Contents
Dogwood garden is a very tasty berry, which is mainly grown in southern regions with a favorable climate for the plant. Recently, seedlings have also begun to be prepared for planting in the northern areas, where it is much more difficult to provide proper care. In order for dogwood to give a good harvest, you need to know the features of its cultivation, as well as the method of reproduction.
Features
To date, there are up to fifty different varieties of dogwood. Mostly these are trees, but there are also deciduous shrubs. You can also plant dogwood in the northern regions, however, in such a situation, the berries of the plant will differ in taste from those that were collected in the south. Mild winters and warm, sunny summers make fruit ripen faster. They become juicier and sweeter. If the dogwood was planted in accordance with the recommendations of gardeners, then approximately the same amount of fruit can be collected.
The frost resistance of the tree itself allows it to endure temperatures of about 30 degrees below zero. Therefore, you can plant dogwood in central Our Country. The plant does not like cloudy weather and high humidity of both soil and air. In this regard, long seasonal rains and fog have a bad effect on the crop. This weather also negatively affects the pollination of the tree during flowering. When the dogwood begins to bloom, pollination can last 4 weeks. During this time, the bees will have time to pollinate almost all the inflorescences, if they do not fall off due to strong winds or hail.
The yield of kyzyl directly depends on the age of the plant. The older the tree, the more fruit it can harvest at the end of the season. Given this factor, fruiting can be expected from a few kilograms to two hundred.
Fruits can have a different shape and color. There are black, red, orange, purple and yellow berries. They are usually round or elliptical, but also pear-shaped and cylindrical.
The dogwood tree is a cross-pollinating plant. It is capable of self-pollination, but at the same time fruiting is reduced. It is for this reason that it is desirable that several trees be planted on the site, preferably 4-5 pieces. This will make it possible to increase the yield in the first year of fruiting.
The plant loves a sunny set, but feels best in a slightly shaded place so that the scorching summer sun does not burn the foliage.
Video “Varieties”
From the video you will find out which varieties of dogwood are most often grown.
Species and varieties
Quite often, a poor harvest is due to the fact that the owners chose the wrong dogwood variety for growing on their site. For mid-latitudes, preference should be given to early plant varieties. If you plan to plant cotoneaster to decorate your garden, then it is better to choose large-fruited varieties.
Gardeners recommend starting planting in the country of varieties such as Coral Mark, Evgeny, Vydubetsky, Gentle or Firefly. Large juicy fruits with a small stone. Each of them has some individual characteristics, but are grown in a similar pattern.
Cultivation
If you do not want or do not have the opportunity to independently breed dogwood offspring, then you can purchase ready-made seedlings on the market.
So how should you grow and care for seedlings?
Growing plants consists in removing weeds, loosening the soil, feeding and regular watering. Dogwood grows very well in slight shading, especially in the first years after planting. It is advisable to fertilize the trunk circles of young trees in autumn or spring with organic matter at the rate of 2-3 kg / m2. Mineral fertilizers are applied as follows: phosphorus (30-35 g / m2) – in the fall, nitrogen (15-20 g / m2) and potash (10-12 r / m2) – in the spring. Annual grafted dogwood seedlings must be mulched with sawdust, peat, humus or mowed grass.
If it is well accepted, and does not hurt during flowering, then the grown crop will be quite large. Of course, much will depend on the age of the tree.
Landing
How to plant dogwood at home? In order for the dogwood to take well, you need to plant in a timely manner and ensure proper care for the seedling.
First you need to prepare the ground. Dogwood can take root in almost any soil, but loose soil with a high aquifer is best suited. An exception would be marshy soil, where groundwater is close to the surface. If the root system of the plant is constantly wet, then it will rot before it has time to begin to bear fruit.
It is best to choose places near tall shrubs and trees. This will cover the plant with a shadow so that the flowers and buds will not be under the direct scorching sun for long. Planting should begin in early or mid-autumn, then by the spring season the plant will already take root and can give color.
Before planting, a hole is dug about 80 centimeters deep and up to half a meter in diameter. If there are several planted trees or bushes, then they must be placed so that a distance of 4-5 meters is maintained between them. Seedlings are placed in a hole and buried in soil by 40-45 centimeters. After planting, it is advisable to put a low peg next to it, tying up a tree. The top layer of soil must be mulched.
If during planting you notice that some of the roots have dried up, they need to be cut off.
Care
If you provide proper care for dogwood, then you can harvest a large harvest of delicious juicy berries every year.
To care for the plant does not require any complex measures. The formation of a bush or tree is carried out using pruning. Cornel pruning is carried out in the first 3-4 years. Before cutting the dogwood, you need to wait until the plant takes root and stretches up. The lower shoots are cut off, which can make the bush shapeless. This procedure will not affect the fruiting of the dogwood. Removing excess parts will improve the nutrition of the set fruits and allow the crown to receive more nutrients from the ground.
Fertilizers should be periodically applied to the ground, but not concentrates. You can take charcoal, humus. But also in some cases it may be necessary to treat the plant from insects and certain diseases. As a rule, dogwood is not affected by pests or diseases. But sometimes, extremely rarely, the plant suffers from a fungal rust disease, manifested by yellow spots on the leaves. Destroy the fungus by treating the plant with Bordeaux liquid. Dogwood is also rarely affected by powdery mildew, which is fought with colloidal sulfur. From spotting, dogwood is treated with the same Bordeaux mixture. Of the pests, the dogwood snail bug and the multicolor caterpillar can be disturbed – the first is destroyed by treating the plant with lime, and the second – with Parisian greens.
Caring for dogwood is easy if good healthy seedlings have been planted.
Reproduction
Dogwood propagation can be carried out in two ways: vegetatively and from seeds.
The method of growing a plant from seeds is not the best and most convenient. The main problem is that germination is not guaranteed. And when the dogwood is accepted, then you can expect fruits from it no earlier than in five years. Therefore, the cultivation of dogwood from the stone is carried out when it is not possible to get seedlings.
Seed propagation of dogwood is carried out to create new breeding properties for the plant. It should be noted that the germination of dogwood from green berries is observed much faster than from ripe ones. If fresh fruits are planted, then germination for the next spring can be about 47-48% on average.
How to grow dogwood from a bone, increasing germination? Agronomists have conducted a number of studies and found that there is an effective way to significantly increase the likelihood of plant sprouts if you first prepare seed planting material (for example, drupes). To begin with, the collected seeds are kept for three days in a solution of sulfuric acid (2% concentrate). After soaking, they are laid out in a box with moistened sand, and put it in a greenhouse, where normal air temperature is constantly maintained. When the top layer of sand dries, it is moistened. As a result, at the beginning of spring (after 6 months), the germination rate was almost 80%.
Vegetative propagation of dogwood is carried out by several methods: budding, layering, cuttings. All of these methods are effective. If still grafting, but the pagons take root quite badly. Therefore, dogwood grafting is carried out mainly by experienced gardeners who have experience in propagating plants in a similar way.
Breeding dogwood at home is often carried out using cuttings. You need to start in June, when the shoots have stopped growing. In order for the plant to take root better in the soil, you need to use special stimulating preparations for growth, regulate the level of temperature and humidity in the room (for example, in a greenhouse), and also ensure normal lighting.
Another simple method is budding, gardeners consider it one of the most effective ways. Held in late July or early August. The survival rate of eyes is up to 70%.
You can graft a cutting in early spring with the onset of warming, but the probability of the expected result is usually 15%.
Video “Growing”
After watching the video, you will learn how to properly grow dogwood.
