Barberry: planting features, how to plant properly and how to preserve seedlings

Barberry is one of the most picturesque shrubs. But gardeners love culture not only for their striking appearance. Its berries are used for making hot and cold drinks, jam. Confectioners and culinary specialists use barberry as spices, as well as for decorating cakes and pastries. This shrub is popular in many regions of our country. Proper planting is one of the points of events for obtaining a good harvest.

When to plant barberry

You can plant draris in the open ground in autumn and spring. But in most of the territory of Russia, gardeners prefer to plant in the spring season. In this case, the risk of freezing of seedlings is practically zero. In autumn, barberry should be planted in open ground in early September. This will allow the seedling to take root before the onset of frost.

Barberry is best planted in spring.

Features of spring planting

Barberry is unpretentious to the composition of the soil. Therefore, it can be planted on any site. However, there are several basic rules that should be followed when planting a bush:

1. Barberry is planted early, as soon as the snow melts. Planting seedlings at this time is carried out because the bush wakes up after wintering one of the first. Landing work must be completed before the kidneys swell.
   

   Barberry buds wake up early

2. The area for planting shrubs should be well-lit. Barberry can grow in the shade, but the yield is greatly reduced.
3. For planting one barberry seedling, a 40x40 cm landing pit is dug. The depth is approximately 0.5 m.
4. To create a hedge of barberry, planting is done by the trench method: rows 40-50 cm deep are made, seedlings are placed in them at a distance of 0.5 m from each other.
   

   Seedlings are placed at a distance of 50 cm from each other

5. Despite its unpretentiousness, barberry does not really like acidic soils. Therefore, when planting in such a soil, it is better to add hydrated lime (500 g per 1 m²).
6. Shrubs should not be planted near groundwater.
7. When planting in loamy soil, add peat to the soil.

How to plant barberry

In order not to harm the bush, you need to properly plant:

1. A landing pit or trenches are prepared 2 weeks before planting a bush.
2. At the bottom of the pit pour half a bucket of sand. It has a beneficial effect on the root system.
3. Then the pit is filled with a mixture: the soil, in equal proportions mixed with humus and peat. Superphosphate (30-40 g per 1 m) should also be added.²).
4. The seedling is lowered into the prepared hole.
5. The roots are sprinkled with earth, rammed.
6. Plant abundantly watered.
7. The soil is mulched with straw, peat or sawdust.
8. After planting, it is necessary to cut the seedling so that no more than 3-4 buds remain on the branches.
9. In the first days after planting, the shrub should be covered from the sun.

Weather conditions also affect the landing of barberries. The plant is not planted in open ground on hot days. It is best to choose cloudy weather for planting.

How to save seedlings before planting

Seedlings appear on the shelves of supermarkets or garden centers in January-February. Planting a plant during this period is not possible for most regions. The exception is Crimea, where at this time shoots begin to blossom. Nevertheless, even when buying a shrub at such an inappropriate time for planting, you can keep the seedlings alive and healthy.

1. After the purchase, part of the wrapping paper covering the branches is removed from the seedling.
2. The roots of the plant are left in the package.
3. Storage temperature of the seedling should not exceed 3^aboutC. This is the temperature regime under which the plant is in hibernation. You can store seedlings on an unheated balcony. Also, the plant can be placed on the lower shelf in the refrigerator, designed to store vegetables and fruits.
4. In the event that there are leaflets on the purchased seedling, it must be planted in a container and grown as a houseplant. The air temperature in the room should not exceed 22-25^aboutFROM.
   

   If the seedling has leaves, it is planted in a pot and grown as a houseplant

Planting a bush with cuttings

Barberry is propagated by seed or by cuttings. To do this, pick up the strong elastic shoots that appeared this year. They are cut and stored from autumn to spring in the refrigerator. Gardeners try to avoid unripe cuttings, as they can rot.

The lignified branches of barberry take root more difficult than young ones.

For cuttings using the middle parts of the branch. The shoot diameter should be approximately 5 mm. When cutting, the length of the stem is from 8 to 10 cm. Gardeners divide the shoots into parts so that there are 2 nodes and 1 internode on the stem. If the stalk is short, then 2 or 3 leaves are left on it.

On the short cuts of barberry leave 2-3 leaves

Correct grafting of barberry

Proper cuttings are made as follows:

1. The top of the branch is cut horizontally.
2. The lower cut at the shoot is made at an angle of 45^about.
3. Leaves on the top node are cut in half.
4. Leaves on the bottom node are completely removed. The kidneys are not affected.
5. Then the cuttings are placed in a mixture of sand and peat (in a ratio of 1: 1) at an angle of 45^about.
6. Between the cuttings, the distance should be at least 10 cm.
7. Favorable temperature in the room for rooting cuttings - 20-25^aboutFROM.
8. To maintain the necessary soil moisture, watering should be carried out 2 times a day.

After rooting the cuttings, seedlings are grown in a greenhouse for 2 years.

Propagation of barberry by dividing the bush during transplantation

By dividing the bush, barberry is propagated in the spring. Before the buds swell, the bush is dug up. Gently, so as not to damage the roots, they are divided into several parts. Then they are seated in holes or trenches. If there is no purpose to get two bushes, then the plant, together with an earthen lump on the roots, is moved to a new place.

When transplanting, the barberry bush can be divided into two parts

Neighboring Plants for Barberry

Bright and colorful barberry will perfectly fit into the design of any garden. He can take a separate flowerbed. Annuals and perennial flowers, coniferous trees will become wonderful neighbors in the garden for the shrub. Barberry feels great and next door to the thuja.

Barberry feels great next to deciduous and coniferous trees

Features landing in the regions

There are no differences when planting barberries in different regions of the country. But the difference in climate affects the choice of varieties and the care of plants.

Barberry in Siberia

Although barberry is a frost-resistant plant, still some species are less suitable for cultivation in Siberia. This is Tunberg barberry, Korean barberry, whole-barberry. You can opt for ordinary barberry, Amur barberry, oblong barberry. In winter, it is recommended to cover a young bush - at the edges with a spruce forest, and then, when snow falls, make a snowdrift. Large plants are tied with twine, set up a box where dry leaves fall asleep. The top of the structure is wrapped with non-woven material. The soil around the plant is mulched.

Barberry in the suburbs

In the climate of the Moscow Region culture feels good. It is only important to provide the bushes with a lot of light and marshy soil. Ordinary barberry, Thunberg barberry, Ottawa barberry are excellent for growing in the region.

Video: Thunberg barberry growing

Barberry is one of the most unpretentious shrubs growing in Russia. It is safe to say that with proper planting and proper care, he will take root in any garden plot, year after year, pleasing with a good harvest and a colorful look.