Content
It is difficult to find a person who is indifferent to the blooming bird cherry. Shrubs or a tree look decorative at any time of the year. But the plant is especially beautiful at the time of flowering. That is why bird cherry can be seen in the gardens of many Russians. How to plant bird cherry correctly will be discussed further.
Where can you plant bird cherry
In order for the bird cherry planted on the site to please the eye, you need to choose the optimal place for it. This plant is grown as a tree or shrub. But in any case, a wide and spreading crown is obtained.
The bird cherry itself is a good shading plant. But for planting it, you need to choose open areas well-lit by the sun. In the shade, the shoots of the plant are strongly stretched, so flower buds will form only on the tops, from which the decorative qualities of the bird cherry are lost.
The plant prefers slightly acidic or neutral soils. They can be sandy, clayey. A very good indicator when choosing a landing site is the close occurrence of groundwater. After all, bird cherry develops better on wet soils.
When planting, one should take into account the strong growth of the plant, therefore it is undesirable to plant bushes in the immediate vicinity of other cultivated trees and shrubs.
Is it possible to plant bird cherry on the site
You can plant any trees and shrubs on the site, including bird cherry. When planting bird cherry seedlings, some gardeners make gross mistakes, which are then not so easy to correct. In no case should plants be placed next to currants and gooseberries.
The fact is that bird cherry growing in the garden is damaged by many pests and diseases that migrate to other cultivated plants in the garden. Aphids are very annoying to this plant. These pests literally stick around young shoots and tassels with flowers.
Is it possible to plant bird cherry near the house
It is not recommended to plant bird cherry in the immediate vicinity of the house:
- The strong scent of the flowering plant is an allergen.
- Tall bushes or trees block out the light, keeping it out of the living space.
- If the bird cherry is planted close to the house, then the wall will be constantly damp, which can provoke the development of the fungus.
- The bird cherry root system is powerful, it grows in depth and width. If the plant is located in the immediate vicinity of the house, it can damage the foundation.
What plants are planted next to bird cherry
Near the bird cherry, according to gardeners, almost all garden plants can be planted. Avoiding damage is difficult, as many diseases and pests are airborne and carried by the wind. Therefore, a plant with fragrant flowers can be planted in the garden, you only need to process the planting simultaneously with other crops from diseases and pests.
When can you plant bird cherry: in spring or autumn
Planting bird cherry seedlings can be done in spring or autumn.But experienced gardeners recommend giving preference to autumn breeding. It is at this time that the soil is saturated with a sufficient amount of moisture and nutrients.
How to plant bird cherry on the site
It is not difficult to plant bird cherry seedlings on the site. It is only necessary to take into account that strongly growing bushes and trees are located at a distance of at least 5 m. A hole is dug of such a size that the root system is freely located in it.
Before planting, the bird cherry seedlings are carefully examined. Any damaged roots are cut, long ones are shortened. If the seedling has many shoots, the largest and most developed ones are left, but no more than 2 pieces. They are shortened to 50-60 cm.
Peat, dry leaves, humus and mineral fertilizers are poured at the bottom of the pit. The composition is thoroughly mixed.
A 12 cm layer of earth is poured on top, a mound is made and a plant is planted on it. The roots are straightened, sprinkled with earth.
The soil is well compacted, abundant watering is carried out. To retain moisture, the pit must be mulched with peat or sawdust.
Proper care rules
Bird cherry is an unpretentious plant, so planting and care does not create any problems. All events are traditional:
- watering, feeding and loosening;
- crown formation;
- protection against diseases and pests.
How to water
Bird cherry plantings do not need regular watering, which is very convenient for gardeners. In a normal summer, 20-30 liters of water are poured under each plant. If the summer is dry, then the amount of liquid is increased, but the frequency does not change. In addition, sprinkling is recommended. This procedure saves the green mass and brushes with berries from drying out.
How to feed bird cherry
Caring for bird cherry is easy. The plant, like any garden crop, needs feeding. Although the procedure is optional, experienced gardeners from time to time nourish plantings to prevent disease and prolong life.
You can feed bird cherry bushes or trees with the help of mineral or organic fertilizers. They are brought in in spring or autumn. In the spring, it is better to feed the plants with nitrate or urea. In autumn, pour over the bird cherry with superphosphate or potassium salt.
From organic matter, humus or peat is used as mulch, as well as wood ash, rich in trace elements.
Plants are fed with mineral fertilizers only at the root, it is necessary to exclude the ingress of drugs on the green mass. Recommendations for the use of the fertilizing agent are indicated on the packaging. You need to carefully read the instructions and strictly follow them when diluting solutions.
How to cut bird cherry
Bird cherry is grown not only for fragrant flowers and healthy berries. The main purpose is decorativeness. For plants to become a real decoration of the garden, it is necessary to cut off the branches in a timely manner. In addition, a timely procedure helps save trees or bushes from diseases and pests.
Sanitary pruning is done in the spring and fall. First of all, damaged shoots and branches are removed, then those on which pests have accumulated.
Throughout the season, the growing shoots are necessarily cut out, as they draw nutrients and moisture from the soil. In addition, aphids often settle on young shoots.
To give decorativeness, formative pruning is carried out. The fact is that bird cherry is grown in the form of a tree or shrub. Therefore, you need to cut plants in different ways from the moment of planting.
How to form a shrub:
- On the first tier, the shoots are shortened at a height of 0.7-0.8 m from the ground surface.
- When new shoots appear next year, the most developed ones are left, they are cut in exactly the same way.
- As a result, by the age of 3, a bush appears with symmetrically arranged shoots in several tiers.
Tree formation rules:
- One most developed trunk is left, all shoots and branches located below are cut out.
- All places of cuts, regardless of whether they form a bird cherry tree in spring or autumn, are processed using a garden varnish.
How to get rid of bird cherry on the site
Planting bird cherry on the site is easy. But in the future, a lot of troubles arise, since the plant annually gives a large number of shoots extending from the root. In addition, young growth around the plant emerges from fallen berries.
If you do not take appropriate measures, young bushes will fill the entire area. There are a number of measures through which you can get rid of unnecessary plantings.
Physical method
If you can wait with the removal of the bird cherry, then you can use the following method:
- In early summer, cut the trunks of the bird cherry at a height of 130 cm from the root.
- Remove all shoots on the trunks, the same should be done when new branches appear.
- After 3 years, a dry stump will remain from the bird cherry, which is easy to uproot.
Chemical method
If you need to remove bird cherry plantings quickly, then this method is what you need. They take chemicals, for example, "Hurricane" or "Tornado". A concentrated solution is prepared from them and the plants are sprayed over the leaves, at the same time the root zone with young shoots.
The destruction begins immediately after the poison penetrates the leaves, and then spreads to all cells. As a result, the bird cherry dries up by winter, it remains only to remove it from the site.
Diseases and pests of bird cherry
According to some gardeners, bird cherry, like a magnet, attracts various diseases and pests. In fact, the plant's susceptibility is almost the same as that of other horticultural crops. Preventive measures and means of dealing with harmful insects will help to avoid problems.
Diseases are distinguished:
- leaf spot;
- powdery mildew;
- cytosporosis;
- rot of wood;
- pockets of flowers and fruits.
Plants suffer from such pests:
- bird cherry aphids and bedbugs;
- gypsy moth;
- hawthorn and ermine bird cherry moth;
- weevil beetle.
To treat plants from pests, a solution of "Karbofos" is used. For 10 liters of water, 60 g of the product is enough. As a preventive measure, plantings are sprayed twice a season. Consumption per plant - 2 liters. Treatments can be repeated in the event of a pest infestation.
Diseases of bird cherry, signs and methods of treatment.
Disease | Signs | How to process |
Cytoplasmosis | The disease manifests itself on the trunk and branches. These parts of the bird cherry gradually dry out. You can recognize the disease by small white tubercles. These are pycnidia fungi. In the rainy season, red threads appear from them. | As soon as the disease begins to manifest itself, it is necessary to cut off all damaged parts and burn. For prevention, early in the spring, while the leaves have not yet blossomed, bird cherry should be treated with copper oxychloride or 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid. In March, the trunks of bird cherry need to be washed with a solution of ferrous sulfate, then whitewashed with lime |
Wood rot | The cause of the disease is tinder fungi. Spores penetrate through wounds and cracks in the bark | It is possible to save bushes or trees only at the initial stage of the disease. Treatment begins with cleaning the affected areas and covering them with clay combined with fungicides
|
Flower and fruit pockets | The fungus affects the bird cherry. Because of this, deformation of flowers and fruits occurs. Berries do not form seeds, they show a bloom, which is a mushroom bag | Treatment is reduced to the removal of the affected parts of the plant.As a preventive measure, plantings before flowering should be treated with a 3% solution of ferrous sulfate or 1% Bordeaux liquid |
Powdery mildew | A white coating in the form of a cobweb appears on the bird cherry. Then dark spots appear on the trunks and leaves - fruiting bodies | Plantings are treated in spring and autumn with special preparations |
Rubella or polystygmosis (red leaf spot) | Due to the development of the fungus, the leaves are covered with red spots.
| You can destroy the disease with a 3% solution of "Nitrofen" or copper sulfate until the leaves have blossomed, then before flowering. The third time spraying with fungicidal preparations is planned 2 weeks after the end of flowering |
Cercosporosis | The causative agent of the disease is located on both sides of the leaf blade. On the upper side, the necrosis is whitish, below it is greenish-brown. During the development of the disease, the affected areas merge, as a result of which the leaf tissue falls out | To combat the disease, use the "Topaz" remedy, which is used according to the recommendations. |
Conclusion
You need to know how to properly plant bird cherry in order to grow a plant with fragrant flowers and healthy berries. It does not present any difficulties in cultivation and care. But one should never forget about the prevention of diseases and pests, so that a tree or shrub does not lose its decorative effect.
