This berry shrub can not be found in every garden. And not because his berries are tasteless. Planting material is simply hard to get. Planting and caring for the irga - and it is precisely the one we are talking about - is uncomplicated, the berries are suitable for fresh consumption, as well as for any processing, it is only important to choose the right variety.
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Types and varieties of plants
In nature, there are about 25 species of berry berries, but only a few have been introduced into the culture, and not all of them produce quality berries.
Irga is spiky.
This is a decorative tree or bush, covered in spring with white or pale pink flowers. It is distinguished by resistance to pests and diseases, excellent frost resistance, but on this, the advantages of spiky iris end. Her berries are small and of a mediocre taste, although they contain a lot of sugars. This species has no cultivars.
Irga blood red.
The bush grows to 3 m. The flowers are quite large, have elongated petals. The fruits are medium-sized, ripen in the later stages. A lot of juice is obtained from them, while it is difficult to obtain it from fruits of other species. The berries taste mediocre, with the exception of the Saxess variety. His weight of berries reaches 0.8 g. Their sweet and sour taste during tasting is estimated at 4.6 points, which is a good indicator.
Canadian Irga.
This is a bush up to 6 m tall or a tree that is even higher - up to 10 m. When blooming, the leaves are pubescent and the plant seems silvery.It is very decorative at the time of flowering, completely covered with tassels of white flowers. It forms tasty and large fruits with a balanced content of acids and sugars, but there are few of them in the brush. All bred varieties, as well as the species itself, are distinguished by good winter hardiness, but sometimes freeze in severe winters. The most popular varieties: Rally with large and tasty berries, Tradition, as well as Honey Wood with very sweet and Parkhill with sour fruits. The fruits of Canadian irgi are very fond of birds, from which the crop must be protected.
Irga is an alder.
In the middle lane, a shrub from 2 to 4 m high. It blooms with white flowers since the third decade of May. Berries weighing up to 2 g, in the brush there can be up to 14. Harvest gives together, it can be harvested for 2 times. The taste of the berries is excellent, the content of acids and sugars is harmonious. The shrub is unpretentious, but in the frosty winters the tips of the shoots freeze. The most interesting varieties: Smokey, from the berries of which make excellent wine, Altaglow with aromatic fruits, Foresburg with very sweet berries, Mandan with juicy fruits.
Recently, the first Russian variety bred at the Michurinsky Institute, Starry Night, was given for testing.
He successfully passed them, entered the State Register of Breeding Achievements in 2016 and is recommended for cultivation in all regions of our country.
Features of the cultivation of irgi
This plant can rightly be attributed to unpretentious. Most species are hardy. A powerful root system allows the plant to put up with a lack of moisture and nutrients. Irga is undemanding to the composition and fertility of the soil, quietly tolerates shading. It will exist in such extreme conditions, but if you want to get a decent harvest, you need to provide the erya comfort: a lot of light, proper and timely top dressing, as well as the mandatory formation of a crown.
Trouble Irgi - numerous root shoots. It is good for propagation, but the plant thickens and, pulling its forces on itself, reduces the yield. Therefore, it is necessary to fight it.
Outdoor landing
Irga tolerates the transplant well and takes root, but only if the root system is well preserved.
Selection of planting material
For planting, it is better to choose frost-resistant species and varieties, characterized by a high yield of delicious berries. If the irgi is designed to create a hedge (and it turns out to be dense and decorative), then the yield does not matter that much. The age of seedlings comes first. They have the best survival rate at the age of 1-2 years.
When choosing a seedling pay attention to such indicators:
- healthy root system without signs of drying out and rot;
- the seedling stem is well developed, the bark is intact and has a color characteristic of the variety.
In nurseries there are seedlings with a closed root system grown in large containers. For planting, they are preferable. Such a plant will not spend time restoring the root system damaged during transplantation, will quickly take root and start growing. Container seedlings have no restrictions on planting dates - it can be carried out throughout the growing season.
Soil preparation and location
Irga is a long-lived, therefore, the place for planting should be chosen carefully, given the growth of the plant in width and height, as well as its requirements for growing conditions.
It must meet the following criteria:
- the place is chosen well-lit, in this case the harvest will be maximum;
- groundwater standing level is low;
- the mechanical composition of the soil should be light (sandy loam or loose loam with a high humus content), and heavy soils improve;
- soil acidity from 6.5 to 7.
The soil is cleared of weeds. Better if the previous season she was kept under black steam. It is optimal to sow it with legumes that improve fertility. Before digging, up to 10 kg of well-rotted compost or humus and 40 g of potash and phosphorus fertilizers are added to each square.
Dates and rules of landing
This berry crop is planted in early spring or late fall. In the first case, the buds should not swell, and when planting snowdrops in the autumn, the tree should already drop the leaves, but it remains about 3 weeks before frost - this is the time required for rooting. Each seedling requires a feeding area of up to 4 squares, so the optimal distance between them is about 2 meters. When forming a hedge, seedlings of saplings are planted at a distance of 0.5-1 m from each other.
Landing algorithm:
- dig a hole with a depth and diameter of about 60 cm (about 70 cm on heavy soils), discarding the upper fertile layer in a separate pile;
- for a hedge they dig a trench 40 cm wide and 30 cm deep;
- mix the top layer with a bucket of humus, adding 300 g of superphosphate and 200 g of potassium salt, which can be replaced with 1 kg of ash;
- a mound of prepared mixture is poured at the bottom of the pit;
- establish a seedling and carefully straighten the roots, if there is damage, they are removed, sprinkling the slices with powdered coal;
- they fill the root system with prepared soil without deepening the root neck;
- a bucket of water is poured under the bush;
- mulch the soil with humus;
- if the root system is damaged during planting, shorten the stem of the seedling, cutting it to 4-5 buds.
Outdoor Care
Without careful care, the bush runs wild and the yield of berries falls. Therefore, all agricultural activities should be carried out on time and in full.
How to irrigate?
An adult plant is drought tolerant and requires watering only in the heat and in the absence of rain. At least 2 buckets of water are poured onto one bush to wet the entire root layer. A newly planted shrimp needs regular maintenance of soil moisture - it is watered weekly, pouring a bucket into each trunk circle. Once the young growth reaches 15 cm, you can switch to the irrigation mode for an adult plant.
Fertilizer and fertilizer
Fertilize trees begin the next year after planting. In the first half of summer, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are applied: 50 g of ammonium nitrate per 10 l of water or organic matter in the form of a 10% solution of bird droppings. This norm is given for 1 plant of iraghi 3-5 years old.
As the tree grows, the volume of introduced solutions increases. Autumn top dressing is needed to better prepare the plant for winter. It is done in early September, and in cool regions in August. 300 g of superphosphate and 200 g of potassium sulfate are added to the trunk circle, followed by digging and watering.
In autumn, nitrogen fertilizers can not be applied under the berry, otherwise the bush will go weakened in the winter.
Transplant and pruning
Irgi is transplanted only if initially the place for it was chosen incorrectly or it does not give an increase, and all other measures have already been tried. The steps and soil preparation are the same as when planting.
If the irigas are not cut at all, fruiting will occur only at the ends of the shoots, the yield will noticeably decrease. How to shape a plant? Do this in the early spring, until sap flow begins, so as not to injure the igraus severely.
Tree and bush form in different ways. For the bush, it is enough to remove dry, damaged and thickening shoots. The tree also needs to shorten vertically growing branches by ¼ length - this inhibits the growth of the crown in height, which is important, because it is difficult to pick berries from tall trees. Be sure to remove the resulting root shoots, leaving only 2 of the strongest shoots.
To rejuvenating pruning begin at 8-10 years of life of the irgi. A signal to it is a decrease in the length of annual growths to 10 cm. All thin and weak shoots are removed. Only 10 to 15 of the strongest are left so that they do not interfere with each other. The rest is cut into a stump. Slices are covered with garden varnish in warm weather and natural oil paint in cold weather.
How to care in autumn, winter?
- In winter, a tree or bush does not require care - the snow will reliably preserve the plant.
- In autumn or late summer, fertilizing with phosphorus and potash fertilizers is carried out.
- After leaf fall, water-loading irrigation will be required, especially if the autumn is dry. In young plants, for preservation of the root system, the trunk circle can be mulched with compost or humus.
Reproduction of Irgi
Propagate this plant is very easy. Both vegetative and seed methods are suitable.
- Seeds are selected from the largest ripe berries, washing them from the pulp and drying. The most convenient way is to sow on a distribution bed before winter. After natural stratification and selection for survival, in spring only the strongest plants will sprout. The sowing depth is about 2 cm. The distance between the rows is 20 cm. The seedling emerges unevenly, sometimes only a year after sowing. Seedlings in phase 5 of true leaves need picking.
- For vegetative propagation, root shoots 0.5 cm thick and up to 15 cm high are chosen. They are planted on a planting bed, taking bushes no older than 6 years old for division.
- For propagation by cuttings, only annual growths are suitable.
How to cut?
- shoots are cut in the summer;
- the length of the handle is 6-7 cm;
- the bottom sheet is removed, the top half is shortened;
- the lower section is treated with a root stimulator;
- planted in the cuticle under the film obliquely;
- maintain air humidity at 95%.
The rooting of cuttings slightly exceeds 50%. Roots form after 20 days. After wintering, cuttings with roots are planted on a distribution bed, and in the fall - on a permanent place.
Particularly valuable varieties are propagated by grafting on cirrus spiky - the most resistant species.
For the stock choose a two-year-old seedling. The vaccine is vaccinated when the spring sap flow begins, but before the kidneys swell. Apply the method of improved copulation.
What problems can be when growing?
- If the leaves turn yellow or red before the onset of leaf fall, the plant lacks nutrition.
- Berries dry on the bush before harvesting - insufficient watering.
- The tree grows poorly - a lack of light, nutrition. Maybe it could be with a thickened landing.
- If the tree does not bloom or bear fruit, then it is poorly looked after.
It is interesting:benefit of irgi
Pests and diseases
There are many pests in this plant.
- Moths can seriously damage plant leaves. This caterpillar is easy to see, and they fight with it using trapping belts or insecticide treatment.
- Leafworm is also a caterpillar. She twists the leaves into a tube, which makes the plant simply die. You can collect the caterpillars manually or spray the plants with insecticides.
- Apple moth gnaws moves in the leaves. To combat it, chlorophos and entobacterin are suitable.
Of the diseases, fungi are dangerous for the irgi: powdery mildew in the form of white plaque on the leaves and phyllosticus are dark spots that resemble rust. Fungicides, in particular Fundazole, are used against them.