It is not difficult to care for red sea buckthorn, it is enough to follow a few basic rules and know the features of the bush. About the Shepherdia species, the benefits of fruits, the characteristic features of growing and care, as well as the reproduction of red sea buckthorn and a lot of other useful information - below.
Plant features
Red sea buckthorn, buffalo berry, bison, rabbit - these are all the names of Shepherdia. In Russia, you rarely find it in garden plots, although it is a non-capricious plant that perfectly tolerates our difficult climate. It grows naturally in Canada and the USA.
There are only 3 types of this culture:
- Shepherdia is silvery. It is she who is grown for the sake of berries. It is a deciduous shrub - wilted leaves can remain hanging on branches, 4.5 ms high with thorny shoots. The leaves are small - 4-5 cm long, green and elliptical in shape. On both sides they are covered with fluff; in the sun they acquire a silvery tint.
The fruits ripen in August, sticking to the branches, like sea buckthorn. They are harvested after the first frost, which favorably affects their taste - they become less tart, more tender and sweet. - Shepherdia is Canadian. This is an ornamental plant. The main difference is the absence of thorns on the shoots. Leaves without pubescence - glossy, shiny olive color. Her berries are small, yellow-orange, unsuitable for food. The height of the shrub rarely exceeds 2.5 m.
- Shepherdia is round-leaved. It is endemic, that is, the shrub grows in a limited area, in this case it is found only in the state of Colorado. This is a plant with a low index of frost resistance. It is not suitable for most Russian regions. Its branches are covered with numerous growths. Berries are not eaten.
red sea buckthorn "Shepherdia silver"
sea buckthorn "Canadian Shepherdia"
sea buckthorn "Shepherdia round-leaved"
Description of fruits and shrubs
For growing in gardens in the Russian open spaces, only Shepherdia silver is suitable. It bears fruit every year - up to 15 kg of berries are harvested from one bush. Landscape designers love to use it in their compositions.
Due to the strongly curved, intertwined with each other, especially near the ground, shoots, forming impassable thickets, and sharp numerous thorns - the culture is ideal for the formation of a hedge.
Flowering begins as soon as the air warms up to 7-9 ° C heat. First, yellow, creamy tiny flowers, collected in a brush, bloom, then the shrub is covered with leaves. Flowers last up to 1.5 weeks and attract a large number of insects to the site.
By the end of summer, berries are formed. They are spherical, red-orange or scarlet, small in size - 5-6 mm in diameter. Characteristic white spots are sprinkled over the entire surface of the berries. Collecting them is recommended after the first frost.
The chemical composition, properties and use of berries
The berries of red sea buckthorn contain:
- vitamin C - the concentration of ascorbic acid in fruits is higher than in lemon or black currant;
- vitamins A, P;
- pectin;
- carotene;
- tannins that give the berries astringency;
- anthocyanins - pigment substances;
- flavonoids;
- organic acids.
Such a diverse composition of substances endows the berry with useful properties:
- it strengthens and improves immunity;
- improves vision;
- is a prophylactic agent against atherosclerosis, colds and viral diseases;
- improves the work of the cardiovascular, digestive and nervous systems;
- has a diuretic and choleretic effect.
Berries should not be consumed by people with individual intolerance, women in position and during breastfeeding, as well as those who have a history of stomach or duodenal ulcers.
Fresh berries are rarely consumed because of the tart taste. They are used to prepare delicious sauces for meat dishes, jams, jellies and compotes.
Advantages and disadvantages of Shepherdia
If you have not yet decided whether or not to plant this crop on your site, then the advantages and disadvantages will help you decide.
The pluses of Shepherdia include:
Culture has its disadvantages:
- dioecious plant;
- thorny branches.
The subtleties of growing
There are several nuances to keep in mind when cultivating Shepherdia.
Mandatory presence of male and female trees
As mentioned above, this is a dioecious plant, that is, on one shrub there are only female flowers, on the other - male ones. To get a harvest, both a female and a male plant must be planted. The optimal amount on the site is considered to be 4 female plants and one male. They are distinguished by the shape of the buds and the structure of the flower.
The female plant has a pointed tip of the bud, the latter are tightly pressed against the shoot. In the male, the kidneys are larger and more rounded. They lack a pistil in flowers, but you can see 6 long stamens. Pollination occurs with the help of insects.
We recommend reading the article on how to plant and grow sea buckthorn.
Timing of fruiting and frost resistance
Depending on the method of reproduction, the shrub begins to yield crops at different times:
- After planting the seeds, the first berries can be tasted in 5-6 years, sometimes the terms can last up to 10 years.
- When planting a root sucker or cutting, the crop is obtained already for 3-4 years.
The plant easily tolerates severe frosts and can withstand temperatures as low as -45 ° C. It can be grown, including in regions with risky farming - in the Urals or Siberia.
How to care for sea buckthorn in the autumn, you can read here.
Soil requirement
Shepherdia is undemanding to soil. In nature, it grows on rocky, sandy or saline soils. This is due to the fact that the roots of the plant themselves extract nitrogen from the environment with the help of nodules.
However, she will be "grateful" if she is planted in fertile soil with good air permeability. The only condition is the occurrence of groundwater by more than 1 m.
Breeding Shepherdia
There are 3 ways to breed red sea buckthorn.
Seminal
Crop seeds can be harvested by yourself. The largest berries are selected and left in the sun. Once the pulp is dry, the seeds are cleaned. They are planted immediately in the fall in open ground. During storage, the germination of the seed decreases.
The disadvantage of this method is that it is impossible to immediately determine what gender the plant will be. The optimal time for planting seeds is early November. They are buried 2-3 cm into the ground and mulched with humus. The thickness of the mulch is 8-10 cm.
When a snow cover forms, a snowdrift is thrown onto the garden bed. The first shoots appear by mid-April. They are fed with nitrogen fertilizers 2-3 times to speed up the growth of green mass. By autumn, the shrub grows up to 12-15 cm and is transplanted to a permanent place.
By cuttings
This method is more popular than the previous one. Cuttings are harvested in late June and early July. For this, the apical or middle part of a non-lignified annual shoot is suitable. Cut them off at an angle of 45 °.
For a day, the cuttings are left with the lower cut in a solution of a root formation stimulator - "Kornevin", "Heteroauxin". Then they are planted in small cups filled with sterilized and moistened soil, at an angle of 60 °.
The cuttings are deepened 3-4 cm, removing the lower leaves. Be sure to make sure that the soil does not dry out. It should always be moist. The cups are covered with polyethylene and placed in a bright place without direct sunlight. Rooting occurs at a temperature of 23-25 ° C for 20-25 days.
Root offspring
This is the easiest breeding method. The bush gives a lot of growth that needs to be removed. It is formed at a distance of 1.5-2 cm from the mother plant. It is better to use 2-year-old layers for reproduction.
Dig up the soil and carefully separate the offspring. All sections are sprinkled with crushed activated carbon or wood ash for disinfection. Then they plant it in a permanent place and water it well.
If it's hot outside, then cover the plant with white covering material. In cold weather, a cut-off plastic bottle. Shelters are removed when new leaves appear on the cut.
Formation and thinning of the crown
The culture grows quickly and branches well. It is better to limit the height of the plant - this will facilitate harvesting and caring for the shrub. It is enough to leave 2-2.5 m in height, shortening the side shoots to the first branches. This operation is performed once every 3-5 years.
With age, the growth of the bush slows down. Shepherdia, 7-8, needs rejuvenating pruning. All shoots of this age are cut, the rest are shortened for the growth of the last 2-3 years. This radical pruning stimulates the plant to branch out and form larger berries.
Sanitary pruning is carried out annually in spring and autumn - cutting out broken, dried or thickening shoots.
Picking berries
The fastest way to pick ripe berries is as follows - a piece of cloth is laid out under the tree, and the branches are shaken vigorously. If the berries are harvested before frost, then each one is torn off by hand, without pressing hard on it. Be sure to pluck them with a small stalk. This increases the storage time of the crop.
Where to buy seedlings?
Seeds or seedlings of Shepherdia silvery can be purchased in nurseries, specialized or proven online stores. However, the plant seeds have a short shelf life - only 2 years, so it is still preferable to order or buy seedlings.
Shepherdia is a beautiful shrub with healthy berries that will become a real garden decoration. Caring for the plant requires special, and the information provided in the article will help you understand the peculiarities of growing red sea buckthorn.