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Irga Lamarka, the photo and description of which are given in the article, is a perennial shrub.
General description of culture
Irga Lamarck is a compact tall bush or small tree. Belongs to the Rosaceae family, the apple subfamily, so its fruits are sometimes called not berries, but apples. It unites under the common name several varieties that are planted both for landscape design and for harvesting. Irgi Lamarck’s birthplace is Canada. In addition, it is found in the wild in the Crimea, the Caucasus, Europe and even Japan.
Irga Lamarck is often considered an ornamental subspecies of the Canadian shadberry and this shrub is called the Canadian shadberry Lamarck, although this is not the case. Difficulties and confusion in the classification is due to the fact that different wild varieties often grow side by side and are cross-pollinated.
Description of the species
An adult tree is usually formed from one or more trunks. It is quite easy to recognize this shrub by its characteristic cap-shaped crown. The height of the Lamarck irgi in comfortable conditions can reach 8 m, in our latitudes the shrub rarely grows above 5 m. Its main characteristics are given in the table below.
Parameter | Value |
Culture type | Deciduous shrub or tree |
Root system | Powerful, well developed |
Shoots | Smooth, greyish-green, rough |
Crown | Umbrella or cap-shaped |
Leaves | Green, oval, with long petioles. The leaf plate is matte, the edge is serrated. Leaf length – up to 7 cm. The color in autumn changes depending on the species to yellow, orange or purple-red |
Flowers | White, small (3,5-5 mm), have five petals. Collected in large inflorescences of 5-15 pcs. |
Fruit | Purple to black, 1 cm to 2 cm in size, with a characteristic bluish waxy coating |
Irga Lamarka perfectly combines the qualities of both ornamental and berry shrubs. Also its advantages are:
- undemanding to care;
- frost resistance and drought resistance;
- stable fruiting;
- ease of reproduction;
- good immunity to diseases and pests.
According to gardeners, it is these qualities that are decisive when deciding whether to plant Lamarck’s irgi on a personal plot. Many also note the good taste of fruits and their universal purpose. Despite this, the attitude towards this shrub is somewhat dismissive, since gardeners often prefer more “hyped” types of fruit trees and bushes. The usable area is occupied by apple or cherry trees, and the unpretentious irga is planted somewhere in the back of the garden.
What varieties belong to the type of irgi Lamarck
Quite a few varieties belong to the Lamarck irga. Here are the main ones:
- Princess Diana;
- Robin Hill;
- Springtime;
- Ballerina;
- Traditional;
- A loss.
The last two varieties have a controversial classification, since some researchers attribute them to Canadian irga.
Princess Diana
Selected in the USA and patented in 1987. Author: Elm Grove. It is a tall branched shrub or single-trunked tree with a wide (up to 6 m) crown. Height 5–7 m. The color of the bark is gray-brown.
Leaves 6–7 cm long, lanceolate. In spring, the reverse side of the leaf plate is reddish in color, has a characteristic pubescence. In summer, the leaves are olive in color, the reverse side is slightly yellowish. By autumn, the color changes to orange and red.
Flower buds are yellow. Flowers up to 2 cm, white. The berries are medium-sized, 0,8–1 cm. The yield is high. Winter hardiness up to -30 degrees.
Robin Hill
Bred in the US, Pennsylvania. It has a tree-like shoot 6–9 m high, crown size 4–6 m. The leaf is oval, bright green, becoming yellow-orange closer to autumn. The flower bud is pink, the flowers are large, freshly blossomed pink, but in hot weather they quickly turn white.
Young leaves are light, with a white edge, as they grow, they become green in color. In autumn, the crown becomes yellow-red-orange. The plant is great for decorating alleys, park areas, etc. The fruits are black-purple, with a bluish bloom, up to 1 cm in size.
springtime
The plant is a compact large bush with straight shoots up to 3 m long. The leaves are oval, green, by autumn the color changes to yellow and orange.
It is very rare in Our Country, the shadberry of this variety is more common in Europe.
Ballerina
The variety was obtained in the Netherlands from seed material brought from the UK. Year of release – 1980. Author – Van de Lar. It is a massive tree or shrub with a height of 4,5 to 6 meters. A photo of Irgi Lamarck of the Ballerina variety is shown below.
The leaves are oval, pointed, up to 7,5 cm long. Yellowish in spring, green in summer. With the onset of autumn, the leaves change color to red, orange and yellow. The flowers are white, large, up to 2,8 cm. The berries are purple-black, large, collected in clusters of 5–8 pcs. Reviews about the variety of irgi Ballerina are usually enthusiastic, the plant is really very beautiful both during the flowering period and in autumn decoration.
Reproduction of irgi Lamarck
Irgu Lamarck, like any shrub, can be propagated in various ways. Here are the most popular ones:
- seeds;
- cuttings;
- layering;
- root processes;
- division of the bush.
Propagation by root processes is the simplest and most effective method. Since the shrub forms root shoots in excess, you can simply use it as seedlings, separating it from the mother root. Other methods are longer and more laborious.
Seeds can be used as planting material, extracting them from large ripe berries. They are planted in prepared containers with soil, watered and covered with foil. As a rule, during the first year, seedlings reach 15 cm in length. After that, they are transplanted into open ground or left to grow.
As cuttings, you can use cut tops of shoots 30–35 cm long. Their cut is kept in a solution of a root growth stimulator, and then also planted under a film. Layering can be obtained by bending the extreme shoots to the ground, fixing them and covering them with earth. Intensive watering will lead to their rooting. After that, you can cut off the shoots from the mother bush and plant them in a permanent place.
By dividing the bush, you can plant a plant no older than 6-7 years. To do this, it is completely removed from the ground, the rhizome is cut into pieces along with the shoots and planted in a new place.
Landing irgi Lamarck
Irga Lamarck is planted mainly for decorative purposes. It is used as a row of columns when planting along an alley, paths, a separate tree – as an autumn color accent. Nevertheless, this shrub can also be planted for growing berries.
Site selection and preparation
Irga Lamarka grows well on soils of any type. Even in rocky areas, strong roots can penetrate quite deeply and provide the shrub with everything it needs for normal growth. When planting, you should avoid heavily wetlands. Preference should be given to places with good lighting and with neutral or slightly acidic soil.
When to plant Lamarck irga: in spring or autumn
It is believed that the best time for planting Lamarck’s irgi is autumn, the period after the leaves have fallen. An additional advantage of this time of year is that during this period, as a rule, there are no problems with planting material. However, Lamarck’s irgi can be planted in the spring, before the leaves bloom. The plant has an excellent survival rate, so there are usually no problems with rooting seedlings.
How to choose seedlings
For planting irgi Lamarck, you can use seedlings of the second year of life. Before planting, they need to be inspected, if necessary, cut off rotten roots. It is better to use seedlings with closed roots.
Irgi Lamarck landing procedure
For planting Lamarck’s irgi, it is necessary to prepare holes in advance with a depth of at least half a meter and a diameter of 40–60 cm. The roots of the seedling should fit freely in it. It is better to prepare the pits in advance, at least a month before the intended landing. This will allow the soil to be well saturated with air.
At the bottom of the pit, you need to pour a mixture of humus or peat with soddy soil in a ratio of 1: 1. For better rooting, it is advisable to add 2 tbsp. spoons of superphosphate and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of potassium sulfate. The seedling is installed vertically so that the root collar is 5-6 cm below ground level. After that, the roots are covered with soil, the trunk circle is compacted, spilled with three buckets of water and mulched with peat or humus.
How to transplant an adult irgi bush to a new place
Transplanting a bush of irgi Lamarck older than 7 years to a new place is a rather troublesome and undesirable business. Therefore, it is better to immediately plant it in a permanent place. An adult bush can only be transplanted together with a clod of earth on the roots, while it is important to keep the lateral roots at least 1 m long and the core at least 0,7–0,8 m. Exposed roots should be wrapped with a wet rag.
In a new place, you need to dig a hole of such dimensions that the earthen ball on the roots fits completely into it. Having covered the roots with earth, the trunk circle should be lightly tamped, poured abundantly with water and mulched.
Caring for Irga Lamarck
Caring for Irga Lamarck is not difficult. Ornamental plants need pruning, berry plants still need to be watered and fed occasionally. In addition, trunk circles are sometimes weeded, loosened and mulched.
Watering
Irga Lamarka is a drought-resistant shrub, therefore, as a rule, it does not need special watering. If the summer is dry, then it will be useful to periodically pour several buckets of water into the root zone, especially during the period of fruit setting and ripening.
Weeding and loosening the soil
The trunk circles of the Lamarck irgi can be loosened periodically, combined with cleaning them from weeds. The soil around the bushes is completely dug up in autumn simultaneously with the application of mineral fertilizers.
Feeding throughout the season
Irga Lamarka does not require mandatory fertilizing with any fertilizer, especially if planted on fertile land. If the soil is poor, the shrub can be periodically fed with organic fertilizers, applying them in autumn to tree trunks at the same time as digging the soil.
Berry bushes can be fed several times during the season. In the spring, before the buds swell, nitrophoska is applied at the rate of 50 g per 1 sq. m. In the summer, during the period of fruit setting, use an infusion of mullein or bird droppings in a proportion of 0,5 liters per bucket of water. You can also use urea, 20-30 g per bucket of water. In autumn, superphosphate and potassium sulfate are added under the bushes 2 and 1 tbsp. spoon, respectively, per 1 sq. m.
Terms and rules of pruning
Pruning for Irgi Lamarck is a mandatory procedure. It allows you to form a crown, rejuvenate the shrub and make its sanitary cleaning. Sanitary pruning is done in spring and autumn. At the same time, dry and broken branches are cut out. In the first years, all basal shoots are completely removed, leaving only 2-3 of the strongest. This is how a bush with shoots of different ages is formed. Over time, the old trunks are cut out at the root, and they are replaced by young ones.
Preparing Irgi Lamarck for winter
The winter hardiness of the Lamarck irgi is sufficient to endure the most severe cold. Therefore, there is no need to carry out any special events before winter.
What diseases and pests can threaten the culture
Irga Lamarck is rarely affected by any disease. Diseases are found, as a rule, only on old and neglected trees.
The main ones are shown in the table:
Disease | Symptoms | Treatment and prevention |
Powdery mildew irgi | Gray spots on bark and leaves. Leaves affected by the fungus turn brown and fall off, the shoots dry out | Leaves and shoots are cut and burned. The bush is treated with Raek, Thiovit Jet |
Ascochytous spotting type | Irregular brown spots appear on the leaves, the leaf turns yellow and falls off. The disease reduces the frost resistance of irgi | Treatment in early spring with Bordeaux liquid 1%. With a serious lesion, the treatment is repeated in the fall. Affected leaves burn |
Septorioznaya pistnostost irgi | The leaves are covered with numerous burs with rounded spots, then turn yellow and fall off. | Same as for ascochitosis |
Pestalotia species | The edge of the leaf plate turns brown, on the border of healthy and affected tissue there is a characteristic yellow stripe | Same as for ascochitosis |
Monilial rot irgi | Causes decay and subsequent mummification (drying) of berries. Infected berries remain on the net and are sources of disease | Pick mummified berries. Three times treatment with Bordeaux liquid 1%: bud formation, immediately after flowering and two weeks after the second treatment. |
Insect pests also do not indulge Lamarck’s irga with their attention. This is due to the fact that the bushes are often visited by birds, especially fieldfare thrushes, which are a much bigger problem for the crop. The main insect pests of irgi are presented in the table.
Pest | What strikes | Way to fight or prevent |
Rowan moth | Berries, moth caterpillars live in them | Spraying immediately after flowering with Fufanon or Karbofos preparations. The treatment is repeated after 12-14 days. |
Irgov seed-eater | Berries, seed-eater larvae eat seeds in them | |
Rowan fire | Berries, moth caterpillars gnaw their moves |
Conclusion
Irga Lamarka, whose photo and description are given in this article, is a great option for both a gardener and a landscape designer. The shrub combines visual appeal and at the same time is a good source of tasty and healthy berries. However, the description of Lamarck’s irgi would be incomplete without mentioning that the shrub is an excellent honey plant. No wonder its Latin name Amelanchier in translation means “to bring honey.”
Reviews of gardeners about Lamarck’s irga only confirm that the decision to plant this shrub on a personal plot is the right one. It is unlikely that there will be another horticultural crop capable of producing an excellent harvest with such minimal investment. In addition, planting and caring for Lamarck’s irga will not cause serious difficulties even for novice gardeners.