Features of planting and caring for various types and varieties of cotoneaster

Description of the cotoneaster

The genus Cotoneaster from the Pink family is most often represented by shrubs, but sometimes stunted trees are found. All of them are characterized by slow growth.

A typical representative of the genus – shrub with dense branched shoots. They lend themselves well to pruning and hedging. Leaves are dense, simple in shape, rounded at the ends.

In summer they are bright green or dark green, by autumn they become red or burgundy. Fruits are inedible, hard, red or black in color. They resemble small apples in shape.

All members of the genus grow slowly and live long. In one place, a shrub can grow for 50-60 years, reaching a height of no more than 150-200 cm.

Video «Caring for the cotoneaster»

From this video you will learn about the features of planting, growing and reproducing this plant.

Popular in gardening species and varieties

The following varieties of this plant are most popular in horticulture.

Chokeberry

This is the most frost-resistant representative. Its berries are edible and have a sour, pleasant taste. It is appreciated in beekeeping for its melliferous qualities.

The height of an adult bush can exceed 180–200 cm. The leaves are large, oblong, dark green. Young shoots are light green, old – woody, reddish. Found in the Caucasus.

Pressed

Low, creeping shrub with small leaves. Height does not exceed 30–40 cm. Shoots are long, can cover an area of ​​1–1.5 sq. m.

Decorates the flowerbed with small pink flowers in the spring, in the fall– bright red leaves and berries. Heat-loving, requires balanced watering and shelter for the winter.

Horizontal

Evergreen representative of the species. Height - from 80 to 100 cm.Shoots grow in width by 1.5–2 m from the rhizome.

The leaves are oblong, rounded, shiny. In summer they are green, in autumn they acquire a bright red color. The flowers are small, the fruits are red-orange, remain on the branches during the winter.

Ordinary

Ordinary, or whole-edged cotoneaster is not very common in horticulture. In nature, it is found in mountainous areas in southern Russia and the Baltic states.

Plant height is 2–2.5 m. The crown is round, branched. Frost resistant, does not require frequent watering. The leaves are small, ovoid. The flowers are white, the fruits are bright red.

Brilliant

The most common type in landscape design. Plant height reaches 2 m, leaves are oblong, pointed, shiny. The flowers are small, collected in loose inflorescences. Berries are small, black, collected in 8–10 pieces.

It lends itself well to forming, used to create hedges and plant sculptures.

Dammer

Outwardly, it resembles a horizontal view, includes several varieties. Groundcover, reaches a height of 30–40 cm.

The leaves are small, dense, reddening in autumn. Flowers are small, scarlet, bloom in spring. The fruits ripen in early autumn and take on a bright red hue.

Bubbly

It is not very common in domestic horticulture, as it grows in China. Prefers wet woodlands and mountain river banks. Reaches 3–4 m high.

Leaves are elongated, oval, pointed at the end. The berries are small, green when they appear and red when ripe. Ripe fruits look favorably against the background of dark green wrinkled leaves, therefore in the East they are used in bouquets and flower arrangements.

Spread out

Grows up to 180–200 cm, dome-shaped. The leaves are dark green, turn yellow-orange in autumn. Branched shoots, spreading. Blossoms in June; bears fruit in early autumn.

It grows faster than other members of the genus. Life expectancy is 25–30 years. Loves lighted areas, easily tolerates drought, frost-resistant. It lends itself well to forming.

Willow

Ground cover bush, the height of which does not exceed 50 cm. Grows rapidly, covers an area of ​​2–3 sq. m. It is considered evergreen, since leaf fall occurs in spring, during the formation of new leaves.

Common in gardening and landscaping, pruning well. Unpretentious, prefers sunny or semi-shaded places.

Planting and breeding

After determining the species, it is necessary to choose a planting site and apply fertilizers. A bush planted in a nutritious soil takes root faster.

Site selection and soil preparation

Cotoneaster seedlings are planted in the soil in spring. This must be done at a time when the earth has warmed up and thawed, but leaves have not yet appeared on the trees. Depending on the region, this happens in April or early May.

Plants tolerate shade and partial shade, but if possible, it is better to plant them in the sun. They are undemanding to the composition of the soil. Grow best in black soil, sandy and acidic soils. When fertilizing during planting, they will feel good in poor soil.

A layer of crushed stone, gravel or broken brick with a height of 10–15 cm. The drainage is covered with a substrate of humus, sand, peat and compost in a ratio of 1: 1: 1: 2.

Experienced gardeners advise adding lime and wood ash to the mixture.

Algorithm for planting seedlings and cuttings

After the chosen place in the ground, a hole is dug 50x50x50 cm in size.If a hedge is planned to be formed from a bush, then it is better to plant it in a trench. Around each bush there should be 100–150 cm of free space.

A drainage is placed in the planting pit and covered with a nutrient mixture. After that, the seedling is placed in the hole so that the root collar is at ground level. The cotoneaster is covered with earth, tamped and watered abundantly. To prevent drying out, the shrub can be mulched with last year's foliage or cut off shoots of garden crops.

Cuttings can be planted in open ground in June. To do this, cut off shoots are placed in a solution of water and a growth stimulator, then planted in a sand-peat mixture in the beds and flower beds. They are covered with cut bottles and watered regularly. Until next spring, they will take root and get stronger, and they can be transplanted to a permanent place of growth.

Other breeding methods

Less common planting methods – reproduction by seeds, layering and dividing the bush.

To propagate a bush with seeds, you need to collect its fruits and let them lie in the sun for several days. They will wilt and the seeds will be easier to separate from the pulp. They are washed with water and sorted. Material floating on the surface of the water is not suitable for planting.Seeds suitable for propagation are placed in a moist mixture of peat and sand and stored during the winter at a temperature not exceeding 0 ° C. This will allow them to harden. With the onset of warmth, seeds can be sown in open ground. However, the germination rate of planting material is only 20–25%.

It is convenient to propagate ground cover and creeping species by layering. To do this, choose a powerful healthy shoot, bend it to the soil and fix it with staples or slingshots. The place of attachment is covered with earth mixed with compost and humus. The shoot will take root during the season and can be planted next spring.

The method of dividing is suitable for mature, powerful bushes that are too overgrown. For this, the plant is partially dug up and the extreme shoots together with the roots are separated with a sharp shovel. They are immediately moved to another flower bed or garden bed and watered abundantly. The procedure can be carried out both in autumn and spring.

Growing and caring for a cotoneaster

Caring for the plant does not cause any particular difficulties.

Watering regime and feeding rules

Cotoneaster – drought-resistant plant. It tolerates a lack of water more easily than waterlogging. Therefore, in dry summers and hot weather, it should be watered no more than once every 15–20 days. A mature plant requires 5–7 buckets of water, enough for young shrubs and 2–4.

The shrub reacts much better to washing and spraying. This procedure must be carried out every 4–5 days, always after sunset.

Removing dust from the leaves will improve the appearance and well-being of the shrub.

Top dressing is applied in spring, before flowering. Nitrogen fertilizers have the best effect on the shrub. It can be urea or growth stimulants containing nitrogen. In the fall, after the fruits have ripened, peat mulch is placed under the roots.

Pruning and shaping the bush

The cotoneaster responds well to pruning, so designers form shapes of varying complexity from the bushes. At the summer cottage, it is necessary to carry out sanitary pruning. During the procedure, old, diseased and deformed shoots are removed.

For shaping and rejuvenation, it is recommended to cut off overgrown branches and those shoots that spoil the shape. The procedure can be carried out only in early spring.

Preparing for winter

All varieties of shrubs are cold-resistant and can easily tolerate frosts up to –25 ° C. In regions with a particularly frosty climate, young bushes can be slightly tilted to the ground and covered with leaves. In a snowless winter, they can be covered with dry branches and spruce branches, but after the beginning of the snow, the shelter must be removed so that the branches do not break under the weight of the snow.

Prevention of diseases and pests

The cotoneaster has a high resistance to infectious diseases, but sometimes it can be affected by pests – aphids, scale insects, plant mites. When pests appear on the leaves, plaque appears, they curl up and turn yellow. Shrubs can be treated with a herbal solution of wormwood, tobacco and yarrow. With a large scale of infection, pesticides and insecticides are used.

The use of a cotoneaster in landscape design

Most often in landscape design, you can find a cotoneaster in the form of a hedge. It is planted in trenches along the paths or at the border of the suburban area and is regularly cut to give it the correct shape. Also, natural fencing can protect other horticultural crops from sun and wind.

Plants decorate rockeries – stone gardens and flower beds. Neat bright green shrubs look good against the background of gray-brown stones.

Tapeworm planting is also practiced on lawns and flower beds with undersized plants. Solitaire is a single shrub with a beautiful shape and attractive decorative appearance.It brings variety to monotonous plantings and emphasizes the center of the landscape composition.

The cotoneaster is resistant to drought and frost, undemanding to soil and light. In summer, he decorates summer cottages and city flower beds with dark green leaves and bright berries. In autumn, the bushes are painted in red and burgundy shades. In winter, the evergreen varieties are pleasing to the eye.