How to fertilize perennial flowers and ornamental shrubs in autumn?

Responsible experienced amateur gardener Elena Mikhailova:

- While annuals garden plants we generously feed before harvest, with perennial crops you have to be much more careful. It is better not to feed anything at all than to “sort out” with fertilizers. Especially dangerous nitrogen supplements: they stimulate further growth and slow down the maturation of tissues, and in trees and shrubs - lignification of young shoots. Plants that have not had time to prepare for winter can freeze. On the contrary, phosphorus and potash fertilizers improve the development of the root system, contribute to better maturation and increase the winter hardiness of buds and wood, and increase the resistance of plants to adverse factors.

Harmful:

Complex mineral mixtures with a significant nitrogen content (for example, nitroammophoska, azophoska, etc., as well as ready-made mixtures labeled "lawn" or "spring").

Any highly soluble and fast-acting organic fertilizers (herb infusion, bird droppings, slurry). The best time to use them is May-June, and in August-September for perennials they are absolutely contraindicated.

Useful:

Potash and phosphorus fertilizers, microelement additives (in the amounts indicated by the manufacturer on the package). A good choice is potassium monophosphate: this fertilizer contains both phosphorus and potassium, dissolves well and is quickly absorbed by plants, unlike, say, superphosphate, which is long-acting. You can also use ready-made fertilizer mixtures, but only special ones, for autumn application (with a nitrogen content of not more than 5-10%).

Well-rotted organic matter (peat, humus, compost) as an additive to the soil between bushes or organic mulch.

Mulch from vegetable waste (cut grass, straw, fallen leaves, crushed bark or wood chips). It decomposes slowly and does not disturb the nutritional balance. In addition, loose materials located on the soil surface noticeably smooth out sharp fluctuations in temperature and humidity in the zone of roots and wintering buds, which helps plants to more easily endure the unpredictable vagaries of autumn and winter weather. But do not overdo it with the layer thickness: 2-4 cm is enough! A sticky airtight “compress”, which turns a thick layer of raw organic matter into a wet autumn, can easily become a source of problems.

Wood ash (100-200 g per square meter). It is a source of not only potassium and phosphorus, but also calcium, magnesium and many other trace elements.

To pinch or not?

Many ornamental trees and shrubs, due to damp and cold weather at the beginning of summer, have delayed their growth. In theory, this is fraught with freezing. To avoid this, it is advised in August-September to pinch the tips of the branches that have not had time to lignify. Should it be done, and if so, in which cultures, when and how exactly?

Responsible candidate biological sciences Irina Okuneva:

- In general, if we talk about all ornamental trees and shrubs, I would refrain from pinching shoots. Yes, theoretically, this technique can contribute to the end of growth and the speedy lignification of shoots. But at the same time, it is used to weaken increments and to enhance branching. What result will be achieved depends on the pinching time, the condition of the shoot, the breed and even the variety of the tree or shrub, as well as on weather conditions in the next month or two. An error in the calculations may result in the appearance of new shoots, which certainly will not have time to ripen. In addition, some plants, such as lilacs, need upper buds for full flowering. And not all gains need to be weakened.

In addition, even weather forecasters do not know for sure - what if the weather will be so favorable that it will allow all the shoots to ripen safely and winter well? Or vice versa - will the frosts come so early and be so severe that even large branches will freeze? The real results of wintering can only be assessed in the spring. Then, during the planned pruning, you will cut off what is really frozen. In autumn, it makes sense to remove unripened parts only from those plants that will winter with shelter (for example, roses) so that they do not rot.

But what can you do now if you see that your favorite bush or tree is not even thinking about preparing for winter? Try tilting or arching the growing shoots and tying them up in that position to help stop them from growing. It will also be useful to feed the plants with potassium sulfate (not chloride) or, alternatively, add wood ash under them.

How do ornamental shrubs overwinter?

They have good winter hardiness. Problems are unlikely: spirea, lilac, mock orange, tree and panicle hydrangeas, vesicle, hawthorn, Thunberg and common barberries (varieties), white dogwood (varieties).

Medium resistant. Annual shoots and flower buds often freeze slightly: Japanese quince, elderberry, ornamental cherries and plums, tree peonies, rhododendrons, skumpia, forsythia.

Weakly resistant, require mandatory shelter in middle lane Russia and north: most varietals garden roses, hydrangeas large-leaved, oak-leaved, serrated, etc., buddley, action (varieties).

How to feed ornamental shrubs in spring. Ornamental shrub care: watering, fertilizing, weeding and mulching

Shrub care is a series of activities, some of which are held once a season, while others are carried out regularly from early spring until the onset of frost. Regular activities include watering, protection from diseases and mechanical damage, loosening the soil and removing weeds. Seasonal work- pruning, top dressing, warming before the onset of winter. On many household plots In addition to currants, raspberries, gooseberries and gums, a variety of ornamental shrubs are also planted: barberry, spirea, jasmine, deutsia. It should be remembered that caring for berry bushes is somewhat different from caring for decorative ones.

Properly carried out planting of any plant can influence the development, its growth and fruiting, as well as facilitate further care.

  1. Planting time is early spring or autumn. In spring, shrubs can be planted before bud break.
  2. Planting seedlings of any of the shrubs is carried out in pre-prepared pits.
  3. Their depth and diameter depend on the volume of the root system.
  4. The soil extracted from the pit is cleaned of weed roots and mixed with humus (or compost), sand and peat in a ratio of 2:2:1.
  5. If the soil is sufficiently moist, and with a lot of rain or snow melting, stagnant water forms, drainage must be taken care of. To do this, a layer of broken brick or rubble is poured at the bottom of the pit, and then covered with a layer of sand 10-15 cm thick.
  6. When transplanting a seedling to a permanent place, it is advisable to dig it out with a clod of earth, so you will reduce injury to the root system, and the bush will take root better.
  7. Next, the planted plant is thoroughly watered.

Some shrubs planting has its own characteristics. So, the action (pictured) does not tolerate too much deepening of the seedling, therefore root neck bushes should always remain above ground level.

Barberry does not like acidic soils, therefore, before planting in the ground, it is necessary to add 300-400 grams of ash.

It is desirable to plant barberries in well-lit places, the lack of sunlight has a bad effect on the development of the bush and significantly reduces fruiting.

But the gum seedling after planting is cut at a level of 50-70 cm above the ground. This is done to balance the root and aerial parts.

Pruning the gumi seedling also allows you to get a lush branched bush in the future.


Spirea bushes are best planted in the fall, so they have time to take root, and next spring you can admire their flowering.

Jasmine. In the fall, it is preferable to plant jasmine; during the autumn planting, seedlings of this ornamental shrub take root better.

Jasmine also loves well-lit areas.A bush planted in the shade blooms with smaller flowers, and its branches begin to stretch.

You should also think about choosing a well-lit place if you decide to plant almonds on your site.

The bush is very susceptible to light and does not like highly moistened acidic soils. Therefore, before planting almonds, take care of drainage and add to earth mixture to fill the pit with ashes.

Watering, fertilizing and pest control

Tree and shrub maintenance includes regular activities such as

  • watering,
  • top dressing,
  • pest protection.

Watering plants is carried out especially often during the growing season and after planting.

Watering is carried out until completely filled with water. trunk circle. Especially abundant watering require spirea and action, blooming in summer.

During the formation of berries, watering is very important for currants, raspberries, gooseberries and gums.


Garden decoration - blossoming almonds

Top dressing of shrubs is mainly carried out in autumn or spring when digging the soil.

  1. Into the ground around fruit bushes make manure or compost at the rate of 10-15 kg per bush.
  2. Top dressing can also be carried out with mineral fertilizers. To do this, 100-120 grams of superphosphate, 30-40 grams of potassium chloride are added under each bush of currants, gooseberries and gums.
  3. Raspberries are especially in need of feeding. For each square meter raspberries should be applied up to 4 kg of organic fertilizers.

Spraying shrubs, pest control

  1. Therefore, if action, barberry, jasmine, spirea grow on your site, feed them 2-3 times per season with the following solution: dilute 10 liters of manure liquid in 60 liters of water.
  2. During watering, 10 grams of superphosphate fertilizer must also be added to each bucket.
  3. Jasmine can also be fed by adding ash to the soil.
  4. Very responsive to regular feeding and almonds. In the spring, a mixture of a liter of humus, a tablespoon of urea and two tablespoons is added to the soil per bush. ammonium nitrate. In autumn, almonds are fed with superphosphate and potassium sulfate (one matchbox each).

Highly important point in the care of plants is their protection from pests.

  1. In autumn, currants, gooseberries and gum are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture.
  2. Raspberry branches can be sprayed with the following composition: copper chloride (30 g per bucket of water) and karbofos (20 g).
  3. Ornamental shrubs can also be treated with a solution of Bordeaux liquid (as in the photo).

pruning

Pruning is one of the main seasonal activities in both fruit and vegetable care. ornamental shrubs.

  1. Pruning more voluminous gooseberry, gum and currant bushes has its own rules and features.
  2. Raspberry branches live only two years, after fruiting they are cut off near the very base so that there are no stumps left.
  3. Fruit bushes bloom very early, so it is advisable to prune them in the fall.
  4. In such shrubs, 12-15 branches of various ages are left.
  5. Of the new shoots, a few of the strongest are usually left.
  6. If you cut off the tops of older branches, the berries on them will be much larger.
  7. AT without fail remove dead and diseased branches.

Proper pruning fruit bushes will allow you to get high yields of large and juicy berries every year.

Pruning is also important in maintaining ornamental shrubs. Only here it pursues slightly different goals:

  • achieve the required appearance,
  • hold back the growth
  • stimulate flowering.

The method of pruning depends on the type of shrub. All ornamental shrubs can be divided into two main groups:

  • flowering (barberry, lilac, spirea, jasmine, hibiscus, action, hydrangea, almond, etc.)
  • decorative and deciduous (barberry Thunberg, skumpia, Bumbald's spirea, viburnum spirea, etc.).

In the first few years after planting, Beautiful flowering plants form a skeleton.


  1. To do this, in the spring, weak and twisted branches are cut off, spoiling the appearance of the plant.
  2. In subsequent years, faded branches are cut off, leaving the most powerful young shoots.

The faded almonds are cut quite strongly. And so plentiful flowering shrubs like spirea, deutia and jasmine are pruned in early spring.

This will not only positively affect the number and size of flowers, but also allow the bush to form strong young shoots.

Also, in flowering shrubs, some lignified branches are removed from time to time, reducing the density of the bush.

The second group includes plants with unusual foliage. This group of shrubs needs to be cut very heavily every year (as in the photo).

Strong pruning not only helps form the crown, but also causes the active growth of young shoots, the leaves of which have the maximum decorative look.

Preparing bushes for wintering

And the last type of work that completes the seasonal care of shrubs is preparation for winter. To avoid freezing of branches and death of plants, all shrubs requiring warming must be covered for the winter.

For this, fallen leaves of trees or spruce branches are used.

  1. Fruit bushes are tied, giving the branches vertical position. This helps prevent the bush from breaking under the weight of the snow cover.
  2. Raspberry branches are also tied into bundles, bent in arcs, lowering the tops to the ground.
  3. In order for the action to endure the winter well, the foot of the bush is covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves. Young shoots of this shrub can be bent to the ground and covered.
  4. The spirea also tolerates winter well; only bushes planted in autumn need to be covered.
  5. Barberry and almonds also do not need special preparations, even if some branches freeze, the bushes of these plants recover very quickly.

Proper planting and regular maintenance of shrubs will allow you to harvest every year good harvest and enjoy the beauty of their blooms.

In the spring, all the shrubs in the garden need to be fed. Both the harvest from berry bushes and the appearance depend on the quality of the work carried out. ornamental plants. We will teach you how to take care of your garden.

Nitrogen fertilizers are applied to the soil surface. If top dressing is carried out with the help of granules, then they are simply scattered near the plant, the powdered compositions are mixed with water in the required proportions, watering the soil near the shrub with the resulting mixture.

Granular nitrogen fertilizers

Phosphorus and potash fertilizers it is preferable to bring closer to the root system, making a small hole near the bush and pouring the solution there. If you use solid organic additives, then it is better to dig them a little under the plant, and liquid ones (for example, if it is a solution of bird droppings) are applied directly under each bush. Also remember that you should definitely follow the instructions for preparing solutions so as not to harm the plant. Another important note - try not to apply organic and mineral fertilizers at the same time. It is better to take a break of at least 1.5 weeks between them.

Before starting work, you need to prepare the garden itself. To do this, remove all garbage from the site, sweep the dry leaves into one pile and burn it - they can winter in such garbage. harmful insects. Also try to remove all weeds from the garden, they take away useful trace elements from the soil.

The most important is the feeding of plants in the spring, when the shrubs wake up and begin to develop after hibernation. If in winter you have fertilized the soil well, then you should not feed the shrubs with the first snowmelt - in this case, you need to start work from mid-May. During this period, give preference to complex fertilizers with a high nitrogen content.

The lack of this substance in the soil can lead to the fact that the chlorophyll content in the plant will begin to decrease, due to which the green color of the shrub will begin to disappear, and the number of flowers and fruits will greatly decrease.


Lack of nitrogen in a berry bush

The next top dressing comes in summer period, while the work on fertilizing the soil must be carried out more than once:

  1. In the spring, after the flowering of shrubs, when young shoots actively begin to develop, nitrogen-containing fertilizers should be used.
  2. At the end of July, when the berries begin to "pour", you can use complex mineral fertilizers.
  3. In early August, after harvesting, the bushes should be fed with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers (during this period, exclude the use of products that include nitrogen additives).

A good alternative to almost all types of fertilizers is natural top dressing with infusion of weeds in the proportion of 100 g of "green" per 10 liters of water. It is very important to pay attention autumn feeding- it depends on how correctly you carry out the work, whether they can berry bushes survive the winter and will they bear fruit in next year. In autumn, potassium should be applied phosphate fertilizers at the rate of 2 tablespoons of funds for each bush. Additionally use organic fertilizers, for example, manure or bird droppings.

Despite the fact that the feeding of berry and ornamental shrubs is almost identical, gooseberries, currants (all its varieties) and raspberries are considered the most capricious crops in this regard.

For example, if you are just going to plant currants, you need to take care of feeding them at least 3 months before the work. Determine the planting site and apply any organic fertilizer at the rate of about 60-80 liters of the chosen product per square meter of plot area. In spring and autumn, organic fertilizers should be applied again. If the plant has been growing on your site for more than a year, the feeding scheme will be slightly different. In the spring, nitrogen fertilizers must be applied - about 20 g of urea, 40 g of calcium nitrate and about 20 g of ammonium nitrate will be needed per bush.


Fertilizer currant bush in spring

If you didn’t feed the plant in the fall, you can add a little organic matter: dilute 300 g of manure in a bucket, add two tablespoons of urea and mix the contents thoroughly. For each bush you need to take about two liters of the composition. Repeat feeding after 2-3 weeks.

gooseberry - very unpretentious shrub. But in order for him to please you with juicy and tasty berries, you can not do without high-quality top dressing. It is best to use complex organic fertilizers. They are applied either along with sawdust mulch, or by irrigation of the bush. Gooseberries are fertilized once in spring or autumn every two years. At the same time, remember that no matter how well you feed the gooseberries - if you planted a plant in clay or swampy, too wet soils, it most likely will not grow.

Raspberries love loamy or light soils enriched with beneficial additives. Before fertilizing, it is necessary to loosen the soil. Raspberry bushes react positively to both organic additives and mineral fertilizers, which will contain nitrogen and phosphorus. The calculation of fertilizers for one bush is as follows: 10 g of urea and ammonium nitrate per square meter of area.

Ornamental shrubs, unlike berry shrubs, can do without fertilizer for a long time if they are satisfied with the composition and fertility of the soil. However, it often happens that the soil on suburban area poor on organic matter(for example, if we are talking about sandy or clay soils) and other nutrients. This can lead not only to a deterioration in the appearance of plants, but also to the appearance of various diseases.


ornamental shrub disease

Fertilizers should be applied when planting, mixing them with the soil. Usually top dressing is carried out just before important events in the life of a plant - for example, before bud break, flowering and before preparing plants for hibernation. In general, plant nutrition has different goals in different periods. For example, in spring, work is carried out in order to help shrubs actively grow green mass, in autumn, top dressing is needed to prepare plants for winter period. Most fertilizers in liquid form are usually applied to the soil around the trunk circle.

In order for useful microelements to penetrate the roots faster, many novice gardeners loosen the soil. However, you need to remember that this must be done very carefully so as not to damage the root system. Fertilizers for ornamental shrubs are the same as for berry ones: these are nitrogen fertilizers in spring, fertilizing shrubs with organic matter and mineral fertilizers in summer.

If we are talking about coniferous shrubs, then complex fertilizers, for example, azophoska, will not work for them. The use of manure or tinctures of green grass and weeds will result in rapid growth shrubs, but soon yellowing and death. And the point here is not in the amount of fertilizer, but in the composition of dressings. It is better not to use any fertilizer for conifers at all than to feed them with no one knows what. On sale there are a lot of special mixtures that are designed directly for coniferous plants. However, before purchasing a package with a mixture, carefully study its composition.

It is worth remembering biology lessons, which taught that coniferous leaves receive most of their nutrition not from the root system, but through photosynthesis. This process is not possible without sufficient magnesium ( component chlorophyll molecules). That is why the mixture you choose should contain magnesium. In addition, it is undesirable to use fertilizers containing a large amount of nitrogen to feed conifers. Although it causes an increase in green shoots, it is so fast that the branches simply do not have time to ripen. As a result, young shoots are severely damaged in winter.


Conifer fertilizers

It is best to use mineral fertilizers to feed coniferous ornamental shrubs, it is permissible to use biohumus from organic matter. In order for the shrub to please you with its greenery all the time, it must be fed twice a year. The first time fertilizers are applied in May, when the activation of growth points begins. The second time feeding is carried out at the end of August. If top dressing is carried out later, young shoots may not have time to get stronger by winter.

To root system I learned top dressing faster, it is better to apply it in liquid form. Prepare the mixture according to the instructions, pour it into the holes made in advance along the perimeter of the crown. If you use granular fertilizers, simply spread them over the surface of the soil and mix a little with the soil. Biohumus is added in the same way.

If growth has slowed down in ornamental plants, the leaves have become dull, small and thin, flowering has weakened, which means that it is time to feed your green “pets”.

How to properly feed? What fertilizer to choose? Let's try to help you with advice.


All plants, both indoor and outdoor open ground, for normal life, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and trace elements are needed. Therefore, for top dressing, combined fertilizers are most often chosen. However, taking into account the season and the condition of the plant, it is necessary to regulate the proportions of those other elements in the composition of top dressing.

It is known that with a lack of nitrogen growth slows down, leaves become light yellow, decrease in size. The shoots become woody ahead of time, the flowers fall off.

In this case, it is necessary to feed only with nitrogen fertilizer or increase its amount in the composition of the complex.

  • Keep in mind that lawn grasses need large doses of this element, flowers - much smaller.

Plants in the open field begin to feed nitrogen fertilizers in the spring and finish - by mid-August (in September for lawns). This allows you to slow down the active growth of flowers, trees and shrubs, and prepare them for winter.


Potassium and phosphorus are especially necessary for plants during the budding period. and flowering, as well as in autumn. In August phosphorus-potassium fertilizers feed all flower perennials to improve the laying of replacement buds. September top dressing of ornamental trees and shrubs accelerates the ripening of shoots, increases their winter hardiness and frost resistance

How to feed?

In the spring, at the beginning of the growing season, you can scatter dry fertilizers (30-80 g / sq.m) directly in the flower garden, slightly covering them. During this period, the soil is still wet and fertilizers, gradually dissolving, will be available to plants.

In summer, watering plants with fertilizer solutions will be more effective. Such dressings act faster. The average concentration is 20-30g per 10 liters of water.

If a fertilizer solution is sprayed on the surface of the leaves, this is a fodder top dressing. First of all, it is necessary for newly planted or weakened plants with a poorly developed root system. In addition, it is more profitable to apply expensive fertilizers with microelements in this way: less consumption and, accordingly, costs.

For supporters of bio-fertilizers, EM-Solution is suitable for foliar pods from spring to autumn. It is prepared by diluting the em preparation in the right proportion. The em solution increases the resistance of the plant to diseases, the leaves have a healthy appearance, and the flowers are large peduncles with a brighter color.

A solution of complex mineral fertilizers(ammofoskamide, nitrofoskamide, etc.) can also be sprayed on the aerial parts of plants. The permissible concentration of the solution is 0.1-0.15%.

Forage top dressing is not suitable for plants with pubescent leaves and stems (begonias, violets, cactus, caladium, etc.). Droplets of solution can cause rotting.

Caring for ornamental shrubs in spring includes 4 stages: pruning, processing from powdery mildew, top dressing, mulching.

Pruning.

For some types of shrubs, mandatory pruning is necessary every year.

It is held in the fall after leaf fall or in spring, in March, before the foliage blooms.

(Hydrangea paniculata, hydrangea tree

, buddleya david , karyopteris

, cyanotus

, St. John's wort

)

For others, you can make a formative (giving the shrubs a more decorative look) and rejuvenating (relieving the bushes of old poorly flowering shoots)

Pruning is carried out immediately after flowering.

These are shrubs that bloom on overwintered shoots (spring-blooming and blooming in the first half of summer), such as forsythia

, Japanese quince

, rhododendron

, weigela

, mock orange , action

, three-lobed almond

,

glandular cherry

.

For shrubs, forming a permanent skeleton, it is not updated naturally due to root growth, perform corrective pruning of incorrectly growing branches.

Pruning is done in March.

(Magnolia , witch hazel

)



At hydrangea macrophylla it is necessary to save the shoots completely, so they are not pruned.

For lush blooms Syrian hibiscus it is necessary to produce formative pruning, in which not only the shape of the bush is set, but also additional branching of the shoots is stimulated.





Lavender and santolina must be cut every spring.

Lavender is sheared after each flowering in July and September, after winter. Santolina is trimmed as needed and also after winter. Without a haircut, these plants can completely lose their attractiveness in two seasons.



Every year in the spring, it is also necessary to plant a low-growing chrysanthemum, if more than 5 daughter growths (root shoots) have sprouted. Surplus is desirable to deposit. Otherwise, in the fall, during flowering, the bush will fall apart.

Preventive treatment for powdery mildew.

Top dressing.

In spring, plants begin to grow actively and at this time they need a lot more than ever. nutrients. The amount of fertilizer applied is determined not only by the age of the plants and their need for nutrients (for example: panicled hydrangeas grow better on nutritious soils, and caryopteris prefers poor soils and cannot be fed at all.), Soil fertility.

Clay and loamy soils are fertile and high doses of nitrogenous fertilizers can lead to overgrowth and poor flowering.

sandy and sandy soils- are poor. Mineral fertilizers are applied to them together with organic ones.

Best time for the beginning of top dressing, when the leaves begin to open on the shrubs.

At this time, plants begin to actively absorb nutrients from the soil. FROM complex fertilizers plants (preferably in the form of chelates by well-assimilated plants) receive the full range of essential nutrients from nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to trace elements.

When planting new plants, fertilizers containing nitrogen should not be used. Only superphosphate can be added to the planting hole from mineral fertilizers. And when watering, use KKM (potassium humate) or root.

You need to carefully consider the dosage of mineral fertilizers. Excess fertilizer can harm the roots and kill the plant, as well as destroy the natural fertility of the soil.

For feeding plants, you can use only rotted manure that has lain for at least 3 years and has already turned into compost.

Flowering shrubs at the time of budding and during flowering should be fed with fertilizers for flowering plants with a predominance of potassium and phosphorus.

Mulching.

Mulching the trunk circle allows you to suppress the growth of weeds. Prevents soil compaction by keeping it loose and thus eliminates the need for loosening. Retains moisture and prevents overheating of the soil.

.


With the establishment of cold weather for the winter, wisteria growing in open, blown places are covered with agrospan. As well as young plants of Syrian hibiscus, the first two years are wrapped for the winter with white burlap or agrospan.

CATEGORIES

POPULAR ARTICLES

2022 "mobi-up.ru" - Garden plants. Interesting about flowers. Perennial flowers and shrubs