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Where to plant barberry in the country. Application of fruits, foliage and wood

Beautiful - barberry - will give your backyard a magical and unique look from spring, when its yellow flowers with a delicate aroma, until late autumn, when clusters of bright red fruits are amazingly combined with orange leaves, bloom. And if we add to this also high medicinal properties, then the barberry is a resolved issue. Caring for this plant is simple, and the hedge is just gorgeous.

plant description

The name of this original ornamental bush comes from the Arabic beriberi, which means shell. The flower petals really remind her. The barberry plant is distinguished by branching, thorns and bark of a light brown color. The size of the bush can reach a height of 3.5 m. The rhizomes are lignified, creeping. Shoots with edges - straight, yellow color, later they turn gray-white. On shorter shoots from the buds, leaves appear up to 4 cm long, thin, elliptical or obovate. On longer shoots, three to five spines up to 2 cm long develop.

In the spring, in late April and early May, fragrant brushes of yellow flowers appear on the plant. Their number can reach up to 25 pieces. By the end of September, the bush bears fruit with bright red or purple fruits of an oblong shape. Barberry has seeds up to 7 mm long, narrowed and flattened in its upper part.

Distribution and ecology

Previously, barberry could only be found in Europe, Transcaucasia and Western Asia. He preferred the forest-steppe zone with sufficient lighting and dry soil. It was also possible to meet him in the mountains, at an altitude of up to 2 km. What does a barberry bush look like growing in the wild? The plant has a rather unsightly appearance. Today, due to the fact that a huge number of varieties have been bred, the ornamental barberry bush cannot be found except in the Arctic or Antarctica.

Beneficial features

In addition to ripe berries, all other parts of the plant contain the alkaloid berberine. The roots also contain other alkaloids: oxyacanthin, iatrorricin, palmatin, columbamine. There are many tannins and aromatic resins in the bark, and vitamin K in the leaves. Ripe fruits contain carotenoids - lutein, flavoxanthin, xanthophyll, etc., as well as sugars, malic acid, pectins.

Back in Ancient Russia, roots, branches and bark insisted on alcohol to stop the flow of blood from wounds and relieve inflammation. Barberry is an ideal antibiotic, a gift from nature, which was used to treat various colds. An infusion of fruits strengthened the immune system, supported the liver. And in ancient Rome, it was believed that the barberry brings happiness and good luck, so it was protected in every possible way.

In modern official medicine tincture of alcohol from the leaves is used in gynecology to stop uterine bleeding and inhibit inflammation. Berberine is used to treat major liver and gallbladder problems. An aqueous infusion of the fruit relieves attacks of malaria due to its strong diaphoretic properties. With rheumatism, it soothes pain with its help.

The use of barberry

Berries are widely used in cooking: juices and fruit drinks, jams and jellies. And add dried berry powder to meat sauce, and you won’t drag your relatives from the plate by the ears. In Central Asia, pilaf is not cooked without barberry, and the peoples of the Caucasus add it to horseradish.

Due to the sour taste, barberry is able to replace vinegar. And immature pickled fruits can perfectly replace capers. Tincture and decoction are used in veterinary medicine as a hemostatic agent for various wounds in animals.

Barberry and pregnancy

Unfortunately, at interesting position you should completely refuse to eat both the berries themselves and various tinctures. Due to the alkaloids contained in the plant, a miscarriage is possible. Also, in pregnant women, the fruits can provoke the formation of blood clots.

However a small amount of sauce for meat containing barberry will not harm, so if you really want to, then eat to your health. Just do not forget that everything should be in moderation.

How and where to plant barberry

Planting a barberry bush begins with choosing a place. This plant prefers open areas well lit by the sun. And for species that belong to the Central Asian, you need to select a place so that there are no drafts. The requirements for the soil of the barberry bush are as follows: loam or well-dried soils, because the plant does not like waterlogging.

Planting a barberry bush in the place allotted for it for growth is carried out in the spring, before the buds begin to bloom, but it is also possible to plant in the fall, when the leaves begin to actively crumble. Before planting in the pit, add a mixture of humus, earth and sand (in equal proportions). The depth should be 25-30 cm for 2-3 year old seedlings and 40-50 for 5-7 year olds. If you plan to make a hedge, then you need to plant bushes in a trench. If the soil in your area is acidic, for example peat, then under the bushes you need to add wood ash 200 g, lime or dolomite flour - 300-400 g. From fertilizers, only 100 g of superphosphate will be needed.

How to care for a barberry bush

If you have planted barberry bushes, caring for them will be easy. If the site for planting was initially chosen correctly, and the soil was provided with good aeration, then the roots will be healthy and will be able to breathe. Just sometimes you need to loosen the soil and remove the weeds.

In the spring, at the beginning of the season or immediately after flowering, you need to cut the barberry. The bush is trimmed annually. This action is directed to the formation of a lush crown and the removal of weak and diseased shoots. And do not forget about the sharp barberry thorns during care. The next year after planting in the spring, be sure to feed your barberry with nitrogen fertilizer. The size of the bush and its lush bloom you will be grateful for such care. Fertilizing should be repeated every three years.

The main methods of breeding barberry

There are four main ways to propagate barberries in your area: dividing the bush, planting with layering, summer cuttings and seeds.

Seeds should be sown in the fall. Squeeze freshly picked fruits, rinse with running water and dry. They need to be placed at a depth of no more than one centimeter. The soil at the same time should be loose, and the landing site should be well warmed up by the sun. By summer, the plant will delight you with friendly shoots. But it is better to transplant a barberry bush in a year.
The plant propagates easily from summer cuttings. Just place them right amount into the soil in June, and in a couple of years you will have enough material for planting.
Dividing the bush is another way of reproduction. In this case, the main bush is carefully dug up so as not to damage the root system, and cut into several parts. If the roots are very thick, they are simply cut along and the resulting parts are planted in new holes, moistening them abundantly before planting.
Layers are made in the spring from young and healthy branches. Grooves are dug around the bush, into which the selected branches fit. There they are fixed and sprinkled with earth so that only one top remains outside. The entire season, the layers are well watered, and in the fall you will have bushes ready for planting.

Pests and diseases

Although the ornamental barberry bush is quite resistant to both fungal diseases and pests, it is also susceptible to them. Of the fungal infections, anthracnose and powdery mildew are most common. In the first case, the disease manifests itself as round brown spots on the leaves, in the second - white, as if sprinkled with flour, bloom on branches, leaves and flowers. Fungal infection is the first sign of excess water. Fungicides are used for treatment, and the affected parts are trimmed, which must be burned.

Barberry - a plant that is an intermediate host of such a scourge Agriculture, like a rust fungus that infects cereal crops. That is why its cultivation near the fields of rye and wheat is unacceptable. The only exception is the Thunberg barberry, which is not susceptible to rust infection. When diseased, spots are visible on the leaves orange color with pads on the underside, in which spores ripen in large numbers. They spread to cereals, both wild and cultivated, with the help of wind.

Another disease is caused by a fungus from the genus Fusarium. Infection occurs through the roots, which rot, and the fungus rises through the vessels along the branches, causing the bush to wilt. If you cut the branch, you can see the rings of brown vessels.

Of the insects, the most common pest is the barberry aphid. Its presence can be seen by wrinkled and dried leaves. You can get rid of aphids with a solution laundry soap(for a bucket of water 300 g). The moth caterpillar eats the berries. If they appear, treat the barberry with Chlorophos or Decis.

The most common types of barberry

Very unpretentious in the care of Berberis vulgaris, or an ordinary barberry, whose height can reach two or more meters. The leaves are dark green and the flowers are a brilliant yellow. The fruits are quite edible, juicy, with a sour taste, painted in bright red.

If in your area severe frosts then this view is for you. It tolerates frost well and survives drought well. It can be propagated by seeds, dividing the bush and cuttings. Need a hedge so no one gets through? Barberry ordinary will help with this. However, take care of your bushes from excess moisture, this species is very susceptible to diseases caused by fungi.

The plant has many varieties:

Atropurpurea is a barberry bush, the photo of which is presented below, with red leaves.
Aureomarginata - a plant bordered by a golden line.
Albovariegata with variegated leaves.

When propagating original varieties, it should be taken into account that when planting with seeds, only a part of the plants will retain their varietal characteristics.

Berberis canadensis, or Canadian barberry, as the name implies, came from North America. It differs from its European counterpart in greater spreading. Frost and drought resistant. It is mainly used for landscaping on the American continent, therefore it is extremely rare in Russia.

Berberis thunbergii, or Thunberg's barberry, is native to China and Japan. This is a small shrub up to a meter high, but in diameter it can reach one and a half meters. The shoots are covered with small spines very densely. The flowers are reddish-yellow in color, collected 2-4 pieces in small inflorescences. But the berries are unsuitable for food because of their bitter taste, although birds eat them with great pleasure.

Unlike European and American counterparts, Thunberg barberry practically does not suffer from fungal diseases, including rust. It is easy to propagate it both by seeds and by dividing the bush; cuttings also easily pass. This species has more than 50 varieties that differ in the original color of the leaves, their shape and size. If you meet an unusually colored barberry bush, the photo of which will interest you, most likely it is Thunberg.

Berberis x ottawiensis, or is a hybrid obtained by crossing a red barberry and Thunberg. The main difference is the dark purple obovate leaves. When autumn comes, they turn deep red. Beautiful brushes of yellow with a reddish tinge of flowers, which are collected in 8-10 pieces, bloom at the end of May. From its "parents" the plant acquired all the best - the beauty of color, unpretentiousness and immunity to fungal diseases.

Berberis koreana, or Korean barberry, whose bush height reaches two meters, has large obovate leaves, leathery to the touch. In autumn they turn purple-red. The plant is native to the Korean Peninsula. The flowers are collected in long racemes of 15-20 pieces, and the smell is very strong. Barberry is very unpretentious in care and resistant to frost. Only in windy cold winters can its tops freeze slightly. But he will not like thaws, during this period the humidity is very high for him, and given plant is known to be highly susceptible to rust.

Berberis integerrima, or whole-edged barberry, came to our household plots from Central Asia, where it grows at an altitude of up to 2500 meters above sea level. The height of the shrub can reach two and a half meters. The spines are small, one and a half centimeters long, and the leaves with a solid edge are painted in a grayish-green tone. Up to 20 yellow flowers can be collected in inflorescences, and the fruits are maroon with a bluish bloom. The entire barberry bush does not like acidic soil. Planting and caring for it is quite simple. Mature plants survive even the most severe winter, but young ones can freeze over, but they easily tolerate pruning and grow back quickly.

Berberis sphaerocarpa, or spherical barberry (otherwise called multi-legged), came to us in home gardens from the mountains of Central Asia. The shrub can reach 2.5 meters in height, very sprawling, with gray-green leaves finely serrated along the edge. The inflorescences collected in 5-10 flowers are very fragrant. The fruit with a bluish bloom is painted dark blue.

Uzbekistan and Tajikistan constantly use berries in cooking, add them to barbecue sauce and shurpa. The fruits are excellent remedy fight scurvy, as they are very rich in ascorbic acid.

This species is very unpretentious in care, tolerates even extreme heat and a long drought. It tolerates frosty winters well, but young shoots may suffer, so it is better to cover them. But excessive moisture can lead to the disease of the spherical barberry, it is especially susceptible to rust. Plant it in a place that is not blown by through winds, and the soil is dry and not acidic, and you will enjoy delicious fruits and beautiful appearance. Propagated best by cuttings and seeds.

Berberis nummularia, or coined barberry, came to us from the steppes of Central and North Asia. Shrub very branched up to 2 meters high. The reddish branches are covered with very large spines up to 3 cm long. The bluish-green leaves are very hard, entire, oblong-elliptical in shape. Large flowers of bright yellow color are collected in brushes. Ripe oval berries are bright red. Up to 3-4 years of age, the barberry is subject to frostbite, after which it recovers for a long time. It does not like highly moist soil, as it is very susceptible to fungal diseases. But drought, even strong and prolonged, is not afraid. The soil he needs is light, not acidic.

Comes from Far East. In the wild, it prefers to settle on the river coast and forest edges. Outwardly, it is not much different from the ordinary Amur barberry, whose height can reach 3.5 m. Large, serrated glossy green leaves turn either yellow or purple in autumn.

Among the barberries there are many stable and decorative species that grow well in the conditions of central Russia. Japan is considered the birthplace of the plant. All barberries are thorny shrubs with a height of 1 to 3 m. The leaves are small, collected in bunches on shortened shoots. The fruits of the plant are edible, with a high content of wine and citric acid s. But there are some varieties of barberry that are used only as ornamental seedlings. Interesting not only autumn, but also the main color of cultural forms. Perhaps that is why about barberries, as about ornamental shrubs, giving beautiful colour are rarely spoken. But at the beginning of summer, in bloom, the bushes of these plants become especially attractive. Entirely dotted with small, but numerous yellow flowers they look very impressive. late autumn the plant is decorated with fruits. Today, barberries of different types and varieties make it possible to combine different forms and colors into beautiful garden arrangements. See how beautiful the decorative barberry looks in the photo:

What does barberry look like and how does it bloom: photo and description of species and varieties

The most commonly used in landscaping are:

Relatively large common barberry ( B. vulgaris) and its purple-leaved form ‘Atropurpurea’. common view widely known as a fruit plant;

Barberry Thunberg ( B. thunbergii) , which is propagated by many gardeners, has a particularly large number of decorative forms and varieties that differ in leaf color and crown size and shape;

Ottawa barberry ( B. x ottawensis) , which is a hybrid of the first two species. Bushes are undemanding to the soil. They tolerate drought better than excessive moisture. They can tolerate partial shade, although they show their decorative qualities more fully in the light. Well propagated by summer cuttings. Due to the beauty, variety of shapes and colors, the plant can be used as a single planting of decorative barberry, in small groups or to create hedges. Most species go well with other shrubs. Coniferous trees undersized species- This is the most common neighbor in the barberry garden. The plant goes well with alpine slides, as well as a central shrub in the design of flower beds. Growing barberry in the garden is not a hassle for its owner.

Any variety of barberry shrub is incredibly attractive. For many gardeners, the variety of species of this plant is confusing. But in order to make a choice, it is recommended to focus on the goal that you are pursuing.

If you want a plant to please you with delicious berries, then these are some varieties. If you want to decorate your garden, use decorative types. Further in the article we will talk about barberries of different varieties with a photo and a description of the features of each. We have already mentioned them above. Note that each of the species presented by us copes well with both tasks: it will decorate your garden and give edible, tasty fruits.

common barberry- one of the most common plant species. Reaches a height of up to three meters. Elliptical leaves, with inside they have a gray-green color, and from the front they are dark green. The bushes have shoots of a gray-brown color, with thorns up to 2 cm. This species blooms for 3 weeks. The inflorescence has a racemose shape up to 6 cm, consists of fragrant yellow flowers. The fruits reach 1.5 cm in length and have a bright red hue. Barberry ordinary has a lot of subspecies:

Aureo Marginata

Albo Variegata

Asperma

The last representative of the plant of this species has a fruit without a seed, which facilitates its processing.

See how the types of common barberry look in the photo.

Compared to the previous species, its size is much smaller. An adult bush reaches a height of no more than 1 m. The branches of the bush spread in a horizontal direction. Depending on the variety, the young shoots of the plant can be bright red or even yellow, which later turn brown. Foliage ovate, slightly elongated, average length reaches no more than 3 cm.

In summer, the bush has a brightly saturated green color due to the color of the leaves, by autumn it becomes bright red.

Color lasts up to 2 weeks. During this period, the bush becomes red yellow tint. The flowers of the barberry bush of the Thunberg variety have a double color: the petals are yellow on the inside, and bright red on the outside. Elliptical fruits reach 1 cm in length, have a coral hue and ripen in early autumn. If they are not collected, then they can hold out on the branches until the first serious frost. Barberry Thunberg, the care and cultivation of which does not require special knowledge or skills, will give a different, more aesthetic look to your backyard. This species also has many hybrid varieties that are considered ornamental: many-flowered, silver-bordered, dark purple, etc.

See how Thunberg's barberries look like in the photo.

Ottawa variety - is a shrub that combines the qualities of the first and second species.

This species is perfect for regions with fairly severe winters. According to external characteristics, this plant is similar to Thunberg, but in an enlarged form. Its height reaches 2 m. But the leaves are closer in color and shape to the ordinary species. They have a pink-purple hue, which becomes almost black in the sun. On autumn days, when most of the colors in the garden are fading, the bush will be at its most beautiful, as its leaves take on a crimson hue and stay on the branches for a long time. Ottawa barberry, its types and varieties are shown in the photo:

Auricoma

Superba

Silver Miles

In addition to the listed varieties, barberries of various ornamental varieties can be found all over the world, which differ in their color, height, and leaf shape. To create alpine slides use dwarf varieties barberry bushes:

Atropurpurea

Bagatelle

cobolt

See how effectively such a barberry looks like - an ornamental shrub in the photo surrounded by stones:

Their height does not reach more than 50 cm, so these varieties are called dwarf.

Growing conditions for barberry: how to plant and care for shrubs

Decorative barberry, which even an inexperienced gardener can care for, differs little depending on the type of plant or its variety. Therefore, it is enough to get acquainted with all the subtleties once and you can safely grow different types such plants, regardless of its form. You can find ideal growing conditions for barberry in any garden. When choosing a place for further plant growth, give preference to places that are not too dark, but he does not like abundant sunlight either. Partial shade is considered ideal for these bushes. In such a place you will see all the brightness of the colors of the leaves and flowers of the barberry. Planting and caring for a plant does not take much time and mainly consists of:

the correct selection of the method of planting shrubs;
ensuring timely watering, loosening the soil, harvesting weeds;
shrub pruning;
top dressing.

If you live in an area with adequate rainfall, then water the plant as the soil dries out. Watering is especially important during the summer months for the southern regions of the country, where it does not rain for a long time. Provide barberry bush care that includes weekly watering. Do this with water that is not too cold. It is better if it is water that has warmed up in the sun, and not just drawn from a tap or from a well. Water should be poured under the root of the plant, trying not to get on the leaves of the barberry. The subtleties of care and watering, see the photo:

It is important to remember that in the first few weeks after planting, watering should also be carried out weekly, until the ornamental barberry is fully rooted. Planting and care in the future implies the absence of stagnant water in the soil. Therefore, it is important not to overdo it with watering.

Also, weeds should be removed in time in the area around the shrub. Pay special attention to the growth that will appear near the barberry bushes. It needs to be removed in time. From time to time loosen the soil around the bush.

Fertilized barberry shrub at the time of planting, does not require more care than indicated above. Provide him with timely watering and air supply to the soil. This will be sufficient for young plant. But after a year it is desirable to do this in the spring, it should be fed with nitrogen fertilizers. To do this, dilute in a bucket of water no more than 30 g of urea. Further, it is enough to do this no more than once every 3 years. But such top dressing will be acceptable for ornamental shrubs. If you also want to get useful fruits with good edible qualities, then also feed each bush with phosphorus and potassium, in a ratio of 1: 1.5. Pruning, as for other shrubs in the garden, consists of removing weakened or dry shoots. Such a process carries health and aesthetic moments. Remember that barberry bushes have sharp thorns, so use gloves and prune very carefully. The first pruning of branches can be carried out in the spring on a one-year-old barberry. Look at the photo and read the description of how to do it:

Such pruning is used only for tall barberry varieties. All shoots must be shortened by almost 2/3 or half. Dry branches are removed completely. This will help form a decorative bush that will look aesthetically beautiful.

In the future, pruning is carried out twice a year: early summer and August. Dwarf species undergo only sanitary pruning.

What does the barberry look like - an ornamental shrub before and after pruning, look at the photo:

Ways to propagate barberry

Many think it's enough capricious plant. That is why some gardeners are afraid to grow it on their site. But the reproduction of barberry and care in the future will not be difficult even for an amateur. Let's try to dispel the myths that fanned the cultivation of this plant. There are many ways to reproduce:

cuttings;
seeds;
dividing the bush;
layering.

Each of the above methods has its drawbacks that should be taken into account. In many ways, the final result depends on the type of plant. For example, for the Thunberg barberry, propagation by cuttings is best, since this species has a lot of young shoots that can be used for this. If you do not know how to propagate the barberry growing in your front garden, gardeners recommend using several methods and identifying the most suitable one for it, giving a quick result. Reproduction of barberry seeds gives a fairly low percentage of germination. Another major disadvantage of this method is great opportunity loss of varietal traits.

Dividing the bush also entails some problems. For example, with this method of reproduction, there is a high probability of damage to the root system. As a result, both bushes may disappear or get sick.

Despite all the difficulties, gardeners say that with the right approach and observance of all the subtleties, you will very soon see in your garden how beautiful the barberry blooms.

How to plant barberry: propagation by seeds

The plant can be grown from a small seed. Since the germination rate is quite low, it is recommended to plant several fruits at once. How to plant barberry from seeds? The process begins with the selection of ripe, large fruit. Sort a few berries from the bush you like. Next, clean the fruit and free the seed. It must be washed with running water and kept a little in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Next, dry the seed well. Sowing is recommended in autumn. Use open ground with loose soil. Make indentations up to 3 cm and sow the seeds. Winter frosts will harden them, and in the spring you will see the first shoots of your future barberry. Planting also entails caring for the seed, reproduction on which depends directly. To do this, the collected product is stored in the refrigerator in dryness, mixed with sand, at a temperature of +3 degrees. And only at the end of April can be sown in loose open soil. Seeds that have sprouted should be thinned out, removing the weakest sprouts. A year later, a strengthened barberry can be transplanted to a permanent place.

With this reproduction, you will see the first fruits in the second year. There is a possibility that varietal traits may not be preserved in a plant grown in this way. But the situation can be prevented by vaccination.

Barberry can reproduce itself quite independently, by self-seeding. If you do not collect the fruits in the fall, then they crumble to the ground and may well take root. In the spring, the sprouts are not touched, and the transplant is carried out the next year.

Propagation of barberry Thunberg and other species by cuttings in spring

And yet, how to grow a barberry of the same variety? To do without subsequent vaccination, it is better to use the method of cuttings. To do this, it is enough to cut the branches from an adult bush, root and plant. But we note right away that not all types of barberry can give good cutting which will take root quickly. In addition, this method requires a lot of time for the roots to germinate. To speed up this process, gardeners recommend using special root stimulants. Reproduction of decorative barberry by cuttings takes place according to the following scheme:

the cuttings are on the side branches, they are cut in June, up to 15 cm in size;
the leaves at the base of the incision are removed, and the incision itself is treated with a root formation stimulator;
soil is being prepared: peat and sand;
processed cuttings are planted;
all seedlings are covered with plastic wrap or jars to create a greenhouse effect.

Reproduction of barberry by cuttings in spring also implies the subsequent care of seedlings: airing, loosening the soil, spraying with water. If the cutting has given a root, then soon you will see new leaves on its visible part. Next, the rooted plant should be transplanted into a deeper container with loose soil and mineral fertilizers. Here it remains for another year, after which the plant can be transplanted to a permanent place.

See how barberry cuttings look like, planting and caring for them in the photo:

Propagation of barberry by layering and dividing the bush

Another way to get a daughter plant of the same species is to propagate the barberry by layering or by dividing the bush into parts. Many shrubs in the garden can be propagated by dividing the root system. Barberry in this case is no exception. But here you need to be extremely careful and prevent severe damage to the root system, otherwise the bush will not be accepted. We will tell you how to plant barberry by dividing the root:

a healthy mother bush is suitable for division;
dig it carefully out of the ground;
divide into parts;
place planting material into prepared wells filled with water.

If the mother plant has a large root, then it can be cut into pieces. Reproduction of barberry in the spring can also be carried out by layering. Choose annual branches for this. They must be healthy and strong enough. Make a groove near the mother shrub, moisten it well. Put the selected branches in the prepared soil, secure and sprinkle with earth. On the surface it is necessary to leave the tops of the shoots. Here is what the barberry looks like with dug layering as a result.

Throughout the summer, both the bush and dug layers are watered, weeds are removed and the ground is loosened. By autumn, you will have ready-made seedlings that will retain all the varietal characteristics of the parent barberry.

How to grow barberry: disease and pest control

Like any other plant in the garden, the barberry is also subject to some. Therefore, if you want to preserve the beauty and fertility of your bush, you need to monitor its condition and take timely measures to eliminate them. Among the main signs of diseases that should alert the gardener, the following can be distinguished:

loose white coating powdery mildew on leaves and shoots;
on the upper side of the foliage there are bright orange spots, the leaves turn yellow and crumble - rust;
gradual drying of the leaves of the bush, which spreads from one side to the other - wilting.

These are the most common diseases that barberry is susceptible to. It is recommended to fight powdery mildew and rust by spraying with a 1% solution of colloidal sulfur. Depending on the degree of damage, the plant can be processed several times with interruptions.

From wilting, only the timely removal of the affected shoots and the treatment of the bush with Bordeaux liquid will help. Damaged and removed shoots in without fail are burned.

Often a severely affected bush cannot be saved. Therefore, it is important to identify the problem in time and fix it.

Insects that infect the barberry bush include aphids, sawflies and flower moths. If you find that the leaves have wrinkled on the plant and places of drying have appeared, then this is a clear sign of the presence of aphids. Look at the shoots and young leaves - you will surely notice this insect.

To combat it, you can use the old, but proven method - a strong soapy solution. Concentration: 300 g of laundry soap are taken per bucket of water. The plant is well processed with a spray gun.

The moth is especially dangerous for the barberry of the fruiting species, since it settles precisely in the berries of the plant. With her, as well as with the sawfly, they fight by spraying 1-3% chlorophos. See how beautifully the barberry blooms in these photos:

This plant is still quite rare in the gardens of our country. But if you want to surprise with such an unpretentious and beautiful shrub, then make every effort to plant and care for it, and very soon the barberry will decorate your site.

The delicious word "barberry" immediately evokes memories of childhood and red candies melting in the mouth. But not many people know that it is also a great decoration for suburban area. In addition, the shrub gives delicious fruits, so it is worthy to become the inhabitants of your garden no less than currants or gooseberries. Planting and caring for it must be carried out subject to certain rules.

Getting to know barberry

The saying that “everything new is a well-forgotten old” perfectly illustrates the situation with barberry. In Soviet times, it could be found in almost every dacha, but with the advent of landscape design "to the people", it gave way to more interesting and non-standard plants. Now the barberry is experiencing a new boom - landscape designers are actively using it in rockeries, hedges and other parts of the garden.

I can’t even believe that the progenitor of all this variety of shrubs is an ordinary barberry

The aroma of barberry is so soft and unobtrusive that it can be safely planted under the window, even if you like to open windows often.

In the natural environment, barberry is most often found in the North Caucasus, but is able to grow both in the southern regions of the country and in middle lane RF (prefers forest-steppe). It is well adapted to poor soils, often settles on a rocky river bank.

Wild barberry is not very decorative - its shoots are tall and rather thick, strewn with large thorns. The only decoration is yellow flower clusters in spring and bright red berries in summer. Varietal seedlings also retain thorns, but in some they are very short.

Individual barberry flowers are quite modest, but in a bunch they look great.

Never forget that thorny bushes and small children are incompatible. I had a negative experience with the rosary: as soon as I turned away from the kids (the children were then 2 and 3 years old), they were instantly injured by thorns. Out of curiosity, one grabbed an interesting bush, the second just walked by and stumbled, another time someone could not slow down on a tricycle in time. There are countless cases of injury. Unfortunately, the owner of huge rose bushes refused to cut and fence them, so I had to pull out the thorns almost daily. But after buying my house, I immediately moved the roses on the territory away from the place of children's games. Therefore, I consider it necessary to remind the future owners of the barberry: if the ideal place for a plant is near the sandbox or on the playing lawn, even the most well-mannered and tame kids will certainly fall into the thicket. Think, maybe there is another cozy corner for the plant?

Unripe fruits even edible varieties barberry are poisonous. Be sure to keep this in mind if you plan to plant a plant in an area accessible to children and pets (even dogs sometimes like to try a berry).

Video: useful properties

I have always been afraid of traditional medicine, I even use chamomile with caution. Therefore, I did not try to be treated with barberry. But berries in pilaf are sacred, without them it's just rice porridge. If an edible barberry grows at home, be sure to try it.

Most popular varieties

If the majority of plants between varieties always retain common features, then the barberry refuses to follow general rules. Its subspecies differ in the color and shape of the leaves, the color of the fruit, the shape and height of the crown, not everyone even adheres to the habit of shedding leaves. Some plants are so different that it's hard to believe they belong to the same species. But each of them is beautiful in its own way.

Photo gallery: varieties of barberry Thunberg

Tiny Gold can be recognized by the characteristic yellow-green shade of the foliage. Kobold tends to form a wide dense crown Erekta (upright) got its name due to the clear vertical position branches Aurea is very similar to Tiny Gold, but has longer shoots.

Among the most popular varieties of barberry:

Thunberg. On the basis of this species, many varieties have been bred with noticeable differences: Aurea, Kobold, Erekta, Tini Gold, Admiration. As a rule, these are low bushes (1–1.5 m) with small oblong-oval leaves. The crown of the Thunberg barberry is very decorative: green in summer, and red, orange, yellow or purple in autumn. The shoots themselves acquire a purple color, so the bare bush also looks beautiful. In addition to decorative qualities, the Thundberg barberry is also distinguished by its unpretentiousness to air quality (which is important in megacities) and soil, as well as drought resistance. Bright scarlet berries are attractive, but inedible. This variety is most popular in the Moscow region, the Aurea variety is well suited for the Urals,;
Admiration is one of the few varieties of the Thunberg family with red-pink or red-orange leaves.
ordinary. This is a tall (up to 3 m) bush with upright shoots and a large number of thorns. The bark on the branches changes color over time from yellow to purple to greyish white. The leaves are dark green, and the flowers are yellow and collected in brushes (like lilacs). The aroma of flowering barberry is sweet and delicate with a pronounced honey tinge. Berries can be not only the usual bright red, but also yellow, white. All of them are edible, well suited for compotes and jams. Main advantages: successfully develops in urban conditions, is not afraid of frost, tolerates a haircut perfectly, is not afraid of frost, puts forward minimum requirements for soil and lighting conditions. Main varieties: Atropurpurea, Albovariegata, Aureomarginata. Ordinary barberry is perfect for the harsh climate of Siberia;
Against the background of varietal counterparts, an ordinary barberry looks modest, but it can be transformed with the right haircut and care.
Amur. This is a resident of Primorye and neighboring Asia, which has a slightly branched and at the same time spreading crown. Amur leaves are large (up to 10 cm), the height of the bush reaches 3 m, the fruits are edible and well stored. The plant is not afraid of drought, frost, too active sun. The natural form of the Amur barberry is very beautiful, so it looks good in single plantings. Popular varieties: Japanese, Orpheus;
One of the distinguishing features of the Amur barberry is pink berries.
Ottawa and Canadian. These species come from Canada, so they are also well adapted to the climate of the Russian Federation. Outwardly, the Ottawa Barberry is similar to the Thunberg, but with larger shoots and larger leaves; Canadian - for ordinary, but shorter (up to 2.5 m). A distinctive feature of Ottawa is a minimum of thorns. On the basis of the Canadian subspecies, the varieties Deklinat, Oxyfill, Rekhderiana were bred. Ottawa became the parent of Auricoma, Purpurea, Silver Miles and Superba;
Auricoma is one of the most unusual varieties, because the foliage of this barberry is not red, but almost purple
red-leaved (Atropurpurea, Red Rocket, Red Carpet, Red Chief, Red Pillar). These cultivars stand out for their habit of retaining reddish-purple leaf color throughout the growing season, not just in the fall. Depending on the variety, the leaves may be red along the entire length of the shoot or only from the outer edge. Shades also differ, but they may vary due to light regime and soil composition.

Photo gallery: varieties with red shades of the crown

The columnar bushes of Red Pillar will help out when creating a landscape composition with clear verticals Looking at the scarlet shoots that shot up, it’s easy to guess why this barberry was called the red rocket This bush with a wide branched crown is really capable of covering the ground with a red carpet. AT favorable conditions the crown of the Red Chief takes on a deep burgundy hue

Breeders also develop new varieties of barberry based on Korean, whole-edged, spherical, coined and other species. But now the assortment is so wide that only from these plants you can create interesting memorable compositions.

Video: different varieties of barberry in the same garden

How is it used in landscape design?

Landscape designers value this plant for its all-season decorative effect. In spring, it decorates the garden with sweet-smelling flowers, in summer it pleases with bright foliage, in autumn the barberry crown changes color and becomes even brighter, and even in winter the bush continues to delight the eye with colored bark on bare branches. Barberry berries that appear in late summer or early autumn also add their own accents. In addition to color, they are also remarkable in shape: oval, round, oblong and even pear-shaped.

Many varieties of barberry bear fruit very abundantly.

Having become acquainted with a dozen varieties of barberry, it is impossible to doubt that it will be appropriate in any area. This plant is most in demand in such areas:

curbs along the paths. Usually planted like this undersized varieties, for example, barberry Thunberg Aurea or Admiration, which form a dense edge of the path and do not interfere with admiring more distant plants;
With such an original border it is easy to divide the flower bed into separate zones.
hedges. Here it is important to choose shrubs with lush crowns and fast regeneration so that they tolerate shearing well (important for maintaining a neat hedge shape. Red Pillar or Red Rocket (for a low hedge), ordinary (if a tall hedge is needed) is excellent. The plant grows quickly in size , That's why optimal distance between seedlings in a hedge - 25–35 cm;
The barberry hedge looks great both trimmed and "disheveled"
rockeries and alpine slides. Depending on the designer's idea, both low-growing (up to 0.5 m tall) compact spherical bushes and columnar varieties will come to the yard. When it is necessary to increase the visual volume of the composition, barberry with a lush crown is often used (for example, Red Carpet or Kobold);
Without the barberry, this alpine slide would lose half of its charm.
single landings (tapeworms). Most often, medium-sized bushes (with a spreading crown or columnar) with yellow-green or red-purple leaves are selected for accents. Solitary green barberry bushes also look very good, which were given a decorative shape with the help of a haircut (topiary, geometric shapes, figures);
Luxurious barberry bush Thunberg Rose Glow looks great in single plantings
edge in group plantings. When a tall tree arrangement is planted, the barberry helps to hide the unattractive bare trunk and make the flower bed more fluffy. high grades barberry can act not only as an edge, but also as the main focus of a group planting.
Fluffy bushes of barberry beautifully framed a modest flower bed

Landscape designers also pay attention to the compatibility of plants with other species. Barberry is excellent friends with all conifers, from pines and spruces (especially blue ones) to thujas (they do not have needles, but branched plates). In hedges, barberry is successfully diluted with others tall bushes: lilac, jasmine/mock orange, wisteria. Despite the fact that the bush becomes bright in autumn, it can be an excellent backdrop for September, asters and chrysanthemums.

Here the barberry is excellent friends with other bushes and herbs.

In no case do not plant barberries next to cherries, walnuts, white locust, elderberry, poplar. Such neighbors will oppress him and the bush will wither. This is due to the fact that these plants emit substances dangerous for barberry from the roots. The fallen foliage of these species also has the same effect, so it is desirable that the wind does not transfer it under the berry bush.

If we talk about the color of the neighbors, then the barberry is able to shade any shades of green, you just need to choose the right variety.

By creating landscape design Don't forget about contrasts. Red or purple barberry will stand out well against the background of green bushes and herbs, but will be lost next to other colored plants.

Video: barberry for a mixborder

The nuances of planting and caring for barberry (with photo and video)

Barberry - unpretentious plant, but the more successful the acquaintance of the seedling with your site, the better and more beautiful the adult bush will be. In order for the landing to take place without complications, you need to choose the right place, time and technology.

If barberry grows on your site, do not forget about its superficial root system. Roots can be significantly removed from the center of the bush. Therefore, be careful when working the land around the shoots and try not to use the surrounding area for planting seasonal plants. Let the barberry neighbors be long-livers.

Table: landing site characteristics

Location Description	Fits	Doesn't fit
soil moisture	Groundwater is deep. Watering recommended during the driest months	The area is swampy or too wet. Frequent abundant watering leads to rotting of barberry roots, even in suitable soil.
The presence of a shadow	The smaller the shadow, the brighter the leaves, the bush grows better and the berries are sweeter (if these characteristics are inherent in the selected variety)	The thicker the shadow, the greener the leaves, the worse the fruits and the slower the development of the bush. In the shade of the barberry, roots grow better, so it’s worth temporarily planting a bush there, which is planned to be propagated by division
Wind loads	Quiet, windless place protected by buildings, fences, or other plants	Open area, especially if there are strong seasonal winds
Soil rockiness	Rocks with a minimal layer of turf, pebbly river beaches, fertile loose earth. In loamy soil, barberry also grows well.	dense clay soil with low oxygen content. Barberry loves good aeration, so when planting in dense soil, it will often be necessary to loosen it
Soil acidity	Normal (pH about 7), slightly acidic (pH 6–4), slightly alkaline (pH 7–8)	Alkaline reaction (pH greater than 8)

Planting time for barberry seedlings is traditional - spring or autumn. It is better to plant plants in the fall so that the plant has time to take root. During spring planting, the bush has to spend energy simultaneously on restoring the root system and flowering, which significantly reduces growth rates. But if you managed to find the right variety only in the spring, it's not scary. Just choose a seedling with an earthy clod if possible. It has not damaged thin roots, so it will quickly take root in your area.

Seedlings with a closed root system (in pots) can be planted not only in spring and autumn, but also in summer. This does not impair their survival in your area.

Barberry planting technology:

Prepare a hole for each seedling (if there are a lot of plants, a trench). The dimensions of the recess should be such that it is possible to straighten the roots / freely place an earthen ball in it. Choose a depth with a margin, as there will be drainage at the bottom.
If the excavated land turned out to be fertile, soil mixture can be made on its basis
Lay out a layer of gravel, pebbles or just brick fragments in the hole / trench, which will remove excess moisture from the roots of the barberry. On top of the drainage, pour a layer of soil mixture (from a store or garden soil + a handful of mineral fertilizer) and pour plenty of water.
If expanded clay remains at home, it can also be added to the drainage layer
It is advisable to drive a peg into the ground before placing the seedling, which will become a support for the plant that has not yet taken root.
Remember that the support peg must be driven in before planting the plant, so as not to accidentally damage the roots.
Carefully place the plant in the hole / trench and spread the roots without pressure. If an earthen ball is preserved around the roots, they do not need to be straightened.
If you buy a seedling in a pot, the lump should be like this - with a lot of yellow roots
Fill the hole with potting mix, gently tamping it down with your hands. The root neck of the plant should be at a depth of 3-4 cm from the surface.
So that the seedling does not deviate from the vertical after planting, immediately tie it to the post
Water the soil around the plant liberally and mulch the trunk circle with sawdust or fallen leaves.
Sawdust of medium fraction is best, but you can take smaller ones

My first meeting with a live barberry happened when an old friend presented her mother-in-law with several seedlings, one of which migrated to me. Usually I buy seedlings from people who willingly answer questions, I always ask a lot about the nuances and clarify the name of the variety several times. Somehow I even compared apple trees with other varieties in order to determine exactly - they didn’t mix anything up. But the barberry came to me incognito, I did not know either the variety or the growing conditions. Therefore, I planted what is called “at random” - next to raspberries and using the same technology. As I later read, the place turned out to be unsuccessful - it was shaded for half the day, but it simply couldn’t be better (I grow tomatoes on the most trump pieces of land). This is probably why the bush grew more slowly than its counterparts, and the berries turned out to be tasteless. But the barberry foliage is just a breath of positive. Although it is not as red as in the pictures, the corner occupied by the bush now seems cozier and lighter, so I do not regret a bit about the time and effort spent.

Video: linear planting of an ornamental shrub

Caring for young animals after landing in open ground

Caring for decorative barberry after planting is simple. Firstly, during the dry period it needs to be watered (like the same raspberries and currants), especially in the first year after planting. If you do not have the opportunity to visit the garden often, it is better to pick up a drought-resistant variety in advance (for example, the inedible Thunberg or the edible Amur). When the bush lives 2-3 years, it can be watered only in the driest period.

Even a teenager can easily cope with a haircut of a young barberry

Second, to maintain beautiful shape bush, barberry will need a haircut. If your garden does not provide for clear geometric shapes, you can simply get by with the seasonal removal of substandard (dried, sick, frozen, broken) and interfering branches. Sanitary cleaning is carried out in mid-July and early August. Cosmetic will have to be repeated more often, as the twigs out of shape grow.

Thunberg's barberry is characterized by slow growth, which makes it an ideal candidate for creating complex geometric compositions. It needs to be trimmed many times less often than other varieties of barberry.

The third rule of care is top dressing. It is enough to pamper barberry twice a year, starting from the second year of the plant's life. In spring, he prefers fertilizers saturated with potassium and nitrogen (20–30 g of urea per 10 liters of water), and in autumn - with phosphorus. You will need to repeat the procedure only after 4-5 years. It is impossible to feed the barberry more than twice a year, it is dangerous for the plant..

Even an ordinary bag can protect a bush in the winter.

Fourth important point- wintering. Most varieties of barberry tolerate frost well, but all varieties of Thunberg have to be covered. Their ancestor came to us from Japan, so he got used to a milder climate. To do this, it is enough to wrap the bush nonwoven fabric(agrofiber or geotextile for greenhouses) or cover with spruce branches (if coniferous trees grow near your site).

Table: what causes barberry

If you notice such convex orange spots on the leaves, then the barberry was struck by rust.

To prevent most barberry diseases, it is enough to treat it with a Bordeaux mixture.

Breeding methods

Traditional seed propagation in the case of ornamental shrubs is practically not used. The process is too long and is accompanied by the risk of losing some varietal characteristics. Barberry is also commonly propagated vegetative ways: cuttings, dividing bushes, branches.

Video: growing bushes from seeds

The division of the bush

The division method is the most common, but requires accuracy. If everything is done correctly, the plant receives minimal stress and you quickly get two adult bushes. But if you make a mistake, you can ruin a good barberry. For a positive outcome you need:

You can divide the bushes in the off-season - in spring or autumn.

Elbows

Propagation of barberry by branches also does not require much effort. The essence of the method is that the shoots that have fallen underground independently release additional roots.

To prevent the branches from rising again, press them in the trench, or place a heavy stone on top of the backfilled branch

To start this reaction, annual shoots are bent to the ground and covered with soil so that only the top leaves stick out from under it. These shoots are called branches. When roots appear on the shoots, they can be dug up and planted in a new place. This method is good because it does not bring stress to the main bush, the "parent" continues to grow and bear fruit normally.

Please note - to turn a cut branch into a cutting, be sure to remove the lower leaves

Moisten the peat-sand mixture and dip the cut shoots into it to a depth of 2-3 cm. If you do not have access to the substrate components, buy a bag ready ground in a gardening store, you will need a little.

Many gardeners prefer to immerse the branch in the ground not vertically, but at an angle.

Maintain a stable moderate moisture in the substrate until the twigs take root. This can be achieved by planting seedlings in a mini-greenhouse, covering the bed with agrofibre or a cut plastic bottle.

So that the plastic mini-greenhouse is not torn off by the wind, you can fill it with earth along the edge

Plant seedlings in selected places in the open field according to standard technology.

By planting cuttings in a row, you can form a beautiful hedge

Preparation of cuttings is carried out only in the spring, so if you miss a good time, it is better to postpone reproduction until next year. In the autumn, if there are sprawling bushes on the site, you can use the division method.

Video: barberry breeding

Has this fragrant berry bush already settled in your garden? Maybe it's time to top up your lawn. bright accent in the form of an unusual variety of barberry.

An unpretentious shrub is well known to gardeners all over the world. Today, about five hundred species of barberry are known, which may be of interest due to their medicinal and decorative properties. Many plants are used as fruit bushes. And during flowering, a lot of bees flock to the plants, which makes the culture a valuable honey plant.

For those who want to see barberry on their site, planting and caring for a shrub will not cause serious difficulties. And yet, some features of the culture should be known in advance.

Landing site preparation

In nature, large sprawling barberry bushes can be found on clearings and dry sunny slopes that begin to overgrow. Therefore, in the garden you will have to find a fairly spacious area with good lighting a place that is not shaded, but protected from drafts.

The bush is extremely negative about proximity ground water and moisture stagnation, so it is better to plant it on a slope or a small hill.
The soil for planting barberry should be light and loose. The culture does not suffer from a shortage of organic matter in the soil, but with its excessive acidity above pH 7.5, it is better to take care of adding limestone or dolomite flour under the shrub.
If loams or chernozems predominate on the site, it is necessary to provide good drainage for the barberry and add peat or limestone flour.
Liming is carried out on peatlands, and they are also applied.

Before planting a barberry, a pit is prepared for it in advance. This is especially important if the seedlings are large or an existing adult bush is dividing.

For bushes no older than three years old, the pit should have a diameter of about 25 cm and a depth of 25–30 cm.
Under seedlings aged 4 to 7 years, a hole is prepared with a diameter of about 50 cm and the same depth.
If the barberry is planted to create a hedge, a trench 40 cm deep and wide will be required.

When the seat is ready, a nutrient substrate from the mixture is needed to fill it. equal parts humus or compost, sand and loose garden soil. Superphosphate is often used as a fertilizer when planting barberries.

How to plant a barberry?

If a root system the seedling in the container is reliably protected by a soil clod, you can replant the plant at any convenient time, after thoroughly wetting the container with a young bush.

But when to plant a barberry, if the gardener has a rooted cutting or layering with open roots?

The best time for the event is spring. It is important to have time to plant the plant at the moment. When the soil has already warmed up, but not dried up, and the buds have not yet started to grow.
If time is lost, it is possible to plant a barberry in the fall, when the shrub begins to lose foliage, and all life processes in the plant begin to slow down.

Barberry can be propagated both by vegetative putas and by seeds from ripened berries. When the barberry is already growing on the site, bushes aged 3 to 5 years with branching below ground level can be divided, getting two or three seedlings with an independent root system, and seated.

Almost all species are easily propagated through green cuttings:

It is necessary to select branches for grafting from strong shoots of this year, sufficiently elastic and brittle when bent.
Unripe cuttings run the risk of rotting and take longer to acclimatize when planting.
And the rough lignified parts of the branches take root more difficult. If they are used for planting barberries, cuttings are cut in autumn and stored until spring at a temperature close to zero.

Suitable for grafting, the middle parts of the shoots with a diameter of about 0.5 cm are divided into segments from 7 to 10 cm long with two healthy nodes and one internode between them. If the cutting is too short, you can leave three pairs of leaves.

The top on a piece of shoot is cut horizontally.
The bottom cut should have a 45° angle.
At the top node, the leaves are cut in half.
The lower leaves are removed completely, without affecting the axillary buds and spines.

It is better to root the barberry in a sand-peat mixture, into which the cuttings are immersed at an angle of 45 °. Between rows leave 5 cm, and from one cutting to another should be at least 10 cm.

For better survival, you can use Kornevin, indoleacetic acid or other stimulants, as well as create favorable temperature conditions for barberry, from 20 to 25 ° C, and humidity conditions. To maintain air humidity of about 85%, plantings are watered up to two times a day.

When the barberry gives roots, small seedlings continue to be grown in greenhouse conditions up to two years, and then the barberry is planted in the fall or spring in the ground.

Reproduction of barberry seeds

You can get seeds for sowing by thoroughly mashing fresh berries. The extracted grains are washed and thoroughly dried.

If sowing is carried out in the fall, then for seeds in loose nutrient soil it is enough to make grooves of a centimeter depth up to 1 cm deep.
During spring planting, the seeds are stratified. The procedure takes place at a temperature of 2 to 5 ° C and lasts from two to four months, depending on the variety and type of barberry.

As the seedlings develop two true leaves, they can be thinned out, leaving one plant for every three centimeters. The further process is similar to that in the case of propagation by cuttings. And two years later, the time comes when you can plant the barberry in a permanent place in the garden.

How to care for barberry?

Adult barberry bushes are not so demanding in watering, the main thing is that there is sufficient moisture at the stage of planting and rooting.

A shrub planted in the garden can be watered only when the soil under the crown dries significantly. It is much more important that the soil be thoroughly loosened so that oxygen and moisture have free access to the barberry roots.

To preserve moisture and improve the structure of the soil under the crown, it is mulched with an 8-cm layer of peat, sawdust or other available means. How to care for barberry during the warm season? Does the plant need to be fed, and what fertilizers are preferred for this crop?

From the second year of life, the shrub should receive nitrogen-containing spring top dressing. Barberry responds well to watering with diluted infusion or bird droppings.
Before flowering, adults receive complex fertilizers with trace elements. It is better if these are granular products that gradually enrich the soil under the crown.
In September, 10 grams are applied under the bushes potash fertilizers and 15 grams of superphosphate for each plant.

Annual fertilization is not required, it is enough for barberry to receive such support every two or three years.

How to prune barberry?

No matter how simple the planting and care of the barberry was, the well-developed thorns are clearly visible in the photo, with which all the branches of the shrub are literally seated. They then constitute the most serious problem for the gardener, because it will not work without pruning the bush. For such work, durable gloves and a tool with sufficiently long handles are vital.

Low-growing varieties, often used in single plantings or as a decorative green border, can not be specially formed, but only damaged and dry shoots can be removed. But when and how to cut the barberry, if the shrub forms a dense hedge?

In this case, the first shaping pruning of plants is carried out a year after planting, and in older shrubs, bushes, branches aged from one to two years, are shortened by a third or even half the length.
Barberry shearing is carried out after flowering is completed and before the autumn cold.

During the spring shearing of the barberry, it is necessary to cut off or completely remove all damaged branches that have frozen over the winter and with signs of the presence of pests or diseases. The procedure must be carried out before foliage appears on the bushes.

Autumn shrubs for the garden (Barberry) - video

Many homestead owners garden plots and dachas are planted with shrubs with high decorative properties. One of them is barberry. Planting and caring for this shrub is not particularly difficult. The article discusses how to properly plant an acquired plant, take care of it. Tips on propagating barberry and combating pests and diseases that affect it may also come in handy.

Varieties and varieties of barberry

Barberry - spectacular ornamental plant with elongated fruits of bright red, yellow or white. It is hardy, drought tolerant and hardy shrub with elliptical leaves of the most diverse colors: green, yellow, red, purple. The berries of the common barberry are edible and are widely used in cooking and medicine. They have a pleasant sour taste and are used to make compotes, kissels, jams, marshmallows, syrups, etc.

Barberry with ripe fruits

Due to the presence of many useful substances - malic, tartaric and citric acids, carotenoids, vitamins, mineral salts, the fruits and leaves of the plant are used to make drugs:

reducing blood pressure;
having a bactericidal effect;
preventing the development of lamblia in the human body;
to stop bleeding;
relieve fatigue;
fight against psoriasis.

Exist three main varieties of barberry, each of which has many varieties:

There are also types of barberry that have outward signs similarity with common barberry:

a hybrid of Provencal barberry, obtained by crossing an ordinary and Siberian species plants;
growing in the Himalayas Spinous;
barberries of Zimbold, James, Diels.

Planting barberry

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

Barberry seedling

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

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

Boarding order:

getting ready landing pit with sides 40 x 40 x 40 cm.
A small layer of sand is laid at the bottom of the pit, then a mixture of soddy soil with 8-10 kg of humus or compost. If a organic fertilizers are absent, mineral ones can be used instead (200 g of superphosphate and 100 g of potassium sulfate). At high soil pH (high acidity), 400 g of lime or 200 g of wood ash are added to it.
The plant is placed in a pit, the free space is filled with the prepared earth mixture, watered abundantly, the surface is mulched with peat or compost. The root neck of the bush should be at the level of the soil surface.
The top of the plant is cut off leaving 3-5 strong buds at the bottom.

It is very important to cover the plant well for the winter.

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

Seedling care

The main care operations for barberry bushes are:

loosening the soil, facilitating the access of oxygen to the roots of the plant;
watering in dry weather, weeding with weed removal;
pruning of weak and diseased branches, the formation of a bush;
top dressing.

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

Barberry responds very well to mulching

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

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

Fertilizer and top dressing of barberry bushes

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

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

barberry seeds

Reproduction of barberry

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

cuttings produced in the morning in the middle of July. The preparation of the cuttings consists in removing the lower leaves, shortening the upper leaves by 2 times and placing them in an aqueous solution of heteroauxin or other root former for 3-5 hours. After washing with water, the cuttings are planted in a greenhouse. The soil should consist of equal parts of soddy soil, humus and peat, to which a small amount of sand is added. Within two weeks, the greenhouse is regularly ventilated and the soil is moistened, and when the cuttings are fully rooted, the film is removed.

A young plant ready for planting in a permanent place

For breeding barberry layering spring is selected at the bottom of the bush powerful annual runaway, bends down, fits and fixes in a small groove, which is covered with earth in such a way that only top part branches. By the end of the season, the layering will be able to take root, it is separated from the bush and transplanted.

Diseases and pests affecting barberry

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

Powdery mildew on barberry leaves

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

Rust

Landing on personal plot barberry, you can get great pleasure from the amazing beauty of this plant, create beautiful compositions using its branches, densely strewn with fruits, as well as using berries for cooking many dishes and medicinal tinctures.