Pyracantha is an evergreen tall shrub that belongs to the Pink family. In nature, this thorny plant representative of the flora grows mostly in the southeast of Asia and is found in the southern part of Europe. Translated from Greek means "fire" and "thorn", or literally "fiery thorn". Some species of pyracantha are grown as a decorative decoration in the garden. The shrub is rather picky about the cold, therefore it requires special shelter in areas with severe winters.
Description of the pyracantha bush
The crown of the "thorns" of the pyracantha is spreading and wide. The branches grow up to 6 m in length and resemble separate varieties of cotoneaster. The surface of the shoots is covered with thorns and small sharp leaves. The flowers are collected in snow-white thyroid inflorescences. The fruits resemble tiny reddish apples. This similarity between the fruits explains the fact that the pyracantha previously belonged to the Yablonev family. The plant gives a rich harvest, and during flowering is an excellent natural decorative element in any area. The aroma of flowers attracts bees, and the bright color of the fruit attracts birds.
Growing pyracantha seeds from seeds
Pyracantha is grown using seeds. In most cases, sowing is carried out before winter. Of course, spring planting is also allowed, but this requires taking care of the stratification of the material. The seeds are stored in a refrigerator for 1-2 months so that they are properly hardened before planting in open ground. If it is not possible to deal with such issues, you can purchase ready-made seedlings in the agricultural market or in a gardening store, where the offered seedlings are already adapted for growing and have improved winter-hardy properties. They are preliminarily examined for signs of illness and checked how healthy the bush is. The pot with the substrate should not be dry or smell like mold. Better to opt for cold-resistant stamps and buy varieties such as bright red or narrow-leaved pyracantha.
It is not recommended to purchase seedlings in the fall. In all likelihood, the plants will die in winter. It is advisable to plant young bushes with the arrival of spring, when the soil thaws.
Landing pyracantha in open ground
Favorable conditions for growing pyracantha are considered to be the southern slope, far from drafts and scorching sun rays. An open lighted place or light partial shade is suitable. You should not choose dark low-lying areas as a permanent place of cultivation, where moisture and cold air stagnate for a long time.
The shrub can thrive on all types of soil.However, before planting it on a garden plot, it is necessary to carefully dig up the soil and enrich it with organic fertilizer. Then level the surface. The width of the holes should be twice the volume of the rhizome of the young seedling. When planting a plant in order to create a hedge, it is important to adhere to an interval between individual specimens of 60-90 cm, which depends on the size of the bush. Drainage material is poured onto the bottom of the hole, for example, sand or gravel. After that, a wooden peg is placed in the hole, which will serve as a kind of support. A prepared substrate is closed around it.
Before removing the bush from the container, moisten the soil to make it easier to get the rhizome. The seedling is placed next to the peg, the roots are distributed over the entire diameter of the hole, the earth is poured and the surface is tamped. Near the trunk circle, a circular border is indicated, thus, during irrigation, water does not spread to neighboring plantings. A bucket of water is brought under each bush. After absorbing moisture, the soil settles, then you can tie the plant and mulch the top layer of the soil.
Caring for a pyracantha in the garden
Growing pyracantha and caring for the plant is not difficult and does not require special training. It is important to remember about watering, loosening and feeding, as well as timely get rid of weeds that drown out the growth of young bushes. Mulching with organic materials will significantly save time and will allow you to forget about weeds at first.
Watering
Pyracantha is a drought tolerant evergreen shrub that does not need frequent watering. However, the roots of young seedlings will not take root if they do not receive enough moisture. Adult plants are watered once a week. Foliage wilting and yellowing of the stems are considered a sign that the "thorn" is beginning to dry out. They try to pour water into a previously dug trench around the circumference of the main trunk. Then the soil is well saturated with moisture. After natural precipitation or watering, the soil surface must be loosened and weeds removed.
Fertilization
Top dressing is done occasionally. Mineral fertilizers without nitrogen admixture are fed to bushes only at the initial stage of the growing season. Re-feeding is carried out only at the end of the season.
Transfer
A pyracantha transplant is performed according to the same scheme as mentioned above. The new hole should be an order of magnitude larger so that the overgrown root system along with the earthen clod can fit in it. For early adaptation, the pyracantha is intensively watered at first.
Pruning
Pruning is especially important for the shrub. It is allowed to carry out activities for the formation of the crown and the removal of old branches throughout the year, but it is more rational to do the first haircut in the spring.
There are no strict rules on how to prune a pyracantha. It is only important to leave a couple of large inflorescences so that they bear fruit in the future. The formation of flowers and berries occurs on annual and perennial shoots. In autumn, the pruning is repeated. At the same time, they get rid of the branches that are too thickening, otherwise they will interfere with the ripening of the fruits. Before wintering, the remaining leaves and shoots are cut off.
Bushes that have been growing in one place for a long time need to be pruned periodically. In order not to prick or injure hands on long spikes, wear protective gloves. Some gardeners prefer to decorate the walls of the house with pyracantha. Then the shoots are tied to the supports and directed to the desired side of the building. In this case, trim can be skipped.
Shelter for the winter
Certain shrub varieties show good resistance to cold and frost. The narrow-leaved pyracantha withstands wintering in the Moscow region quite calmly, but gardeners recommend that you play it safe and tightly wrap the trunk circle with dry foliage. If the root system is reliably protected from frost, in spring the shrub will easily come to its senses and start to sprout green shoots.Frozen branches are removed.
Breeding pyracantha
Pyracantha propagates by cuttings or by seed. Sowing is either spring or winter. The planting material is pre-hardened. As a result of growing a plant from seeds, it is possible to preserve exclusively the specific characteristics of the mother shrub.
Often, a more successful method is used for breeding - cuttings, which makes it possible to leave both species and varietal related traits unchanged. For these purposes, either green or lignified cuttings are chosen, but the former will require less time for rooting. Cuttings are harvested in parallel with spring pruning. The length of the cuttings should be from 15 to 20 cm. They are freed from the leaves and cut into a container with water, adding a few drops of a special root growth accelerator. The cuttings are planted in moistened sand and covered with polyethylene. The seedlings are aired and watered in a timely manner. The rooting process, as a rule, takes about 3 weeks, but the seedlings must still be grown in greenhouses for at least a year. After which they will be ready to survive outdoors.
If there is an adult plant in the garden, you can try reproduction using layering. With the arrival of spring heat, the strongest and lowest branches are bent to the soil and laid in shallow grooves, sprinkled with earth. During the summer, the layers are watered and the soil is loosened near them. Before winter, they are covered with dry leaves, and in March or April they are carefully separated from the main bush and transplanted to a new place.
Diseases and pests
There is practically no reason to expect danger from pests or diseases. However, there may be cases of infestation of the shoots with aphids, which is the result of poor care and weather conditions. You can stop the reproduction of aphids by treating the shrub with insecticidal preparations. A bacterial burn, an incurable disease, also poses a threat to shoots. In this regard, when buying the Pyracantha variety, it is worth making a choice in favor of a more sustainable culture. Due to non-compliance with the growing conditions, the plant is susceptible to late blight disease, which indicates the spread of fungal infection. Fungal spores are destroyed by spraying the ground parts of the shrub with fungicides, for example, Fundazol solution.
Among the cultivated species, the most popular are: narrow-leaved pyracantha and bright red pyracantha.
Pyracantha in landscape design
This evergreen shrub is characterized by abundant and long flowering. During fruiting, the branches are strewn with bright and attractive berries in the form of apples. The plant is planted as a hedge. The thorny thorns that cover the surface of the stems make an excellent natural wall protecting the garden area around the perimeter.
Types and varieties of pyracantha
Narrow-leaved pyracantha (Pyracantha angustifolia)
A shrub grows up to 4 m in height. Leaves are oblong, up to 5 cm long. Orange flowers are collected in inflorescences, the diameter of which reaches 8 mm. Popular varieties of this species:
- Orange Glow - reaches 2.5 m in height. Green leaves cover the sparse branches of the plant. The shrub blooms in early May.
- Golden Charmer - grows up to 3 m in height. Drought tolerant variety, flowers in May.
Pyracantha bright red (Pyracantha coccinea)
In nature, this shrub grows mainly in clearings and forests. This species is broadly spreading, the lower shoots spread along the ground. It reaches a height of only 2 m. The leaves are 4 cm long, green in spring and summer, and red in autumn. This species does not tolerate frost well, therefore it needs additional shelter for the winter. Edible fruits, red in color. Popular varieties of this species:
- Pyracantha Red Column is a fairly popular plant among gardeners. Grows up to 3 m.
- Red Kashn - reaches 2 m in height. The shrub has green leaves and red fruits.
