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In dachas and gardens, plants are often grown as a living fence. These are mainly ornamental trees and shrubs with picturesque leaves or beautiful flowers. Privet ovalleaf is one such plant that is widely used by landscape designers.
This shrub is a relative of the lilac, they have similar leaves and flowers. But in order for the privet to fit into the design, it must be cut, giving the plant the desired shape.
Description of privet oval-leaved
Oval privet grows up to 2 m. If you grow a crop like a tree, then a dense crown takes about 6 m.
The name of the species was not chosen by chance, but according to the shape of oval leaf plates. From the outside they are dark green, the lower part of the leaf is much lighter.
Flowering begins in early June or July, it all depends on the region of cultivation and climatic features. White panicles 15-20 cm long delight the eye for almost 3 months. Flowers fragrant, are an excellent honey plant. In place of inflorescences, fruits are formed – blue or black pits. Each fruit contains 1-3 seeds.
Since the oval-leaved privet grows quickly and is frost-resistant, it is most often grown as a green hedge. You just need to skillfully trim the bushes.
Varieties of privet oval-leaved
Privet oval-leaved is a representative of the Maslinov family. The name comes from the Latin “ligare” (to knit). And this is no coincidence: the bark of plants has an astringent effect.
These evergreen trees or shrubs grow in Europe and Asia. There are over 50 varieties.
Privet ovalfolia Aureum
Privet Aureum is a semi-evergreen shrub that does not grow higher than 1,5 m. Inflorescences never form on oval-leaved Privet Aureum. Landscape designers choose a plant for unusual leaves. Against the background of green color, a border of a golden hue stands out brightly.
To preserve the color of the leaf plates, the plant must be planted in the sun, as the yellow border disappears in the shade. Since the variety is semi-evergreen, leaf fall is observed only when grown in a temperate climate. In the Southern regions, privet oval-leaved Aureum winters with leaves.
Privet Oval Green Diamond
Green Diamond is translated as “green diamond”.
Dwarf-type shrub with upright, well-branched shoots, height – no more than 60 cm. The foliage is bright green, shiny, does not fly around in autumn and does not change color.
Flowering is abundant, the buds are creamy white, reminiscent of bunches. In late June or early July, a flowering shrub fills the entire area with a honey aroma.
The variety is unpretentious in care, undemanding to the composition of the soil, winter-hardy, with excellent immunity to diseases and pests. The oval-leaved privet can be safely cut off, from such a procedure it grows even more.
In landscape design, Green Diamond is used for planting in pots, for decorating borders and hedges. The oval-leaved privet looks great among coniferous trees and shrubs.
Privet oval-leaved Argentum
This variety is a low-growing shrub – no higher than 1 m. The oval-leaved privet Argentum corresponds to the name of the chemical element: there is a cream border on the leaf blades. From the outside, it seems that silver has been walked over the leaves.
Shrub blooms in June-July. It can be grown in any climatic conditions, as the privet is an oval-leaved unpretentious plant.
Pruning is only for the benefit of bushes, which are most often planted on borders.
Planting and caring for privet round-leaved
Planting is practically no different from other deciduous shrubs. Work can be scheduled for early spring, before bud break, or mid-September. In the south, privet planting can also be done in October.
The plant is demanding on nutrient soil. The mixture is made up of the following components:
- humus;
- leaf land;
- peat;
- sand of large fractions.
You should not choose a site where groundwater comes close to the surface. In any case, a reliable drainage cushion is laid at the bottom of the pit, since the root system does not tolerate waterlogging.
Caring for the oval-leaved privet comes down to the following activities:
- weeding and loosening;
- watering and feeding;
- various types of cutting.
Seedling and planting preparation
Seedlings purchased or grown independently must be saturated with moisture and disinfected from diseases and pests. To do this, privet with an open root system is placed in a pink solution of manganese or any agent that stimulates the development of this part of the plant.
Seedlings grown in containers are watered 1-2 hours before planting to take the plant out without damaging the roots.
Privet round-leaved prefers nutritious soils, as long as they are not too acidic. As well as open, well-lit places.
Before planting, the soil is dug up on a shovel bayonet, weeds are selected. For a single or group arrangement of bushes, they dig holes. If privet is planted to create a hedge, then they dig a trench.
Rules of landing
And now about the landing algorithm:
- Dig a hole 75×75 cm in size, with a depth exceeding the length of the roots by 40 cm. Fill it with water.
- When the water is absorbed, lay a drainage cushion (15 cm) of crushed stone or small pebbles.
- Fill with nutrient mixture.
- Spread the root system of the privet seedling, set in the center of the pit.
- Fill the soil so that the root neck remains above the surface.
- Trample the soil around the trunk, water.
- To retain moisture, the root zone must be mulched.
For hedges, seedlings are placed in a trench at a distance of 40-45 cm in a checkerboard pattern. The landing process is no different.
Watering and top dressing
Systematic watering is required for seedlings after planting for successful rooting. In the future, irrigation is carried out only in dry times, since thanks to powerful roots, privet is able to extract moisture itself.
When watering, you need to make sure that the soil gets wet at least 0,5 m. An adult plant needs 1-3 buckets of water at a time.
As for top dressing, it is best to use organic matter. It is scattered around the stems. Privet round-leaved Aureum responds well to watering with green fertilizer.
Trimming
Privet oval-leaved perfectly tolerates pruning. Do not be afraid that something will not work out at the first haircut: the plant quickly grows new shoots. They begin to form a bush 2-3 weeks after planting seedlings and continue all the time while it grows on the site.
From a single privet bush, various compositions can be formed. Moreover, the haircut is carried out at any time.
Hedges are trimmed in May and August, cutting off shoots by 50 cm. Higher bushes are more difficult to endure wintering.
Sanitary pruning is performed in the spring, damaged shoots are removed, not forgetting to cut off a third of the length during work.
Preparation for winter
If the oval-leaved privet is grown in the zone of risky farming, then in the fall they add compost to a height of 15-20 cm in order to preserve the root system. Then cut the bushes. If a snowy winter is expected, it does not hurt to cover the bushes from above with spruce branches.
Reproduction of privet oval
The plant is easy to propagate on its own, as seedlings can be obtained:
- layering;
- root suckers;
- cuttings.
Breeding work is carried out in the spring. Layers and cuttings before planting in a permanent place should grow for at least 1-1,5 years. During this time, the plants will develop a good root system.
Diseases and pests
Privet oval-leaved bushes have good immunity to almost all diseases of deciduous plants. But when planted in acidic soils, they can suffer from powdery mildew and spotting. To avoid problems, it is necessary to monitor the acidic composition of the soil. If the acid balance has increased, you can solve the problem with:
- ground limestone;
- dolomite flour;
- report cigarettes.
The main plant pests are:
- aphids and thrips;
- worms and spider mites;
- scale shield.
For the prevention and destruction of pests, experienced gardeners recommend “Fitoverm” or “Aktellik”. If the insects have already populated the privet, then you will have to spray at least 4 times with breaks of 2 weeks.
Conclusion
Privet oval-leaved – unpretentious semi – or evergreen shrub, depending on the variety. This plant becomes a real decoration of the garden, park, so landscape designers appreciate it very much. From the bushes, you can get various shapes thanks to a haircut: cones, balls, dense pillows called carioca.
