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Viburnum viburnum has become very popular in landscape design. The shrub is unpretentious to growing conditions. Throughout the season, the vesicle retains its decorative effect. Carved leaves of different shades, lush light inflorescences and interestingly shaped fruits give the plantings a special charm. Pruning of the vesicle is carried out to preserve the health of the plant and give the bushes a shape.
Is it possible to cut the vesicle
To create hedges or spectacular group compositions, the vesicle is ideal. Crown up to two meters in diameter with carved leaves grows rapidly. In order for the viburnum vesicle to look well-groomed and retain the chosen shape, shaping haircuts are required as fresh shoots grow.
An unpretentious plant winters well even in cold climates. But unripened branches can suffer from frost or break under the yoke of snow cover. Such shoots must be removed.
The vesicle is disease resistant. But if the rules of care are violated, some pests can affect the shrub. To avoid the death of the plant, it is required to carry out preventive pruning and sanitization from diseases and pests.
When is the best time to cut the vesicle – in spring or autumn
Pruning of the vesicle should be done several times a year. In the spring, before flowering, all damaged or diseased branches must be removed. This will help the shrub to develop properly, without wasting time and effort on restoration.
When the vesicle fades, pruning is carried out to form a crown. Sometimes this requires several events during the season.
In autumn, pruning is carried out to prepare for hibernation.
Types of pruning
Gardeners subdivide the types of pruning of the vesicle according to the purposes for which they are carried out.
Anti-aging pruning of the vesicle
The shrub ages over the years. Lignified thick branches interfere with the further development of the plant and spoil its appearance. The first pruning to rejuvenate the bush must be carried out upon reaching the age of five. It is required to remove all thick branches completely.
Formative
Pruning to give the shrub a beautiful shape is done after flowering. There are several types of haircuts. But in most cases, it all depends on the gardener’s imagination and the ability to properly care for an ornamental plant.
Sanitary
In order to maintain the health of the plant, the shearing of the vesicle of the viburnum is carried out in spring and autumn. When sanitary pruning, it is necessary to remove diseased branches and protect the shrub from the effects of fungal infection and pests.
How to form a vesicle
Formative pruning of the vesicle in the spring is best done after the shrub has faded.
Given the natural growth and location of the branches of the vesicle, it is recommended to form its crown in the form of a ball or fountain.
Beginners can choose a bush already formed by a ball in the nursery for planting in the garden. In this case, you only need to keep fit during the season.
Self-formation of the vesicle should begin in the second year after planting the plant. The task of the first haircuts is to increase the volume of the crown at a height of half a meter. To do this, shorten the branches by half so that young shoots develop faster. In the future, pruning of branches is done by a third of the length of the extension.
The easiest way to grow a vesicle in the form of a fountain. For this purpose, the lower branches are shortened along the perimeter, leaving those that grow from the middle. “By eye” cut off the excess growth that protrudes beyond the visible limits of the planned figure. You can get a “fountain” from the vesicle already in the second or third year after planting the bush.
If the top of the bush is regularly trimmed, then against the background of the lawn, plantings from the vesicle will look like a lush rug.
An incredible amount of effort will be required if the gardener decides to create a geometrically even figure from the vesicle. To maintain the shape, you will have to use pruners very often so that rapidly growing branches do not spoil the look of the figure. Various forms of pruning are performed according to the schemes.
Frameworks
To get a strict shape of a bush in the form of a ball, you can use special frames. The device is installed near the trunk and cut off all branches that protrude beyond the allotted limits.
With the help of frames, you can give the shrub any shape. Such devices are used by designers to create living plant sculptures in the garden and to obtain an interesting form of topiary.
When creating large park ensembles from the vesicle, several bushes are planted nearby. Haircut is carried out taking into account the necessary contours of the figure.
Hedge
Formative hedge trimming begins in early spring. Do not wait until the bush fades. By this time, the hedge can turn into a disheveled ugly planting.
The formation and maintenance of a neat appearance of a hedge or border should be carried out regularly, as the growth grows. Shearing is done up to 4 – 5 times per season to maintain the shape of green spaces.
How to properly cut the vesicle in the spring
In early spring, when the buds are just getting ready to bloom, you need to carry out sanitary pruning. It is possible that not all shoots wintered equally well. Then it is required to remove all damaged parts of the branches from young bushes.
Branches are cut partially or completely, depending on the condition. You can combine sanitary pruning with shaping. But in no case should you leave damaged shoots in order to preserve the shape of the bush.
The vesicle easily tolerates a haircut. Even the removal of a large number of branches will recover quickly enough thanks to high-quality top dressing and proper care.
More mature plants (after 5 years) will have to be subjected to a rejuvenating haircut so that the old branches do not interfere with the development of young growth.
To determine the need for a rejuvenating haircut, monitoring the condition of the bush will help:
- If the number of inflorescences has decreased during the flowering period.
- The flowers were crushed.
- The foliage of the bush has decreased.
Old branches during rejuvenating pruning of the vesicle in the spring are removed to the very base, leaving a small (about 5-7 cm) stump. For work, you can use loppers or special saws. Actions must be accurately calculated so as not to damage the young shoots.
So that the shrub does not suffer from infection, after pruning thick old branches, it is necessary to treat the places of cuts with an antifungal drug and cover them with garden pitch.
Anti-aging pruning can be carried out not only in spring, but also in autumn. The event is held after the leaves fall. It is important to take into account the weather forecast so that the removal of old growth does not lead to the death of the bush from early frosts.
Old branches must be removed and burned. It is old wood that often becomes a breeding ground for infection. Many pests overwinter in plant debris, and then, waking up in the spring, destroy plantings of ornamental and fruit crops.
An example of pruning a vesicle in spring is shown in detail in the video:
Care after spring pruning of the vesicle
The shrub tolerates pruning well and becomes lusher after removing old and diseased parts. But to build up young shoots, he needs top dressing.
In order for the plant to receive all the necessary components for development, it must be fed with organic matter and a mineral complex. Fertilizers are applied in the form of a solution under the root.
To feed an adult bush of a sheared vesicle, up to 10 liters of nutrient fluid will be required. You can use mullein in a diluted form. For 10 liters of water, 4-5 kg of cow manure must be infused for several hours. A liter of the resulting liquid must be diluted with water and water the bush. Experts advise first pouring a bucket of water under the bush so that the nutrient solution is evenly distributed and does not damage the root system of the plant.
Complex preparations can be used to replenish the mineral components after spring pruning. Nitroammophoska is diluted at the rate of 30 g per 10 liters. Potassium nitrate is added along with urea and mullein. To prepare the solution, you will need a tablespoon of fertilizer and about a glass of mullein solution per bucket of water. This mixture will be enough to fertilize an adult bush.
Wounds received by a shrub during pruning can become a gateway for infection. For the purpose of protection, it is worth treating the bushes with standard complex remedies for pests and fungus.
Conclusion
Pruning the vesicle is necessary even if it is not planned to give the bush a special shape. The rapid growth of new growth gradually inhibits the growth of shrubs. And its foliage and flowers lose their decorative effect if old and damaged branches are not removed.