Common hawthorn (prickly) - Crataegus oxyacantha L. - deciduous shrub or small tree with a dense rounded crown. Large branches and trunk are covered with brownish-gray bark, and young shoots are purple-red, with numerous spines, for which the people call hawthorn a thorn. The leaves are ovate, with a wedge-shaped base, divided into 3-5 lobes, even along the edge and only slightly serrated near the apex, dark green above, glossy, and much lighter below, with a waxy coating. The common hawthorn has leaves with a blunt top. In autumn they fall green - this is his characteristic feature. Hawthorn blooms in spring, after the leaves bloom.
hawthorn flowers
Hawthorn flowers are quite large, up to 1.5 cm in diameter, white or pinkish, collected in corymbose rather rare or umbrella-shaped inflorescences. There are varieties of hawthorn with double, white or dark pink flowers.Hawthorn root system
The root system of hawthorn is deep and wide, has a high shoot-forming ability, is sensitive to compaction, is undemanding to soils, and responds positively to the presence of lime in the soil. However, plants are sensitive to soil salinity. Common hawthorn is quite winter-hardy and drought-resistant, grows on any soil and even drained peatlands, is resistant to adverse city conditions, and tolerates shading. Handles shearing and shaping very well. Hawthorn is a good honey plant.hawthorn fruit
The fruits of the common hawthorn are ellipsoid, sometimes almost spherical, up to 12 mm long, red or brownish-red, with 2-3 seeds, edible, kept on the plant for about two months. Ripe hawthorn fruits are collected in baskets, dried in warm rooms or in dryers at a temperature of 40-50 °, on grates. Dried raw materials are false fruits of round or oval-spherical shape, hard, wrinkled, dark red or brownish-orange in color from 6 to 10 mm in diameter. The shelf life of raw materials is up to 8 years. The taste of the fruit is sweetish.hawthorn seeds
To obtain seeds, the fruits are harvested in the fall, taking into account the ripening dates, crushed, poured with water and rubbed. Benign seeds remain at the bottom, they are washed, dried and stratified. During stratification, hawthorn seeds are mixed with sand or peat in a ratio of 1: 3, all this is poured into small boxes in an even layer, moistened and placed in the basement. Stratification period for variables low temperatures air - 4-8 months, at a constant low temperature - 21-28 months.Hawthorn propagation
Common hawthorn is propagated by root offspring and layering, grafting, sowing seeds. For garden forms, they are most often propagated by grafting, and root suckers are rarely used. The seed method of reproduction is the best, since the offspring at the same time adapts better to new growing conditions. It is better to sow seeds in autumn or spring.Planting a hawthorn
Hawthorn is best planted in sunlit areas, the plants will tolerate some shading, but will not bloom as profusely in the shade.Plants are planted in holes 20x30 cm in size, seasoned with mineral fertilizers - 100 g of nitroammophoska each. The holes are arranged in two or three lines. The distance between seedlings should be 40-45 cm, between lines - 0.5 m.
A properly formed, fast-growing, durable (hawthorn lives over 300 years) hedge will perfectly replace picket fences, mesh, concrete.
Hawthorn - care
Hawthorn should be watered once a month (10 liters per plant); during the dry season, the plants are watered twice a month. With sufficient rainfall, hawthorn does not need to be watered.In spring or autumn, the plants are loosened and weeds are removed. The trunk zone is mulched with earth or peat (3 cm layer). Feed the hawthorn before flowering. In the spring, dry and diseased branches are removed from the hawthorn. Young plantings of hawthorn can be covered for the winter with a dry leaf. Common hawthorn can freeze in very cold winters.
pruning hawthorn
Pruning hawthorn should be given special attention, as it forms a too dense crown. Pruning is carried out in spring or winter to regulate the light regime of the crown. Hawthorn forms shoots haphazardly, so pruning should contribute to a greater formation of fruit shoots and regulate the ratio of parts of the crown. Most often form a 3-4-stem bush.The use of hawthorn
Hawthorn is a highly decorative plant, its species and varieties are often found in modern suburban areas. Since hawthorns cut well, they are often used to create hedges and topiary sculptures.For laying hedges, seedlings obtained in the following way are used. Seeds (20 g/rm) are sown in special beds to a depth of 2-3 cm (the root collar should be at the level of the soil). The distance between the beds should be 15-20 cm. As a result, in the first year you can get 22-24, in the second - 18-20 well-developed seedlings, ready for transplanting.
When forming a hedge in spring and mid-summer, uniform pruning is regularly carried out for a uniform increase in green mass and the awakening of dormant buds. The hawthorn hedge looks very impressive thanks to the decorative leaves, fruits and thorns of the plant; it is usually very dense, almost impassable.
A free-growing hawthorn hedge will fit well in English landscape gardens. Hawthorns can also be used in solitary, group and mixed plantings. Care should be taken when planting hawthorns if there are small children in the country, as hawthorn thorns can harm them.
Due to its unpretentiousness, hawthorn is located on inconveniences, slopes, poor and acidic soils.
Medicinal properties of hawthorn
Fruits and flowers are used as medicines. From the fruits prepare tincture, liquid extract, decoctions. An infusion and tincture are prepared from the flowers. The liquid extract is part of the complex preparation "Cardiovalen".Hawthorn is used for palpitations, insomnia, high blood pressure (BP). As a result of the use of hawthorn in patients, the general condition improves, blood pressure moderately decreases, headaches, tinnitus, dizziness decrease or disappear, cholesterol levels in the blood decrease and the amount of lecithin increases, the lecithin-cholesterol coefficient normalizes, there is a tendency to normalize the electrolyte composition of the blood, as well as indicators of blood clotting. In coronary heart disease, according to ECG data, the functional state of the myocardium and coronary circulation improves. As a cardiotonic and blood circulation regulating agent, hawthorn preparations are recommended for the initial symptoms of circulatory failure in elderly people, for menopausal diseases, thyrotoxicosis, atherosclerosis and heart neurosis, for the prevention and treatment of rhythm disturbances (sinus tachycardia, paroxysmal rhythm disorders, extrasystole, atrial fibrillation). arrhythmias), cardiovascular insufficiency in pneumonia, influenza and other infectious diseases. Hawthorn preparations are also prescribed after a course of treatment with cardiac glycosides for patients with heart defects and circulatory failure, with overdoses and intoxications with cardiac glycosides, with extrasystole that has arisen against the background of the use of cardiac glycosides.
hawthorn extract
The use of hawthorn extract in hypogalactia increases lactation and eliminates dyspeptic symptoms in infants.hawthorn tincture
Tincture of hawthorn (Tinctura Crataegi): tincture of hawthorn fruit, crushed, in 70% alcohol 1:10. Transparent liquid of yellowish-reddish color and sweetish taste. Produced in bottles of 25 ml. Take 20 drops 3 times a day. Liquid extract of hawthorn (Extractum Crataegi fluidum) is prepared by the 1:1 percolation method. Transparent liquid of darkish-brown color, pleasant smell, somewhat sweetish taste. Assign 30 drops 3 times a day for 25-30 days. Store in well-corked dark glass bottles.Flowers (in a package of 100 g), from which an infusion is prepared at home: 5 g (1 tablespoon) of flowers are poured into 200 ml of hot boiled water, heated in a water bath for 10 minutes, filtered. Take 1 tablespoon 2-3 times a day before meals. Hawthorn fruits in a package of 50 g. To prepare a decoction, 1 teaspoon of fruits is poured over a glass cold water, over low heat, slowly bring to a boil, then filter it while warm through gauze and take 2-3 times a day, 1 tablespoon before meals. With insomnia, heart neurosis, a mixture of hawthorn and valerian preparations works well.
Diseases and pests of hawthorn
Hawthorns can be affected by rust, powdery mildew, spotting, rot. Of the pests, fruit sawflies, weevils, mites, mealybugs, scale insects and false scale insects are dangerous (pests that also affect apple trees, cherries, maples).Hawthorn varieties
Currently, a sufficient number of varieties have been obtained for every taste.ZBIGNIEW
Anomalous hawthorn - Crataegus ?anomala. A tree about 4 m high. Shoots are articulated, with numerous spines 5-6 cm long. The fruits are spherical, bright red, sour-sweet, great taste, weighing 3-5 g, ripen from mid-August.
ZLAT
Hawthorn Poyarkova - Crataegus pojarkovae. Tree 3 m high, with non-thorny branches. The fruits are spherical to cone-shaped, ribbed, golden yellow, sweet and sour, excellent taste, weighing 3 (5.5) g, ripen from mid-September.
RED GRAD
Blood red hawthorn - Crataegus sanguinea. A tree over 5 m high. Shoots are articulated, with numerous spines 5-6 cm long. The fruits are spherical or oval, red, sweet and sour, good taste, weighing 3-4.5 g, ripen from mid-August.
LYUDMIL
Spot hawthorn - Crataegus punctata. A tree about 5 m high, with non-thorny branches. The fruits are more or less spherical or slightly cone-shaped, orange-red, sweet and sour with slight bitterness, satisfactory taste, weighing 4.5 (10) g, ripen from mid-September.
MARK
Oriental hawthorn - Crataegus orientalis. A tree 3 g high, with branches that are covered with leafy thorns. The fruits are flattened-spherical, ribbed, orange-red, sweet-sour, excellent taste, weighing 3-3.5 g, ripen from mid-September.
MAO MAO
Pinnate hawthorn - Crataegus pinnatifida var. major A tree about 4 m high, with non-thorny branches. The fruits are spherical, bright red, with large white warts, sour, weighing 10 g, ripen in early October
SHAMIL
Pennsylvanian hawthorn - Crataegus pennsylvanica. Tree 5 m high. Shoots slightly articulated, with a few spines 3-4 cm long. The fruits are spherical, red, sweet and sour, excellent taste, weighing 4 g, ripen from mid-September.
Hawthorn is a large shrub, in the European part it is found in the forest and steppe zones. On the Central Russian Upland, it is part of the undergrowth of sparse broad-leaved forests. It grows singly or in groups in lighted places with varying degrees of moisture, on well-drained soils.
In Russia, 25 species of this culture are common, which belongs to the genus Crategus, the Rosaceae family.
- Hawthorn is a deciduous tree 5-7 m high (some North American species reach a height of 12-15 m), it is also found growing in a bush 1.5-4 m high. The bark of the trunk is brown or gray, fissured. The crown is spherical or ovoid, often asymmetrical. The branches are straight or zigzag.
- Most species have spines ranging in size from 1-2 to 6-12 cm, these are modified shoots that develop from axillary buds at the bottom of the shoots along with leaves. They are very hard, for which the hawthorn is often called the "devil's needle."
- The leaves of the hawthorn are alternate, simple, whole or dissected, serrated, rarely entire, with stipules, bright or dark green, lighter below, sometimes shiny, leathery. In autumn, the leaves are brightly colored.
- Flowers 1-2 cm in diameter are collected in complex corymbose or umbellate inflorescences, rarely solitary.
- The fruit is a drupe apple, with a diameter of 0.8-1 to 2.5 cm with 1-5 seeds, has a variety of shapes - spherical, oval, pear-shaped and color - red, orange, yellow, cherry, black. The taste of fruits in some species is juicy and sweet, in others - sweet and sour with dryish pulp. Stones in fruits are yellowish or brown-brown, trihedral, with one or two seeds.
The most common hawthorn in Russia is blood-red. It can be found in the forests of the Moscow, Yaroslavl and Vladimir regions. Its appearance here is closely connected with human activity. It got its name for the bright color of the fruits, thorns and shoots.
- As an ornamental plant, it has value in landscaping due to its dense crown, large inflorescences, bright fruits, and autumn foliage color.
- Hawthorn has a widely branched, deep root system; some of its species can be used as slope fixers in forest reclamation.
- Its flowers attract bees, so it creates windbreaks around the apiary, hedges in the garden, they are well formed, impenetrable and durable. It is also good for creating roadside alley plantings, and its single plants decorate the garden plot and bring useful fruits.
Flowers and fruits of hawthorn are used as medicine.
- Tinctures and decoctions are prepared from the flowers, and liquid extracts are prepared from the fruits, which are used for cardiovascular diseases, shortness of breath and insomnia.
- Hawthorn fruits can be used to make strong cider, as they do in France, as a coffee substitute (Germany) or roasted as a tea substitute - they give a pleasant taste and beautifully colored infusion.
- From leaves, bark and roots, decoctions can be prepared for dyeing fabrics in yellow and red-brown colors.
Hawthorn - fruits, flowers, seeds
The fruits and flowers of hawthorn have a complex chemical composition, including ascorbic acid, carotene, riboflavin and other flavonoids, organic acids, sugar, trace elements, proteins, dyes and tannins, a number of alkaloids that have a strong effect on a living organism.
Hawthorn is used to obtain hardwood, which is used to make turning and carving products: blocks, planing tools, weaving shuttles, handles for axes and hammers.
Types of hawthorn
Of the species of hawthorn naturally growing in Russia, the Pontic and Oriental have the most delicious fruits.
The fruits of the Pontic hawthorn, unlike other species, are fleshy (the pulp is up to 80%), sweet and sour, sweet, fragrant, with the smell of strawberries or apples. The amount of sugar in them is 14-18%, acid - 0.77%. The skin is soft and thin. In harvest years, one tree can produce 20-30 kg of shoots.
In Italy, Spain, Algeria, some types of hawthorn are used as fruit trees. In China and Korea, large-fruited hawthorn species have been cultivated since ancient times. In some areas of China, varieties obtained from Breitschneider's hawthorn breeding play no less a role in fruit growing than apple trees, and significantly surpass them in drought resistance.
By crossing mountain ash with blood-red hawthorn I.V. Michurin developed a variety of mountain ash Pomegranate. Many species of hawthorn interbreed. The hybrids obtained in this way are diverse in shape, size, color of fruits, as well as taste properties and fruit ripening time. An extensive material has been created for further selection and obtaining valuable varieties.
Of the domestic species of hawthorn in urban landscaping, blood-red, Maksimovich's hawthorn, pinnately incised, green-meat, single-pistil are most often used. Of the American species - soft, fan-shaped, scary, large-spined.
Conditions for growing hawthorn
Common hawthorn grows on various soils, but develops best and bears fruit on well-drained, fertile loamy loams, in open sunny places with liming of the soil.
- Plants are planted at the age of 3-6 years, in group plantings hawthorns are placed at a distance of 2-4 m, and in alley plantings - 5-6 m from each other.
- Hawthorn is good for hedges, tolerates shearing and shaping well, and with proper planting and care, there is no more reliable and durable hedge. To create a hedge, it is recommended to take plants of the same species - 2-3-year-old seedlings 25-30 cm high. Even in the nursery, crown formation begins, cutting off half the growth length in the second year of the seedling's life, which enhances branching. Before planting, in 3-year-old seedlings, side shoots are shortened and the top is cut off by 1/3 of the growth length.
- For planting, a trench is prepared with a width of 40-50 cm for a single-row and 1 m for a two-row hedge, with a depth of 50-70 cm. Peat is added to the dug soil, humus and the trench is buried with the mixture. Grooves are dug along the stretched cord.
- For a single-row hedge, plants are planted with a distance in a row of 30-50 cm from each other, for a two-row hedge - 50-70 cm, placing the plants in rows in a checkerboard pattern. Before planting, broken and long roots are cut off from plants, then the roots are dipped in a mash of clay with mullein, after planting, watering is done.
- In the first 2-3 years after planting the hedge, it is necessary to take care of it. The cultivated strip should be 50-70 cm wider than the hedge itself, weeds are weeded on it, the soil is loosened, after two years organic fertilizers are applied - 2-4 kg per 1 sq.m and mineral fertilizers 40-60 g each. Acidic soils are limed, and then dig up. Forming a hedge, it is cut to half the length of the growth.
Reproduction of common hawthorn
Hawthorn is propagated by sowing seeds, in which seeds are located, as well as root offspring and root cuttings.
Hawthorn seeds are difficult to germinate, so their preparation (stratification) is necessary. It is carried out in peat or river sand, the bones are mixed with the substrate in a ratio of 1:3 and kept at a temperature of 20-25°C for at least 4 months, and then at a temperature of 4-7°C - from 3 to 6 months. Seeds are harvested from fruits harvested before the onset of morphological maturity.
Some types of hawthorn (pinnatically incised, Maksimovich) give root shoots and therefore they can be propagated by root offspring. Transplantation of root offspring is not always successful, because they do not form their own root system. For the formation of roots in the offspring, it is cut off from the mother plant and allowed to take root in place.
- Hawthorn is propagated by root cuttings. For cuttings in autumn or early spring, roots with a diameter of 0.5-1 cm are taken, cuttings are rooted in the garden, but better in a greenhouse in light sandy loamy soil.
- When cutting, the roots are cut into cuttings 6-10 cm long and planted with a thin end into the ground, the upper end of the cutting is left 1-2 cm above the soil (according to the scheme 15-20 x 7-10 cm).
- After planting, the soil is watered and mulched with humus; by the end of June, root cuttings sprout. For rooting cuttings on plantings, watering, loosening the soil and weed control are carried out.
Pests and diseases
- The main pests of hawthorn are aphids and different kinds scale insects, it is damaged by ticks and sawflies, golden-tailed, arrowhead, moth.
- The flowers are damaged by the gall midge, the ovaries are damaged by the larvae of the apple grower, and the fruits are damaged by the larvae of the fruit sawflies.
- Of the diseases, most often hawthorn is affected by rust and powdery mildew.
Interesting on the topic
Hawthorn bushes are a wonderful decoration for a personal plot at any time of the year. Its berries have a mass medicinal properties In addition, they are very tasty and decorative. The idea of planting it in your garden will bring only positive consequences.
The advantage of hawthorn is already in the fact that on the territory of Russia, this plant is native. There are no problems with acclimatization either in the subtropics or on the border with the Arctic Circle.
A wide variety of hawthorn species allows you to decide on the most suitable one, or collect a whole collection of these plants on your estate.
Common hawthorn, or prickly
The most common species in Russian gardens. The plant can be shaped like a tree and like a bush. The tree grows up to 5-7 meters, which is not very convenient for harvesting. On a personal plot, its growth must be controlled, especially since the prickly hawthorn tolerates pruning well. Huge sharp spikes are its feature and the only drawback that complicates the harvest.
It blooms with white simple flowers very plentifully. Common hawthorn berries are miniature apples with a bright red skin, fleshy yellow flesh and a core of several small seeds. Ripen in late August - early September. They have a sweet-sour taste, are considered a medicine for many diseases.
This variety is resistant to frost, endures even snowless cold winters, unpretentious to the soil. Common hawthorn is decorative both during flowering and during ripening.
Siberian hawthorn or blood red
It is also very hardy to frost and temperature extremes. Tall, in a cultivated form, it needs pruning and crown formation.
It occurs in both shrub and tree form. The spines are planted less frequently than those of the common hawthorn, but are of the same length.
Differs in long flowering. It decorates the garden from May to June with delicate white flowers with purple centers.
The fruits are round, red, large. It does not have a pronounced taste. Begins to bear fruit from 7-10 years.
Hawthorn soft, or semi-soft
Native to North America. Grows up to 9 meters. Differs in a natural tent-shaped crown that does not need to be formed. But at the same time, it tolerates pruning well, as a bush is exceptionally suitable for the formation of impenetrable green fences. The spines are small and frequent. It looks impressive both during the flowering period and during the autumn change in leaf color. Orange-red tasty fruits with yellow flesh are also tasty and decorative. It begins to bear fruit, like all hawthorns, 6-7 years after planting.
Well propagated by cuttings and seeds.
hawthorn
It is also called green flesh. Shrub or tree up to 6 meters high with a pyramidal crown. A variety of hawthorn, common in Kamchatka, Sakhalin, Primorye and Japan. For the central regions and the south of Russia, it is a rarity; it is difficult to acclimatize. The flowers of the green hawthorn have a beautiful contrasting color - white petals and almost black stamens.
The fruits are dark with unexpectedly green flesh, very tasty. This species is also armed with sharp spines.
It is very difficult to artificially propagate. Outside of its native habitat, it is suitable only as an example for a botanical garden.
Hawthorn black or Caucasian
A southern plant common in the Crimea, the Caucasus, the Balkan Peninsula and other countries of Eastern Europe. Compared with their counterparts, it is not tall - an average height of 3 meters. It blooms quite modestly, with white medium-sized flowers. The berries are almost black with yellow-green flesh, used in folk medicine and cooking. The spines are rare and small. The plant is well suited for forming hedges.
hawthorn
A fast growing shrub or small tree. The growth, natural for this plant, does not exceed 3-5 meters. The crown is tent-shaped, symmetrical. Bushes are very malleable to formation. Hawthorn single-petal make good, beautiful hedges. Spines are rare, sometimes absent altogether.
The fruits are red, red-brown, sometimes yellow-orange. Oval shape. Used for medicinal purposes.
Plants of this species interbreed well and are often used as rootstocks for apple, pear, and rowan trees. Therefore, its decorative and fruit varieties are numerous.
A common feature of all varieties of hawthorn is that these plants are long-lived. They retain their vegetative properties up to 200-300 years. When planting a plant, you need to prepare yourself for the fact that the hawthorn bush on the site is for a long time.
Selection of seedlings
- Only plants aged two to five years are suitable for transplantation, no more than half a meter tall. Young plants are best grown on their own or purchased from reliable stores.
- The tree must have a living, well-developed root system- wet, with a clod of earth.
- The trunk should be smooth, with a glossy bark, without visible damage.
- Before buying, the roots and trunk are carefully inspected for the presence of putrefactive formations and mycelium of fungal diseases.
- The type of hawthorn for a temperate climate zone is suitable for anyone, most importantly, follow the recommendations.
Common wild hawthorn can be a good stock for both its cultivated varieties and other fruit trees.
Location selection
V wild nature hawthorn often grows in deciduous forests, along river banks, choosing for itself the rocky slopes of ravines or shaded edges. But in order to quickly wait for fruiting, it is better to plant it on the estate in a well-lit place.
It does not tolerate stagnant moisture, it is necessary to ensure drainage and good soil drainage.
Hawthorn prefers heavy soils, which in itself reduces the circle of its neighbors and makes it possible to plant this bush in a place unsuitable for other crops. But for good yields, the soil under the bushes of all varieties must be fertilized.
In order to finally decide on the place for planting the hawthorn, you need to put your site in perspective: at what height and in what diameter the future bush is planned to grow, which plants it will squeeze out and how it will subsequently fit into the layout of the territory.
Site preparation
Preliminary work before planting hawthorn does not take much time. Plant it useful plant into a deep hole, which should be prepared in advance:
- a landing hole is dug about a meter deep;
- you can spill it with boiling water or treat it with chemical disinfectants;
- the bottom is covered with a twenty-centimeter drainage layer - expanded clay, gravel or crushed stone;
- the lower layers of the planting pit are limed so that the roots do not come into contact with the layer of lime in the first years of the plant's life - a small amount of drainage from above is enough;
- the planting mixture, which will sprinkle the roots of the plant, should consist of equal parts of sand, peat, humus and other vegetable mulch.
Planting a hawthorn
When the landing site is ready, the seedling is placed in the center of the hole and, having carefully straightened the roots, they are covered with earth. Important points:
- the root neck should be at ground level.
- after planting, water abundantly;
- the soil in the trunk circle is covered with a layer of straw, peat or dry earth.
After planting, the plant is left to take root, you can stretch an opaque covering material over it for two to three days.
Landing patterns
Close proximity to this plant is not shown. A well-developed root system requires that the bush be planted at a considerable distance from its nearest neighbors - 5-7 meters from tall and medium trees, 3-5 meters from shrubs and at least two from vegetable plantations.
With other bushes of its kind, for example, for growing hedges, an acceptable distance will be one and a half to two meters. It is better to orient such landings from north to south.
It must be understood that the formation of a green fence does not contribute to active fruiting. With thickening of plantings and constant pruning, fruit ripening will decrease.
Hawthorn Care
This is a non-capricious plant, it does not need constant attention. Basic hawthorn care activities include:
- watering;
- rare top dressing, in case of an obvious developmental delay;
- sanitary pruning - removal of dead and diseased parts;
- bush formation;
- harvesting to avoid rotting of berries.
Hawthorn is a long-growing plant, for better fruiting at any age, the soil near it must be updated. On the border with the root system, they dig holes up to a meter deep and fill them with rotted manure.
Plant nutrition
Hawthorn is much more terrible to overfeed than to underfeed. If the growth of the bush slows down, the appearance worsens, then it is necessary to pay attention to the nutrients that the plant does not receive.
The amount of dressing depends on the purpose for which the tree is grown.
For fruit varieties, up to three top dressings are carried out:
- the first - at the very beginning of the growing season;
- the second - during the flowering period, to promote the ovary;
- the third is carried out when the fruits ripen.
Ornamental hawthorns need only two fertilizers.
It is better to give preference to organic compounds - slurry, humates, weed infusion.
If the plant ahead of schedule sheds fruit, which means that he does not have enough moisture. Proper watering is the key to good fruiting. You need to do this once a month. In a dry summer, two or three. The main condition for watering is its abundance. 10-20 liters of warm water are poured into the planting pit. You can combine watering with top dressing for greater efficiency.
Weeding and loosening
Weeds that have grown in the planting circle or under the hawthorn crown should be removed first of all to avoid the development of dampness and fungal diseases. The weed itself does not harm the root system of the hawthorn.
Loosening is carried out periodically, alternating it with watering. You can lay the ground around the plant with mulch - this will reduce the number of loosening procedures, help maintain the integrity of the root system and create a favorable environment for earthworms.
crown formation
It is very difficult to cope with such a harsh plant without a pruner in your hands. Spiny branches that grow out of control make it difficult to walk around the site, harvest and care for the plant. The first pruning is done in the second or third year after transplanting the seedling to a permanent place.
The first thing to decide is the desired height. It is not recommended to grow a fruiting tree above two meters. If you systematically remove the upper branches, the hawthorn will form a bush.
The shoots coming from the vertical main trunk are thinned out so that air does not stagnate inside the crown and fungal organisms do not develop.
The distance from the ground to the lower branches of the fruit plant is better to withstand one to one and a half meters, so that you can control the shoots and pick berries.
The hedge is leveled annually in the spring before the start of sap flow. When pruning, two-thirds of the shoot is removed - young branches recover very quickly.
By acquiring some skill in this process, you can give the tree any shape. To create garden living sculptures, wire frames and ties are often used.
Harvest and storage
Hawthorn berries begin to ripen in August. The fruits that have reached full maturity are separated from the trunk. Since the powerful defense system in the form of thorns prevents harvesting from branches, it will be easier to cover the ground under the trunk and collect crumbling fruits from it daily.
The collected berries are sorted, wormy and diseased are destroyed. Smooth ripe fruits canned, frozen or dried.
It is not worth delaying the processing of hawthorn - apples scattered in a thin layer can be stored for a couple of days, and then they begin to darken and soften.
How to propagate hawthorn
Hawthorn grows slowly. Begins to bear fruit after 5-10 years from the date of planting, depending on the variety. But it is easy to vegetative reproduction. The easiest way is to propagate by shoots. young shoots themselves sprout around the trunk, they can simply be transplanted to a new place.
Reproduction by cuttings
For cuttings of hawthorn in the spring, when pruning, young shoots are chosen. Branches 30-40 centimeters long are cut obliquely and put into the water to germinate. It is good to add a growth stimulator. Germination can take up to two months.
Sprouted cuttings are rooted in the nursery at a temperature not lower than 25 C. They are planted at a distance of 25-30 centimeters from each other. Transferred to a permanent place after 2 years.
Reproduction by layering
Most a win-win- propagation by layering. To do this, in the spring, the lower shoots are bent to the ground and strengthened with a wire bracket. The soil is loosened beforehand. The place of fixing the layers is watered abundantly. When a young shoot begins to grow vertically, it is spudded. Layers are separated from the trunk in the fall, on the eve of frost and transplanted. Such seedlings can be immediately transferred to a permanent place. The advantage of propagation by layering is that the rooting of the young shoot is noticeable already in the current season.
Copulation
Copulation is grafting with a kidney or a kidney on a plate. It is carried out on general rules:
- the stem of the stock above the bud selected for grafting is cut off;
- from a plant - a scion is cut off a kidney along with a piece of green bark;
- a cut is made on the stock, similar in size to the grafted kidney;
- the scion is applied butt-to-butt to the incision on the rootstock;
- wrapped with a cloth and treated with garden pitch.
I must say that the hawthorn takes root well in a new place as a scion. And he serves as a stock for a number of fruit plants. Especially if you need to adapt the plant to more severe climatic conditions.
Reproduction by seeds (bones)
This technique of hawthorn germination is suitable only for the most patient. Germination of hawthorn seeds is very low. Depending on the variety, 30 to 50 percent of the collected seeds germinate. It is better to choose unripe fruits for sowing and extract seeds from them by mechanical processing, rubbing with sand or other large particles. They need a long preliminary stratification. Seeds are mixed with peat soil mixture, moistened and left for a couple of months in a room at a temperature of 4-5 C. Seeds are regularly moistened. After this time, a box with germinated seedlings is transferred to the light and they begin to grow.
Sprouted seeds are sown under the greenhouse. When the seedlings get stronger, they are transplanted into the nursery for two to three years.
This method of reproduction is used mainly for breeding new varieties. Such a bush will begin to bear fruit in 7-10 years.
A nursery for young hawthorn seedlings for the winter should be covered with a thick layer of foliage or spruce branches.
Hawthorn diseases
Cultivated hawthorn is vulnerable to fungal diseases. It is affected by polypore fungi, septoria, various types of rust, powdery mildew, brown, ocher, white, gray spotting and leaf rot. These diseases are expressed in the appearance of spots on fruits and leaves, twisting and wilting of foliage, shedding of berries, dwarfing of the plant, developmental delay.
These diseases also affect other garden plants - apple, mountain ash, pear. Having appeared on one bush, they begin to capture the entire garden.
Often the cause of the development of diseases is weather conditions and oversight of the owners. The following factors contribute to fungal diseases:
- poor pruning, leading to thickening of the bush, dampness and stagnation of air inside the crown;
- damp weather, excess precipitation or accumulation of moisture in the roots of a tree;
- thickening of planting, proximity of hawthorn to infected trees;
- neglect of the rules of crop rotation and poor-quality cleaning of the site.
Fighting fungal diseases in perennials is more difficult. It is better to pay more attention to prevention - mandatory spring treatment with a solution of copper sulfate or sulfur-containing preparations.
If signs of fungal diseases are found on the leaves and fruits of the hawthorn, the infected parts are removed and burned. The tree is treated with a fungicide in two stages with a break of ten days.
hawthorn pests
The number of pests who want to eat hawthorn is large. Its stems and fruits are attacked by hawthorn butterflies. The larvae of these pests feed on leaves and buds of hawthorn.
The deciduous moth is dangerous because in autumn it lays larvae directly into the hawthorn buds. In spring, caterpillars eat them from the inside, destroying the future crop. Effective remedy to combat them - smearing hawthorn trunks with sticky compounds to prevent insects from crawling from the ground.
The kolechnik silkworm spins a thin sticky web, which tightens the branches of the affected tree. In addition to the fact that the caterpillars eat the leaves, the mass of the web makes the berries inedible. The golden silkworm can devour hawthorn foliage down to bare branches.
Apple and common aphids are also dangerous. Preventive work - fumigation of hawthorn bushes with smoke, treatment with soapy solutions of wood ash and hot pepper.
The most effective preventive measure for pest control is to create conditions for the life of their natural enemies - starlings, woodpeckers and other birds. To do this, it is necessary to significantly reduce the use of insecticides and other synthetic substances in plant care, hang birdhouses and provide birds with food in winter.
Growing hawthorn is not a quick process, but it is fascinating and noble. This medicinal plant, planted on the site, will be a long-term investment in the health of the whole family for many generations.
Hawthorn, like all other crops, is not immune from being hit by a wide variety of diseases. And, unfortunately, he is affected by them quite often. More recently, the trees were saved from powdery mildew, and have they already shown signs of spotting? To make a correct "diagnosis", it is important to know how the symptoms appear on the hawthorn various diseases. And with the summer season just around the corner, it's time to check them out!
brown spotting
With the defeat of this scourge on the upper sides of the hawthorn leaves, a huge amount of brownish spots are formed, framed by dark thin borders and reaching a diameter of 6 mm. These spots are not only rounded - angular spots are often found. After some time, dotted light brown fruiting bodies of fungi appear on the spots formed. Almost always, brown spotting leads to rapid drying of the leaves.powdery mildew
At the beginning of summer, a characteristic plaque appears on the leaves of hawthorn, which is a mycelium with numerous spores. It is not necessary that it will be whitish and cobweb - it can be felt, grayish in color and quite dense. As a rule, the color of the plaque is determined by the genus of the fungi that affected the plant. Gradually, the plaque of the mycelium begins to darken and dry out, and after a while, the formation of countless dotted fruiting bodies begins on it.
In the case of a particularly severe lesion, the infected hawthorn leaves turn brown and quickly dry out, the shoots begin to slowly deform, and characteristic blurry dark spots can be seen on the tree bark - the mycelium usually hibernates in them.
gray spotting
On hawthorn leaves attacked by gray spotting, small rounded gray spots are clearly visible, equipped with a border of darker shades. All the spots are randomly scattered over the leaf blades. And on infected tissues, the formation of black dotted fruiting bodies gradually begins. Especially strongly harmful attack develops closer to the end of summer.ocher spotting
This ailment mainly affects hawthorn leaves. Approximately in the middle of summer, small or rather large rounded spots without bordering form on them. Most often they are painted in brownish or ocher tones and randomly scattered over the leaf blades. In infected areas, the formation of fruiting bodies of the fungus almost always occurs, in which the pathogen will subsequently overwinter. Diseased leaves are characterized by rapid drying and premature fall.
white spotting
In the middle of summer, on hawthorn leaves attacked by white spotting, numerous small rounded spots painted in dark brownish tones can be seen. As the disease develops, the centers of the spots begin to lighten, and by autumn they become white and are outlined by clear brown edges. On all spots, the formation of the fruiting bodies of the fungus occurs. Infected leaves, turning brown, dry out, and too much infection often leads to premature leaf fall.wood rot
Infection of trees with this disease occurs through basidiospores, which are formed on the surfaces of fruiting bodies. And inside the plants, the pathogen most often penetrates through the wounds. The mycelium gradually penetrates the cores of tree trunks and skeletal branches, spreading rather quickly from the affected areas both down and up. As a result of such transformations, wood loses its former strength and changes its consistency, and infected trees are characterized by instability to snowfalls and windbreaks.Hawthorn is a genus of deciduous shrubs and low trees of the Pink family. It is a long-liver among many plants, because it can grow for about three centuries. It has useful properties, is used for decorative and medical purposes. Planting hawthorn is a little different from planting other trees. Plant care includes not only pruning, mulching and watering, but also the fight against various diseases and pests. As for reproduction, the shrub can be grown from seeds, by cuttings, and also by grafting. In watering, the plant is unpretentious, as well as in fertilizing with fertilizers. One bucket of liquid manure will be enough for him before flowering begins. In the middle latitudes of our country, several of the most popular varieties of hawthorn are grown.
Varieties and varieties
The genus of plants includes about 200 varieties of hawthorn, not counting various hybrid forms. In our country, 50 species are known and more than 100 have been introduced.
- Crimean hawthorn- tree-like shrub or tree of medium height. It grows on the Crimean peninsula, near Simferopol and Feodosia. Can be found in group plantings of deciduous trees. The shoots are covered with hairs, have a rich cherry color, dotted with numerous spines. The leaves of hawthorn are wedge-shaped with a dark green color at the edges and a lighter shade at the base. Has large flowers.
Crimean hawthorn
- Chinese hawthorn(pinnate) - a plant whose birthplace is China and Japan. In Russia can be found on Far East. Likes bright places with good lighting, but also tolerates shady areas. The height of the Chinese hawthorn can reach 6 m. This species differs from others in the complete absence of thorns on the shoots. Leaves are deep green. The fruits are rounded, dark red color, glossy.
Chinese hawthorn
- Hawthorn softish- a species common in America. It grows on slopes with high humidity and forest edges. Frost-resistant variety, undemanding to the composition of the soil. It can reach a height of 8 m.
Hawthorn softish
- prickly hawthorn(ordinary) - deciduous shrub, characterized by very slow growth. It grows in the Urals, the Caucasus, Siberia and Central Asia. It has thorns on which leaves can grow. Hawthorn fruits are used in cooking for making jam, jam, decoction, compote, as well as in medicine and scientific research. The plant has diversity. So in hawthorn you can find whole, serrated, three or five-lobed or separate leaves.
prickly hawthorn
- hawthorn blood red- a small tree or shrub. The people received the name "lady" or "boyar". It grows mainly in Siberia. Photophilous, but tolerates shade. Can grow for a long time without watering. The maximum height of blood-red hawthorn is 6 m, and the average duration of growth is about 4 centuries. In one kilogram of hawthorn, there can be up to 2 thousand fruits.
hawthorn blood red
Hawthorn: planting and care
Hawthorn prefers rich soils. A prerequisite for its landing is the presence of drainage. It is used as a crumb of brick, crushed stone or gravel. The height of the drainage in the dug hole should not be less than 15 cm.
Advice. To plant a plant, you need to prepare a mixture of sand, peat and humus with the addition of leaf flour. Hawthorn also loves lime, but it should not come into direct contact with its root system.
The ideal place for planting a tree would be a sunny area of the garden, otherwise the plant will grow poorly and bloom, respectively.
Shrub transplantation to a permanent place is carried out only in the second year of life. It is better to do it in spring or autumn. The plant is planted to a depth of about 50–65 cm. Immediately after planting, the hawthorn should be watered and the soil around it should be mulched. It is worth being patient, because the tree will begin to fully bear fruit only by 10 years.
hawthorn blossom
As for watering, a bucket of water per month will be enough for a shrub or tree. In drier times, it is necessary to increase the number of waterings up to several times.
Special plant care is not required. Removing weeds, loosening the soil and cutting dried branches - that's the whole basic care for hawthorn.
Fertilizer
Of course, like any plant, hawthorn is not indifferent to fertilizers. It will be enough for him to feed in the form of one bucket of slurry in spring period before flowering. After such top dressing, a shrub or tree will grow more actively, and flowering will be more abundant.
Hawthorn propagation
Reproduction of hawthorn is carried out in three main ways:
- Seeds.
- cuttings.
- Inoculation.
hawthorn fruit
Growing a plant from seed very long process. The seeds have a thick shell. In this regard, they must go through a long process of stratification, which will help them germinate faster. Stratification can last up to one year. Even the best seeds can only germinate after a couple of years. The reason for this is a considerable number of empty seeds.
In general, hawthorn seeds are harvested when they have not yet had time to ripen. They are left for 72 hours in water. Then wipe with sandpaper or sand and rinse. Then the seeds of the plant are placed in a 1% solution of potassium nitrate for two days, and only after that they are sown in the ground. Sowing is carried out in late autumn.
root cuttings
reproduction root cuttings a little easier. They take the roots, cut them into pieces of 10 cm and drop them into the ground at an angle with the thick side up. Both autumn and spring are suitable for cuttings. But planting is still better in a warm place. For example, a greenhouse.
For vaccination the common hawthorn or single-petal hawthorn is perfect. Although any kind of plant is suitable for grafting. Get vaccinated in August.
Diseases and pests
hawthorn caterpillar
Pest control is the use of chemicals. For example, chlorophos, karbofos, nitrafen, as well as green oil concentrate and soap solution.
The use of hawthorn
Hawthorn is a very useful plant, it is rich in B vitamins, pectins, vitamin C, carotene and other trace elements.
Hawthorn decoctions are very beneficial for human health
It is used to purify the blood, and since the 20th century - as a medicine for cardiovascular diseases. It helps to eliminate the symptoms of atherosclerosis, arrhythmia and hypertension. During the Great Patriotic War, the plant was used to replace heart drugs due to their shortage. As a medical preparation, hawthorn is available in two versions: tablets and tinctures.
Advice. For the prevention of viral diseases, it is recommended to take a decoction of the plant or eat several berries a day.
The fruits are also used in cooking. They are used as a filling for pies.
Hawthorn is also widely used in landscape design. It makes excellent fences and hedges. You can achieve this result by planting plants very close to each other. And also intertwining their branches. Another condition for the original design of the site will be the choice of plant variety and timely cutting of branches. Hawthorn can be given absolutely any shape: a square, an oval, a circle, etc. And the best option for decorating a garden would be single-petal hawthorn, Maksimovich, Pauls Scarlet and plum-leaved.
A hedge of hawthorn bushes
Hawthorn is a useful plant. For the most part, unpretentious. Planting it will require a certain sequence of actions, but care consists in loosening the soil, cutting off old branches, watering and infrequent top dressing. You will have to be patient until the plant begins to fully bear fruit. But the result will undoubtedly exceed all expectations. The plant is not only a great option for decoration suburban area but also a storehouse of vitamins. It is used for medicinal purposes as well as folk recipes. Its main focus is to improve the functioning of the heart.
Features of caring for hawthorn: video
Growing hawthorn: photo
