Learning to grow cotoneaster: planting, care, haircut

Cotoneaster, which belongs to the family of pink, grows wild in China, Buryatia and Eastern Siberia. But he got accustomed to life on city streets, because not only does he tolerate frosts, but also reacts little to gases, dust and environmental pollution.

All the details of planting a cotoneaster

Regardless of the type of cotoneaster transplant is carried out in the spring. We must have time to do it in the period before the buds have blossomed, but only after the earth has thawed.However, the black and shiny cotoneaster can be planted in the fall. Again, it is necessary to have time to freeze, but to engage in planting no sooner than all the foliage will fall.

Choosing a place for a shrub, pick up the sunny areas where he will find all his decorative effect. Although in the penumbra, he also grows quite beautiful. It is important that in this place there were no strong winds, and the groundwater was deep enough.

The cotoneaster is unpretentious to the soil, but for confidence during planting you can apply the necessary fertilizers directly to the hole.

The holes are prepared with a size of approximately 50x50x50 cm. At the same time, the bottom layer of the pit, approximately 20 cm, should consist of drainage: broken brick and gravel. From above, the bush is sprinkled not with ordinary soil, but with a mixture of two parts of sod land and one each of humus, sand and peat. It is desirable that such was the soil itself for the cotoneaster. Experienced gardeners recommend adding about 200 grams of lime per square meter.

Keep in mind that the bush will grow and form a lush crown, so the distance between it and other plants should be kept at least half a meter, and preferably two. When sprinkling the seedling with earth, one must take care not to cover its neck, which must be clearly flush with the ground.The soil itself around it must be well compacted, watered and mulch 8 cm peat.

Whatever type of cotoneaster you planted, it will take root with almost 100% probability without any problems.

How to care for cotoneaster

Planting cotoneaster and care for him are extremely simple. If you remember that the plant is detrimental excess moisture in the roots, then there will be no problems with growing. The shrub does not require special watering even on the driest days of summer - it suffers drought without disastrous consequences. But if it was too dry summer, it is watered once every two weeks, seven buckets per adult bush. Monthly watering guarantees resistant decorative plants. During the same procedure, you can wash off dust and dirt from the bush.

Caring for cotoneaster requires regular removal of weeds after watering or rain. After this procedure, it is advisable to loosen the soil under him and around by about 15 cm. Mulching with peat up to 8 cm ends this procedure.

Growing a cotoneaster requires periodic feeding. The first time humus is introduced in the spring during the digging of the soil for planting.

During the planting itself, you can make complex fertilizers. As soon as noticeably warmer, use nitrogen fertilizers, for example, Kemira-universal, prolonged-action granules or urea solution (for a bucket of water 25 g). Before flowering potash fertilizer should be applied: 60 g of superphosphate and 15 g of potassium per square meter.

How to correctly trim a cotoneaster

Pruning of the cotoneaster is carried out in early spring, but how it will be depends on the type of shrub and on your goals.Trimming can be sanitary, rejuvenating and molded. The last two are made only in the spring, before the disclosure of the kidneys, and the first - at any time.

Sanitary pruning

To carry out sanitary pruning is recommended as necessary at any time of the year. Dead, broken, damaged, diseased or just old shoots are subject to removal. It is done in order to improve the shrub and preserve its attractive appearance.

Anti-aging pruning

Over time, the lower tier of the cotoneaster becomes bare, especially if we are talking about the chokeberry variety, and the shrub requires rejuvenating pruning. Also, a signal to this kind of manipulation is the growth of the plant not more than 7 cm per year.

Spend it, as already mentioned, in the spring, when the kidneys have not yet dismissed.Depending on the region, it may start from February to April. Sometimes it is carried out closer to the fall - in August-September.

Pruning with a rejuvenating goal involves shortening shoots from the top by about a third. As a rule, three to four buds are cut, and the cut itself is carried out over well-developed buds. This stimulates the growth of lateral buds or accessory.

To avoid thickening of the plant, the removal of the oldest branches once every two years is practiced. Then new ones bloom more abundantly. The signal for this kind of pruning is the shredding of bush flowers.

Shaped pruning

When the plant reaches about two years of age, and the shoots will stretch to 60 cm in length, it is possible to carry out formative pruning of the plant. Landscape designers love it for the fact that it can be given the most diverse form: hemisphere, prism, cone, or more complex outlines.

When curly pruning at the beginning, pinching the tops is carried out so that the side shoots will grow, and next year you can trim the shoots by a third, giving them the desired shape. It is recommended to first try simple forms and only after acquiring the necessary skills to move on to complex shapes.The pattern of planting in the cotoneaster also influences the choice of specific outlines, so think over the options for the outlines of the shrub in advance.

Cotoneaster hedge

Cotoneaster bushes are decorated with parks, gardens, personal plots, planting it in dense rows near fences, paths and curbs. It can be used to separate different zones on the site, different groups of plants, limiting the flower beds or forming one of the tiers at the cascade fence.

As a rule, to form a hedge from a cotoneaster, the bushes are planted in one row at intervals of up to 50 cm or in a trench manner with a depth and width of a trench of half a meter. Sometimes practiced and two-row landing in a checkerboard pattern. However, most often two-row is used when planting barberry, hawthorn and other shrubs.

After planting, taking into account the recommendations described above, the cotoneaster seedlings should grow independently for about two years. And only after this period begin to form them. The first thing to do is to limit the height of the cotoneaster, cutting the tops of the shoots. This will give an intensive increase in side branches. When they reach approximately the size that the contour is planned to form, they begin to limit their growth to the sides.

When the bush becomes thick enough, it is cut according to the intended forms. The contours must be periodically trimmed and adjusted to the intended and cut. During the season you will need to spend about 3 - 4 such haircuts to maintain the desired shape. The optimal height for a cotoneaster hedge is 1.5 m.

Preparing cotoneaster for winter

In general, cotoneaster is frost resistant enough, so it does not require special preparation for winter. This is especially true of such winter-hardy varieties as black, shiny, ordinary, of which form hedges. However, if a harsh winter is expected or you are still afraid for the viability of your pet, you can mulch the soil under the bush with peat, dry leaves, spruce branches or other material to cover with a layer of up to 6 cm.

You can also bend the branches of the bush to the ground and cover them with the same material. Additionally, you can cover them with snow. But in case of heavy snow it is recommended to remove the insulation materials in advance, so that the bush can spend the winter under the natural shelter - with snow.

How to deal with possible diseases and pests of the cotoneaster

Cotoneaster is susceptible to diseases, and insects love it. Of the diseases, it most often affects such a fungal disease as fusarium. It can be diagnosed by yellowing and falling leaves in spring or summer, that is, when it is not a natural process for plants. The disease is indicated later and poor flowering. The disease spreads quickly and if the treatment is not started on time, the plant may die.

If the disease is detected in the initial stages, you can do with folk remedies. To begin with, all affected areas are removed. Then the plant and the soil around it are sprayed with infusion of potato tops, yarrow, garlic or decoction of wormwood. If the situation is neglected, only fungicides should be used.

Among the pests on the shrub may live yellow bear, spider mite, scytwick, sawyer, apple moth or aphid. The fact that they settled on the plant, say shriveled leaves, twisted and dried shoots. If the insects have not yet had time to significantly spread over the cotoneaster, you can also use folk remedies. The plant is sprayed with decoction of yarrow, tobacco, tobacco. Otherwise you will have to use insecticides.

As you can see, cotoneaster - an excellent and indispensable plant in landscape design. It helps to form a beautiful hedge that will decorate your site. With certain skills, she can be given any, most bizarre form. At the same time, the shrub is easy to grow and maintain. It is only important to plant on the site that kind of shrub that feels good in this climate.