Irga, or korinka (Amelanchier) is a deciduous berry shrub or small tree, belongs to the Pink family and to the Yablonev family. In the natural environment, there are more than two dozen different species, most of which are found in the Northern Hemisphere.
Irga can grow on various land plots - on rocky, forest, meadow. Its berries have a pleasant taste and valuable composition, and the plant itself is highly decorative at any time of the year. In spring, the culture attracts attention with its unusual color, numerous blossoming leaves with pleasant pubescence. Soon after that, a magical transformation begins - the bush is covered with racemose inflorescences from a large number of fragrant flowers of pink and white hues. During the fruiting period, berries - "apples" are gradually gaining ripeness and play with a palette of cream, pink, purple, violet colors. With the arrival of the autumn cold, the leaves of the irgi again play with color shades, shimmering with yellow, orange, red and purple flowers.
Description of the irga plant
Irga is a long-lived plant that can grow for 60-70 years. It has numerous advantages - the fruits ripen very quickly and have useful and medicinal properties. Berries contain a storehouse of substances necessary for strengthening health. A small tree is not afraid of drought and frost, it is the best honey plant among many plants, does not require much experience in growing and caring. The only thing that gardeners consider a negative quality of irgi is a large amount of root shoots, which grows quickly and in large quantities.
The most popular and demanded types of irgi among gardeners are Olkholistnaya, Lamarca, Ordinary, Kolosistaya, Canadian.
Planting irgi in open ground
When to plant
It is possible to plant irgi seedlings in early spring or autumn, but experienced gardeners recommend this procedure to be carried out in the autumn season.
The site should be open, with sufficient sunlight and warmth. With insufficient lighting, the culture will spend energy not on abundant fruiting, but on searching for a source of light, the shoots will begin to stretch. It is also very important that the groundwater does not run close to the surface of the earth. Such "neighborhood" will harm the root system of irgi.
The soil in the selected area can be of any acidity, and in terms of composition, fertile loamy or sandy is best suited. The more nutritious the soil in the garden plot, the less root growth will form and the more abundant the berry harvest will be.
Site preparation
It is recommended to start preparatory work in the spring months.First, it is necessary to thoroughly clear the ground of weeds and various parts of plants, and then dig it up about 10-15 cm deep. Shortly before planting, fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus should be added to the soil. For each square meter, you will need about 40 g of top dressing.
Selection of seedlings
When choosing seedlings, it is important to remember that only young plants at the age of one or two years are suitable for planting.
How to plant correctly
First you need to prepare the landing pit. Its depth and width are about 60 cm. The soil (three parts) from the hole is mixed with rotted compost and river sand (one part each). A nutrient mixture of phosphate (400 g), potassium (150 g) and humus (1-2 large buckets) is poured onto the bottom of the pit, mixed thoroughly, then the prepared soil is poured from the pit with a mound and a seedling is placed on it. After the root of the young tree is positioned and spread out over the surface, you can fill the entire hole with soil. Having slightly compacted the soil, it is important that the root collar remains at ground level; it is not recommended to deepen it.
The first watering is carried out immediately after planting. Each plant will require about 10 liters of water. You need to wait until all the water is absorbed, the earth settles down a little, and then add some more soil mixture into the pit. The trunk circle is covered with humus or peat mulch, after which the first pruning is carried out. The length of each shoot after the "haircut" should not exceed 15 cm.
Irga care
Minimal care for irga is another advantage of the plant over other horticultural crops. She can do well herself, but with any care she will certainly thank her with her bewitching beauty and a large harvest of high-quality and healthy berries.
Watering
The root part of the irgi goes deep into the ground to a depth of three meters. This makes it possible for the shrub to provide itself with a sufficient amount of moisture. In addition, the culture is quite resistant to dry weather. It is recommended to water the berry plantations only on particularly hot summer days. The procedure is best done with a special diffusing watering can on the hose. Favorable time for water procedures is the second half of the day (after 16-17 hours). Watering is carried out not only in the near-trunk circle, but also on the crown in order to wash off the dust from the leaf mass.
The soil
It is better to take care of the soil after it has been moistened. All weeds must be removed at the initial stage of appearance, and the soil around the bush must be loosened regularly.
Top dressing and fertilizers
Plants will need additional feeding only 3-4 years after planting. It is recommended to use liquid organic fertilizers in the spring-summer season in the form of infusion on poultry droppings. Each bush needs about five liters of fertilizer, which must be applied to wet soil after sunset. Dry top dressing is poured into the trunk circle and filled with water.
Transfer
Irga over the age of 5-6 years has a negative attitude to the transplant. Due to the roots deeply embedded in the ground, this process is considered quite laborious and is used only if absolutely necessary. The plant will have to be removed from the soil together with an earthen lump with a diameter of about 1.2 m and a depth of about 70 cm. After planting in a new place, the tree is watered and mulched.
Pruning
Pruning irgi for sanitary or thinning purposes should only be carried out when there is an urgent need for it. For example, there is no point in pruning shoots in tall varieties, because this can only be done at a young age of irgi. In subsequent years, it will be difficult to overcome the height even while standing on the stairs. The first "haircut" can be started from the second year of the seedling's life. A favorable time for this is the beginning of March. It is recommended to remove root shoots regularly.
Places of cuts on adult shoots must be treated with varnish-based paint.
Preparing for winter
At the end of the growing season after harvesting, you need to remove all damaged, dried and thick shoots, dig up the garden plot and apply fertilizer to the soil. The shrubs do not need any shelter for the winter months, as they feel great even in the most severe frosts.
Diseases and pests
Possible diseases of the irgi are gray rot, drying out of branches and phyllostic spotting. Rescue measures - urgent pruning and removal of diseased parts of the plant, treatment with Bordeaux liquid, copper sulfate and normalization of the irrigation regime.
Reproduction of irgi
Seed propagation
Freshly harvested seeds, extracted from ripe berries, are buried 1.5-2 cm into the soil, watered generously, covered with a thick layer of dry foliage or dry grass and left until spring. In spring, seedlings thin out and create favorable conditions for growth and full development. Seedling care consists of watering, applying fertilizers containing nitrogen, loosening the soil and removing weeds.
Propagation by grafting cuttings
Irgi cuttings are grafted onto a two-year-old mountain ash in the spring. A cut (3 cm deep) is made about 15 cm above the root collar. The junction of the scion and the rootstock is covered with tape, and the cut of the scion is smeared with garden varnish. Having planted the stock in a box with a sandy-peat substrate, the container is kept in greenhouse conditions until the required result.
Propagation by green cuttings
Apical cuttings are used for this propagation method. The tops are cut into a length of about fifteen centimeters, 2-4 leaves are left, placed in a vessel with a growth stimulator for 10-12 hours, then washed and planted at an angle of 45 degrees in a greenhouse or greenhouse. It requires humidification from a fine spray, ventilation and a constant temperature of about 25 degrees Celsius. The root part is formed after 3 weeks. Cuttings are planted in a permanent place only for the next autumn season.
Reproduction by layering
Layers are buried in warm and sunny early spring days, after digging and fertilizing the soil under an adult plant. The lower shoot is fixed in the groove under the bush, the top is pinched, watered. Rooting will take place before autumn, but it is possible to transplant the layers to a permanent place in the spring.
Reproduction by dividing the bush
The bush, extracted from the ground in early spring, is first removed from unnecessary and damaged shoots, and then divided into several parts together with the rhizome. Delenki are immediately planted in prepared pits.
