The peculiarity of barberry, agricultural technology when growing in the garden, independent reproduction and transplantation, difficulties with, interesting facts, types. You look at the autumn garden and it becomes sad that almost all colors disappear and are replaced by a gray or dull color. But what is it? Among this autumnal gloom, bright colors and shades can be seen! Yes, not many plants of our strip can boast of such a riot of crimson at the end of autumn - take a closer look, these are the leaves and fruits of barberry decorate the corner of the garden. And how pleasant it is to look at the bright coral berries of this plant against the background of a snow-white shelter in winter. And if we consider that this green inhabitant of our forests and gardens also has useful properties, then it becomes generally clear that it is simply necessary to plant this cheerful bush.
Barberry (Berberis) belongs to the genus of large shrubs and very rarely trees belonging to the family Barberry (Berberidaceae). The plant can be seen growing in the forests and gardens of southern and central Europe, the Crimean peninsula and the Caucasus, Persia and eastern Siberia, and it is also known in North America, and some varieties grow in Central Asia and Kazakhstan. In principle, barberry can be found on almost all continents, with the exception of Australia and Antarctica, it is well distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, and prefers its mountainous regions. Barberry is distinguished by winter hardiness and heat resistance, it can feel great on depleted soils, but it will not tolerate stagnant moisture in the soil. And most often they like to settle in places where there is a lot of light - on the edges of the forest or in the roadside. The genus includes about 170 species, some of which are grown as cultivated plants.
The plant bears its name from the translation of the Arabic word "beirberi", which means - shaped like a shell, but in the people you can sometimes hear the name - "caramel tree". So, barberry is a shrub or semi-shrub with evergreen foliage, but it eats varieties with partially falling deciduous mass (semi-evergreen) or completely losing it (deciduous). In rare cases, the plant can take the form of a small tree. His size parameters have a fairly large spread from 30 cm in height to 3 meters. The shoots of barberry are thin, upright growing, but in some varieties they deviate to the soil, have ribbing and branching at an acute angle. The bark of the trunk and shoots is brownish or brownish-gray. The branches of the "caramel tree" are covered with centimeter thorns, which are highly reduced (reduced) leaves, of which only the central vein remains. In the bosom of such a thorn, shoots begin to grow, of a very short length and it seems that the leaves are arranged in a bunch. If the shoot is formed this year, then the leaf plates are located on it spiral and singly.
Barberry leaf plates have a variety of shapes, it can be elliptical and lanceolate, ovate and obovate outlines, petioles, as already mentioned, are short. The surface of the leaf is bare, usually on top it has a bluish-green color, on the back it has a bluish tint. The leaf edge can take finely ciliated forms or be prickly-toothed or whole-edged.
Barberry blooms with small buds, they are quite fragrant and shaded with yellow-golden or orange colors, there are even inclusions of reddish tones. The inflorescence in which the flowers are collected has the shape of a scutellum or brush and is placed on short branches growing on the sides or on the terminal shortened branches. But sometimes the buds are placed singly and also sit on the tops of the shoots. Each of the petals has a pair of nectaries. Since the smell is quite strong and sweet, the blooming bush attracts many insects ready to feast on nectar - it is an excellent honey plant.
After flowering, the fruits ripen in a shape that depends on the variety and type of barberry: elliptical, almost spherical or ovoid. Also, the color and the presence of seeds depend on the variety (they may not be at all or the number reaches 5). The surface of the fruit is glossy, smooth, measured 0.8-1.2 cm in length. Seeds with ribs, rolls, have a narrowing towards the ends, their surface is glossy, colored brown. In length, they reach 4–6 mm with a width of up to 1, 8–3 mm.
Barberry is often used in landscape design for making hedges, decorating borders and edging. Or they are in demand among gardeners because of their fruits, which are used in cooking and medicine.
Barberry growing rules, planting and care
- Location. The "caramel tree" is planted in the spring, as soon as the soil thaws, but before the buds bloom on the bush. The site can be any, since the plant perfectly tolerates drafts, sun, wind or partial shade. However, varieties with purple leaves are best planted in sunlight.
- The soil. Barberry grows better in neutral soil, but it can tolerate acidity with an indicator not higher than pH 7. If the acidity of the substrate is high, then you will have to add lime to reduce it. This is done either in advance or right when planting a seedling. A mixture based on humus or compost is laid in the hole along with garden soil (8-10 kg), superphosphate (100 g) and slaked lime plus wood ash (400 g and 200 g, respectively) are mixed there.
- Landing rules. If the plants are planted singly, then the distance between them is 1, 5–2 m; when creating a fence, there should be 2 plants per 1 running meter. Pits for seedlings are dug 40 × 40 cm, but if a hedge is formed, then a trench is dug up to 40 cm deep. Sand is placed in each depression (for aeration of the roots). The above-mentioned mixture is introduced, but without ash and lime, when the soil is alkaline, slightly acidic or neutral. A seedling is placed in the recess, and its roots are sprinkled with a substrate, slightly compacting it. Then they mulch the trunk circle with compost or peat. Part of the plant above the ground is then cut off, leaving only 3-5 developed buds.
- Watering. With a normal amount of rain, it is not necessary to water the barberry, only during the drought period, it will need to be moistened once every 7 days. Water pours under the root, but it should not get on the leaves. Watering of the transplanted bushes is also carried out until they take root well. The worst thing for barberry is prolonged rains. You will need to remove weeds near the plant and root growth, while you will need to loosen the soil under the bush.
- Fertilizing barberry. Those components that were introduced during planting are usually enough for a year. Already next spring, you will need to fertilize the bush with 20-30 grams of urea, diluted in a bucket of water. Then feeding is applied only once every 3-4 years. If the variety has edible fruits, then after the flowering period and at the end of vegetative growth, add 10 grams. potash and 15 gr. phosphoric preparation for each plant. But it is recommended to use the "Kemira-wagon", which is diluted in a bucket of water 15 grams. and in the middle of summer they carry out top dressing.
- Pruning. Dried, dry and strongly thickening branches are removed. When the plant is a year old, the first pruning is carried out in the spring, the branches are cut by 1/2 or 2/3. In subsequent cases, pruning is carried out every 2 years in early summer and early August.
Reproduction of barberry with your own hands
You can get a new barberry bush by sowing seeds, cuttings, dividing the bush and layering.
Berries to obtain seeds are harvested all autumn, the seeds will need to be separated from the pulp. The next step is to soak for a couple of minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate and then dry. Sowing is carried out in the fall, before winter. On the breast, they are buried 1 cm into the ground. When the seedlings appear in the spring and a pair of real leaves develop on them, it will be necessary to thin out, so that the distance between the shoots is 3 cm. At this place, the shoots grow for another 2 years, and then they are transplanted to a permanent place of growth. When sowing is carried out in the spring, it will be necessary to pre-stratify the seeds. 2–5 months before planting, they are mixed with river sand and kept for the specified time in a refrigerator at a temperature of 2–5 degrees.
The sprouts obtained from seeds begin to bear fruit after 2-3 years, and only when the plant is planted not one, but several of them, since cross-pollination is necessary for good fruiting.
When grafting, the branches will have to be cut in mid-June and preferably in the morning. The leaves that need to be stung from the bottom of the cutting, and the upper ones to be halved. Then it will take several hours of treatment with a rooting stimulant. Then the sections are washed with water, and they are planted in the ground (humus, fertile soil, peat and sand in a ratio of 1: 1: 1: 0, 5). Cuttings are placed under a plastic bag or glass cover (like a mini-greenhouse). Plants will need to be aired daily, and moisten the soil if it dries. After 14 days, rooting should take place and the shelter should be removed. You can try to root the twigs on the breast, then they will grow to us for up to 2 years, while it will be possible to transplant to a permanent place of their growth.
When propagated by layering, in the spring the lower one-year branch is selected, it bends to the ground and fits into a depression equal to 20 cm. There the shoot is fixed and covered with soil, only its top remains visible. By the autumn months, rooting will take place and you can separate the plant from the parent bush. A young seedling is transplanted and grown.
You can divide only low plants that have already been growing for 3-5 years and whose root collar is already 10 cm deep. In spring, the bush will need to be dug out, carefully cut its root system into several parts (you may have to use a garden pruner or a file). Then the cut areas are treated with charcoal and the pieces are planted. However, if the branching of the shoots began above the substrate level, then such a plant cannot be propagated.
What difficulties do you face when growing barberry?
The plant can be annoyed by the barberry aphid, the flower moth or the barberry sawfly. The leaves begin to wrinkle and dry out, and the fruits will also be gnawed. When fighting aphids, they are treated with a soap solution based on laundry soap diluted in water (300 grams of soap is taken for 10 liters), other pests are poisoned with a 1-3% chlorophos solution.
Also, barberry can be annoyed by fungal sores: powdery mildew, bacteriosis, spotting and wilting of foliage and rust. Most often, treatment is carried out with Bordeaux liquid or any copper-containing solutions.
Interesting facts about barberry
"Caramel tree" has multiple advantages, and its parts are actively used in different areas of the economy.
When using the constituent substances of the bark, root processes and wood, you can get a yellow paint.
Barberry leaves are used in cooking for making marinades, and it is customary to cook marshmallows and jams, sweets and drinks from the fruits. If the berries are dried, then they are used to make spices for lamb, add to pilaf and risotto, sweet cereals.
If you make a tincture from roots, branches and bark, you can stop bleeding, help with inflammation and heal colds. Means based on barberry juice have antipyretic and antimicrobial effects.
Wood is needed in turning and by master inlayers and mosaics.
The plant is an excellent honey plant. Even in ancient Greece, they knew that remedies based on the "caramel tree" can purify the blood, but in Tibetan monasteries with its help they prolong youth. However, one must remember that unripe barberry berries are poisonous, but ripe berries are not recommended for those who suffer from cholelithiasis, a complex form of hepatitis or liver cirrhosis, as well as if they are under 12 years old.
Description of the types of caramel wood
- Common barberry (Berberis vulgaris) is the main species of this genus. It is a shrub with a height of up to 3 meters. Its shoots are gray-brown in color, completely covered with tripartite spines, reaching up to 2 cm in length. The leaves are elliptical, thin with membranes, ciliate-serrate along the edge. On the upper side, the leaf blade is painted in a dark green tone, and on the bottom it is gray-greenish, dull. The cluster-shaped inflorescences measure 6 cm in length and are composed of aromatic glossy yellow flowers. The flowering process lasts 2-3 weeks. Fruits ripen in large quantities, painted in a bright red tone, measuring 1.5 cm in length.
- Barberry Thunberg (Berberis thunbergii) - this variety is highly decorative of all types of barberries with falling leaves. In height, the shrub reaches parameters in the range of 50-100 cm. Its branches grow in a horizontal position, their color is yellowish or bright red, while they are still young enough. They are highly branching, and curving in an arc deviating towards the soil. Over time, the branches turn brown or purplish brown. The spines with which the shoots are strewn are measured in 1 cm, they are thin and elastic. The leaf plates have graceful outlines and are oblong or obovate in shape. Their size in length reaches 3 cm. The color of the foliage is bright green on top, and on the back of the leaf - gray. With the arrival of autumn, the foliage becomes a bright red hue. Flowers are arranged singly or in bunches. The petals of the bud are red on the outside, and inside their color is yellow. The flowering process will take 7-14 days. Fruits are cast in a coral red color and glossy sides. The length of the fruit reaches 1 cm. Ripening occurs in September, but they can keep on the bush, even in winter. Berry fruits contain a lot of alkaloids, so they have a bitter taste, but birds use the fruits for food in the winter months. There are several decorative forms of this variety: multi-flowered (pluriflora), dark purple (atropurpurea) and silvery-bordered (argenteo-marigata).
- Ottawa barberry (Berberis ottawensis). This plant appeared as a result of crossing the barberry of the common subspecies Anthropurpurea and the barberry Thunberg. The height of this shrub reaches 1.5–2 meters. Outwardly, it is very similar to the Thunberg barberry variety, but the color of the foliage is more related to the purple-leaved barberry - that is, their color is dark pink-purple, and in the sunlight it becomes almost black. With the arrival of autumn, the foliage is shaded with crimson color and pleases the eye for a long time in a garden already devoid of foliage. This variety is winter-hardy and unpretentious in care, with a high growth rate.
- Barberry Amur (Berberis amurensis). This variety is not very popular, probably because the height of the bushes sometimes reaches 3.5 meters. The plant tolerates drought quite easily, but in very frosty winters there is a possibility of freezing. In the summer, the leaf plates are painted in a rich green color, and with the arrival of autumn days, their color changes to golden red. Barberry blooms at the end of May days. More about growing barberry in this video:
