Seabuckthorn - selection of seedlings, planting and care

Seabuckthorn - selection of seedlings, planting and care

Sea-buckthorn is tasty and beautiful. Its fragrant berries contain a lot of vitamin C. The silvery leaves and unusual shape of the bush allow the plant to be used as decorative.

The berries of sea-buckthorn ripen in August-September. They can be eaten fresh, frozen, jelly, juices and jam. Sea-buckthorn bushes are unpretentious and almost do not require care.

About the benefits of sea-buckthorn and its medicinal properties, read in our article .

Where the sea-buckthorn grows

Seabuckthorn is a multi-barrel shrub, but can be grown on a stem in the form of a tree. The height of plants in the middle belt does not exceed 3 m. In the south, the sea buckthorn is able to grow up to 8-15 m.

Most varieties have spines, several centimeters long. The roots of the plant are branched, not long, superficially located.

An interesting feature of the sea-buckthorn is that the plant is capable of providing itself with nitrogen. On its roots there are formations in the form of nodules, in which nitrogen-fixing bacteria live, assimilating nitrogen from the air and delivering it directly to the roots.

Sea buckthorn does not tolerate shading. Young seedlings can die, unable to withstand competition with a growing number of trees and even with high grass. In the nature of sea-buckthorn berries occupy open places, forming pure curtains of the same age. In the same way, it is worth to plant it in the country house, having several plants next to it.

On alkaline light soil bushes live up to 50 years, but the sea buckthorn plantation should not be used for more than 20 years. After this period, the bushes are better to uproot and lay the plantation in a new place.

How the sea-buckthorn blossoms

Vegetation of sea-buckthorn begins very early, but it takes warm for flowering. Mass flowering begins at an air temperature of at least +20 degrees.

Sea-buckthorn is a dioecious plant. Its flowers are dioecious and placed on different bushes.

On female plants, pistillate flowers grow, which later turn into berries. Flowers on female bushes are collected on several pieces in the inflorescence-brush.

On the male bush develop staminate flowers. Male plants never give berries, but they are necessary for pollination. Male flowers are inconspicuous, collected in the bases of shoots, covered with scales of bark and leaves. In each male inflorescence there are up to 20 flowers.

How to choose seedlings of sea-buckthorn

When choosing seedlings, pay attention to the number of stems and roots. Branched at the base of plants with fibrous roots are obtained by vegetative reproduction and preserve varietal characteristics. Saplings with a stem root and a single stem are likely seedlings of wild-growing sea-buckthorn. They should not be bought.

Is it possible to distinguish between male and female seedlings

It is possible, but for this you need to take a good look. On female plants, the buds in the middle part of the shoot have a maximum length of 2.1 mm, a maximum width of 3.2 mm. On male plants, the kidneys are larger, their length reaches 0.5 cm.

Seabuckthorn planting

Seedlings of sea-buckthorn better take root in the spring. The bush is able to grow in diameter up to 2 m, so the seedlings are planted at a sufficient distance. Usually the sea buckthorn is arranged in rows according to scheme 4 at 1.5-2 m. A few males should have one male plant. Pollen of sea-buckthorn is transferred not by insects, but by wind, so the male plant is planted from the windward side.

Seabuckthorn in a group planting feels more comfortable and is better pollinated. Owners of neighboring sites can negotiate and plant female bushes on the border of two or even four cottages, providing all female plants with a single pollinator.

A deep pit for sea buckthorn will not be required. It is enough to excavate a depth of 50 cm deep in the ground with a width corresponding to the diameter of the roots of the seedling. In the hole add a little lime, mixed with the soil.

A seedling with a closed root system is planted so that the upper part of the earth coma is at the same level as the ground. Saplings with open roots are planted with the penetration of the root neck at 10-15 cm - this stimulates root growth in width.

Select a location

Seabuckthorn is planted in a sunny place. The plant is not exacting to soils, but it feels best on loose alkaline soils. For sea buckthorn requires light, breathable, containing a lot of phosphorus soil. The plant quickly dies on wetlands with high standing water and on dense clay.