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Pyracantha: landing and leaving
The heat-loving pyracantha shrub is popular in the southern regions, but it also withstands rather harsh winters. To grow it, you need to choose the right variety, know the rules of planting and care.
Methods of landing pyracantha
This evergreen shrub is native to Southeast Asia and grows naturally up to 6 m in width and height. It has oval, dark green leaves and long, up to 5 cm, sharp thorns. At the beginning of summer, it is densely covered with white, small flowers with a pleasant, strong smell, from which red, orange or yellow berries are formed by autumn, which do not fall until spring. A feature of the plant is its ability to preserve leaves that change color to red throughout the winter.
Pyracantha berries are not poisonous, but they are not used in food.
For planting, you can buy ready-made seedlings or grow them yourself. The plant propagates in the following ways:
- Seeds. Remove and wash the seeds from ripe, dried berries. You can sow directly into the ground in autumn or spring by placing them in the refrigerator for hardening for the winter.
- Cuttings. After pruning in spring, select healthy cuttings that are 20 cm long, soak them in the root former solution, and place them in a box of wet sand. Place it in a greenhouse and water it constantly. You can plant seedlings on the site in a year.
- Layers. On a well-grown bush, bend the lower branches and sprinkle them with earth closer to the root. Water the cuttings constantly, and the next spring, when it takes root, detach from the mother bush and plant.
It is important to choose the right variety. For the middle lane, red and narrow-leaved pyracantha are best suited. They are unpretentious, withstand frosts down to –25 ° C. These varieties and their hybrids are used in landscaping, especially as hedges.
Features of care for a pyracantha
The shrub is undemanding to the composition of the soil and the place of planting, but in areas shaded from the sun it retains the color of the leaves better. Caring for him comes down to the following steps:
- Watering. The plant is drought-resistant and does not like excessive moisture. Water it directly under the root, then loosen the earth, remove weeds. Fertilize twice a season by applying fertilizers with a low nitrogen content in the spring and towards the end of summer.
- Pruning. This operation is necessary for crown formation, removal of damaged and dry branches and is performed in early spring or autumn. Be sure to pick last year’s berries.
- Wintering. It is better to cover even frost-resistant varieties with fallen leaves at the root.
You can grow this shrub as a houseplant, paying particular attention to pruning. In winter, be sure to transfer it to a cool room and transplant it into a new pot every 2 years.
The plant can grow up to 50 years, but it does not tolerate a transplant, therefore it is advisable to decide on a place for its placement right away. It does not require constant attention and looks impressive all year round.