About growing barberry shrubs - types, reproduction, planting and care in the open field. Barberry planting in the fall and outdoor care How to grow a beautiful barberry bush

Barberry glows like a bright red spot among the yellow foliage in autumn, diluting the monotony of autumn boredom. But those who think that the barberry is only an ornamental plant and has no other functions are mistaken. Berries are successfully used in food in the form of spices and as an additive to tea. They are also used for medicinal purposes, they are good as a choleretic agent, and also cope with such a problem as uterine bleeding.

Also, this plant has earned a good reputation as a honey plant. This article provides instructions for planting and caring for this plant for those who decide to decorate their garden with it.

The plant propagates by seeds, cuttings, shrub division and layering.

In order for the barberry to take root well and please with its appearance and fruits, first you need to choose a suitable place in the garden. The shrub should be visible for aesthetic purposes, but you also need to think that the soil is suitable for it. In addition, a favorable time for planting barberry is taken into account.

In New Zealand, the barberry is considered a noxious weed and is prohibited from distribution.

Let's start a detailed story about the landing with the choice of a good time for this event.

Choosing the right time for planting

All plants are transplanted or planted with cuttings in spring or autumn, when active sap flow begins, or when the plant is preparing for hibernation. This also applies to barberry.

If you decide to try growing bushes from seed, so you need to follow the following scheme:

• Since autumn, freshly harvested seeds are placed in a nylon bag (they can serve as a piece from old tights) and hidden in wet sawdust or moss, which can be placed in a flower pot.
• You need to store the seeds in a cool place until May, and then sow them in a greenhouse or immediately in the garden.

Sprouting from seeds, sprouts require special attention - this is a very troublesome task, especially since there are other, more reliable, ways of propagating shrubs.

Choosing a place for barberry

Make sure the soil at the planting site is not waterlogged.

According to the testimony of lovers of this plant, who have more than one type of barberry in their collection, it is unpretentious in the choice of soil, if you properly fertilize the planting hole and choose the right corner. The only condition for the place is that there should not be stagnant water.

Barberry bushes love sunny open places. The shade has a bad effect on the development of leaves and the color of the plant, it loses its brightness and attractiveness, and its growth slows down.

Barberry is planted both as a single plant and as a dense hedge, but this type of planting requires special care.

When the place is chosen, you need to learn how to properly dig a hole and how to fertilize it.

Good to know: follow her.

Mock orange in the garden, a very beautiful shrub, which is also called "garden jasmine". Article about him.

Soil preparation for planting

If one shrub seedling is planted, a hole is needed, approximately 45 × 45 cm in size, about half a meter deep.

This hole will seem large for such a very small bush, but do not forget about the fertilizer, which should fill almost the entire space.

Then it is necessary to pour a bucket of water into the pit so that it soaks the ground, but does not allow it to stagnate. The hole must be provided drainage, it is laid on the bottom - these can be pebbles, small pieces of wood and other materials that will allow excess water not to stagnate at the roots.

Next, you need to fill almost the entire space of the pit with a mixture of humus, fertile soil, peat. You can add ash and lime there, thereby neutralizing the excessive acidity of the soil. A fertilizer such as superphosphate is also well suited, it will strengthen the plant, give an incentive to grow and help to withstand the cold season without loss.

Planting a plant

When everything is ready, the bush should be placed in the center of the pit to such a depth that the neck of the plant root goes two to three centimeters underground.

Hiding the neck of the root is necessary for the plant to survive. If freezing happens to the upper part of the plant in a harsh winter, it will be reborn from the buds preserved on the neck.

The planted barberry should be well sprinkled at the root with old foliage or sawdust - they will retain moisture and looseness of the soil.

Plant transplantation when propagated by cuttings

A mini greenhouse for cuttings will help them germinate

Propagating a plant by cuttings is the most common way, and the easiest and most affordable. In the spring, a cutting can be taken from any barberry bush that you like, simply by breaking it off. Then it is necessary to cut the leaves from it so that they do not take the strength of the cutting, and plant it in moist soil.

From above, the seedling needs to be covered with an ordinary plastic bottle with a cut bottom - this greenhouse will be a temporary home for the bush.

You need to water in moderation and only along the edge of the bottle. For the first 10-15 days, the bottle cap does not need to be opened so that the cutting takes root in greenhouse conditions, then you can open it for ventilation for a while. Next, leave the neck of the bottle open until the plant is transplanted to a permanent place of residence.

Transplantation is done only in the fall of next year.

plant care

In order for the barberry to develop properly and look healthy, it needs proper care, like any other plant. Bush care activities include activities such as watering, fertilizing, trimming excess and dry branches, and creating conditions for normal growth.

plant growing conditions

1. An important condition for the development and strengthening of the plant is a well-lit landing site, that is, the sun's rays should fall on the barberry bush for most of the day.
2. Timely moderate watering, without standing water at the roots.
3. Periodic fertilization of the soil around the plant.
4. Regular soil mulching.
5. Annual pruning of excess and dry shrub branches, as they interfere with normal growth.

By following all these points, you can achieve very good results and get a decent harvest. How to act correctly, creating these conditions, will be described in detail below.

Feeding the barberry

Urea is applied one year after planting

How, how and when to feed the shrub? Experienced gardeners recommend starting it in the second year after planting, since enough nutrients were placed in the planting hole, which would be enough for the plant for a year, for rooting and adaptation.

A year later, in the spring, it is necessary to apply fertilizer - it should be a bucket of water with 25-30 grams of urea diluted in it.

It should be fertilized with a complex composition of top dressing, which must necessarily include as many useful microelements as possible.

Watering the bush

Barberry tolerates short-term drought well and does not require daily watering.

If the summer is rainy, you can do without this process at all, but if, on the contrary, it is dry, watering is required a couple of times a week.

Barberry is widely used in folk medicine as a medicinal plant.

The plant will not die from drought due to the formed thorns on the branches, but the leaves will become smaller, and the shrub will lose its luxurious appearance. To then restore its normal growth and leaf size, it will take some time.

In a normal summer, average humidity, one watering per week will be enough.

Pruning dry and unwanted branches

Shrub pruning is an annual process.

Since the barberry quickly starts up new shoots, which then form into branches, they begin to interfere with each other, causing the need for thinning. Some branches themselves dry out from the intense summer heat or when the shrub is very dense, and are subject to mandatory pruning.

As a rule, the barberry is cut once a year - in the spring.

Pruning of bushes that are more than one year old is done in the spring. Small barberry bushes can generally do without this procedure.

But when arranging a hedge from barberry bushes, a specific pruning schedule is required. The first time it is carried out in the second year after planting, immediately forming the crown of the bush in the right way.

, what is this? Who is David?

Do you want to know the nuances of planting a paniculate hydrangea? our article.

Popular varieties of Fortune's euonymus -

Pest and disease control

Barberry, like other plants, can be affected by pests and diseases. To save the shrub from this scourge, you need to take some methods of treatment. What pests of the shrub most often appear on it, and how to deal with them?

Major pests and how to deal with them

• The first enemy of this shrub is barberry aphid. If she settles on young leaves and shoots, they begin to wrinkle and dry out. We urgently need to start the fight for the plant. The following remedies will help get rid of this scourge:

0.2% fitoverm solution, spray the plant with it two to three times;
300 grams of laundry soap + 10 liters of water - this solution is used in the spring to avoid the appearance of a pest;
Half a kilo of shag + 10 liters of water + a solution of laundry soap. Such a mixture is also applied in the spring, but if necessary, then at any other time to save the plant.

• flower moth spoils the fruits of barberry, eating them from the inside
  As soon as there is a suspicion that this particular pest is present on the bushes, a 0.2% fitoverm solution will again come to the rescue. Spraying also needs to be done two or three times.

Attention! After spraying, the fruits become unsuitable for human consumption.

• Another lover of barberry leaves is caterpillars of the barberry sawfly They are dealt with in the same way.
• If you notice that the leaves on the tops of the branches began to wrap on the bush, it means that your barberry has visited leaflet or leafy barberry gall midge. In this case, you need to try to do without the use of chemistry. It is necessary to carefully cut off the damaged areas of the branches along with the leaves.

Diseases and the fight against them

• The leaves of the barberry were covered with a white cobweb-like coating, similar to mold - this powdery mildew. Many plants suffer from this disease, especially those that grow in dense plantings, where moisture is well preserved due to low air circulation. But if the summer turned out to be very rainy, then powdery mildew can also appear on separate bushes.

If you start treating this disease at the very beginning, then a solution of foundationazole in proportions of 10-15 grams per 10 liters of water will help well.

If the disease was not noticed in time, then you will have to cut off all the affected areas of the bush and be sure to burn it so that the disease does not spread further.

In conclusion, I would like to say that barberry is a useful and necessary plant that can be used in various fields.

Viktor Sergeev

Barberry is a very picturesque plant. There are forms with green, purple and variegated leaves that fit perfectly into joint plantings with deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs. In landscape design, this property of barberry is widely used. Its berries are edible and useful. Young leaves can be added to salads. In folk medicine, barberry has long been known and widely used.

Barberry - let's get acquainted

The barberry family unites several hundred species of trees and shrubs. Deciduous and evergreen forms are known. In the wild, this plant is found on almost all continents.

Barberry is found on almost all continents

Prefers a warm climate, but can tolerate moderate frosts. In severe cold requires shelter. The plant is prickly, the fruits are small, edible. In culture, common barberry or Thunberg barberry is grown, less often Amur, Canadian (Ottawa) and Korean.

The great decorativeness of the plant is popular in landscape design and is widely used. This is facilitated by a huge selection - from dwarf forms (30 cm) to giants (3 m), with a spherical, columnar and spreading crown. Barberry gets along well with various plants and does not seek to capture the territory, as it does not have root growth. Drought tolerant, shade tolerant, unpretentious.

There is a small drawback - thorns. But it can be made a virtue: a barberry hedge will become an insurmountable obstacle for uninvited guests and a beautiful frame for your site.

The maximum decorative effect of the plant falls on the age of 7–8 years. It can live 50 years, with good care it bears fruit up to 35–40 years. Blooms in May, about 3 weeks. Good honey plant.

Barberry looks spectacular in joint plantings

Landing and care

Barberry grows in sun and partial shade. If you decide to plant a plant with variegated or bright foliage, then this should be a well-lit place. In the shade, the decorative effect is lost, the leaves become paler or turn green. Landing is carried out in early spring, before bud break. If the plant has a closed root system, then you can plant it in the fall, in September or in the first half of October (at least a month before the onset of frost). Barberry can grow on almost any soil, even sandy and rocky, but not acidic. Stagnation of moisture depresses him.

The landing pit is prepared 2 weeks before planting. Its size is 40x40x40 cm.

Pit preparation:

When planting several bushes side by side, you need to take into account their adult size and leave the required distance. If you decide to arrange a hedge, then you need to dig a trench of the required length. Plants are planted at a distance of 0.5 m from each other. For a two-row hedge, bushes are planted in a checkerboard pattern.

A few years after planting, the barberry hedge will be impenetrable

When planting, the roots are carefully straightened, covered with earth so that the root collar is at the level of the soil. The shoots are cut, leaving 3-5 buds, the plant is watered and mulched.

Watering and fertilizing

Barberry tolerates a lack of moisture better than its excess. In rainy weather, an adult plant has enough rainfall. In the heat, you need a bucket of water per bush 1 time in 2 weeks. A newly planted barberry is watered 1-2 times a week until it takes root. Then - as needed.

For the first 2–3 years, the fertilizers applied during planting are enough for the plants. Further, for ornamental shrubs, urea is applied in spring (dissolve 30 g in 10 liters of water) 1 time in 3 years. If the plant is berry, then, in addition to urea, every year after flowering it is fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers (according to the instructions).

Preparing for the cold

In winter, young plants (the first 3–5 years) require shelter, regardless of the frost resistance of the variety. If winters are mild in your region, then the barberry will endure this period well. In severe frosts, especially in Siberia or the Urals, adult plants also cover. To do this, they make a semblance of a hut from branches and spruce branches and additionally throw snow.

The first 3–5 years, the barberry needs shelter for the winter

pruning

Sanitary pruning is required annually in spring and autumn. Remove broken, dry and diseased branches. If the barberry is planted for decorative purposes, then they begin to form it from the second year after planting. All types of plants tolerate shearing well, and to maintain a given shape, the bush is pruned at the beginning and end of summer every year.

Proper bush formation requires annual pruning.

Dwarf species of barberry, as a rule, have a dense compact crown and can do without formative pruning. They look great in curb plantings and on alpine slides.

Dwarf forms of barberry do not need shaping pruning

reproduction

Barberry reproduces well with the help of seeds, cuttings and layering. Good results are obtained by dividing the bush.

Barberry breeding methods:

• Seeds. To obtain seeds, ripe berries are crushed, washed and dried. Sow in the fall, immediately into the ground to a depth of 1 cm. The place is chosen so that the seedlings can grow there for 2 years. Then they are transplanted to a permanent place. In the spring, after germination, they are thinned out, leaving a distance of about 3 cm. Care consists in regular watering, loosening the soil and removing weeds. For the winter, shelter beds are required.
  

  When propagated by seeds of some varieties, seedlings may not retain parental characteristics.

  To obtain seeds, ripe berries are crushed, washed and dried.

• The cuttings are rooted in the summer in a special greenhouse, where they will grow for 2 years. In June, shoots of the current year are cut about 15 cm long. All leaves are removed in the lower part, treated with a root formation stimulator. The upper leaves are cut in half. Planted in a mixture of humus, peat and sod land with sand. The cuttings are buried by 2/3 of the length, watered and covered. Periodically it is necessary to ventilate and humidify.

  Cuttings are part of the shoots of the current year, about 15 cm long

• To root the layering in the spring, they bend down, fix and sprinkle with earth the branches located close to the ground. The following year, early in the spring, the shoot is separated with secateurs and transplanted to another place for growing for another year. Then they are transferred to a permanent place.

  To root the layering in the spring, they bend, fix and sprinkle with earth the branches located close to the ground.

• For dividing the bush, you can use a plant no older than 5 years. Only low-growing varieties are propagated in this way. Before bud break, the plant is dug up and divided with secateurs or a knife. The cut is treated with crushed charcoal and planted.

  When dividing a bush, each part should have 2-3 shoots

Diseases and pests

Barberry has few pests. Aphids appear on young shoots and leaves. You can quickly notice it. The leaves begin to curl. To destroy the pest, you can use Inta-Vir, Actellik preparations. If there are few aphids, a soapy solution will come in handy (3 tbsp. Dishwashing liquid per 1 liter of water). In addition, the plant can be affected by the flower moth (spoils the berries) and the sawfly. To destroy them, drugs are used:

• Aktara,
• Karate,
• Karbofos.

All products are prepared strictly according to the instructions.

Moth caterpillar - one of the barberry pests

Barberry is rarely affected by fungal diseases.

Table: how to deal with barberry diseases

Disease	signs	Control measures
powdery mildew	Whitish spots appear on the leaves and shoots, which grow and merge. The plant appears to be covered in flour.	Affected branches are cut and burned. Treat with any fungicide or colloidal sulfur solution.
Rust	Red spots appear on the leaves. Increasing, they can hit the shoots.	Affected shoots are cut and burned. Treat with any fungicide.
bacterial cancer	Cracks and growths appear on the branches and trunks.	Affected shoots are cut and burned. In advanced cases, the entire bush is uprooted. Treat with any fungicide.

To prevent diseases, the plants and the soil under it are treated three times with Bordeaux liquid. The treatment interval is 1 time in 3 weeks.

Types and varieties of barberry

Of all the species, the most decorative Thunberg barberry. Dwarf plants from 30 cm with red, yellow, green and variegated foliage - that's all. Its fruits are unsuitable for food, very bitter.

• Green Carpet. Low shrub up to 1 m high with a spreading crown. Dense foliage, light green in summer, turns bright orange, yellow and red in autumn. Flowers are pale greenish. Light-requiring, but tolerates light shade. It is drought-resistant, frost-resistant, resistant to diseases and pests. Young plants up to 2–3 years old need shelter in winter; in Siberia, the Urals and northeast Russia, this is done up to 5 years.

  In autumn, the barberry bush Green Carpet becomes like a colorful blanket

• Admireshin. Shrub with a lush crown and beautiful red leaves with bright yellow edging. The flowers are pale pink, bloom in late May. The berries are dark red. The plant is very decorative, tolerates shaping well. Unpretentious in care, frost-resistant, easily tolerates lack of moisture. The variety is resistant to diseases and pests.

  Barberry Admireyshin has beautiful leaves with golden edging

• Erekta. Dwarf variety (up to 0.5 m). The crown is pyramidal. The leaves are green. Frost and drought resistant. Unpretentious. Rarely affected by disease.

  The Erekta variety is rarely affected by diseases.

• Gold ring. Bush of medium size. Leaves have golden edging. Undemanding in care.
• Carmen. The leaves are blood red. The plant reaches a height of 1 m in 10 years. In the shade loses the brightness of the leaves. Resistant to frost and gas contamination.

  Foliage barberry Carmen attracts attention

• Golden Rocket. Height up to 1.5 m. It grows slowly. The maximum height reaches 10 years. Leaves are yellow-green.
• Natasha. Compact spherical shrub. The leaves are green with white-pink spots. Frost resistance up to -35 ° C. In the shade it loses its color brightness. The fruits are decorative, but not used for food.

  The coloring of barberry leaves Natasha is unusual and attractive

• Orange Rocket. Columnar shrub up to 1 m high. Crown diameter 0.5 m. It grows slowly. Frost and drought resistant. The leaves are small, yellow-orange, turning bright red in autumn. In the shade, the foliage loses its brightness.
• Pink glow. Tall, up to 2 m, spreading shrub. The leaves are purple with white and pink spots. Frost resistance up to -35 o C.

  Variety Pink Light lives up to its name

• Helmut Pillar. Columnar (up to 1.5 m) shrub. The leaves are small, dark red, turning green in the shade. Frost-resistant. Drought resistant. Handles haircut well. Unpretentious.
• Harlequin. Shrub 1.5–2 m high and a crown width of about 2 m. Purple leaves with white spots turn amber-golden in autumn. Handles haircut well. Used for joint landings as a bright accent. Frost-resistant. Shelter for the winter is necessary only for young plants, when grown in a harsh climate. Drought tolerant. Rarely affected by disease.

  Variegated leaves of barberry Harlequin are very beautiful

• Auria. Shrub about 80 cm high. Leaves turn yellow-orange in autumn. It blooms in May, covered with yellow fragrant tassels. The fruits are red, ripen in autumn and remain on the branches for a long time. Drought tolerant. Rarely affected by disease. Frost-resistant. When grown in the shade, the leaves lose their brightness and turn green.

  The yellow foliage of the Auria barberry is combined with the greenery of coniferous trees.

• Kobold. Dwarf shrub only 40 cm tall and dense spherical crown about 50 cm in diameter. Leaves are yellow-green in summer, yellow-crimson in autumn, can grow in light shade. In May, beautiful yellow-red flowers open for several weeks. Frost and drought resistant. Rarely affected by disease.

  The size of the Kobold barberry is suitable for an alpine slide

• Bagatelle. Another dwarf variety. An adult plant with a height of only 30 cm has a dense crown with a diameter of about 60 cm. The foliage is red-brown in summer and dark red in autumn. Bagatelle goes well with other plants in park compositions. Grows slowly. Frost and drought resistant. Rarely sick.

  Bagatelle goes well with other plants in park compositions.

The Tibetan barberry used to be known in Russia as Dereza vulgaris. The healing properties of its berries have long been known and widely used in folk medicine. One of the most famous species is Goji Shambhala. This is a sprawling bush up to 3 m high. It blooms from June to October, at the same time berries ripen. Unpretentious in care. It grows on any soil, except for marshy ones. Prefers sunny places, but will grow and bear fruit in the shade. Frost and drought resistant. Very prickly. Handles haircut well.

Shambhala goji fruits look like small peppers

Red-leaved varieties of Canadian (or Ottawa) barberry are not very common in Russia. The leaves have a color from dark purple to bluish-red, which goes well with greenery in parks and squares. He tolerates a haircut well. The height of adult plants is from 1.5 to 3 m. It grows rapidly. Tolerates frosts down to -35 o C. When grown in the southern regions and central Russia, it does not require shelter. In Siberia and the Urals, it grows well with warming in the winter.

A popular variety of Canadian barberry is Superba. Tall, fast-growing shrub up to 2.5 m. The leaves are almost purple in summer, turning crimson in autumn. Unpretentious. In May, yellow-red flowers appear, collected in a brush. The fruits are bright red and ripen in October. Annual shoots grow up to 35 cm per season. It is drought- and frost-resistant. Little affected by disease.

Barberry Superba has purple leaves

In addition to it, such varieties of Canadian (Ottawa) barberry have excellent decorative qualities, such as:

• Auricoma,
• Atropurpuria,
• Silver Miles.

Amur barberry grows in the wild in the Far East, China and Japan. This is a tall, up to 3 m, shrub with a slightly branched spreading crown. The berries are edible. Bright green in summer, turning golden red in autumn. The flowers are light yellow and very fragrant. Rust resistant. In Siberia, it can grow without shelter. Tolerates lack of moisture. Undemanding in care.

The flowering plant of the Amur barberry is fragrant and beautiful

Evergreen (or ordinary) barberry is a fairly large shrub up to 2 m high, and about the same in diameter. This is a slow growing species. The leaves are narrow and long (up to 10 cm), bright green above and bluish-green below. Frost-resistant. Disease resistant. The leaves stay on the branches all winter and fall off when they begin to grow back in the spring. Handles haircut well. Resistant to gas contamination of the urban atmosphere.

The common barberry has plants with an unusual fruit color. In the Alba variety they are white, while in the Lutea variety they are pale yellow.

The black barberry actually has green-colored leaves that turn bright red in autumn, and bronze in color after frost. And they call it that because of the dark blue, almost black, berries. This is a warty barberry. His homeland is Western China. Grows slowly. The height of an adult plant is 1–1.5 m. It withstands frosts down to -30 ° C. Drought-resistant. Handles haircut well.

The warty barberry has dark blue berries with a waxy coating.

Barberry as a houseplant

For growing at home, dwarf varieties of barberry Thunberg are suitable:

• Bagatelle,
• Erekta,
• kobold,
• Natasha.

Since the species tolerates pruning well, the shape of the crown and the height of the plant can be easily adjusted. Barberry in the apartment will give you no more trouble than any houseplant. Growing miniature trees as an art originated in Japan many centuries ago. This is a well-known bonsai. For this, coniferous and deciduous plants are used, which in nature may not be small. Barberry is ideal for creating bonsai. It tolerates pruning well and is very flexible in creating such compositions.

Barberry makes amazing miniatures

Features of caring for homemade barberry:

• Landing is carried out in a mixture of coarse sand, soddy soil and compost (2: 2: 1). At the bottom of the pot, be sure to pour a layer of stones or expanded clay. When planting, cut the roots a little and shorten the shoots by 2/3.
• Watered as needed. In spring and summer, frequent irrigation has a beneficial effect on the plant, especially on hot days. In autumn and winter, the frequency of watering is reduced. Since the air in the apartment is very dry during the heating season, periodic spraying from a spray bottle is useful for the plant, but not during flowering.
• For top dressing, use any organic fertilizer in the form of powder or granules (according to instructions) once a month from May to September.
• When pruning, the cut quickly becomes indistinguishable in color from the bark and does not require additional processing.
• Barberry can grow in a sunny window and in a shaded room, but in order for the variegated varieties not to lose their brightness, the plant needs good lighting and additional lighting in winter.
• In summer, the plant will feel good on an open balcony.
• Diseases and pests in indoor barberry are the same as in nature, and the same drugs are used to combat them.

Dwarf varieties of barberry can be grown in a container (for placement on terraces). Planting and caring for such a plant is no different from growing in a garden or in an apartment.

Features of cultivation in the regions

Barberry can grow in various climatic conditions. In the southern regions, it easily tolerates drought. Mild winters do not require high frost resistance. The plant puts up with the gas content of urban air, which allows it to be widely used for landscaping parks. The warm climate makes it possible to choose almost any type and variety of barberry for planting.

In central Russia, for cultivation, it is better to opt for plants with frost resistance of at least -20 ° C. This requirement is met by:

• most varieties of barberry Thunberg,
• Canadian,
• amur,
• warty.

Barberry with frost resistance up to -20–25 ° C is suitable for the Moscow region. You can choose varieties:

• Canadian (Ottawa) - Superba,
• ordinary - Alba variegata,
• barberry Thunberg:
  • Harlequin,
  • Green Carpet,
  • Carmen and others.

Since soils in the Moscow region are often with high groundwater, good drainage is required when planting (or seedlings should be placed on a hill or hillside). Young plants for the first 3-5 years must be covered for the winter. In the Golden Rocket variety, it is recommended to tie the crown or wrap it with a net for the winter, since it can fall apart during heavy snowfalls. During humid, cool summers, fungal diseases are possible, so prevention is the best way to prevent them.

In Siberia, varieties with high frost resistance are most suitable for cultivation:

• canadian barberry,
• amur,
• ordinary,
• warty.

They are adapted to harsh conditions and tolerate frost well with a lot of snow. For these plants, shelter is needed in the first 3-5 years. Barberry Thunberg can also be grown in this region, but with mandatory shelter for the winter, not only young, but also adult plants. In this case, dwarf varieties are suitable for the Siberian climate. As an option, it is possible to grow plants in a container, with wintering in a greenhouse or a room where the temperature will not be very low.

This plant has many faces. Among its many species, one can find shrubs that are highly decorative, and certain types of plants have edible fruits of a sour taste. In 100 g of berries - 5 daily norms of vitamin C and 2.5 norms of vitamin A. An impenetrable hedge is obtained from this plant, and it is also a natural healer that saves from many diseases. All this is about barberry, planting and caring for which is not particularly difficult.

There are about 500 wild species and various varieties of barberry in nature. Many of them gave birth to cultivated varieties, and there are also many of them. When crossing different species, plants were obtained that are distinguished by a special decorative effect.

The most famous natural forms are the following:

• Barberry common. An inhabitant of the southern regions of our country. It grows up to 2.5 m. Arcuate yellowish-brown shoots are covered with dark green ovate leaves and tripartite spines, reaching a length of 2 cm. At the end of spring, the bushes are covered with fragrant flowers collected in a brush. Edible bright red fruits over 1 cm long ripen in autumn. Their taste is sour and refreshing. There is also a red-leaved form - Atropurpurea, up to 2 meters high with orange-yellow flowers and dark red fruits. And also there is a variegated - Albovariegata.
• Amur barberry. It comes from the Far East and also grows in China and Japan. A shrub up to 3.5 m high is decorated with long tassels of flowers in spring, and in autumn with shiny edible juicy red fruits that do not crumble for a long time.
• Canadian barberry. In Russia, it is rare. A tall bush consists of shoots of dark purple color and is characterized by abundant fruiting.
• Ottawa barberry. This is the result of a hybridization between the Thunberg barberry and the red-leaved form of the common barberry (Atropurpurea). The bush grows up to 2 meters. Yellow flowers have a reddish tint, and its fruits are dark red. One of the most famous varieties of this species is the Ottawa Superba barberry. It has very decorative dark red leaves and unusual red-yellow flowers. The variety is winter-hardy and almost not affected by diseases.
• Barberry spherical. This is a fairly frost-resistant shrub native to the mountainous regions of Central Asia. It differs not only in leaves that are not characteristic of barberry, but also in spherical edible fruits of dark blue color.
• Barberry Thunberg. Forms a low sprawling bush with small leaves and beautiful fruits with a bitter taste, unsuitable for food. This species is most suitable for decorating gardens and parks. Numerous varieties have been bred for this: Aurea and Bonanza Gold with yellow leaves, Red Chief with dark red leaves, Harlequin and Cornic with variegated foliage. One of the most famous is the barberry Thunberg Atropurpurea. Its bush up to 1.5 meters high is covered with purple-red foliage changing color to bright carmine in autumn. The real decoration of the plant are yellow flowers collected in brushes with red stains.

Planting shrubs in the garden

Most varieties of garden barberry are unpretentious, but still they have their own preferences and they must be taken into account when planting plants in the garden.

How and when to plant?

Planting time depends on which root system the seedling was purchased with - closed or open. In the first case, planting can be carried out throughout the growing season.

In the second, her time is limited to two terms:

• in early spring, until the buds have yet blossomed, but the earth has already thawed;
• in autumn at the time of leaf fall, but at this time planting is associated with the risk of freezing the plant in winter.

Since the rhizome of the barberry is creeping and located in the surface layers of the soil, they do not dig a large hole for it. Its diameter depends on the age of the bush.

• For babies 2-3 years old, a hole 25 cm deep with the same diameter is enough.
• For 5-7-year-old plants, it should be larger - about 50 cm deep and in diameter.
• When using barberry bushes as a hedge, they are not limited to pits, but dig a trench 40 cm wide and deep for the entire length of the plantings.

But in any case, the reference point is the size of the root system of the seedling. She should not be cramped in the landing pit. It is necessary to prepare a place for barberry in advance so that the soil has time to settle, and there are no voids in it.

After a drainage layer of pebbles or broken bricks is laid at the bottom of the pit, it is filled with a soil mixture of the following composition:

• humus or well-ripened compost - 1 part;
• garden soil - 1 part;
• sand - 1 part.

Each bush will need 200 g of ash and 100 g of superphosphate. The planting hole is flooded with water. If the seedling is grown in a container, before planting it, together with the container, is immersed in water for 20 minutes so that the earth ball is well saturated with water. For plants with an open root system, the soaking time is longer - from 2 to 3 hours, and it is good to add a root stimulator to the water. If the roots are not dry, the seedling can not be soaked, but sprinkle the root system with a root formation stimulator.

If several bushes are planted, when choosing a scheme for their placement, you need to remember that they grow strongly in width, so the distance between them should not be less than 1.5 m. The only exception is planting as a hedge - 2 plants are planted per 1 running meter. It is very important not to deepen them when planting, the root collar should be slightly above the soil level.

Site and soil requirements

All barberries are drought-resistant plants, they do not need moist soil, so places with a high standing of groundwater or flooded in spring are not suitable for them.

They also require lighting. In the shade and even partial shade, the color intensity of the leaves decreases, and fruiting will be weak.

In nature, barberries most often grow on sand; in culture, they have not changed their preferences - they love light soil. Heavy soil with a high content of clay will have to be improved by adding sand. The reaction of the soil should be neutral or very close to it. Acidic soils must be limed.

barberry care

A properly planted bush does not require special care, but in order for it to show itself in all its glory, the gardener will have to take care of it.

Watering the plant

Only newly planted plants need weekly watering. When they have taken root, they should be watered only during drought and in extreme heat. The water must be heated in the sun. If, immediately after planting, the ground around the bush is mulched with chopped wood chips, bark or walnut shells, this will not only reduce watering to a minimum, but also stabilize the temperature regime of the soil, make it looser.

Top dressing and fertilizer

Natural species often grow on poor soils and feel great there. Garden forms are more demanding for nutrition. In the first year, the plant has enough of those nutrients that are laid down during planting.

Starting from the second year of life, the feeding scheme is as follows:

• in spring - nitrogen fertilizers: 20 g of urea per 10 liters of water;
• before flowering - a complete mineral fertilizer with trace elements (you can simply plant it in the soil, and then water the bushes);
• in September, 10 g of potash and 15 g of phosphate fertilizers are applied for each adult plant, embedding them in the soil.

pruning

This is the most difficult job in caring for this shrub. Numerous sharp thorns can severely injure hands, so thick, better leather gloves are needed.

1. Sanitary pruning is done annually in the spring, removing all frozen and dried shoots.
2. For formation, the bushes are pruned only after flowering, as it occurs on last year's shoots.
3. A hedge of tall bushes begins to form in the second year after planting.

In adult specimens, annual pruning of annual and biennial branches is carried out by half or a third. Low-growing border varieties are usually not pruned.

Care in the fall, wintering

Winter is a tough test for newly planted bushes, especially if these are not too frost-resistant Thunberg barberries. Plants have been preparing for it since autumn. Timely autumn feeding and watering after leaf fall will help the barberry to better prepare for the winter. But this is not enough.

All young (and in Thunberg barberry and grown-up) plants need to be covered. Before shelter, they must undergo hardening with slight frosts, therefore, they begin the procedure with a persistent drop in temperature to -5 degrees and freezing of the soil to a depth of 3 cm. For this shrub, not only frosts are terrible, but also dampness, which creates a threat of decay, so shelter be dry air.

Small bushes are easy to cover with spruce branches and dry foliage, taking care of protection from mice. Barberry Thunberg is first wrapped in burlap or kraft paper, and wrapped with covering material on top, securing the shelter so that it does not turn around. At the base of the bush, you need to provide a space for ventilation. It is necessary to remove winter protection in the spring in time to give the bushes complete freedom for the growing season.

Reproduction of barberry

The barberry shrub reproduces both by the vegetative parts of the plant and by seeds.

The division of the bush is possible only in those forms that branch from its base. Usually divide the bushes at the age of 3-5 years. It is especially convenient to divide a plant if it is planted with some depth. Each division should have stems and part of the roots. For the procedure, a pruner is used.

Cuttings in some species of barberry do not take root well, but new plants will look like their parents. This is a good way to get many of the same hedge plants at once.

Reproduction by cuttings

June cuttings, cut in the morning, take root best of all. They are taken from the middle part of the green shoot of the current year. Lignified cuttings take root much worse.

• The cutting should have 4 leaves and one internode. Its length is about 10 cm, and its thickness is about 0.5 cm. The cut at the top is horizontal, at the bottom - at an angle of 45 degrees.
• The lower leaves are removed, the upper ones are shortened by half. The thorns are not removed.
• The lower part of the cutting is treated with a root formation stimulator.
• The cuttings are planted in a greenhouse with an arc height of about 20 cm. The soil is leafy, sprinkled with a layer of sand 4 cm thick, well moistened. Landing pattern: 5x7 cm, tilt angle - 45 degrees. Deepen them by 1 cm.
• Conditions of detention: always moist soil, air humidity about 85%, frequent spraying. The use of an artificial fog installation increases the percentage of survival.

Cuttings overwinter in a greenhouse, plants are planted in a permanent place in 1-2 years.

When propagated by seed, most plants will not repeat their parents, with the exception of the common barberry Atropurpurea. Most of these seedlings will retain varietal characteristics. Seed germination is low - in different species from 20 to 40%.

seed propagation

• The largest berries are freed from the pulp, washed and dried.
• When sown in autumn on a seed bed, the seeds undergo a natural stratification. In winter, they are stratified in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 months, depending on the type of shrub. Sow in the spring in the garden.
• Seedlings are thinned out in phase 2 of true leaves, but do not dive and do not transplant. They are moved to a permanent place only after 2 years.

The main problems in growing

If a suitable place for planting is initially chosen and it is done correctly, there should be no problems in growing. But in a cold rainy summer, the bushes can be affected by fungal diseases.

Pests, diseases and methods of dealing with them

There are not so many of them, but they can bring serious harm to the plant.

• Powdery mildew. It appears as a white coating on all parts of the plant. Severely damaged leaves and stems are removed. The whole plant is treated with colloidal sulfur.
• Rust. Characteristic orange spots appear on the leaves. Control measures - treatment with copper-containing preparations or colloidal sulfur.
• Spotting. Spraying with copper oxychloride.
• Bacteriosis. If the upper part of the plant is damaged, all diseased branches are cut off. If the base of the trunks is affected, the plant is uprooted and burned.
• Barberry aphid. Spraying with soapy water.
• Barberry sawfly and flower moth. Treatment with a solution of chlorophos 2% concentration.



A wide variety of species and varieties of plants allows you to choose the right shrub for decorating a garden in any style. It is often used in landscaping. A bush with brightly colored foliage can become a tapeworm or fit into an existing plant composition. It will decorate a mixborder, and low specimens will be appropriate on an alpine hill. Barberries make an excellent hedge, either naturally or shaped by pruning, which this plant tolerates well.

Barberry, planting and care, the use of this beautiful plant for garden design is the topic of our conversation. In gardens and cottages, this shrub is often used to create a hedge, as it tolerates pruning without any problems. Different varieties of barberry have leaves of different color shades. There are tall and dwarf varieties. With proper selection, it will decorate your site at any time of the year. Delicious with a pleasant sourness, barberry berries are another reason to plant it in your garden. Blooming barberry is fragrant, but it smells unobtrusively, so you can safely plant it under the windows of your house or at the porch.

Common barberry is an ornamental deciduous shrub that was grown in ancient Rome, Greece, the monasteries of Tibet, Ancient Russia. It was valued not so much for its high decorative effect, but for the most valuable healing properties of berries. Gardeners most often plant common barberry or Thunberg barberry. Sometimes, but much less often, you can find Amur, Korean and Canadian barberries in the gardens. In our time, barberry has become an ornamental and "caramel" plant. Why caramel? If we lived in the Amazon jungle, we could become the owners of such wonderful plants as milk, cabbage or chocolate tree. And if fate threw us into the African savannah, we would successfully grow a bottle, breadfruit or melon tree, while admiring the blooming flowers on a tulip tree.

However, having a wonderful and cozy corner of native nature in our country house or garden plot, we can easily afford to grow an equally exotic “caramel tree”. This is how the well-known barberry is often called, reminding us of the carefree childhood times, when we enjoyed fragrant fragrant caramel candies “barberries” with pleasure.

Barberry, photo and description of the shrub

Barberry ((Berberis) belongs to the botanical family Barberry. It can grow both as a tree and as a shrub plant. Under natural conditions, it most often grows in mountainous areas, but today we can say that it is common and grows successfully in all corners world Known deciduous and evergreen species of barberry.

For those who choose a place to plant a barberry, it is important to know that the shrub does not have root growth. And this means that it will not grow in breadth, “capture” new territories.

Barberry is drought tolerant. He tolerates shade and partial shade well, but he still likes the sunny area. He is not afraid of drafts and strong gusts of wind.

In gardening and landscape design, barberry bushes have been used for a long time and quite successfully. This plant is spectacular at any time of the year, and can also bring tangible benefits to you and your garden.

In spring, the aroma of blooming barberry will attract hard-working bees. In summer, bright greenery will delight the eye with its freshness. In autumn, a fantastic combination of bright colors of foliage will enliven a sad garden. And in winter, ruby ​​drops of berries on a snow-white snow blanket will remind you of a hot summer.

Due to its decorative effect, the barberry looks great both in single plantings, and in compositions with other plants, and in hedges.

I must say that there is one little nuisance that awaits gardeners who decide to decorate their plot with barberry - it has thorns. But this same feature can be used as a plus. Barberry is indispensable for hedges. You can be sure that not a single uninvited guest will crawl through the barbed fence.

A single-row hedge usually includes 4 plants per linear meter. Two-row - 5 bushes per 1 linear meter. A free-growing hedge involves planting 2 plants per 1 linear meter.

Bushes lend themselves well to shaping and pruning, and undersized varieties are great for borders and decorate rock gardens. A variety of leaf colors allows you to make interesting color compositions, combining purple with greens, and variegated varieties with bordered ones.

Barberry planting and care in the open field

When to plant barberry

People often ask when it is better to plant barberries, in spring or autumn.

If the summer in your region is hot and dry, then remember the moisture-loving nature of the barberry. Can you provide it with moderate humidity during the summer season? Then plant in the spring. And if for you a permanent stay on the site in the summer is fraught with certain difficulties, reschedule the landing for the autumn.

In autumn, it is advisable to plant barberries during mass leaf fall, when all trees and shrubs, including barberries, go into hibernation.

Despite its unique usefulness and high decorativeness, the barberry is completely unpretentious, and caring for it is not difficult.

Its only “whims” are good lighting and moderate soil moisture.

The composition and fertility of the soil, changes in temperature and humidity do not affect its decorative effect. If you still arrange regular “haircuts” for him, then the grateful barberry will grow, bloom and bear fruit with truly royal generosity.

Propagation of barberry cuttings

There are many ways to breed barberry, there is always the opportunity to choose the most convenient for you. Seeds, cuttings, dividing the bush, root cuttings, self-seeding, grafting - the whole arsenal of tools is at your disposal.

However, the method of propagation of barberry by cuttings is recognized as the most problem-free.

Cuttings can be prepared for propagation during early spring pruning of shrubs. Lignified branches are suitable for cuttings.

After cutting, the lower part of the cuttings is dipped in Kornevin or Heteroauxin powder and placed in a container with wet sand. Such cuttings can be left in the garden, but for more successful rooting, the cups with them are covered with a small greenhouse. Such a greenhouse will keep the cuttings from sudden frosts and maintain the moist environment necessary for rooting.

Reproduction of barberry seeds

Reproduction by seeds makes it possible to obtain a lot of planting material, but this is a rather lengthy process. It is better to sow the seeds in the winter, before the onset of severe frosts. For spring sowing, seeds are stratified for 3-4 months at a temperature not higher than +5°C.

At the site of seedlings, the seedlings are left for 2 years, and then for another 1-2 years they are left for growing in the "shkolka". And only after that they are assigned to a permanent place.

Reproduction of barberry by dividing the bush and layering

The fastest way to propagate is by dividing the bush and layering.

Propagation by dividing the bush is usually suitable for well-grown plants. In this case, neither the mother bush nor the part of the plant that we will separate will suffer.

Reproduction by layering is a relatively hassle-free method of reproduction. To do this, we take a healthy lower branch of barberry and bend it away from the bush so that it can easily lie on the ground. Before that, we make a shallow groove from the base of the bush, into which we will lay a branch for rooting.

On the branch, which we have identified as the most suitable for rooting, we make 2-3 shallow cuts from below with a sharp knife. It is in the place of the incision that the roots will form.

We pour a groove, lay a branch and fill it with earth. To prevent the branch from rising, we pin it to the ground with either metal brackets or wooden sticks, sticking them at an angle. The upper end of the bent branch should be raised vertically above the ground, tying it to the post.

Now the most important thing is not to let the soil dry out at the rooting site. Water the groove periodically so that rooting is more successful.

How to care for barberry

Do not forget that the older the barberry bush, the worse it adapts after transplants.

Landing methods depend on the final goal. With a single placement of a bush, the distance to the nearest plants is left at least 2 m.

Due to its unpretentiousness, barberry can grow on any soil with any level of acidity. However, if possible, it is desirable to provide him with the most comfortable conditions by adding humus and sand to the soil mixture and liming the acidified soil.

One of the elements of care is top dressing, which allows for a long time to maintain the decorativeness of the bushes and abundant fruiting. Top dressing is recommended to start in the second year after planting. The first top dressing is carried out in the spring with nitrogen fertilizers at the rate of 30 g of urea per 10 liters of water. In the future, it is enough to apply complex mineral fertilizers once every 3 years.

Traditional watering, weeding and loosening are carried out every 2 weeks, and immediately after planting new plants, it is necessary to mulch the soil under them.

An important point for maintaining the decorativeness of the bushes is pruning. Hygienic pruning is carried out annually in the spring, all old, dried, weak and poorly developed shoots are removed. Molding of hedges starts from the second year. With it, up to 2/3 of the above-ground part of the plant is initially removed, and in subsequent years in June and August, it is cut to 1/2 of the height of the hedge.

Like all plants, barberry needs protection from pests and diseases. Its main enemies are barberry aphid, flower moth, powdery mildew and various fungal diseases.

As a preventive measure in the spring, it is necessary to treat with a solution of laundry soap prepared from 30 g of soap and 10 liters of water. When caterpillars are found, barberry bushes are treated with chlorophos or decis, according to the instructions.

To protect against fungal diseases, spraying with a solution of Bordeaux liquid or colloidal sulfur is considered effective, spraying is carried out in three stages: after the leaves appear, and then two more times with an interval of 20 days.

Barberry - useful properties

Long before our era, barberry berries were used as an effective remedy for rejuvenation, blood purification, and the treatment of many diseases. Mentions of this are found on clay tablets made by the ancient Assyrians.

Now the enormous value of barberry has been scientifically proven. The set of useful substances contained in it is able to remove toxins, cleanse the body, slow down the aging process, restore damaged cells, cope with inflammatory processes in the body, prevent cardiovascular diseases, and resist atherosclerosis.

And this is just a small list of the healing virtues of the "caramel tree", which can not only give us health, but also bring a piece of beauty, harmony and charm into our lives.

Starts to lose color.

Barberry - ornamental and fruit bush, barberry berries are live candies: they cool, sweeten and sour, in addition, they are used to make jams, preserves, compotes and tinctures. Juice from barberry berries has pronounced antibacterial and antipyretic properties. Barberry leaves are used for marinades, their infusion can be used as an anti-inflammatory agent for diseases of the biliary tract and liver.

Types of barberry: variety and attractiveness

Despite the fact that the barberry shrub is a fairly old and well-known "guest" in our front gardens, now it is experiencing a new surge of interest in itself. Today, a wide variety of varieties of barberry have appeared: creeping forms are used to strengthen and mask slopes, pyramidal species are used to set up coolies, and individual specimens with bright leaves are used for solitary plantings.

Of more than 170 species, we present the most popular:

• common barberry - branched shrub growing up to 3 m in height. Shoots erect, abundantly dotted with thorns, leaves - saturated green colors. Flowers - bright yellow, collected in racemose inflorescences, with a delicate honey aroma. In the first year the branches are yellow or yellowish-purple, which in the second year change color to greyish -white. Fruiting is plentiful, annual, the berries are bright red, suitable for food, although species with yellow and even white fruits are cultivated. The view is perfectly adapted to urban conditions, tolerates numerous haircuts, and is very frost-resistant. Undemanding to the soil, not picky about the lighting regime, although it develops better with good lighting.
• barberry Thunberg - a low (up to 1 m) deciduous shrub that feels great in the polluted atmosphere of a modern metropolis. Drought tolerant, undemanding to the composition of the soil. The leaves are small, oblong, graceful, reach a length of up to 3 cm, bright green, the lower part is gray-gray, in autumn they change color to bright red, yellow, orange and even Violet. Young shoots have an attractive color - purple-red, yellowish or bright red, becoming brown or purple-brown with age.

• The branches are abundantly covered with hard (about 1 cm) thorns, therefore, in landscape design, this species is often used to create impenetrable hedges. And since the bush easily tolerates a haircut, it is easy to maintain their correct shape. In addition, often used in Japanese and stone, on the banks reservoirs, in landscape compositions. Flowering lasts 8-12 days, flowers are solitary, reddish outside, yellow inside. In autumn, spectacular-looking fruits appear - elliptical in shape, coral-red, shiny, but at the same time - absolutely inedible.

• barberry Maria - one of the many varieties of barberry Thunberg, with a dense columnar crown, reaching a width of 50 cm. The shoots are straight, vertical, slightly branched, can reach a height of 90-100 cm. The leaves are golden yellow, along the edges - a carmine-red border, in the autumn they acquire an expressive bright orange-red color

• barberry orange - comes in two varieties. Orange Rocket attracts with a bright two-tone - young leaves and shoots are orange, which “with age” become beet-colored, and with the onset of autumn they change color to red. Orange Dream is a low shrub with a spreading crown. It is especially good in autumn - its leaves turn bright red and do not fall off until frost. The bush "blazes", diluting the dullness of the pre-winter garden

• barberry golden - will become a bright spot of sunshine on your site. This is a small (up to 50 cm in height, crown diameter does not exceed 1 m) bush with a cushion-shaped dense crown, it remains attractive throughout the growing season. The color of the leaves depends on the degree of illumination and is from light green to golden yellow. Very low annual growth

• barberry Atropurpurea – medium-high (1.5-1.8 meters) shrub, retaining spectacular, rich purple red-brown leaves throughout the season. Flowering occurs at the beginning of June and lasts, on average, 12 days. It reproduces well - rooting of summer cuttings is almost 100%, seed germination - 90%

• barberry superba - a fairly large (can reach 4 m in height and diameter) ornamental shrub. Leaves are dark in summer red, with a bluish bloom, in autumn they change color to orange and bright red. Add attractiveness to the shrub and bright red berries ripening in September, densely placed throughout the bush. Flowering occurs in May, the flowers are red-yellow, collected in racemose inflorescences up to 5 cm long.

• barberry rocket - purple-leaved columnar variety, with vertical shoots and short branches. Leaves are red-brown. Looks spectacular in a single landing against the backdrop of bright greenery

• barberry red - red-leaved varieties of barberries, which include Red Chief, Red Pillar, Red Carpet, etc.

Barberry: planting and care

Despite the diversity of barberry species and their differences, they all need the same planting and care conditions. First of all, you should take care of the illumination of the site - in order to get bright foliage of saturated colors, the barberry should receive enough Sveta. In partial shade, the brightness of color and varietal features begin to be lost, all leaves acquire a greenish tint. The exception is the yellow barberry "Aurea", the leaves of which can burn in the sun, so it is preferable to choose partial shade for it.

The soil

The two main requirements are good drainage (barberry does not tolerate stagnant water) and soil of normal acidity. On peaty acidic soils, liming will be required - when planting under a bush, 300-400 g of lime, 200 g of wood ash are added. It does not hurt to add sand - this will improve aeration.

Advice! To obtain a hedge, barberry is planted at the rate of 2 bushes per linear meter. With a single landing between the bushes maintain a distance of at least 2 m.

Care

Barberry needs constant loosening (weeding) of the soil under the bushes - this will improve the structure of the soil and its aeration, and protect it from waterlogging. Under the crown, soil mulching can be carried out - with sawdust, peat, etc.

Advice! Since the barberry is cross-pollinated, several bushes must be planted side by side to obtain berries.

top dressing

Barberry is fertilized in the spring in the second year after planting, applying nitrogen fertilizers - 25-30 g of urea per bucket of water. The next top dressing is carried out only after 3-4 years

Watering

The barberry bush does not need frequent watering, it will have enough moisture obtained from natural precipitation. In case of severe drought, it is recommended to water once a week with warm water, directing the jet strictly under the root.

pruning

A rather troublesome operation, primarily due to the abundance of thorns. In the spring, after wintering, sanitary pruning is carried out - all frozen, broken, damaged, diseased, dry and weak shoots are removed, treating the places of cuts with garden pitch. It is worth remembering that flowering and fruit formation in barberry occurs on 2-year-old branches, which, after fruiting, can be cut off until the very cold. When creating hedges, the bushes are pruned starting from the 2nd year of planting. Barberry of low-growing varieties practically does not need pruning, with the exception of diseased and dried branches.