Pyracantha

Pyracantha belongs to the family Rosaceae or Rosehips, this plant is an evergreen shrub. In its natural habitat, this culture is common in the southern parts of Europe and partly in the east of Asia. The name "Pyracantha" is a compound of the Greek language "pyr" and "ankathi" When literally translated, "Pyracantha" sounds like "fire thorn" (fire + thorn). This genus includes about 7 species. Piracantu is grown in gardens and parks as an ornamental plant, the culture has very low frost resistance, but note that among all Pyracantha varieties there are hybrids that calmly survive the drop in temperature conditions to minus twenty degrees.

Pyracantha: description of the bush

Pirakant shrub: plant photo

Pyracantha is a shrub that grows in two varieties as an upright plant or a spreading plant. The culture stretches up to six meters in height; visually there are many indicators similar to the cotoneaster. The stem of the bush is covered with not frequent long thorns. The leaf plates are elongated oval in shape with a characteristic denticle at the end and are colored green all year round. The racemose inflorescences are composed of snow-white flowers. The fruits are formed in the form of small apples, the size of which is closer to the berries, and the color is red or yellow.

It is because of the indicators and characteristics of the Pirakanta fruit that it previously belonged to the Yablonevye family and was relatively recently transferred to Spireyne.

The main distinguishing feature of the Piracantha plant, which added it to ornamental plants, is its lush flowering and many fruits after. During the flowering period, the bush attracts bees, and the fruits are food for the birds.

Growing pyracantha: planting in open ground

Pirakant shrub: plant photo

Best landing time.

One of the options for landing the pyracantha is late autumn. At such a time, a generative cultivation method is used, or, in simple terms, seeds are sown. Growing a crop from seeds is also possible in the spring period of the year, but then you need to first prepare the seed by hardening it with an imitation of the winter climate. This manipulation is very simple, the seeds are placed on the vegetable shelf in the refrigerator and left there for six to eight weeks.

For gardeners who are not ready to spend time preparing seeds, planting and waiting for their shoots, there is an easier way. You can purchase an already prepared seedling in a specialized store. When choosing a seedling, remember that the root system must be closed. They make such a purchase in March, and then the plant is planted. The main advantage of this method is that the plant has already acclimatized to the conditions of your area and has good indicators of frost resistance. When making a purchase, conduct a visual inspection of the bush. The seedling must not show any damage, signs of disease or infestation of parasites. In addition to inspecting the seedling itself, you should pay attention to the soil in the pot, it should be well watered and not smell of rotting or sweetness. Experienced gardeners prefer to take varieties that can withstand winter drops in temperature and do not require a reverent attitude towards themselves in terms of care, varieties of narrow-leaved or bright red pyracantha correspond to these qualities.

The main mistake of beginners is buying a pyracantha seedling in the fall.Having planted a young plant in open ground, it simply cannot go through the adaptation period and will die after the first frost. Disembarkation is carried out only in the spring, after warm weather sets in and there is no threat of frost.

Landing technique.

The Pirakantha shrub loves warm conditions, and gives the best growth and development rates when located on the south side with mandatory protection from cold wind currents. The culture feels great both on the shady side and on the sunny side, but like most plants, it is advisable to protect it from direct sunlight, as they can lead to burns and yellowing of the green mass. Do not plant Pirakantu in the lowlands, with the onset of spring, melt water leaves there, which can linger there for a long time. In addition, the air there is colder than on the hills, all together will have a detrimental effect on the bush.

Pyracantha can grow in almost all soil options, but the planting site of the seedling must be prepared in advance. A week before the transfer of a young plant to an open area, the soil is dug to a depth of about forty centimeters, and it is fed with humus by adding it at the rate of seven kilograms per 1 square of land. After the soil is leveled.

When preparing a hole for planting, remember that it is necessary to dig it out, taking into account a twofold increase in the total area of ​​the root system of the seedling along with the soil on it. If the purpose of planting is to create a hedge, then a distance between the bushes is laid in the range from sixty to ninety centimeters. The bottom of the planting pit is laid out with a drainage layer, not coarse gravel or river sand will serve as a suitable material for this. Further, a peg is placed in the center of the pit, it is deepened, so that the upper end is half a meter above ground level. The remaining soil is poured along the perimeter of the support with a slide.

If a pyracantha seedling is in a container, it needs to be abundantly moistened, then it is carefully removed from the pot along with the soil and placed on a prepared hill. Further, the roots are straightened, evenly spreading over the earthen slide, and portions are covered with soil, periodically crushing it with your hands. The planting is completed with a circular groove around the perimeter of the bush, pouring into it up to fifteen liters of water. After the bush is saturated with water and sits in the soil, it is attached to a support, and a layer of mulch is spread around the perimeter of the trunk.

Caring for Pirakanta

Pirakant shrub: plant photo

Pyracantha is very convenient in terms of care for growing in private garden plots. The culture needs systematic moistening of the soil, removal of weeds, replenishment with fertilizers and loosening of the top layer of soil in the near-trunk circle. To reduce all of the listed care manipulations, a mulch layer is created around the perimeter of the plant. It is important to know that this plant requires sanitary pruning.

Irrigation scheme.

Pyracantha can tolerate drought conditions without any consequences for itself. Therefore, if you missed watering, do not worry the plant will survive it. But a young seedling needs regular moisture until the end of adaptation. Once the pyracantha has taken root and takes root, it is watered about once a week. The signs of a lack of moisture are wilting of the green mass, the shoots begin to change their color to yellow and lose their elasticity. In order for the water not to leave in opposite directions from the bush, it is poured into the same groove that was prepared during planting. The plant loves when moisture passes to a sufficient depth of the soil. Watering will be completed by loosening the topsoil while removing weeds.

Top dressing and nutrition.

The culture considered in this article does not need frequent feedings. For the first fertilizer, a ready-made complex of minerals is perfect, it is important to remember that when choosing it, the nitrogen content in the composition should be small.They begin to feed the culture from the moment of active growth of the bush, and end it with the same composition at the end of August.

Transfer.

The transfer of the pyracantha to a new place is carried out in exactly the same way as planting a plant in open ground. The first stage is dug and a planting hole is prepared, its volume should be 2 times larger than the estimated size of the root system, which will be dug out together with a lump of earth. The shrub is dug up only after the preparation of the pit has been completed and transfers it, as already mentioned, along with the ground. Transferring a plant to a new place is stressful; to facilitate its living and adaptation, systematic, frequent and volumetric watering of the plant should be performed.

Pruning.

The Pirakantha shrub is pruned for both sanitary and decorative purposes. There are no specific time ranges for pruning; you can perform it at any time of the year. There is an opinion, promoted by experienced "pyracantavods", that it is better to carry out the pruning procedure from October to early November, even before the first snow.

One of the mistakes made by beginners is the same pruning scheme for Piracantha and sea buckthorn, this cannot be done, these crops are similar only visually, respectively, and you need to cut the foliage and branches on them in different ways.

In spring, pruning is done after the end of the flowering period, and without any advice at the discretion of the gardener. For example, if you pursue decorative goals, then some of the inflorescences can be left, from which decorative berries are formed. Remember that the formation and ripening of fruits is possible only on stems older than one year. The next pruning procedure is sanitary and takes place from about the second week of October. It is necessary to remove the shoots and stems that create a shadow on the fruits, as this provokes their rotting, and during this period they remove the excess density of the bush. The final pruning season is performed in late autumn, all unnecessary shoots, stems and green mass are removed.

Important: never remove more than a third of the stem length.

In order to activate growth and "rejuvenate" a little pyracantha shrub, it is strongly cut off, leaving the stems no higher than 30 cm from the ground. Remember to protect yourself and your skin from cuts by wearing appropriate clothing, as the entire surface of the trunk is covered with sharp, thin thorns.

Pirakantu is used as a landscape decoration for walls of houses or gazebos; for this, supports are installed, and the branches of the plant are directed in the right direction and fixed on it. Pruning may not be necessary with this type of cultivation.

Reproduction of the Pyracant shrub

Pirakant shrub: plant photo

Propagated by Piracantu seeds and cuttings. Seeds are sown both in winter and spring. Before placing the seeds in open ground, a hardening procedure is performed with them, simulating the weather conditions of the growing region. Bushes grown from seed do not retain the characteristics of the parent sample.

In 90% of cases, gardeners propagate pyracantha by cuttings or layering. This method almost 99% retains the characteristics of the mother bush. When choosing shoots for breeding, give preference to green cuttings, they will give new roots faster. Cuttings are prepared in the process of spring pruning; cut branches are suitable for this purpose, the length of which exceeds or is equal to fifteen centimeters. All leaves are removed from the lower edge of the cutting, and to activate growth and the formation of a new root system, the cut is treated with a specialized solution. And as a result, they are rooted at an angle in wet sand, and the future seedling is covered with a transparent glass cap, tinted or dark glass is not suitable for this purpose. For positive development, cuttings need constant watering and systematic ventilation. The complete rooting of the plant occurs in about twenty days, but this is not a sign that they are ready for transplanting into open ground.A seedling is transferred to open soil a year after planting the cuttings. An exception is the reproduction of pyracantha to create a hedge, in which case the cuttings are grown in greenhouses for twenty-four months.

In the presence of an already developed bush on the site, an easier way of breeding will be "layering". Strong, without any damage and disease, not tall stems are chosen as the mother bush. Under the pyracantha, holes are prepared, in which the selected shoots are placed, only the tops remain above the soil level. Layers are installed in the wells and covered with a substrate enriched with nutrient minerals. The stems develop in the holes throughout the year, until the next season, you need to maintain the moisture necessary for the plant, and carry out systematic cleaning of weeds, cover with fallen leaves for the winter. Layers are separated with the arrival of spring and transplanted to the chosen permanent place.

Wintering.

Some types of Pyracantha have good resistance to temperature drop. For example "Angustifolia" grown on the territory of our country easily survives the winter outdoors. But to insure and protect the bush, the soil around the perimeter of the plant is covered with a dense layer of fallen leaves. Thus, if the winter is severe and the pyracantha freezes to the root collar, the root system itself will not suffer and with the onset of spring it will recover in the shortest possible time. It is important, when pruning before the start of the season, to remove shoots and stems that have been damaged or frozen.

Pirakant shrub in landscape design: photo

Diseases and pests that Pirakantha is susceptible to

The Pyracantha plant has good indicators of immunity to diseases and parasites. Aphids are not a significant threat to the plant. It affects the plant in cases where the gardener does not properly care for the crop or violates the planting technique. As soon as you find signs of a parasite dominance, do not hesitate and immediately treat the shrub with an insecticidal solution. Aphids reproduce at an incredible rate and pose a direct threat to nearby bushes, in addition, they can be carriers of deadly diseases.

In addition to the aphids mentioned above, pyracantha is prone to bacterial burns, such a lesion is detrimental to the plant. For this reason, it is worth giving preference to those varieties that have a high immunity to this disease.

The list of threats includes fungal diseases such as scab or late blight. The causes of these diseases are inappropriate care or violation of the rules of agricultural technology for growing this crop. In the fight against infection, chemicals will help you.

Types and varieties.

Only two types of culture are cultivated on the territory of our country, we will consider them in more detail.

"Narrow-leaved" pyracantha

Pirakant shrub in landscape design: photo

This type of pyracantha came to our country from the territories of Southwest China. The plant stretches up to four meters, in accordance with the characteristics of the pyracantha it is an evergreen shrub, the bark of the branches is covered with thin thorns. The leaves are narrow and elongated, about five centimeters from edge to edge. The shape is obovate or oblong, the apex is acute-angled. The upper edge of the sheet plate is of two types, serrated or solid. Young foliage is covered with the softest pile, which disappears during maturation and the outer side becomes smooth, and the back retains a smoky edge. The racemose inflorescence consists of snow-white flowers with a diameter of eighty millimeters. At the end of the flowering period, fruits of the same size, bright orange color, are formed and ripen. The species has high resistance to frost.

The most popular varieties of the narrow-leaved pyracantha are: Orange Glow and Golden Charmer, let's take a closer look at them.

- Relatively high bush Orange Glow, stretching up to two and a half meters, the density of the plant is not dense.Leaf plates of the usual green color, if the culture is grown in regions with warm winters, then the foliage does not fall off, but lasts throughout the year. The flowering period begins in late spring and ends with the formation of sunny orange oval fruits.

- For lovers of rapidly growing plants, Golden Charmer is suitable. This is a three-meter bush with characteristic curved stems. The flowering period, like Orange Glow, falls on May, the plant is covered with a carpet of snow-white flowers, perched on corymbose inflorescences. Golden Charmer's fruits reach one centimeter in diameter and are orange in color. This variety is ideal for cultivation in urban conditions, it perfectly tolerates city air, frost and drought.

Pyracantha angustifolia C.K. Schneid.

Pirakant shrub in landscape design: photo

The bright red pyracantha is a guest from Asia Minor and southern Europe. The plant loves an open area, for example, fields or light forests. The bush is quite voluminous, the branches are spreading and the lower ones are spread over the soil surface. The angustifolia C.K.Schneid is stretched up to 2 meters. The leaves are smooth, the surface is leathery, the size is 4 cm from edge to edge, the shape of an elongated ellipse. The foliage changes its color depending on the season of the year, in summer it is swampy green, in autumn burgundy red. The flowers come in two colors, lemon pink and white. The orange-red spherical fruits reach six centimeters in length. This type of pyracantha tolerates drought well, practically cannot withstand the cold, therefore it needs additional protection for the winter period. The apples of this shrub are edible, and are also a source of food for birds.

Popular types:

1. Three-meter handsome Red Column. We are very fond of gardeners for the fact that during the flowering period the plant is covered with many umbrella-shaped snow-white inflorescences. And after the flowers fade, the bush is covered with bright red apples of a tiny size.

2. A bush that remains green for only half a year Red Kashn, its length is 2 meters. Dense and straight branches with burgundy-red fruits.

3. Sharlakhovaya and Gorodchaty species that are grown only in greenhouses, since in most of the Russian regions they will not be able to survive the winters.

Pyracantha landscaping

Pirakant shrub in landscape design: photo

Pyracantha has earned its popularity among landscape designers and gardeners for its abundant and lush flowering, in addition, the unusual appearance of the berries also gives the plant a spectacular appearance. The culture is often used to decorate the walls of houses or create a hedge; in addition to external beauty, the plant has small thorns that will serve as a means of protection from uninvited guests. Given the change of seasons in our regions, the owner of a pyracantha should not worry that in winter these will be bare branches, even with a drop in temperature, the green mass of the plant practically does not change its color. Buildings that have been decorated with the help of this culture will remain attractive, but it is important to remember that the shoots of the plant must be directed along the support and fixed to it, since the pyracantha cannot do this on its own. And even given these features, this type of plant will look great when used for vertical gardening.

Pyracantha is planted both as a separate plant and in combination with other plants. Landscape designers plant it on rocky heights, decorate fences and curbs with their help, as well as the background in general compositions. There is one huge plus for this species, it remembers its direction relative to the support. Initially, when the pyracantha shrub develops, it is necessary to fasten the branches in the right direction, and later you can remove the supports.

Pirakantha shrub: growing and care in the open field