What is useful irga: properties, contraindications, recipes and reviews. Irga useful properties, contraindications, application

This tree has settled in my garden for a long time, but I still thank myself for planting the irga. Its fruits are just a storehouse of the most valuable vitamins, and the list of their beneficial effects on the body can be continued almost endlessly! The bark and leaves can also be used in medicinal purposes.

Irga is undemanding to the composition of the soil, does not require complex care, easily propagated and at the time of flowering is an excellent honey plant. The plant easily tolerates wintering without shelter even with little snowy winters with temperatures below 40 ° C! Moreover, even prolonged spring frosts they will not be able to leave you without a harvest, the irga will easily and without loss transfer them. And, of course, you should not discount its magnificent appearance, which will decorate the garden at any time of the year. In the spring, the irga caresses the eye abundant flowering, in summer - clusters of bright colorful berries, in autumn - exquisite purple colors withering foliage.

Landing irgi

As I said, irga is undemanding to the composition and acidity of the soil. It grows beautifully, bears fruit and multiplies on fertile black soil. A friend behaves similarly on sandy loam. However, the plant does not like places where groundwater (marshy) constantly approaches the soil surface very high. Its root system is located 3-4 m deep into the earth. On the one hand, this is good: it helps to survive the cold winters without loss. On the other hand, it’s bad: if the roots are in a layer with ground water Don't expect high yields. I can’t name the exact variety of my plant, since I took a seedling from friends, but visually it looks like a round-leaved irga ( Amelanchier ovalis).

I planted it in the fall, the seedling was about 70 cm high, the root system was well developed, the main root was about 30-35 cm long. I dug a hole 50x50 cm and the same depth. The excavated soil was mixed with sand and ready-made compost (3: 1: 1) and the roots were covered with it, compacted a little and watered well. The crown was cut off by about 15-20 cm. In the spring (in the second year of life!) One flower brush already flaunted on my baby, but I carefully removed it. Where to hurry? Let it get stronger, I will have time to enjoy its fruits.

And the taste of irgi berries is excellent! I won’t say that it’s too sweet, or too fragrant, or too juicy, but it’s impossible to break away from eating a bush! I also like the fact that the berries on the brush ripen gradually. You can repeatedly go to one bush and collect only the most ripe ones, and leave the rest to ripen. In our south, irga ripens in August-September. If we don’t have time to eat everything, I put the rest in freezer. By the way, if even the most ripe and sweet fruits (strawberries, apricots), after defrosting, give a certain amount of sourness in taste, then this is impossible with irga. I sincerely recommend freezing!

Irgi breeding

It is easily propagated by all means: seeds, cuttings, root shoots. More information about these methods can be found on the website.

Irga care

Fortunately, irga is resistant to diseases. I never found any signs of disease on my plant. Since all fruit and vegetable crops I fertilize exclusively with organic matter, then in the fall I dig up the ground by 30 cm in a radius of 1-1.5 m around the bush and lay any green manure there, most often it is the tops of peas or beans. A friend, on the other hand, has a completely different attitude to this issue and uses mineral fertilizers. In the spring, as soon as the irga blooms and until the moment when the last berry is plucked, it applies nitrogen fertilizers 1 time in 2 weeks. After harvesting, it is time to apply potash and phosphorus. Honestly, her berries are larger and the yield is higher, but I prefer not to treat myself to her irga.

Watering. Irga tolerates dry periods well, in principle, it can not be watered, deep roots will provide the crown and fruits with enough moisture. But I love to water my tree with a diffuser hose. Basically, to wash off the dust from the leaves and berries, because everyone knows that the most delicious berries are straight from the bush!

pruning. But this will be required, otherwise the irga will reach such a height that you will have to climb a ladder to harvest the crop. And if you do not regulate the number of trunks in the bush, then the game will thicken pretty quickly and about high yields will have to forget. The first years of growth, leave the strongest zero shoots, and ruthlessly remove the rest. Carry out a limiting cut in height. When will be typed right amount trunks for your bush, every year remove the 2-3 oldest ones and leave 2-3 new ones instead. So you will constantly rejuvenate the plant and get decent harvest.

Types and varieties of irgi

The main types of irgi, which are widespread and used in gardening, are shadberry alder-leaved, irga blood red And irga canadian, she is also known as Irga Lamarck. The latter has especially many variations: in Canada they pay considerable attention to selection and brought out many tasty and productive varieties. This species has the largest, juiciest and sweetest berries.

Irga Canadian (Irga Lamarck) "Gypsy"

Irga Canadian "Smoky"

How decorative are often used irga spiky And irga round-leaved, although their fruits are also edible and tasty.

Irga spiky

Irga round-leaved

In the summer, many tend to eat as many fresh fruits, vegetables and berries as possible in order to saturate the body with vitamins, which it will urgently need in winter and spring. And it is right! Therefore, information about what is useful irga will also come in handy.

Unfortunately, Irgu is not grown on an industrial scale, and few were lucky enough to try this miracle berry, but if you manage to do this, then you must definitely remember what is the use of the game.

Irgi properties

The scientific name of irgi is amelanchier. She is a handicraft deciduous plant, which reaches about 5 meters in height and belongs to the Pink family and the Yablonev family. She has rounded, whole and small leaves that have a pointed shape. They have sheet plate pale and rough below, smooth above.

Irga blooms with flowers of red, beige and white. The flowering period lasts no more than 2 weeks and it falls on May-June. The fruit is a juicy drupe that becomes red or deep red as it ripens. blue color. Its size is from 5 to 15 mm; irga ripens in the second half of July or early August.

Irga in bloom

As for the places of growth, there are 12 varieties of this plant in the world and therefore they can be found in many parts of the planet. They mainly grow in Russia, the Caucasus, the Crimea, Japan, northern Africa, North America and Asia Minor. In Europe, round-leaved irga is more common, because it is frost-resistant and unpretentious.

Irga - useful properties

• The berries of the shadberry contain vitamins C, PP and group B. It also contains a lot of organic acids, carotene, pectins, trace elements and flavonols compared to other representatives of the same genus;

• Carotene, which is a strong antioxidant, strengthens the immune system and thus protects against infectious diseases, and also reduces the impact on the body of electromagnetic radiation;

• Pectins contained in berries remove heavy metals, toxins and other substances from the body that pollute it. Also, pectins normalize blood cholesterol levels and thereby improve heart function and are a prophylactic agent for atherosclerosis and varicose veins;

• Thanks to vitamins, berries help in the fight against cancer, and also strengthen blood vessels, thereby preventing a heart attack. They are recommended for use nervous disorders, insomnia, as well as liver and kidney diseases. The juice of the berries is used for gargling with sore throats, and the bark and leaves for preparing decoctions, which are then washed with burns, purulent wounds and used for stomach ailments;

• Among other things, irga lowers blood pressure, thins the blood, strengthens the gums during periodontal disease and is recommended for those who suffer from heart failure;

• Irgi juice very useful in angina. It helps to get rid of the infection faster and heals wounds;

• A decoction of irgi berries has a strong antimicrobial effect and can be used to rinse the mouth with stomatitis or periodontal disease. Also, such a decoction stimulates and supports the work of the heart;

• Irgu is very useful to eat as a tasty prevention of cardiovascular diseases;

• Irga helps lower blood cholesterol;

Ripe berries of irgi

• An infusion of irgi flowers is used for hypertension and in the complex treatment of heart failure;

• An infusion of irgi leaves has astringent properties, so it quickly and effectively relieves diarrhea and indigestion;

• Irgi berries are recommended for older people, as it is believed that they can prevent varicose veins veins;

Irga - contraindications and harm

There are no special contraindications, however, it is believed that irga is not very useful for those who have low blood pressure. Nevertheless, this does not mean that this wonderful berry cannot be eaten at all. Do not forget always and in everything to observe the measure - if you learn about the usefulness of one product, do not forget about others. Secret healthy body it is primarily diversity, a little of everything is better than a lot of the same.

With hemophilia and other diseases that are characterized by poor blood clotting, you should also not use irga. The same applies to workers who have a high risk of injury at work, because in such cases, bleeding will be more difficult to stop.

If you eat berries often or in large quantities, then due to the sedative effect, it can cause a slow reaction and lethargy, and this should not be allowed for those who drive a car or work with mechanisms that require a quick reaction.

Irga - application

Irgu is mainly used for medical purposes, as well as for food. Berries are eaten fresh, compotes and jams are boiled or juice is squeezed out of them, wine is made. In medicine, in addition to berries, the bark, leaves and flowers of the plant are used. Moreover, all this can be dried and used not only in summer and autumn, but also in winter, when the need for useful substances obvious.

Mini pies with berry berries

To strengthen immune system use the following remedy: fill a glass container with clean berries for? and fill to the top with vodka 40 °. In a dark place insist 3 days, and then filter and take a teaspoon of tincture 3-4 times a day. This tincture is stored in a cool place for no more than 10 days, so you need to cook it in a reasonable amount.

Practical Tips:

• To get juice from irgi, you do not need to squeeze it immediately after collection. Berries should be scattered on a newspaper and placed in a cool dark place. After a week, the berries will become more fragrant and juicy, and it will already be possible to pass them through a juicer;

• Irgi berries are harvested in several passes, since they do not ripen at the same time (like raspberries, for example);

• IN traditional medicine both flowers and leaves of the game are used;

• The game lives about the same as the average person - 60-70 years;

• It is very stable, easy to care for, and various pests she is not afraid;

• If it is worth protecting the irgu from something, then from birds. They love her very much, and they will devastate a bush with ripe berries in 2-3 days. To protect it from birds, farmers use a regular mesh.

If you have the opportunity to try irgu - never pass by, because she is a storehouse of vitamins!

Irga is a berry shrub, but it is not found in every garden. Planting and caring for irga is not particularly difficult, but requires compliance certain rules. The article discusses the features of planting and growing shrubs, as well as methods of its reproduction.

Spreading

Most of all, irga has become popular in Europe and North America. Only in Canada last years breeders have bred many new varieties of shadberry. They have not yet appeared on the territory of Russia, but there are several varieties that are considered the most suitable not only in terms of berries, but also as an ornamental crop.

Kinds

In nature, there are about 25 species of shadberry, but only a few varieties are grown, and not all of them produce high-quality berries. Often shrubs are planted solely to decorate a garden or a personal plot.

The shrub reaches a height of about three meters. It is characterized by a wide crown, forming thin branches. Initially they gray color, but as they mature, the plants turn brown. Pinkish-white buds bloom for 10 days. At this time, the shrub has an unusual appearance.

The species of irgi is able to grow for 15 years, taking root in one place. The advantages include endurance, resistance to cold, drought and winds. Fruiting occurs 4 years after planting in open ground.

Ornamental plant - grows as a bush or small tree. In the spring, white or pale pink flowers appear on the irga. The advantages of this species include increased resistance to pests and diseases, resistance to frost. The plant is able to endure even frosts at a temperature of -50 degrees, for which it is especially appreciated by the inhabitants of the north of Russia.

The berries are small, weighing about 5-8 g. As they ripen, the peel changes from a pale green hue to raspberry, then to dark blue or black. The plant has a well-developed, shallow root system. The height of the tree does not exceed five meters. The leaves are matte, ovoid, green. The taste of the fruit is good, sweetish, but cloying.

The blood-red irga is a shrub, the height reaches no more than three meters. Its fruits ripen late, have a flattened shape.

Berries taste mediocre, they are not eaten by birds, due to the minimum content of seeds. The berries weigh no more than 8 g. The pulp of the fruit is light, like the juice. Up to 5 kg of berries are obtained from one bush.

This is a six-meter shrub or tree up to 10-12 meters high. There are a lot of leaves when blooming, which gives splendor to the plant, making it silvery. The plant is especially decorative at the time of flowering, completely covered with tassels of white flowers. There are few fruits, but they are tasty and large, contain many acids and sugars.

This species is characterized by good winter hardiness, but in severe winters it can freeze slightly. Landing is carried out in the spring or before winter. Effective way propagation is considered cuttings. The plant is easy to care for, it practically does not need watering and is easy to trim.

IN middle lane shrub grows in height, reaching 2-4 meters. At the end of May, white flowers form on it, then they are tied small berries, whose weight does not exceed 2 g. There can be up to 14 berries in a brush. The harvest ripens amicably, it is harvested several times. Berries have excellent taste contain acids and sugars in equal proportions.

Alder-leaved irga - moisture-loving plant. Found on the banks of rivers, streams, on wet slopes, but will not grow in swampy areas. The plant is recommended to be planted in spring or autumn. Two methods of propagation are used - from seeds and cuttings. Irga needs regular watering. Withstands winter. Fruiting occurs 5 years after planting.

Irga Lamarck - decorative look cultivated in gardens and parks in Europe. It is rare in Russia, although the variety is considered very cold-resistant and pleases with its appearance throughout the season. Grows in oak and birch forests acidic soils, also in peatlands.

The size of the shrub is high, the leaves, fruits and flowers are large. The leaves are 4-9 cm long, oval in shape and copper-purple in color in both spring and autumn. The flowers are collected in a drooping brush. Berries are dark blue. From one bush get from 5 to 7 kg of berries.

Choice of location and soil

Irga is a fruitful berry shrub, it needs indirect sunlight. Best Harvest collected from plants planted on sandy loamy soddy-podzolic and loamy fertile soils.

The plant is not afraid of shaded areas and lack of moisture, due to which it is permissible to land on the territory along the fence. Irgu is also planted in the same way as others. berry bushes such as gooseberries or currants.

In spring- autumn period seedlings are inserted 8 cm deeper than they grew before. This is necessary for the growth of more basal shoots. Many gardeners choose the most convenient way for them - planting irgi as a hedge. So the area is changing.

Landing

For planting, it is recommended to give preference to frost-resistant species and varieties characterized by high yields. delicious berries. If the irga is an ornamental plant, the yield in this case does not matter. In the first place should be the age of the seedlings. It is believed that one- and two-year-old plants take root faster.

When choosing a seedling, gardeners pay attention to healthy root system: there should be no signs of drying and rot. It is equally important to inspect the trunk of the seedling so that it is well developed and there are no damages on the bark.

Nurseries offer seedlings with a closed root system grown in large containers. For landing it is better to choose them. Such a plant will not have to spend time to restore the root system damaged during transplantation, it will take root faster and begin to grow. Container seedlings have no restrictions on the timing of planting - it is allowed to plant during the entire growing season.

Irga is a long-lived plant, therefore the place for it is selected carefully, taking into account the size, as well as the requirements for growing conditions.

The choice of location is based on the following rules:

1. The site should be well lit - this will contribute to good yields.
2. The value of soil acidity should not exceed 6.5-7.
3. Irgi is planted on soils with a low level of standing groundwater.
4. The mechanical composition of the soil should be light (sandy loam or loose loam with a high content of humus).

All weeds are removed from the selected area. It is better if the soil in the previous season was kept under "black" fallow. It is optimal to sow it with legumes - they improve fertility. Before digging for each square meter contribute up to 10 kilos of rotted compost or humus, 40 grams of phosphorus and potash fertilizers.

Irgu planted in the ground in early spring or late autumn. At spring planting make sure that the kidneys do not swell. At autumn planting the tree should already shed its leaves, but in order to have another 3 weeks before frost, this is the time required for rooting. Each seedling needs an area of ​​\u200b\u200bup to 4 squares, so the distance between them should be about two meters. When forming a hedge, seedlings are planted at a distance of up to a meter from each other.

Planting procedure:

1. Dig a hole 60x60 in size, discarding the top fertile layer in a separate pile.
2. For a hedge, dig a trench measuring 40x30 cm.
3. mix upper layer with a bucket of humus, adding 200 g of potassium salt or 1 kg of ash, as well as 300 g of superphosphate.
4. Pour the prepared mixture into the bottom of the pit with a mound.
5. Install the seedling, carefully straightening its roots. If there are damages, they are removed.
6. Fill the root system with soil so that root neck remained slightly above the level of the pit.
7. Pour a bucket of water under the bush, mulch the soil with humus.

The video below will serve as an example of landing an irgi:

If damage to the root system is noticed during planting, it is necessary to shorten the stem of the seedling by cutting it into 4-5 buds.

Growing Features

There are some requirements regarding the care of plants. The growth and development of plants, as well as productivity, depend on their implementation.

Watering

Irgi shrubs take root well after planting and do not need special care. Plants grow and bear fruit, but with regular and abundant watering, the number of fruits will become noticeably larger. Moist soil better protects the roots and allows the shrub to always be healthy and strong.

top dressing

When the tree turns 4-5 years old, annually 300 g of superphosphate, 200 g of potash fertilizers without chlorine, and several buckets of humus are added to the near-stem circle for digging. Be sure to retreat 20-30 cm from the root collar. From spring to mid-summer, the irgu is fed with liquid organic matter - 5 liters of a 10% solution of chicken manure for each bush.

It is recommended to apply liquid fertilizers at night after heavy watering or rain, and scatter dry fertilizers around the trunk circle, retreating 30 cm from the bush, planting them in the soil, and then watering the area. As it grows, the amount of fertilizer increases.

pruning

Although the irga tolerates pruning without complications, this procedure is carried out only if necessary. To do this less often, follow some recommendations:

• plant a plant in a well-lit area so that the rays of the sun penetrate into the very thick of the bush;
• cut only low varieties of shadberry, since tall bushes cannot be cut when fully grown even when using a ladder;
• pruning is done 1-2 years after planting the bush;
• the procedure is carried out in early spring before the start of sap flow.

The first years of growth of the shadberry leave only a few of the strongest zero shoots from the root shoots, the rest are removed. When the shrub has enough trunks, the two oldest are removed annually, and the same amount is left in return from the root growth - this contributes to the annual rejuvenation of the plant without reducing yields.

In young plants, all vertical shoots are shortened by a quarter of last year's growth. In other years, side branches are cut to stimulate the growth of the crown in breadth, otherwise it will be difficult to remove ripe berries from branches that have grown upwards in the future. Cuts on annual shoots do not need to be processed, but on adult branches they must be processed. garden pitch(but not in cold weather).

In addition to pruning to form a crown, a sanitary procedure is also carried out. To do this, remove broken, dry and thickening shoots of the plant, that is, branches growing inside the bush. Be sure to fight with root shoots. To rejuvenate an old shrub, it is cut, as they say, "under the stump."

Irga in autumn

In the autumn period, after the end of fruiting, they carry out sanitary and thinning pruning of the shadberry, if necessary, apply fertilizer by digging the site and getting rid of the fallen leaves. These are all procedures that are carried out for a plant at the end of the growing season. Irga hibernates without shelter, which is facilitated by increased resistance to frost.

reproduction

There are several ways to reproduce irgi. These include cuttings, grafting, growing from seeds, dividing the bush. Irgu is also propagated by layering. Each method has its own characteristics and negative points.

cuttings

Propagation by green cuttings in irgi is carried out successfully and with little or no difficulty. The effectiveness of the method lies in the possibility of rooting 95% of cut shoots. Green cuttings are cut during the intensive growth of shoots - this is the period from the end of June to July 10. Cuttings are cut from the top of 5-6 year old branches. The length of the cuttings should be at least 12-15 cm. The lower leaves are removed from them, leaving only two pairs of upper leaves.

Next, it is necessary to process the lower cut of the cutting in the root former and plant it obliquely at a distance of 5 cm from each other. Plant the cuttings in greenhouses, where correct mode humidity - at the level of 70-80%. The cutting takes root in 3-4 weeks. After that, the films are removed so that the plant grows under open sky. Water the plants regularly and fertilize. Spring on next year plants are transplanted.

Graft

In the first or second summer month cuttings are cut from 5-year-old shrubs from the top of 5-6 year old branches. The length of the cuttings should be no more than 15 cm. The lower leaves are removed from them, leaving a few upper ones. Place the cuttings for 12 hours in the root former, then rinse the roots in clean water. The plant is ready for planting in clean soil in a cool greenhouse. This is done at an inclination at a distance of 4 cm. The soil is sprinkled on top with a layer of sand 10 cm thick. It is better that the cuttings are 20 cm below the ceiling of the greenhouse.

After planting the cuttings, they are carefully watered. In the greenhouse, the temperature is optimally set to 25 degrees. To do this, sometimes they remove the top of the greenhouse and ventilate the cuttings. It is important to keep the soil moist. After the rooting of the cuttings, the film is removed during the day, and after complete strengthening, the plants are no longer covered.

After 20-25 days, the cuttings will have a strong root system, which will allow them to be transplanted to a temporary bed, where they are fertilized with manure diluted with water in a ratio of 1:8. Care for cuttings is the same as for adult plants. The following autumn, the plants are transplanted to a permanent site.

Reproduction by layering

This method requires taking well-developed branches of a one- or two-year-old plant. Layering is desirable to do in early spring. Near the bush, the soil is furrowed, where the layering is laid. The laid shoots are fixed with metal brackets, and the tops of the shoots are made shorter. After the buds of the allotted branches of green shoots grow from the buds (to a height of 10-12 cm), sprinkle them with earth to half the height, repeat the procedure after 3 weeks. In autumn, transplant to a permanent place.

Growing from seeds

This method is considered the best for reproduction. But its disadvantage is the duration of the procedure. Seeds are bought in specialized stores or collected independently from ripe berries. Seeds must not be dried, mixed with sand, or stored in a cold room before sowing. If you pre-prepare the seeds, the seedlings will be fast. They are placed between cotton wool soaked in hydrogen peroxide and wrapped in polyethylene film. So store for 4 months.

In spring, seeds are sown under the film at a distance of 20 cm from each other. Shoots will appear in 14-20 days. It is allowed to sow seeds in beds prepared in advance in the fall. So after sowing in open ground, the seeds will sprout in the spring.

The division of the bush

This method is used only in an extremely rare case, if there is a need to transplant a bush from one site to another. best time for the procedure, early spring is considered, before the buds swell or autumn, a month before frost.

The bush is removed from the ground, cut. After removing the old branches, and gently shaking the earth from the roots, the rhizome is divided into several parts. Sometimes an ax is used. Each part is checked - it must have a healthy aerial part, consisting of at least two shoots, and a well-developed root system. It is recommended to remove old roots, trim the rest. Next, parts of the bush are planted in prepared pits.

Diseases, pests and prevention

Irga is a plant that is characterized by good health. But sometimes shrubs are exposed to some diseases and pests:

Name of the disease/pest

Symptoms

Fighting methods The ripening of the fruits of irgi occurs non-simultaneously on the brush, which brings a lot of inconvenience during harvesting, but at the same time gives an extraordinary color. Starting with the largest fruits at the base of the inflorescence-brush, they successively change their hue from red to dark purple. Harvested several times as the berries ripen. Fruits for fresh consumption are stored for several days at room temperature. When stored in a refrigerator at a temperature of 0 degrees, the shelf life is significantly increased. This video will tell you how to harvest only a ripe crop of irgi: Beneficial features Irgi contains sugars (glucose and fructose), some organic acids. When the berries ripen, they accumulate vitamin C in large quantities. Also, the fruits are rich in vitamins A, B, B2, carotene, mineral salts, tannins, trace elements - manganese, copper, iodine, iron, cobalt. Irgu is used to make homemade wine, candied fruit, jam, jelly, jam, compote, marshmallow. Berries are allowed to freeze, preserve, dry. Juice can be easily squeezed out a week after picking the berries. Irgu is often used as a substitute for raisins. The valuable substances that make up the composition make the plant medicinal. Juice helps prevent blood clots. Berries are prescribed for the prevention of ulcers as a fixing agent. The fruits are used to relieve inflammation in the oral cavity, to treat inflamed gums, and for eye diseases. Irgi berries are no less useful for disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Irga - unique plant, which has many useful properties. When it proper fit, cultivation and care, it will be possible to get a healthy plant, pleasing not only with tasty and juicy berries, but also with attractive appearance, which allows you to decorate the garden or area near the house.

Irga ( Amelanchier) Rose family ( Rosaceae)

Description of irgi:

Irga is a deciduous shrub or small tree, twenty species are distinguished. This shrub grows in temperate climate northern hemisphere, distributed wild in North America, in some parts of Europe, in a small part North Africa and Asia Minor, East China, the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese Islands. In our country, irga grows in the Crimea and the Caucasus. Irga is very unpretentious plant able to tolerate frosts down to minus 45 degrees, during flowering up to 5 degrees. It can grow on any soil, except marshy soils with a low standing groundwater. The main condition for productivity is the presence of the sun, then her berries ripen large, juicy and tasty. In the wild, it can be found in the thickets small shrubs, in a rare forest, on forest edges, found in the mountains at an altitude of up to two kilometers above sea level. On the territory of Russia, round-leaved shadberry (A. rotundifolia) and Canadian game (A. canadensis) are common, cultivated as a fruit crop (yield from a bush is 8–15 kilograms, fruiting is extended over time, so the fruits are harvested in several doses or at a time, ripe the fruits do not crumble), melliferous (blooms early and profusely in spring) and an ornamental plant.

Reproduction of irgi:

Irgu is propagated by seeds, grown from cut cuttings, root shoots and dividing the bush. Irgi bushes grow very strongly, due to root offspring. It is better to propagate the irgu with one-two-year-old seedlings, in spring or autumn, when planting, they are buried to a depth of 8-10 centimeters, for better rooting. The distance between the seedlings, depending on what you will use this shrub for. If this hedge- distance from 0.5 - 1.5 meters. If the irga is grown as fruit bush- distance 3-4 meters. A hole for planting a bush is dug 40 centimeters deep and 70 - 80 centimeters in diameter. After planting, the plant is watered - about a ten-liter bucket of water per plant, then mulched with earth or peat. The aerial part is cut to a distance of 15 centimeters from the ground for better growth of side shoots.

Irgi properties:

Fruits, bark and leaves of shadberry have many positive properties because of this shadberry is used in folk medicine, medical and dietary nutrition, winemaking and cooking.

Irga surpasses grapes in the amount of vitamin C, contains up to 12% sugars, malic and other organic acids, is rich in carotene, has a high content of tannins and dyes, flavonols, vitamins P, group B, trace elements, fiber, pectins; the seeds contain fatty oil, and the bark and leaves contain tannins.

Irga in folk medicine is used as:

1. A sedative that improves sleep and strengthens the body;
2. Vision improvements;
3. Improving digestion and strengthening the stomach;
4. For the prevention of cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases;
5. To strengthen the walls of blood vessels and increase their elasticity;
6. To improve heart function and lower blood pressure.

Video about irga, its properties and cultivation on the site:

Irga photo

Irga ( Amelanchier) - shrub or tree, up to 6-8 m high. In spring, irga blooms profusely with small white flowers collected in a brush. At this time, the plant is a bit like a bird cherry. In autumn, the leaves turn golden and purple. In culture, four types of shadberry are most common, of which Canadian shadberry ( A. canadensis) is the most decorative. See photos of the irga shrub of the most common species in our country:

All species have edible apple-shaped fruits, similar in color and size to currants.

Irga is a frost-resistant, undemanding shrub that can tolerate both drought and slight soil salinity. The plant is resistant to diseases and pests, tolerates air pollution, is photophilous, but can also grow in partial shade, tolerates pruning, including “on the stump”, grows and rejuvenates by offspring.

Irgi makes excellent hedges, screens that protect from prying eyes, noise, and a dusty highway. In addition, irga is a good background for other shrubs. Below is a description of the bush irga, features of care and cultivation.

Description of the bush irga

This bush can be considered a "newcomer" in the territory of domestic summer cottages, but, despite this, she fell in love with gardeners. The tree grows rapidly and has several trunks, is resistant to winter cold, unpretentious to conditions, is not subject to disease and has a bountiful harvest. The shrub has oblong, oval dark green leaves, which turn purple-orange in autumn and look especially decorative, brown-gray bark. It blooms with white flowers, which are arranged in inflorescences in the form of brushes. The berries have a sweetish taste, juicy, dark blue in color, up to 12 pieces are located on one brush. Flowering occurs in April-May, which makes the shrub very attractive at this time. During this period, he is not afraid of frosts that occur in spring, but in winter time the bush can withstand frosts down to -30 ̊С without additional hilling.

Types and varieties of irgi for the Moscow region: photo and description

In total, there are 18 types of irgi (there is also information that 25). The shrub is classified as a member of the Rosaceae family, most of which are common in North America. He loves open sunny places, such as forest edges, mountain slopes, can grow in tundra. On the territory of our country, such types and varieties of irgi are considered common, such as:

Irga round-leaved ( Amelanchier rotundifolia)

Irga spiky ( Amelanchier Spicata)

Irga canadian ( Amelanchier canadensis)

Irga blood red ( Amelanchier sanguinea)

These varieties can be found running wild in nature, which grow there thanks to birds who love delicious fruits. The listed varieties of irgi are suitable for the Moscow region, they perfectly "take care of themselves", the main thing is to plant a tree correctly. They are not afraid of drought, strong winds and almost any adverse conditions, and all thanks to the root system, which penetrates to a depth of about 2 m and spreads within a radius of 2-2.5 m. It provides the plant with all the necessary nutrients and moisture. What kind do they have various varieties irgi, look at the photo:

Consider more detailed description varieties of irgi with a photo.

round-leaved

This shrub has many trunks, grows up to 4 m. It has a smooth bark, dark gray, oval, sometimes practically round leaves, which makes them similar to alder leaves. In autumn, they turn bright yellow. Blooms white with a slight fragrance. The berries are very sweet, large, dark blue with purple tint. The shrub can bring up to 10 kg of fruit per crop, so it is considered the best variety of shadberry.

Canadian

This plant is distinguished by its height, which can reach 8 m. It blooms with cream or white flowers that are odorless. The branches are thin, hanging down, the leaves are oblong, elliptical, in the autumn they become dark purple, red, purple. The berries inside are dark pink in color, taste sweet, about 6 kg can be harvested in one crop.

spiky

The bush is up to 5 m in height, has a dense oval-shaped crown, a gray shade of bark and matte dark green leaves of an ovoid shape. Flowers have a bright pink or white tint, placed in racemes. The berries are dark red, almost black, with a bluish bloom. The plant begins to produce crops from the 4th year of life.

blood red

Her berries have the wrong spherical shape reminiscent of blueberries. They taste like unripe fruits, which are neglected even by birds. Despite this, they are very juicy, so they are used to make juice based on other fruits. Taking into account the description of the types of irgi, the best varieties for the Moscow region it is Canadian or round-leaved. But you need to pay attention to some nuances. Since this shrub has a powerful root system, you will have to fight shoots all the time, so you should not plant this shrub near paths and buildings or decorative landscape elements. You should not do this for the reason that falling fruits leave dark spots.

Planting and caring for irga in the open field

Before you start growing this shrub, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of planting and caring for shadberry. She loves sunny areas and soil that is rich in organic matter. Depending on the preferences and features of leaving it, you can form a bush or a tree. Planting and caring for irga in the open field have their own characteristics. For planting, seedlings are taken, aged 1-2 years, planted in prepared pits, with a diameter of about 50 cm. The distance between plants should not be less than 1 m. A trunk about 10 cm long with 4-5 healthy buds remains above the ground. Some stages of planting irgi, see photo:

Planting a seedling in a prepared hole.

after landing.

Irgi seedlings for sale.

How to plant an irgu in the spring

Features of planting irgi and care in the Moscow region correspond general recommendations to planting and caring for trees in general. It is desirable to plant seedlings of this shrub in autumn. According to some experts, this can also be done in March, when the weather conditions are favorable. It is necessary to trim weak branches in time. In general, one trunk should not have more than 2-3 healthy shoots. At 3 years old, the shrub should have about 15 branches. Older plants can be periodically rejuvenated. See the photo below for planting irgi and care features, which shows the annual method of dealing with the overgrowth of this shrub:

Young shoots, or as they are also called "zero", must be removed not above the surface of the earth, but near the root of the plant, except for those from which a shrub is subsequently formed or with the help of which its rejuvenation is carried out in the future.

How to grow irgu from seeds

Planting irgi and care, as well as reproduction - the process is not difficult not only for professional gardeners, but also for beginners too. Shrubs can be propagated by seedlings, which can be purchased or grown from seeds. Seeds are planted in fertilized beds and then well watered. When the seedlings reach 1-2 years of age, they are planted in a permanent place.

Growing irgi does not require special skills, the main thing is that the plant is taken up when planting, further care consists in feeding, crown formation, pruning weak, old or dry branches, thinning the bush.

If you are interested in how to plant irgu from seeds, you need to know how to properly prepare them for planting. To prepare the seed material, ripe fruits are taken, rubbed and washed with cool water. Bad seeds usually float to the surface. The washing procedure should be carried out until the good ones remain at the bottom. You need to know how to properly plant an irgu using seeds if you have chosen this breeding method. In a furrow one meter long, about 300 seeds should be sown to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. Sowing is done in early spring, sometimes at the end of winter, and climbing can be expected for almost a year.

How to grow irgu when the seeds have sprouted, every gardener should know. Parostki, which grow 3-5 full-fledged leaves, dive and grow up to 1-2 years of age. For bushes grown from seeds, homogeneity is characteristic. This is presumably caused by asexual reproduction (apomixis).

Propagation of irgi by cuttings and root processes

The easiest way to propagate irgi is to use overgrowth from the roots for planting, which has to be harvested every year. This bush requires an area for life activity of 2.5-4 m, 1.5-2 m is left between future shrubs. Seedlings are planted in nurseries in a checkerboard pattern. The work consists in choosing suitable root shoots, the diameter of which should not be less than 0.5 cm and the length 10-15 cm. It is important that the roots are healthy and well developed. The dug-in seedlings are well watered so that the humidity is constantly at a high level.

For this method of reproduction, shoots that are no more than 6 years old are suitable. It is suitable for amateur gardeners who are interested in how to plant an irgu in the spring by dividing the bushes, because no more than 4-6 full-fledged cuttings are obtained. In nurseries, preference is given to propagation by seeds in order to obtain large quantity seedlings.

Propagation of irgi by cuttings consists in choosing branches that are no more than one year old and whose length is 12-15 cm. It is necessary to prepare a special greenhouse with a special earth mixture. The bottom is strewn with a layer of pebbles (30-40 cm), then a mixture of light soil with humus (25 cm) is poured, the top is covered with sand (4-5 cm). Planted and well-watered cuttings are covered with a film until roots appear. This usually happens around the 25th day, depending on the variety. To speed up the appearance of roots on the cuttings, they are treated with special solutions. Rooted cuttings are planted in open ground the following year.

Despite the fact that growing shadberry and caring for this shrub does not require much effort, it is still necessary to carry out some standard actions such as top dressing, pruning and protection from pests and birds. Birds are very fond of eating ripe fruits, so when you want to get a harvest, you need to cover the bush with a fine mesh.

Growing and caring for irga consists in the correct application of top dressing in the summer. The nutrient composition should be liquid, prepared from ammonium nitrate, 50 g of which is used per bush or 5 liters of 10% bird droppings emulsion. It is necessary to fertilize at night, when abundant watering has been done or it has rained.

How to cut the irgu in the spring

In order not to harm the bush, you need to familiarize yourself with the information on how to cut the irgu in the spring. You can start shaping the crown from 3-4 years of age. During this period, it is important to remove the basal shoots, leaving 1-2 shoots that have grown near the main trunks of the bush. Let's consider further how to properly cut the irga in order to rejuvenate it. "Rejuvenating" pruning is done when the shrub is 8-10 years old. The condition of the bush indicates the need for rejuvenation, such as:

• a small increase per year (no more than 10 cm);
• increased bush density;
• the appearance of weak and dry branches.

If rejuvenation is not done, then the bush begins to lose its decorative effect, bears fruit worse and is exposed to pests. How to prune irga to rejuvenate a shrub:

• thinning (remove all unnecessary, weak shoots);
• pruning too elongated branches;
• shortening of long healthy shoots.

As a result, no more than 10-15 strong branches should remain. The cut point is processed with garden pitch.

Each amateur gardener, using basic information, will know how to care for the irga correctly, what needs to be done at each “age” period of the plant, what actions to take at different times of the year. With careful care, it can safely grow and bear fruit up to 70 years.