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.

What is sea buckthorn, planting and caring for it, breeding features - I will tell you about all this in this article. The valuable medicinal qualities of this culture are known all over the world today. Sea buckthorn is grown, cultivated, on its basis medical and cosmetic preparations, as well as all kinds of culinary delights are made. All parts of sea buckthorn have medicinal value and are used in folk and official medicine. Depending on the planting site and on leaving, sea buckthorn can be a low, spreading shrub or a powerful tall tree.

Photo of sea buckthorn:

Where does sea buckthorn grow

In the wild, it grows on rocky and sandy soils, in river valleys, near streams, reservoirs, on the seashore. Because of this, it is often called sea thorn, sandy berry, dune thorn. The homeland of sea buckthorn is the highlands of the Himalayas. Where does sea buckthorn grow in Russia? You can answer - everywhere, except perhaps in the regions of the Far North. Today this culture is spread all over the world. This is a representative of the sucker family. Through the efforts of breeders, many of its varieties have been bred.

Where and how sea buckthorn grows in the wild, photo:

Features, how to distinguish male from female sea buckthorn, photo

In our domestic open spaces, its name is explained quite easily - the branches of the tree are abundantly strewn, covered with bright orange fruits from all sides. The leaves are narrow, elongated, of a bluish tint, the flowers are so inconspicuous that at first glance they can be easily mistaken for leaves. As already mentioned, depending on the variety, the sea buckthorn can be short or tall.

When does sea buckthorn bloom? By the very beginning of May or closer to its middle, small short brushes bloom on the branches, each of them has 3-5 small yellowish flowers. Flowers bloom first, leaves follow.

Here it is necessary to mention one feature of sea buckthorn - only female representatives bloom, on male trees there are stamens collected in a bunch. These stamens contain pollen, which is easily carried by the wind to the female inflorescences, as a result of which pollination occurs. If you slightly disturb a flowering male branch, you can see a cloud of this very pollen. Sea buckthorn flowers do not have a scent, therefore they do not attract bees.

How sea buckthorn blooms, photo:

To get a good harvest, it is imperative to plant male and female trees together. Fruits are produced only by female plants, male plants are only pollinators. For pollination, sometimes one male representative is enough, which can grow at a considerable distance (up to 50 meters) from female specimens. Windy weather favors the process.

Sea buckthorn female and male: the difference is that a male tree can even grow from wild growth. But as for the female plant, it must be cultivated sea buckthorn. As mentioned above, the floor of a tree is determined by the appearance of the buds. The male variety is easiest to identify in the spring or fall, while the female can be easily identified in the summer when the tree is in bloom and fruiting. Female kidneys are much smaller than male ones, covered with a pair of scales. Male buds are larger, voluminous, have from 5 to 7 covering scales.

The male sex of the sea buckthorn is on the right, the female is on the left, photo:

Sea buckthorn - drawing of female and male branches
Branch of a male plant in spring
Branch of a female plant in spring

When does the sea buckthorn season start? When does sea buckthorn ripen? From the last weeks of August to early October, depending on the climate in the region of growth. However, there are some nuances here: the collection time depends on the purpose for which you need the berries. For freezing or eating fresh sea buckthorn, the fruits should be harvested at the very beginning of their ripening (late calendar summer-early autumn). By this time, they are already saturated with vitamins, but they are firm enough to the touch, do not ooze juice. If the berries are needed to obtain oil, prepare all kinds of jams, jams, sauces, then you should wait until they are fully ripe. Ripe fruits are filled with juice, slightly soft.

Why is it difficult to harvest sea buckthorn?

Green woodpecker on sea buckthorn

This task is quite difficult, the process can be traumatic due to the sharp thorns that cover the branches. Sea buckthorn has rather short stalks, and ripe berries are soft to the touch, easily wrinkled under the fingers. Plus, the juice of the fruit is very acidic and can irritate the skin of the hands with prolonged contact. What to do in this case?

There are radical methods in which the branches are pruned along with the fruits, but this is quite cruel in relation to the tree. Experienced gardeners have found a way out of this situation. To begin with, before harvesting, put on those clothes that you will not mind getting dirty, and this will inevitably happen. The second rule is that you need to collect fruits from the top of the branch towards the bottom.

How to collect sea buckthorn:

1. The first method is a rough one, in which branches with fruits are carefully cut off and immediately frozen. Frozen berries can be easily removed from the branches, but this method is only suitable for those cases when you need them frozen.
2. The second method is manual; cherries, cherries, apricots and other fruits are harvested in the same way. It is traumatic, takes a long time, and requires increased attention.
3. The third method is "skillful hands", i.e. the manufacture of auxiliary devices. Gardeners go to various tricks: a sharp scraper is attached to a long stick with electrical tape, which, as it were, is used to comb the berries from the branches. Your helper should stand at the bottom and hold either an open bag or an open umbrella for picking berries. Sometimes a long-handled knife is used and the fruit is harvested in the same way. However, the most convenient device is considered to be "cobra" - this is a popular name that has taken root among gardeners and summer residents. The device is a loop of dense wire that is securely attached to a long handle. You can drill two holes at the end of a rounded stick and thread a wire through them. For convenience, the loop itself is slightly bent so that, when viewed from the side, it resembles a cobra's hood. The top of the loop should be slightly narrowed. The attachment point must be securely wrapped with wire or wrapped several times with insulating tape. Now you can quite conveniently cut the stalks with a "cobra", you can open the umbrella from below, where the berries will fall.

The method of collecting sea buckthorn "cobra" is the most acceptable, less traumatic.

A device for collecting sea buckthorn berries - a thin nylon rope is stretched between the slingshots

You can also wait for the first frost, spread a cloth or a piece of polyethylene under the tree, then arm yourself with a heavy stick and attack the trunk with branches with it. Frozen fruits will separate from the branches from the blows and fall on the prepared blanket. Decide for yourself - how it will be more convenient for you.

Watch a few videos, maybe you will use ideas, picking berries with devices that are easy to do yourself, with your own hands.

How to plant sea buckthorn correctly

Before planting, you need to decide on the variety - the selected type of sea buckthorn must be adapted to the climate of your region. It is best to purchase seedlings from trusted locations, such as fruit tree nurseries or horticultural institutes. Additionally, you will be sure of the purity of the variety. It should be borne in mind that this culture has a very short dormant period, so that the sea buckthorn tree does not "wake up" in the middle of winter, choose those varieties that are designed for cultivation in your area.

When to plant sea buckthorn - in spring or autumn? Sea buckthorn seedlings can be planted with the arrival of spring and autumn. But it is preferable to do this in early spring - this way they will take root better. If you plant a tree in the fall, then a sudden winter warming can trigger its awakening.

When choosing a place, give preference to zones near buildings, paths - away from areas where active gardening is in full swing. The fact is that sea buckthorn has cordlike roots, which are located in the upper layers of the soil (about 50 cm). They are quite long, they can diverge to the sides for a distance of more than 10 meters. Thus, the roots can be damaged when digging, they are very sensitive, therefore, even with the slightest injury, the sea buckthorn can get sick. In general, it is not recommended to dig the soil in the vicinity of this tree, even if you do it carefully. Digging provokes the appearance of overgrowth, especially in the places of the "affected" roots. Lightly loosening with a hoe will be sufficient. For this light-loving culture, choose open, unshaded places.

Even in the fall, do not be too lazy to add sand with humus mixed in equal amounts (2 kg / 1 m² or for each hole) to the agreed place, phosphorus-potassium supplements are also relevant.

How to plant male and female sea buckthorn together, at what distance? If there are several trees, then the distance between them should be about 2-3 meters. There must be a male sea buckthorn (for pollination). As mentioned above, 1 male specimen is enough for 5-6 female trees. The process itself is no different from planting other fruit representatives: the hole should be about 70 × 70 × 70 cm, at the bottom you need to form a small hill, carefully spread the roots along its slopes.

After that, the pit is covered with soil just above the root collar. After soil shrinkage, the neck should be flush with the soil level. After planting, a wide hole is formed around the tree, which must be filled with water in the amount of about two buckets.

How to care for sea buckthorn

Caring for seedlings consists in regular watering, you should know that sea buckthorn is a moisture-loving culture. When the seedling gets stronger and becomes a tree, then it no longer needs to be watered too often, only during a drought. It makes no sense to add top dressing to the trunk circle, because the cord-like root system of the tree diverges to the sides and stretches for many meters. When sea buckthorn begins to bear fruit, it can be fed with organic and mineral fertilizers, once every 3 years (4-5 kg ​​of humus per 1 m², 20-30 potassium-phosphorus supplements).

You should also carefully remove the weeds in the area of ​​the trunk circle, do not loosen the ground too actively (without going deeper than 7-10 cm). Pruning branches and forming the crown is best done in the spring, while the buds have not yet blossomed.

After the sea buckthorn tree turns 8 years old, you can practice rejuvenating pruning - remove old branches, giving preference to three-year-old shoots. Dried, frozen, diseased fragments must also be removed.

How to propagate sea buckthorn?

The process is carried out using cuttings, shoots and seeds. It is impractical to describe the seed method in detail, since this method takes too much time. The resulting plants do not inherit the varietal qualities of the mother tree, most often the result is "wild". Often, sea buckthorn is propagated by seeds in laboratory conditions to obtain new varieties, hybrids.

With coppice propagation, the young sea buckthorn inherits all the features of the main tree. Selected representatives are regularly watered in the spring and especially in the summer. With the arrival of a new spring, the shoot is carefully cut off with a small fragment of the root, after which it is planted in a separate place of residence.

How to propagate sea buckthorn by layering? It is necessary to select those branches that are closest to the ground. In the spring, small depressions are made in the soil near these branches (about 10 cm). The branches are bent down and pinned to the ground with wire brackets. When these branches give shoots, the pinned area is covered with soil. The next year, again, with the arrival of spring, they are dug up, cut off with a pruner and transferred to a permanent residence or rearing.

The most high-quality and productive breeding method is the cuttings method. Cutting sea buckthorn is no different from cutting other fruit trees - everything happens in a similar way. Around the middle of summer, cut off a beautiful and strong stalk (about 15-20 cm in length), pinch off the three lower leaves, treat the cut with Kornevin (optional). Dip the end of the cutting into nutrient soil, substrate, or moist vermiculite. A mixture of clean river sand, fertile soil and peat is perfect. Cover the top with a plastic transparent glass to make something like a greenhouse.

In the room where cuttings germinate, the air temperature should be approximately +26 .. + 28 ° С. Young livestock should be regularly watered, irrigated with a spray bottle, periodically ventilated (raise the glass). After about 8 weeks, the coating is removed, the stalk is fed with potassium-phosphorus additives. The cover is no longer used, the seedling is watered and a new spring is awaited. When it gets stronger, it is transferred to a permanent place of growth.

Sometimes on garden forums you can come across such a question - why doesn't sea buckthorn bear fruit? The answer is actually simple: sea buckthorn is a dioecious crop; in order to obtain fruits, the presence of male and female specimens is mandatory in the same area. If you have only "girls" growing up, then they will not bear fruit. "Boys" do not bear fruit at all, but are only pollinators. To solve the problem in the spring, you can plant a couple of shrubs of the opposite sex on the site. It is best to choose cultivated male varieties "Alei" or "Gnome". Just in case, it is better to immediately plant two male trees, suddenly one will die or freeze in winter.

Vaccination also gives good results. You can take several branches from a healthy tree of the opposite sex (for example, from a neighbor in the country) and graft them on your sea buckthorn when spring comes.

Sea buckthorn varieties, description, photo

To get a good harvest, large and juicy berries, choose only the best types of sea buckthorn that are adapted to growing in your area. Take cuttings from a "proven" tree or purchase from a nursery with good recommendations. High-quality sea buckthorn berries are always large, have a pleasant taste, juicy, do not burst in the hands, abundantly cover the branches of the tree.

Variety Krasnoplodnaya - red sea buckthorn photo:

The universal variety Moskovskaya Krasavitsa has an average yield, the shrub grows up to two and a half meters, from mid-summer to early autumn it bears fruit with large (up to 10 g) juicy berries.

Chuiskaya sea buckthorn is characterized by a sweeter taste, the branches of the tree are not too densely covered with thorns, the thorns themselves are not long, the size of the fruits is slightly smaller than that of the Moscow Beauty, but larger than average.

Sea buckthorn Krasnoplodnaya has reddish berries, which becomes clear from the name, is resistant to diseases, is distinguished by its vitality and unpretentiousness.

Sea buckthorn Elizabeth belongs to the classic varieties, bears abundant fruit, the berries have a pleasant sweetish taste, large size. Description of Elizabeth's sea buckthorn: it is a very winter-hardy variety, resistant to diseases, ripens a little later than other species, reaches medium size.

Variety "Chuiskaya", photo:

Botanical sea buckthorn is more convenient to collect, since its stalk is slightly longer than that of other species. To obtain valuable sea buckthorn oil, this particular species is most often grown.

The Giant variety fully justifies its name, the tree grows up to 3-4 meters in height, the fruits are large in size, and the branches are practically not covered with thorns. That is, the Giant variety is a sea buckthorn without thorns. The variety is winter-hardy, the berries ripen by September.

Lyubimaya sea buckthorn is another common cultivar in our open spaces. It is distinguished by large sweet berries on long stalks, it is easy to pick, it does not wrinkle under the fingers, the bushes are rather sparse, which optimizes the harvesting process (it is easy to get to the berries). This variety is winter-hardy, unpretentious, bears fruit abundantly.

In addition to its medicinal value, this culture can act as an element of landscape design on your site. Its long, rope-like roots hold the soil well. With its help, you can form a hedge, and in the company with the rest of the shrubs, it will look very harmonious.

From whatever side you look, everyone is good with sea buckthorn - they will not be a burden for you, since it is unpretentious, incredibly useful and looks beautiful on the site.

It is difficult to find a plant as useful and at the same time specific as sea buckthorn: planting and caring for it brought disappointment to more than one summer resident. The reason for this is simple and lies in ignorance of the peculiarities of culture. The branches of sea buckthorn, completely covered with large sweet berries with a pronounced sourness, can delight the owner from year to year, but only if high-quality varietal material has been chosen for breeding. You cannot expect such a result from wild growth and seedlings. A good seedling is obtained by cuttings. When purchasing it, you should pay attention to the size. It should be small. In this it differs markedly from seedlings and basal processes, which the shrub gives very abundantly.

Soil, lighting and moisture

Sea buckthorn loves light. It should be planted in areas open to the sun, where there is no shade. At the initial stages of development, it is characterized by rapid growth. In the future, it slows down, and the shrubs located next to the sea buckthorn and just tall plants catch up and shade it. Lack of light in the first year of life can destroy the seedling. Adult shrubs are also demanding of the abundance of sunlight. Most of the berries are formed on their top, which is better illuminated than the middle and bottom of the plant.

Sea buckthorn prefers moist soil, but does not tolerate swampiness. If the groundwater at the site comes close to the surface, its cultivation will not end successfully. The shrub will develop poorly and will quickly die from podoprevanie. The same fate awaits sea buckthorn in the lowlands. The optimal place for planting it is on small slopes, where a shrub or tree will receive vital drainage for them and will not suffer from stagnant moisture. But the plant will react badly to a systematic lack of water, shedding its leaves, and during the period of fruit formation (from June to July) - and the ovary.

Sea buckthorn is best suited for light loam and sandy loam soils. The soil must be fertile. If it is poor in minerals, the planting of sea buckthorn is carried out only after fertilization. On too light soils containing a lot of sand, the shrub will wither. They do not retain moisture well, and the sea buckthorn roots will suffer from a lack of moisture. You should not plant the crop in dense and heavy clay soil. It is insufficiently drained, prone to waterlogging and poorly permits air, which is necessary for the development of the root system of the shrub.

When choosing fertilizers for sea buckthorn, you need to take into account its needs. The most important element for a plant is phosphorus. It ensures the normal activity of the nodule bacteria living on the roots of the shrub. Sea buckthorn needs nitrogen in small quantities, and it is indifferent to the introduction of compositions containing potassium.

Site preparation

If the soil on the site is acidic, it is neutralized for growing sea buckthorn. You can use slaked lime for this (0.4-0.6 kg of substance per 1 m² of surface). Having scattered it over the site in an even layer, digging is carried out. Recommended depth is 1 shovel bayonet. To plant a shrub in the spring, liming the soil must be carried out during the autumn work in the garden, in October.

Heavy loam for growing sea buckthorn is prepared by mixing its top layer with the following components:

• coarse sand;
• humus (peat);
• superphosphate (200-300 g);
• potassium salt (30-50 g).

Sand and peat, taken in equal proportions with loam, will increase its air and water permeability.

When highlighting the area on which the sea buckthorn will grow, it must be borne in mind that it has a highly branched root system that extends far beyond its crown. It is impossible to dig up the soil near it. Its top layer is loosened with a hoe, deepening by 5-10 cm and pruning weeds.

In the spring, during the procedure, fertilizers are applied:

• humus or well-rotted compost (0.5-1 bucket);
• nitrophosphate (2-4 tbsp. l).

Correctly repeat such dressings annually. You can do it differently: in the spring, add urea (15 g) under sea buckthorn, and with the arrival of autumn, enrich the soil with useful components:

• humus (1 bucket);
• double superphosphate (30 g);
• potassium chloride (15 g).

Landing scheme and timing

In height, the shrub grows up to 3 m. Its crown is medium spreading. If a place around the perimeter of the site is chosen for planting, then 1-2 m should be retreated from its border. The row spacings are made wide - 2-2.5 m. You can plant sea buckthorn near the walls of buildings or near tall trees with a dense crown. So that they do not shade the bush, holes are dug at a distance of at least 3 m from them.

Spring and autumn planting of sea buckthorn is practiced. If weather conditions in the second half of winter are unfavorable, the shrub may die. It will be badly affected by prolonged thaws, after which frosts come. Sea buckthorn has a short rest period, and it can wake up ahead of time. Experienced summer residents prefer to plant shrubs in the spring, at the beginning of May. By the onset of cold weather, its root system will develop well, and it will be able to more easily survive winter stresses.

Sea buckthorn belongs to dioecious crops. In order for it to bear fruit abundantly, male and female plants must be cultivated on the site. It is optimal to place them in 2 ways.

1. Curtain - a male bush is planted in the center and surrounding it with female ones.
2. In rows. The landing pattern here is determined by the prevailing winds. Male bushes (1-2) begin the first row from their side, 4-5 female plants are placed behind them.

Sequence of landing works

A hole for planting sea buckthorn is dug of medium depth (35-40 cm), but wide - 0.5 m in diameter. A stake is driven into the center. The bottom of the pit is covered with a drainage layer. Suitable for this:

• broken brick;
• crushed stone;
• shell rock.

Its thickness should be at least 10 cm. Then fertile soil is poured into the hole, filling it by ⅔. Having formed a low mound from the soil, they put a seedling on it. It should be on the north side of the support. They plant it strictly vertically. If the trunk is even slightly inclined, buds will form on it and the crown of the tree will lose its decorative effect.

Gently spreading the sea buckthorn roots over the mound, fill the hole to the top with soil. It is correct if the root collar is 3-5 cm below ground level if the soil is normal, and 5-7 cm if it is light. A hole is made around the future bush, which is watered abundantly (spending 2-3 buckets of water). The soil under the seedling is covered with a thick (5-6 cm) layer of peat or sand, and humus is added on top as mulch.

Watering and loosening

In order for the cultivation of sea buckthorn to bring a generous harvest, you need to carefully monitor the condition of the soil. It should not be allowed to dry out, even for a short time, but it is not recommended to fill the tree. Air passes through too wet soil poorly, as a result, the development of the root system and the formation of nitrogen-fixing nodules slow down. Freshly planted sea buckthorn is often watered until it releases young shoots. Abundant moisture for the shrub is necessary during the entire growing season. It affects the most important processes:

• leaf growth;
• kidney formation;
• the formation of ovaries;
• ripening of berries.

In arid spring and sultry summer, watering young plants, they spend 3-4 buckets of water per 1 m² of soil surface in a near-trunk circle. If the sea buckthorn is already bearing fruit, the volume of the liquid is doubled. It is recommended to moisten such bushes at least 4 times per season:

• at the beginning of flowering;
• when a month has passed since the first watering, this will prevent the ovaries from falling off;
• during the period of active growth of fruits, in order to increase the filling and accelerate the ripening of berries;
• when the harvest is already harvested - in September or October. At this stage, watering will help the plants prepare for winter. It will protect their roots from freezing, and the shoots from drying out.

Regular loosening of the soil is a guarantee of the health and productivity of sea buckthorn. They must be carried out after watering or rain. The roots of the shrub, resembling branching cords, extending from the plant in different directions for many meters, are located almost at the soil surface (at a depth of 20-30 cm). They are easily injured, which greatly weakens the sea buckthorn and stimulates the growth of basal offspring. Therefore, loosening is correct to carry out to a maximum depth of 5-7 cm next to the bush trunk and 10-12 cm away from it. If the roots of the plant are exposed, they are immediately mulched with a mixture of peat and sand. In the fall, having collected crops from the bushes, the trunks are loosened, and then watered abundantly.

Weed control and pruning

Sea buckthorn does not like weeds in the neighborhood. They deprive her of the bushes of moisture and nutrients. Therefore, you need to weed the plantings regularly. This proven method can be used to help you spend less time and energy on weed control. After the first loosening of the soil in the spring, it is covered with dark plastic wrap. They leave her for the whole summer. The soil under it warms up well and does not deplete, but care must be taken so that there is no stagnation of moisture. Remove the film when the berries are ripe and it is time to pick them.

To keep the sea buckthorn decorative, it is cut off. This is done in the spring, while the buds on the plant are still asleep. If the shrub is young (up to 4-5 years old), pruning will help form its crown. Carrying out it, shoots that grow incorrectly, parallel to the trunk, as well as excess branches are removed. Older shrubs (8-10 years old and older) need anti-aging pruning. 3-year-old shoots are left on them, and all old ones, with minimal growth, are removed. Every year, preventive pruning is done, ridding plants of damaged, dry, frost-bruised, pest-infested and diseased branches.

Numerous root suckers slow down the growth of the bush. Therefore, they also need to be cut off. It is convenient to do this with a shovel or a hoe. The root offspring is cut off at its base, leaving no knot. To do this, you will have to clear the soil. If the cut line is made too high above the surface of the soil, the dormant buds that remain in the soil will release new shoots.

It is convenient to pick berries from a bush if it is not too tall. In overgrown sea buckthorn, the upper branches can be cut off. She tolerates this procedure painlessly. The peak of fruiting occurs in 8-12-year-old shrubs. Older plants are treated radically - they are cut down without regrets. New offspring will go from the stump, and the sea buckthorn will quickly restore its former beauty, and healthy young branches will again delight you with an abundance of berries.

In the first year in a new place, sea buckthorn does not need additional feeding. In the second year of her life, nitrogen fertilizers are applied to the soil on the site, which will contribute to the intensive growth of shoots. This is done in the spring by dissolving 20-30 g of urea in a bucket of water and watering the plant under the root with this composition. For each bush, it is correct to spend 0.5-1 bucket of nutrient mixture. If the sea buckthorn is already bearing fruit, every 3-4 years the soil around it is enriched with organic fertilizers: humus, compost (1 bucket per 1 m²). The optimum depth of their embedding in the ground is 10-20 cm.


Sea buckthorn berries are a generous gift from nature. They have a unique composition that seems to have collected the most important of the existing elements: almost all vitamins, minerals, biologically active substances, flavonoids, carotenoids. Sea buckthorn fruits can be eaten fresh, dried, dried, frozen, soaked, canned. They are used to prepare jams, preserves, compotes, jellies, mashed potatoes, juices, butter, grind them with sugar, apples,. In any form, bright orange berries are tasty and healthy. They are also used in cosmetology. A mask based on their juice refreshes and nourishes the skin well.

Sea buckthorn will become a wonderful decoration of the garden, standing out against the background of the lush greenery of other trees and shrubs with its leaves of an unusual shape and color. They are olive green above and silvery below. The shrub is also useful for soils. It strengthens the sandy soil, preventing landslides. It is not difficult to grow sea buckthorn. Even beginners can handle caring for her. The main thing is not to be mistaken with the choice of a seedling and to provide the plant with the most comfortable conditions for it.

Sea buckthorn (lat.Hippophae) belongs to the genus of plants of the Lokhovye family, which grow along the banks of rivers and lakes, mainly on sand or pebbles. Sea buckthorn can be found in the mountains at an altitude of 2,100 meters above sea level. In folk medicine, sea buckthorn was used to treat both people and horses in ancient Greece, and although over time it was forgotten for some reason, in recent decades it has again become widely used. By the way, the scientific name of sea buckthorn is translated from Greek as "shine for horses" - the skins of animals feeding on the leaves of the plant acquired a satin tint. In Russia, sea buckthorn has been cultivated since the 19th century, but varietal plants appeared only in the 30s of the last century.

Planting and caring for sea buckthorn (in short)

• Landing: in early spring, before bud break.
• Bloom: in April or May.
• Lighting: bright sunlight.
• The soil: black earth, loamy, sandy loam, with a pH of 6.5-7.0. Clay and acidic soils, as well as areas with a high groundwater table, are categorically unsuitable.
• Watering: as needed. Young plants are watered with 3-4 buckets of water, mature ones - with 6-8 buckets, trying to wet the entire root layer of soil. By autumn, the water consumption is increased by one and a half times, and in October, abundant water-charging irrigation is carried out.
• Top dressing: regular starting from the third season after planting. From the fifth year of life - only potash and phosphorus, but up to this age, ammonium nitrate is scattered over the near-stem circles of young plants in early spring and embedded in the soil at the rate of 20 g / m². Adult fruiting plants also require foliar dressing immediately after flowering and after another three weeks. In autumn, the trunks are filled with superphosphate, potassium salt and ash.
• Cropping: at any time of the year, but most conveniently in early spring, before the start of sap flow. Sanitary cleaning is usually carried out in autumn.
• Reproduction: seeds, cuttings, dividing the bush, grafting, shoots and layering.
• Pests: sea ​​buckthorn flies, sea buckthorn moths, aphids, gall and spider mites.
• Diseases: endomycosis, black cancer, black leg, scab (stegmina), gray and brown rot, fusarium, verticillosis, alternariosis, phomosis, sea buckthorn terry, annular branch necrosis and corineum necrosis, mixed and heart-shaped stem rot.

Read more about growing sea buckthorn below.

Sea buckthorn bushes - description

Sea buckthorn can be a shrub or a small tree with a height of 10 cm to 6 meters or more. The root system of the plant is superficial, it is located at a depth of about 40 cm, but it expands in width to a distance exceeding the diameter of the crown by 2-2.5 times. The leaves of the sea buckthorn are alternate, long and narrow, speckled green on the upper side of the plate and silvery-whitish or reddish-golden with stellate scales below. Small and inconspicuous unisexual flowers open on the sea buckthorn almost simultaneously with the leaves. Sea buckthorn blooms in late April or early May. Sea buckthorn is a dioecious plant: male silvery-brown flowers form short spike-shaped inflorescences at the bases of young shoots, and yellowish female flowers appear one or several pieces in the axils of covering scales. Sea buckthorn fruits are spherical or elongated false drupes, consisting of a nut and a juicy overgrown orange or reddish receptacle, ripen in 90-100 days. The sea buckthorn branch is densely covered with fruits, which is reflected in the Russian name of the plant.

Jam and juice are made from sea buckthorn berries, but the main value of the plant is healing oil, which is popularly considered miraculous. Sea buckthorn is a winter-hardy plant that can withstand frosts down to -50 ºC, and roots in the ground can withstand temperatures as low as -20 ºC. Sea buckthorn is afraid of winter thaws much more frost - in conditions when the ground does not freeze, its roots can rot.

Sea buckthorn grown in splendid isolation does not bear fruit, since the female and male flowers of the sea buckthorn are usually found on different bushes. True, sometimes, very rarely, one can find forms with bisexual flowers. Usually, the fruits are formed on female plants, and male ones are needed for their pollination: one male bush is enough to pollinate 3-5 female plants. It is impossible to determine the sex of a young plant, clarity comes only when flower buds form on the bush - there are more of them on the male specimens and they are much larger than on the female ones. Fruiting occurs in 4-6 years from the beginning of growth.

Today, sea buckthorn is gradually restoring its lost positions many centuries ago, and although so far it can be found in our gardens not as often as grapes, raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries or currants, but more often than irgu, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, blueberries or actinidia ... We value sea buckthorn not only for its taste, but also for its undeniable health benefits. In our article, we will focus on the sea buckthorn buckthorn, which grows almost throughout Europe, including in our gardens. We will tell you how planting and caring for sea buckthorn is carried out: when and how to plant sea buckthorn in a garden plot or in the country, how to care for sea buckthorn throughout the growing season, how to feed sea buckthorn in order to achieve consistently high yields, how to spray sea buckthorn against diseases and pests, when and how to cut sea buckthorn and how to propagate sea buckthorn by seed and vegetative methods.

Planting sea buckthorn

When to plant sea buckthorn

It is customary to plant sea buckthorn in early spring, before budding in the trees, since it is very difficult for it to tolerate this procedure in autumn. As a rule, a sunny area is allocated for sea buckthorn at the periphery of the garden - one male specimen and 3-4 female plants can be located there. On acidic soils, as well as on clay soils, sea buckthorn will not grow well, the optimal pH of the soil is pH 6.5-7.0. Before planting sea buckthorn, acidic soils are limestone, adding ground limestone or calcareous tuff for digging in the calculation of 250-400 g per m² - this amount of deoxidizers will be enough for 8-10 years. The groundwater on the site should be no higher than at a depth of 2 m. Do not plant sea buckthorn where strawberries grew before it, since they have the same diseases.

Planting sea buckthorn in spring

For planting, it is better to purchase one-year or two-year-old sea buckthorn seedlings, the roots of which are dipped in a clay mash before planting. If you find that the root system of the seedlings is dry, place their roots first for a day or two in a bucket of water so that they regain their elasticity.

A plot for sea buckthorn is prepared in the fall: they dig up the soil to the depth of a shovel bayonet with the simultaneous introduction of 20 g of potassium sulfate, 200 g of superphosphate and 4-5 buckets of humus per square meter. In the spring, pits measuring 65x65x65 cm are dug at a distance of 2 m from each other, a peg 1-1.20 m high is driven into the center of each hole and a mound of fertile soil is poured onto which a seedling is placed. The roots of the seedling are straightened, after which the pit is covered with earth mixed with coarse sand, humus or peat in equal proportions so that the root collar of the tree is in the soil at a depth of no more than 3 cm.A small circular hole is left around the seedling for watering, the tree is tied to the peg and pour 2-3 buckets of water into the irrigation hole. When the water is absorbed, the hole is mulched with humus or dry earth, leveling it with the surface of the site. The first time, for the seedling to take root in a new place, it is watered daily for a month.

Planting sea buckthorn in autumn

As we already wrote, it is undesirable to plant sea buckthorn in autumn, but if such a need arises, try to plant sea buckthorn before mid-October so that it has time to take root before frost. This can be done only in those areas where winter comes late, and only if the sea buckthorn seedling meets all the requirements put forward for it: the seedling ready for planting must have at least 3 skeletal roots up to 20 cm long and many fibrous roots: the stem must be high from 35 to 50 cm and a diameter of at least 6 cm; there should be several shoots on the stem. In a healthy plant, the bark is elastic, without damage or wrinkles. It should not flake off the wood, and the wood should not have a brown tint, as this is evidence that the seedling is frostbitten.

Dig a hole of the dimensions indicated in the previous section, drive a peg into its center, pour soil from under an adult sea buckthorn mixed with a bucket of humus, a handful of double superphosphate and a glass of wood ash on the bottom. Otherwise, follow the instructions in the previous section.

Sea buckthorn care

Sea buckthorn care in spring

Planting and caring for sea buckthorn does not imply special difficulties in performance, however, it requires certain knowledge and skills. At the end of March, as soon as it gets warmer, the sea buckthorn is sanitized, removing all broken, diseased, withered and drooping branches. In April, you need to drill or loosen the soil in the near-trunk circles of the sea buckthorn and in the aisles.

In May, watering of the sea buckthorn is carried out. It is especially necessary if there was no snow in winter and rains in spring. If there was enough snow in the winter months, and the spring was rainy, you can take your time with watering the sea buckthorn.

If the weather is calm during the flowering of the sea buckthorn, carry out additional pollination: cut a branch from the male tree and shake it over the crown of the female plant.

Sea buckthorn care in summer

Caring for sea buckthorn in the summer is due to the intensive growth of shoots and fruits. In summer, the plant especially needs moisture, so drying out of the soil in the near-trunk circles is unacceptable. However, keep in mind that waterlogging is just as harmful as a lack of moisture: in too moist soil, air exchange worsens and, therefore, the vital activity of the roots slows down. Maintain the water balance of the soil, and a day after watering, loosen the soil in the aisles and near-trunk circles. Remove weeds and root growth. Closely monitor the condition of the leaves and shoots of the sea buckthorn in order to detect the onset of the disease in time.

In August-September, the ripening of sea buckthorn fruits begins. To prevent branches overloaded with berries from breaking, prop them up in time. They begin to harvest the berries when they acquire the color and size characteristic of the variety.

Sea buckthorn care in autumn

After harvesting, sea buckthorn needs sanitary pruning, and mature bushes in the fall are rejuvenated in turn - one bush every year. In dry autumn, sea buckthorn must be watered abundantly for the winter. In addition, in the fall, organic and phosphorus fertilizers are introduced into the soil, embedding them for digging a site to a depth of 10 cm.

Sea buckthorn processing

Everyone knows that it is easier to prevent a problem than to deal with it. To protect your sea buckthorn from pests and dangerous pathogens, it is necessary to carry out preventive treatments. In early spring, you need to collect the fallen leaves, remove the remains of flowers and fruits from the trees, clean the wounds on the trunks and branches and treat them with a 3% solution of copper sulfate, after which you should whitewash the stem and skeletal branches of the sea buckthorn with lime to protect the bark of the tree from pests. A measure such as treating sea buckthorn with a 7% urea solution or a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid twice a season - in early spring and late autumn - has proven itself well as a prophylaxis against fungal diseases and pest infestations. During the season, if pests appear on the sea buckthorn, treat the bush or tree once a week with a solution of wood ash.

Watering sea buckthorn

Watering the sea buckthorn is carried out as needed, trying to wet the entire root layer of the soil. For this, 3-4 buckets of water are enough for a young plant, poured into a near-trunk circle, and mature trees will need from 6 to 8 buckets. Closer to autumn, the water consumption per tree increases by one and a half times. Water-charging podzimny watering is very important for sea buckthorn - it enhances its winter hardiness.

After watering or rain, be sure to loosen the soil on the site: nodules form on the roots of the sea buckthorn, in which bacteria live, assimilating nitrogen from the air and enriching the root layer of the soil with nitrogenous compounds vital for the plant. That is why the soil on the site must be loose all the time. However, be careful: the root system of the sea buckthorn is vertical, and it is very easy to damage it, so it is best to mulch the trunks with humus or compost from potato tops or birch or apple leaves, then you rarely have to loosen the soil.

Fertilizing sea buckthorn

Cultivation of sea buckthorn involves regular feeding of the plant, starting from the third year of growth. Since the root system supplies itself with nitrogen, it will be necessary to apply only potash and phosphorus fertilizers under a mature plant, but up to five years, until the root system develops, ammonium nitrate is scattered along the near-stem circle of sea buckthorn every spring at the rate of 20 g per m², after which they cover its layer of soil.

An adult plant, which has already entered the season of fruiting, immediately after flowering, and then one more time after three weeks is treated on the leaves with a solution of one spoonful of liquid potassium humate or Effekton in 10 liters of water. During the growth period of the ovaries, the sea buckthorn preparing for fruiting is fed with a solution of two tablespoons of double superphosphate in granules, the same amount of the Universal-micro nutrient mixture and a tablespoon of potassium sulfate in 10 liters of water.

During the autumn digging, 30 g of superphosphate, 100 g of wood ash and 25 g of potassium salt are scattered over the site on each m². If the soil on the site is acidic, instead of superphosphate, use phosphate rock as fertilizer at the rate of 50 g per m².

Sea buckthorn pruning

When to prune sea buckthorn

In principle, you can prune sea buckthorn at any time of the year, except for winter. But most often the sea buckthorn bushes are pruned in the spring, during the dormant period, while it has not yet warmed up. In autumn, as a rule, sea buckthorn is prepared for wintering and sanitary pruning is carried out.

Pruning sea buckthorn in spring

In the spring, the sea buckthorn is put in order after winter - they cut off the diseased and shriveled shoots and branches broken under the weight of the snow. Young trees are subjected to formative pruning, and here it is important to decide as early as possible whether you will grow a tree or a bush. If you want the sea buckthorn to grow as a bush, cut off the newly planted seedling at a height of 10-20 cm, and the next year from the growth that has appeared on the hemp and sprouted from the root, leave no more than 4 shoots, and remove the remaining shoots completely. Just keep in mind that you can count on shoots from the root only if the sea buckthorn seedling is own-rooted.

If you decide that your sea buckthorn will be a tree, shape it with a 30 cm high stem and 2-4 skeletal branches. You do not need to cut a seedling with already formed branches, but if there are no branches on it, shorten it to 30 cm, and next year form 3-4 skeletal branches and a conductor from the emerging shoots and level them in height. If after a year the branches grow too much, shorten them by a third or a quarter of their length. When the trees are ripe for fruiting, do not cut the tops of the shoots, as these are where the flower buds form.

In the future, the formation of both a bush and a tree consists in the removal of thickening, excess shoots growing in the wrong direction and unnecessary overgrowth. By the way, in order to remove the root processes, you need to dig them out and very carefully, trying not to damage the root system of the mother plant, cut them into a ring in the place from where they germinated.

When your sea buckthorn is six years old, it's time for rejuvenating pruning, which is also best done in the spring. Branches that have ceased to bear fruit are cut out and replaced with the younger ones of the strongest, even topsy branches. This should be done gradually - replace annually from 1 to 3 branches, no more.

Don't be discouraged if the tree dies from frost. If the root is alive, simply cut the dead tree or bush down to the root collar and start forming a new plant.

Pruning sea buckthorn in autumn

In late autumn, when the sea buckthorn enters a dormant period, cut off all unnecessary, too old, broken, dried, improperly growing and diseased branches and shoots so that the plant does not feed them in vain all winter. Use only sharpened sterile instruments for pruning so that they do not crush the bark and wound.

Reproduction of sea buckthorn

How to propagate sea buckthorn

Sea buckthorn reproduces easily and in different ways: seed and vegetative - cuttings, grafting, dividing the bush, shoots and layering. All of these methods are easy to implement.

Seed propagation of sea buckthorn

If you want to get a varietal seedling, it is better to use vegetative propagation methods, because seedlings, as a rule, do not repeat the varietal characteristics of the parent plant. With the help of seed propagation, new varieties of plants are usually bred. In addition, seedlings grown from seeds are used as a rootstock for propagation of sea buckthorn by grafting.

Sea buckthorn seeds do not lose their germination for more than two years. At the end of April, after preliminary stratification for a month and a half in the lower drawer of the refrigerator, the seeds are sown at a shallow depth and germinated as usual: in the light, in a warm place, covered with glass. Seedlings can appear in a week or two, and for the first time they are shaded from direct sunlight. In mid-June, the seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place, having previously shortened the long taproot in order to stimulate the development of the root system.

Reproduction of sea buckthorn by cuttings

This method involves both green cuttings of sea buckthorn and rooting of woody cuttings. Lignified cuttings are harvested in late November or even early December, but it is better to cut them in late March or early April. To do this, choose two-year increments with a thickness of at least 6 cm and cut from them segments 15-20 cm long. then fall asleep with spruce branches or dry leaves.

Cuttings saved from the fall or cut in March in the spring before planting are kept in water for three days, changing it from time to time. It will be nice if you add a root stimulant to the water. After that, the cuttings are planted in the ground at an angle so that at least 2-3 buds remain above the surface, but most of them remain underground. By autumn, the stalk can stretch up to 60 cm in height. Sea buckthorn begins to bear fruit from the stalk in the third year.

Green cuttings are more difficult to root. They will need special conditions: sterile loose soil mixture, covered with a layer of washed sand, root formation stimulants, regular spraying of moisture to create high air humidity, etc.

Reproduction of sea buckthorn by layering

This method is good if you have a young tree or bush with well-bending branches on your site. In the spring, select a branch with good growth, bend it down, put it in a shallow groove, secure it and cover it with earth. Water it throughout the season, feed it, loosen the soil around it, and remove weeds. The following spring, when the cuttings take root, they are separated from the mother plant, dug up along with the roots, and planted in a permanent place.

Reproduction of sea buckthorn by shoots

For this type of reproduction, you need to take shoots of own-rooted sea buckthorn, growing no closer than one and a half meters from the mother tree - usually they already have a root system. During the season, the offshoot is highly spud, watered, fed, and in the spring it is carefully separated and planted in a new place.

Reproduction of sea buckthorn by dividing the bush

When propagating in this way, they dig up the whole sea buckthorn bush, cut off the old branches on it, use a pruner to divide the bush into several parts, each of which should have developed shoots and roots, process the cuts with crushed coal, after which the cuttings are planted in prepared pits and looked after, like a sapling.

Reproduction of sea buckthorn by grafting

This method is the most troublesome of all vegetative ones. Is it worth it to vaccinate when there are so many simpler and no less effective opportunities to propagate sea buckthorn? It turns out that it is worth it: in this way, in order not to plant a new plant, to graft a male stalk to a female plant. Or grow the variety you need on a viable rootstock.

The best time to get vaccinated is late April or early May. The stem of a two-year-old seedling, which will be used as a rootstock, is cut back for growth 1.5-2 cm above the root collar, the strongest shoot 10 cm high is left on the rootstock, the rest are removed or broken out. The remaining shoot is grown all summer long, pinching it so that it does not grow in height, but thickens. Its lower part, up to 13-15 cm in height, is cleared of growths so that by next spring a smooth and even stem is formed from the shoot. In the third spring, when the seedling grows to 50-60 cm, and its diameter reaches 5-9 mm, they carry out improved copulation of cuttings of the variety you need at a height of 8-10 cm from the root collar. Cuttings take root to an artificially formed stem much easier than if you grafted them to the root collar. It is characteristic that cuttings taken from female trees take root better than male ones.

Diseases of sea buckthorn

For some reason, it has always been believed that sea buckthorn is little affected by diseases, however, along with the spread of this culture in our gardens, it turned out that such a statement had no basis. Sea buckthorn, like other fruit trees, is affected by fungal, viral and bacterial diseases. Most often, sea buckthorn suffers from diseases such as:

Endomycosis- fungal disease of a focal nature, which manifests itself in early August on the fruits of sea buckthorn, which become flabby, soft and filled with gray odorless mucus. The shell of the affected berries breaks through, and the contents flow out onto neighboring berries, infecting them with endomycosis. Rain and dew contribute to the development of the disease.

Control measures. Treatment of sea buckthorn consists in a two-stage treatment with one percent Bordeaux liquid or copper oxychloride. The first treatment is carried out after the end of flowering, and the second in mid-July;

Black cancer appears as dark round spots on large branches. With the development of the disease in the places of these spots, the bark turns black, becomes covered with cracks and falls off, the wood darkens and rots. The causative agent of the disease penetrates the places of frostbite or wounds during pruning.

Control measures. The affected areas are cleaned from diseased bark and wood to healthy tissue, treated with copper sulfate, and then a mixture of clay with mullein;

Blackleg, excited by soil fungi, it thinns the stem of the seedling at the point of contact of the seedling's hypocotal knee with the soil. Young seedlings are affected by the disease.

Control measures. Grow the seedlings on a substrate of washed sand mixed with turf soil. As a preventive measure, water the seedlings with a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate once every few days, but if the disease still manifests itself, then treat them with a solution of potassium permanganate daily:

Scab, or stegmina- This is a fungal disease that affects young shoots, leaves and fruits, often leads to the drying of the shoots, or even the entire plant. In the middle of summer, black, round, shiny spots are formed on the berries, which gradually increase in size. Then, pink or yellow mucous formations appear through the ruptures of the fruits. The fruits dry up and turn black. Black swellings appear on the shoots of the current year, black velvety spots and ulcers on the leaves. The bush looks like it has been sprayed with black ink.

Control measures. As a preventive measure, every autumn, carry out a sanitary pruning of sea buckthorn, after which burn all plant residues, and treat the sea buckthorn with one percent Bordeaux liquid no later than 20 days before harvest;

Gray and brown rot- these diseases appear in July, and rainy weather contributes to their development. From gray rot, sea buckthorn fruits shrivel and wither, and from brown rot, dark spots appear on the berries.

Control measures. Plants showing signs of disease are cut and burned. As a preventive measure, the rules for caring for sea buckthorn are strictly observed - watering, loosening the soil, feeding.

In addition to the diseases described, sea buckthorn can be affected by fusarium, verticilliasis, alternaria, phomosis, sea buckthorn terry, annular branch necrosis and corineum necrosis, mixed and heart-shaped stem rot, however, if you follow sea buckthorn agrotechnics, you may never know what the symptoms of these diseases look like.

Sea buckthorn pests

The most dangerous pests for sea buckthorn are:

Sea buckthorn moth- its caterpillars penetrate the kidneys during their swelling and eat them out from the inside;

Control measures. The best way to get rid of moths is to treat sea buckthorn with a solution of Karbofos during the period of swelling of the kidneys;

Sea buckthorn fly- the most dangerous pest for a plant, capable of destroying the entire crop. Flies fly out in the second half of June. Their larvae eat into the berries and destroy the pulp of the fruit, from which they wrinkle, darken and fall off.

Control measures. You can get rid of the sea buckthorn fly by treating the sea buckthorn in mid-July with a solution of Chlorophos;

Sea buckthorn aphid- a sucking insect that feeds on the juice of leaves and young shoots, settling on the underside of the leaf plate, which makes the sea buckthorn turn yellow, its leaves curl and fall off prematurely.

Control measures. If aphids proliferate, folk methods of struggle, such as processing with infusions of onion husks or garlic, tobacco leaves with laundry soap, may not give results, and you will have to resort to insecticides - treating sea buckthorn with a ten percent solution of Karbofos during the period of foliage blooming;

Sea buckthorn gall mite- a very small pest that sucks the juices from the young leaves of the plant, from which they swell, deform and fall off.

Control measures. With gall mites, the same methods of control are effective as with aphids.

In addition to the pests described, with insufficient care for the sea buckthorn, you may encounter other pests, but if you follow the agricultural practices of the culture, the diseases and pests of the sea buckthorn will bypass your garden.

Types and varieties of sea buckthorn

There are only two types of sea buckthorn - sea buckthorn, which grows throughout Europe, and sea buckthorn, growing in the south of Xinjiang in China, in the mountainous regions of India, Bhutan and Nepal.

Willow sea buckthorn

is a tree up to 15 m high with a trunk diameter of about 30 cm. The leaf blades of trees of this species are sharp, lanceolate, up to 8 cm long and up to 1.5 cm wide, whitish with red-brown venation. The fruit is a round yellow drupe up to 7 mm long.

Buckthorn buckthorn

we described at the very beginning of the article. In our latitudes, varieties of this particular type of plant are grown. Sea buckthorn varieties are divided into Siberian and European, large-fruited and small-fruited, thorny and thornless, early, medium ripening and late. Siberian varieties are not adapted for cultivation in European countries, since they do not tolerate mild winters with thaws. And European varieties are not cold-resistant enough for growing in Siberia.

We offer you a description of the best known sea buckthorn varieties today.

Early varieties

• Pearl oily- a very early fruitful and frost-resistant variety that does not tolerate heat and drought, with an egg-shaped, fragrant orange-colored berries;
• Krasnoplodnaya- a vigorous, spreading, fruitful variety of medium cold resistance, disease resistant, with thorns located throughout the stem and fragrant, sour, reddish ovate-conical berries weighing up to 1 g;
• Inya- not very tall frost-resistant bush with a spreading, but sparse crown. Berries of this variety are aromatic and sweet, tubular-rounded, red-orange in color, weighing up to 1 g;
• Openwork- thornless, frost-resistant, drought-resistant, heat-tolerant and high-yielding variety with elongated-cylindrical sour yellow-orange berries weighing up to 1 g;
• Golden cascade- a thornless, not particularly productive variety, resistant to diseases and pests with ovoid aromatic sweet-sour orange-colored berries weighing 1 g.

Medium ripening sea buckthorn varieties

These varieties include:

• Glow- fruitful and frost-resistant, almost not affected by diseases and pests, a variety with a small number of small thorns on the outer part of the shoots and sour crimson-orange berries;
• Darling- medium-sized tree or thorny shrub with large bright carrot-colored berries weighing more than a gram. The variety is distinguished by high frost resistance and resistance to pests and diseases;
• Chanterelle- not susceptible to frost, pests and diseases, high-yielding, weakly spreading, not very tall bush with large and medium-sized dark-red berries and excellent taste;
• Botanical- winter-hardy, disease-resistant and pest-resistant, early-growing industrial grade with moderate thorniness and large, aromatic oblong saffron-orange berries with a pleasant sour taste;
• Perchik- a low-yielding thorny bush with an umbrella-shaped crown and orange oval sour berries with a pineapple aroma.

Late sea buckthorn varieties

These varieties of sea buckthorn differ in that they become sweeter from frost and firmly adhere to the branches even after frost. The most popular late ripening varieties:

• Elizabeth- one of the best high-yielding varieties of Russian selection with low-growth bushes and a miniature crown. The berries are large, golden-orange, barrel-shaped, with a delicate and aromatic sour-sweet pulp;
• Chuiskaya- an excellent frost-resistant, early-growing, consistently productive variety, which, unfortunately, is not very resistant to fungal infections. The berries of this variety are medium in size, orange in color, sweet and sour taste;
• Zlata- a consistently productive variety with thorns and large berries of an egg-straw shade, round-ovoid and sour taste;
• Herringbone- a scarce frost-resistant and disease-resistant variety with a narrow cone-shaped crown resembling a young spruce in shape. The berries are small, sour, lemon green;
• Giant Is a studless winter-hardy, consistently productive variety with large ovoid orange-colored berries of excellent taste.

Sea buckthorn properties - harm and benefit

Not only sea buckthorn fruits have healing properties, but also its leaves and branches. Sea buckthorn contains oxalic, tartaric and malic organic acids, vitamins C, B1, B2, PP, K, E, carotene and carotenoids, flavonoids, manganese, boron and iron, tannins, phytoncides, oleic and linoleic fatty acids.

Sea buckthorn fruits contain serotonin, which is of great importance for the normal functioning of the human nervous system, as well as beta-sitosterol, which has an anti-sclerotic effect. A decoction of sea buckthorn berries is indicated for stomach and duodenal ulcers. Applying fresh berries to treat frostbite, burns and abscesses. For men over forty years old, sea buckthorn berries are shown as a means of increasing potency.

The leaves and fruits of sea buckthorn remove oxalic and uric acid from the body, the infusion from the leaves of the plant is used in the treatment of gout, rheumatism and diabetes mellitus. A decoction of the leaves and branches of sea buckthorn is prescribed for disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Dry leaves are brewed like tea for scurvy symptoms.

But, perhaps, the most valuable product is sea buckthorn oil, which has the strongest bactericidal effect. It contains vitamin E, vitamin F, which regulates the metabolism of the skin, sterols, trace elements and minerals silicon, silver, copper, vanadium, nickel, manganese and cobalt. Apply oil both externally and internally. Its action increases the amount of protein in the liver, improves lipid metabolism, and stimulates recovery processes in damaged tissues. Sea buckthorn oil for chronic pharyngitis and laryngitis is used to lubricate the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, it is used for inhalation. Dermatologists recommend using sea buckthorn oil to enhance hair growth caused by certain skin conditions.

Preparations based on sea buckthorn oil are able to significantly improve the body's tolerance of anticancer drugs, and sometimes even enhance their therapeutic effect. To strengthen the immunity of the baby, nursing mothers are recommended to add a few drops of sea buckthorn oil to the baby's milk from the age of one month.

Sea buckthorn - contraindications

Could there be harm from sea buckthorn? Since its berries are high in carotene, sea buckthorn can cause an allergic reaction in people with low immunity. Due to the presence of a large amount of acids in the berry, it is not recommended to use sea buckthorn for people suffering from liver disease, pancreatitis, cholecystitis and inflammation of the duodenum, especially if the disease is in the acute stage. A tendency to loose stools is also a contraindication. Since berries increase the acidity of urine, the use of sea buckthorn is not recommended for patients with urolithiasis. Sea buckthorn is also dangerous for those who suffer from its individual intolerance.

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Many gardeners do not risk getting involved with this shrub, believing that planting and caring for sea buckthorn presents some special difficulties due to their dioeciousness. However, the labor expended on cultivation, this shrub more than pays off with its tasty and healthy bright yellow berries.

Biological characteristic

Sea buckthorn is a small tree or large shrub. The main feature of this plant from the family of suckers is its pronounced dioeciousness. Some bushes contain only male flowers, others - exclusively female. In addition to "horse shine", there are three other names among the people: wax, dereza, ivothern.

When planting sea buckthorn, a one in five rule is used: one male is planted on five female trees as a pollinator.

The tree can reach a height of six meters, but usually does not exceed three. At the beginning of its development, the color of the bush is silvery; as it ages, it darkens to brown. Sea buckthorn is a light-loving and frost-hardy tree, however, it is very difficult to tolerate pruning and fractures of its branches, therefore, in this regard, it requires a particularly careful attitude towards itself.

The soil for sea buckthorn should be loose and nutritious with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction, groundwater in the place of its planting should not rise higher than one meter from the ground surface. The roots of the plant are located in the upper forty centimeter layer of the soil; nodules with nitrogen-fixing bacteria are formed on them, similar to those of legumes.

Sea buckthorn fruits are round or oval berries of various shades of yellow or orange with their own special taste and aroma. They are very rich in various vitamins and other beneficial substances. The yield from one bush reaches ten or more kilograms.

Depending on the region, flowering occurs in late April or early May, and fruiting in August-September, and sea buckthorn bears fruit in the third or fourth year after planting.

Male and female varieties

All varieties common in our country belong to the type of buckthorn buckthorn. In addition to this species, willow sea buckthorn, originating from South China, is widespread in some regions.

Male varieties

Among the most popular are "Gnome" and "Alei".

It gives a lot of pollen, if it is located on the windward side, guided by the prevailing wind, then it can be enough for five female trees. The height of the gnome is moderate, its bushes rarely exceed a two-meter level.

The plant of this variety is very hardy and hardly susceptible, which is generally typical for "male" bushes.

Female varieties

• "Moscow beauty" is a sea buckthorn variety with a bush height of up to two and a half meters. Refers to table varieties with an average yield. It has large orange berries that weigh up to ten grams. Frost and disease resistant, the name gives out the recommended growing area for this sea buckthorn.
• Very popular with oval berries and a medium-sized shrub with a height of more than four meters. The fruits are very sweet, reaching a weight of eight grams.
  
• Berries of the Krasnoplodnaya variety have original red color. They are slightly more acidic than those of the previous varieties, but the tree itself is better able to withstand diseases and pests.
  

Reproduction

Seeds, root shoots or cuttings. The seed method is very complicated and does not guarantee not only the preservation of varietal traits, but the plants will turn out to be of unknown sex.

Therefore, it is best to propagate sea buckthorn vegetatively. Root offspring or cuttings do not even need to be re-grafted, because sea buckthorn is a rooted plant and its shoots bear the varietal characteristics of the parent tree.

The root shoots are separated from the parent bush either in early spring before the sap flow begins, or a month before frost, so that when the sea buckthorn is planted in the fall, the seedling has time to take root in a new place.

Cuttings

If lignified material is used for rooting, then the cuttings are harvested after the onset of cold weather and the cut blanks are stored until spring under the snow. In the spring, the branches are removed and cuttings of 10-15 centimeters are cut from them.

After daily holding in a solution of heteroauxin or other root-forming agent, the cuttings are placed in a jar of clean water. After a couple of weeks, roots will begin to appear at the bottom of the segments. This is a signal for planting planting material in the garden bed.

Attention! The beds intended for planting cuttings must be prepared in the fall. Loose areas rich in humus after growing cucumbers and other pumpkin crops are best suited for this purpose!

For this bed, it is advisable to have a set of arcs, film and non-woven material for emergency shelter with the likelihood of night frosts. The same bed will help us with green cuttings, which are produced in June.

In the second or third decade of the month, cuttings 12-15 centimeters long are cut, the lower leaves (2-3 pieces) are removed and, after daily exposure in a stimulant solution, they are planted in a garden bed covered with a film for warmth and non-woven material for shading.

On the first day, every hour, the plants are sprayed with water, creating a humidity close to one hundred percent and a temperature of about 30 degrees. Gradually, the moisture is reduced, and after a few days the cuttings give adventitious roots.

The so-called combined sea buckthorn cuttings take root well. Such a stalk is a lignified twig with a shoot of the current season.

Vaccinations

Sea buckthorn grafts are used in several cases:

• to obtain a bush of the desired variety;
• to change the sex of the plant;
• to obtain a dioecious plant.

The last case is the most interesting. It allows a female tree to have only one male branch, which will be enough for pollination. This significantly saves planting space in your garden.

The grafting of sea buckthorn should be done by a professional who has got his hand in this matter.This is due to the fact that cut cuttings turn black very quickly, and tissue death occurs on them.

Planting and leaving

When planting sea buckthorn, there are several rules, non-observance of which in the future can lead to big problems.

Sapling selection

If you buy a seedling in a trusted store or fruit nursery, then they will help you with the choice of the variety and the floor of the plant. In all other cases, you need to be able to determine the floor of the future tree.

Female branches in spring

Note that the female kidneys are smaller and smoother, while the male kidneys are large, tuberous, consisting of several tubercles.

Pick-up location

It is very important where to plant the sea buckthorn on the site, this tree does not like to coexist with other trees or buildings. Therefore, seedlings should be placed at least five meters apart.

Also, the trunk circle should be clean from plants, it is not bad to mulch it with plant residues, hay or humus. Emerging weeds are carefully mowed.

Attention! Do not plant flowers or vegetables under the sea buckthorn. You can damage its superficial roots, and this is very painful for the tree!

So if you are tormented by the question of what to plant next to the sea buckthorn, feel free to answer: "Nothing"!

Landing pit

You do not need to dig a very deep hole due to the superficial location of the wolfberry roots. And in some cases, you will have to place the plant on the surface altogether. This should be done with shallow water tables or heavy clay soil.

In this case, having loosened the earth, a strong stake is stuck into it, and a sea buckthorn seedling is tied to it, placed on top of the soil. Then the roots of the plant are covered with loose soil and mulched. In the future, when caring for sea buckthorn, the soil is gradually poured over the roots.

Boarding time

As noted above, two seasons are allocated for planting sea buckthorn. This is spring, the buds have not yet blossomed and autumn is a month and a half before frost. In summer, only seedlings from a nursery with a closed potted root system can be planted.

Transfer

There are times when the sea buckthorn needs to be moved either to another place on the site, or to another garden altogether. To transplant sea buckthorn to another place, first of all, you need to take care of preserving as many roots as possible. The more roots you break while digging up the bush, the more branches you will need to trim.

If you want to transplant an adult tree, you may need to prune all the side branches of the sea buckthorn in general, and only a one and a half meters long trunk remain.

Plant care

Pruning

Plants are pruned before bud break. In the initial 4-5 years of growth, they form a crown, cutting out too long shoots, later they carry out anti-aging pruning.

Top dressing

Top dressing is best done in spring. To do this, you need to carefully rake off the mulch layer and shed the soil in the near-trunk circle. How to feed sea buckthorn in spring, everyone chooses for himself: herbal infusion for himself or chemistry, if you want to poison. Then again cover the entire trunk circle with a layer of mulch.

Watering

With a good mulch layer for the growing season, the plant will have enough seasonal rains, but if a drought is established, then abundant watering will not harm the tree. Under each bush, depending on its size, you need to pour 2-3 buckets of water.