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With the development of landscape design, gardeners are paying more and more attention to growing ornamental varieties of different crops. The southern species of the Aurea barberry shrub is among the first of these crops. Its unpretentiousness to environmental conditions allows you to grow shrubs in any region without making much effort.
Description of Barbaris Aurea
The ornamental prickly shrub barberry Thunberg Aurea in its description has the main difference from other Thunberg barberries in color – lemon yellow.
Otherwise, the description fits the rest of the species of this variety:
- in adulthood, about 10 years old, it is a bright yellow hemisphere in shape, grows up to 1 m high, up to 1,2 m wide;
- the main stems grow vertically, the side stems grow at an angle to the main ones, which makes the shrub spherical in shape;
- yellowish-green shoots with sparse thorns, densely covered with elongated leaves up to 2 cm long;
- small, inconspicuous white flowers are collected in inflorescences of 3-5 pieces, open at the end of May, hiding among dense foliage.
To the lemon-yellow leaves of the Thunberg Aurea barberry, red hues are slightly added in autumn, and in late August the shrub acquires an orange-yellow color. In October, in place of flowers, numerous shiny fruits of dark red color and elongated shape appear. Inedible fruits remain hanging on bare branches until the end of winter. Such a winter view of the Aurea barberry decorates the garden plot in a festive way.
Barberry Thunberg Aurea is picky about climatic conditions and soil conditions. The shrub is drought-resistant, tolerates frost well.
Barberry Aurea in landscape design
The main use of barberry Aurea is decorative. The shrub has become widespread as part of a composite tree and shrub composition in the design of landscape design in gardens, parks, household plots, and on the shore of a reservoir. The yellow color of the barberry aurea creates a contrast with the surroundings and enlivens the area, drawing attention to itself.
Bright blotches with their varied color create Thunberg Aurea barberry bushes of different varieties, if planted in the same area one by one or in groups, as seen in the photo.
Barberry Aurea tolerates urban pollution well, so it is often planted to decorate city parks and streets, create low hedges and borders.
Planting and caring for barberry Thunberg Aurea
Ornamental shrub barberry Aurea comes from Asian countries (China, Japan), but is widely valued by gardeners in other regions of the Earth for its endurance to weather and climatic conditions. You can grow barberry aurea in many regions, planting and care are almost the same as for most shrubs.
Seedling and planting preparation
This southern shrub is very photophilous. However, experienced gardeners are advised to choose a planting site so that the plant does not get burned from the sun and at the same time is not constantly in the shade, otherwise its foliage will lose its brightness. Also on territory, it is better to plant Thunberg Aurea barberry where there are no drafts.
If the soil is acidic, then liming is carried out before planting: 300 g of slaked lime is diluted in a bucket of water and the area is watered. In the future, this should be done regularly.
The roots of the Thunberg Aurea barberry seedling should not be dry when planted. They are slightly soaked by putting them in a container of water. If the seedling was in a pot before planting, then it is separated from the container along with the ground and watered with water so that the roots and ground are wet.
Rules of landing
Barberry Aurea should be planted in a permanent place in early spring – immediately after the snow melts or in autumn – just before the onset of frost. The planting sequence is the same as for many shrubs.
- At the chosen place, they dig a hole measuring 0,5 m in diameter and 0,5 m deep.
- Drainage of several centimeters is arranged in the pit, putting coarse sand, broken bricks or small stones there.
- At the bottom, a fertile mixture of humus, sand and earth is poured from the site in a ratio of 1: 1: 2 and watered a little with water so that it is wet.
- The seedling is planted in a hole and sprinkled with a substrate to such a level that the neck of the seedling is at ground level.
If a hedge is grown, then when forming a dense wall, 1-4 bushes are planted per 5 m, 2 bushes are enough for a freely growing hedge. After planting, mulch is poured around the bush in the form of cut pieces of tree bark, small pebbles, dry grass, wood ash.
Watering and top dressing
In normal weather, the Thunberg Aurea barberry needs 1 bucket of water per week. If a drought occurs, then watering must be done more often so that the earth is not dry.
Barberry is undemanding to fertilizers, but it will respond well if top dressing is carried out according to the rules:
- the first application of nitrogen fertilizers is done in the spring a year after planting the bush;
- 20-25 g of urea is diluted in a bucket of water and poured into the trunk circle of one bush;
- further top dressing is carried out 1 time in 3-4 years.
With a caring attitude, the trunk circle is periodically loosened, deepening by about 3 cm. It is also advisable to regularly mulch the trunk circle.
Trimming
The Thunberg Aurea barberry shrub is cut for the first time 3 years after planting. They do this in the spring, cutting off poorly developed shoots, dry and frozen stems. This is the so-called sanitary pruning. It is carried out as needed.
Decorative and shaping haircuts are carried out 2 times a year – in early June and in the first half of August. If the bush is grown with a natural crown, then it does not need pruning.
Preparation for winter
Young bushes up to 3 years of age are covered with spruce branches or fallen leaves for the winter. This should be done when the air temperature during the day does not rise above 5-70 C, and the ground has already begun to freeze at night.
Reproduction
The most common propagation methods for barberry Thunberg Aurea are seed and green cuttings.
A high yield of seedlings during seed propagation is obtained during autumn sowing. This process does not contain anything special and proceeds, as for most shrub crops:
- ripe fruits are harvested, squeezed through a sieve, washed and dried;
- in autumn, they are sown in prepared loose and moist soil to a depth of 1 cm;
- spring sowing is carried out in the same way, but after 3 months of stratification.
Both seeds and seedlings can be bought at the store. Before landing, they will have to undergo stratification.
For propagation by dividing the bush, 3-5-year-old plants with a shallow planting are well suited. The plant is dug up, carefully divided by secateurs and planted in a new place. This method is rarely used.
Most Aurea barberries are propagated by green cuttings, cutting off the strong green shoots of the current year. There should be 2 nodes and 1 internode on the shoot. Plant the cuttings in boxes with a mixture of peat and sand, where they will grow for 1-2 years until they are ready to be transplanted.
Diseases and pests
Gardeners consider the Thunberg Aurea barberry resistant to various fungal diseases and pests. But it is not recommended to leave the plant unattended, since there are several diseases that only barberries suffer from:
- powdery mildew is caused by a fungus from the genus microsphere;
- leaf spot manifests itself in different ways, and is caused by different fungi;
- barberry aphid can lead to drying of the entire plant;
- leaf rust leads to drying and falling of leaves;
- flower moth destroys fruits;
- barberry sawfly eats leaves.
Powdery mildew is considered one of the most common diseases of barberry Aurea. The leaves and stems of the barberry are covered with white bloom on all sides, and if the treatment of the culture is not started on time, the entire bush will be affected.
To prevent this and other fungal diseases, Aurea barberry bushes are sprayed with special fungicides in the spring before they bloom and then repeat the procedure as needed. Insecticides are used against pests as soon as they are detected.
Conclusion
Barberry Aurea is an ornamental shrub variety. Landscape designers use it with great pleasure as an important element for decorating gardens, parks, and home gardens. Every amateur gardener who is familiar with the basic rules for growing shrubs can grow barberry Thunberg Aurea.
