Decorative barberry: planting and caring for shrubs, types and varieties, use on the site

Barberry is a genus of large winter-hardy and heat-resistant shrubs that can grow on poor soils. At the same time, the plant does not tolerate stagnation of soil moisture and is quite light-loving. Decorative barberry is grown in gardens almost everywhere. The bushes are well trimmed and very decorative in the fall, as the foliage turns yellow and red, and the berries become bright burgundy. They contain tartaric and malic acid and are used in meat dishes, for making marinades, jams, and drinks.

Barberry and juniper in landscape design Source zpravda.ru

Botanical description of barberry

An evergreen or deciduous shrub or small tree with ribbed shoots and brownish bark. The alternate leaves grow in bunches of 3-6 on short petioles. They can be:

ovoid;
obovate;
elliptical;
lanceolate.

Yellow flowers are collected in clusters of 8-10, the fruit is an ellipse-shaped berry up to 13 mm. Small turning products are made from dense hardwood and used in mosaics and inlays. The plant is a good honey plant; the honey is sweetish with a delicate aroma.

Decorative barberry blooms in May, the fruits ripen in September, and can have a sweet or tart sour taste.

The plant blooms with small yellow flowers Source photosight.ru

Features of barberry and rules for planting it

Barberry is an ornamental plant from the genus of shrubs of the Barberry family. In the wild, the culture is widespread in mountainous areas. There are 170 plant species, some of them are grown in garden plots and are also used in landscape design.

For gardeners, barberry is of interest primarily as a raw material base for the production of juices, jams, sauces, and medicinal tinctures. The decorative qualities of the crop are expressed in the variety of leaf colors: yellow, green, purple, carmine red, variegated, spotted.

The table shows suitable and unsuitable conditions for growing shrubs. The information will be useful for novice gardeners.

Conditions	Fits	Doesn't fit
Soil moisture	Deep groundwater.	Swampy, too wet areas.
Illumination	The more sun, the brighter the leaves, the better the bushes grow, the sweeter the fruits.	In dark places, the plant loses its decorative effect, the leaves acquire a faded green color, the fruits grow worse, and the plant develops more slowly. However, in the shade the root system develops more actively, which allows the bush to be propagated by division. Gardeners often practice temporary planting in the shade for this very purpose.
Winds	Quiet area protected by a fence, outbuildings and other plants.	Open area with drafts.
Rockiness	Rocks with a small turf layer, pebble river areas, fertile breathable soil, loam.	Clogged clay soil. The problem can be easily solved with the help of river sand and careful loosening.
Soil acidity	Normal (pH = 7), slightly acidic (pH = 6-4), slightly alkaline (pH = 7-8)	Alkaline (pH ≤

Beneficial features

All parts of the plant contain vitamins, microelements, organic acids, tannins and pectin. Berries contribute to:

strengthening the walls of blood vessels;

normalization of pressure;

outflow of bile;

blood purification.

In addition, they compensate for the lack of vitamins, increase immunity, and have a diuretic and diaphoretic effect.

Healthy berries Source static.ogorodniki.com

Diseases and pests of barberry Thunberg

Thunberg barberry suffers from powdery mildew, spots, rust and drying of shoots, but if the plant is well cared for, then nothing threatens its health: the infection can only affect a weakened or neglected plant.

Powdery mildew settles on the ground organs of the bush with a dirty whitish coating, which gradually darkens and becomes brown. The disease is treated by treating barberry with colloidal sulfur or sulfur-lime mixture, after first removing severely affected branches and shoots.

Spots cover the leaves and stems of shrubs with spots and specks of different shapes, sizes and colors. As the disease progresses, the affected leaves dry out and fall off. They get rid of this scourge caused by fungi by treating the bush leaf by leaf before and after flowering with a solution of 30 g of copper oxychloride in 10 liters of water.

Sometimes in the spring, orange spots may be seen on the upper side of the leaves of the Thunberg barberry, and on the underside there are pads of spores of the fungus that causes a disease known as rust. If the disease takes effect, the leaves of the bush will quickly dry out and fall off. This dangerous infection is destroyed with a one and a half percent solution of colloidal sulfur or a two percent solution of Bordeaux mixture as soon as the leaves open on the plant. Repeat this treatment twice more with an interval of three weeks.

Some fungi can cause barberry shoots to dry out. To stop this destructive process, at the first symptoms of the disease, you should cut off the damaged shoots to healthy tissue, and treat the bush with a fungicide solution.

From time to time, Thunberg's barberry is bothered by aphids and flower moths, and if you find insects on a bush, do not expect them to disappear on their own: pests such as aphids can produce several generations in one season, and if they are not destroyed, then deformed flowers, prematurely yellowing and falling leaves and drying shoots can appear not only on barberry, but also on neighboring plants. In addition, sucking pests carry incurable viral diseases. If you find barberry aphids, do not waste your time fighting it with folk remedies; it is better to immediately treat the shrub with an insecticide, for example, Aktellik, Aktara or Biotlin. And flower moths are destroyed with a solution of Decis or Chlorophos.

Types and varieties of barberry

Depending on the variety, plants differ in size, yield, shape and taste of fruits, and type of leaves. The most popular types of decorative barberry are:

Ordinary . Shrub up to 2 m high, drought-resistant, light-loving, thrives in loose, well-drained soils. It looks impressive both as a tapeworm and in group plantings. The sweet and sour fruits are used in pilaf, compotes and marinades. The foliage is green in summer and turns purple in autumn.

Barberry Ordinary Source i0.wp.com

Thunberg . Shrub up to 250 cm in height with bright red ribbed shoots. The leaves are oval, slightly pointed up to 2 cm long, bluish below, green above, turning red in autumn. The flowers are yellow, the berries are red, in the shape of an ellipse - up to 10 mm. Flowering in May, fruits ripen at the end of September.

Barberry Thunberg bronze gold Source agro-ra.ru

Thunberg Golden Ring . The purple leaves have a yellow edge, the flowers are red-yellow, bloom in May, the fruits ripen in October, the berries are red and shiny. The height and diameter of the bush is 2-3 m.

Barberry Thunberg Golden Ring Source nasotke.ru

Thunberg Aurea . A low plant (80 cm) with a crown diameter of 1 m with yellow ovate leaves, red-yellow flowers and burgundy berries.

Thunberg Aurea Source agro-ra.ru

Thunberga Atropurpurea Nana . Low-growing bush (60 cm) with purple leaves, red-yellow flowers and bright red berries.

Thunberg Atropurpurea Nana Source cstor.nn2.ru

Thunberg Pink Queen. Pink foliage on red shoots is a magnificent sight. The height of the bush is 150 cm, diameter 200 cm. The flowers are yellow, the fruits are shiny red.

Thunberg Pink Queen Source bogront.se
Thunberg Smaragd . Shoots with numerous thorns first grow vertically, gradually forming a wide pyramidal crown; the fruits are red, ripen in October and do not fall off for a long time.

Barberry Thunberg Smaragd on the site Source rastenia-biolit.ru

Ottawa . The Ottawa barberry was developed in Ottawa, Canada by crossing the common barberry and Thunberg in the late 19th century. The deciduous bush is quite popular in cultivation because it is characterized by winter hardiness, unpretentiousness and growth rate. It has soft spines and obovate leaves up to 33 mm. Depending on the variety, they turn yellow or red in the fall. It blooms with yellow flowers, 5-10 flowers in a raceme. The fruits are red.

Ottawa barberry Source images.ru.prom.st

Ottawa Auricoma . A spreading bush up to 250 cm high with arched branches and large rounded leaves up to 5 cm. Young shoots are dark red, turning orange or light red in autumn. Yellow-red flowers appear in May, berries are 8 mm long and ripen in early October. The growth of the plant is 22 cm per year. Grows in sun or partial shade in moderately moist soil.

Ottawa Auricom Source go2outback.ru

Ottawa Superba . Large deciduous bush up to 3-4 m in height. The shiny burgundy leaves retain their decorative value throughout the entire growing season, both in the sun and in the shade. The yellow-red flowers are grouped in clusters of 8-10 pieces with a sweetish aroma. The fruits are scarlet in color, after the first frost they become sweet and do not fall off.

Ottawa Superba Source energysad.ru

Orpheus . A small bush (120 cm) with a compact crown, shoots do not fall apart, densely covered with light green leaves, thorns 10 mm. It has no flowers or fruits.

Barberry Amur Orpheus Source www.mirlandshaft.ru
Boxwood Nana . An evergreen variety with a height of only 35-40 cm, the foliage is emerald green in summer and red in autumn. The flowers are yellow solitary, the fruits are red with a bluish coating.

Boxleaf barberry Nana Source www.baumschule-horstmann.de

See also: Catalog of house projects with terraces and verandas.

There are more than 170 varieties of decorative barberry.

Yellow barberry foliage Source www.familyhandyman.com

Caring for barberry after autumn planting

In order for barberry to take root normally, take root and adapt to a new place in the open ground, you need to help it with simple care. In general, caring for a shrub after planting is very simple; just follow the following procedures:

A few hours after planting (as well as the next day), inspect the area next to the bush. If the soil has settled, then it must be filled up to the previous level.
The next day after the procedure (when you are sure that the soil has not settled; or you have refilled the settled soil), you should mulch the soil in the tree trunk circle. Mulch will perform several important functions at once: it will slow down the evaporation of life-giving moisture necessary for rooting, and protect the root system from frost in winter. Peat, compost, rotted sawdust, and dry oak leaves can be used as mulch. The optimal mulch thickness is about 7-10 centimeters. In this case, the mulch should not touch the trunk of the bush; a gap of 4-5 cm must be maintained between them.
If the autumn turned out to be very warm and sunny, then for the first 5 days after planting it is recommended to shade the barberry from direct sunlight. To do this, you can build a temporary frame on the south side and stretch agrofibre or burlap over it.

Whatever type of barberry you want to plant (ordinary or decorative Thunberg), it is very important to follow the procedure according to all the rules. Thanks to this, the shrub will normally take root in a dacha or a plot of a private house, survive the winter and begin to grow in the spring.

Planting and care

Barberry seedlings can be planted in the ground in spring or autumn, and with closed roots (with a lump of earth) - in summer. Planting and caring for decorative barberry is not particularly difficult and consists of the following steps:

A hole is prepared for the seedling with a reserve depth for drainage.
Place broken bricks, gravel or pebbles at the bottom.
Then add fertile soil and water well.
Place the plant in a hole, straighten the roots and cover it with the same soil mixture.
Compact so that the root collar is buried 3 cm.
Water the soil generously and mulch with last year's sawdust or chopped straw.

If there are a lot of decorative barberry seedlings, then instead of holes you can dig a trench, for example, when planting a hedge.
The soil should have an acidity of 4 to 7, groundwater should be deep. It should also be taken into account that decorative barberry is a light-loving shrub and the foliage will be brighter and the berries will be sweeter in the sun. For planting, it is better to choose a place sheltered from the wind, sandy or loamy soils. It is better to place perennial plants nearby so as not to damage the surface roots of the bush by frequent loosening of vegetables.

Planting barberry Source sovetclub.ru

It cannot be planted next to white acacia, poplar, walnut, cherry, or elderberry. With proper planting and care of the shrub, decorative barberry will delight owners with bright colors from early spring until the coldest weather.

Reproduction of barberry by dividing the bush during transplantation

By dividing the bush, barberry is propagated in the spring. Before the buds swell, the bush is dug up. Carefully, so as not to damage the roots, divide into several parts. Then they are planted in holes or trenches. If there is no goal to get two bushes, then the plant, together with the earthen lump on the roots, is moved to a new place.

When transplanting, the barberry bush can be divided into two parts

Reproduction methods

Reproduction of decorative barberry is possible by cuttings, seeds, root shoots and dividing the bush. All methods have their downsides:

cuttings root very slowly, especially in the coin type;
low seed germination (only 25-35%), while maternal characteristics may not be preserved;
root shoots do not come in all varieties;
When dividing a bush, there is a high probability of damage to the mother plant.

Rooted cuttings of Thunberg Aurea Source m.nn.ru

Propagation by seeds

The seeds of the ripest, largest and most beautiful berries should be removed, filled with water and allowed to ferment for 2-3 days. Then rinse with a solution of raspberry potassium permanganate and dry. In autumn, in loose soil, cleared of weeds, make furrows to a depth of 3 cm, spread out the seeds, sprinkle with soil and compact well. Shoots will appear in the spring.

Seeds are taken from the most beautiful and ripe berries Source dymdacha.ru

If you plan to plant in spring, you should store the seeds in the refrigerator, mixing them with sand. A month before planting, periodically moisten the sand so that the seeds undergo stratification, and they should be planted as soon as the soil allows. The seedlings should be thinned out, leaving strong seedlings, and after 1 year, the seedlings should be planted in a permanent place. The fruiting period for barberry will begin in another 2 years. The shrub can also reproduce by self-sowing.

Shoots after sowing seeds Source otvet.imgsmail.ru

Propagation by cuttings

This method is as follows:

first, in June, cuttings 14 cm long are cut from the shoots;
remove the lower leaves, dip the bases in a growth stimulator solution;
plant the cuttings in peat with sand, water and cover with jars, plastic bottles with the bottom cut off or film, and ventilate periodically;
When the planting material takes root and begins to grow, it should be planted in containers with fertilized soil.

After a year, the seedlings can be planted in a permanent place.

Propagation by cuttings Source vosaduly.ru

See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in landscape design and gardening, as well as garden furniture.

Reproduction by layering and dividing the bush

For this method, several annual shoots are placed in furrows in the spring, secured with wire and dug in, leaving the tops outside. The soil is kept moist and free from weeds. By autumn, roots will form, then you should separate the shoots from the mother plant with pruners and plant them in a permanent place.

To divide a bush, it should be dug up, cleared of soil, the roots cut into pieces, planted in prepared holes, and watered.

Planting shrubs with cuttings

Barberry is propagated by seeds or by cuttings. To do this, select strong elastic shoots that appeared this year. They are cut and stored from autumn to spring in the refrigerator. Gardeners try to avoid immature cuttings, as they may rot.

Correct cuttings of barberry

Correct cuttings are carried out as follows:

The top of the branch is cut horizontally.
The lower cut of the shoot is made at an angle of 45°.
The leaves at the top node are cut in half.
The leaves on the lower node are completely removed. The kidneys are not affected.
Then the cuttings are placed in a mixture of sand and peat (1:1 ratio) at an angle of 45°.
The distance between cuttings should be at least 10 cm.
The favorable air temperature in the room for rooting cuttings is 20–25°C.
To maintain the required soil moisture, watering should be done 2 times a day.

After rooting the cuttings, the seedlings are grown in a greenhouse for 2 years.

How to make a hedge from barberry

Barberry is the best choice for planting a hedge, because it has thorns, can be cut, smells pleasant, and is beautiful in spring, summer, and autumn. Bushes for hedges are planted in a checkerboard pattern every 25-30 cm.

To do this, dig a trench 40 cm deep, add drainage and fertile fertilized soil, plant bushes, water and mulch. For a freer shape, seedlings are placed in groups of 2. per weather meter. As barberry grows, it forms a dense fence that will have to be formed. Before the buds open, all shoots are shortened by a third, and broken and frozen branches are removed.

Barberry grows beautifully Source remonty-net.ru

The advantages of a barberry hedge include:

Rapid growth - in 2 years you get a dense, impenetrable fence with thorns.
Durability – will last 7-10 times longer than wooden fences.
Cheap compared to corrugated sheets and chain-link mesh.
Easy care - just trim 1-2 times per season.
Beauty can be green, yellow, red, colorful, etc.

Such a fence will not clog the area, since the roots are not creeping, and self-seeding is easily weeded out.

Young plants should be loosened periodically to remove weeds. Water once every 2 weeks. Fertilizing is carried out 2 times during the growing season with complex mineral fertilizers for ornamental shrubs.

A hedge is a reliable protection against uninvited guests Source static-eu.insales.ru

Barberry varieties for hedges

When zoning a site, designers recommend low, compact shrubs with reddish shades and periodic pruning. When planning plantings, you need to take into account all the options so that you do not have to replant the plants, since they are injured when moving. You should also provide approaches to the fence on both sides to make it easier to care for.

Tall shrubs are best suited for fencing:

Common barberry quickly grows up to 250-300 cm, the bushes have a rounded crown, elegant decorative properties - Atropurpurea with red foliage, Albo-variegata - with variegated foliage.
Amur barberry. The height of the bushes is up to 350 cm, resistant to frost, heat, and drought. Red foliage and berries in the fall seem to burn with fire. All parts of the plant have medicinal properties.
Barberry Thunberg. Orange young shoots deviate, reaching a height of 250 cm.
Barberry Ottawa. The height of the fence will be 200 cm. The main difference is the presence of a few soft thorns.

In addition, there are several dwarf species: carmine-red ball Bagatelle up to 40 cm, lemon-golden BonanzaGold, purple, green Kobold (up to 50 cm), almost thornless Atropurpurea.

Planting barberry

When to plant

Barberry is most often planted in the spring, as soon as the soil thaws, but you need to have time to plant the seedlings before the buds open. In rare cases, barberry is planted in the fall, during the period of mass leaf fall. Due to the unpretentiousness of barberry, it can grow in open areas, since it is not afraid of drafts and strong winds, as well as in partial shade, but under the bright sun, varieties and species with purple leaves look brighter. As for soil acidity, barberry prefers neutral soils, but can easily withstand soil with a pH no higher than 7.

Three main reasons why seedlings do not appear, and how can you guarantee seed germination?

If the soil on the site is very acidic, it needs to be limed. This can be done in advance or directly during planting by pouring into the planting hole a mixture of 8-10 kg of humus or compost and garden soil, 100 g of superphosphate, 400 g of slaked lime and 200 g of wood ash.

How to plant

When planting alone, the distance between the bushes is kept from one and a half to two meters, but if you decide to plant a barberry hedge, then two bushes are planted per linear meter. The size of the holes for seedlings, which need to be dug 2-3 weeks before planting, is approximately 40x40, and a trench for a hedge is dug about 40 cm deep. To increase the aeration of the roots, a layer of sand is poured onto the bottom of the trench or each hole.

If the pH value of the soil is slightly shifted towards the alkaline side, neutral or slightly acidic, then the mixture, the composition of which is indicated in the previous section, but without lime and ash, is poured into the hole before planting. Then a barberry seedling is lowered into the hole, sprinkled with soil, compacted, watered abundantly, and then the tree trunk circle is mulched with peat or compost. After planting, the above-ground part of the seedling is cut off, leaving only a part with 3-5 well-developed buds.

Barberry in landscape design

The plant plays an important role in garden design, as it meets most of the requirements of the creators of landscape ensembles. Low-maintenance and not picky about soils, it is quite decorative, especially varieties bred recently. The variety of shapes and colors of barberry, together with useful fruits, allows barberry to participate in various landscape compositions of flowers, shrubs or trees.

Any garden landscape with this plant is enlivened thanks to its all-season decorative effect. Barberry is used in landscape design as follows:

More often it is planted to divide it into zones or along the perimeter of the site.
Low-growing species are used along paths and paths in the form of borders.
Barberry with leaves of red shades is planted for contrast.
Used in rock gardens, rose gardens, flower beds, mixborders.
A plant with unusual foliage colors is planted as a tapeworm on the shore of a pond or as a bright spot on the greenery of the lawn.
Barberry looks good as an edge for a group of long trees of deciduous and coniferous species.
On reliefs of different heights, plants are placed to strengthen the slopes, since the root system is quite powerful.

Barberries look beautiful in a rock garden Source landplant.ru
In rock gardens, barberries with a round crown or cushion-shaped ones look good. Because of the thorns, the plants are not placed near children's playgrounds.

The following crops are best suited for barberry:

roses, asters, chrysanthemums;
conifers, junipers, thujas;
flowering shrubs;
low flowers in alpine hills;
tall trees in the form of padding.

Breeders continue to work on developing new varieties of barberries, experimenting with original foliage colors.

How to choose a barberry seedling

You can buy barberry seedlings in various garden centers, nurseries, specialized stores, and summer cottage online stores. There is a significant advantage to purchasing a product “in person”: you can immediately see the product and choose the best option.

Barberry planting material can be of two types:

Saplings with an open root system (ROS) . Its roots are found outdoors outside the ground. It is advisable to plant it immediately after purchase; if this is not possible, then you need to dig it into the soil or dip it in a clay mash (for transportation), the roots should not dry out. An OKS seedling is cheaper, but it takes root less well, and during the time after purchase and before planting, the roots can be injured and dry out. An example of a seedling with an open root system in the photo:

Barberry seedlings with a closed root system (ZKS) . The roots of such seedlings are located in the ground in a container (container, pot). This option is much better than the first, because such seedlings take root faster and better, but they are more expensive. An example of a ZKS seedling in the photo below:

How to choose a ZKS seedling

The following tips will help you choose a high-quality barberry seedling with a closed root system:

The best ZKS seedling is the one that stays in its pot for a long time . You should not buy a ZKS seedling that has recently been transplanted into this container. The fact is that it is unknown for what reasons it was transplanted into a new container; it is quite possible that the seedling was in critical condition (the roots could have been exposed to the open air for a long time, the roots could have rotted). You can make sure that it has not recently been replanted by performing a number of manipulations: Lift the pot and inspect the drainage holes. The roots should be visible in them (but not stick out too much), this means that the plant has been in this container for a long time.
Gently grab the plant by the trunk and pull lightly, it should sit firmly in the substrate. If a small shrub easily climbs out of the ground, and the soil itself is loose and crumbly, then most likely it was recently replanted.
If some small weeds grow in a pot, it means that the seedling has been in this container for a long time.

There should be no moldy smell coming from the clod of earth and the plant itself. Also around the drainage holes, there should be no traces of mold on the substrate.
The leaves should be elastic and healthy. If they are withered, lethargic, dry, or affected by diseases or pests, then, of course, it is not worth buying such a specimen.
The shoots of the seedling must also be healthy and elastic. Under no circumstances should the branches be dry or broken.

How to choose an OKS seedling

Although the option with a seedling with an open root system is less preferable, it is easier to carefully inspect it before purchasing! The OKS seedling must meet the following requirements:

The root system should be well developed, have a powerful central root, and have additional adventitious roots.
The roots should be healthy and elastic. You should not buy the option with overdried, damaged, rotten, moldy roots.
There should be no moldy smell coming from the root system.
The shoots and leaves of the seedling, also those of the seedling with PCD, must be healthy and elastic.

Video description

More information about powdery mildew can be seen in the video:

Rust on barberry

The disease manifests itself as bright orange spots on the leaf blades on the outside. On the inside, fungal spores appear in the form of yellow dots. The fight against the disease should begin immediately. To do this, tear off all the affected leaves and burn them, treat the dormant buds with fungicides. Rust develops more often with a lack of potassium and phosphorus fertilizers, on weakened plants.

Barberry Thunberg - description

Thunberg barberry is a shrub up to 2.5 m high with deflected arched ribbed branches, red or red-orange shoots, which become dark brown or brown over time. Both shoots and branches are covered with simple and elastic spines up to 1 cm long. The leaves of this plant are round, spatulate or oval-diamond-shaped, slightly pointed or rounded at the top and wedge-shaped at the base. The length of the leaves together with the cuttings can reach 2 cm, and the width - 1 cm. The leaves of Thunberg barberry are bright green on the upper side, bluish below, and in the fall they turn bright red. The flowers of the Thunberg barberry, single or collected in 2-5 pieces in bunches or brushes, are yellow on the inside and red on the outside, reaching a diameter of 1 cm. The fruits of the Thunberg barberry are coral-red shiny ellipsoidal berries up to 1 cm long. Flowering occurs in May , fruiting - in early or mid-autumn.

Video description

About rust on plants is presented in the video:

Tracheomycosis wilt

One of the most common diseases of barberry, which is caused by various pathogens contained in the soil and on plant debris. By infecting the roots, the fungus prevents the penetration of food and the barberry, starting from the tops, turns yellow, turns brown and dries out. The cut shows inclusions of white-pink mycelium with fusarium and gray cobwebby with verticillium.

To combat these diseases, you should water the soil under barberry with phytosporin, alirin-B or gamair.

How to plant barberry correctly - step-by-step instructions

Barberry planting technology:

For each seedling, a depression is prepared if a single planting is planned, or a trench for creating a hedge of bushes. The dimensions of the recess are selected in accordance with the size of the root system, as well as taking into account the drainage layer.
Drainage is placed at the bottom of the hole to remove excess moisture from the roots of the plant. Sprinkle ready-made soil mixture from a garden store on top or make it yourself.
Before placing the seedling, a peg is driven into the hole to support the young bush.
The seedling is carefully placed in the hole, the roots are straightened and watered.
The pit is filled with a nutrient substrate and gently compacted. The root collar is left 3–4 cm above the ground surface.
The tree trunk circle is watered with settled water and covered with mulch.

Video description

How to deal with plant fusarium is described in the video:

Drying of shoots

The fungal disease manifests itself as necrosis of the bark in individual brown areas that begin to dry out. Control measures include removing dry branches and spraying with preparations containing copper.

Barberry aphid

Small sucking insects, 2 mm in size, yellow-red in color, live on the underside of barberry leaf blades. The leaves gradually dry out and fall off. To combat the pest, fitoverm, spark, actara, and inta-vir are used.

For prevention you should:

avoid drying out the soil;
apply mineral fertilizers;
carry out sanitary pruning.

And also inspect the bushes and take action if diseases or pests are detected.

Care after landing

Caring for barberry after planting is easy. The culture is unpretentious and requires a minimum of attention.

In the first year after planting, the plants are watered once a week. You can also organize an automatic irrigation system on the territory if it is not possible to come to the site often, or plant a drought-resistant variety (Thunberga, Amursky). 2–3 years after planting, barberry is watered only during drought.

The shape of the bushes is maintained by cutting. Sanitary pruning is carried out in mid-July - early August: frozen, dead, damaged, dry branches are removed. Cosmetic haircuts are carried out as shoots that have become out of shape grow back.

Thunberg barberry grows slowly, which allows you to create complex geometric compositions and trim it much less frequently compared to other varieties.

Feeding begins from the second year. In the spring, the plant is fertilized with potassium and nitrogen (20–30 g of urea per 10 liters of water), and in the fall with phosphorus (25 g per 10 liters). The procedure is repeated after 4–5 years. You cannot fertilize barberry more than 2 times a year. An excess of nutrients is dangerous for the plant, as is a deficiency.

Common barberry is winter-hardy and tolerates frosts down to -25°C. However, Thunberg's barberry, which is accustomed to the mild climate of Japan, will have to be protected from frost. The bushes are wrapped in non-woven material (agrofibre, greenhouse geotextile), covered with spruce branches, tarpaulin, and straw.

Barberry has a strong immune system and rarely gets sick. At the same time, gardeners recommend not to neglect prevention and treat the bushes with Bordeaux mixture.

The table shows typical barberry diseases and methods of combating them.

Diseases and pests	Signs	Treatment
Powdery mildew	Whitish spots on the leaves during prolonged rains.	20 g of “Fundazol” per 10 liters of water.
Spotting, leaf rust	Light, dark or reddish spots	Spraying the crown with fungicides, 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture.
Aphids, sawfly, flower moth	Holes on the leaves, sticky coating, colonies of insects on the back of the leaf.	Spraying with systemic insecticides (Aktelik, Horus), 0.2% Fitoverma solution.

When to plant barberry in open ground in the fall

Autumn can be described as a very favorable and suitable time for the procedure. But do not forget that in the second half of the season the weather can change quite rapidly, and if you make a mistake with the timing, you can “freeze” the young seedlings. So when is it better to plant barberry in open ground? Autumn planting of shrubs is carried out 2-3 weeks before frost. During this time, the plant will have time to take root normally in a new place and prepare for winter.

But it is difficult to name exact universal dates for planting seedlings, because different regions have different weather and climatic conditions, for example:

However, the listed planting dates in different regions are arbitrary; you need to be guided primarily by the climatic conditions of the place where you live and the weather forecast.

By the way! Many gardeners are very concerned about the question: when is it better to plant barberry - in autumn or spring? The answer is extremely simple: planting can be done both in the autumn and in the spring, the main thing is to meet the deadlines! However, in regions with cold winters (for example, Siberia, the Urals, Leningrad region), it is better to plant the bush in the spring (but this is not important) to avoid the risk of freezing.

Dates for planting barberries according to the lunar calendar 2022

Using the cycles of the moon, you can choose the most accurate time for the procedure in the fall. Of course, there is no scientific evidence of the effectiveness of this method, but many summer residents and gardeners resort to this method every year and claim that they see a positive result.

So, the dates for planting barberry in open ground according to the Lunar calendar 2022:

We grow barberry in our garden. What every gardener should know

Barberry is a very beautiful fruit and at the same time ornamental shrub.
Its berries have powerful healing properties, and it itself is unusually beautiful at any time of the year, standing out among other garden plants as a bright gold, crimson, maroon or fiery red-orange spot. In addition, barberry is very unpretentious, which allows even a novice gardener to safely plant it on his plot without fear that it will get sick or die.

Barberry is considered an energetically strong plant that has a great effect on the entire surrounding flora. It practically does not get sick and is not affected by pests.

In this article we will tell you how to grow barberry on your site and help you choose the best species and varieties for this.

Timing and choice of landing site

The shrub needs neutral (pH 6–7) soil, but it is capable of growing in acidic soil. When planting in acidified soil, slaked lime (330–430 g) or wood ash (220 g) is poured under the barberry.

Shrubs planted in soil close to groundwater will not be harmed by additional soil aeration. To do this, add an additional ½ bucket of sand underneath it. How to make a soil mixture for planting barberry, all in equal proportions:

garden soil;
humus;
sand.

Barberry likes well-lit areas, but the shrub also tolerates partial shade. It is drought tolerant, but does not tolerate waterlogging. The culture is frost-resistant.

When planting individually, 1.5 m is left between the bushes. If the crop is to be used as a hedge, then the planting scheme is as follows:

with a single row - 4 per 1 p.m.;
with a double row - 5 per 1 running meter.

Barberry seeds are enclosed in a dense shell; they require stratification, which consists of prolonged exposure to low temperatures. For this:

They are sown before winter. Pre-soak for an hour in a strong solution of potassium permanganate.
Place in damp sand and refrigerate at the beginning of October for 5 months at a temperature of +2 °C to +5 °C. In March they sow at home. It is recommended to keep the shrub on the windowsill for the first 24 months, then take it out onto the site.

In the wild, barberry grows on forest edges and clearings, in ravines and on the slopes of ravines. But recently, more and more often you can find barberry bushes in summer cottages and city alleys. The popularity of barberry is explained by its good decorative qualities and healing properties, which are used in folk and traditional medicine.

Let's look at the main points for growing ornamental shrubs in the garden, and focus on options for using them in landscape design and for medicinal purposes.

Content

Barberry is an ornamental shrub with beneficial properties video video
Types of barberry video video
Planting barberry on a summer cottage
when and where is the best time to plant barberry?
soil preparation and planting
Features of barberry care
protection from diseases and pests
rules for pruning and wintering barberry bushes

Barberry is an ornamental shrub with beneficial properties.

Summer residents fell in love with barberry for its beautiful, elegant appearance and resistance to various weather conditions (drought and frosty winters).

Barberry is a thorny shrub with simple small leaves. The arrangement of leaves on the shoots is single, in a spiral. The “candy bush” blooms from May to June with golden-yellow flowers collected in racemes or thyroid inflorescences.

The height of the plant, the color of the leaves and the shape of the fruit depend on the specific type of barberry. Therefore, when decorating a garden, you can choose the variety of barberry bush that is most suitable for landscape design.

When decorating a garden, barberry can be used as a single plant or in a group composition. Here are the options for using barberry in the landscape design of a summer cottage:

A hedge made of barberry - the height of the shrub, its hard and sharp spines, about 20 mm long, allow the plant to be used as a fully functional fence. Within several years after planting, the bushes grow and fill the voids between the plantings with branches - a fairly dense and decorative hedge is formed. To speed up the process, it is necessary to trim the long branches of the bush. Such a fence can be used to separate a suburban area from a neighboring one, and to delimit space in the garden.
Design of paths and borders - low-growing varieties of barberry visually expand the paths, giving them clear, regular shapes. To design paths, it is better to use spherical varieties. It is extremely undesirable to use barberry near children's playgrounds - while playing, children can easily get injured on the thorns of the bush.
Rockeries and alpine hills - the unpretentiousness of the “candy bush” allows you to use it to create interesting landscape compositions. Barberry can be either the central element of an alpine hill or a background for other plants. It is better to plant dwarf and medium-sized varieties, depending on the size of the hill or rockery itself.
Single plantings of barberry look appropriate in large garden plots and parks. Most often, one large shrub is planted, reaching a height of up to three meters. A barberry bush with large red leaves and yellow edging blends harmoniously with a green lawn. Such a plant will become a bright element of the entire garden.

As a medicinal plant, barberry has proven itself since the times of Ancient Egypt. To treat many diseases, not only the fruits of the bush were used, but also its leaves, bark, and roots. Pharmacies in pre-revolutionary Russia sold barberry syrup and jam, which were recommended for scurvy, fever and indigestion.

The medicinal properties of barberry are explained by its unique and rich chemical composition. Rafts contain about 7% sugars (fructose and glucose), 5% acids (malic, tartaric and citric), 1% pectin, vitamin C and carotene. The main active ingredient in barberry is alkaloids (from 10 to 25 mg%), represented mainly by berberine.

In international practice, barberry-based medicines are used for stomach diseases, skin diseases, to stop internal bleeding and in the treatment of the gallbladder and liver.

Barberry berries are widely used in cooking: as a seasoning for many dishes, for making sauces and various confectionery products.

There are contraindications to the use of barberry fruits and medications based on it. First of all, restrictions apply to pregnant women and children.

Green, unripe barberry fruits are poisonous!

Types of barberry

In nature, there are about 500 species of barberry bushes. In Russia, the most common varieties are of two main types: common barberry and Thunberg barberry.

Common barberry has good winter hardiness and resistance to dust and drought. A thorny shrub up to 2.5 meters high with spreading arched shoots. The leaves are ovoid in shape and dark green in color. In May-June the shrub blooms with yellow honey-bearing flowers; barberry berries ripen by autumn.

The fruits of the common barberry are quite suitable for consumption, and the plant itself can be used to create an unpretentious hedge, in single or group plantings.

Gardeners and summer residents especially loved the Thunberg barberry varieties, which have good decorative qualities. These are medium or low growing shrubs up to one meter high with spreading and dense shoots. The color of the shoots changes throughout the growing season from pale yellow to purple-brown. The coral-red fruits have a bitter taste and are not suitable for eating. Therefore, they can remain on the bush all winter and be a decoration of the garden even in the cold season.

Thunberg's barberry is less frost-resistant than its fellow common barberry, but it is more resistant to pests and diseases (powdery mildew and rust).

Planting barberry on a summer cottage

methods of propagation of barberry

Almost all types of barberry can be propagated vegetatively (cuttings, dividing the bush or root system) and seeds.

With vegetative propagation, it is possible to preserve the varietal characteristics of the plant. Cuttings are prepared from strong green shoots of the current year. For planting, it is better to use the middle part of the shoot with two pairs of leaves (two nodes) and one internode. The length of the cutting should be about 10 cm, and the diameter of the shoot should be 5 mm. The cuttings are cut at a right angle from above, and at a 45 degree angle from below.

Lignified shoots will take longer to take root; for cuttings, they are cut in November and stored in a dark, cool place until spring.

Prepared cuttings are planted in boxes (a mixture of sand and peat in a ratio of 3:1) at an angle of 45 degrees. Rooting requires high indoor humidity (up to 85%) and an air temperature of 20-25 degrees. On hot days, seedlings need regular watering and spraying. It is better to leave cuttings that have taken root to strengthen in the same room for another 1-2 years.

Plants aged 3-5 years can be propagated by dividing the bush. In early spring, you need to dig up the barberry and carefully divide the bush into 2-3 parts using pruning shears. Each shrub is planted in a new prepared place.

If barberry shoots begin to branch above the soil level, then propagation by dividing the bush is impossible

To collect the seeds, barberry fruits are crushed, squeezed through a sieve, washed and dried. Seeds can be sown in autumn or spring.

In autumn, the seeds are placed in furrows (1 cm deep), but it is important to prevent the soil from becoming waterlogged. Before spring sowing, seeds must undergo stratification (temperature 2-5 degrees, period 2-4 months).

when and where is the best time to plant barberry?

To plant barberry, you need to choose a well-lit place on the site, as it is a light-loving plant. Barberry will grow in the shade, but over time the leaves will lose their brightness and beauty. If barberry is planted for medicinal purposes, and the roots of the plant will be used as medicine, then it is better to plant the shrub in partial shade - this promotes active growth of the root system.

Most gardeners are inclined to believe that it is better to plant barberry in the fall, since in the spring the plant seedlings begin to grow early. Alternatively, spring planting of seedlings can be done before the buds open. In spring, stratified thorny bush seeds are also sown.

soil preparation and planting

To plant common barberry seeds in the fall, it is enough to dig the ground to a depth of 40 cm, remove the roots of the weeds and apply fertilizer (superphosphates, potassium salt, lime, organic fertilizers).

If you plan to plant Thunberg barberry seedlings or two-year-old barberry seedlings, then soil preparation may include the following steps:

Dig the soil to a depth of 60 cm in the fall and remove all visible weeds.
Dig planting holes measuring 40*40 cm.
Sprinkle the bottom of the hole with a fertile layer of soil.
Apply fertilizer (250 grams of superphosphate and 50 grams of potassium salt per bucket of organic fertilizer).
Add soil fertilizer on top and mix a little (when planting, you need to make sure that the roots of the plant do not come into direct contact with the fertilizer - the root system can burn).

We plant barberry seedlings in the prepared holes, leveling the roots of the plant. After this, you need to water it, carefully sprinkle it with soil and compact it with your hands. The first fruits of barberry can be expected in two to three years.

Barberry seeds are sown to a depth of 0.5 cm and mulched with a layer of peat (1-1.5 cm). Seeds planted in spring should be watered regularly. The first berries will appear in the fourth or fifth year after planting.

Features of barberry care

watering and fertilizing barberry

Young barberry seedlings need frequent watering. After the plant is well rooted and established, the bush should be watered once a week. It is advisable to loosen the soil around the bush and, if necessary, weed.

A year after planting, barberry begins to be fed. In the spring, the shrub should be watered with a solution of 2% urea solution, and in the fall, when digging, it is necessary to add compost or humus - 1-2 buckets for each plant (for adult shrubs - 2-3 buckets).

It is enough to feed separately growing barberry with complex universal fertilizers once every 3-4 years, but a hedge of barberry needs frequent feeding - at least twice a year.

protection from diseases and pests

When growing barberry in your summer cottage, you must remember that the plant can often be attacked by pests - moths and aphids. Therefore, the bushes must be inspected regularly.

Aphids cause leaves to dry out and wrinkle. To prevent its occurrence in the spring, the bush is sprayed with a tobacco solution (0.5 kg of shag should be brewed in a bucket of boiling water) or a soap solution (300 grams of laundry soap dissolved in 10 liters of water).

The moth eats barberry berries. It can be removed by treating the bush with chlorophos (0.1-0.3%) or decis (0.05-0.1%).

White plaque on the shoots, leaves and fruits of barberry is a sign of the appearance of powdery mildew, the causative agent of which is a fungus of the microsphere genus. The fungus multiplies quickly and infects healthy shoots of the plant. Severely affected leaves and branches are cut off and burned, while the rest need urgent treatment with a sulfur-lime mixture or colloidal sulfur solution. For prevention, the first treatment should be carried out during the leaf blooming period, the subsequent one – after two weeks.

Common barberry can be affected by rust, especially if it grows near fields with cereal crops. Orange spots appear on young leaves (convex pads form on the inner leaf plate). Over time, the leaves may dry out completely and fall off. To prevent this, the plant must be sprayed with a solution of Bordeaux mixture (1%) or a solution of colloidal sulfur (1.5%). Thunberg barberry varieties are not affected by rust.

Bacteriosis (caused by bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas) can develop on the branches and leaves of barberry. The disease is accompanied by the appearance of dark, watery spots, cracked shoots, and uncharacteristic (cancerous) formations. Bacteriosis does not affect the fruits and flowers of barberry. As a therapeutic measure, the bush is sprayed with copper oxychloride (per 10 liters - 30-40 grams); processing is done before or after barberry blooms.

rules for pruning and wintering barberry bushes

Sanitary cleaning of barberry bushes should be carried out regularly. Thin, dry or overgrown branches are cut out.

Barberry is also pruned when forming a decorative shrub shape. If barberry is used as a hedge, then the number and length of the stems are adjusted depending on the size of the hedge itself. If barberry acts as a central element in landscape design, then the bush becomes more powerful and lush. When you plan to harvest a good harvest of berries from barberry, you need to thin out the bush, since in the shade of the branches the plant will bear fruit poorly.

Pruning to rejuvenate barberry should be done in early spring (before buds open). In this case, it is necessary to remove old branches - cut them off almost at the base of the bush.

Common barberry can withstand frosty winters, but Thunberg barberry (especially in the first two years after planting) needs insulation with peat, dry leaves or spruce branches.

In principle, if we compare barberry with other ornamental and berry bushes, it requires less care, although it is distinguished by its universal use in landscape design, the treatment of many diseases and the preparation of a variety of culinary dishes.

Author: Sergey and Svetlana Khudentsov

WHERE DOES BARBERIS COME FROM?

The homeland of the most ancient species, the common barberry, is considered to be the Middle East and North Africa. Even the name of the plant itself comes from the word “Berber”. This is what Europeans called African nomads.

There are more than 100 species of wild barberry in nature. Their thickets can be found almost everywhere in the mountainous regions of the central and southern parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Most of them are concentrated in Western Asia and Transcaucasia. On the territory of our country, barberry has been growing for centuries in the Caucasus, Southern Urals and Primorye.

In the chronicles of Ancient Greece there are references to the use of barberry fruits to cleanse and treat blood diseases. In folk medicine of Ancient China, various parts of this amazing plant were also used: berries, bark, leaves and roots.

Thickets of large-fruited barberry have been growing in the Alps, Carpathians and other mountain ranges of Western Europe for centuries.

Bioportrait of barberry

Some types of barberry

The genus Barberry has more than 500 species. And the variety of varieties is absolutely amazing. They differ not only in the size of the plant, but also in the color of the leaves and the quality of the fruit.

The most popular species are common barberry and Thunberga . The first is usually planted for its berries. The second produces inedible small fruits, but is unusually decorative.

On a note. Some varieties of crops combine beauty and benefits. Their berries are suitable for food, and the bushes serve as a bright decoration for the garden.

How to choose the right variety? First, decide whether you need a crop or whether you want to incorporate shrubs into your landscaping. Or perhaps your goal is to protect the area from prying eyes with a hedge?

The second thing you should pay attention to is the availability of free space in the garden. Even for low-growing varieties, it is desirable that the distance between planting barberry and trees and buildings is at least two meters.

By the way. A medium-height hedge successfully combines Thunberg barberry and currants. Another option is barberry Tunderga atropurpurea and alpine currant.

Look what an expressive composition you can create with the participation of Thunberg's barberry:

Video review of the 10 most striking varieties of Thunberg barberry: