When to transplant irgu in the fall. Planting and caring for irga in the open field. Planting seedlings in a permanent place

» Irga

Irga is a very unpretentious berry bush. Its berries are valued for their healing properties, they are rich in vitamins. It is using these berries that you can defeat a number of diseases, such as vitamin deficiency, colds and viral diseases, and a number of others. This berry is considered a long-liver, regardless of the place and growing conditions.

Irga is mainly used as an ornamental plant. In the spring, it blooms very beautifully and is fragrant throughout the garden. Its white inflorescences are a bait for bees, which is why in the future it is well pollinated and bears fruit. And to get a healthy plant and a good harvest, you need proper care, starting with planting.

When choosing a planting date, gardeners need to take into account climatic, zonal conditions.

The best time for planting seedlings in central Russia is autumn. Before the onset of the first frosts, shadberry seedlings planted from mid-September to early November have time to take root and gain strength for wintering.

Autumn is the most favorable time of the year for planting irgi

In the northern regions of Russia, the planting of irgi should be postponed to spring. This is due to early autumn frosts. And in the spring, when the soil begins to thaw a little, you can plant bushes that are in a dormant period. With the increase in sunlight and the onset of warmer days, the irga begins to open its buds, without the risk of freezing.

It is necessary to calculate as much as possible in what time frame you will plant fruit seedlings, take into account all the conditions of the climate and the region for cultivation. If planted late in the fall, the plant will simply freeze. Early spring should also not be planted due to continued frost.

An important condition for obtaining the maximum yield from the plant is the observance of optimal planting dates. If this deadline for autumn planting is missed, but the seedlings are ready for planting, they can be stored until spring using one of the methods suggested below:

1. Plant in a container filled with sand or sawdust and store in a cool dark place. It is better if it is a basement or cellar;
2. Bury in the ground, while tilting the seedlings at an angle of 45 degrees from the soil and cover it with snow in winter;
3. And the last way wrap in a bag and put in the place of the garden where a large snowdrift forms in winter.

When is the best time to plant, spring or fall?

According to experts, the best time to plant or transplant all fruit and berry plants is autumn. If the terms and rules of autumn planting are observed, the best planting material is used, your plant will easily take root.

Benefits of planting trees in the fall:

• autumn planting gives little trouble, since frequent watering, fertilization are not required. Autumn is a time of abundant moisture;
• more expedient and it is more profitable to buy seedlings in the fall, since it is during this period that there is a large selection of planting material. The seedlings still have the last leaves, there is a well-developed root system, according to which you can choose a healthy plant. Also, some sellers may demonstrate the ripened fruits of this plant;
• Planting a plant in autumn save gardener time in spring thanks to which he will be able to do other garden work;
• The plant will suffer less damage., since at this time there is a period of rest.

But there are also disadvantages when planting in the fall. These include:

• Very cold winters, with deep freezing of the earth, which can harm the root system of the seedling;
• In winter, trees often exposed to rodents;
• Big trouble to planted bushes can cause strong winds, the resulting rough snow crust, a small or large amount of snowfall;

Important rules when boarding, choosing a seat

If you have a garden plot, then when landing irgi, first of all it is necessary to determine the place. The irgi bush grows strongly over time and will take up a fairly large area in the garden, so you need to plant it so that it does not interfere with the rest of the fruit and berry plants in your garden. Irgi also has abundant growth, which over time will litter your site and cause inconvenience. It is better to plant an irgu somewhere in the corner of the garden. Approximate distance from other trees from 2 to 5 meters.

Irga is a sprawling bush, so when planting, you should maintain a distance from neighboring plants of 2 - 5 m

You also need to consider the types of soil in which your plant will grow. Although the irga is unpretentious to the types of soil, nevertheless, it does not like the close location of groundwater, since the root system goes 3-4 meters deep and will be in constant contact with moisture. This can lead to root rot. Therefore, it is better to plant on light fertile soils. Such soils contribute to minimal formation of root shoots.

When planting irgi, the illumination of the site is important, she loves partial shade. With strong shading, the plant will stretch strongly during growth, the berries will be small and not sweet. They may even crumble before they are ripe.

How to plant a shrub

Irga reproduces well both by seeds and basal offspring. First you need to properly prepare the seedling for planting. It is better to choose a one or two year old shoot. You also need to select healthier bushes that are not damaged by insects and not broken off. Important when choosing a seedling are the types and varieties of shadberry. When planting several plants, take into account the distance between them up to two meters.

We have already mentioned that the choice of location and soil depends on the illumination, the availability of fertile soils, and the amount of space around the tree.

How to start landing and further care

It is necessary to dig a hole about two bayonets of a shovel deep, and about 40 to 60 cm wide. Gently pour the earth to the side. Drainage can be placed at the bottom of the hole(broken brick, medium-sized stones, broken slate), so that moisture in the soil does not stagnate. You can add sand, black soil to the hole. Next, it is necessary to pour a little earth in the form of a tubercle at the bottom of the hole to make it easier to place our seedling on it. We put the irgu on this tubercle and straighten the roots along it. Next, we fall asleep with earth, but so as not to bury the place where the trunk goes into the root system. The soil around the planted plant should be trampled down and watered abundantly.

Many gardeners advise cutting shoots up to 15 cm after planting. so that a few buds remain on the branches.

We have already mentioned that irga is an unpretentious shrub. It does not require much maintenance. The main thing is watering as the earthen clod dries up around the tree and fertilizing. Used as fertilizer humus, potash fertilizers, superphosphate and organic mixtures.

If you decide to feed the plant with fertilizers, you should remember that you can not apply fertilizer under the trunk and root itself. It is necessary to dig up the fertilizer half a meter from the bush, because the roots of the plant are large and it is able to receive fertilizer even from such a distance. It is necessary to water with a sprayer, and not pour it with one stream under the root, mainly in the evening.

pruning

The irgi bush very often grows thickened, so it is pruned. It is recommended that pruning be carried out in the spring, when the sap flow of the irgi has not begun.. It is necessary to cut dry or poorly developed tree shoots. A couple of stems are removed annually, leaving young shoots in their place. The tops of the branches are also cut a few centimeters to form a bush of the correct shape, and also so that there is no excessive thickening. They also cut out the lateral root growth so that it does not damage other fruit trees on the site.

Pruning makes the shadberry bush more attractive, and also contributes to better fruiting.

After cutting branches and shoots, it is necessary to close the cuts. This is done using garden pitch or paint on natural ingredients. Trimmed dry branches and fallen leaves should be removed from under the bush, this is necessary in order to protect the plant from pests that can start in old leaves.

Reproduction and transplant

Irgu can be propagated in several ways:

• seeds;
• root shoots;
• Graft;
• cuttings;
• The division of the uterine bush.

seeds

When propagating by seeds, it is necessary to select the most ripe, undamaged berries. Release the seeds. Mix them with sand, because they are very small. Seeds are sown in autumn in prepared beds. It is important that the seeds undergo stratification, that is, they are hardened by cold. You can also sow the seeds in a bowl of sand and carry out stratification in a dark basement, periodically moistening the sand. In the spring, such seedlings are planted in the ground.

root shoots

Since the irga gives a large number of lateral root suckers, this method is most common among amateur gardeners. The side stepson is carefully dug out from the side of the mother tree to cut the root connecting the main bush with the offspring. Next, we transfer the seedling to a new landing site and bury it in a previously prepared hole.

Graft

Grafting is one of the more complex methods of reproduction. It is mainly used by experienced gardeners. Vaccination can be carried out in the spring, after sap flow has begun. Rowan is the most suitable for stock.

cuttings

For cuttings, young shoots are cut, about 20 cm. Young cuttings are cut from the leaves, but the top pair is left. It is necessary to hold such planting material in a growth stimulator solution for some time. Next, we bury them in the sand up to 10 cm. We cover with a film. It is important that the sand does not dry out, occasionally open the film for ventilation. After the cuttings take root, they need to be transplanted to a permanent place.

By dividing the bush

When dividing the main bush, you can get several ready-made, well-rooted plants. Such a transplant is carried out in the spring, before bud break, or in the fall, when the foliage falls.. Basically, this method is used when you need to transplant a bush from one place to another.

Conclusion

Irgu can be found in almost every garden. This is due to the fact that this plant is unpretentious in its cultivation, care and reproduction. Subject to all the rules of agricultural technology, all gardeners get the maximum yield of this berry which brings many benefits to human health.

This tree has settled in my garden for a long time, but I still thank myself for planting the irga. Its fruits are just a storehouse of the most valuable vitamins, and the list of their beneficial effects on the body can be continued almost endlessly! The bark and leaves can also be used medicinally.

Irga is undemanding to the composition of the soil, does not require complex care, easily propagates and at the time of flowering is an excellent honey plant. The plant easily tolerates wintering without shelter even with little snowy winters with temperatures below 40 ° C! In addition, even prolonged spring frosts will not be able to leave you without a harvest; the irga will easily and without loss transfer them. And, of course, you should not discount its magnificent appearance, which will decorate the garden at any time of the year. In spring, irga caresses the eye with abundant flowering, in summer - with clusters of bright multi-colored berries, in autumn - with exquisite purple colors of fading foliage.

Landing irgi

As I said, irga is undemanding to the composition and acidity of the soil. It grows beautifully, bears fruit and multiplies on fertile black soil. A friend behaves similarly on sandy loam. However, the plant does not like places where groundwater (marshy) constantly approaches the soil surface very high. Its root system is located 3-4 m deep into the earth. On the one hand, this is good: it helps to survive the cold winters without loss. On the other hand, it’s bad: if the roots are in a layer with groundwater, don’t expect high yields. I can’t name the exact variety of my plant, since I took a seedling from friends, but visually it looks like a round-leaved irga ( Amelanchier ovalis).

I planted it in the fall, the seedling was about 70 cm high, the root system was well developed, the main root was about 30-35 cm long. I dug a hole 50x50 cm and the same depth. The excavated soil was mixed with sand and ready-made compost (3: 1: 1) and the roots were covered with it, compacted a little and watered well. The crown was cut off by about 15-20 cm. In the spring (in the second year of life!) One flower brush already flaunted on my baby, but I carefully removed it. Where to hurry? Let it get stronger, I will have time to enjoy its fruits.

And the taste of irgi berries is excellent! I won’t say that it’s too sweet, or too fragrant, or too juicy, but it’s impossible to break away from eating a bush! I also like the fact that the berries on the brush ripen gradually. You can repeatedly go to one bush and collect only the most ripe ones, and leave the rest to ripen. In our south, irga ripens in August-September. If we don’t have time to eat everything, I put the rest in the freezer. By the way, if even the most ripe and sweet fruits (strawberries, apricots), after defrosting, give a certain amount of sourness in taste, then this is impossible with irga. I sincerely recommend freezing!

Irgi reproduction

It is easily propagated by all means: seeds, cuttings, root shoots. More information about these methods can be found on the website.

Irga care

Fortunately, irga is resistant to diseases. I never found any signs of disease on my plant. Since I fertilize all fruit and vegetable crops exclusively with organic matter, then in the fall I dig up the ground by 30 cm in a radius of 1-1.5 m around the bush and lay any green manure there, most often it is tops of peas or beans. A friend, on the other hand, treats this issue in a completely different way and uses mineral fertilizers. In the spring, as soon as the irga blooms and until the moment when the last berry is plucked, it applies nitrogen fertilizers 1 time in 2 weeks. After harvesting, it is time to apply potash and phosphorus. Honestly, her berries are larger and the yield is higher, but I prefer not to treat myself to her irga.

Watering. Irga tolerates dry periods well, in principle, it can not be watered, deep roots will provide the crown and fruits with enough moisture. But I love to water my tree with a diffuser hose. Basically, to wash off the dust from the leaves and berries, because everyone knows that the most delicious berries are straight from the bush!

pruning. But this will be required, otherwise the irga will reach such a height that you will have to climb a ladder to harvest the crop. And if you do not regulate the number of trunks in the bush, then the game will thicken pretty quickly and you will have to forget about high yields. The first years of growth, leave the strongest zero shoots, and ruthlessly remove the rest. Carry out a limiting cut in height. When the right number of trunks for your bush is typed, each year remove 2-3 of the oldest and leave 2-3 new ones instead. So you will constantly rejuvenate the plant and get a decent harvest.

Types and varieties of irgi

The main types of irgi, which are widespread and used in gardening, are shadberry alder-leaved, irga blood red and irga canadian, she is also known as Irga Lamarck. The latter has especially many variations: in Canada, they pay considerable attention to selection and have bred many tasty and productive varieties. This species has the largest, juiciest and sweetest berries.

Irga Canadian (Irga Lamarck) "Gypsy"

Irga Canadian "Smoky"

How decorative are often used irga spiky and irga round-leaved, although their fruits are also edible and tasty.

Irga spiky

It so happened that plants that require constant care and attention are always given the best place in the garden, and unpretentious modest bushes always leave a place in the backyard, because they absolutely do not care where to grow. A similar situation very often develops with irga, and meanwhile this berry is not only a bottomless storehouse of vitamins, but also a wonderful ornamental shrub that can decorate any area. And all this is combined with ease of care, cultivation and reproduction. You will learn how to choose the right place for planting, which variety of irgi to choose and much more, including photos of the varieties of this berry, from this article.

Most of all, irga has become widespread in Europe and North America. Only in Canada in recent years, breeders have bred many new varieties of shadberry. In our regions, they are not yet available, but there are several species that are considered the most suitable both as an ornamental and as a berry crop.

Landing irgi

Irga is considered a long-liver, because a shrub grows for about 70 years, and its trunks eventually become like trees. You can choose absolutely any place for landing, because the irga is unpretentious and can grow with any shading, it is not afraid of winds and drought. If you have a sunny place for the shrub, then it is ideal, because in this case the branches do not have to reach up in search of sunlight. But even if such a place was not found: the irga will easily endure it. This berry is also not demanding on the soil. The main thing is that the place should not be swampy. But it is worth remembering that the more fertile the soil, the healthier your plant and the higher the yield.

Advice. Gardeners are advised not to plant the game near the parking lot, because falling dark berries can leave marks on the car. In addition, they leave traces on the paths of light stone.

The site for irgi can be prepared in advance by clearing it of weeds. Before planting, the site is dug up with the addition of phosphate and potash fertilizers. For 1 sq. m accounts for up to 40 g of each type of fertilizer.

Blooming shadberry

Seedlings aged one or two years are suitable for planting. If you plan to plant several bushes, it is recommended to plant them in a checkerboard pattern at a distance of up to one and a half meters from each other. A layer of earth dug out of a hole must be mixed with sand and compost, adhering to a ratio of 3: 1: 1. At the bottom of the pit, you need to add a little humus, potash and phosphate fertilizers. The seedling is sprinkled with the previously made mixture and watered abundantly. When the soil absorbs moisture, you need to add earth, leveling the hole to the level of the surrounding surface, and mulch the soil on top. After the bush must be cut so that no more than 4 buds remain on each shoot.

plant care

Many gardeners claim that after planting the irgi, you can not remember about it until the very time when you need to harvest. But it will still be nice if the shrub gets minimal attention from you. It consists in regular watering. Sometimes the plant requires pruning so that a beautiful ornamental shrub does not lose its visual appeal. Yes, and the rejuvenation of the bush is beneficial to the crop. From time to time it is necessary to weed weeds if they appear near the bush.

Advice. Irga has a very developed root system, therefore, experts recommend watering it only in drought, using a sprayer, at the same time washing off the dust from the leaves.

Fertilizer and top dressing

The first fertilizers for irge begin to be given when the shrub reaches 5 years. Once a year, the trunk circle must be dug up with fertilizers. Necessary:

• superphosphate - 300 g;
• potash fertilizers without chlorine - 200 g;
• humus - 1 bucket.

An unpretentious plant sometimes needs to be fed

In addition, from spring to mid-summer, you can feed the game with liquid organic matter. Chicken manure diluted in water in a ratio of 1:10 is well suited. One bush needs about 5 liters of solution.

Advice. Liquid fertilizers are best applied in the evening, after watering the shrub abundantly. Dry fertilizers are dug up along with the trunk circle, after which the plant is watered.

Irgi reproduction

Irga propagates both by seeds and vegetatively, but it must be remembered that when propagated by seeds, only species characteristics remain, while varietal characteristics are lost.

• At propagation by seeds it is enough to extract them from a ripe berry and immediately plant them in the ground. It is not worth placing seeds deeper than 2 cm. Also, be sure to water them well and leave a layer of mulch on top. In winter, the seeds will undergo a natural stratification and young shoots will appear in the spring. By the way, shoots may appear in the same autumn. Within two years it is necessary to remove weeds around the shoots, and in the third year the plants can be transferred to the main habitat.

Irgi seeds

• Another way to reproduce is green cuttings. To do this, cuttings up to 15 cm long are cut from an adult bush, on which all leaves are removed, except for the top two. The lower cut must be placed in a root-forming solution for the period specified in the instructions for the product, after which the cuttings should be washed with cold water and planted in a greenhouse at an angle. Sprinkle a small layer of sand on top. The distance between the dome of the greenhouse and the tops of the cuttings should be at least 20 cm. When watering the cuttings, make sure that water does not pour onto the root part, but splashes. The temperature in the greenhouse must be kept at 25 degrees and periodically ventilated. The soil is also best kept slightly moist. After three weeks, the cuttings will already take root enough, and it will be possible to open the greenhouse during the day, and after some time, when the shoots get stronger, and at night. At this time, the cuttings can be transplanted to a small bed and a little mineral fertilizer can be applied. Already next autumn, young plants will be ready for transplanting to a permanent habitat.

The easiest way to propagate irgi is green cuttings.

• Another way to breed irgi is layering. To do this, choose strong young shoots up to two years. It is best to dig in early spring. First you need to dig the ground under the selected shoots, draw grooves in it and lay the shoots in them. The tops need to be pinched. When the young shoots reach 10 cm from the buds of dug branches, fill them with earth to half. After a couple of weeks, the shoots will lengthen by another 15 cm, cover them halfway with earth again. Already in the fall, you can transplant rooted layering to the place you need, or you can do it next spring.

Diseases and pests of irgi

Irga has a fairly strong immune system, but still gets sick from time to time tuberculosis. With this disease, the leaves of the plant first turn brown, after which they begin to dry out and fall off. Following the leaves, the branches are also subject to drying out, on which small red tubercles appear. If symptoms are detected, it is necessary to cut off the diseased branches and burn them, and spray the plant with Bordeaux liquid or blue vitriol. In order to prevent, you can spray the shrub in the spring.

rust damage

In addition to tuberculosis, it can sometimes be found on the irga phyllostic spotting. It is also manifested by wilting of the leaves, on which brown spots appear. The leaves must be burned, and the plant must be treated with Bordeaux liquid before flowering and after.

The third most common disease gray rot. It manifests itself in the appearance of spots on the leaves, which spread, the leaves begin to turn yellow, and then become covered with a fluffy gray mold and fall off. The cause of this disease is most often an excess of moisture, so the first step is to eliminate the cause, if possible, but if not, transplant the irga to a less humid place. For treatment and prevention, as in the first two cases, Bordeaux liquid can be used.

moth foxglove

Irga, planting and caring for which will not bring you unnecessary trouble and will not take a lot of time, will not only decorate your site, but also reward you with a mass of tasty and healthy fruits.

Growing irgi: video

Irga is a shade-tolerant and drought-resistant shrub. It can be planted along the fence on any soil, but it develops better on fertile soil with a neutral reaction of the environment.

Irga grows quickly and reaches full productivity at the age of 8-10 years. The average yield of a 10-12-year-old plant is 8-14 kg per bush. Irga is a long-lived fruit shrub, lives up to 60–70 years, the productive period is 20–30 years.

The fruits of the irgi do not ripen simultaneously on the brush. Harvesting is carried out in several steps, as the berries ripen. Berries for fresh consumption can be stored for 2-3 days at room conditions. When stored in a refrigerator at 0 °C, this period is significantly extended.

The fruits are dark purple in color with a thick bluish coating, sweet and very juicy.

The benefits of irgi for the human body

The fruits of common shadberry and Canadian shadberry are used fresh, dried, they are used to make jam, marshmallow, jelly, jelly, compotes, puddings, wines.

Irgi fruits are a good multivitamin remedy, they are used to treat hypo- and beriberi, for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases. Fresh fruit juice has astringent properties.

The plant has long been used in folk medicine: juice - for gargling with sore throats, inflammation of the oral cavity, decoctions of the bark and leaves - as an astringent and enveloping agent for gastrointestinal diseases and the treatment of purulent wounds.

Tincture and infusion of Canadian shadberry flowers are recommended as a means of reducing blood pressure and improving heart function.

Irga is also valued as a beautiful ornamental shrub: many beautiful leaves, abundant flowering and fruiting, as well as the general decorative appearance that the bushes retain from the beginning of the growing season to the end of leaf fall, allow it to be used to decorate gardens and areas around the house.

It tolerates the conditions of constant smoke, therefore it is recommended for landscaping industrial enterprises.

Irgi has a gray, with reddish veins, strong and resilient wood. It is easily polished, goes to the manufacture of canes, ramrods and other small items. The bark and leaves are used in medicine.

Irgi varieties with descriptions and photos

Check also these articles

Irga round-leaved, or ordinary. Shrub or small tree 2–4 m high. Blooms in mid-May, white flowers. Fruits (from round to obverse pear-shaped) with a diameter of 1–1.5 cm, red during ripening (second half of July), purple, almost black when mature, with juicy sweet pulp and a characteristic aftertaste, do not ripen at the same time.

Irga spiky. Bush or tree 3–6 m high. Blooms in May, 2–3 days earlier than round-leaved shadberry. Flowers with white or bright pink petals. The fruits are smaller than those of the round-leaved, ripen about a week later, purple-black, with a bluish tinge, taste like the fruits of the round-leaved shadberry.

In nature, it grows on rocky, gravel-covered coastal sections of rivers, cliffs, sandstones and limestones.

Irga canadian. Tree from 2 to 18 m. Blooms in mid-May. The flowers are white or yellowish white. In spring, the leaves are pinkish and silvery white. In autumn, the plant changes its outfit to intense red. The fruits of the Canadian shadberry are round, large, dark purple, almost black, with a bluish bloom, sweet and juicy, of the highest taste.

In nature, the Canadian irga grows along the banks of rivers and swamps, on moist soils, on the slopes of high rocks. It bears fruit from four years. It enters the growing season in late April, blooms in the second half of May and early June for 15–18 days, the fruits ripen in August, the leaves turn in mid-September, fall off in the first half of October.

Irga smooth. Bush up to 8 m high with slightly drooping branches. The flowers are white. The fruits are juicy, red or bluish-black. Irga smooth soils prefer slightly acidic.

Irga alder-leaved. Multi-stemmed shrub up to 4 m high with smooth dark gray bark. The flowers are white. The fruits are purple, medium in size, very sweet. With proper care, a 7-8 year old plant can produce up to 10 kg of berries.

Irga blood red. A slender shrub up to 3 m high. The flowers are large. The fruits are sweet, dark, almost black. Harvest up to 5 kg per plant.

The center of breeding work over the past 60 years has been Canada, where varieties have been obtained: Altaglow and Smokey with white berries, large-fruited Forestburg, fragrant Pembina. Winter-hardy and sweet have proven themselves well: Moonlake, Nelson, Sturgeon, Slate, Regent, Honeywood. Hence the popularity of the Canadian shadberry. In our country, several varieties are being tested.

How to propagate irgu at home

Irga propagates independently by root shoots and seeds.

In culture, irgu is propagated by seeds, layering, root offspring, root and green cuttings, and grafting.

Seeds propagate, as a rule, species forms of shadberry. From the largest, ripe berries, seeds are selected and kept for several days in a cool room, then they are crushed and the seeds are separated from the pulp.

Seeds can be sown immediately after harvesting or in the spring, after 90-100 days of stratification in wet sand at a temperature of 0 + 2 ° C, in boxes in a light soil mixture consisting of humus, soddy soil and sand, taken in equal amounts. During the autumn sowing, the boxes are dug in for the winter and covered with leaves. Plants grown from seeds bloom in the 3-4th year after sowing.

Irgi varieties are propagated only vegetatively, since the traits of the variety are not preserved during seed propagation. The easiest way is propagation by root shoots, which can be done in early spring or autumn.

Irga is fairly easy to propagate by root cuttings. To do this, in autumn or early spring, root cuttings 1–1.5 cm in diameter and 10–15 cm long are harvested and planted vertically on ridges, mulched with peat or humus and watered abundantly. During the growing season, increased soil moisture is maintained and annual plants are obtained by autumn, which, depending on the strength of development, are planted for growing or in a permanent place.

A very effective way of breeding shadberry: etiolated shoots. To do this, in early spring, mother plants are cut very short and a simple tunnel is built over them, covered with black plastic wrap. When the etiolated shoots grow by 15–18 cm, they are used for propagation, like ordinary green cuttings.

Reproduction by grafting is rarely used. As rootstocks, seedlings of mountain ash and hawthorn are most preferred. It is better not to use irgi seedlings, as they give abundant root shoots. Vaccination can be done at different heights from the soil level, depending on what kind of plant you want to get - standard or in the form of a multi-stemmed bush.

Plants grafted onto mountain ash are characterized by moderate growth and earlier and more abundant fruiting, they do not produce shoots, and standard forms are also very decorative. Grafting (budding or grafting with a cutting) is carried out at the usual time, but grafting with a cutting is more effective than budding.

Irga is one of the reliable and hardy rootstocks for dwarf pears and apple trees in the northern regions of the country.

Soil preparation and planting Irgi in open ground

The technique of planting irgi is the same as that of other shrubs. The method of preplant soil preparation is the same as for currants and gooseberries.

On the site, it is desirable to allocate moderately moist places, but with good air permeability of the soil. In this case, waterlogging is undesirable. It is necessary to try to avoid planting in swampy lowlands, in places with high standing groundwater, as well as with prolonged stagnation of water in spring and autumn.

The leveled soil is dug up onto a shovel bayonet, that is, to a depth of 20–22 cm, having previously applied fertilizers per 1 sq.m: organic - 3–4 kg, granular superphosphate - 100–150 g, potassium sulfate - 20–30 g. A very good potash fertilizer is wood ash in the same doses.

Acidic soils are undesirable, therefore, at pH 4–5.5, lime is evenly applied for digging at a dose of 0.3–0.8 kg / sq.m.

Irgu is planted with 1-2-year-old seedlings in spring or autumn, 5-8 cm deeper than they grew in the nursery, in order to grow a larger number of strong basal shoots. The usual planting pattern for shadberry is 4–5 x 2–3 m. It is also often planted as a staggered hedge, with plant spacings in rows of 0.5 to 1.8 m.

Landing is carried out in deep furrows. On a personal plot, it is usually enough to plant 1–2 plants, allocating about 16 sq.m for each on loamy fertile soils and up to 6–9 sq.m on poorer sandy loamy ones. The seedlings are placed in planting holes 50–80 cm wide and 30–40 cm deep.

After planting, the plants are watered (8-10 liters of water per planting pit), the soil surface is mulched with the same soil, peat or humus (a mixture of earth and humus in a ratio of 3: 1, or add peat to the pit, additionally adding 300 g of phosphorus to each pit). and 150 g of potash fertilizers), and the aerial part is shortened to 10 cm, leaving 4–5 well-developed buds above the soil level.

On the territory of the garden or in the backyard, it is better to plant the irgu in places blown by the north winds, because the bushes trap snow. It is good to plant raspberries and currants next to the irga, for which it will be additional protection. When creating hedges, plants are planted in one row after 1–1.5 m.

How to care for irga

For the first 3 years, the plant needs timely loosening of the soil, weeding and fertilizing in the same norms as for currants (40–50 g of superphosphate, 10–15 g of potassium sulfate and 4–6 kg per bush of organic fertilizers). With the onset of fruiting, in the 4th year, it may be necessary to tie the bushes with various materials to prevent strong bending of the shoots under the weight of the crop. With age, the trunks become stable and the need for a garter disappears.

It is best to form an irgu in the form of a multi-stemmed bush from strong basal shoots. Weak shoots are completely cut out.

Irga takes a lot of nutrients from the soil into berries. Therefore, every year, with loosening and digging, compost or humus should be applied in a mixture with mineral fertilizers at the rate of 0.5–1 bucket of compost mixed with 2–4 tablespoons of nitrophoska (or 2 tablespoons of superphosphate and potassium sulfate) and 1 glass ash per 1 sq.m.

In summer, liquid ammonium nitrate fertilizers (50 g per bush) or a 10% solution of bird droppings are useful for Irgi bushes. Top dressing is carried out at night after rain or after heavy watering. During the period of pouring berries, the irga is very responsive to watering. In dry weather, regular watering is required, otherwise you can completely lose the crop.

A sign of full ripening of the fruit is a slight release of juice when pressing on them with your fingers. Irgi berries are tender and juicy, so they are collected in baskets. For processing, the berries are harvested mature, but under normal conditions they can be stored for no more than 2-3 days. This period can be significantly extended if you store the berries of irgi at a temperature of about zero degrees.

It usually happens that we treat capricious plants that require constant care carefully, value them, and unpretentious ones without much attention, even with some disdain. Irga is just such a culture. A bush of irgi is usually planted somewhere on the edge of the site, in a corner that is no longer suitable for anything.

Meanwhile, this is a unique plant, and in many countries it is grown precisely as an ornamental. If you take a closer look at the irga, then this is a violent May flowering, when bees work on the bushes, comparable to the flowering of bird cherry; in autumn, it stands out with stunningly bright, yellow-red foliage. Irga attracts birds to the garden, children love her - they cannot be dragged away from the bushes strewn with sweet blue-gray berries.

KENPEI

Description of irgi

Irgi has many names. The British call it shadbush (shady shrub), juneberry (June berry), serviceberry (useful berry). One of the names - currant-tree (cinnamon) - coincides with Russian. It is given for the similarity of berries with small black Mediterranean grapes. In Russia, they often say: wine berry, baby berry. In North America, it is known as saskatoon (Saskatoon). Its Provencal name amelanche is from amelar, which means "to bring honey."

Rod irga ( Amelanchier) belongs to the Rosaceae family ( Rosaceae) and includes about 18 species (according to other sources, up to 25), most of which grow throughout North America. They feel great on the edges of the forest, in clearings, on rocky sunny slopes, rising to a height of up to 1900 m, and even in the tundra zone.

Distributed on the territory of Russia ( Amelanchier rotundifolia), which came to us from the Crimea and the Caucasus. Also in our country, about ten species have been introduced into culture, including irga spiky (Amelanchier Spicata), irga canadian (Amelanchier canadensis), irga blood red (Amelanchier sanguinea). Often they "run away" from plantings and run wild. The resettlement of the culture is "helped" by birds, so the irga can be found on the edges of forests, in the undergrowth.

One has only to plant it - and it will take care of itself on its own. She is not afraid of drought and wind, any soil is suitable, as long as it is not swampy, she is very winter-hardy. The explanation for this survivability is simple: the roots of the irgi penetrate to a depth of two meters and spread within a radius of two to two and a half. Therefore, it tolerates shading, air pollution, does not suffer from pests and diseases, grows rapidly, and easily tolerates a haircut.

Another advantage is durability. Bushes live up to 60-70 years, and trunks (yes, trunks - perennials can look like real trees up to 8 m high and have 20-25 trunks) - up to 20 years. Finally, irga is a wonderful honey plant.

But in this barrel of honey, it still could not do without a fly in the ointment: the shadberry (especially the spiky shadberry - Amelanchier spicata) has abundant root shoots, you will have to constantly fight with it. In addition, you should not plant this shrub near the parking lot: stains from crumbling berries can ruin the appearance of a light car. By the way, if they fall on a path of light stone, it will also suffer.

KENPEI

Conditions for growing irgi

Requirements: irga - a culture undemanding to growing conditions, winter-hardy (tolerates frosts down to -40-50 ° C). The terrain for the shadberry does not play a special role, although the best growth and high yields of berries can only be obtained on fertile loamy and sandy loamy sod-podzolic, sufficiently moist soils. Irga, like any berry shrub, prefers lit areas, but does not like hot direct sunlight.

Irga is a shade-tolerant and drought-resistant shrub. It can be planted along the fence on any soil, but it develops better on fertile soil with a neutral “reaction of the environment.

Landing: the technique of planting irgi is no different from planting other berry bushes. The method of preplant soil preparation is the same as for currants and gooseberries. Irgu is planted with 1-2-year-old seedlings in spring or autumn 5-8 cm deeper than they grew in the nursery, in order to grow a greater number of strong basal shoots. The usual landing pattern of irgi is 4-5 x 2-3 m.

It is also often planted as a checkerboard hedge, with distances between plants in rows from 0.5 to 1.8 m. Planting is carried out in deep furrows.

On a personal plot, it is enough to plant 1-2 plants, allocating about 16 m2 for each on loamy fertile soils and up to 6-9 m2 for poorer sandy ones. Irgi seedlings are placed in planting pits 50-80 wide and 30-40 cm deep. After planting, the plants are watered (8-10 liters of water per planting pit), the soil surface is mulched with the same soil, peat or humus, and the aerial part is shortened to 10 cm , leaving 4-5 well-developed buds above the soil level.

Irga care

Irga takes root well, practically does not require care. With sufficient watering, yields increase significantly. To make the bush strong, they cut out old trunks, remove branches that are too long, weak, diseased and broken shoots.

Kinds irgi is propagated by seeds. They are sown in well-prepared, fertilized ridges, watered abundantly. Usually seedlings appear in autumn, less often - next spring. A year later, you can get one-year-olds suitable for planting in a permanent place.

Varieties Irgi is propagated by grafting with cuttings. As a stock, two-year-old seedlings of mountain ash are used. The vaccination is carried out at a height of approximately 10-15 cm during the spring sap flow. If they want to get a standard form, then the vaccination is done at a height of 75–80 cm.

Irga bears fruit, even if only one bush is planted in the garden. Harvest annually. Berries are harvested from early to mid-July, usually in several stages, since they do not ripen at the same time. By the way, the fruits of irgi are very fond of birds, which, in general, is not surprising - they are sweet, with a thin delicate skin, with a slight taste of cinnamon, they taste like blueberries.

Mariluna

Pruning irgi

Irgu is better to form in the form of a multi-stemmed bush from strong basal shoots. Weak shoots are completely cut out.

In the first 2-3 years after planting, the shadberry leaves all strong zero shoots, and in subsequent years - 2-3 shoots each. The formed bush should have 10-15 branches of different ages. Subsequent pruning consists in removing excessive basals, weak, diseased, broken and old branches, replacing them with an appropriate amount of strong basals. When the growth of branches deteriorates, light rejuvenating pruning is carried out once every 3-4 years on 2-4-year-old wood. For ease of care and harvesting, the height is limited by pruning.

When pruning a bush, excess root shoots are removed, leaving annually no more than 2-3 shoots additionally as part of a bush, in total there should be 10-15 trunks in a bush. Plant height is limited by pruning at the level of 2-2.5 M; annually apply periodic rejuvenating pruning. Irga grows well after pruning and independently grows with root offspring.

Harvesting

The fruits of the shadberry ripen non-simultaneously on the brush, this is inconvenient for harvesting, but gives some piquancy to their color: starting from the largest fruits at the base of the inflorescence-brush, they successively change their color from red to dark purple. Harvesting is carried out in several steps as the berries ripen. Berries for fresh consumption can be stored for 2-3 days at room conditions. When stored in a refrigerator at 0 ° C, this period increases significantly. Birds, especially field thrushes, cause great damage to the crop. Birds begin to feed on fruits long before they ripen.

Useful properties and use of irgi

Compound: fruits of irgi contain sugars (mainly glucose and fructose), a small amount of organic acids. During the ripening period, berries accumulate a lot of vitamin C. They also contain vitamins A, B, B2, carotene, tannins, mineral salts, trace elements - copper, iron, cobalt, iodine, manganese. Astringency and astringent properties of berries give tannins. The taste of the fruits is slightly acidic, since they contain few organic acids, and almost half of this amount is malic.

Homemade wine, jam, jam, marshmallow, compote, jelly, candied fruits are made from shadberry. Berries can be frozen, dried, canned. The juice is well squeezed out a week after the removal of the fruit.

The fruits of all types of shadberry are eaten raw and dried, as a substitute for raisins. From ripe fruits, jam, jelly, marshmallow, jelly and high-quality wine of a pleasant taste and reddish-violet color are prepared. In compotes and jams, irgu is used mixed with other berries and fruits. Juice from freshly picked fruits is hardly squeezed out, but after 7-10 days, up to 70% of the juice can be squeezed out of them.

Due to the valuable substances contained in the fruits, irga has medicinal properties. Juice prevents the formation of blood clots. Berries are used for the prevention of peptic ulcer, as a fixing agent and as an anti-inflammatory when rinsing the mouth; they are a remedy for gum disease, eye diseases, and are useful for disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (as an anti-inflammatory agent).

Rasbak

Types of irgi

Irga decorates the lawns of cottages, estates, gardens and squares in America and Europe, Asia Minor and North Africa. Irga is very popular there to this day and is cultivated in both home gardens and commercial gardens. The center of breeding work over the past 60 years has been Canada, where varieties have been obtained: 'Altaglow' with white fruits, large-fruited 'Forestburg', fragrant 'Pembina', 'Smoky' with white berries. Winter-hardy and sweet have proven themselves well: 'Moonlake', 'Nelson', 'Sturgion', 'Slate', 'Regent', 'Honeywood'. But all these varieties are rare in our country.

When buying irgi, we still have to limit ourselves to the choice of species. Here are some of the most promising, of interest both as berry and ornamental crops:

Irga alder-leaved (Amelanchier alnifolia) is a multi-stemmed shrub up to 4 m high with smooth dark gray bark. The leaves are elliptical, almost rounded, turning bright yellow in autumn. The flowers are white, with a barely perceptible aroma. The fruits are purple, up to 15 mm in diameter and weighing up to 1.5 g, very sweet. With proper care, a 7–8 year old plant can produce up to 10 kg of berries.

(Amelanchier canadensis) is a tall (up to 8 m) tree-like shrub with thin drooping branches. Young leaves are pinkish, purple or copper, dark red or orange in autumn. The flowers are large, in loose inflorescences up to 28–30 mm in diameter. The fruits are sweet, with fleshy dark pink pulp, weighing up to 1 g. The maximum yield is 6 kg per bush.

Irga blood red(Amelanchier sanguinea) is a slender shrub up to 3 m high with an ascending crown. The leaves are oval-oblong, 5.5 cm long. The bright green color of the leaves changes to orange in autumn. The flowers are large, with elongated petals. Fruits up to 0.7 g, sweet, pleasant to the taste, dark - almost black. Harvest up to 5 kg per plant.

Irgi makes excellent hedges. It is used for solitary and curb plantings. From different types of irgi you can make interesting compositions. For ornamental horticulture, Canadian irga, spiky, Lamarck irga are especially interesting ( Amelanchier Lamarckii) and smooth ( Amelanchier laevis).

Sten Porsche

Irga is completely unpretentious, she will be able to please you not only with beautiful flowering, but also with delicious fruits!