Barberry is of great interest to gardeners. The shrub is used as a hedge. Delicious homemade drinks are brewed from barberry fruits and used in folk medicine.
In addition, the bright leaves of the shrub stand out against the greenery, which refreshes the landscape. How to plant barberry and care for it so that the shrub brings joy for many years?
Rules for planting barberry
The shrub easily takes root in almost any soil, it does not require special care, but planting barberry has its own characteristics.
1. Planting of shrubs begins in the spring, when the snow has just melted. Barberry wakes up early, so all work needs to be completed before the buds swell.
2. An open place is allocated for bushes. It is not afraid of winds and drafts, which is a definite advantage. Decorative varieties of barberry with bright leaves are best planted in sunny areas where they will be more comfortable. Green barberry varieties are grown in partial shade.
3. The shrub is unpretentious to soils, but does not tolerate too acidic soil.
Most often, barberry is grown in group plantings. In this case, no more than two bushes are planted per meter of bed.
Barberry is planted using the trench method, with the ditch prepared a month before planting. The trench is made 40 cm wide and deep. The bottom of the planting pit is covered with a thick layer of sand, after which the trench is filled with humus and compost, with the addition of superphosphate and ash. Add slaked lime to acidic soil.
The planting hole is well watered, after which the seedling is lowered into it and covered with earth. The tree trunk circle is compacted and mulched with compost. After planting, the entire above-ground part of the bush is cut off at the level of 3-5 buds.
Caring for barberry after planting
Caring for shrubs is so simple that even a beginner in gardening can handle it. Mandatory measures for caring for barberry include watering, fertilizing, weeding and pruning.
How to water barberry
The shrub survives well with rainwater, so it does not need to be watered often. Barberry does not tolerate moisture at the roots, gets sick and may die. During the rainy season, it is not watered at all; all weeds in the root zone are removed and the soil is loosened.
During periods of drought, the barberry tree trunk is moistened once a week so that the soil does not dry out.
Special attention given to newly planted plants. They are watered 1-2 times a week until they are completely established.
How to fertilize barberry
In the first year after planting, the shrub is not fertilized, provided that the planting pit has been filled according to all requirements. Next spring apply under each bush mineral fertilizers nitrogen based. You can water the bushes with urea solution, 25 g. for 10 liters of water. This is where caring for decorative barberry ends.
Barberry varieties that are grown for their beneficial fruits require additional feeding immediately after flowering. During this period, the bush is watered with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. You can use the Kemira-universal mineral complex.
Proper pruning of barberry (photo)
Like all shrubs, barberry needs sanitary pruning, during which all weak and dry shoots are cut out. Sanitary pruning is carried out in spring and early autumn.
In the first year after planting, the shrub is not pruned. Starting from the second year of cultivation, barberry is regularly trimmed. In addition to cleaning, pruning is aimed at forming a bush, so all shoots are shortened by 2/3.
Important! Low growing varieties barberry is not subjected to radical pruning. Only sanitary cleaning is carried out if necessary.
Diseases and pests of barberry (photo)
Despite its unpretentiousness, barberry is not resistant to diseases and pests. Most often, the plant is attacked by aphids. It can be detected by fading young leaves. Preventive spraying with laundry soap is used against aphids.
Sawfly and flower moth can also settle on the bush. These pests are most dangerous for varieties with edible fruits. They cause great damage to the crop by eating juicy berries. Spraying with chlorophos will help get rid of pests.
In case of insufficient care or violation of growing rules, barberry is affected by fungal diseases:
Powdery mildew;
Rust;
Bacterial cancer;
Leaf spotting.
Powdery mildew appears as a white coating on the shoots and leaves of the plant. The mushroom successfully overwinters on the bush, after which it begins to actively reproduce again. Get rid of powdery mildew Spraying with a solution of colloidal sulfur will help. If the moment is missed, the affected parts of the bush are cut out and burned.
If there are red spots on the leaves of the plant, reverse side which the pad is visible, then we can judge the rust. With severe damage, the leaves wither. For preventive purposes, the bush is sprayed Bordeaux mixture three times a season. The first treatment is carried out along the green cone. The interval between treatments is three weeks.
Various fungal spots on barberry leaves cause a lot of trouble. Preventive spraying with preparations containing copper will help get rid of the problem. Treatments are carried out twice, before flowering and after.
Bacterial cancer on barberry it manifests itself with characteristic cracks, growths and growth. This dangerous disease, but there is no need to panic. If only the tops of the bush are affected, then trim the sore spot, taking some healthy tissue. Burn the trash. When struck Bottom part bush, then remove the diseased shoots completely. In some cases, it is necessary to uproot the barberry and burn it. To prevent the spread of the disease, the bush is regularly sprayed with Bordeaux mixture or other preparations with copper.
Caring for barberry in autumn
Adult barberry tolerates winter well and does not require shelter or additional care, which cannot be said about a young plant.
Until the age of five, barberry must be covered for the winter so that the plant is not damaged by frost. In late autumn, I mulch the shrubs with a thick layer of humus, peat or dry leaves. After the weather settles and the frosts become stronger, a wire frame is installed above the bush. The entire space inside the frame is filled with dry leaves, and covering material is pulled on the outside. In this state, barberry successfully tolerates all temperature changes. With the onset of spring, the frame is removed.
Methods for propagating barberry
Barberry reproduces well by seeds, cuttings, layering and dividing the bush. Each method has its own advantages and features.
Shrub grown from seeds, begins to bear fruit only 3 years after planting. Seeds should be sown in autumn open ground, since they need stratification. Young barberry is planted in a permanent place only after two years.
Cuttings barberry planting is carried out in the summer, while the cuttings are rooted in a greenhouse, where they remain for the next two years. To improve root formation, the prepared cuttings are sprinkled with a preparation for root growth.
Reproduction by layering carried out in the spring. The best branch is tilted to the ground and buried. By autumn the branch will take root, the young seedling will be ready for planting in a permanent place.
Barberry propagation dividing the bush Suitable for low varieties. The mother bush should not be older than 5 years. The bush is dug up and divided into several parts. This method allows you to quickly get a fruit-bearing plant.
Barberry…
His unusual shape and the taste of these berries resembles famous candies, but this is far from the only advantage that barberry can boast of. In addition, the culture is known for its visual attractiveness, unpretentiousness and high frost resistance.
Barberry can grow in arid regions, it is not afraid of dust, excessive air pollution, so it will feel great both in the garden and in areas not often visited. summer cottage.
Barberry: planting and care
It will probably not be news to anyone that you can grow a healthy plant only with some effort. And barberry will certainly not be an exception to this list. This culture does not have any special requirements; rather, there are certain recommendations that should be followed so that the plant is “pleasant to look at.”
Particular attention should be paid to the area where barberry is planned to be planted. The soil here should be fertile and well-drained. If the soil in your garden or vegetable garden is excessively acidic, do not forget to lime it and add a little sand to each planting hole to increase aeration. In addition, the selected area must certainly be well lit, because barberry is extremely light-loving and in the shade simply will not please you with fruiting.
Barberry has quite a few varieties, but they all require the same care, the same can be said about planting and replanting. So it’s enough to “learn” the instructions just once. So, if you decide to grow barberry on your plot, planting and care begin, first of all, with determining the most optimal time for carrying out this work. This crop is planted like all others. garden plants, several times a year: barberry is planted in the fall until mid-October, and in the spring until mid-April.
As for the instructions for the process of planting and transplanting seedlings, everything here is not too complicated:
— first you need to prepare planting holes, approximately 40 x 40 centimeters in size;
— each such pit is “fed” with approximately 8–10 kilograms of compost or humus;
- in case of planting barberry on acidic soils, adding 300 - 400 grams of lime is also recommended;
- after this, the seedling is placed in a planting hole, sprinkled with earth, watered well, mulched with compost or peat;
- finally, do not forget to cut off the top, leaving only 3 - 5 well-developed buds.
Further care instructions
Although barberry cannot be called a “capricious” plant, you still have to at least sometimes find time to “pamper” your favorite bush with your care and attention.
In general, barberry care is as follows:
— loosening;
— weeding and weed removal;
— timely watering;
- pruning (the procedure can be carried out both in autumn and in early spring before buds open);
- feeding.
Fertilizer application
It is worth noting here that it is worth applying fertilizers only once every few years and this amount will be quite enough to favorite plant“felt” great. At the same time, remember that nitrogen fertilizers should be applied only in the spring, and organic matter and phosphorus-potassium substances - in the fall.
How to propagate barberry?
This amazing berry can be propagated in several ways:
- Seeds. When resorting to this method, just keep in mind that barberry has rather hard seeds that are difficult to germinate. It is best to sow them immediately after extraction from the berries, namely in mid-October. At the same time, the seeds go deep into the soil by about 2 - 3 centimeters, after which the soil is mulched with sawdust and covered with spruce branches, which will become protection against mice. In the spring, all these barricades are removed, and the bed is covered with film and remains in this position until the seedlings begin to grow. All this time, the sprouts must be periodically weeded, fed and watered. They can be transplanted to a permanent place of growth at the end of the second year.
- By cuttings. It is necessary to prepare well-developed cuttings with shoots around mid-June. Moreover, this procedure is carried out early in the morning, after which the prepared cuttings, with leaves cut in half, must be placed in a heteroauxin solution for several hours. Next, the cuttings are thoroughly washed clean water and planted in a moist substrate (sand, humus, peat and fertile soil should have a ratio of 0.5: 1: 1: 1). Then, using arcs, you need to build a small structure, which must be covered with film. The newly planted cutting will remain in this state for about two weeks, after which the film is removed a little, and after another two weeks it is removed completely. The cuttings are transferred to a permanent place only after two years, and all this time it requires good watering.
Autumn work
The essence of autumn work around barberry consists of the same points that are inherent in any other fruit and berry bush.
At this time, the following work is carried out:
— planting barberry in the fall from seeds and transplanting seedlings to a permanent place;
— removal of all plant debris and digging up the soil;
— feeding the bushes with humus or compost;
- pruning damaged and diseased branches.
Barberry varieties
Much to the happiness of gardeners, barberry has three types, each of which has a huge number of varieties. The “plus” of all this is that the rules of care and planting in any case remain the same, regardless of which particular barberry you choose.
Common barberry, which in turn has such varieties as:
1. Dilsa;
2. James;
3. Large-spined;
4. Notched, or unedged, etc.
Ottawa barberry with its varieties:
1. Auricoma;
2. Superba;
3. Purple.
Thunberg barberry, planting and caring for which is also no different from other crops of this family. Among the varieties of the species, the most popular are:
1. Coronita;
2. Aurea;
3. Maria;
4. Harlequin and others.
There are quite a few varieties and, in general, it is not so important which one you choose, be it ordinary barberry or thunberg barberry, planting and care will remain absolutely the same, which is important for the fast pace of life of a modern summer resident. So that there will not be so much hassle, and later you will be able to collect healthy berries and even leaves, which are rich in vitamins C and A.
Barberry Thunberg(Berberis thunbergii) – deciduous perennial shrub The Barberry family comes from the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, numbering about 80 varieties and distinguished by the unusual burgundy color of the leaves, beautiful flowering reddish-yellow rosettes and, of course, threads of scarlet, bitter-tart berries. Landscape designers love Thunberg barberry not only for its ability to diversify monochrome green compositions, but also for its unpretentiousness, low susceptibility to disease, and “protective” properties (the plant is covered with impressive thorns).
Place this austere, handsome barberry in your summer cottage, and you will admire its marvelous foliage from late spring to late autumn, receiving positive emotions and not really bothering to take care of it.
- “Green Carpet” - the height of the bush reaches 50 cm. The foliage is green in summer and red in autumn.
- "Aurea" - reaches 1.5 m, leaves are golden or yellow.
- “Kornik” - this 1.5 m tall variety goes well with roses and conifers. The leaves are green with white spots in summer, and the green color turns red in autumn.
- "Red Pilar" - has a columnar crown shape. Its reddish-purple foliage turns scarlet towards the end of the growing season.
- "Kobold" is a dwarf variety with green leaves. The crown has the shape of a ball. Can replace boxwood. Requires shelter for the winter.
- "Golden Ring" - the leaf plate of this variety has Coral color with a golden border around the edges. Reaches 3 m in height.
- "Atropurpurea Nana" is a dwarf variety with purple leaves.
Place
The sun is the main incentive for Thunberg's barberry to “keep” its fashionable color. In the shade, it often ceases to be a delightful burgundy and becomes a normal green color, so try not to plant it next to tall trees or in the shade of buildings. Barberry Thunberg is suitable for almost any soil; for example, it grows on clay and loamy soils without much hassle. However, for a good exterior, we recommend that you still prepare a place for it with moisture- and breathable, neutral and nutritious soil, with a drainage layer protecting it from excess moisture.
You also need to keep in mind that barberry is a classic honey plant that attracts many bees: you should not plant its bushes near playgrounds, summer terraces, kitchens, etc.
Planting Thunberg barberry in open ground
A big plus for the gardener is that Thunberg barberry can be planted throughout the spring and summer season.
Seedlings from a pot are planted in prepared places along with a root ball of soil, and specimens with bare roots - strictly in early spring, in the second half of April, before buds begin to open, and for better survival it would be good to soak the roots of the seedlings for 2 hours in liquid humic fertilizer PETER PEAT to stimulate root formation “Living force: for soaking seeds”.
15 minutes before planting, water the pot with the Thunberg barberry seedling generously in order to remove the plant from the pot before planting without damaging the root system (the case when the soil in the pot is not of the best quality).
On the day of planting, dig a hole 45x45 cm and 50 cm deep, put fine crushed stone (1.0-1.5 cm) on the bottom. layer 10 cm for drainage. Mix the removed soil with 300-450 g of dolomite flour, half a bucket of 2-year-old compost, 2 tsp. potash fertilizers, 3 shovels of coarse sand. Or don’t bother and just use the ready-made nutrient soil PETER PEAT “Garden Soil” from the HOBBY line.
Carefully remove the Thunberg barberry seedling from the pot with a lump of earth and lower the seedling into the hole so that the depth of the plant is the same as in the pot. Having fixed the Thunberg barberry at this height with one hand, fill the hole with the prepared soil mixture with the other, trying to avoid air pockets under the roots. Pour 3-4 liters of settled water, wait 5 minutes for the soil to settle and, if necessary, add more soil without burying the Thunberg barberry relative to the ground level. Make a circle around separately planted Thunberg barberry bushes. Earthworks with a radius of 40 cm so that the water does not go to the side when watering and mulch the planting with neutralized peat PETER PEAT line AGRO 5 cm thick. Minimum distance between neighboring bushes - 1.5-2 m, and if you plan to make a hedge from the plant - 1.2 m.
Thunberg barberry transplant
Transplanting Thunberg barberry is carried out in the same way as planting a seedling in open ground. The only thing is that, depending on the height/age of the plant, the volume of watering and the volume of soil excavated in the planting hole will increase for the enlarged root ball.
Bloom
Barberry Thunberg blooms, depending on the variety, from late May to early June with beautiful orange-red rosettes for 25-28 days. At the same time, the plant fills the area with a peculiar, but not repulsive smell until the end of the flowering phase, attracting bees.
Important! After flowering is over, be sure to manually remove faded buds and cut off faded flowers so that the plant does not waste energy on them.
Caring for barberry thunberg
Thunberg's barberry is a very unpretentious plant with excellent immunity, but it still needs care in the form of watering, fertilizing, loosening and mulching: you want this beauty not to fade and continue to delight you?
Watering
Thunberg barberry is drought-resistant and does not like excess water, so water with warm, settled water strictly in the root zone every 7-9 days after planting the seedling in open ground. Watering rates:
- for a bush 15-25 cm high - 2.5 l;
- for a bush 30-40 cm high - 4 l;
- for a bush 45-65 cm high - 6 liters.
It is good to combine watering with liquid feeding organic fertilizers. IN rainy weather The volume of watering can be reduced by 2/3, and during prolonged rains, cover the bushes with film.
Top dressing
The current year's Thunberg barberry seedling does not need to be fed, because... in fresh nutrient soil There are enough nutrients for him. And biennial plants need fertilizing.
Feeding 1 – in the second half of April or early May, before the buds begin to open:
- 20-30 g of urea per bucket of water;
- at the end of the season - phosphorus (simple and double superphosphate) and potassium fertilizers (potassium sulfate).
According to this scheme, barberry plants are fed once every 3-4 years.
Loosening
Once a week, 10-15 minutes after watering, loosen the root zone of Thunberg barberry, simultaneously removing possible weeds. In addition, remove its root shoots - usually there are many of them. Delete tall grass within a meter radius of each bush to avoid shading.
Mulching
Mulching the root zone of Thunberg barberry with peat neutralized from the AGRO line with a layer of 4-5 cm and a radius of 50 cm around each plant will significantly reduce the amount of watering, inhibit the growth of weeds and prevent the development of certain types of diseases.
Trimming
It is best to trim Thunberg barberry in the spring, before the buds begin to bloom, removing broken, diseased, horizontally growing branches and branches growing inside the bush. The shape can be given to 3-4 year old bushes, but young bushes are not pruned before this period.
Preparing for winter
At the very end of autumn, water your Thunberg barberries generously and mulch the soil around each plant with peat neutralized from the AGRO line with a layer of 8-10 cm over a radius of 0.8 m. Cover the bushes for the winter with special light-transmitting but not wet fabrics in 2 layers, this is especially important for 1-2 year old specimens. Secure the voluminous Thunberg barberry bushes with twine so that the snow mass does not break their shape. Securely secure the covering material to the ground so that it adheres tightly to the mulch.
Alternatively, you can make cylinders around Thunberg barberry bushes under 5 years old from a metal/plastic mesh 10 cm higher than the height of the bushes, fill the space between the plants and the mesh to the top with dry leaves, cover each cylinder with plywood on top and wrap it with lutrasil (the so-called “ bar"). Secure the outside of each cylinder to the ground to prevent it from being knocked over by the wind. Adult bushes of Thunberg barberry older than 5 years can not be covered, but only mulched and tied to preserve their shape from the effects of snow mass.
As soon as the snow melts in the spring, remove the covering material, nets and mulch layer.
Reproduction of Barberry Thunberg
Propagation by green cuttings
This method of propagation is carried out in early spring, before bud formation. After pruning/haircutting the Thunberg barberry, there are usually many cuttings left, and those that are suitable for propagation are those that are cut from the middle part of the shoots (the lower part of the cutting is cut at 45°, the upper - horizontally), have not yet lignified bark, are 8-10 cm long and 2-3 internodes. Remove a couple of leaves from the bottom of the cuttings, cut the remaining leaves in half with scissors and immerse them in PETER PEAT liquid humic fertilizer to stimulate root formation “Living Force: For Soaking Seeds” for a day. In the meantime, pour the soil mixture into the planting container, options:
- sand and peat (1:3);
- special primer PETER PEAT “Garden soil” from the HOBBY line.
Deepen the cuttings into it 3-4 cm at an angle of 60°, pour warm, settled water and take the planting container to a room with a temperature of + 20-24°C and a humidity of 80%. Cover each cutting with 5 liters plastic bottle with the bottom cut off. Water Thunberg barberry cuttings daily warm water(100-150 ml per cutting) and ventilate 4-5 times a day for 20 minutes, removing the bottles.
A month after planting, water the Thunberg barberry cuttings twice a week (200-250 ml per cutting), feed them with liquid humic fertilizer PETER PEAT “Living Force: Universal” once every 20 days. After 2-2.5 months, the cuttings will form a root system, remove the bottles and you can transplant the young seedlings into a greenhouse, and plant them in open ground after 2 years, preferably in late April - early May.
Reproduction by layering
At the end of April, dig a hole 15-20 cm deep near the side branch of an adult Thunberg barberry, pin it to the bottom with a wooden/plastic fork, and cover it with earth. Stick a vertical support next to the protruding branch and tie a branch of Thunberg barberry to it so that it is also positioned vertically. Water, feed, mulch and loosen the mother plant and the buried branch, and already in September the rooted branch with a lump of earth can be transplanted to a new prepared place (see subsection “Planting”).
Reproduction by dividing the bush
To do this, you will need 3-4 bushes with deep (10 cm or more) roots. Attention: if you notice that barberry shoots branch above ground level, the bush is not suitable for propagation. Dig up a Thunberg barberry bush with a lump of earth, moving 40-45 cm away from the crown and place it in a barrel/trough with water for 20-30 minutes. Then carefully get rid of the root clod of soil and cut it with pruning shears. root system bush into 3-4 approximately equal parts. Treat the cuts with crushed charcoal and plant them in prepared areas.
Propagation by seeds
Peeled of pulp in a glass of water and treated for 20 minutes with a 3% solution of potassium permanganate, berry seeds of the current year in the fall (late October - early November) are buried in the prepared bed by 1 cm in increments of 40 cm. Cover the top of the soil with a 10 cm layer of neutralized peat AGRO line, and cover it with spruce branches on top, protecting it from rodents. In the spring, in the first half of April, remove the spruce branches and the covering layer, and equip the bed with arches and cover with film.
When the first sprouts appear, remove the film and arcs. Water each sprout moderately with 50 ml once a day, feed it with liquid humic fertilizer PETER PEAT “Living Force: Universal” once every 10 days. 10 days after the greenery appears, remove weak shoots.
Next, water and feed the young sprouts of Thunberg barberry with ½ dose of liquid humic fertilizer PETER PEAT “Living Force: Universal”. When the seedlings reach a height of 7-8 cm, plant them in separate pots Ø20 cm and a height of 25 cm or in a planting container in increments of 50 cm and feed them with full doses of organic and complex mineral fertilizers.
In pots/containers, place drainage expanded clay PETER PEAT line VITA on the bottom in a layer of 3-4 cm.
Watering rates:
- Thunberg barberry seedling up to 10 cm high – 100 ml;
- seedling up to 15 cm high – 250 ml.
In mid-April in the second year, Thunberg barberry seedlings can be planted in open ground.
Procurement and storage of seeds
The berries of the Thunberg barberry are inedible, but the seeds of the October fruits are already ready to stock the seeds. Pick the ripest berries, carefully cut them with a knife and remove the seeds. Place them in a glass with potassium permanganate for 20 minutes, and then place them on a tray with paper in 1 layer. Dry at room temperature 5-6 days and then place in an airtight jar/paper bag. Optimal time seed storage - 3-4 years.
Diseases
- Powdery mildew
- a fungal disease in the form white plaque on the leaves, forms when there is excess moisture and a decrease in temperature. The cause may also be thickening of the bush.
Treatment: treat the leaves of the plant with a 1% solution of colloidal sulfur, and remove and burn very damaged parts of the plant. Or use the fungicides “Fitosporin-M”, “Topaz”, “Sulfarid”, “Bayleton” at least 3 times with an interval of 5 days. - Rust
- orange spots appear on the upper side of the leaves of Thunberg barberry, red growths appear on the bottom of the plates, the leaves wither and fall off.
Treatment: apply 3 doses of Topaz and Bayleton fungicides at least 3 times with an interval of 5 days. - Leaf spot
- the plant becomes covered with spots various shapes and coloring.
Treatment: before flowering begins and immediately after it ends, spray the bushes with a solution of copper oxychloride (40 g per 10 liters of water). - Fusarium
– the leaves and shoots of Thunberg barberry turn yellow and wither ahead of schedule.
Treatment: remove infected areas of bushes and spray with 2% Bordeaux mixture. - Bacteriosis
– the appearance of tumors and cracks on the tops of the shoots of Thunberg barberry.
Treatment: cut off the tops, grabbing some healthy tissue or completely cut out the diseased shoots and treat the Thunberg barberry with a solution of copper-containing fungicide.
Pests
- Barberry aphid
- a small insect that settles on the leaves of the Thunberg barberry and feeds on its juices. The leaves of the plant wrinkle and dry out, and the plant stops developing.
Treatment: try spraying the leaves with a solution of laundry soap (300 g of soap per 10 liters of water) or a tobacco-garlic solution (250 g of tobacco + 2 heads of chopped garlic + 10 liters of water). - Flower moth
- a butterfly that lays multiple eggs on the leaves of the plant, from which caterpillars hatch and eat the fruits of the Thunberg barberry.
Treatment: treat the bushes with a solution of Decis (0.1%) or Fufanon (0.1-0.3%). - Barberry sawfly
- a small black insect that lays larvae on the leaves of the plant, which eat away the pulp, which is why the Thunberg barberry begins to fade.
Treatment: Check the underside of barberry leaves regularly 2 times a week. Once you find larvae, spray the plant with pesticides.
Proper planting of Thunberg barberry minimizes further care behind this plant, and allows you to admire the beautiful, healthy plant for many years.
Common barberry is an unpretentious, drought-resistant, frost-resistant and durable shrub.
Common barberry is an unpretentious, drought-resistant, frost-resistant and durable shrub. With straight and very prickly branches, the thorns of some varieties reach a centimeter. While the plant is young and the branches are still thin, the bush is quite spreading. But in a couple of years it grows so much that it becomes a dense, impassable barrier. It is this quality that makes barberry one of the best shrubs for green hedges. An adult barberry reaches three meters, but there are also dwarf varieties, literally 30 centimeters in height.
IN landscape design and in dachas, Thunberg barberry is used in individual plantings, in groups and as a hedge. Barberry is easy to trim, making it one of the best shrubs for topiary art.
Video about barberry care
Barberry is loved by landscape designers not only for its responsiveness to pruning, but also for its extraordinary decorative effect at any time of the year. With proper planting and care, barberry is beautiful from spring to spring. In May the bushes are literally strewn with small yellow flowers, collected in bunches. All summer months the bush pleases the eye with bright green glossy foliage, and some decorative varieties are variegated, yellow and burgundy. Autumn is the time of crimson, in which barberry bushes are painted. Bright red clusters of berries remain on the branches until next spring.
When choosing a place to plant barberry, you should know one thing, but very important rule. Despite all its unpretentiousness, barberry cannot tolerate loved ones groundwater and flooding. Therefore, this plant should not be planted in lowlands. It is also worth considering that in the shade there is foliage decorative varieties loses its unusual color and practically stops bearing fruit.
Despite all its unpretentiousness, barberry does not tolerate close groundwater and flooding.
The planting hole, as for any plant, is prepared in advance. Dig a hole 40x40x40 centimeters, and add 200 grams of superphosphate, 100 grams of potassium sulfate and trace elements for berry crops. If the soil is too heavy, the planting hole is enlarged and humus is added. Allow the soil to stand for several days so that the soil settles. And only then do they start planting. The bushes are planted without deepening the root collar. After planting, water the tree trunk very generously and mulch it. When planting a hedge, the plants are planted in checkerboard pattern according to the scheme 25x25 centimeters.
The time for planting barberry depends on the type of seedling. Saplings with an open root system are planted in early spring, even before the buds open. If you follow this rule, the plant easily takes root, and most importantly, does not get sick later. Barberry is planted in autumn in September, after removing the foliage by hand. When planted at such a time, the bush will have time to take root in its new location. For plants purchased in a container, there is no planting time. of great importance. The main thing is not to plant on hot days. And after planting, cover the plant from the bright sun for the first days.
Common barberry is very unpretentious and after correct landing can do without our care altogether. But if we want to get the most decorative and regularly fruiting plant, care is still needed.
Common barberry is very unpretentious and, after proper planting, can do without our care at all.
In the second year after planting, they carry out spring feeding nitrogen and potassium fertilizers, and at the end of August superphosphate.
Barberry is a very fast growing shrub. An adult plant produces up to 30 centimeters of growth, and after a few years it will require regular pruning. The central skeletal branches that thicken the bush must be removed. Barberry is frost-resistant, but in severe winters it can be damaged, which will require spring pruning. For the first two years, young plants are covered with burlap for the winter.
In case of damage by diseases and pests, appropriate treatment is necessary. If the bush is severely damaged, it is better to cut off the diseased branches and burn them. Even after radical pruning, barberry quickly recovers.
Video about caring and growing ornamental shrubs
- If you have collection varieties of barberry, if possible, cover the bushes for the winter.
- Barberry, like any honey plant, has a very strong aroma. For this reason, you should not arrange mass plantings close to your home.
- All work with the plant should be carried out with very durable gloves.
Common barberry is a low-demanding, drought-resistant, frost-resistant and durable plant. It is these qualities that make barberry one of the indispensable shrubs for use as a hedge. It is easy to mold and looks incredibly decorative in any landscape, at any time of the year. With proper care, this shrub is beautiful from summer to summer.
If you choose this shrub, you will not regret it for a minute, because ordinary barberry, planting and caring for which takes a minimum of time, will delight you with its bright leaves and healthy fruits for a very long time. In addition, it reproduces both by seeds, which ripen in fruits by autumn, and by cuttings. Therefore, growing an entire fence will not be difficult, but it will take a lot of time. But the result of all the time and effort spent will pay off with interest. Barberry does not require any special care, as it is very unpretentious. But periodic trimming of old branches will not hurt him, as will infrequent application
Ground with high humidity It is best to avoid, as barberry does not tolerate flooding. It is better to find a permanent place for the bush, which will have enough sun and no strong drafts. Those varieties that have patterns and spots on the leaves especially need sun. And if this type of barberry is placed in the shade, then they will lose their decorative effect.
Bright, beautiful and bewitching colors of barberry
Photos of common barberry fascinate with their beauty and brightness. But don't just look at the photos beautiful plants, just have your own green pet on your property.
The optimal time to plant a new shrub depends on the seedling itself. It is worth paying attention - if the plant has an open root system, then it must be planted in the spring, while the buds are still sleeping. Then by the summer it will take root and will not hurt in the future. If you plant seedlings in the fall, it is better to do this in September, after first tearing off all the leaves. If you purchased the plant in a container, then the time of planting does not matter, it is only important not to plant on a very hot day or after planting to protect the seedling from scorching rays.
Growing barberry
In order to grow a beautiful, healthy shrub, you must adhere to several rules:
- correct choice of location on the site, which should be sufficiently illuminated and water should not accumulate on it;
- decide for what purpose this plant is purchased, since there are dwarf and giant species;
- providing timely care.
If you are planning to arrange a hedge, you need a variety of barberry up to 1.5 meters high. Before planting, it is necessary to prepare a trench 40 cm deep and flavored with wood ash. There are species up to 2.5-3 meters high. Such specimens are not suitable for a living fence; they look great as free-standing ornamental trees with beautifully formed foliage.
When planting barberry, you need to remember that this shrub is cross-pollinated, so it is advisable to plant at least two seedlings. And also, as practice shows, the most the best seedlings- these are those that came from seeds.
Barberry transplant
Young bushes that were grown from seeds or cuttings after 2 -2.5 years are ready to move to a new, permanent place of residence. And if you have a pressing question - when to replant barberry, then the answer will be right before your eyes. Young, strong, healthy plants, which will soon grow closely together, definitely need to be replanted. Optimally selected sunny place, without excess moisture and drafts will only have a positive effect on the growth and development of the plant. And, as we said above, if you bought a young plant with an open root system, you need to replant it in the spring, but if the plant is in a container, then time does not matter.
Fruit ripening time and harvesting characteristics
August – September bright fruits barberries ripen and, if not collected, can remain on the branches until winter. It is in the summer that the time comes for collecting barberries with further preparation for storage. As a rule, the berries themselves are picked when they are not very ripe, since overripe ones are soft and quickly choke. The collected fruits are dried or covered with sugar and placed in a cool place. Green berries are not used at all, because they contain alkaloids that are unsafe for health, which disintegrate after the berries ripen. Bark and roots are also collected, which will later be used for medicinal purposes.
By growing barberry on your plot, you will not only enjoy it decorative look, but also enjoy the pleasant taste of its berries, which in some situations will help as a medicine.
Common barberry - video
Barberry is a powerful bush that greets you with thorns and various colors of berries. This shrub is actively used in landscape design due to the huge number of small, bright, original pear-shaped fruits.
In order to grow a barberry that will become your pride, you don’t have to be a professional gardener; you just need to know the rules for planting and caring for this plant.
Timing and choice of landing site
Barberry - effective ornamental shrub with bright red, yellow or white fruits. The leaves of barberry are elliptical in shape and come in a wide variety of colors: green, red, yellow, purple. In spring, the plant pleases with yellow flowers collected in clusters. 
"Like festive fireworks, these bushes are growing. As soon as autumn comes, all colors play."- this is what poets say about barberry, but even such a description will not convey the beauty of this delightful shrub.
The fruits of barberry are aromatic and are widely used in medicine and cooking. They have a mild sour taste and are perfect for compotes, jelly, syrups and jam.
It is quite unpretentious in cultivation and resistant to cold. However, before planting, you need to remember that in the shade the decorative leaves of barberry lose their color. The more light there is, the brighter and more attractive the bush's foliage will be.
If you like lonely barberry, then it is better to plant it at a distance of 1.5-2 m from other plantings. It is impossible to grow a beautiful, well-proportioned bush in cramped conditions.
If you plan to grow barberry in the garden as a hedge, then the bush needs to be made more voluminous.
To create a dense fence, you need to plant 3-4 bushes per meter. For staggered placement, seedlings are placed 25 cm apart in a row. The distance between rows should be 45 cm. For a thinner hedge, the number of plants is reduced.
If barberry is grown for fruit, it simply needs light, so barberry should be planted sparingly, and the bush should be thinned out regularly.
Important!Unripe barberry berries contain a high concentration of alkaloids and are very poisonous.
Medium acidic soils are suitable for barberry. But if the soil on your site is highly acidic (more than 7.0 pH), you can add slaked lime to the soil before and after planting.
Since stagnation of moisture can be detrimental to barberry, it should be planted at higher elevations and sand should be added to the soil for drainage.
Planting is carried out in the fall (mid-September - mid-October) or spring (third decade of March - mid-April). If the seedlings were in a container, they can be planted on a cloudy day in the summer, providing enough sunlight for the first few days.
Important! Barberry planted in the spring will grow actively, and autumn seedlings will have time to strengthen over the winter and will begin to actively develop in the spring.
Preparatory work on the site
In order for barberry to please with its healthy appearance, and care and cultivation does not cause trouble, you need before planting, clean, carry out certain work on the selected area:
- get rid of weeds and roots of other plants;
- dig up the ground;
- fertilize the soil (taking into account its acidity and fertility).
Did you know? Barberry thorns are nothing more than transformed leaves.
Rules for planting young barberry seedlings
Before growing barberry in the country, you need to carry out a number of works:
Important! When planting, you need to ensure that the roots of the barberry do not come into contact with fertilizers - this can cause burns, and the seedlings will get sick or may die.
How to care for barberry on the site
Caring for barberry includes a few procedures: watering, weeding, fertilizing, pruning, cutting and protection from pests.
Watering, weeding and loosening the soil
Barberry is a plant that does not like excess moisture, so it is enough to water it once a week. IN abundant watering Only young plants need it, and then only until they get stronger. There is no need to water the plant cold water right at the root, being careful not to wet the leaves.
In addition to watering, mandatory procedure is regular weeding between the bushes, removing basal shoots and loosening the soil around them. To make maintenance easier, it is recommended to mulch the soil with sawdust, peat or walnut shells.
Fertilizer application
Fertilizing when planting barberry will last the plant for a year. The next feeding is done next spring.
When choosing the best way to feed barberry, give preference to nitrogen fertilizers. 20-30 g of urea are diluted in a bucket of water and fertilized each bush.
It is enough to apply such fertilizing once every 3-4 years.
However, if barberry is grown for fruit, then after flowering and after the end of the season, the plant must be fertilized with a mixture of superphosphate (15 g) and potassium (10 g) for each bush. You can use ready-made fertilizers (Kemira Universal), which are applied in early July.
Barberry, which grows as a hedge, needs feeding most of all - it needs to be fertilized at least 2 times a year.
Important! Chemicals may adversely affect the characteristics of the fruit.
Proper pruning
Knowledge of how to properly prune barberry will allow you to have not only a beautiful, but also a healthy plant on your site.
Since barberry branches grow almost vertically, then the shrub can be given any decorative form (ball, pyramid and others). Barberry tolerates pruning painlessly before sap flow begins, so the bush should be formed in early spring, before the leaves bloom.
It should also be taken into account that the barberry shoots will initially grow in different directions, therefore it is not recommended to plant it in the middle of the plot.
Since a bush has many trunks, the extra ones need to be cut into a ring.
For the purpose of thinning and maintaining plant sanitation, old, diseased, weak, dry and heavily thickened branches should be regularly pruned. In this case, old branches can be cut off either completely or partially to form new branches. Such anti-aging pruning should be carried out on plants older than 10 years.
Important! It is impossible to shorten the branches of barberry too much, since its flowers and fruits appear on annual shoots.
Wintering barberry
In the first 2-3 years, barberry is covered for the winter with peat, dry leaves, spruce branches or burlap. If the bush is voluminous, its branches are tied together with rope or twine, a cylinder is built around the plant and dry leaves are poured inside and covered on top.
Mature bushes tolerate frost well, so they do not need shelter.
If the winter was frosty and the branches were frozen, they should be pruned in early spring.
Selection of neighbors for barberry
Amazing compositions can be obtained by combining different shrubs. Barberry's neighbors can be any shrubs, flowers and even trees. For example, dwarf varieties will not only decorate lawns and flower beds, but also protect flowers from trampling. They can also be planted at the foot of large trees.
Did you know? It is believed that the famous Lee Kin Yen was able to live to 252 years thanks to the daily consumption of barberry fruits.
How to deal with pests and diseases of barberry
In order to recognize pests in time, you need to regularly pay attention to what barberry looks like. The most dangerous insects for barberry are:.