Barberry is absolutely not demanding on growing conditions, but this does not mean that the plant does not need to be looked after at all. In order for the bushes to maintain their decorative appearance for many years, it is necessary to pay attention to their proper nutrition and know how to feed barberry in different periods growing season.

The main goal of spring feeding of barberries is to create the maximum comfortable conditions For active growth, abundant flowering and high-quality fruiting of shrubs, as well as successfully overcoming diseases and exposure negative factors environment.

Problems solved in the process of achieving the main goal of fertilizing barberry:

1. Restoration of soil reserves of microelements necessary for normal vegetation of bushes.
2. Increasing plant resistance to changing environmental conditions.
3. Stimulating the growth of new healthy shoots on bushes.
4. Increasing the number of full-fledged ovaries in varietal varieties grown to produce edible fruits.

What fertilizers are suitable for barberry?

In order for the bushes to quickly and efficiently grow their crown, bloom luxuriantly and produce a stable harvest, they need to be provided with microelements important for development in a timely manner.

Organic fertilizers

The first application of organic matter is combined with planting barberry seedlings on permanent place growth. So that the bushes take root faster and do not experience a lack of food for as long as possible. nutrients ah, in landing hole Along with sand, about 10 kg of turf soil mixed with high-quality compost or humus is laid. The soil surface under the planted bushes can be mulched with peat: from such a nutrient layer essential microelements will promptly reach the roots of barberry with moisture.

It is forbidden to place fresh manure in planting holes, as it can completely burn the rhizomes of the bushes. This type Organics are used only after preliminary composting or reheating.

In the future, it is preferable to apply organic compounds under barberry bushes in the fall, when the growing season ends. The frequency of fertilizing is once every 2-3 years.

Mineral fertilizers

Provided that the pit for planting barberry is prepared according to the rules, the introduction chemicals for bushes they plan for the 3rd or 4th year after planting, since the plants spend the first 2 years on full rooting and adaptation to conditions open ground, and only after that they begin to grow actively.

For high-quality development, barberries especially need nitrogen, so in the spring urea is added to the plants (to feed 1 bush, 20 g of fertilizer is diluted in a bucket of water) or ammonium nitrate(for each plant prepare a solution of 30 g of product and a bucket of water).

Phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are applied at the end of spring or left until autumn feeding. If barberries are planted in depleted soil, a handful of superphosphate is added to the planting holes along with organic matter. Phosphorus-containing preparations are applied at the rate of 15 g of the product, dissolved in a bucket of water, for each bush. The minerals contained in these fertilizers are necessary for barberry for abundant flowering and subsequent high-quality fruiting. Potassium preparations have the same purpose; they are applied at the rate of 10 g per 10 liters of water per plant.

During the planting process, you must carefully ensure that the roots of the bushes do not come into contact with those placed in the planting hole. mineral means- this can provoke a severe burn, due to which the seedlings will suffer for a long time and be seriously ill or die.

Complex fertilizers

With the onset of summer, when the barberries have already bloomed, they are additionally fed with complex mineral products. Well proven in caring for ornamental shrubs the following drugs:

• Kemira-universal: nitrogen 10%, phosphorus 20%, potassium 20%. For feeding, 15 g of fertilizer is diluted in 10 liters of water. The resulting volume of solution is calculated for 1 plant.
• Mortar. The ratio of microelements: nitrogen 18%, phosphorus 6%, potassium 18%. Apply 20 g of product dissolved in 10 liters of water under the bushes.

Complex feeding of bushes can be done once at the beginning of spring, replacing the application of nitrogen fertilizers. In this case, the complete mineral preparation is applied in an amount of 40-50 g for each plant (after preliminary dilution in water according to the instructions).

Fertilizing barberry depending on the soil

The quality of soil for barberry is not particularly important, but it feels best on neutral substrates. If the acidity level of the soil is increased, add to the soil before planting the bushes. slaked lime(at the rate of 400 g per planting hole) and wood ash(about 200 g per plant).

IN loamy soil It is recommended to pre-add a large number of peat: this measure will provide the bushes with nutrition and make the soil looser, creating additional air flow to the root system, which will have a beneficial effect on the development of the plant.

When growing barberry on poor soils, fertilizers begin to be applied to the bushes from the second year after planting. If the soil on the site is fertile, after planting it is advisable to wait 3-4 seasons with fertilizing. If necessary, the bushes can be fertilized in the second year, but in this case they are limited to only a couple of foliar feeding(spraying with a complex preparation dissolved in water).

General rules for applying fertilizers

For healthy barberry growth, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

1. Feeding must be carried out regularly, adhering to the recommended schemes and schedules. Untimely introduction of any element can negatively affect the development of barberry, its decorative properties and quality of the harvest.
2. You should not limit yourself to one type of fertilizing, focusing only on organic matter or minerals. The optimal diet for the crop in question can be formed using all types of fertilizers.
3. When fertilizing, fertilizers must be distributed evenly in the soil, embedding them into the soil so that nothing remains on the surface, since when the preparations come into contact with the air, the beneficial substances evaporate without having time to get to the roots of the bushes.
4. Fertilizers applied should be embedded in a damp layer of soil (to a depth of 10-25 cm). It is here, in the upper layers of the soil, that all important processes take place and the greatest activity of the barberry root system is noted. If fertilizers are located near the soil surface or buried more than 25 cm, it is likely that the plants will receive only part of the nutrients from them, while the rest will remain in the soil without bringing the desired benefit.
5. When independently preparing complex drugs, you must first study information about compatibility minerals. Fertilizers should be mixed in full accordance with the instructions, otherwise chemical reactions may begin in the prepared mixture, which will lead to the loss of important nutrients.

Growing barberries for berries, chemicals It is not recommended to get carried away, since they directly affect the quality and safety of the fruit.

Scheme and timing of spring feeding of barberry

• First feeding - in early spring when vegetation processes are activated. During this period, half the annual nitrogen norm is applied; if necessary, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are added in the amount of 15% of the plants’ annual need for these substances.
• The second feeding is during the budding period a week before the flowers appear. Fertilizers are applied comprehensively to provide another 15% of the plants' needs for important microelements.
• The third feeding is after flowering is completed. Carry out as necessary in the same dosage as the second. This treatment requires mainly barberry varieties that are grown to produce edible berries.

Fruiting varieties of the crop should be fertilized according to this scheme annually, and for decorative varieties, such as Thunberg barberry, such frequent feeding is not necessary; mineral preparations are applied to them every 3 or 4 years.

When growing barberries in groups in the form of a hedge, the bushes are fed every 2 years, since plants planted close very quickly draw nutrients from the soil.

Along with feeding barberries, like any other cultivated plants, it is necessary to periodically treat against pests and diseases. Bushes are often attacked by aphids and moths - the drug Fitoverm will help against them. Fundazol copes well with powdery mildew, and 1% Bordeaux mixture is effective against rust.

Mistakes gardeners make when applying fertilizers

Often, inexperienced plant growers make mistakes when growing barberry. Let's look at the most common of them:

1. Incorrect selection of fertilizers. In order for fertilizers to be beneficial to the garden, it is important to correctly determine the plants’ need for nutrients, otherwise there is a risk of adding the wrong product, which will result in an excess of one microelement in the soil, while the deficiency of another will not be covered. Most drugs cannot be mixed or administered at the same time, since the active components can inhibit and block each other’s action.
2. Failure to comply with recommended dosages of microelements. This mistake is one of the most common even among experienced gardeners. It is difficult to calculate the exact need of a particular plant for various nutrients; there is always a risk of making a mistake, up or down. In this case, you cannot be guided by the folk wisdom “you can’t spoil porridge with oil,” since trace elements added to the bushes in excess quantities suppress other important substances, and therefore do not allow barberries to develop harmoniously. Excess fertilizer provokes increased growth of the vegetative mass to the detriment of the ripening of berries, and plants that have devoted all their efforts to growing greenery and have not coped with the fruiting phase may freeze with the arrival of winter.
3. Violation optimal timing making. Each type of fertilizer activates certain vegetation processes, the untimely start of which can negatively affect the development of plants. Thus, nitrogen preparations stimulate the growth of shoots and vegetative mass; if they are applied in the second half of the season, the bushes, having begun to grow, will not be able to properly prepare for wintering, as a result of which the young stems will simply freeze.
4. Inattention to the expiration dates of fertilizers and storage rules. Even if the package indicates that the period of agricultural use of the product is unlimited, this does not mean that it can be used at any time. Over time, any drug loses beneficial features, especially if it is not stored correctly: not observed required humidity, temperature, exposure to direct sunlight, etc. Fertilizers should be used fresh; it is in this form that they quickly penetrate the root system of the bushes and are better absorbed in the future.
5. Uneven distribution of fertilizers in the soil. If there are unequal amounts of useful substances in different layers of the soil, then the barberry roots will not be able to use some of them, which means that there is a possibility that the deficiency of microelements will not be eliminated, although all fertilizing was carried out according to schedule.

Barberries, like any other plants, need additional nutrition. Timely application of fertilizers, correctly selected dosage of nutrients and method of fertilizing will have a beneficial effect on both the appearance and yield of the bushes. Even minimal attention paid by the gardener to barberry is rewarded lush greenery and abundant fruiting.

Planting and caring for barberry (in brief)

• Landing: if necessary in the fall, during leaf fall, but best in the spring, as soon as the snow melts.
• Lighting: bright sunlight or partial shade.
• The soil: neutral, the composition does not matter much.
• Mulching: desirable.
• Watering: During the season with normal rainfall, barberry does not require moisture, but if there is a drought, water the plant once a week at the root. Newly planted bushes also need weekly watering.
• Feeding: a year after planting and then every 3-4 years in early spring, the plant is fed with nitrogen fertilizers, and after flowering and in the fall - with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.
• Trimming: The first time the procedure is carried out in the spring on a one-year-old bush, then barberry is used for sanitary purposes, and to form the crown it is pruned twice a year: in the first half of June and in early August. Crowns low-growing species and varieties need not be formed.
• Reproduction: seeds and vegetatively: layering, dividing the bush and cuttings.
• Pests: barberry aphids, sawflies and flower moths.
• Diseases: rust, powdery mildew, bacteriosis, wilting, drying out of shoots and leaf spotting.

Read more about growing barberry below.

Barberry bush - description

Barberry shrub is deciduous, evergreen or semi-evergreen thorny plants with alternate, simple, and sometimes leathery leaves. Barberry spines are modified leaves, of which only the midrib remains. In the axil of the thorn, such short shoots develop that the barberry leaves grow in the form of bunches. On the run current year the leaves are arranged in a spiral, singly. Barberry flowers are small, fragrant, yellow-golden or orange with red hues included - usually collected in a corymbose or racemose inflorescence, but sometimes they are solitary. Each petal has two nectaries. The smell of blooming barberry attracts bees - barberry is an excellent honey plant. Barberry fruits vary in color and shape, which depend on the type and variety of the plant. Barberry tolerates urban conditions well, any soil is suitable for it, it is drought-resistant and completely unpretentious. Barberry is the best shrub for a hedge.

Planting barberry

When to plant barberry.

Barberry is most often planted in the spring, as soon as the soil thaws, but you need to have time to plant the seedlings before the buds open. In rare cases, barberry is planted in the fall, during the period of mass leaf fall. Due to the unpretentiousness of barberry, it can grow on open areas, because it is not afraid of drafts and strong winds, as well as in partial shade, but under the bright sun, varieties and species with purple leaves look brighter. As for the acidity of the soil, barberry prefers neutral soils, but can normally withstand soil with a pH no higher than 7. If the soil on the site is strongly shifted towards the acidic side, it needs to be limed. This can be done in advance or directly during planting by pouring into the planting hole a mixture of 8-10 kg of humus or compost and garden soil, 100 g of superphosphate, 400 g of slaked lime and 200 g of wood ash.

How to plant barberry.

At single landing the distance between the bushes is maintained from one and a half to two meters, but if you decide to plant hedge from barberry, then two bushes are planted per linear meter. The size of the holes for seedlings, which need to be dug 2-3 weeks before planting, is approximately 40x40, and a trench for a hedge is dug about 40 cm deep. To increase the aeration of the roots, a layer of sand is poured onto the bottom of the trench or each hole. If the pH value of the soil is slightly shifted towards the alkaline side, neutral or slightly acidic, then the mixture, the composition of which is indicated in the previous section, but without lime and ash, is poured into the hole before planting. Then a barberry seedling is lowered into the hole, sprinkled with earth, compacted, watered abundantly, and then mulched trunk circle peat or compost. After planting, the above-ground part of the seedling is cut off, leaving only a part with 3-5 well-developed buds.

Barberry care

How to care for barberry.

Even a novice gardener can plant and care for barberry, and it doesn’t really matter what species it belongs to, since planting and caring for Thunberg barberry, for example, which is a purely decorative species due to its too bitter fruits, is not much different from caring for for species bearing edible berries. So, having once learned the instructions for caring for barberry, you can grow barberry in the garden different varieties, types and forms. Add to list necessary work Barberry care includes timely watering, weeding, loosening the soil on the site, pruning and fertilizing. There is no need to water barberry when there is a normal amount of precipitation, and only in extreme heat and drought, the soil in the area with barberry still needs to be moistened weekly - with cool water at the root, trying not to get on the leaves. Newly planted bushes are watered with the same regularity until they take root. What is more dangerous for barberry is not dryness, but frequent and heavy rains, due to which moisture can accumulate in the roots, which the plant fears much more than drought. Promptly remove weeds from the area, as well as root shoots that grow abundantly around barberry bushes, and do not forget to loosen the soil. To make caring for barberry easier, mulch the area with peat, sawdust or walnut shells.

Barberry fertilizer.

Fertilizers added to the soil when planting will last the barberry for a year. Next spring, each barberry bush is fed with nitrogen fertilizer in the form of a solution of 20-30 g of urea in a bucket of water. From now on it will be enough to contribute nitrogen fertilizers once every three to four years, but if you grow barberry for its healthy edible berries, then after flowering and at the end of the season you need to feed the bush with phosphorus and potassium - 10 g of potassium fertilizer and 15 g of superphosphate for each bush. Optimal complex fertilizer for barberry is a Kemira-universal solution, which is applied at the beginning of July at the rate of 15 g per bucket of water.

Barberry pruning.

Like others garden shrubs When pruning barberry, remove weak, dry shoots that thicken the bush. First trimming decorative species barberry is produced in the spring on a one-year-old bush, shortening the shoots by half or even two-thirds, then the bush is pruned twice a year - in the first half of June and in early August. In addition to its sanitary function, pruning also has a formative meaning. Low growing varieties and types of barberry do not need to be cut.

Pests and diseases of barberry.

Among the harmful insects, the plant can be affected by barberry aphids, barberry sawflies and flower moths. The appearance of aphids is detected by wrinkling and drying of the leaves, and the moth is more dangerous for barberries with edible berries, since it eats away the fruits. Aphids can be fought with a solution of laundry soap (300 g of soap per 10 liters of water), and moths, like sawfly caterpillars, are poisoned with a one to three percent solution of chlorophos.

Among the diseases, barberries most often suffer from fungal diseases, including powdery mildew, rust, bacteriosis, leaf spot and wilt. Powdery mildew looks like a white loose coating covering the leaves, shoots and fruits of barberry. By autumn, cleistothecia form on the affected areas, in which the fungus survives the winter. Powdery mildew can be destroyed by treating the plant with a one percent solution of colloidal sulfur; severely affected parts of the plant must be removed and burned. Rust usually appears on barberries growing near cereal fields and appears as bright orange spots on the top side sheet plate, and on the underside it appears as convex red pads. If the infection is severe, the barberry leaves begin to dry out and fall off. You can eliminate the problem by treating barberry three times with one percent solutions of colloidal sulfur or Bordeaux mixture, starting immediately after the leaves bloom and every three weeks. Barberry can be eliminated from spots that disfigure leaves with spots of various shapes by treating with copper oxychloride, diluted in an amount of 30-40 g in 10 liters of water, applied before and after flowering. Wilting causes premature lethargy and drying out of the leaves and shoots of barberry, gradually spreading from one side of the bush to the entire plant. Timely removal of diseased shoots can prevent the disease from spreading to the entire bush. If the disease is detected in a timely manner, treating the bush with Bordeaux mixture or copper oxychloride helps cure the plant. Used as a preventive measure spring treatment barberry with Bordeaux mixture. Bacteriosis is a bacterial cancer that manifests itself on barberry with cracks, tumors and growth. If the tip of the shoot is affected by bacteriosis, this is not so bad - remove the affected part of the shoot, capturing healthy tissue. But if cancer affects the shoot in its lower part adjacent to the trunk, the entire plant is doomed. Remove diseased areas of barberry, be sure to burn them, and treat the bush itself with Bordeaux mixture or other copper-containing preparation.

Barberry propagation

How to propagate barberry.

Reproduction of barberry is possible in a generative way, that is, by seeds, and vegetatively - by cuttings, layering and dividing the bush. Each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages, but having information about each of them will make it easier for you to make a choice.

Growing barberry from seeds.

Collect ripe barberry berries, separate the seeds from the fruit pulp, hold them for several minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate, and then dry. In the fall, the seeds are sown directly into the soil of the training bed to a depth of 1 cm; in the spring, after the appearance of two true leaves, the seedlings are thinned out so that there is a distance of at least three centimeters between them. Seedlings are grown in a training bed for two years, and then transplanted to a permanent place. If you decide to sow barberry seeds in the spring, then you will first have to stratify them - mix the seeds with sand and keep them for two to five months in the refrigerator at a temperature of 2-5 ºC. Barberry seedlings transplanted to a permanent place bear fruit 2-3 years after germination, but only if the barberry at the dacha is represented by not one, but several bushes - barberries bear fruit only with cross-pollination.

Propagation of barberry by cuttings.

Barberry cuttings are cut in mid-June early in the morning. The lower leaves are removed from the segments, and the upper ones are shortened by half. The cuttings are dipped for several hours in a solution of a root former - epin, root, heteroauxin, then they are washed in water and planted in a greenhouse in a moist substrate of approximately the following composition: one part each of humus, fertile soil and peat with the addition of half a part of sand. Build a transparent, removable dome for the greenhouse in which the cuttings will stay for about two weeks. The lid is lifted from time to time to ventilate the cuttings, and after they have rooted, they are removed completely. Cuttings of barberry also involve growing seedlings in a training bed for two years until transplanting to a permanent place.

Reproduction of barberry by layering.

In the spring, select a strong annual shoot from the lower branches of the bush, bend it to the ground, place it in a pre-made groove about 20 cm deep, secure it in it and fill the groove with earth, leaving only the top of the shoot on the surface. By autumn, the cuttings will take root, and you will have ready-made seedlings that will need to be transplanted and grown.

Reproduction of barberry by dividing the bush.

This method is good for short plant species that have reached three to five years of age, in which the root collar is buried at least 10 cm. In the spring, dig up the bush and cut it into several approximately equal parts. You may have to use a pruning saw in addition to the pruning shears to separate the barberry root, but proceed carefully, being careful not to injure the plant too much. After dividing the bush, treat all sections with crushed coal and plant the divisions. If the shoots on a barberry begin to branch above the soil level, it should not be propagated by dividing the bush.

Barberry in winter

Barberry in autumn.

With the onset of deep autumn, the tree trunk circles around the barberry are mulched with loose material - peat, compost or dry leaves.

Wintering barberry.

Young barberry up to the age of five should be covered with spruce branches for the winter, especially evergreen species. If the barberry bush is too voluminous, it is covered for the winter in the same way as garden roses or hydrangea: the branches are tightly tied with twine or rope, constructed from metal mesh There is a cylinder around the barberry, the height of which is 10 cm greater than the bush; dry leaves are poured into the gap between the bush and the mesh, and then the cylinder is wrapped with covering material.

Types and varieties of barberry

The sheer number of species and varieties of barberry can be confusing, especially since they are all incredibly attractive. When choosing, you should focus on what goal you are pursuing. If you are interested edible berries barberry, then some species are planted for this purpose, but if you want the plants to decorate your garden or become a picturesque hedge around the site, then there are others for this. But there are species and varieties that can successfully cope with both tasks.

Common barberry (Berberis vulgaris)

- the main species of the barberry genus. This is a shrub up to three meters high with gray-brown shoots, on which tripartite spines up to 2 cm long grow. The leaves are elliptical, thin, membranous, with ciliated-serrate edges, the upper side of the leaf plate is dark green, the lower side is dull, gray. green. The racemose inflorescences, up to 6 cm long, consist of brilliant yellow fragrant flowers that bloom for two to three weeks. Numerous bright red fruits reach a length of one and a half centimeters. This species has a large number of varieties - albo-variegata with white-variegated leaves, aureo-marginata with leaves edged with a golden rim, barberry atropurpurea with red or dark purple leaves. And the berries of the seedless form of barberry asperm are very convenient to process.

Eat whole line species similar to common barberry: Provencal barberry (a hybrid of common barberry and Siberian barberry), spinous - a species from the Himalayas, Canadian, Zimbold's barberry, James's barberry and Diels' barberry.

Thunberg's barberry (Berberis thunbergii)

- the most beautiful of the deciduous barberries, the champion of the genus among ornamental species. The height of Thunberg barberry is from 50 cm to 1 m, its branches extend horizontally, yellowish or bright red young densely branched shoots are arched, with age they become brown or purple-brown. The spines, 1 cm long, are very thin and elastic. The leaves are elegantly shaped - oblong or obovate, small - no longer than 3 cm, bright green above and bluish below, turning bright red in autumn. Single or clustered flowers, red on the outside of the petals and yellow on the inside, bloom for one to two weeks. Coral-red shiny elliptical fruits up to 1 cm long ripen in early autumn and decorate autumn and even winter bushes. The berries of this species contain many alkaloids and therefore taste bitter, but they are an excellent food for birds in winter. Planting barberry Thunberg and further care it does not cause any trouble, but the aesthetic pleasure that you will get by growing this species or its varieties on your site is beyond all expectations. Thunberg's barberry has several decorative forms: multi-flowered (pluriflora), dark purple (atropurpurea), silver-edged (argenteo-marginata) and others. Popular varieties:

• – barberry Golden Ring up to three meters high with a rounded crown, ovate leaves up to 4 cm long, dark purple-red in color with a yellow border along the edge. In autumn the leaves take on an intense red hue. The flowers, collected in bunches of 2-5 pieces, up to 1 cm in diameter, are yellow on the inside and red on the outside. Coral-red, shiny berries ripen in October;
• – barberry Red Pilar- an attractive columnar-shaped variety up to one and a half meters high and a crown width of up to 45 cm with reddish-purple leaves that turn bright scarlet in autumn;
• – barberry Orange Rocket- a columnar-shaped variety, reaching a height of no more than 120 cm and a width of 60 cm. Small, smooth, ovoid leaves on the current year’s shoots orange color with a yellow border, the leaves on last year's shoots are red-purple - the bush looks incredibly attractive against the backdrop of spring and summer greenery. In autumn the leaves become different shades Red;
• – Kornik- a deciduous shrub one and a half meters tall with pale green leaves covered with random creamy-white spots of various shapes, as if splashed with paint. In autumn, the green background of the leaves turns scarlet red. The variety looks great next to roses, conifers and other varieties of barberry.

Ottawa barberry (Berberis x ottawensis)

is an ornamental hybrid between the atropurpurea form of common barberry and Thunberg barberry. This is one of the most spectacular representatives of the genus: from one and a half to two meters in height, it looks like an enlarged copy of the Thunberg barberry, but the color of the leaves is closer to the purple-leaved form of the common barberry - dark pink-violet, almost black in the sun, color. In autumn, the leaves turn crimson and blaze for a long time in a joyless gray garden. Ottawa barberry is winter-hardy, easy to care for and grows very quickly. Popular varieties:

• – Auricoma– up to 2.5 m high, rounded leaves, up to 5 cm long, bright red in spring and summer, orange in autumn, red-yellow flowers up to 1 cm in diameter collected in racemes up to 5 cm long, bright red fruits;
• – Superba– up to 4 m high, rounded leaves, 3 to 5 cm long, dark red with a bluish bloom, in autumn they turn into various shades of orange and red. Yellow-red flowers are collected in clusters, the berries are red;
• – Silver Miles– this variety must be viewed from afar, because up close it does not look attractive: purple leaves in dirty gray random streaks. From a distance, the bush acquires a lilac hue due to the fusion of gray and purple flowers.

In addition to the listed types of barberry, Juliana, Bean, Tischler, Morrison, Wilson barberries, greenish, willow, multi-flowered, oriental, Iberian, reticulate, similar, bluish-white, boxwood, notched or unedged, large-thorned, provincial, spring are grown in culture around the world , Ili, coin, Korean, Tibetan, Siberian, transparent, round-serrated, twisted, Amur, Turkmen, whole-edged, oblong, round-fruited, Asian and many others.

Properties of barberry

Useful properties of barberry.

The decorative advantages of barberry attracted the attention of gardeners to this plant, but it makes sense to grow barberry in your garden not only because of the beauty of the leaves, flowers and berries, but also because of their medicinal and taste qualities. In this sense, the most popular species is the common barberry, which is grown primarily not as ornamental plant, but as berry bush, from the fruits of which jelly and compotes, syrups, liqueurs, preserves, marinades, jellies and marshmallows are made. In Armenian cuisine, pickled barberries are served with fried vegetables, lamb and rice.

All parts of the plant are suitable for treatment, but more often the fruits and leaves are used to prepare drugs. The fruits must be collected when they are fully ripe, as they are poisonous when unripe. Ripe berries are dried in the shade at a temperature not exceeding 50 ºC, and then stored for no longer than three years in a dry room, placed in carton boxes or paper bags.

Barberry has anti-inflammatory, choleretic, analgesic, antipyretic, antispasmodic, antitumor, hemostatic, and bactericidal effects. A decoction of the roots promotes the outflow of bile and relieves inflammation of the gallbladder. For various forms of hepatitis, digestive disorders, inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract, diseases of the liver, gall bladder and ducts, a decoction of the leaves is used. For chronic pancreatitis, a decoction of barberry bark helps well. The juice of the berries stimulates the appetite and is a mild laxative. Ripe barberry berries consumed with honey increase the body's protective function after radiation exposure. A decoction of barberry root is used to wash sore eyes, wounds, and eczema-affected areas of the skin, and the decoction is also used for lotions, compresses and rubs for radiculitis, arthritis, rheumatism, leg muscle spasms and osteochondrosis.

Barberry - contraindications.

The benefits of barberry for human health are obvious, but there are a number of restrictions on the use of preparations made from it. It is not recommended to use them for children under 12 years of age and people suffering from individual intolerance to the product. Barberry is also contraindicated in cases of liver cirrhosis, complex forms of hepatitis, cholelithiasis, pregnancy, menopause and postpartum hemorrhage. And don’t forget that unripe barberry berries are poisonous!

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Basil - a wonderful universal seasoning for meat, fish, soups and fresh salads - is well known to all lovers of Caucasian and Italian cuisine. However, upon closer inspection, basil turns out to be a surprisingly versatile plant. For several seasons now, our family has been happily drinking aromatic basil tea. In a flowerbed with perennials and in flowerpots with annual flowers, bright spice plant a worthy place was also found.

Thuja or juniper - which is better? This question can sometimes be heard in garden centers and markets where these plants are sold. It is, of course, not entirely correct and correct. Well, it’s the same as asking what is better - night or day? Coffee or tea? Woman or man? Surely, everyone will have their own answer and opinion. And yet... What if you approach with an open mind and try to compare juniper and thuja according to certain objective parameters? Let's try.

Brown Cream of Cauliflower Soup with Crispy Smoked Bacon is a delicious, smooth and creamy soup that both adults and children will love. If you are preparing a dish for the whole family, including kids, then do not add a lot of spices, although many modern children are not at all against spicy flavors. Bacon for serving can be prepared in different ways - fry in a frying pan, as in this recipe, or bake in the oven on parchment for about 20 minutes at 180 degrees.

For some, the time of sowing seeds for seedlings is a long-awaited and pleasant chore, for others it is a difficult necessity, and others wonder whether it would be easier to buy ready-made seedlings on the market or from friends? Be that as it may, even if you gave up growing vegetable crops, for sure, you will still have to sow something. These are flowers and perennials, conifers and much more. A seedling is still a seedling, no matter what you sow.

A lover of moist air and one of the most compact and rare orchids, pafinia is a real star for most orchid growers. Its flowering rarely lasts longer than a week, but it can be an unforgettable sight. You want to look at the unusual striped patterns on the huge flowers of a modest orchid endlessly. IN indoor culture pafinia is rightly ranked among the difficult-to-grow species. It became fashionable only with the spread of interior terrariums.

Pumpkin ginger marmalade is a warming sweet that can be prepared almost all year round. Pumpkin keeps for a long time - sometimes I manage to save a few vegetables until summer, fresh ginger and lemons are always available these days. Lemon can be replaced with lime or orange to create different flavors - variety in sweets is always nice. The finished marmalade is placed in dry jars; it can be stored at room temperature, but it’s always healthier to cook fresh food.

In 2014, the Japanese company Takii seed introduced petunia with a striking petal color - salmon-orange. Based on associations with the bright colors of the southern sunset sky, the unique hybrid was named African Sunset. Needless to say, this petunia instantly won the hearts of gardeners and was in great demand. But in the last two years, the curiosity has suddenly disappeared from store windows. Where did the orange petunia go?

In our family Bell pepper they love it, that’s why we plant it every year. Most of the varieties that I grow have been tested by me for more than one season; I cultivate them constantly. I also try to try something new every year. Pepper is a heat-loving plant and quite whimsical. Varietal and hybrid varieties of tasty and productive sweet peppers, which grow well for me, will be discussed further. I live in middle lane Russia.

Meat cutlets with broccoli in béchamel sauce - great idea for a quick lunch or dinner. Start by preparing the mince and at the same time heat 2 liters of water to a boil to blanch the broccoli. By the time the cutlets are fried, the cabbage will be ready. All that remains is to collect the ingredients in a frying pan, season with sauce and bring to readiness. Broccoli needs to be cooked quickly to retain its vibrant color. green color, which, when cooked for a long time, either fades or the cabbage turns brown.

Home floriculture - not only exciting process, but also a very troublesome hobby. And, as a rule, the more experience a grower has, the healthier his plants look. What should those who have no experience but want to have a home do? houseplants- not elongated, stunted specimens, but beautiful and healthy ones, not causing a feeling of guilt with their fading? For beginners and flower growers who do not have much experience, I will tell you about the main mistakes that are easy to avoid.

Lush cheesecakes in a frying pan with banana-apple confiture - another recipe for everyone’s favorite dish. To prevent cheesecakes from falling off after cooking, remember a few simple rules. Firstly, only fresh and dry cottage cheese, secondly, no baking powder or soda, thirdly, the thickness of the dough - you can sculpt from it, it is not tight, but pliable. Good dough with a small amount of flour you will only get good cottage cheese, but here again see the “firstly” point.

Proper planting of Thunberg barberry minimizes further care for this plant, and allows you to admire a beautiful, healthy plant for many years.

Common barberry is an unpretentious, drought-resistant, frost-resistant and durable shrub.

Common barberry is an unpretentious, drought-resistant, frost-resistant and durable shrub. With straight and very prickly branches, the thorns of some varieties reach a centimeter. While the plant is young and the branches are still thin, the bush is quite spreading. But in a couple of years it grows so much that it becomes a dense, impassable barrier. It is this quality that makes barberry one of the best shrubs for green hedges. An adult barberry reaches three meters, but there are also dwarf varieties, literally 30 centimeters in height.

In landscape design and at dachas, Thunberg barberry is used in individual plantings, in groups and as a hedge. Barberry is easy to trim, making it one of the best shrubs for topiary art.

Video about barberry care

We love barberry landscape designers not only for its responsiveness to cutting, but also for its extraordinary decorative effect at any time of the year. With proper planting and care, barberry is beautiful from spring to spring. In May the bushes are literally strewn with small yellow flowers, collected in bunches. All summer months The bush pleases the eye with bright green glossy foliage, and some decorative varieties are variegated, yellow and burgundy. Autumn is the time of crimson, in which barberry bushes are painted. Bright red clusters of berries remain on the branches until next spring.

When choosing a place to plant barberry, you should know one, but very important rule. Despite its unpretentiousness, barberry does not tolerate close groundwater and flooding. Therefore, this plant should not be planted in lowlands. It is also worth considering that in the shade there is foliage decorative varieties loses its unusual color and practically stops bearing fruit.

Despite all its unpretentiousness, barberry does not tolerate close groundwater and flooding.

The planting hole, as for any plant, is prepared in advance. Dig a hole 40x40x40 centimeters, and add 200 grams of superphosphate, 100 grams of potassium sulfate and trace elements for berry crops. If the soil is too heavy, the planting hole is enlarged and humus is added. Allow the soil to stand for several days so that the soil settles. And only then do they start planting. The bushes are planted without deepening the root collar. After planting, water the tree trunk very generously and mulch it. When planting a hedge, the plants are planted in a checkerboard pattern of 25x25 centimeters.

The time for planting barberry depends on the type of seedling. Saplings with an open root system are planted in early spring, even before the buds open. If you follow this rule, the plant easily takes root, and most importantly, does not get sick later. Barberry is planted in autumn in September, after removing the foliage by hand. When planted at such a time, the bush will have time to take root in its new location. For plants purchased in a container, planting time does not matter much. The main thing is not to plant on hot days. And after planting, cover the plant from the bright sun for the first days.

Common barberry is very unpretentious and after correct landing can do without our care altogether. But if we want to get the most decorative and regularly fruiting plant, care is still needed.

Common barberry is very unpretentious and, after proper planting, can do without our care at all.

In the second year after planting, they carry out spring feeding nitrogen and potash fertilizers, and at the end of August with superphosphate.

Barberry is a very fast growing shrub. Mature plant gives up to 30 centimeters of growth, and after a few years it will require regular pruning. The central skeletal branches that thicken the bush must be removed. Barberry is frost-resistant, but in severe winters it can be damaged, which will require spring pruning. For the first two years, young plants are covered with burlap for the winter.

In case of damage by diseases and pests, appropriate treatment is necessary. If the bush is severely damaged, it is better to cut off the diseased branches and burn them. Even after radical pruning, barberry quickly recovers.

Video about caring and growing ornamental shrubs

• If you have collection varieties of barberry, if possible, cover the bushes for the winter.
• Barberry, like any honey plant, has a very strong aroma. For this reason, you should not arrange mass plantings close to your home.
• All work with the plant should be carried out with very durable gloves.