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The viburnum-leaved carp has become very popular in landscape design. The shrub is unpretentious to growing conditions. Throughout the season, the vesicular carp remains decorative. Carved leaves of different shades, lush light inflorescences and interestingly shaped fruits give the plantings a special charm. Pruning of the bladderwort is carried out to maintain the health of the plant and give the bushes shape.
Is it possible to prune the bladderwort?
Bladderwort is ideal for creating hedges or spectacular group compositions. A crown of up to two meters in diameter with carved leaves quickly grows. In order for the viburnum carp to look well-groomed and maintain its chosen shape, formative haircuts are required as fresh shoots grow.
This unpretentious plant overwinters well even in cold climates. But immature branches may suffer from frost or break under the yoke of snow cover. Such shoots must be removed.
Bladderwort is disease resistant. But if the rules of care are not followed, some pests can attack the shrub.To avoid the death of the plant, it is necessary to carry out preventive pruning and sanitary treatment against diseases and pests.
When is it better to prune the bladderwort - in spring or autumn?
Bladderwort pruning must be done several times a year. In the spring, before flowering begins, it is necessary to remove all damaged or diseased branches. This will help the bush develop properly, without wasting time and effort on restoration.
When the vesicular carp fades, pruning is carried out to form a crown. Sometimes this requires several events throughout the season.
In autumn, pruning is carried out to prepare for hibernation.
Types of pruning of viburnum leaf
Gardeners divide the types of pruning of vesicles according to the purposes for which they are carried out.
Anti-aging pruning of bladderwort
Over the years, the bush ages. Lignified thick branches interfere with the further development of the plant and spoil its appearance. The first pruning to rejuvenate the bush must be carried out upon reaching the age of five. All thick branches must be removed completely.
Formative
Pruning to give the bush a beautiful shape is done after flowering. There are several forms of haircut. But in most cases, it all depends on the gardener’s imagination and ability to properly care for an ornamental plant.
Sanitary
In order to preserve the health of the plant, pruning of the vesicular carp is carried out in spring and autumn. When sanitary pruning, it is necessary to remove diseased branches and protect the bush from the effects of fungal infections and pests.
How to form a bladderwort
Formative pruning of the bladderwort in the spring is best done after the shrub has flowered.
Taking into account the natural growth and location of the branches of the vesicular carp, it is recommended to form its crown in the form of a ball or fountain.
Beginners can choose from a nursery a bush already formed by a ball for planting in the garden. In this case, you will only need to maintain shape during the season.
Self-formation of the vesicle should begin in the second year after planting. The task of the first haircuts is to increase the volume of the crown at a height of half a meter. To do this, you should shorten the branches by half so that young shoots develop faster. Subsequently, branches are pruned to a third of the length of the extension.
The easiest way to grow a bladderwort is in the form of a fountain. For this purpose, the lower branches along the perimeter are shortened, leaving those that grow from the middle. Excess growth protruding beyond the visible limits of the planned figure is cut off “by eye”. You can get a “fountain” from the bladderwort already in the second or third year after planting the bush.
If you regularly trim the top of the shrub, then against the background of the lawn the plantings of bladderwrack will look like a lush mat.
An incredible amount of effort will be required if the gardener decides to create a geometrically even figure from the vesicle. To maintain the shape, you will have to use pruning shears very often so that quickly growing branches do not spoil the appearance of the figure. Various forms of pruning are performed according to patterns.
Frames
To obtain a strict ball-shaped bush, you can use special frames. The device is installed near the trunk and all branches that protrude beyond the designated limits are cut off.
With the help of frames you can give the bush any shape. Designers use such devices to create living plant sculptures in the garden and obtain interestingly shaped topiary.
When creating large park ensembles from bladderwort, several bushes are planted nearby. The haircut is carried out taking into account the necessary contours of the figure.
Hedge
Formative pruning of hedges begins in early spring. Don't wait for the bush to bloom. By this time, the hedge may have turned into a scraggly, unsightly planting.
The formation and maintenance of a neat appearance of a hedge or border should be carried out regularly, as the shoots grow. Haircuts are done up to 4-5 times per season to maintain the shape of green spaces.
How to prune bladderwrack in spring
In early spring, when the buds are just getting ready to bloom, you need to carry out sanitary pruning. It is possible that not all shoots overwintered equally well. Then it is necessary to remove all damaged parts of the branches of young bushes.
The branches are cut off partially or completely, depending on the condition. You can combine sanitary pruning with formative pruning. But in no case should you leave damaged shoots in order to preserve the shape of the bush.
The bladderwort easily tolerates pruning. Even the removal of a large number of branches will be restored quickly enough thanks to high-quality feeding and proper care.
More mature plants (after 5 years) will have to undergo anti-aging pruning so that old branches do not interfere with the development of young shoots.
Observing the condition of the bush will help determine the need for a rejuvenating haircut:
- If the number of inflorescences during the flowering period has decreased.
- The flowers were crushed.
- The foliage of the bush has decreased.
During rejuvenating pruning of the vesicle in the spring, old branches are removed to the very base, leaving a small (about 5 - 7 cm) stump. For work, you can use loppers or special saws. Actions must be precisely calculated so as not to damage the young shoots.
To prevent the shrub from suffering from infection, after pruning thick old branches, it is necessary to treat the cut areas with an antifungal drug and cover them with garden varnish.
Anti-aging pruning can be done not only in spring, but also in autumn. The event is carried out after the leaves have fallen. It is important to take into account the weather forecast so that removing old growth does not lead to the death of the bush from early frosts.
Old branches must be removed and burned. It is old wood that often becomes a breeding ground for infection. Many pests overwinter in plant debris, and then, waking up in the spring, destroy plantings of ornamental and fruit crops.
An example of pruning vesicles in spring is shown in detail in the video:
Care after spring pruning of bladderwort
The shrub tolerates pruning well and becomes more luxuriant after removing old and diseased parts. But to grow young shoots, it needs feeding.
In order for the plant to receive all the necessary components for development, it must be fed with organic matter and a mineral complex. Fertilizers are applied in the form of a solution at the root.
To feed an adult sheared bladderwort bush, you will need up to 10 liters of nutrient liquid. You can use mullein in diluted form.For 10 liters of water, 4 - 5 kg of cow dung must be infused for several hours. A liter of the resulting liquid must be diluted with water and watered over the bush. Experts advise first pouring a bucket of water under the bush so that the nutrient solution is evenly distributed and does not damage the root system of the plant.
To replenish mineral components after spring pruning, you can use complex preparations. Nitroammofoska is diluted at the rate of 30 g per 10 liters. Potassium nitrate is added along with urea and mullein. To prepare the solution you will need a tablespoon of fertilizer and about a glass of mullein solution per bucket of water. This mixture will be enough to fertilize an adult bush.
Wounds received by shrubs during pruning can become a gateway to infection. For protection, it is worth treating the bushes with standard complex products against pests and fungi.
Conclusion
Pruning the bladderwort is necessary even if you do not plan to give the bush a special shape. The rapid growth of new growth gradually inhibits the growth of the bush. And its foliage and flowers lose their decorative properties if old and damaged branches are not removed.
