Thorn

Blackthorn has synonyms, it is sometimes referred to as prickly plum, blackthorn, thorny plum. This is not a very large bush, which has a fairly large number of thorny thorns. The thorn belongs to the Plum genus and the Pink family. This article focuses entirely on thorns: how to grow, transplant and care for them. And also what blanks can be made.

Tern: description and characteristics of the plant

In its natural habitat, this plant is found in zones where a temperate climate prevails. Very often the thorn grows very intensively, forming practically impenetrable thickets. Most often it grows in forest and steppe zones.

Tern can be seen in nature, for example, in the Caucasus or Crimea. It can grow quite successfully on slopes about one and a half thousand meters above sea level. In addition to these places, the thorn grows in the northern part of Africa, in Asian countries, in Europe, in the Mediterranean and in the central part of our country.

Tern became known to humans in ancient times, even in the ancient Greek and Roman periods.

Blackthorn can grow in the form of a shrub plant, and also be in the form of a not very tall tree. In its height, the bush can grow to a height of three to five meters. As for the tree-like thorn, it grows to a maximum height of about eight meters.

The overgrowth in the area of ​​the root system grows quite intensively, for this reason the thorns spread out strongly in width, forming a real hardly passable living fence there. The rhizome has the shape of a rod, extending about one meter deep. It is worth noting that the rhizome, like the crown, branches quite actively and is able to go beyond the perimeter of the crown.

The branches are almost completely covered with multiple thorns. The leaves resemble an ellipse in shape, in their length they can reach about five centimeters, there are teeth at the edges. The thorns bloom before the full disclosure of the leaves. This period usually falls between April and May. There are a lot of flowers, they grow one by one, painted in white. The size of the flowers is small.

Outwardly, thorn fruits resemble plum fruits. The thorn fruit has a rounded shape, contains one bone. The taste is dominated by refreshing acidity, and astringency is also pronounced. In size, such a fruit is about one and a half centimeters. The fruits of thorns have a dark blue color, the surface is covered with a waxy bloom with a bluish tinge.

The thorn begins to bear fruit when it is two or three years old. Blackthorn is a valuable plant for bees, it is an excellent source of honey. In addition, the blackthorn tolerates dry seasons well, as well as low temperatures.

There is nothing difficult in growing this plant; even a novice gardener can cope with this. Often, this culture is planted as a living fence, as well as to strengthen the coastal slopes. Sloe is sometimes used as a rootstock for crops such as plum and apricot.

In order for the thorn to become a real decoration of your garden, it makes sense to pay attention to certain varieties of this culture. Usually gardeners prefer to decorate their plots with purple, red-leaved and terry thorns.

Planting a thorn in an open area

In an open area, this plant is recommended to be planted in early spring. At the same time, it is necessary to prepare the planting holes in advance, namely in the fall. During the winter, the earth will settle and settle properly.

Thorns will feel good in clay, sandy soil. Even soil with a high salt content, as well as dried soil, can be suitable for thorns. A large amount of moisture in the spring is not too dangerous for this plant. In this case, planting in too wet soil should be avoided.

It is not advisable to plant thorns also in soil with a heavy structure. In such a place, there is a risk that the shrub will be damaged by low temperatures. A well-lit place with moist soil with a lot of nutrients is best for this plant. The acidity level should ideally be neutral.

Hole for planting, it should be about sixty centimeters deep and in diameter. To prevent the thorn from growing randomly in different directions, it is recommended to lay the walls of the planting pit with slate or metal sheets.

Before planting the blackthorn, about a week before, it will not be superfluous to cover the bottom of the hole with an eggshell. It may seem that this is a very large amount, but if you collect the shells during the winter, then such an excellent fertilizer will be ready just in time for planting thorns. Prepared soil is poured out on top of such a layer.

To prepare the soil for planting thorns, it is necessary to mix the extracted soil with superphosphate (half a kilogram), compost or humus (one or two buckets), potassium dressing (sixty grams).

If the acidity level is too high, then the soil must be limed. If, in order to create a living fence from this plant, then when planting, you need to maintain a distance between plants of about fifty centimeters. If you are planting several plants at once, then the distance between them should be at least two to three meters.

After purchasing thorny seedlings, you need to produce preparation for landing... For this purpose, the rhizome of the plant needs to be kept in a nutrient solution for some time. To do this, dilute sodium humate in the amount of three to four large spoons in half a bucket of water.

In the center of the planting pit, it is necessary to put a peg made of wood, which should reach about fifty centimeters. After that, the prepared soil is marked in the hole. It is necessary to distribute it so that a small earthen hill is formed around the circumference of the installed peg. A young plant must be carefully placed on it.

In this case, the root system must be carefully straightened. The pit is then filled with the remaining nutrient soil. From time to time, you need to compact the layers of earth a little so that no voids remain.

When planting, it is necessary to ensure that the root collar of the plant remains above the ground by about thirty to forty millimeters. It is recommended to overlay the area of ​​the tree trunk circle with a ten-centimeter roller made of soil around the circumference. After that, it is necessary to pour about twenty to thirty liters of water into this side.

When all the moisture has saturated the soil, it will not be superfluous to lay a mulching layer in the zone of the near-trunk circle. This way the plant will need to be watered less frequently. For this purpose, it is convenient to use humus. After all the above procedures, the final touch in planting a thorn is to tie the seedling to the established peg.

Terne: plant care

After planting this culture in an open area, you need to cut all the shoots of the plant. In the spring, an already mature thorn will need pruning. This is done both for sanitary purposes and for the formation of the crown. As a rule, this procedure is carried out before the swelling of the kidneys.

Thorns are no more difficult to care for than other berry horticultural bushes. It is important to water the plant on time, to loosen the near-trunk zone, to make nutritious fertilizing, to remove weeds, as well as unnecessary growth. In addition, at a certain time, the plant is pruned.

It is worth remembering that timely harvesting is also an important element in plant care.Also, before the onset of the cold season, you need to organize the preparation of the thorn.

In the first period after planting, the plant watered about once a week. When the blackthorn gets a little stronger and grows older, it needs to be watered less often, a maximum of twice in thirty days. And then, when the thorn begins to actively grow, and the first leaves have already opened, watering becomes very rare.

If the summer period is rich in precipitation, then watering for the thorn is not required. This plant tolerates the dry season quite calmly. But if the sultry weather without rains dragged on, then you need to water the thorns. One plant accounts for about twenty to thirty liters of water. Keep it warm.

In order for the thorn to please you with its fruits in large quantities and on a regular basis, you need to make additional food, which is required for the normal growth and development of this culture.

Organic fertilizer is applied annually to the tree trunk circle. There is usually about one bucket of humus per plant. You can also use a liquid supplement based on a complex of mineral elements. It is worth remembering that the older the plant is, the more additional feeding becomes in demand.

An important step in the care of the thorn is pruning. This procedure is carried out in the spring, as a rule, before the start of sap flow. This period usually occurs in March. During sanitary pruning, shoots and twigs that have been injured, damaged by any disease or frost are removed. You also need to remove branches that have dried or broken.

This culture is characterized by a very active thickening, for this reason it is necessary to systematically thin out the crown. Crown formation - this is a prerequisite for the normal growth and development of the plant. When the bushes are still young, pruning leaves four to five branches that bear fruit. All remaining shoots must be cut off at the very base.

As a rule, the crown of a thorn is shaped like a bowl. In the first year after planting, you need to trim the plants to a height of about thirty to fifty centimeters. In the second year after planting, it is necessary to remove all but the strongest and most powerful shoots. Such stems should be in a circular arrangement.

In the autumn, pruning is done only if necessary. Usually, only sanitary pruning is carried out in the fall, during which it is necessary to remove damaged and diseased branches. Such pruning is carried out after the end of the leaf fall.

How to breed the turn correctly

This culture is propagated by different methods. You can use seeds or propagate the plant with root suckers or cuttings.

Seminal the method is not very common due to the fact that this process is the longest and most laborious. Therefore, it is best to use vegetative breeding methods for thorns.

If you nevertheless decide to plant a thorn using seeds, then for a successful result you need to know some rules for implementing this procedure.

In the first half of September, you need to extract the seeds from the fruits of the thorn and remove the remaining pulp from it.

The seed is planted directly on an open area.

Sowing can be arranged in the spring, but then you will have to stratify before that. For this purpose, for the entire winter period, you need to put the seeds in the refrigerator.

Sometimes you can find recommendations that before planting seeds in the ground, they must be placed for ten to twelve hours in a mixture of water and honey. Gardeners assure that this way the sprouts hatch faster. After this procedure, the seeds are sown.

They need to be buried in the ground by about six to seven centimeters. After that, this area needs to be covered. When the sprouts hatch, the covering material must be removed. When the young plants are a couple of years old, it's time to transplant them to their permanent habitat.

If you decide to multiply the turn using the cuttings, then you need to choose the right cuttings first. Each of them should have at least five healthy-looking buds.

Planting cuttings in planting containers is carried out in the spring. For this, it is convenient to use a container that will be full of soil with nutrients.

After planting, you need to organize greenhouse conditions so that rooting takes place for sure. To do this, you can simply move your plantings to the greenhouse or cover with transparent plastic.

In the summer, cuttings should be watered regularly, and nutrients should be added in liquid form. When autumn comes, as a rule, the cuttings are completely rooted and turn into young plants that can be transplanted to a permanent habitat soon.

To reproduce with root suckers, you need to carefully separate them from the mother plant, and then start planting. Delenki are planted in the holes, which are prepared in advance. The distance between plants should be between one and two meters. Such plantings should be looked after in the same way as for ordinary seedlings.

About pests and diseases of blackthorn

This culture has a very strong immunity against various diseases and harmful insects.

Occasionally, a thorn can be affected by such an ailment as gray rot... This disease is fungal in origin and is caused by a fungus called monilia. This fungus can enter through the plant's flowering pistil. This disease first of all affects the youngest shoots of blackthorns. After a certain period of time, the leaf plates, as well as the shoots themselves, turn dark brownish in color.

Rot spreads from the top of the plant to the bottom. After the leaves fall, new green leaves are formed again, and at the end of summer it becomes yellow and falls off. At the same time, the number of fruits is sharply reduced.

To solve this problem caused by a fungal disease, it is necessary to treat the plant with a fungicide. In the early days of spring, you need to spray the thorns with Horus. For this, a solution is prepared, observing all the proportions indicated in the instructions. This is a tool that can be used for this purpose in case of frost.

When the weather is warm, you can treat the plant with Bordeaux mixture, Gamair, copper sulfate or Rovral. Before preparing such a solution, read the instructions for using a particular product.

As for harmful insects, the most dangerous is aphid. This insect feeds on plant sap found in stems and foliage. First of all, young shoots, as well as leaves, are affected. Because of this, the appearance of a yellow tint can be detected, as well as changes in shapes and textures.

Aphids multiply very quickly, so the harm that a whole horde of insects can do can become irreparable. In addition, aphids are the main carrier of various diseases of viral origin, and they, as a rule, cannot be treated.

To solve the problem with aphids, you need to use a drug - acaricide. Plants can be sprayed with Aktellik, Aktara or other similar products. So that the problem with aphids does not arise on your thorn plantings again, you need to process the plants more than once.

What is the turn

There are many varieties and hybrids of thorns that are planted in gardens. The most popular of them will be discussed below:

Cross number one. In its height, such a plant reaches about two hundred and fifty centimeters. The fruits are purple-colored, the wax bloom is quite dense. Inside, the fruits have a sweet taste with a refreshing sourness and light astringency. One fruit can weigh approximately six to seven grams.

Photo of a thorn. Variety Cross No. 1

Cross number two... The fruits are purple in color and rounded. In its weight, one copy can reach about eight grams. On the palate you can feel sweetness and pleasant acidity.A slight astringency is also present.

Photo of a thorn. Variety Cross No. 2

The thorn is sweet-fruited. As the name suggests, the fruits of this variety are quite sweet, with almost no astringency.

Yellow blackthorn... This is a hybrid variety of thorns. It appeared by crossing cherry plum and blackthorn. The fruits are yellow, the taste is soft and pleasant.

Photo of a thorn. Variety Yellow-fruited

Apricot. It is a hybrid plant obtained by crossing blackthorn and apricot. The fruits are pale in color with a pinkish tinge. Taste characteristics are quite high, apricot tones are clearly guessed.

Photo of a thorn. Apricot variety

Fragrant. This is a hybrid plant that was obtained by crossing the blackthorn and Toca plum. In its height, such a tree reaches about four meters. The fruits are colored in a purple hue, they are round in shape, slightly flattened. Fruit weight can vary from eight to ten grams. The inside of the fruit has a yellow flesh. The taste is sweet with a slight sourness. There is practically no tart component. The fruit has a very pleasant aroma with delicate apricot and strawberry tones. The seed is not large inside, the separation from the pulp is unhindered.

Tern Fragrant: Photo of the variety

Shropshire. This varietal thorn was obtained thanks to the labors of breeders from England. The taste is very pleasant, with a tangible sweetness. There is almost no astringency.

Cherry thorn... This plant grows about three hundred centimeters. The crown has an average density. The shape of the crown is round. The fruits are colored in a deep purple tone and have a touch of wax. One specimen weighs between five and six grams. The shape of the fruit is round. The inside of the fruit is green, with a high level of acidity and astringency.

Photo of a thorn. Cherry variety

Cherry plum... Such a tree is quite compact in size, it grows about three hundred centimeters. The fruits are rather large, round in shape. Painted in purple. The wax deposit is quite dense. One weighs approximately eight to nine grams. The inside of the fruit has a green flesh. The taste is sweet with pronounced sourness and light astringency.

Photo of a thorn. Alychovy variety

Prunes. This is a hybrid variety that was obtained by crossing cherry plum with thorns. Fruit color may vary. There are fruits of yellowish, reddish and blue tones.

Blackthorn Prunes, photo

Garden number two... Such a bush grows in height by about two meters. The fruits are in the shape of a ball, painted in almost black or very dark bluish tone. There is a gray waxy bloom. The fruits are delicious.

Uses of thorns and their properties

Thorny fruits contain many useful substances and elements that are vital for the human body. Berries contain various acids, sugars, salts, as well as various vitamins in large quantities.

When eaten fresh or processed, the tart component is very distinctly felt in the taste. This property helps to overcome problems with the stomach and intestines, for example, poisoning, dysentery, ulcerative colitis. If there is a disease of an infectious origin, then you can use thorn wine as a disinfectant.

If you have neuralgic health problems, metabolic disorders, or you suffer from liver or kidney diseases, then thorny fruits will be useful. In addition, blackthorn compensates for the lack of vitamins, and also helps to cope well with fever during colds.

For problems with the urinary-reproductive system, as well as for inflammatory skin processes, you can use the fruits of the blackthorn, as well as its flowers. Decoctions made from thorn flowers can be used when boils appear.Such decoctions are shown for hypertensive patients, as well as during constipation.

Fresh thorn juice is used to fight parasites. Flower decoctions can be used to treat diseases of the mouth as well as throat. You can make a leaf-based tea that has a mild laxative effect. This remedy is good for cystitis, constipation.

If you suffer from stomach ulcers, or you have an increased level of acidity in the body, then you need to take the thorn fruit carefully and in moderation. This is due to the fact that the turn has a lot of acids.

Because of the bright color, people with allergies should be very careful when taking thorn-based products, as well as its fruits. Never bite or swallow blackthorn bones, they are high in toxins. If you have a fruit intolerance, then the turn is not worth it. Remember, no matter how useful this or that product is, you should always observe moderation.