Description, photos, varieties, planting, caring for willow purple

Neat spherical shrub is often used in landscape design. Unpretentious and tenacious, it gives the site a very picturesque view. We will talk about purple willow, its varieties, planting and caring for it, as well as how to apply it.

Botanical description

Purple willow belongs to the willow family. In appearance it is a shrub with thin reddish branches. The height of the bush can reach 4 m, but most often grows no higher than 1 meter. The leaves are thick, narrow and sharp, bluish in color.

A shrub blossoms in early spring, sometimes even earlier than leaves appear on it.

Popular varieties

The beautiful appearance of the plant has caused the expected interest from the breeders. They bred various varieties:

• purple willow "Nana" - grows up to one and a half meters in height, the crown diameter reaches two metersIt tolerates winter and is resistant to frost. In addition to landscape design, it is used to secure the banks of reservoirs from collapse;

• purple willow "pendula" - differs in a weeping form of krone and small lime leaves. Small height;

• purple willow "Glacilus" - up to one meter high, spherical. Elegant shrub with thin branches and small leaves. The shape resembles a cloud;

• purple willow "Lighthouse" - grown in the Urals, for weaving from the vine. Due to the fact that it turned out pretty decorative shrub, it is also used to create hedges.

Growing conditions

Now let's talk about where you can grow a decorative purple willow.

Location selection

The plant prefers bright places. Therefore, choose a landing place in the sun or in light shade. Otherwise, the plant will not be able to get its decorative look, it will be faded and not so voluminous.

Soil mix

Grow a bush can on almost any soil. But it is better to pick up a fertile soil with neutral acidity. If the site is dominated by heavy and clay soil, then in the planting pit it is necessary to arrange a drainage of stones and sand.

Planting seedlings

Planting procedure is as follows:

1. Dig a hole a little larger than the roots.
2. Pour half a bucket of water into the pit.
3. Put a seedling and pour out the mixture of fertile land, peat, sand, humus or compost.
4. Ram the ground and pour again.

Breeding methods

Plant a plant on the site can be not only cuttings, but also seeds.

Seeds

Growing a tree from seed is troublesome and long. But sometimes in another way to grow a willow just does not work.

Seeds in earrings appear after flowering. Another month they ripen and in May-June are ready to harvest.

Seeds germinate only on the surface of the earth. Therefore, after collecting them put on the soil in the tank for growth. As a mixture, use compost and sand in equal parts. Keep the soil constantly wet, the seeds should not dry out. For greater effect, close the container with the seed film or glass. Shelter is removed when the second leaf is opened.After the sprouts reach 1 cm, they are planted in the ground in special boxes. Upon reaching 5 cm sprouts are ready for growth in open ground. Disembarkation of young shoots should be carried out no later than September, so that they have time to take root until frost.

Cuttings

It is much easier and faster to plant shrub cuttings.

Harvest them in the spring, before the leafing. The material used annual twigs covered with bark. They are cut into twigs 15 cm long and placed in water, or instilled in moist earth.

The shrub grows well, so additional processing of cuttings can be avoided. It is enough to ensure regular watering and constant soil moisture.

Willow care

Caring for willow is not at all difficult. A robust and unpretentious shrub requires only regular watering. Although it may endure a brief drought, but without regular watering the shrub loses its beautiful appearance and may die. In addition to the usual watering at the root, willow is necessary to ensure the hydration of leaves from a hose or watering can.This procedure should be carried out early in the morning or after sunset.

Special feeding should not be carried out. In the spring you can make 60-80 grams / bush nitroammofoski for a set of green mass. An important procedure is loosening. But it should be carried out carefully. If for young plants the loosening depth can reach 20-30 cm, then adults process no more than 10 cm deeper, because there is a risk of damaging the delicate roots of the bush.

In the spring, it is worth treating the plant for protection against pests (flower flies, willow moths) and against diseases (powdery mildew, black spot). Fungicides (Topaz) are used to protect against diseases, and insecticides (Aktara, Bi-58 new) and bordesk fluid are used to remove pests.

Use of ornamental shrubs

Purple willow is used in landscape design to create a hedge, design rose gardens, to decorate ponds. In winter, it successfully stands out against the background of other bushes and trees with its neat crown.

You can form it in the form of a ball, and you can put it into free growth.

Tenacious, unpretentious, but such a beautiful purple willow will be a wonderful decoration for your site.