Barberry Thunberg (Berberis Thunbergii) is one of the representatives of the barberry family. Now in the world there are about 170 varieties of these shrubs and trees. Gardeners grow Thunberg Antropurpurea barberry for making a variety of drinks, jams and even home-made medicines. But barberry is also grown to decorate the site, since it is not only useful, but also a beautiful plant. And especially striking is the variety of shades of its leaves.
Thunberg Barberry: Description
This subspecies of barberry belongs to deciduous shrubs. In height, it should grow up to 2.5 meters. But in most cases, the bush rarely reaches a meter height. It has arched ribbed needles and fairly bright shoots, which most often have a bright red or red-orange color. Over time, these shoots become darker and acquire a brown tint.
The berries of this species are red, resembling an egg in shape. Quite interesting rounded shape have leaves. Sometimes at the end they are a little sharp, and in some cases, on the contrary, rounded. Above they are painted in bright green color, and underneath they are bluish. In autumn, as with most plants, the leaves turn yellow. The shoots and branches of the plant are strewn with small needles, so getting to the berries is not so easy.
Thunberg's barberry is very beautiful during flowering. Externally, the flowers are red or bright yellow. Sometimes they can be collected in inflorescences. You can admire the flowering in early May. And in September or early October on the branches there are ripe fruits that can be harvested.
Gardeners are attracted by a very beautiful crown, which this species has from nature. And the color scheme of leaves is simply impossible not to notice. There is no single predominant color. There are various shades of yellow, red, green. In addition, frost resistance is also a plus of the variety, and he is not afraid of diseases such as powdery mildew, which affects most garden plants.
When to plant barberry
Most often, the barberry of Thunberg Atropurpurea is planted in the spring. This happens in March, when the soil begins to thaw. The main thing is to have time to plant seedlings before the moment when the buds begin to bloom. Very rare cases when barberry bushes or trees are planted in the autumn. But if it so happened, then this must be done during the fall season.
This is an absolutely unpretentious plant, so it can be planted in open areas. It is not afraid of drafts and strong winds, it feels equally good in the shade and in direct sunlight. But if your shrub has purple leaves, then under the sunlight they will look much brighter.
He is also not particularly picky about soils, but still it is better to choose a neutral soil. Too acidic soil must be treated using lime. Otherwise, barberry will feel bad or not at all. For liming the soil you will need a special solution, which includes:
- 10 kilograms of compost or humus mixed with garden soil;
- 100 grams of superphosphate;
- 400 grams of slaked lime;
- 200 grams of wood ash.
Processing can be carried out in advance or immediately when planting seedlings. In the latter case, the mixture is poured directly into the hole, where a seedling will be placed later.
How to plant
If you decide to plant several bushes of barberry in your garden, then the distance between them should not be less than one and a half meters. But some gardeners prefer to create hedges from this plant. In this situation, no more than two bushes per one running meter.
Prepare pits for seedlings in advance. Their diameter should be 40 to 40 centimeters. And the trench, designed for the hedge, also has a depth of 40 centimeters. At the bottom of each hole should be sand, which increases the aeration of the roots. If you are sure that the soil is slightly alkaline, slightly acidic or neutral, then it is better to use the solution whose recipe was presented above. But in this case, ash and lime should be eliminated from there.
After all the preparations, you can safely lower the seedling into the hole. It is necessary to sprinkle the roots with earth and compact it well, after which it should be abundantly watered and mulched. To do this, it is recommended to use peat or compost. Almost the entire ground part will have to be cut off. For the rapid development of the bush you will need only a small part of the seedling, on which there will be up to five well-developed buds.
Care Rules
Thunberg's barberry, planting and care of which require some attention from the gardener, is a rather unpretentious plant and very grateful. We have already considered the features of planting shrubs, and now we’ll try to figure out how to care for them. Caring for any kind of barberry is practically no different. The basic rules will be effective in the cultivation of fruit varieties and ornamental.
Care rules include a standard set of rules. Barberry is needed:
- water in a timely manner;
- weed;
- to trim;
- to feed;
- do not forget to loosen the soil from time to time.
If the summer turned out to be quite wet, then the barberry of Thunberg Atropurpurea will not need watering, he will be quite plenty of rain water. But if there is no rain for a long time and the weather is hot, then you need to pour cold water under the root of the bush every week. At the same time, try to prevent drops from falling on the leaves. Overmoistening is much more dangerous for shrubs, which occurs when it rains too often in the summer.
Make sure that the root zone does not overgrow with weeds. And also it is impossible to suppose that root growth has developed around the bush. And this is a pretty serious problem when growing this plant. Do not forget to periodically loosen the ground around the barberry of Thunberg Aurea so that the roots can breathe. And without that, easy care can be facilitated. To do this, simply mulch the soil with peat, sawdust or nutshell.
Fertilizers
If you planted fertilizers when planting a seedling, then this stock will be enough for him for the whole year. Next spring you will again have to think about feeding. In spring, you need to prepare a nitrogen solution, which necessarily includes about thirty grams of urea, which is bred with a bucket of water. This procedure can be repeated no more than once every three years.
The fruit varieties of Thunberg barberries , the description of which is not presented in the article, need to be fertilized more often. The first time - immediately after the beginning of flowering and the second time - at the end of the season. But at the end of the year, you will no longer need urea solution, but phosphorus and potassium. Under the root make 10 grams of potassium fertilizer and 15 grams of superphosphate. There are universal fertilizers that can be purchased in special stores.
Pruning
Pruning is carried out for almost every garden plant, and barberry is no exception. During this procedure, you need to remove all dry and weak branches, as well as those that spoil the shape of the crown. Decorative species begin to trim a year after planting, in the spring. At this time, you need to halve all the shoots. Further trimming will be carried out twice a year. The first of these should be held in early June, and the second in late August.
During this procedure, the gardener not only gets rid of the diseased and dry branches, but also has the opportunity to give the crown a look that only he likes.
Diseases and Pests
Barberis Thunberg Golden Ring is afraid of insects such as:
- Barberry aphid.
- Barberry sawfly.
- Flower moth.
The first can be noticed quite quickly. The leaves of the bush begin to curl and dry out a little. The last great danger is for those species from which gardeners collect fruits, since this insect likes to eat their core. The aphid is afraid of the soap solution with which the leaves are treated. And with the two remaining pests it is better to fight with a solution of chlorophos.
Propagation of barberry
There are four ways to breed Thunberg Aurea barberry. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Further we will consider them in more detail.
For seed propagation, you need to collect ripe berries from the bush and separate the seeds. The resulting seeds need to be lowered for several minutes in a potassium permanganate solution, and then dried well. With the onset of autumn, seeds can be planted directly in open ground to a depth of one centimeter. In the spring, the first two leaves will appear on the seedlings, and it is at this moment that you need to break through the beds, leaving the most powerful seedlings. The distance between them should be at least three centimeters.
Seedlings can be transferred to a permanent place only two years after planting seeds. Those who want to plant seeds in the spring should not forget about the stratification of planting material. Here, it is understood that the collected seeds must be mixed with sand and sent to the refrigerator for five months.
Seedlings that have been transferred to a permanent place, after two or three years, can give the first fruits. But this is only possible if there are several representatives of this family on your site. This is due to the fact that these plants need exclusively cross-pollination.
Another method of propagation is cuttings. In mid-June, you should cut the required number of cuttings, remove all the lower leaves and cut half of the branches from above. In this form, the cuttings are placed for several hours in a special solution that will stimulate the formation of roots. You can buy it at any specialized store. After this procedure, they need to be dried, and the cuttings will be ready for planting in the greenhouse.
In the greenhouse, you need to prepare the substrate in advance, which should include humus, fertile soil, peat and some sand. On top of the seedlings should be covered with film or glass, and in this position they are two weeks. Periodically, the roof must be removed to ventilate the seedlings. But when rooting takes place, the need for it will completely disappear.
To breed barberry with layering, you need to choose a strong shoot in the spring no older than the annual one. It should be close to the ground so that it can be bent and laid in a ditch about twenty centimeters deep. Firmly fix the branch in the ground and sprinkle with the ground. Only the tip of the shoot should remain above the ground. In the autumn, roots and seedlings will appear on the layering, which can be transplanted to a permanent place.
Division of the bush is the last way of reproduction. It is used for breeding small varieties. Choose plants that are already three years old. The bush needs to be dug up and carefully divided into several parts so as not to injure the shoot and root system. The resulting seedlings need to be planted in the garden area. Do not forget to process all slices with powdered coal.
Wintering
Young shrubs, who are not yet five years old, need to be covered with a spruce for the winter. This is especially true for evergreen varieties. If your bush grows very much, then for its shelter you can use the system that is suitable for roses or hydrangea. All branches need to be tightly tightened with a rope and a cylinder made of metal mesh. It should rise above the bush by ten centimeters. In the formed gaps, you need to pour dry foliage, and wrap the cylinder itself with covering material.
Barberry Properties
Barberry is very much appreciated among gardeners as an ornamental plant. They are decorated with gardens, personal plots and even make hedges out of it. But this plant is no less appreciated for its berries, which are not only very tasty, but also healthy. Vitamins are found not only in berries, but also in the leaves of this shrub.
Barberry is used at high pressure to treat various intestinal infections, and it is also an effective way to combat psoriasis. Another barberry can relieve general fatigue from the human body. For the manufacture of various tinctures and medicines use any part of the bush, but it is better if it is ripe berries or leaves. Do not pick unripe berries, as they may contain toxic substances.
Contraindications
You can not use barberry for children who have not reached the age of 12, and people who have a negative reaction of the body to this product. There are contraindications for use in diseases such as cirrhosis, gallstone disease, complex forms of hepatitis. It is better to refrain from use during pregnancy and lactation, as well as during various types of bleeding. And most importantly, you need to remember that berries that are not ripe are poisonous to the human body.