it to be grown in any region;
• the berries of this variety are edible and quite tasty, which allows them to be successfully used for various types of processing.

And now the cons:

• wood has low resistance to pest attacks and requires constant preventive measures;
• also Colorata takes up a lot of space, which makes it impossible to grow a tree in a small area.

Planting Colorata or Virginia Schubert

Planting time often depends on the location of the garden area. In the southern and central region, the Moscow region, autumn planting, which is carried out in September, will be preferable.

Residents of the northern regions, the Urals and Siberia are recommended to carry out this procedure in late March - early April.

Choosing a place for bird cherry with red flowers

1. HThe bermukha is an unpretentious crop and can grow on almost any soil. But it is best to plant a tree on loamy soil with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction;
2. If only acidic soil is present on the site, it must be preliminarily limed with lime or dolomite flour;
3. You can not plant bird cherry in places with a high level of groundwater;
4. Another prerequisite is the presence of sunlight, growing in the shade may not have the best effect on the health of the tree.

Preparation of seedlings

Before planting a small tree, you must prepare it for this procedure and perform the following steps:

• seedlings with an open root system are released for 8-10 hours, soaked in a solution with a growth stimulator. An example of such a drug is root, epin, etc .;
• seedlings with a closed root system are soaked for 20-30 minutes;
• also, before planting, it is necessary to check the condition of the seedling and remove all dry and damaged branches;
• the same procedure is carried out with the roots of the seedling, also, in any case, it will be necessary to trim each root a little.

Planting pit preparation

The planting hole must be prepared in advance so that the soil becomes more fertile and nutritious. For spring planting, the pit is prepared in autumn, and for autumn planting in about 2-3 weeks. The depth and diameter of the pit should directly depend on the root system of the seedling. Most often, these indicators are 40-50 centimeters.

During the preparation of the pit, the top 20 centimeters of earth are mixed with:

• a bucket of peat;
• a bucket of humus or rotted manure;
• a bucket of sand;
• 80-100 grams of mineral fertilizer.

The resulting mixture is poured into a pit and left to infuse until planting.

Landing technology

Bird cherry is planted using the following technology:

• the seedling is placed in a hole so that the root collar is 1-2 centimeters above the soil level;
• you also need to carefully spread the roots;
• then the hole is covered with soil, while periodically shaking the seedling to avoid the formation of air pockets;
• at the end of the work, the near-trunk circle is thoroughly watered and mulched with compost or humus.

Tree care

Immediately after planting, it is necessary to trim the tree so that its height is 60-70 centimeters, and remove all lateral branches, leaving the 4 most developed shoots. This procedure will have a beneficial effect on the formation of the bird cherry crown. Next year, in this way, it will be necessary to form the second tier, then the third, etc.

Bird cherry Colorata tolerates drought well, but timely application of moisture will help improve the health of the tree.

A mandatory procedure is regular loosening of the near-trunk circle and removal of weeds.

In order to avoid the development of diseases and the multiplication of bacteria in early spring (immediately after the snow melts) and in late autumn (after leaf fall), sanitary pruning is carried out. During this procedure, dry, frozen or affected branches are removed. In adulthood, thinning pruning should be carried out. It is also necessary to carefully monitor the direction of growth of the shoots and cut off the branches growing inside the crown in time.

Feeding bird cherry

For the first 2-3 years, the tree does not need to be fed, it will have enough nutrients introduced during planting.

Then the bird cherry is fertilized 2 times a year. Compared to other crops, bird cherry does not require the obligatory introduction of abundant dressings.This feature is associated with a powerful and developed root system of the tree, which can independently exist and obtain the necessary nutrients for itself. Experienced gardeners recommend the following work:

1. In the spring, before flowering, complex mineral fertilizers are scattered in the root zone, then the bird cherry must be thoroughly watered so that the agent dissolves and can properly affect the health of the tree;

2. In the fall, humus or rotted manure is introduced for digging. If the soil on the site is fertile, then such feeding can be done once every two years.

Diseases and pests

Bird cherry is a very beautiful tree, which also bears unusual, tart fruits and has many medicinal properties. The Colorata variety is perfect for Russia, it is not whimsical to the soil, climate, moreover, it does not require complex care.