Shrub plants, both single and in groups, are necessarily present on personal plots.

In order to obtain a beautiful, well-developed crown with a large number of shoots, the aerial part of the shrubs is formed. Formation is usually carried out in nurseries within 2-3 years of the life of seedlings. If you purchase 1-2 year old seedlings, then you will have to do the shaping yourself.

It is advisable to start this task with the selection of seedlings. When choosing seedlings for planting in a group, it is advisable to select those that have a healthy, well-developed root system. If you purchase several seedlings, then they should have the same overall height, the same thickness of the root collar, there should be no signs of damage by diseases and pests.

Species such as barberry, Japanese spirea, cotoneaster, snowberry, bush themselves well, but pruning is sometimes carried out for them, but for a different purpose. Pruning can be carried out to obtain the same type of bushes in a group.

In the first year after planting, the shrubs are allowed to develop freely, without pruning. From the second year, they begin to form the above-ground part.

Formation begins in March-April before the start of sap flow. Bushes are cut at a height of 5-8 cm from the root neck, i.e. put on a stump. By autumn, due to the awakening of dormant buds, new shoots develop on these stumps, which are cut off in early spring of the next year, leaving such a number of buds that from four to six to six to ten new shoots have developed from them by the autumn of the third year of cultivation.

With such pruning, two to five eyes are usually left on each shoot, depending on the number of shoots formed after landing on the stump. By the autumn of the third year, the plants acquire a standard appearance.

When forming, it is necessary to take into account some features of different groups of plants: - caragana, cotoneaster, lilacs can be cut only once and get four to seven skeletal trunks; - in the second year, rocks that naturally form a crown are not planted on a stump - chaenomeles, magonia, chokeberry, cinquefoil; - shrubs with poor tillering in the third year are once again planted on a stump (viburnum pride, panicled hydrangea, Tatar maple).

To obtain large shrubs with a freely growing crown, proceed as follows. In well-branching decorative-deciduous and flowering shrubs, all shoots that have completed their growth are shortened by a quarter (but not more than half) of the length and thin out the crown if it is thickened. In this case, it is necessary to ensure uniform placement of shoots in space.

Deciduous and flowering shrubs with weak tillering are pruned differently. All annual growths are severely cut off, leaving 3-4 buds (or pairs of buds) each. In plants with short internodes, the number of buds left on the shoot should be 1.5-2 times more.

In shrubs, the crown shape of which should be in the form of a ball, pyramid, trapezoid, annual growths are cut more strongly, leaving bases 3-4 cm long. In this case, the trimming contour should correspond to the intended outlines.

In the first year after this pruning, the plants are allowed to develop freely so that they form new growths. In the next 3-4 years, the formed shrubs are sheared according to the template 2-3 times during the growing season. The first haircut is carried out in the spring, before the buds open, and the next - as the shoots grow. When growing by 8-12 cm, they are cut to half the length.

Hawthorn is easier to form in the form of a cone, cotoneaster and buckthorn - in the form of a cube, ball or cylinder. Evergreen and coniferous shrubs up to 4 years old are not pruned. Then they are pruned 2 times a year - before the start of the growing season and before the end of the growth of shoots in length.

Thuja western is easier to form in the form of a cone. A more complex artificial shape for shrubs (for example, helical) is given using templates.

Ungrafted shrubs can be formed in the form of standard plants. This method is suitable for golden currant, hawthorn, buckthorn and other vigorous shrubs. The formation of standard shrubs is a continuation of the formation that I described earlier.

tree pruning is a kind of surgical operation that has the following goals:

Removal of dry, damaged branches and twigs, which reduce the decorative effect of the plant and contribute to the formation of hollows;
thinning the crown of a tree, removing branches that interfere with each other, clarification, which improves growth;
preservation of the shapes and sizes previously given to the crown;
crown reduction, plant rejuvenation.

Pruning of woody plants should be carried out by qualified landscape gardening workers under the guidance of a foreman (foreman). When pruning plants, it is necessary to take into account the specific biological characteristics of plant growth and development, the shape of the crown and the dynamics of its age-related variability, the type of branching, the possibility of awakening dormant buds, and the ability to tolerate pruning. As a result of pruning, plants undergo changes in the ratio of the total mass of the crown and roots. The number of suction roots begins to increase. This contributes to the influx of nutrients into the organs of the plant organism, improves carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism, the synthesis of organic compounds, and the water regime.

There are the following types of pruning of crowns of woody plants: molding, sanitary and rejuvenating.

Form trim - (Fig. 9.19, a, b, c) is applicable for trees in alley and ordinary plantings. Forming pruning is carried out in order to give the crown a certain shape - a ball, a cube, a cone, a column. With the help of such pruning, a uniform distribution of skeletal branches is achieved.

Various types of linden, elm, fluffy ash, white acacia, hornbeam, beech, poplar tolerate pruning relatively well. Of the coniferous plants, western thuja, common spruce, and juniper tolerate pruning well. Different types of birches do not tolerate crown pruning. Bird cherry, catalpa, Norway maple, horse chestnut, and mountain ash do not tolerate pruning.

Pruning can be weak, moderate and strong. The degree of pruning depends on the type of plant, its age, the condition of the crown.

Weak pruning , or pinching shoots (no more than 25 ... 30% of annual growth, for 2 ... 3 buds), young plants are exposed. Between the old and new cuts, it is necessary to leave shoots 6 ... 10 cm long.

Moderate pruning, or shortening of the shoots (up to 50% of the length of the annual shoot), is subjected to older trees, when the growth of the shoots gradually weakens, the thickening of the crown stops, stronger growth buds are laid at the end of the shoots. As a result, the upper shoots lengthen, the leaves become larger, the crown becomes thicker.

Strong pruning (up to 60 ... 75% of the length of the annual shoot) are subjected only to fast-growing plant species, such as poplar. With a strong pruning of balsamic poplar, active growth of shoots along the periphery of the crown is observed, the size of the leaves increases. If the trees are not pruned or pruned moderately, then the crown quickly thins out, the lower branches die off.

Pruning of trees is carried out in the spring, before the start of the growing season (sap flow), in late February-March. In areas with mild winters, trees can also be formed in autumn, after leaf fall.

You can prune coniferous plant species growing in hedges (western thuja, spruce, fir). Such pruning is carried out at the end of June, after the end of shoot growth.

The frequency of formation of tree crowns depends on the rate of their growth: fast-growing species are pruned annually, slow-growing - 1 time in 2 ... 3 years.

Sanitary pruning (Fig. 9.19, d, e, f) is carried out in order to form a uniformly translucent, well-aerated crown. First of all, they cut diseased, dry, broken, drying branches (Fig. 9.20), coppice and “fat” shoots, branches growing inside the crown and close, rubbing against each other (the weaker one is removed from two close branches). It is necessary to take into account the location of the branches. Remove branches growing at an acute angle from the leader, or growing vertically upwards, which, growing, turn into thick branches that interfere with the growth of the main leader; in strong winds, they usually break off, forming lacerations on the trunk. Sanitary pruning is carried out during the entire growing season.

Rice. 9.20. Scheme for removing dry branches: a - partial removal of a heavy branch; b - cutting the branch from below to avoid bullying of the bark; c - the formation of a solid build-up; 1 - annular influx of the bark; 2 - branch neck; 3 - hard growth

Rice. 9.21. Tree formation schemes: a - removal of branches on a tree stem; b - pruning growing branches; c - removal of the leader that interferes with the development of the main stem; d - sequence (1...5) of deleting the drying branch

Anti-aging pruning applicable for old, losing decorative trees (Fig. 9.21). To maintain their vital activity, the main branches of the crown are partially or completely removed. The loss of decorativeness and vitality is manifested in trees with age, when dry branches appear in the crown, the shoots cease to grow, and the top dries out. Removal of branches is carried out to the zone of emergence of new young shoots. They are cut to 50 ... 75% of the total length. On the branch remaining in the crown there should be two or three branches of the second order.

In summer, young shoots usually appear from the dormant buds of these branches, which, if it is too dense, must be thinned out. For general rejuvenation of an aging tree, pruning in the crown is carried out gradually, over 2-3 years, starting from the top and large skeletal branches. Plant species with a good ability to quickly reproduce shoots (linden, poplar, willow) tolerate such pruning well. Of the coniferous species, only prickly spruce (blue form) tolerates rejuvenating pruning. Spruce rejuvenation can be carried out before the start of the growing season.

Along with pruning crown branches for the purpose of rejuvenation, it is possible to carry out pruning of the roots, performing it gradually, pruning the roots by 1/3 ... 1/2 annually, and combining with crown pruning. To trim the roots, a tree is dug in a trench at a distance equal to 10 times the diameter of the trunk at a height of 1.3 m from the ground. The depth of the trench should be 40 ... 60 cm, width - 30 ... 40 cm. After cutting the roots and cleaning them, the trenches are covered with fertile soil. Plants should be watered immediately and abundantly.

Shrub pruning. In shrubs, as in trees, there are three types of pruning: molding, sanitary and rejuvenating.

Target mold trimming - creation of an artificial form of the bush, maintaining this form in the given parameters, enhancing the growth of lateral shoots. It is necessary to take into account the biology of plant growth and development. In species whose flower buds are laid since autumn on the shoots of the previous year, pruning of faded shoots should be carried out to half their length. Thinning of non-flowering shoots in these species can be carried out in the spring.

A number of species form flower buds on the shoots of the current year in the first half of summer. Such shrubs are pruned in late autumn or early spring, before the start of sap flow.

Early-flowering shrubs include: common lilac and Persian lilac, mountain and alpine clematis, caragana, common barberry, Thunberg barberry, hollow-leaved mahonia, hawthorn, purple broom, goof, sea buckthorn, honeysuckle, golden and alpine currant, rose rugosa, viburnum-pride, buckthorn, spirea (early flowering species), etc.

Species that bloom in summer or at the end of summer include: broom (most species), mock orange, privet, cinquefoil, vesicle, white and red derain, Japanese spirea, Douglas, etc.

Pruning is carried out at the same level from the surface of the earth, from the side sections. The bush is given the desired profile. Shoots are cut to 1/2 ... 1/3 of the growth length - in the first year; by 2/3 - in the second and subsequent years.

"Hedges" from young shrubs are cut (formed) 1-2 times during the growing season (Fig. 9.22). When the full development of the bushes occurs, the frequency of pruning is increased up to 4 ... 6 times (for slowly growing ones - up to 3 times). The first pruning is carried out in March-April, before bud break, the next - as the clarity of the transverse profile is lost. Free-growing hedges do not need systematic pruning; in plants, only old branches are cut out, thickening the bush.

Sanitary pruning carried out to remove drying out, damaged, diseased shoots and branches. It is carried out annually throughout the growing season.

Target anti-aging pruning - renewal of the plant organism, elimination of signs of its aging, ensuring a healthy appearance of the bush for a long time. Pruning methods, their multiplicity, degree are determined by considerations of plant biology, the cycle of their development. Pruning of shrubs is carried out using garden electric shears SEN-2 (Fig. 9.23).

Rice. 9.22. Scheme of the formation of "hedges": 1 - pruning of plants that develop continuous leafing: a - short pruning after planting; b - the first molding pruning the next year after planting; c - the second molding pruning two years after planting; g - the third molding cut according to a given profile; II - molding cutting along specified contours

Rice. 9.23. Garden electric shears SEN-2: 1 - handle with switch; 2 - electric motor; 3 - handle; 4 - reducer; 5 - guide ruler; 6 - segment knives

Shrubs can be divided into five groups according to growth cycles, according to their developmental characteristics:

1) plants with the growth of the main shoots throughout the growing season; the next year, the bush develops lateral peduncles. These include elderberry, spirea, cinquefoil, wild rose, mountain ash, vesicle. They should be pruned to the point where a large lateral shoot emerges, and old shoots should be removed to the base. Some species (rose hips) give root offspring, extending 1 ... 2 m from the mother bush. In this case, the newly formed plant should be dug up and transplanted to another place. Spireas that bloom in early summer are pruned immediately after flowering, and those that bloom in mid-summer - in the fall or spring of the next year;

2) plants in which axial shoots grow in one year or several years. These include honeysuckle, mock orange. In the second year, in these species, the apical shoots stop growing, a short fruit twig is formed. The full development cycle of these species of shrubs is 6...7 years. The death of stems occurs on average after 14-20 years. Honeysuckle forms a large stem growth in the upper part of the axial shoots, which increases the decorative period of the bush. The mock orange has a constant self-purification of the bush. Pruning of bushes of these species is carried out by removing aging branches and shoots to the place where large stem shoots appear. Pruning is carried out after flowering;

3) plants with the formation of perennial skeletal branches and lateral peduncles extending from them. These include currants, derain, viburnum lilac. The renewal of the bush is carried out due to the appearance of abundant root shoots and shoots from the root neck. In shrubs of these species, the crowns are thinned out and the central and lateral shoots are shortened, and aging branches are removed. Pruning is carried out in the spring, 1 time in 4 ... 5 years, and the removal of faded branches and brushes - annually. Root suckers are removed systematically, especially in grafted forms, so as not to weaken the growth and development of the main plant;

4) plants, in their life form approaching durable tree forms, such as almond, shadberry, cotoneaster, caragana. The bushes have no stem shoots; with aging, the stems of the bush die off completely. Renewal occurs due to rhizomatous offspring or shoots from the root collar. In bushes, it is necessary to prune the skeletal branches and shorten the shoots, which will enhance the growth of the remaining branches and awaken dormant buds. If the bush begins to bloom poorly and shoot growth decreases, then pruning is necessary. In cotoneaster and caragana, weakened branches are removed to the base, in irgi - to a branch or to the place where the next shoot is formed;

5) long-lived plants that do not form stem shoots and rhizomatous offspring, such as hawthorn, shrub willow, maple. The durability of such plants is more than 20 years. Bushes of this type are thinned out by cutting out old branches and shoots, dying trunks in order to lighten the crown and stimulate the appearance of new shoots. In standard hawthorns, at a young age, one leading trunk is selected, on which shoots are removed to the required height. Such an operation is carried out for several years to prevent the formation of new shoots on the trunk.

Shrubs in some cases rejuvenate by "landing on a stump". This pruning tolerates most types of plants. Grafted plants are pruned at a height of 10 ... 15 cm from the grafting site. Ungrafted plants are pruned at a height of 10 ... 15 cm from the root neck once every 3 years. Stem shoots form on the stumps left. In a number of species (currant, caragana), both stem and root shoots are formed. Usually, in order to avoid thickening of the bush, the shoots are thinned out, leaving strong shoots. Annual shoots are shortened "by the kidney", without leaving stumps. The surface of the cuts is cleaned and covered with garden putty or oil paint.

Source: Construction and operation of objects of landscape architecture. Teodoronsky V.S.

A wonderful way to turn a summer cottage into an aristocratic villa is to have trees and bushes in the garden, skillfully trimmed in the form of a variety of geometric shapes.

The formation of the crown of trees and shrubs in the garden is a very exciting activity. Shrubs that have a shape are called topiaries. Topiary is a formative pruning, with the help of which trees and shrubs are given a conceived shape from simple geometric shapes (ball, cube, pyramid) to the most complex silhouettes of animals, people and fairy-tale characters. Spirals, letters and numbers are also popular.

Curly cutting bushes requires a lot of patience. Before such a "living sculpture" appears in your garden, young shoots will have to be cut off for several years.

What to practice?

To understand how much you will like hairdressing, you can first practice on broom kochia, an annual herbaceous plant up to 120 cm high. They tolerate a haircut and crown formation of the Green Forest, Sultan, Summer Cyprus, Trichophylla varieties. . Working with kochia is a real pleasure. Closer to autumn, the bush will turn red and take on a very beautiful appearance. At the end of the season, you can simply pull it out and send it to the compost in order to grow a new figure in this place next year.

Another great option for training is the small-leaved elm. The tree grows very quickly after pruning, so that all the flaws in your work will not be visible. This is also the main minus of the elm: the plant quickly sprouts new shoots, and if the form is successful, then it will have to be maintained in the future with frequent haircuts.

From which shrubs to form a living sculpture in the garden.

For topiary shrubs, experts advise choosing plants with slow growth, a dense dense crown and small leaves. In cold regions, bushes such as:

• thuja western,
• juniper,
• privet,
• hawthorn,
• cotoneaster.

In the southern regions, the list will be supplemented by:

• boxwood,
• common hornbeam,
• holly,
• laurel cherry.
• ivy,
• cypress.

In our climate, the ideal plant for shearing is western thuja. Unlike spruce, it can be formed in just a year! The first haircut of evergreens is carried out in the second half of summer. Subsequent - in March - April, before the start of sap flow. During periods of active growth, it is better not to disturb coniferous plants with a haircut.

In the south, the most popular plant for creating topiary figures is boxwood. Shave it thoroughly twice a year. We advise beginners to plant two bushes at once: one for training, the other - “clean”.

conditions and care.

Formed plants, both trees and shrubs, do not tolerate drought and frost well. For most plants, it is better to choose a place protected from wind and bright sun. In autumn, the root ball and the base of the trunk are covered with an additional layer of earth or sawdust. "Living sculptures" of complex shape should be completely covered with a cloth, because damaged shoots will be very difficult to replenish. In general, it should be remembered that a haircut depletes trees and shrubs, so proper care, fertilizing and adherence to agricultural practices are important for them.

Immediately after shearing, it is advisable to support the plants with stimulants. To speed up root formation, you can use Zircon, and spray epin on the crown. Do not forget to water and sprinkle the crown of conifers.

Fir and spruce form beautiful cone-shaped figures, but they retain their density only if they grow in the sun. In the shade, the crown will be quite loose. To obtain a dense form, pinch off growths annually, leaving 1 - 2 young needles. The easiest way to do this is at the moment when the regrowth just starts.

How to cut bushes in the shape of a ball or pyramid

Simple figures, with a good sense of shape, can be cut without any “by eye” devices. The plant is grown to the desired size, and then give it the desired shape, cutting off all the excess. Usually, this is how they give a spherical shape to various shrubs - barberry, derain and spirea.

If you can’t boast of a good eye, you will need a template made of bamboo sticks or slats connected with duct tape to work. The template is applied to the plant and all shoots protruding beyond the form are cut off.

If you plan a particularly complex figure, the creation of which will take more than one year, you can use a stationary template, which is a wire frame. It is carefully dug in at the planting site, trying not to damage the roots. The plant itself is placed inside the frame, and everything that is outside is cut off. The metal walls of the frame serve as clear guides for cutting. With their help, interesting figures are created from arborvitae and juniper.

On a note.

There are ways to create garden sculptures that do not involve haircuts at all. All that is needed for this is a frame modeling a figure. Just plant vines around it, such as girlish grapes or ivy, and let the shoots along the wire. Soon the vine will braid the frame exactly in shape.

When to get a haircut.

You can start creating a topiary form when the plant reaches the age of 5 years and its root system develops sufficiently. The haircut is carried out during the period of shoot growth, removing no more than one third of the green mass at a time, otherwise the plant will start to hurt.

When using the frame, the shoots growing through the mesh are pinched, leaving 3-4 buds on the branch. Thanks to this, the plant begins to branch more actively, the foliage will gradually become thicker.

For cutting plants, you can use not only special scissors (mechanical or battery), but also an ordinary garden pruner. You just need to make sure that its blades are well sharpened and do not “chew” the cuts.

seasonal care

Pruning and shaping of shrubs is developed in three types: rejuvenating, sanitary and shaping. Appropriate pruning of shrubs allows the plant not only to give the necessary shape, but also to take care of its fertility.

Formative pruning of shrubs

The task of this type of pruning is to give the bush an artificial shape, maintain it in specific parameters, and stimulate the growth of side shoots. It is very important to take into account the physiology of growth and development of such a plant.

First cut after planting

In those species whose flower buds are born from the autumn period on last year's shoots, it is necessary to perform the process of pruning faded shoots with about half of their length.

And already in the spring, you need to thin out the shoots of such woody plants.
Plants such as Persian lilac, simple lilac, Karagan acacia, Tun Berg barberry, common barberry, sucker, alpine and golden currant, honeysuckle, spirea, rose rugosa, hawthorn, sea buckthorn are considered early flowering.

Those shrubs that lay flower shoots on the shoots of this year are pruned in early summer in late autumn or early spring before the start of the sap movement. Those species that bloom in the summer include the vesicle, Japanese spirea, mock orange, red and white deren, willow, Douglas and many others.
The pruning process is carried out at an equal distance from the ground, on the side, and at the same time you need to create the desired profile for the bush. Shoots are pruned in the first year by about half or a third of the growth, and in the second and following years by 2/3.
Fruit bushes give much more yield during formative pruning. This method is most common among many amateur gardeners, due to its ease of execution. Berry bushes with this pruning method will increase their fruitfulness and transform the external design appearance.

Rejuvenating pruning of bushes

The goal is to renew the body of the plant, prevent all signs of aging, and ensure a healthy appearance of the shrub for a long time.

Removing old branches

The method of pruning, frequency, degree will depend on considerations of the biology of the plant, its development cycle.
rejuvenation method. In many cases, bushes are rejuvenated by planting on a stump. This pruning technique is suitable for most shrubs. For grafted plants, pruning is carried out 10–14 cm from the grafting site. If the shrub is not grafted, then pruning should be carried out at a distance of 10–14 cm from the root neck once every three years. On the resulting stumps, stem shoots are obtained. In many species, both root and stem shoots can form. As a rule, in order to prevent the density of the bush, the shoots are made less often, while strong shoots are not touched.

Sanitary shrub pruning

Sanitary pruning, as a rule, has as its task to eliminate damaged, drying out, diseased

Removal of dry and diseased branches

shoots and branches. This pruning method is carried out every year during the entire growing season.
Ornamental shrubs, thanks to sanitary pruning, will delight their gardeners with their flowering on designer landscapes much longer.

All about pruning and grafting trees and shrubs Gorbunov Viktor Vladimirovich

Formation of bushes and pruning of currants

Blackcurrant is called the queen of the garden, since there is no longer such a culture that would accumulate up to 330 mg of ascorbic acid in 100 g of berries. In addition, currant fruits are rich in sugar, free acids, P-active substances, vitamins B, A, E, and K, mineral salts, tannins and dyes, essential oils and other elements beneficial to humans. A few more unique properties of this crop are high yield, early maturity, unpretentiousness to growing conditions, high quality of berries for consumption (both fresh and for making jam).

The best conditions for growing black currants are formed on sandy and loamy soils containing enough humus. Blackcurrant does not tolerate soils with high acidity, as well as wetlands, and reproduces well in moderately moist areas.

Blackcurrant in winter, with normal snow cover, tolerates temperatures down to -40 ° C, but this depends both on the characteristics of the variety and on the conditions of plant maintenance.

It is very easy to propagate this culture: horizontal layers, as well as lignified, green, combined and single-bud cuttings.

The best time for planting is autumn. 1.2-2 buckets of peat compost, 200-300 g of superphosphate, 40-70 g of potassium sulfate and 300 g of ash are introduced into the prepared planting pit measuring 50 × 50 cm. The aerial part of the planted seedlings is shortened so that 2-3 buds remain on each branch above the soil, further plant care includes weeding, loosening, fertilizing and watering. A full-fledged bush is formed within 5-6 years, by this time it should have 3-4 branches of each age.

Each variety of blackcurrant is unique and has a complex of valuable qualities, and therefore try to plant several varieties on your site, moreover, with different ripening periods, but equally resistant to pests and diseases.

Currant red and white

In gardens, black currants are perfectly complemented by another berry crop - red and white currants. They belong to the same species, but can have, depending on the varieties, white, yellowish, pinkish, reddish, dark red and cherry colored berries.

Yielding to the berries of black currant in terms of the amount of vitamins, red currant has its own advantages: it is faster, more productive; its fruits can stay on the branches longer without losing their taste and even improving their beneficial properties due to the accumulation of sugars; it is smaller than blackcurrant, suffers from lack of moisture and is less demanding on fertilizers.

Red currant berries combine organic acids and minerals very well in their composition. Redcurrant is quite unpretentious, but does not tolerate heavy soils at all, reacts negatively to waterlogging and grows poorly in the shade. It is more winter-hardy than blackcurrant and can withstand winter temperatures as low as -42°C, while the flowers tolerate autumn cold snaps as low as -3°C.

In the garden, red currant bushes are usually placed along the perimeter of the plot, at a distance of 2.5-3 m between rows and 1.5 m in a row. Planting is best done in autumn, deepening the root neck by 6-8 cm. To form a strong bush, after planting, the aerial part is cut off, leaving 3-4 buds on each branch. Planting technology and care are the same as for blackcurrant.

Forming a bush, 3-4 of the strongest shoots are left annually. Thus, the bush should have about 20 varieties of branches. In the future, when the berries are smaller, the old, 6-8-year-old branches are gradually removed, and the same number of strong annual basal branches are left to replace them. The best time for cuttings is mid-August. At later dates, rooting does not occur, and the cuttings may die.

Growing currants from your own seedlings

If the old bushes in the garden began to produce a small crop, you can grow seedlings yourself, while observing certain rules.

First you need to choose bushes for propagation, they must be high-yielding, purebred, without signs of disease and pest damage.

The easiest way to propagate currants is with lignified cuttings. It is necessary to harvest and plant cuttings in early autumn. If this is done during October, the survival rate of the plant will decrease.

At the bush, ripened strong annual shoots are cut from 2-4-year-old branches. It is necessary to immediately remove the leaves from the shoots and cut them into cuttings up to 15 cm long. It is necessary that at least 5-6 buds be on each cutting. The upper cut is made above the kidney, and the lower one is below it. The unripe part of the shoot does not need to be used.

In order for the cuttings not to dry out, they are left for a while in a cool place or placed in water. For good rooting, the cuttings should first be soaked in water for 3-4 weeks. The ends of the cuttings are immersed in water for 1/3 of the length, or they are treated with growth substances.

Planting lignified blackcurrant cuttings: a - one-year shoot; b - lignified stalk; c - planting a cutting

You need to plant cuttings in one or two lines. If the cuttings are planted in two lines, then the distance between them should be 50-60 cm, and if in one - 8-10 cm. The cutting is planted obliquely, at an angle of about 45 °. It is necessary to ensure that two buds remain on top of the handle, and one of them should be at the level of the soil. In order to avoid the formation of voids, the cuttings are tightly compressed and compact the ground between them. After that, water and sprinkle with organic fertilizers. After planting, the bed should be covered with mulching materials. For better rooting of the cuttings, the beds are covered with a dark plastic wrap. The use of the film creates good conditions for the growth of cuttings, as the soil under it quickly warms up and is in a moist state.

Planting currant cuttings

As a rule, currants are planted along fences. The landing site is preliminarily dug up to a depth of up to 22 cm, having applied fertilizer in advance. 3-4 kg of organics should be applied per 1 m2, granular superphosphate - up to 150 g, potassium sulfate - up to 30 g. Pits are dug 2-3 weeks before planting, up to 40 cm deep and up to 60 cm wide.

Planting a seedling of currant

Up to 10 kg of compost (peat or humus), 40 g of potassium sulfate are added to the planting pit. It is very important that mineral fertilizers do not come into contact with the roots of plants during planting in order to avoid burns, since plants take root worse from this.

For planting, you need to choose only those seedlings that have a very powerful root system. Such a seedling must have at least three skeletal roots up to 20 cm long. The aerial part should be characterized by the presence of one or two shoots that come from the base of the seedling.

The most favorable time for planting currants is autumn. The main rule to follow is to have time to plant seedlings 14 days before the onset of frost.

The first lower eye on the replacement knot should be facing outward from the middle of the bush, as the shoot growing from it will be cut to the replacement knot.

On annual shoots, cuts should be made at the node, and not at the internode. On a node, especially with a tendril, there is an internal partition, a diaphragm that protects the soft core of the internode from damage by pests, penetration of microorganisms, drying out and freezing.

Slices when pruning grapes should not be crumpled, but smooth, for which the cutting, convex cheek of the pruner blade should be facing the remaining part, and the flat cheek, which crumples the edges of the wound, to the removed part of the shoot.

From the book Smart Agricultural Practices. Miracle harvest on 6 acres author Zhmakin Maxim Sergeevich

Pruning fruit trees and shrubs

Selection and placement of fruit trees and shrubs In the practice of gardening, both separate and mixed plantings of fruit and berry crops are used. With mixed placement, berry bushes, strawberries and vegetables are placed between young fruit trees.