Pruning barberry - how to shape
Content:
Almost all types of barberry are used in landscape gardening. Many of the species have edible berries. The shrub is distinguished by unpretentious care, however, it requires adherence to certain recommendations, since not everyone knows when and how to cut the barberry, and whether this procedure is necessary in principle.
Do I need to trim
Caring for barberry in the garden means pruning as well. Many novice gardeners do not understand whether this procedure is mandatory or not. This largely depends on the type of trim itself:
- sanitary should be done every year so that the plant does not waste energy and nutrients on dried out or painful branches;
- forming is done exclusively at the request of the gardener and his plans for the shrub;
- anti-aging is recommended to improve the decorative qualities of the bush.
Barberry in the open field
Depending on the gardener's plans, it is worth deciding in which case pruning is required and in which it can be avoided. Ordinary barberry without proper care will quickly spread throughout the site due to the possibility of reproduction through root suckers.
Rejuvenating barberry pruning
A rejuvenating barberry haircut should be done in the spring. It is required for 8-10-year-old plants, the decorativeness of which has significantly decreased. Removing old shoots will give the plant new life, the plant will come to life before our eyes, and after a year it will be possible to start forming shrubs.
After pruning, the shoots begin to grow vigorously. You can remove branches on any type of planting: both on a single plant and on a hedge or curb. Cutting barberry involves removing all shoots.
Scheme of anti-aging pruning of barberry
Sanitary plant pruning
Sanitary pruning of barberry is carried out annually. In the process, you can also start forming a crown. It is recommended to trim only healthy shoots, but do not overdo it. Weak branches are removed completely.
It is possible to form a crown only in the second year of a plant's life. In this case, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the scheme in order to make the correct haircut and not damage the flower. The procedure should be performed in the spring, until the buds have blossomed, and before winter, when the harvest has already been harvested.
In the following spring, it is recommended to shorten the shoots up to 10 cm above the ground. The procedure will increase the density of the bush, it will begin to branch. For 3 years of life, 15 cm of shoots are left above the soil level. For a single plant, a similar method of cutting barberry will allow it to be kept in the form of a ball for a long time. Curb plantings and hedges require this procedure.
Scheme of sanitary pruning of barberry
Formation of the correct crown
Formative pruning of barberry can be done in summer and spring. In the spring, haircuts are carried out after sanitary pruning. In this case, it is necessary to remove the shoots that thicken the bush. It is also worth cutting off those branches that are close to the ground.
In summer, 2 pruning can be done. The first is held in early June, the second - after 2 months. In this case, it is worth using a template, since it is quite difficult to trim the barberry with a cube or a ball by eye, since these are the correct figures. At the first haircut, choose the width and height of the bush, cut off the branches that go beyond the boundaries of the template. Then the growing shoots are simply removed, but it is worth adhering to the given shape.
Formative plant pruning scheme
Curly trim
If you want to create sculptures from living plants, the shaping haircut changes to a curly one. It is held twice a year: at the beginning and at the end of summer. It is not difficult to form a barberry bush, since serious efforts are not required to obtain light geometric shapes.
For these purposes, guide rails are most often used, which are fixed vertically and horizontally around the bush in a certain size. Subsequently, the branches that go beyond the boundaries are cut off.
You can use more than one plant, but several at once, to make it easier to create larger-scale structures. For a small cube, a couple of plants are enough, and if a larger size is needed, then it is worth planting from 5 to 9 plants.
By practicing with simple shapes, you can create more complex ones. This is not very difficult. It is necessary to combine several simple shapes into one complex one, and then carry out all the same curly trimming procedures.
Curly pruning of barberry
Pruning barberry in spring, summer: features
The main difference between summer and spring pruning is due dates. In the spring, it is worth performing the procedure strictly before the appearance of the buds so as not to harm the plant. In summer, decorative pruning can be done at any time, regardless of the month.
In the spring, it is recommended first of all to cut off those branches that have not survived the frost - they have dried up or rotted. In summer, only protruding branches are removed, which violate the whole picture.
Care after pruning
Many people know how to cut the Thunberg barberry, but not every gardener uses a number of measures that will help the plant recover after cutting. This is necessary for subsequent fruiting and growth.
Top dressing
In the spring, after pruning, it is worth adding nitrogen to the soil. Every adult plant needs a bucket of organic matter, which is rotted manure or mature compost. It should be distributed evenly around the trunk. Gardeners often use liquid fertilization of fermented grass for this purpose.
Potassium and phosphorus should be added in summer and autumn. These elements will allow the plant to better prepare for the coming cold weather. Substances can be found in inert flour or oven ash. If these fertilizers are not enough, it is also recommended to add a mineral complex.
After additional decorative pruning, you can add liquid foliar dressing. In this case, it is worth using either potassium humate or the same fermented grass.
Cut care
If the slices are more than half a centimeter in diameter, they need to be processed. Otherwise, fungal spores or insect larvae can enter the wounds. The infection will subsequently have to be treated for a long time, and with a delayed diagnosis, the plant may even die.
Slice processing
Slices can be covered with one of the following substances:
- garden antiseptic;
- garden pitch;
- oil paint;
- solution of brilliant green.
If you properly process the cut points, they will overgrow with bark in a short time, there will be no hollows in them, and they will not start to rot.
Pest prevention
The most effective way to protect against pests is considered to be the treatment of branches and leaves with soapy water. To prevent the development of various diseases, it is recommended to add colloidal sulfur and Bordeaux mixture to the soil. When spotting appears on the leaves, it is worth using products containing copper.
Barberry does not need constant care, but use in landscape design implies constant shearing of bushes, which is why at times you will have to arm yourself with tools with long handles and put on thick gloves on your hands. Do not forget about proper care afterwards.
