Features, tips for planting and caring for broom on the site, breeding steps, pests and diseases, facts to note, description of the species. The broom (Cytisus) is a member of the legume family (Fabaceae), and there are about 50 such plants in the genus, but some sources name numbers ranging from 30-50 species. The native habitat of broom growers covers vast areas, which include European territories, Asia Minor and northern regions of Africa. The soil on which the plant feels comfortable is mainly light and dry, consists of sandy or sandy loam soil, but broom often settles on limestone outcrops. Prefers places that are well lit, under the rays of sunlight.
The plant was first discovered on the Greek island of Kythinos and, in all likelihood, this is where the scientific name of the broom came from. But there is another version that this is how the Greeks called representatives of the flora classified as leguminous plants - kytisos. In culture, broom has already become known since the beginning of the 18th century. From the family to a separate genus, it was singled out by the French botanist Rene Luis De Fontaine (1750-1833), who described this plant and its distinctive features in the work "Flora Atlantica", which was published in 1798.
Under natural conditions, the broom can take the form of a shrub, but occasionally it appears as a small tree. Basically, all varieties lose their foliage for the winter, but there are also species that are evergreens. If the broom grows like a shrub, then its shoots reach a height of 3-5 meters (if you do not prune the branches), and the outlines of the bush are spreading, in diameter indicators can be measured up to 2 meters. Shoots tend to lignify over time, they are covered with a bark of a bright green color. There are varieties with silvery streaks and pubescence of short hairs on the surface of the bark. Young branches remain flexible for a long time and can be decoratively bent in the soil surface under the weight of leaf plates, flowers and fruits. Some brooms even have small thorns on their shoots.
The leaves of all varieties have petioles and are arranged in a regular sequence. The color of the leaf plate is a rich bright green color scheme. Its shape is lobed, with three parts, but at the top of the shoots, the leaf has only one central lobe, the rest are greatly reduced or combined into this one part. The leaf lobes are oval, the stipules are either completely miniature, or they do not exist at all. The length of the leaves rarely exceeds 3-4 cm.
The flowering process of the broom takes place during May-June and can last for a month. There are plants of this genus, in which the formation of flowers is much ahead of the opening of leaves. The buds form along the entire length of the shoot of the current year, hiding in the axils of the leaves. At the same time, a small size racemose inflorescences are formed from the rubble. The shape of broom flowers is quite typical for plants of this family - spongy, there is a pleasant aroma. The color of the petals in the buds can take on white, cream, milky, bright yellow tones, but there are varieties with pinkish and even purple flowers. The length of the calyx, which may be in the form of a tube or a bell, does not exceed 2–3 cm. A column with stamens and an ovary is hidden under the petals.
The structure of the flower is such that if a bee or other insect sits on it, the stamens, hidden under a kind of petal lid, sharply straighten their threads. This is due to the fact that the stamens are constantly in tension created by their curved state. The stamens, when straightened, hit the bee from below, and the pollen from the anthers remains on the fluffy podryushi insect. It flies to other flowers in search of nectar, simultaneously carrying out forced pollination.
After pollination, the fruits ripen, which are represented by pods in the broom, which have small beans inside. Beans have flattened sides and a smooth surface. When the pods are fully ripe, their flaps crack and the bean contents scatter on the ground.
Tips for planting and caring for broom in the area
- Agrotechnics when planting. The place for the plant should be open, sunny, warm and calm. Disembarkation takes place from April to May. The soil is prepared in advance from sod land, river sand and humus (in a ratio of 1: 2: 1). If the soil is very scarce, then mineral fertilizers are applied to it. At the same time, the distance between the broom seedlings is maintained at least 30 cm. If the seedlings are purchased, it is better to purchase them with a closed root system (that is, in peat pots).
- Broom planting rules. A hole is prepared and a mixed substrate is poured into it, then a seedling is placed there so that its root collar is at the level of the soil. A drainage layer of 10–20 cm should be laid at the bottom of the hole; its layer directly depends on the quality of the soil and its composition. If the soil is heavy, then a larger drainage layer is taken. You can use as it, expanded clay, pebbles or broken, but sifted from dust brick. When the plant is established, the earth around it is poured, compacted and watering is abundantly carried out. If you mulch the trunk circle, this will help to retain moisture, prevent weed growth and aerate the soil.
- Watering. Despite the drought tolerance of the broom, watering should be sufficient and abundant, but not too frequent, so that the water does not stagnate. If there is enough rainfall, then the plant is not watered.
- Fertilizers. It is recommended to start feeding in the spring, as this will help improve the growth and development of the broom. There will be several of them for the entire period of vegetation activity. In the spring months, urea or nitrogen-containing preparations are needed, in the summer, a mixture with potassium and phosphorus. The dosage is not violated in this case. If growth stimulation is required, then you need to use wood ash.
- General care. Around the bush, you should regularly loosen the soil and remove weeds. The depth of loosening is not more than 10 cm, otherwise the roots of the broom can be touched. Alternatively, you can mulch with a peat layer up to 5 cm.
- Pruning for broom performed after flowering, this will help in the future formation of a large number of young branches with buds. The cut should be done up to the fully lignified side forks on the shoot.
- Wintering broom. Young bushes, up to 3 years old, are recommended to be covered with agrofibre or spruce branches with the arrival of winter. If the broom is tall, then its shoots are bent to the soil with special devices (brackets) and sprinkled with fallen leaves or spruce paws. Adult specimens can be frost-resistant and do not need shelter.
Reproduction of broom when growing it in the garden
To get a new abundant flowering shrub, you will need to sow seed, cuttings and propagation by layering.
Seed propagation of broom is the most acceptable and effective way. Often around the overgrown mother bush, you can see abundant self-seeding shoots. In the autumn, beans are taken from the ripe pods. At the very beginning of spring, they are soaked in warm water for at least a couple of days. Then the beans are sown into pots filled with a peat-sand mixture. Some gardeners recommend that cold stratification be done for two months for more successful sprouting of the beans. In this case, the planting material should be placed on the lower shelf of the refrigerator, where the temperature is within 5-7 degrees.
The beans are planted to a depth of 0.5–1 cm. According to many recommendations, seeds should be immediately placed at a distance of 4–6 cm from each other. Then the crops are placed in a place with bright diffused light and maintained at a temperature of 18-21 degrees. The pot of beans should be covered with a piece of glass or wrapped in plastic wrap. In this case, the crops should be ventilated daily and if the soil is dry, then moisten it with a spray bottle.
When the beans germinate, the shelter is removed and when 2-3 leaves develop on them, it is recommended to transplant (pick) in separate pots. The soil must be made up of sod land, humus and river sand (proportion 2: 1: 0, 5). In order to stimulate branching, the seedlings must be pinched regularly. When June comes, another transplant is performed into a container with a large diameter. When the broom seedlings reach the age of three, they can be planted in open ground. Since the plant does not tolerate transplanting well, and the root system recovers for a long time after damage, all movements of the seedling are carried out by transshipment - when the earthen ball does not collapse.
After the flowering period of the broom has passed, grafting can be carried out - this period usually occurs in the summer. The workpieces are cut from semi-lignified shoots so that there are 2-3 leaves on the handle. All leaf plates are recommended to be cut in half to reduce the area of evaporation of moisture from it. Cuttings are planted in a peat-sandy substrate. Rooting is carried out at a temperature of about 18-21 degrees. The twigs can be placed under a glass container or covered with a transparent plastic bag. The place in which the pot of cuttings is placed should be with bright diffused lighting. Soil moistening is needed if necessary, and ventilation is performed daily.
After 1–1.5 months, root shoots develop in the broom cuttings and the shelter is removed. It is recommended to keep the seedlings indoors until next spring.
If reproduction takes place with the help of layering, then only adult broom bushes are used. The branches at the bottom are pressed against the ground and fastened there with wire or staples. Then the shoot is sprinkled with a little substrate and moistened. By the spring of next year, such a layer will take root and get stronger, then it can be separated and carefully transplanted to a new place.
Diseases and pests of broom growing in the garden and methods of dealing with them
The plant is highly resistant to diseases and damage by harmful insects. However, there are manifestations of powdery mildew and black spot. To combat these diseases, copper sulfate (5%), foundazol and colloidal sulfur are used. Processing is carried out on the still unawakened kidneys. If the signs of the disease do not disappear, then another spraying will be required in the summer.
Among the pests for the broom are the moth moth and the moth moth. It will be necessary to spray the deciduous mass with insecticidal preparations, for example, chlorophos solution (0.2%), and bacterial and organophosphate insecticides are recommended from the last pest.
Notes about broomstick facts
Most often, broom is used to decorate recreation areas in parks and gardens, personal plots, in order to make the landscape more attractive due to the abundant flowering of shrubs.
Since the broomstick contains alkaloids in itself, it is used in the pharmaceutical industry, and is also used as a fragrance in perfumery, due to the fact that some varieties have a pleasant strong aroma of flowers. Since the flowers contain a large amount of nectar, the plant is considered an excellent honey plant.
Flowers have a bright yellow color, then the broom has also been used in the chemical industry, where they get a yellow dye, which is customary to dye wool from natural fibers.
The wood of the plant is distinguished by good strength and a variety of colors, but due to its small size, it is used only for creating small crafts.
Broom species
The Russian broom (Cytisus ruthenicus) is a spreading shrub, the branches of which can reach 1.5 m in height. Shoots with a slight bend or straight-growing. On the branches, trifoliate leaves of a grayish-green color grow in successive succession of small sizes. The shape of the leaf lobes is oval or lanceolate. All leaf plates have thorns. In the leaf axils, from 3 to 5 large flower sizes are formed, with petals of a bright yellow hue.
Coronal broom (Cytisus scoparius). This variety loses its foliage for the winter and is frost-resistant. The shrub has a mop of thin branches, with excellent flexibility. The height to which the shoots reach is about 3 m. When the branches are young, their surface is covered with a reddish bark with pubescence. During flowering, buds are formed, the petals of which are connected in a cup of narrow outlines, reaching up to 2 cm in length. The most popular varieties of this variety are:
- Burkwoodii they are distinguished by scarlet flowers, which have a border with a narrow yellowish stripe;
- Andreanus Splendens possesses flowers with petals covered with stains in yellow-red shades;
- Lena the flowers have petals of a scarlet color, and on each of them there is a longitudinal strip of a dark golden tone.
Creeping broom (Cytisus decumbens). It is a shrub with open branches, often growing in highlands. Shoots can often simply be flat on the soil, while their height does not exceed 20 cm with a total average diameter of about 80 cm. Shoots with green bark have pubescence and a ribbed surface (5 ribs). When touching the soil, branches tend to root along their entire length. The leaf plates are distinguished by an oval or lanceolate shape, their color is dark green, and vary in length within the range of 8–20 mm. On the reverse side of the leaf, there is a dense pubescence in the form of a pile.
During flowering, paniculate inflorescences are formed, which are located in the leaf axils. In the inflorescence, there are 1-3 flowers. The corolla petals are painted in yellow color from bright to dark; the corolla does not exceed 15 mm in length. The flowering process takes place from the middle to the end of the spring months. The number of buds formed is multiple and among all varieties, this broom has no equal in terms of the abundance of flowers.
After the flowers are pollinated, the beans ripen in June, with a length of about 2.5 cm, with pubescence. In culture since 1775.
Early broom (Cytisus praecox). It tolerates severe winters well, it is represented by a spreading shrub, while its shoot height varies from one meter to one and a half. The branches are bent in an arc and at the end of spring they begin to be covered with flowers of a bright yellow color, which have a rather intense and pungent odor. The foliage has a lanceolate shape, its length does not exceed two centimeters, the color is light green.
There is a popular variety Boskoop Ruby with a bushy form of growth, erect shoots, but with such strong branching that the crown is spherical. Height - 1.5 m. The leaf plate is oblong-lanceolate, the color of its different shades of light green color. The corolla petals are ruby tones on the outside, while the inside is mauve in color.
What a broom looks like, see below:
