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Sometimes, having met a particular plant, you can guess by its appearance which family it belongs to. So the silver sheferdia is very similar to its close sister sea buckthorn. From the article you will learn about the characteristics of the shrub, as well as the agrotechnical features of growing crops.
General description of berry culture
A voluminous shrub with thorny shoots, up to 6 m high, with hairy dense foliage of rich green color and silvery stems. The green-silver ensemble is wonderfully complemented by glossy red berries, coquettishly peeking out from under the leaves. Much shorter – only up to 1,5 m – Canadian shepherdia, which has smooth brown stems and has a high degree of winter hardiness.
Shepherdia silver belongs to dioecious plants, therefore, “male” and “female” trees are needed for pollination.
Flowering period and ripening period
Shepherdia blooms with small yellowish flowers, which are collected in spikelets in the “male” trees, and are located singly in the “female” ones. The flowering period usually begins in early April and lasts up to 20 days. Ripening occurs in mid-August, but experienced gardeners know that the longer the fruits are on the branches, the sweeter their taste.
Fruiting terms
The life span of a tree can reach 60 years, a shrub bears fruit up to 40–50 years. Flowering and fruiting, depending on the place and growing conditions, occurs 2-3 years after planting. Fruiting is annual, ripened fruits are easily separated from the shoot.
Yield indicators
The first harvest can be in the range of 13-15 kg, increasing every year. As a result, this figure can be 30 kg.
Winter hardiness
In addition to resistance to diseases and pests, the shrub has a high degree of frost resistance. This makes it possible to grow the plant in the northern regions, in Siberia and the Urals. She is not afraid of return frosts in winter, which are detrimental to many berry crops.
Video “Description of Shepherdia silver”
This video talks about the features of an ornamental fruit shrub.
Advantages and disadvantages
Culture has a number of advantages, among which there are beneficial properties for human health:
- unpretentiousness to growing conditions and care;
- high degree of frost resistance;
- lack of susceptibility to fungal infections and pest attacks;
- ease of reproduction;
- good transportability;
- medicinal properties: copes well with colds and helps to overcome viral infections, has a great effect on overall well-being and strengthens the immune system, normalizes the digestive and cardiac systems, strengthens blood vessels and capillaries, prevents atherosclerosis;
- possibility of use in cooking.
Rules of landing
The tree does not need special growing conditions; it feels great both on rocky and steep areas. Strong and branched root system perfectly absorbs and retains moisture.
Recommended dates
Like most trees, sheferdia is planted in the spring, after the soil has thawed and warmed up. In most regions, this time falls on the beginning of April. But this must be done before the kidneys wake up. In the Urals and Siberia, this is especially true.
Site selection and soil preparation
For planting, it is recommended to choose a sunny spacious place. Space is simply necessary for an extensive root system. Lowlands and swampy soils are not suitable for shrubs – fog and stagnant water can have a detrimental effect on the roots and provoke their decay.
Any loamy and sandy soils are suitable for cultivation. Shepherdia bears fruit equally well in any of them.
If groundwater lies quite close to the surface, a mulch layer cannot be dispensed with. The plant can independently enrich the soil with nitrogen due to the presence of balls with nitrogen on the roots.
Selection and preparation of seedlings
A seedling aged from one to one and a half years is best suited for planting. They must have a developed root system.
Before planting, it is necessary to inspect the roots for damage: dry and damaged roots must be carefully cut and treated with activated or charcoal.
Author’s advice
Healthy root shoots are cut to a few centimeters, without affecting the nodules, the shoots are shortened by ⅓. Then the seedling is placed in a solution of a growth stimulant or potassium permanganate.
Algorithm and landing scheme
The landing pit must be at least half a meter in diameter and in depth. A drainage layer and a layer of fertile soil are poured into the pit. Then a seedling is placed and the roots are straightened. Sprinkling the plant with soil, shake it periodically so that the soil remains light and airy, but lays down in a dense layer.
For ornamental varieties, half a meter of distance between seedlings is enough. Large shrubs should be planted at a distance of at least 2 m. After planting, the seedling is watered in the area around the trunk circle. Then mulch with peat or humus.
Culture aftercare
According to the reviews of gardeners, shepherdia does not need special care, a minimum of agrotechnical measures is enough.
Watering and fertilizer
The shrub rarely needs watering, usually it has enough moisture obtained from rainfall. However, during the hot dry period and in regions with long periods of heat and drought, the soil around is systematically loosened and watered.
The first top dressing is carried out even at planting, introducing organic fertilizers: diluted manure, humus or compost. Then you can make mineral complexes enriched with calcium and magnesium once a year.
shrub pruning
One of the most important care aspects is pruning. Sanitary pruning is carried out annually, in order to remove damaged and dry shoots and thin out the crown. Incorrectly growing shoots are also removed, which interfere with the growth of fruit-bearing shoots and make it difficult for light and air to reach them.
Also, pruning is performed in order to form a crown. Yes, and it is easier to care for a low plant. For rejuvenation, branches are pruned by ⅓ every seven years. If the crown droops under the weight of the shoots, then it is necessary to cut off all the branches, except for those growing vertically.
Preparation for winter
Since silver shepherdia can tolerate frosts down to -45 ° C, only young immature plants need preparatory measures. They are insulated with a special covering material or mulched with peat. Mature plants need shelter only at temperatures below 45 ° C.
Diseases and pests
Shrubs rarely suffer from plant diseases, so they do not need preventive treatment with fungicides. Yes, and no pests of Shepherdia are terrible. It is the ability to do without the use of insecticides and fungicides that allows you to grow an environmentally friendly crop.
How silver sheferdia breeds
Another advantage of red-fruited sea buckthorn is the possibility of its reproduction in various ways.
Seeds
Planting material can be obtained independently. To do this, it is enough to grind the berries to the state of gruel, dry and extract the seeds. But they need to be planted in the same year, as they quickly lose their ability to germinate.
Grow seeds in greenhouse conditions, but you do not need to heat the greenhouse. Seeds are planted to a depth of several centimeters. Shoots appear by the end of April, and by the beginning of autumn, when the seedlings reach 15 cm, it can be transplanted to the chosen place in open ground.
The seedling will begin to bear fruit in about 5 years.
Root shoots
Many basal processes are formed from the shrub. For reproduction, shoots are chosen, located at a distance of 1,5 or 2 m from the bush. The best option is two-year shoots. The soil is dug up, a healthy strong shoot of the main bush is taken out and transplanted to a new place.
Cuttings
The most popular method that allows you to immediately determine the “male” and “female” plant. The cutting should have several fertile buds. The length of the seedling is at least 8 cm. First, the cutting is placed in a growth stimulator solution, then planted in sandy-peat soil, deepening by 3–4 cm. When the cutting has strong roots, it can be transplanted to a permanent place.
Shepherdia silver in landscape design
Bright colors, an abundance of foliage and berries, unpretentious care made the plant a favorite of designers and gardeners. Low growing shrubs are great for creating hedges and park oases.
Large specimens are perfect as a decoration and shading of the adjoining area or pond area. If you add an ensemble of climbing rose bushes, then a slight shade of Provence will add charm to the overall picture.
The advantages of shepherdia are worth planting a couple of shrubs in the country or in the backyard. In spring and summer, the appearance will please the eye, and the tincture and wonderful meat sauces will delight the taste buds in winter.