Barberry Maria - description and cultivation
Content:
Landscaping works are carried out taking into account the peculiarities of the climate, which is especially important for Russian territories. The main requirements for plants are winter hardiness and unpretentiousness to the soil, which is fully met by the variety of barberry Maria (Berberis Tunberga Maria). It is not inferior to flowers in the beauty of the leaves, while it is easy to cut due to its vertical growth.
Description of barberry Maria
Barberry Thunberg Maria (Maria) is a thorny shrub, reaching a height of 1.2-1.5 m and 1 m in width. Has a compact dense crown growing vertically upwards. If you do not trim, the shape becomes spreading.
Young shoots of pale green color
Young shoots have red tips, the shape of the leaves is round, whole-edged. Until the end of summer, it has golden-green leaves with a burgundy border, by autumn they acquire a rich red-orange color. Photophilous, but able to grow in the shade - a long stay in it leads to a change in the color of the leaves.
Flowers bloom in early summer, appear in inflorescences of 2-6 pieces or singly, have a yellowish color, the border of the petals is crimson. By October, small berries of a bright red color ripen, they remain on the bush all winter. The roots are fibrous, shallow.
Planting a plant
Maria barberry is unpretentious, but for a successful planting it is recommended to follow some tips:
- The soil should be fertile and loose, with a small amount of salt.
- The plant is highly resistant to frost, they are dangerous only for young shoots. This is important for autumn planting in harsh climates.
- This variety of barberry can grow in shade, where its leaves are only green. This limits its decorative possibilities.
- Maria shows good resistance to drought, but the plant should not be "mocked". To keep it looking lush and healthy, it needs to be watered regularly.
Planting from seeds
If barberry is already growing on the site, it is not necessary to buy seedlings to plant new shoots. It is enough to remove the seeds from the ripe berries and rinse them well. You can use a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
For spring planting, seeds must be stored in a cool place - a cellar or refrigerator. If autumn work is planned, treatment with growth regulators is permissible.
Seeds of barberry are sown in beds, the ground is pre-dug up. The plant shows poor germination, no more than 30-35% - plantings must be dense for a good result. Autumn planting will rise only in the spring, after 1.5-2 years, planting material will be obtained from them.
Planting seedlings in open ground
At first, barberry grows in breadth, so they need to be planted at a distance of 2-3 meters from each other and other trees. The size of the hole should be larger than the root ball of the seedlings. In order for the seedling to take root, it is recommended to make nutritious feeding: sod land, humus and peat in a ratio of 2: 1: 1. Before removing the seedling from the container, it must be watered so as not to damage the rhizome.
Planting young seedlings
Place the barberry in the dug hole, cover and tamp the root with earth, not the whole hole! Water abundantly, add soil and water again. If there are damaged parts of the root, cut them off, treat the area with a manganese solution. If the planting took place in dry hot weather, the seedling must be covered. The growth point should not be deepened too much, this can lead to the death of the barberry.
If you plan a whole hedge of Maria barberry, you need to purchase two-year cuttings or seedlings sprouted from seeds. The procedure is as follows:
- Forge a trench of the required length, 50 cm wide.
- If the soil is not fertile, place the nutrient compound on the bottom of the pit.
- Planting is carried out according to the same rules as for a single plant (discussed above).
- Protect the landing from direct sunlight.
How to care for barberry Maria
Despite its unpretentiousness, the Maria barberry needs some attention. Of course, he can live for a long time without supervision, but he will lose his beauty. In order for the leaves to be glossy and the crown to be fluffy, you must follow the rules for caring for the plant.
Well-groomed barberry bush
Watering
Barberry needs little water, if the climate is not dry and hot. Under normal conditions, it is enough to water it every 8-10 days. This is more true for young shrubs, adult specimens may well do with rainwater.
Top dressing
In the first year of the plant's life, the nutrient composition that was used for planting is sufficient. Then in the spring you need to apply nitrogen fertilizers, and by the end of August - complex fertilizers. For hedges, top dressing is carried out every year, for single shrubs - once every 5 years.
Pruning
Pruning to remove diseased and dry branches is carried out before flowering, in spring - this applies to individual shrubs and hedges. If the barberry has grown a lot, its density also needs to be thinned out. For this, young shoots are cut off, and if the plant is old, on the contrary, removing the dried branches, a bush is formed from the young shoots.
You can cut barberry in the 2nd year of life, this applies to useful and decorative pruning. The bush easily takes the shape of a ball or ellipsoid.
Healthy bush with bright leaves
Reproduction methods
If the landscape project turned out to be large-scale, and the barberry Maria plays a big role in it, a lot of planting material will come in handy. It can be propagated in several ways, each of which has its own disadvantages:
- Berry seeds. They have poor germination rates, there is a high risk of losing varietal qualities.
- Rooting of lateral shoots. The downside is that such shoots may simply not appear.
- Cuttings. The cuttings take root very slowly.
- Transplant overgrown from the maternal barberry. Without experience, dividing the root is not worth it, you can destroy the plant.
Diseases and pests
Barberry Maria was bred by breeders as a plant resistant to a negative environment, it is weakly susceptible to disease.
Its main enemy is fungal diseases, and the first of them is powdery mildew. This mushroom affects not only barberries, it got its name for the white bloom on the leaves and stems. Like all fungi, it is resistant to low temperatures, its spores survive the winter and harm again in the spring.
Spotting
Rust fungus can lead to the death of the bush if the state of the barberry is neglected. The symptom is orange bumps on the foliage, which contain spores that are dangerous to other plants.
The following manifestations are the result of pest exposure:
- spotting, due to which the barberry may not survive the winter;
- wilting, starting with decay of the roots;
- drying out, affecting the bark of the bush;
- bacteriosis, which affects only leaves and petioles, often leads to the death of the plant.
Pests dangerous for barberry are barberry aphid and moth. The former suck the juice from the leaves, the larvae of the latter destroy the berries. They should be dealt with with complex preparations, as well as with sanitary pruning.
Preparing for winter
Description of barberry Maria shows that this plant variety is frost-resistant. It is not necessary to cover the shoots, but it is recommended to mulch the rhizome - cover it with suitable material for the winter. This step is especially important for young seedlings.
Use in landscape design
The aesthetic appearance of Maria Thunberg barberry allows for several solutions in the design of the front garden.
This variety of barberry is perfect for creating a border: it is easy to cut and does not grow to the sides. The columnar crown imposes several conditions: you need to plant the Maria barberry at a distance of 30 cm, grow it without decorative pruning for 2.5 years, then cut it no higher than 50 cm.The border will last 15-20 years, which is good for a living plant.
The height of the bush allows you to make it the center of a compact composition, for which you need to surround it with antennae, tenacious animals and stones. To create a larger plot, you can plant a barberry together with the Diabolo bubble. Trimmed to the same height, these plants create a wonderfully harmonious ensemble.
Healing properties
Barberry is actively used in medicine, it has a positive effect on the work of the gastrointestinal tract and the endocrine system.
The most valuable component of its chemical composition is berberine, which has not yet been obtained artificially. It is effective in diabetes, tachycardia, diuretic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory properties. The optimal dosage form is alcohol tincture.
Barberry Tanberga was created by breeders as an ornamental plant resistant to a harsh climate. Its crown has several shades, it is easy to cut. Planting, with attention to the details of the process, gives a beautiful shrub in 1.5-2 years. Barberry of the Maria variety has great potential for design, allowing you to create interesting compositions for the landscape of a garden or site.
