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Sea buckthorn reproduces in five ways, each of which has its own difficulties and secrets. It is easier to buy a new seedling, but it is not always possible to find the right variety. In addition, experienced gardeners are not used to looking for easy ways and do everything themselves. In order for the reproduction process to be effective, it is necessary to strictly follow the technology.
How to propagate sea buckthorn
All existing methods of propagation of sea buckthorn are suitable for almost all varieties. However, there are cultures with features, for example, not giving shoots. Such sea buckthorn can no longer be propagated by offspring.
In total there are five ways of reproduction:
- seeds;
- offspring;
- layering;
- division of the bush;
- cuttings.
In order for a tree to bear fruit, it is necessary to propagate male and female sea buckthorn. There should be at least two trees growing on the site. When there were still few varieties, seeds were more often used for propagation. It is possible to determine whether a seedling belongs to the male or female sex only after 4-6 years after the appearance of flower buds. It is easy to grow a new tree from seeds, but there is one drawback – all the qualities of the parent variety are not inherited during reproduction.
To fully preserve the parental qualities of the variety, the tree is propagated by layering or cuttings. This method is effective if the feature of the variety is the absence of shoots.
Reproduction by offspring or dividing the bush does not always help to maintain parental qualities. If the tree has grown from grafting, then a completely different sea buckthorn will come out of the root processes.
Propagation of sea buckthorn by basal shoots
One of the easiest ways to get a new seedling is to propagate sea buckthorn with root offspring growing near the mother bush. The disadvantage of this method is the receipt of injuries by the vegetative organ. The root system of an adult tree grows strongly. To cause less damage, the offspring are dug up by one that is at least 1,5 m away from the mother plant. Such shoots have already formed roots.
In this way, it is better to propagate sea buckthorn in the spring, but pits for transplantation are prepared in the fall. The offspring is carefully dug with a shovel from all sides, removed along with a clod of earth, transferred to a new place. After transplanting, the seedling is regularly watered and fed.
How to propagate sea buckthorn cuttings
If you need to fully preserve the varietal characteristics, sea buckthorn can be propagated by cuttings, but a lot of effort will have to be made to achieve the result.
Odrevesnevshie cuttings
In order to successfully propagate sea buckthorn with cuttings in the spring, material preparations are made in the fall. At the end of November, lignified twigs more than 5 mm thick are taken from the plant. Cuttings 15–20 cm long are cut from intact areas with live buds. The best way to save is to bury the material in the snow until spring.
A site for planting lignified cuttings of sea buckthorn has been prepared since autumn. The soil is dug up to the depth of the bayonet, 9 kg of compost is applied per 1 m2. In the spring, the site is re-loosened and the soil is leveled. For cuttings, a bed is made 1 m wide, it is advisable to equip a small hill. Paths are trodden around the perimeter.
Further propagation of sea buckthorn cuttings provides for the awakening of the kidneys. In spring, twigs are soaked in warm melt water two weeks before planting. During this time, the beginnings of roots may hatch. Planting cuttings is carried out in warm weather, when the soil warms up to a temperature of +5о C. The twig is immersed in the ground so that 2-3 buds remain on the surface. The planted cuttings are watered abundantly, the soil is mulched with dry humus.
In order for the successful propagation of sea buckthorn by cuttings in the spring, soil moisture is monitored daily. The material will take root only in dampness. Watering short cuttings is performed daily. The soil under long branches can be moistened every four days, but it is better not to overdry.
By the end of the season, a full-fledged sea buckthorn seedling grows from the accustomed cuttings. The following spring, it is transplanted to a permanent place. A seedling with a root length of 20 cm, a stem height of 50 cm and a neck thickness of 8 mm is considered good.
The advantage of the method of reproduction is the simplicity and preservation of the varietal qualities of the mother bush. The disadvantage is the low survival rate of cuttings in a dry spring.
Green cuttings
Sea buckthorn is more difficult to propagate by cuttings in summer. The material is green twigs cut from the plant in June or July. The length of the cuttings is about 10 cm. On the branches, an upper and lower cut is made with a sharp knife. A heteroauxin tablet is diluted in one liter of water and the prepared planting material is soaked for 16 hours.
Further propagation of sea buckthorn with green cuttings provides for the preparation of the landing site. The soil in the garden is made light with a lot of peat. Equip a reliable transparent shelter. A glass jar or a film can act as a greenhouse.
After soaking, the branches are washed with clean water, buried 4 cm into the ground. Watering is carried out with a weak solution of potassium permanganate to protect against black leg. Green cuttings are under cover until complete engraftment. The seedling is transplanted to a new place in a year.
Experienced gardeners talk in a video about the propagation of sea buckthorn by cuttings in the spring, as well as other ways:
Propagation of sea buckthorn by layering
The method of propagation by layering helps to fully preserve the maternal qualities of the bush. At the beginning of summer, a groove is dug near the tree. The lowest branch is bent to the ground, pinned with a hard wire. Layers are covered with humus, leaving only the top in the air. In the summer, watering is carried out daily. By autumn, the layering will take root. In the spring, the branch is cut off from the mother bush, the strongest seedlings are selected and transferred to a permanent place.
How to propagate by dividing the bush
The method is appropriate if a plant transplant is envisaged. Sea buckthorn is propagated in the spring before the start of sap flow or in late autumn. In the second option, the time is chosen when the process of calmness of the seedling begins, but before the onset of frost.
The bush is dug deep around the trunk, trying to minimize damage to the roots. The plant is removed from the ground, all damaged branches are cut with secateurs. The root system is carefully freed from the ground. With a secateurs or a sharp knife, the bush is divided into parts. Each new seedling should remain with full roots. Delenki are seated in prepared holes.
Propagation of sea buckthorn seeds
Growing sea buckthorn from seeds at home is not very profitable. You will have to wait a long time before fruiting begins. In addition, the varietal characteristics of the mother bush may not be preserved. The method is suitable for mass reproduction in order to strengthen the slopes of ravines, planting forest belts, obtaining a large number of rootstocks.
How to plant sea buckthorn seeds
Seeds are collected from ripe berries. The best way is to use a wine press. First, juice is squeezed out of the berries. Seeds are separated from the remnants of the skin and pulp of the fruit, washed with water, dried in the shade.
To grow sea buckthorn from seeds, grains are stratified before planting. The easiest way is to bury them in the sand. More precisely, you need to make a mash. Take 1 part of the seeds, mix with 3 parts of sand, send to a cold place for 40 days. The air temperature should be from 0 to +5 ° C. Stir twice every week. After the seeds have hatched, they are covered with snow to inhibit growth.
There is a variant of alternating stratification. The method is based on keeping the seeds at a temperature of +10о C for 5 days, after which the grains are sent for 30 days in the cold – about +2о C.
Sowing is best done in the spring in a greenhouse. If the option of open ground is considered, then the dates are the earliest after the snow melts. The seeds will germinate in 10 days. Sprouts to the maximum will take moisture from the ground before the onset of heat.
Seeds are sown in furrows. Grooves are cut with a depth of 5 cm. A layer 2 cm thick is poured onto the bottom from a mixture of an equal amount of peat and sand. Row spacing 15 cm wide is maintained between the grooves.
Growing sea buckthorn from seeds at home
When growing seedlings of sea buckthorn at home, thickening of seedlings may occur. Thinning is carried out twice:
- when the first pair of leaves appears between the plants, a span of 3 cm is made;
- when the fourth pair of leaves appears between the seedlings, the distance is increased to 8 cm.
Seedlings from the first thinning can be transplanted for further cultivation.
In order for the seedling to have a well-formed root system, after the growth of two pairs of full-fledged leaves, a pick is carried out. Later it is undesirable to do this, as the plants will slow down growth and will need frequent abundant watering.
The best time for picking is the second decade of June. The day is cloudy. After the procedure, a free span of 10 cm wide is obtained between the plants. The row spacing remains the original – 15 cm. The sea buckthorn seedling grows in such conditions for 2 years. At the time of planting in a permanent place, the height of the seedling reaches 40 cm, thickness – 5 mm.
Terms and rules for transplanting sea buckthorn seedlings in open ground
The cultivation of sea buckthorn from seeds is completed by planting a seedling in a permanent place in open ground. If the operation is carried out in the fall, then the well is prepared a month before the start of the process. When planting in the spring, the hole is prepared in the fall.
A hole for a sea buckthorn seedling is dug 40×50 cm in size. The upper fertile layer of the earth is used for backfilling. 1 bucket of sand and compost, 0,8 kg of ash, 200 g of superphosphate are added to the soil.
Sea buckthorn seedlings are carefully placed at the bottom of the hole together with a clod of earth. The prepared mixture is backfilled so that the root neck remains 7 cm peeking out of the ground. After planting, the plant is watered, covered with peat mulch.
Rules for the care of seedlings
After any method of reproduction, a new sea buckthorn seedling needs care. The first three years of feeding do not make. Enough fertilizer, covered during planting. Until the tree takes root, regular watering is carried out. Maintains slightly moist soil, but does not create a swamp.
Young leaves of sea buckthorn are not averse to eating pests. Preventive spraying with chemicals can help.
In the first years of life, in early spring or late autumn, pruning is carried out to help the sea buckthorn form a crown. Remove all damaged and improperly growing branches.
From the fourth year of life, sea buckthorn begins active crown growth. During spring pruning, branches parallel to the trunk are removed. Even fruit-bearing shoots are thinned out. Normalization of berries will save the bush from exhaustion.
In autumn, sanitary pruning of sea buckthorn is performed. The tree is freed from dry and affected branches.
Conclusion
Reproduction of sea buckthorn can be carried out even by a novice gardener. The culture takes root well, and the shoots of many varieties are even difficult to remove from the site. There is another way to propagate sea buckthorn – grafting. However, this requires skill. Already experienced gardeners can propagate by grafting sea buckthorn.