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Barberry Harlequin is an unpretentious, ornamental shrub from the barberry family. This type is very popular with gardeners for its beautiful appearance and useful qualities. The variegated, graceful shrub has found wide application in landscape design. Due to the variegated foliage, it is used to frame flower beds and mixborders.
Description of barberry Harlequin
Barberry Harlequin was found on the mountain slopes of Japan in 1864, but it gained European popularity relatively recently. Acquaintance with the Harlequin Thunberg barberry must begin with a description:
- the variety is medium-sized and slow-growing. The height of an adult plant reaches 2 m, and the annual growth is 10 cm in height and width;
- the crown is wide, spreading;
- purple leaf plate, with white dots, in the sun changes color to snow-white. With the arrival of autumn, it becomes golden amber or red;
- in early May, small golden inflorescences appear on the bush;
- profuse flowering, lasts about 1 month;
- after flowering, bright red fruits are formed that stay on the branches all winter;
- dark brown shoots have sharp thorns that make it difficult to care for;
- fruiting occurs 3 years after planting.
Barberry Harlequin in landscape design
Barberry Harlequin is used in single and group plantings, to create tree and shrub compositions, mixborders, as well as to create borders and green hedges. The variegated shrub goes well with conifers and other varieties of barberry.
Barberry Harlequin has found wide application for landscaping city parks and squares, intra-quarter, school and city yards.
Planting and caring for barberry Harlequin
Before planting, you must consider the preferences of the plant. Barberry Harlequin prefers:
- acidic and slightly alkaline soil;
- clarified and ventilated place;
- regular watering;
- timely feeding;
- pruning.
Seedling and planting plot preparation
Harlequin barberry seedling is best purchased with a closed root system. When buying, you should pay attention to the shoots. They must be free of foliage and have a healthy appearance without mechanical damage.
The root system of barberry should not come out of the drainage holes, if this happens, then the plant is old and the probability of survival is significantly reduced.
When buying a seedling with an open root system, first of all, the roots are examined. They should not have a dark appearance, be dry and rotten. Before planting, the root system is cut off the seedling and soaked in warm water for about 1-2 hours.
It is better to prepare the seat a month before planting. To do this, the earth is dug onto a shovel bayonet, organic and mineral fertilizers are added, spilled and covered with polyethylene. Before planting, the earth is dug up again.
Planting barberry Thunberg Harlequin
For good growth and development, the seedling must be properly planted. For this:
- Planting a Harlequin barberry seedling is carried out in the autumn, a month before the onset of frost.
- Dig a hole 60x60 cm.
- If no preliminary preparation of the hole has been carried out, the extracted soil is mixed with compost, humus or rotted manure.
- Broken brick, expanded clay or pebbles are laid out on the bottom, with a layer of 15 cm.
- Prepared, fertile soil is laid out on top.
- The seedling is placed in the center of the planting pit and carefully covered with earth, tamping each layer, trying not to leave airspace.
- After planting, the earth is again tamped, spilled abundantly and mulched.
- So that the plant does not deform during growth, it is tied to a peg.
Watering and feeding
Barberry Harlequin is a drought-resistant crop, so watering is carried out only in dry summers. To do this, at least 1 bucket of warm water is poured under the root, 2 times a month. After watering, the soil is loosened and mulched. Suitable mulch: dry straw, foliage and sawdust. Mulch will retain moisture, save you from sunburn, and over time will become an additional top dressing.
For good growth and development, the Harlequin barberry needs fertilizers. To do this, you can use humus, compost, complex mineral fertilizers. Top dressing is applied 3 times per season:
- during the growing season;
- at the time of flowering;
- during the formation of fruits.
If the seedling is purchased with a closed root system, the first top dressing is applied 2 years after planting.
Pruning
In order for the plant to have a decorative appearance and hurt a little, it needs timely pruning. For barberry Harlequin, 3 types of pruning are needed:
- forming - carried out in the fall, to give the bush the desired shape;
- sanitary - unwintered and dry shoots are removed in the spring;
- anti-aging - remove all old shoots every 7 years.
Preparing for winter
Barberry Harlequin is a cold-resistant culture that can withstand temperatures as low as -30 degrees. But in the first 2 years, young seedlings can suffer from severe frosts, so in order not to lose the variety, they must be covered.
In order to protect the root collar, the trunk circle is mulched with straw, foliage or spruce needles. To cover the above-ground part, shoots are collected in a bunch, wrapped in spunbond and fixed with a rope or metal bracket.
After the end of the spring frost, the shelter is removed. If you are late with time, the Harlequin barberry will sopreet and die.
Reproduction
Barberry Harlequin reproduces in several ways:
- seeds;
- cuttings;
- dividing the bush;
- root shoots.
With seed reproduction, the probability of germination is very low, so this method is not suitable for beginner gardeners.
Cutting is the simplest and most labor-intensive breeding method. To propagate the Harlequin barberry by cuttings, you must:
- In June, cut cuttings 10-15 cm long from the side shoots.
- The lower leaves are removed, the upper ones are shortened by ½ the length.
- The planting material is soaked for 2 hours in the preparation "Kornevin" or "Epin".
- The cuttings are planted in a sand-peat mixture and covered with a glass cover to create a favorable microclimate.
- Once a day, the shelter is removed for ventilation and watering.
- After rooting, new leaves will begin to appear on the cutting, and it will start to grow.
- When the plant grows root system and gets stronger, it is transplanted into a container with nutritious soil.
- In a year, the young barberry will be ready for transplantation to a permanent place.
Diseases and pests
Barberry Harlequin has strong immunity to many diseases and pests. But if the rules of care are not followed, the plant may appear:
- aphid;
- powdery mildew;
- sawfly;
- bacterial cancer.
You can determine the diseases of the barberry Harlequin from the photo.
Aphid - small insect, appears on shoots and leaves. With untimely help, pests suck out the juice, which leads to the drying out of young shoots. Treatment consists in treating the bush with pepper or soapy water. In case of mass infection, the plant is treated with insecticides.
Powdery mildew - the disease can be identified by a white bloom on the leaves. Powdery mildew often appears at high humidity and air temperature.It is difficult to completely get rid of the disease, therefore, at the first sign, the plant is sprayed with fungicides.
Bacterial cancer - a dangerous disease that cannot be cured. The first signs of the disease:
- wilting and curling of the leaf;
- red ulcers appear on young petioles;
- necrotic spot on leaves and shoots;
- darkened conducting beams are visible on the branch cut.
If a disease is detected, all affected shoots are removed, and the intact ones are treated with Bordeaux liquid.
Barberry sawfly - the insect is a caterpillar that quickly devours the entire plant. To get rid of pests, the bush is treated with DNOC.
Conclusion
The Harlequin variegated barberry is ideal for decorating your backyard. In order for the shrub to grow well, develop and have a well-groomed appearance, it is necessary to follow the rules of care and timely take preventive measures against diseases and insect pests.
