Would you like to be at the feast of admiring a flowering tree? An idle question ... Only the Japanese could think of it - a people who have remained united with nature and therefore the most romantic in the world. For them, sakura is a tree-dream, tree-life, and therefore they worship it in the full sense of the word. Sakura blooms for a very short time, from several hours to several days, and therefore its image “shines through” in Japanese poetry as a sign of the transience of time.
It is hardly necessary for someone to explain what sakura looks like. The tree is so popular that even people who have never seen it with their own eyes can easily imagine these branches covered in a thick pink color. At home - in Japan, in the countries of Southeast Asia - it can reach 6-10 meters in height. Sakura has about 150 varieties, most of which are fruit trees. Japanese cherry is smaller than usual and tastes sour. They use it mainly in pickled form, as an ingredient in sauces and seasonings. There are purely decorative varieties, but they are in no way inferior to fruit ones in their popularity.
In the 30s of the last century, an overseas miracle - sakura was brought into the southern nurseries of Russia. The tree did not take root in a foreign land right away. Breeders made a lot of efforts to regionalize and adapt it to new conditions. Today, sakura can be seen in almost all botanical gardens in regions with a subtropical climate. There is experience in its cultivation in some districts of the North Caucasus. In Europe, the tree can be found in countries with a mild climate - in the south of Ukraine, in the Czech Republic, in Spain. However, it must be recognized that such a size as in Japan, sakura does not reach anywhere else. Mostly decorative, rather miniature varieties are grown in Russia.
And still I want the sakura tree to grow in the garden near the house! The price does not matter! Or maybe really try? Having decided, you need to buy a seedling in the nursery, and not in the market or along the road. You need to do this in the fall, when the tree ends with leaf fall. The best specimens are grafted, with a formed crown and a lignified trunk, up to 80-100 cm high. On its own site, the tree should be gently tucked in an inclined position, protected from frost and rodents for the winter. In early spring, before the growing season, sakura should be planted. The tree is planted in a predetermined, well-lit corner. Transfer from place to place, it can not stand. Ideally, if there are knolls, hills or natural slopes on the site, Japanese cherries require perfect drainage for the root system. The soil should be non-acidic, best neutral. Pre-liming of the hole can help this - not immediately before planting, but for six months, even a year. Watering is required only in the driest time.
And what if there is no place to plant a tree in love? Sakura (photo above) will live in your heart, or you can permanently capture its image on your body. But this is a completely different story.
"Throw a stone at me!
Cherry blossoms
I just broke it off. "
These lines are from Japanese hoku, and they are about a reverent attitude to everything alive and beautiful.