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The leading position in the popularity rating of ornamental shrubs is occupied by Barberry Amursky for useful fruits, a high level of fruiting, good taste and unpretentiousness in care. Every year the number of fans of this luxurious and healing plant is growing rapidly. The culture is grown as a supplier of delicious berries, for aesthetic purposes, to create shaded corners and living fences.
Description of Barberry Amur
Amur barberry is a deciduous prickly shrub of the Barberry family. The plant can reach a height of up to 2 meters. The shrub forms straight, weakly branched, standing and ribbed branches, painted yellow, which turn gray by autumn. The plant is decorated with obovate or elliptical leaves, located in bunches on shortened shoots. The length of the leaf plate is 12 cm, and the width is 5 cm. The bright color of the leaves attracts attention: in summer they have a light green color, and in autumn they acquire a purple, dark red hue.
The plant has spines that are yellowish in color and up to 3 cm long. The inflorescences are racemose, up to 10 cm long, consisting of 10–25 drooping flowers, painted pale yellow and distinguished by a strong aroma. The berries of Barberry Amur are bright red, ellipsoidal in shape, 1 cm long. The fruits are dryish, sour in taste. The photo of Barberry Amursky is truly mesmerizing.
The plant pleases with its flowering for 3 weeks. The fruits ripen in August-October. Harvesting can be carried out in late autumn – in November.
Medicinal properties
The perennial thorny shrub Barberry Amursky owes its healing ability to its unique chemical composition, so products based on it can be used as an auxiliary treatment for many diseases to increase the effect. The benefits of the plant are determined by the fact that Amur Barberry:
- belongs to the pharmacological group of anti-inflammatory and sedative medicines of plant origin;
- used as a bactericidal, hemostatic and antipyretic agent;
- has a choleretic and diuretic effect;
- promotes an increase in appetite;
- It is used in cooking, because the sour-bitter taste of the fruit makes Amur Barberry a universal seasoning for sauces, meat and fish dishes.
Roots, bark, leaves, flowers, berries of the prickly bush Barberry Amursky are used as raw materials for treatment. From them, they prepare healing remedies in the form of infusion, decoction, tea, oil, each of which is endowed with healing power and has been used in the treatment of various diseases.
Medicinal properties of the perennial shrub Barberry Amur:
- a decoction prepared from the bark and roots of the plant treats diseases of the respiratory system, tuberculosis, pneumonia, malaria;
- an infusion of crushed roots has a therapeutic effect in rheumatism, arthritis;
- tincture based on Barberry Amur is used in obstetric practice, in the postpartum period with bleeding and with endometritis at the time of menopause;
- decoctions help improve a person’s condition in case of impaired kidney function, bladder pathology, cystitis, urethritis;
- teas from the fruits of the plant are used as an antiscorbutic agent, as well as for cholelithiasis, impaired motor activity of the bile ducts, hepatitis;
- substances found in the roots, bark and leaves of the perennial thorny shrub Amur Barberry are considered effective helpers in pathologies of the cardiovascular system, and also lower blood pressure;
- for intestinal infections and digestive disorders, use tinctures or decoctions of Barberry Amur, which contribute to the rapid restoration of microflora.
- is a component of creams intended for the treatment of skin diseases, and oil extracts and infusions help to cure eczema, frostbite.
Planting and caring for the bush Barberry Amur
A favorable period for planting a perennial prickly shrub Barberry Amur – spring, autumn. Before planting, you need to find out where the plant grows and bears fruit well, as well as how to properly organize crop care.
Seedling and planting preparation
High-quality planting material is a determining factor when planting Amur Barberry, since full-fledged, prolific bushes will not grow from weak seedlings affected by pests and diseases. Therefore, seedlings should be characterized by a strong and strong root system without obvious defects.
When choosing a place to plant, you need to take into account both the aesthetic appearance of the garden plot and the needs of the plant for its normal growth and development.
Amur barberry is very demanding on location, heat and moisture. Therefore, preference should be given to spacious, sunny places, not shaded, but protected from drafts. And also the perennial thorny shrub Barberry Amursky reacts poorly to the proximity of groundwater and stagnant moisture, so it is advisable to plant it on a slope. The culture does not suffer from a lack of organic matter in the soil, but with excessive acidity above pH 7,5, care should be taken to add limestone or dolomite flour.
Before planting a perennial thorny shrub Barberry Amur, it is important to prepare a hole in advance. For bushes not older than 3 years of age, the diameter of the planting hole should be 25 cm, and the depth should be 25–30 cm. Under seedlings aged 4 to 7 years, a recess should be made with a diameter and a depth of 50 cm. hedges, you will need a trench 40 cm deep and wide.
After the planting pit is organized, a nutrient mixture is needed to fill it, which should contain humus, sand and loose garden soil in equal proportions.
Rules of landing
Proper planting is a guarantee of successful development and comfortable existence of the perennial thorny shrub Barberry Amur, so the following procedure should be followed:
- Prepare the planting hole and lower the seedling so that the neck of the root is under the ground at a depth of 3 cm.
- When planting a hedge, a distance between planting units should be observed, which should be 30–40 cm.
- Compact the earth around the bush and pour into the near-trunk circle about one bucket of warm water.
- At the end of the planting process, mulch the soil using sawdust or leaves.
Ornamental trees and shrubs of Barberry Amursky, planted in the garden, will bring a lot of gifts: joy to the eyes, clean air to the lungs and bliss to the taste buds.
Watering and top dressing
Watering should be done once a week. And at the time of growth of shoots, the formation of an ovary, the ripening of fruits, the bushes of Barberry Amur may experience a need for moisture. To keep the soil moist, especially during the dry season, it is necessary to increase the amount of watering.
The Amur barberry is responsive to good nutrition, which can be mineral and organic supplements. You can feed in the second year after planting. After each application of fertilizer, the ground should be mulched with a mixture of peat and rotted manure. This will help to better absorb fertilizers, and also protect the perennial shrub Barberry Amur from weed growth and retain moisture.
Trimming
Annually, it is necessary to prune the bush of Barberry Amursky, removing weak and poorly developed shoots. In the spring, it is recommended to thin out the old bushes. When forming hedges, pruning should be carried out in the second year after planting, while cutting off half of the ground part. In the future, cut 2 times a year: in June and August.
Preparation for winter
With the advent of autumn, preparations for the winter of all garden plants start, including the perennial shrub Barberry Amur. First you need to put things in order in the trunk circles:
- remove debris and dig the soil under the bush;
- fertilize using humus or compost;
- carry out sanitary pruning;
- mulch with loose peat moss or dried leaves.
Young bushes of Barberry Amursky under the age of 5 years are very sensitive to winter cold, so they must be covered with spruce branches before the onset of the first frost. Large-sized thorny bushes can be tied with a rope, a lattice box can be built around it, into which dry leaves are poured, and wrapped with agrofiber on top.
Reproduction
The Amur barberry is perfectly propagated by cuttings, layering and seeds. The best option for a novice gardener would be to buy a seedling, since propagation using seeds will take a lot of time.
To propagate a plant by cuttings, it must be carefully cut, planted in fertile soil, watered and waited until the roots form. Then transfer to a permanent place in open soil.
When propagating by layering, the shoot should be pinned to the ground and spud with moist earth. The soil needs to be moistened until the layers take root. And also Barberry Amur can be propagated by dividing the bush. This will not only allow you to get planting material, but will also help rejuvenate the plant and maintain its intensive development. To do this, the bush must be carefully removed from the ground, divided and seated. In this case, the perennial thorny shrub Barberry Amursky will quickly take root and begin to bear fruit.
Diseases and pests
Barberry Amur is susceptible to various diseases that affect the quality of the crop and the lifespan of the plant. It is important to detect and identify the disease in a timely manner and take appropriate measures. The most common disease is powdery mildew, which is manifested by a powdery coating on leaves, shoots and fruits.
For better protection against diseases of the Amur Barberry shrub, the necessary procedures should be followed. Firstly, remove dead leaves, cut off dried shoots, and secondly, systematically carry out preventive treatment with a solution of colloidal sulfur, a sulfur-lime mixture. And remember to feed the root system with nutrients.
The perennial thorny shrub Barberry Amursky can also be attacked by pests, namely barberry aphid, flower moth. In order for the plant not to be the center of the accumulation of insects, it is necessary to carry out protective operations. Remove and burn fallen leaves in spring and autumn. Regularly inspect Barberry Amur and, if pests are found, urgently start fighting them, resorting to mechanical and chemical methods of getting rid of various insects.
Conclusion
Amur barberry has earned popularity due to the beautiful shape of the bush, large leaves, abundant flowering and fruiting. Landscape designers knowingly chose this perennial thorny shrub to create hedges and borders in the garden.