But not in every yard you can find such a seemingly unremarkable tree like sea buckthorn. What are the features of sea buckthorn, the rules for planting, growing and care, what kind of crop we can collect and what to cook from it - all this is about in this article.

Sea buckthorn: botanical description

Sea buckthorn (lat.Hippóphaë) is a thorny tree or shrub 1 to 3 meters high and belongs to the family Elaeagnaceae. The leaves are greenish, long and narrow, with a white speck.

Not very noticeable sea buckthorn during flowering, as it blooms quite inconspicuously, and the flowers are small and appear before the leaves begin to bloom. Rounded or elongated fruits, from yellow to bright orange and even red, adorn the branches with dense clusters (this is why the name of the tree came from). Fruits ripen in late summer and until mid-autumn and do not crumble when ripe, but can hang on the branches all winter.

The plant originally spread throughout Central and North Asia, and today it can be found all over the world.

Prefers sandy and pebbly, often found on the banks of reservoirs, rivers and streams.

Important! Sea buckthorn has a male (2) and female (1) tree. It is important to distinguish between them, since only the female bears fruit. This is best seen in the spring during the swelling of the buds. Male kidneys are 2 times larger than female ones, they are covered5-7 scales, while on women there are only two. But the tree will not bear fruit, if you do not plant a male bush next to it for pollination.

Features of planting sea buckthorn

The most important stage in growing is the correct and competent approach to planting a tree. Let's figure out how to plant a plant so that it not only takes over, but also begins to develop and bear fruit.

What kind of lighting does sea buckthorn like?

Sea buckthorn is a light-loving and moisture-loving tree. It is planted in sunny areas not shaded by other plants and especially requires care in the first years of growth.

If a small tree is planted and strong overgrowth is allowed, then the first year in the garden will be a test for the tree, and it can easily die from lack of light.

The choice of soil for planting

Moisture in the soil is especially necessary at the beginning of the tree's life. Sandy loam soil or loam would be ideal, as they retain moisture for a long time, preventing rapid evaporation from the soil. At the same time, we choose an overstated place, since sea buckthorn does not tolerate stagnant groundwater.

Competent planting of sea buckthorn seedlings

Landing scheme

Do not forget that we need to plant a male and female trees. The developed crown of the sea buckthorn makes us understand that the distance between the trees should be at least 2.5 m. There are two methods of planting sea buckthorn:

• the male plant is in the center, and the female plant is around;
• we plant the male on the leeward side, and behind it several female ones.

Rules for caring for sea buckthorn in the garden

So, the tree has already settled down perfectly in our garden, now it is important not to abandon it, but to take care and take care of it in a timely manner.

When to water the plant

As a moisture-loving plant, sea buckthorn loves regular. In any, especially in the first year after planting, regularly pour 3 buckets of water into the hole, and during fruiting, you can also 5-6 buckets.

Important! Too moist soil and stagnant water can damage the roots of the plant and block the access of air. Observe the measure of watering.

Soil care

The soil is regularly loosened, but it is important not to forget that the roots are located high, loosening should be carried out no deeper than 7 cm, and it is generally undesirable to dig up.

Plant feeding

At the same time, every year the tree requires bait. In the first year, you do not need to fertilize, and in the future, organic matter is introduced every spring (compost or humus at the rate of 1 bucket per 1 square meter of the near-stem area). Top dressing for 1 bucket of water is also perfect - up to 30 g, which have a positive effect on tree growth and yield.

How to prune sea buckthorn

If a young plant is properly formed in the early years, then you can not cut the tree. If there are very few young shoots, then the trunk must be shortened. On a 4-5-year-old tree, a formative one is made, removing unnecessary branches parallel to the trunk.

An older tree needs careful pruning, as many branches dry out and fruit production decreases. All old, dried branches are removed and the plant rejuvenates up to three-year shoots. Do not forget about the root growth, which must be removed closer to the root so that a new one does not form on the root buds.

A little about the reproduction of sea buckthorn

Sea buckthorn reproduces by offspring and grafting.

• The easiest way to get a new tree is to separate the offspring that has grown near the mother tree with a shovel, water it, and transplant it to a new place in the spring.
• Seeds rarely convey the qualities of varietal trees, but if you decide to choose this method, it is better to sow them in spring, after soaking them in water for 4-5 days. The ground should already be warmed up, and after germination of the seeds, place them in holes 5-7 cm deep.
• When propagating by lignified cuttings, in late autumn, one- or two-year-old shoots are cut, which hibernate at a temperature of 0 - + 2 ° C. In spring, cuttings are cut 15-20 cm in length, deepened into the ground by 10 cm, leaving the buds above the surface. With daily watering, by autumn there will be rooted cuttings with a developed root and aerial system.
• Vaccination is not the most common type of reproduction. As a rule, a male stalk is grafted onto a female tree for pollination, if it is impossible to plant a whole tree nearby.

Sea buckthorn is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub usually 1 - 3 m high. Sea buckthorn is a medicinal plant. Growing it in your garden is a snap. If you create the right conditions, it will delight you with healthy and tasty fruits.

Many people fail to grow sea buckthorn, as the tree suddenly begins to die. To prevent this from happening, it is important to know that the sea buckthorn roots are in the upper layer of the soil and go far away from the tree, therefore it is easy to injure them by digging up the ground.

Soil requirements

To plant sea buckthorn, you need to prepare the soil well. Fertilize the earth with humus, it is better to use decomposed peat. Do not plant sea buckthorn in swampy soil. Also, the plant does not like heavy soil and high-carbonate soils.

Choosing a landing site

Sea buckthorn is a very light-loving and moisture-loving plant, so the planting site should be sunny. In the shade, it will grow and bear fruit worse.

The tree should be planted at the edge of the plot, away from the garden. In order not to damage the sea buckthorn root system while loosening the beds. A damaged root will cause wild growth to grow. You can loosen the top layer of the soil, no more than 10 cm deep. Together with loosening, humus and mineral fertilizers are introduced.

How to choose sea buckthorn seedlings

It is better to choose and plant sea buckthorn seedlings in early spring. Then over the summer the tree will root well and overwinter normally. For planting, seedlings of two years are suitable.

Selection of seedlings

1. It is important to make sure the seedlings are healthy and appropriate for the plant variety. Biennial seedling has a height of about 50 cm and a diameter of 5-7 cm, it also has 5-8 skeletal roots, 25 cm long.
2. Bark adheres tightly to wood, has a healthy appearance, is not wrinkled, not scratched.

To avoid tree diseases, do not plant raspberries, strawberries, and also where stone fruit trees grew: apple trees, pears, cherries, apricots.

It is better to have 2-3 female trees on the site and one male tree for pollination.

Landing

Sea buckthorn is planted in a pit with a diameter of 70 cm, the soil is fertilized with mineral and complex fertilizers, a mound is made from the ground at the bottom of the pit and the root system of the seedling is distributed over it, the root collar after soil shrinkage should be located at ground level. Then you need to shed the seedling well, using at least two buckets of water, and sprinkle with earth. In the future, you also need to water the seedling well.

How to distinguish male and female trees

Sea buckthorn buds open

Sea buckthorn is a dioecious tree, it is divided into male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers. The male plant does not bear fruit; it serves for pollination. One tree is enough for 5–7 female seedlings. The female sea buckthorn bears fruit. There will be no harvest without male sea buckthorn. You need to plant trees nearby, since pollination occurs with the help of the wind.

It is difficult to distinguish these plants, especially at an early age. But there is a difference:

1. The female plant contains small double buds. Male specimens have larger buds covered with 3-5 scales.
2. Male seedlings are larger.
3. The leaves are of different shapes and colors. On the female sea buckthorn, the leaves are green, the male leaves are gray and have a greater bloom.

Care

It is not difficult to care for this shrub. It is important to loosen the ground, water and feed the plant, and remove dried shoots. And then the sea buckthorn will bear fruit for about 12 years. After reaching the time when the tree stops bearing fruit, you can cut it down to a stump, this will give an incentive to grow new shoots, which will again bear fruit in the future.

Watering

Sea buckthorn loves watering, especially in the heat. When picking berries, we recommend watering the sea buckthorn well and rinsing the berries on the branches in one.

Top dressing

You need to feed 4 times a season:

• the first time it is done in the spring.
• the second time during flowering, it is done with a solution of potassium humate.
• the other two dressings are carried out after flowering, with an interval of 20 days, for this use Effekton.

Pruning

An important condition for leaving is to trim the tops. This promotes good crown development. You need to prune before bud break in order to remove unnecessary, damaged branches, and root shoots. This can be done at harvest time. The tree can grow up to 6 meters, for easy harvesting it is important to regularly prune the tops. This is done with a sharp garden knife or pruner.

For preventive purposes, three-year branches are cut off.

Picking berries

Varietal sea buckthorn, in favorable conditions, gives a high yield. The berries grow densely on the thorny branches of the tree, which takes a lot of time and patience to harvest. Harvest at the end of August. But if you make juice from the berries, the collection is postponed until the beginning of September. Do not tighten too much, the berries become soft and burst.

Sea buckthorn harvesting options

Several ideas for harvesting sea buckthorn:

1. The traditional way is when each berry is torn off, but it is very long and tiring.
2. Use a variety of devices, such as a stick with a hook. The berries are removed from the branch, and they fall into a prepared container.
3. You can cut off the branches along with the fruits and freeze. Frozen berries are easier to remove from the branch. This method is suitable in case of further freezing of the fruit.
4. If you make sea buckthorn juice, it is better to use the following method. It is good to wash your hands, and it is better to wear culinary gloves, and squeeze the juice directly on the branch. You need to start from the base and lead to the end of the branch. The ready-made juice will fall into the substituted bowl. Up to 5 liters of nectar can be pressed in an hour.
5. There are also many berry pickers available. You can take a wooden handle and wire, make a loop from the wire. To pick a berry, you need to: put a loop on the fruit and sharply cut the footboard, the berries will fall into the basin.

• The berries should be cut from the top of the branch downwards.
• It is also important to wear gloves to avoid scratching the thorns and irritating the skin. In order not to spoil the clothes, you can use an apron, because the sea buckthorn juice cannot be washed off.
• You do not need to wash the berries, otherwise some of the juice will be lost. Before picking, you can rinse them directly on the bush.
• It is better to collect in an enamel bowl.
• Recycle the same day the crop was harvested.

Reproduction

There are many ways to reproduce sea buckthorn:

1. The easiest way to reproduce is seeds, they are sown in the fall. Seedlings appear in a month. This method is used when breeding new varieties. Since male plants give such reproduction, they are used for decorative purposes or for grafting other varieties.
2. Reproduction root suckers used when sea buckthorn is not vaccinated. In the spring, the offspring is separated from the mother plant, added dropwise and watered well. When the root system develops well, it can be transplanted to another place.
3. For reproduction layering it is better to take annual shoots. The soil needs to be fertilized. Then, near the base of the bush, small grooves are made into which young shoots are bent. The tops are pinched a little. When young shoots grow 12 cm, they are sprinkled with moist earth with humus. In the spring, the rooted layers are transplanted to a permanent place.
4. When transplanted to a new place, sea buckthorn is propagated dividing the bush... To do this, dig up a bush, remove old branches, leaving young ones. When dividing a bush, plants with a developed root system are chosen.
5. For reproduction green cuttings use infertile plants. In this case, you need a greenhouse or greenhouse. The cuttings should be 12 cm in size. The lower two leaves are removed, the cuttings are dipped in the rooting solution for 12-15 hours. Then they are planted in a greenhouse with prepared soil. For this, fertile land is mixed with peat and sand, in a ratio of 1: 3.
   It is important to monitor the temperature and water the cuttings regularly; after a few weeks, adventitious roots appear. And after a month, gradually accustoming the plant to the outside air, the film can be removed.
6. The most affordable way is reproduction woody cuttings... They are prepared in November and stored in the basement. In the spring, cut into 20 cm, soak in water for several days, and then in a rooting solution for a day. After that, buds and root makings appear.
   Cuttings are planted in the prepared soil, watered abundantly and mulched with humus. Within a year, healthy seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place.

Diseases and pests

Most often, the sea buckthorn tree is sick from changes in temperature and humidity. The most serious illness is. This is an incurable disease in which the berries shrivel and dry out. Affected branches should be cut and discarded. If this disease reappears the next year, the tree must be disposed of.

Sea buckthorn fruits are very rich in vitamins and biological active substances. Sea buckthorn is very useful and has medicinal properties.

Fresh fruits can be simply frozen or rubbed with sugar. You can make juice from berries, make jam or jam. It is imperative to prepare sea buckthorn oil for the winter. This healing agent is known for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Having grown sea buckthorn on your site, you can provide the whole family with vitamins all year round. Eating these berries every day, the body will receive many useful substances.

Despite its great decorativeness and healing properties, sea buckthorn is quite rare in summer residents' plots. The reason for this paradoxical phenomenon lies in the peculiarities of planting. What is the secret of growing and caring for sea buckthorn?

When is it better to plant sea buckthorn: features of spring and autumn planting

Sea buckthorn is planted in early spring, right after the soil has thawed, but sap flow has not yet begun. The optimal time for planting a tree comes in March-April, when the temperature rises above + 4-5 C.

Pros of spring planting sea buckthorn:

• During the warm season, the seedling gains strength and forms a good root system, thanks to which it successfully tolerates a long winter.
• With proper care, the plant quickly takes root and starts growing.
• A lot of time is allotted to the preparation of the landing pit, since the construction work begins in the fall.

The disadvantages include the following factors:

• It is difficult to guess the time for planting, since the interval between thawing of the soil and the beginning of sap flow is very short.
• To prevent seedlings from drying out during the summer heat, they need to be properly cared for.

Before you give preference to the autumn planting of sea buckthorn, you need to take into account the fact that sea buckthorn is one of those plants that does not tolerate winter well, especially if it is very changeable. So, if long thaws often occur in the growing region, the plant starts up and freezes when it gets cold. In more severe conditions, young seedlings do not have enough strength, and they die. Depending on the climatic conditions of the region, sea buckthorn is planted in the fall immediately after leaf fall at the end of September - the first half of October.

Among the advantages of the autumn planting of sea buckthorn are the following:

• In the fall, you can easily find a seedling of the required variety and assess its condition by the type of foliage and bark.
• Many sellers provide the opportunity to taste the berries, so you can quickly select a variety.
• Plants planted in autumn start growing 2-3 weeks earlier than those planted in spring.

Considering all of the above facts, the best time to plant sea buckthorn is in early spring. Only container-grown seedlings can be planted in autumn.

How to plant sea buckthorn: features and step-by-step instructions

Planting, like any other procedure, requires adherence to the rules and recommendations, which guarantees a positive result. Therefore, you must strictly follow the tips and instructions below.

What should be a seedling

When choosing planting material, first of all, you need to pay attention to the appearance of the root system and sea buckthorn bark. A good plant should not have mechanical damage, dark spots, sluggish or exfoliated areas.

Important! You cannot cut small nodules on the roots. With the help of these outgrowths, the plant assimilates nitrogen from the atmosphere.

To minimize the risk of damage to the root system, it is better to give preference to sea buckthorn seedlings with a closed root system. A biennial plant with a height of 50 cm should have a rhizome with 5-8 shoots about 25 cm long.

Since the shoots that have departed from the roots practically do not retain the characteristics of the mother plant, it is best to use grafted seedlings for planting.

Saplings with an open root system, which dried up during exposure to air, are immersed in water for 24 hours. The rhizome, which has restored its elasticity, is dipped in a clay mash, and then planted in the ground.

Important! Sea buckthorn trees are divided into male and female. You can distinguish the sex of the plant by the size of the buds: in the “cavaliers” they are larger and covered with 5-6 scales, the buds of the “ladies” are somewhat elongated and covered with 2-3 scales. In order for the plant to bear fruit, one male and 1-3 female trees must be planted on the site at a distance of 5-10 m from each other.

Pick-up location

It is necessary to plant a light-loving plant exclusively in sunny areas, protected from strong winds. The root system of sea buckthorn is a few weakly branched shoots about 5 m long.Despite this vastness, the bulk of the roots lies at a depth of 20-30 cm. Therefore, in order to protect the tree from damage, it must be planted away from vegetable gardens or areas where deep digging.

Groundwater should be at a level of at least 2 m.

Thus, the best place for planting sea buckthorn in the country will be a site located on the periphery or along the road, near which there are no large buildings and dense trees.

What to plant with

The worst neighbors for sea buckthorn are raspberries, strawberries and black currants. The result of such a neighborhood will be a deterioration in yield, since these crops consume the same substances.

It is also not recommended to plant a healing tree near the vegetable garden, especially next to potatoes and tomatoes. In addition, nearby incompatible plants are in danger of being infected by the same pests.

At what distance

Due to the peculiarity of the sea buckthorn root system, it grows strongly, the minimum distance between plants should not be less than 2.5-3 m.To the edge of the plot there should be at least 1.5-2 m.If there is not enough free space for planting two plants, a female tree is planted with a male stalk.

What soil is needed

Sea buckthorn grows best on sandy and sandy loam soils, the acidity of which is more than 6.5. The most unsuitable for growing plants are clayey acidic soils. In order to improve such a soil, the following actions are carried out:

• In heavy clay soils, sand or sawdust must be added before planting.
• To neutralize excessive acidity, slaked lime is scattered over the site. Substance consumption per 1 sq. - 250-400 g. Wood ash is also added to alkalize the acidic medium during the autumn digging. After adding the substance, the site is dug onto the bayonet of the shovel.

Sea buckthorn planting methods

Due to the fact that sea buckthorn is a dioecious plant, its planting is slightly different from the general recommendations for planting unisexual plants. There are such planting methods:

• Curtain. A male tree is planted in the center, and 2-3 female trees are planted on the sides.
• Into the ranks. From the side of strong winds, 1-2 male trees are planted, followed by 4-5 female trees. Thanks to this arrangement, the plants are better pollinated.

Preparation of the planting pit and direct deepening of the sea buckthorn seedling

A pit for planting sea buckthorn is prepared in advance. A hole with a diameter of 50 cm and a depth of 35-40 cm is dug at the chosen place. Taking out the soil from the depression, the upper layer is folded in one direction, and the lower one in the other. In the future, only surface soil is used, since it is the most fertile. The planting pit is covered with the following substrate:

• Add 1 bucket of rotted manure and river sand to the soil. Then 800 g of ash and 200 g of superphosphate are poured into the substrate.
• The resulting mixture is poured into a pit in the form of a mound, a seedling is placed in it and the roots are carefully spread along the slopes. The height of the embankment should be such that the root collar of open-rooted seedlings is flush with the surface. When planting plants with a closed root system, the growing point deepens by 5-7 cm.
• In order for the crown to form correctly, the trunk is tied to a small peg,
• The pit is covered with earth, crushed a little and poured with a bucket of water.
• A shallow hole is made near the plant and its edges are covered with a roller.

Video: how to plant sea buckthorn correctly

Sea buckthorn care after planting

Particular attention should be paid to moisturizing sea ​​buckthorn seedlings, which are planted in the spring, since even the strongest and healthiest specimens cannot tolerate long-term drying out of the soil. And after the autumn and after the spring planting, the seedling is immediately watered abundantly. In the future, when the weather is hot, 30-40 liters of water are added once a week under young plants, 60-80 liters per 1 sq. M. For adults.

Important! Although sea buckthorn is very hygrophilous, water stagnation cannot be allowed.

Top dressing. Plants that were well fertilized during planting do not need feeding for 2-3 years. Trees older than 3 years old are fed according to the following scheme:

1. In early spring, they are fed with ammonium nitrate (20 g of substance per 10 l of water). Instead of ammonium nitrate, you can feed sea buckthorn with urea. For plants 2-4 years per 1 sq. for better growth, 5 kg of substance is introduced in the near-trunk circle, 8 kg for mature trees.
2. During the setting of fruits, potassium-phosphorus fertilizer is applied under the sea buckthorn.
3. In autumn, 25 g of potassium salt, 30 g of superphosphate are introduced and wood ash is scattered in the aisles (100 g per 1 sq. M.).

Since sea buckthorn is unpretentious to the composition of the soil and is capable of improving its composition itself, complex mineral fertilizers are applied once every 2-3 years.

Loosening and mulching. After watering or heavy rain, the soil around the plant is loosened with a hoe to a depth of 5-7 cm. You cannot dig up the soil with a shovel, as you can damage the roots. To protect the plant from possible damage, you can use mulch. A thin layer of peat or humus will not only prevent weed growth and moisture evaporation, but will also serve as an excellent addition to basic dressing.

Pruning. In order for the plant to develop correctly, in the fall or spring, dried, frozen, weak and deformed shoots are removed from the crown. Old plants that have lost their fertility are cut down, leaving a low stump, from which new growth will grow later.

Shelter. Since the seedlings planted in the fall are not yet strong enough to withstand the winter surprises, they are attached to a peg before the onset of cold weather and covered with spruce branches, rags or snow.

Video: sea buckthorn care

Features of planting sea buckthorn in different regions

Since our country is very extensive, the weather conditions in its parts differ significantly from each other. For the planting of sea buckthorn to be successful, the gardener must take into account the conditions of his region.

In the Volga region

Since this part of Russia is characterized by a moderate but long winter, sea buckthorn is planted in early March. Local gardeners recommend planting only zoned varieties.

In the middle lane (Moscow region)

Landing in the suburbs differs from other regions only in terms. Depending on the prevailing weather, the plant is planted in the third decade of March or early April.

In Siberia and the Urals

Due to the fact that the wood of the sea buckthorn is very fragile, areas are allocated for planting where the least amount of snow accumulates. In the heavy soils inherent in the northern regions, half a bucket of sand or sawdust is added. Sea buckthorn is planted throughout April-May.

Possible landing errors

Due to poor knowledge of the characteristics of sea buckthorn, novice gardeners often make mistakes, which become the causes of diseases and death of young seedlings. To save a young plant from the consequences of your own wrong actions, it is better to first familiarize yourself with their main content:

• Trees of the same sex are planted on the plot.
• On the roots, nodules are cut off, mistaking them for unnecessary growths.
• When caring for young plants, they loosen the soil too deeply.

Thus, it is very easy to plant and grow sea buckthorn, if all the above recommendations are followed exactly.

Video: spring planting sea buckthorn

In contact with

Sea buckthorn is a small tree or shrub with a height of 10 cm to 6 m. The type of root system is superficial. Usually the roots of the plant are located at a depth of 40 cm. Sea buckthorn has characteristic long and narrow leaves of a greenish-silver color. In the article, we will tell you how sea buckthorn is planted in the country with seeds / cuttings, when to plant, how to propagate by layering, how to prune, and we will give recommendations for caring for seedlings.

When buying sea buckthorn seedlings, you need to ask how the variety is adapted to your climatic conditions. Reproduction of sea buckthorn is carried out in different ways: by cuttings, seeds, shoots, dividing the bush, layering.

Sea buckthorn is a very healthy and tasty plant that does not require much maintenance and does well in most different climates.

Features of growing sea buckthorn

This culture is dioecious: it has both male and female flowers. Men are silvery brown, women are yellow. The red or orange fruits look like a ball-shaped false drupe or are elongated. The berries ripen in 100 days. Sea buckthorn berry oil is especially appreciated. In addition, juice and jam are made from its fruits. The culture is frost-resistant. Often, male and female flowers are located on different shrubs. The sex of a young plant is not easy to determine. To do this, wait for the formation of flower buds. Sea buckthorn ripens in 4-6 years from the time of planting.

For fruiting on the site, you need to plant two shrubs - female and male. In order to determine the sex, you should take a closer look at the buds in the spring, while the leaves have not yet unfolded. The male shrub has large buds with 5-7 scales. In female sea buckthorn, the buds are two times smaller, and they have only 2 covering scales.

Sea buckthorn roots are located close to the surface of the earth and extend from the tree for several meters. When digging land on the site, it is easy to damage them. Abundant growth begins to appear in places of damage. Therefore, it is better to plant sea buckthorn at the edge of the site. Sea buckthorn loves light and moisture. Light and loamy soils are suitable for her. Acidic, high-carbonate and alkaline soils are not suitable. If you plant sea buckthorn in heavy loam, coarse sand must be added to the planting pit.

Reproduction of sea buckthorn by shoots

It is advisable to take shoots growing at a distance of more than 1.5 meters from the mother tree. In this case, she already has a small root system. At the same time, the garden will be cleared of shoots that grow at a distance from mature trees and litter the garden. Some varietal trees, both young and adult, have rather little overgrowth. In this case, you will have to take care of each shoot - spud, water regularly. This will give more chances to grow sea buckthorn seedlings with developed root lobes.

Planting sea buckthorn can be carried out in several ways - cuttings, planting with seeds and grafting, which method to choose, everyone decides independently.

Plant propagation by layering

Most often, in this case, a young tree with low bending branches becomes the mother plant. Choose a branch with good growth. It must be bent and pinned to the ground in a small groove and covered with earth. It is advisable to plant the layers in the spring. It must first be separated from the branch of the mother plant and dug out with regrown roots. Then drop off at a permanent place.

Planting sea buckthorn seeds

This method of reproduction makes it possible to breed new varieties of sea buckthorn and get strong zoned seedlings. In the future, they can be used as rootstocks. Alas, many trees that have grown from seeds become degraded variations of the mother plant, because they lose the best varietal characteristics. Sea buckthorn often grows prickly, with small fruits and a predominance of male plants (up to 70%). Sea buckthorn seeds are perfectly preserved in dried fruits. For 2 years, their germination does not decrease.

Tip # 1. It is best to sow seeds in the spring (starting in late April). This is done within 30-40 days after stratification at temperatures from 0 to +5 degrees.

Under good conditions, seedlings hatch in a week. Massively seeds germinate after 10-14 days. Shading seedlings and protection from birds are important conditions for cultivating a plant from seed. In mid-June, seedlings are planted in the main place. The elongated taproot must be pinched in order for the fibrous root system to develop. Sea buckthorn seeds can be sown in autumn (end of November), before frost. For convenience, they sow in dug grooves.

Planting sea buckthorn with green and lignified cuttings

Lignified cuttings are harvested in November or March. Later, during the swelling of the buds, the cuttings take root very rarely. Two-year increments should be chosen - stronger trees grow from them than from annuals. The length of the cut branches is 15-20 cm, the thickness is 6-8 mm. Of these, cuttings 15-20 cm long must be cut, tied in bunches, wrapped with a cloth and put in a bag with snow collected in it. Put it in a hole prepared in advance or in a place where a snowdrift forms in winter. The bag can be covered with spruce branches or dry leaves.

In the spring, cuttings are kept in warm water for three days, and then planted. Rooting preparations can be used. Most of the cuttings will be underground, but 2-3 buds should remain above it. During rooting, soil and air moisture plays a significant role. If you planted cuttings in the spring, by the fall you will have 20-60 cm long shoots. The sea buckthorn grown from a lignified cuttings will begin to bear fruit in the third year.

One of the most convenient ways of planting sea buckthorn is cuttings, since this method is the simplest and most effective, most of the planted plants easily take root and yield a harvest.

For rooting of green cuttings, certain conditions must be created - moisture spraying, loose and sterile soil mixture, root formation stimulants, etc. The timing of green cuttings is also important. In the Moscow region, this is done from the second half of June to mid-July.

Planting sea buckthorn by grafting

Grafting makes it possible to graft a stalk from a male plant to a female plant, and not plant a new tree. In addition, this method makes it possible to cultivate a certain variety on a strong seedling. It is better to plant sea buckthorn in the Moscow region in the first half of May. There are different methods of grafting sea buckthorn. Here is one of them.

1. First of all, you need to tackle the stock: the stem of two-year-old seedlings is cut for reverse growth 1.5-2 cm above the level of the root collar. The strongest is chosen from the growing shoots. The rest are cut out or neatly broken out.
2. The selected shoot is grown all summer long. At this time, its height is slowed down. At the same time, it thickens.
3. The lower part (at a height of 13-15 cm) is regularly cleaned of lateral branches. This is necessary so that by the time of vaccination next spring, you will have a smooth, even bole. In the spring of the third year of life, the seedling will have a height of 50-60 cm and a diameter of 5-9 mm.
4. Cuttings 7-9 cm long should be grafted at a height of 8-10 cm from the root collar using the improved copulation method. They take root more easily than when grafted into the root collar. Read also the article: → "".

How to plant sea buckthorn in the garden

Sea buckthorn is usually planted in spring or autumn. Practice shows that a plant planted in spring takes root better. Typically, sea buckthorn has several roots underground. They are located at a depth of approximately 50 cm and in different directions. The sea buckthorn root system does not like digging due to possible mechanical damage. When choosing a planting site, neutral soil is desirable. The site should be well lit and open.

Tip # 2. When planting, humus must be added to each hole as an organic top dressing and double superphosphate as a mineral fertilizer. It is also recommended to add wood ash there.

How to plant sea buckthorn correctly:

1. Dig a hole, the depth and diameter of which is 50 cm. The root collar should be located at the level of the soil. Landing is carried out at a distance of at least 1 meter from the border of the site. The rows between the bushes are 2x2 meters.
2. It is recommended to put rubble, shell rock, broken brick at the bottom of the pit - this layer should not exceed 10 cm. Then a layer of fertile soil and fertilizer will follow. The seedling must be at least 2 years old.
3. When disembarking, a stake must be placed in the hole so that the trunk does not bend over time. After creating a hole at the planting site of the bush, it is sprinkled with earth and watered at the base.

The picture shows sea buckthorn, which is planted by cuttings, as practice shows, choosing this method, the plant grows faster than when planted with seeds.

How to care for sea buckthorn

• In the spring, the trees are sanitized. When the warmth is established, it is necessary to cut off all dry, broken branches. Read also the article: → "".
• In April, the soil should be loosened. Water the plant in May, during flowering, in calm weather.
• It is necessary to carry out additional pollination: cut off a branch from a male tree and shake it over the crown of a female tree.
• In the summer, you can carry out activities to stimulate the growth of shoots and fruits. One day after watering, the soil in the aisles and near-trunk circles is loosened. The fruits ripen in August - September.
• In the fall, the bushes must be cut off. Adult plants are best rejuvenated each year in turn. If the weather is dry in autumn, the sea buckthorn is watered abundantly. Fertilizers with a high content of organic matter and phosphorus are also applied.

They do preventive treatment of sea buckthorn plants from pests and diseases:

• collect fallen leaves, from trees - the remaining flowers and fruits,
• clean the wounds found on the surface of branches and trunks - they are treated with a solution of copper sulfate,
• whitewash the stem and skeletal branches.

You can also 2 times - in early spring and late autumn - treat sea buckthorn with a solution of Bordeaux liquid or urea. When pests appear once a week, it is necessary to treat with a solution of wood ash. Care and cultivation of sea buckthorn consists, first of all, in watering. A young plant needs 3-4 buckets of water, a mature plant needs 6-8 buckets. With the onset of autumn, the consumption for each tree increases by one and a half times. Watering in winter is also very important.

Do not forget about loosening the soil. In order not to damage the roots, create mulch from compost - apple or birch leaves, potato tops, humus - they are poured into the trunk circles. Starting from the third year of life, sea buckthorn needs potash, phosphorus supplements and ammonium nitrate. A mature tree after flowering, and later 1 time after 3 weeks, treat with a solution of 1 tablespoon of liquid potassium humate or Effekton in 10 liters of water.

At a time when the ovaries are actively growing, you need to add a solution of double superphosphate - 2 tablespoons and the same amount of the Universal-micro mixture, 1 tablespoon of potassium sulfate. All ingredients are stirred in 10 liters of water. During the period of digging the soil in the fall, it is necessary to distribute over the site 100 g of wood ash, 30 g of superphosphate, 25 g of potassium salt for each sq. m.

How sea buckthorn is pruned at different times of the year

Sea buckthorn pruning can be done in spring, summer, autumn. In the latter case, sanitary pruning is done. In the spring, dry, diseased, broken branches, shoots are removed. Formative pruning is done to young plants. If you want to form the sea buckthorn like a bush, cut the seedling at a height of 10-20 cm. If you want to have a tree, you need to form it with a stem - its height will be 30 cm, leaving 2-4 skeletal branches.

In the future, when a bush or tree is formed, only certain shoots and shoots are cut off. After 6 years, you should carry out a rejuvenating pruning of branches that have ceased to give berries. Every year 1-3 branches need to be replaced.

Sea buckthorn gets along well and grows in various regions with the most varied climates, does not require special care in the winter season, therefore it is perfect for planting both in hot regions and in cold ones.

Sea buckthorn varieties for the Moscow region, the Urals, Siberia

The best varieties of sea buckthorn:

Variety name	Characteristic
Botanical aromatic	An early ripe variety. Resistant to endomycosis. Productivity from a bush up to 15 kg. The orange-red berries are oblong and large with a dense skin. Slightly acidic in taste. The pulp is juicy, aromatic.
Botanical amateur	The variety is early maturing. The yield is average. Highly winter-resistant. Disease resistant. The orange-yellow berries are large, oval-elongated with a dense skin.
Muscovite	The variety is mid-season. Winter hardy. Resistant to diseases and pests. Large orange berries with a dessert taste, with aromatic pulp, with a thin skin.
Giant	Late-ripening variety. Resistant to diseases and pests. Winter hardy. Drought-resistant. Very large orange berries are sweet and sour, juicy. The shape is cylindrical.
Bead	Mid-season variety. Orange berries are medium-sized, round or conical, sweet and sour.
Moscow pineapple	Mid-season variety. Disease resistant. Winter hardy. Berries are pear-shaped, dark orange, with a thin skin, fragrant, juicy.

Features of growing sea buckthorn in Siberia, in the Urals

Because of the severity of the climate, gardeners of the Urals and Siberia most often choose frost-resistant varieties of sea buckthorn of large-fruited Altai selection. Most often, sea buckthorn is propagated by cuttings. Shoots are cut from October 10 to April 10 (before the buds open). When choosing sea buckthorn, preference should be given to zoned varieties - those that are grown for a specific climatic zone.

Varieties that grow well, for example, in Altai, bear poor fruit in the North-Western part of Russia, which is characterized by instability, where frosts are replaced by thaws. In Siberia and the Urals, it is better to plant sea buckthorn in early spring. Over the summer, the seedling will get stronger, strengthen the roots and winter well.

The picture shows a close-up of the seabuckthorn propagation scheme using cuttings.

In autumn, a weak plant may not take root - it will not survive frost. And due to the fact that sea buckthorn instantly reacts to high temperatures with growth, if an unexpected thaw occurs, it will begin the vegetative period ahead of time and will die with further cooling.

Common questions about growing and planting sea buckthorn

Question number 1. On what soil does sea buckthorn prefer to grow?

Question number 2. Should you buy a male plant if you already have one on the neighboring plot?

If you plant a male plant close to a neighbor's sea buckthorn, you will increase the yield. For good fruiting, the male tree should be no further than 50 meters. And it is better to plant female specimens of different varieties. For 3-4 female plants, 1 male is enough.

Foreword

Planting sea buckthorn can be carried out in several ways, from which any one is chosen if they want to grow it to decorate the landscape or strengthen sandy and earthen soils. When the goal is to harvest medicinal berries, then you can use only fewer breeding options for this plant. Sea buckthorn care in both cases is almost the same.

There are 2 main ways to breed sea buckthorn: seeds and vegetative reproduction. The second option can be implemented by planting still young green or already lignified cuttings, dividing the bush or its layers, as well as using root suckers. Seed cultivation of sea buckthorn is rarely used by gardeners.

Firstly, this method is longer than the others, and it requires seed with very good germination. Secondly, if the purpose of growing sea buckthorn is its subsequent fruiting, then there is no point in the seed method. The unique properties of the existing variety are likely to be lost, and half of the sprouted seedlings will be male, suitable only for pollination. In this case, the sex of the seedlings obtained as a result can be determined only with the beginning of fruiting of mature plants that have already grown from them.

Planting sea buckthorn

Vegetative cultivation methods for sea buckthorn allow the seedlings to fully inherit all parental qualities. Of these, the most popular are methods for planting green and lignified cuttings. Vegetative offspring of sea buckthorn, as a rule, enter fruiting at 3-4 years, and seed - only at 4-5. Regardless of the method used to reproduce sea buckthorn, in order for it to bear fruit, it should be borne in mind that this plant is dioecious - bushes or trees of both sexes are needed, and they must grow next to each other.

On the flowers of male plantings, pollen is formed, which is necessary for pollination of flowering females. Pollination occurs only naturally with the help of the wind. Only female plants bear fruit. Male plants should be planted in relation to female plants from the direction of the prevailing wind direction. Its yield depends on the ratio between the planted female and male individuals of sea buckthorn. The most favorable proportion is 3 female to 1 male.

It is necessary to prepare for the autumn sowing of sea buckthorn in advance. Already at the beginning of autumn, you should stock up on humus. In the place chosen for the plant, it is necessary to loosen the soil well, and mix its upper layer with organic fertilizers and coarse sand. Having compacted the ground from above, we make holes in it 2-3 cm wide and about 5 cm deep, the bottom of which is slightly tamped. It is better to make the distance between the grooves about 20 cm, so that it is more convenient to care for the seedlings.

Soil preparation

We start sowing with the onset of the first cold weather and before they become stable. If snow has already fallen, it must be removed. The seeds are evenly distributed over the holes with an interval of 1–1.5 cm. Then we fill them with humus, a layer of which should be 1 cm thick. For spring sowing, the reproductive material must first be prepared - to carry out its stratification. When the seedlings hatch, the seeds can be sown, but not in the cold ground. It should warm up. Sowing is carried out as in the fall.

We transplant the sea buckthorn sprouts to a permanent place after 2 years. It is better to do this in the fall.

For this method, you will need a small greenhouse, a greenhouse or a frame that can be covered with plastic wrap. In them, by June 15–20, it is necessary to prepare a ridge - pour it in layers in the proposed sequence:

• gravel - 10-15 cm;
• fertile soil - 10–12 cm;
• in a ratio of 3/1 a mixture of sand and peat - 5 cm.

The ridge should be 25–32 cm high. We level its surface and compact it a little, and then water it abundantly. In the 2nd or 3rd decade of June, we start harvesting cuttings. By that time, the length of shoots on mother plants should be 12-15 cm. Cut off cuttings only from this growth range. We remove 2-3 lower leaves from them. Then we tie the cuttings into bundles and lower the lower ends for 14-16 hours into a growth stimulator - a solution of heteroauxin (150-200 mg per 1 liter of water).

Propagation by green cuttings

We take them out of the mixture, rinse them, and then plant them on abundantly watered beds. In order for green cuttings to take root, it will be necessary to observe a certain temperature and humidity regime inside the greenhouse: at least 30 ° C and 90-100%, respectively. Immediately after planting, a refreshing spraying of the shoots should be done, which should be carried out in the future. The first few days after planting, if the weather is hot, spraying is repeated after 30-60 minutes, and in cloudy - 2-3 hours.

After 2 weeks, the cuttings will begin to sprout adventitious roots, and they will need to be watered abundantly, but less often than sprayed - 1-2 times a day. In addition, the plants are periodically opened, gradually accustoming them to the outside air. At the beginning of August, when about a month has passed after the germination of the roots, the film is removed. In the care of cuttings, fertilizing with a phosphorus-potassium composition should be included: for 10 liters of water 40-50 g of superphosphate and potassium salt 20-25 g. They are carried out every 6-7 days.

In autumn, as soon as the soil begins to freeze, the seedlings in the frame or greenhouse must be covered with straw or coniferous spruce branches. In winter, they should be covered with snow. In the spring, after growing, the seedlings are transplanted to the chosen permanent place.

To do this, it is better to cut lignified cuttings from mature plants, whose age is at least 5 or 6 years. In any case, the shoots should be no more than a year old and at least 5 mm thick. Cuttings are harvested in November or early December or at the very beginning of March. Store them under the snow. In early spring, we cut the cuttings into rods of the same length - about 15–20 cm each.

Then we soak them whole for 2-3 days in water. Then we immerse the lower ends for a day in a solution of heteroauxin (200 mg per 1 liter of water) or in water for 10-12 days. We are preparing the landing site in the fall. We bring in 7-8 kg of humus for digging for 1 m 2 (if the soil is heavy, then also sand 3-4 buckets) and superphosphate 80-100 g. and form a ridge no more than 1 m wide.

Lignified cuttings

When the soil warms up to 5 ° C or higher at a depth of 15 cm, the cuttings are planted strictly vertically every 10 cm, leaving 2-3 buds above the bed surface. We compact the near-stem circles, water abundantly and mulch with peat or humus. If there is a cold nursery, frame or greenhouse, then you can plant short cuttings, about 4 cm long, according to the 4 × 4 cm scheme.

Care for cuttings consists in watering: short - 1 time daily, long - 3-4 days. In film shelters, the temperature should not rise above 27-30 ° C. Some of the seedlings will have grown to the required size by the end of the season: the height of the above-ground part is at least 50 cm, the roots are 20 cm long, the trunk at the root collar is 8 mm or more in diameter. Such material for the next year can be transplanted in the spring to a permanent place. Saplings that have not reached these sizes, we grow for another 1 season.

Breeding sea buckthorn by layering. We bend the branch that grows on the trunk below all the others to the ground, fix it and fill it with soil, leaving only its uppermost part above the surface. We constantly moisten the dug-in place so that rooting proceeds better. With the arrival of the next spring, we remove the rooted branch and, having cut it in several places with a sharp shovel, we get seedlings.

Breeding sea buckthorn

For planting by dividing the bush, it must be completely dug out. Then we remove the old branches from him and leave only the strongest, youngest ones. Using a pruner, we divide the bush into several parts, making sure that each one "inherits" a good root system and at least 1-2 shoots.

Root offspring. New plants growing from the roots are suitable for planting if the uterine sea buckthorn has not been grafted. It is difficult to judge about its true varietal properties by a bush that bears fruit well on once-grafted cuttings. Most often, in such plants, the shoots are wild, it will not live up to all the expectations assigned to it. To use root suckers, they are dug up, cut off from the main root and planted.

This procedure is similar to planting other fruit plants. You should not use fresh organic matter, as well as abuse mineral fertilizers. For each plant, it is enough to add rotted compost to the pit before planting - 1 bucket, a handful of superphosphate and wood ash - 1 glass. The distance between the pits should be at least 2 m. Between the rows you can make 3 m. Plants should not be placed too far from each other, especially male from female.

Transplanting seedlings

Otherwise, if the pollen of the first flowers does not reach the second, then the latter will have to be pollinated artificially - manually. Having broken off a branch with flowers from a male plant, it will be necessary to bring it to the female, and then shake off the pollen on them. The size of the holes is 0.5 × 0.5 × 0.5 m. If necessary, the hole is made 20 cm deeper in order to arrange drainage at the bottom. Saplings are planted deeper than they were grown in the nursery, by about 5–8 cm.

Care of planted seedlings and adult plants

Sea buckthorn is hardy and unpretentious in care and cultivation. The main condition for its good growth and fruiting is regular abundant watering, and at all stages of the plant's active life. At the same time, excessive moisture can harm sea buckthorn. In dry weather, a young plant needs 3-4 buckets of water for each 1 m 2 of its near-stem zone, and a fruiting plant needs 6-8.

Young sea buckthorn plants need fertilization for the first 1–2 years (in spring). Humus is added to the soil of the trunk circle, mixed with (2–4 tablespoons of nitrophoska per 0.5–1 bucket of humus per 1 m 2). After 1-2 years after planting, the sea buckthorn roots grow and go far to the sides beyond the boundaries of the planting pit. After that, the introduction of fertilizers around the trunk becomes irrelevant for this plant and practically does not affect its further development, as well as fruiting.

An important component of care is loosening, especially after rain and watering. They do it near the trunk to a depth of no more than 5–7 cm, and on the near-stem circle - up to 12 cm. Otherwise, you can easily injure the roots that are located close to the soil surface next to the plant. The first few years after planting, weed control is an integral part of maintenance. They drown out young plants, which still have an underdeveloped root system, depriving them of moisture and nutrients. It is best to cover the soil around the sea buckthorn with black steam (special material or black cellophane) after the first spring weeding.

Leaving also consists of pruning. It must be performed in the spring, and before bud break. In young plants, up to 4–5 years old, incorrectly growing new shoots are cut off, thereby forming a crown. After 8-10 years old branches, which have a small growth, are removed and 3-year old branches are left. In addition, every year it is necessary to do preventive pruning, ridding the plant of dried, damaged, diseased and frozen branches and shoots.