Content
Planting and caring for tamarix in open ground allows you to grow a stunningly beautiful ornamental shrub in your garden. However, you need to care for tamarix according to certain rules, otherwise you can’t expect rapid growth from it.
What kind of flower is "tamarix"
Tamarix is a small tree-type shrub from the Tamarix family of the same name. It has thin arched branches with reddish-brown bark; it can reach a height of 4 m and higher, but more often it grows only up to 1.5 m.In spring, tamarisk shoots are covered with racemose inflorescences with flowers of white, pale pink and pale lilac. Tamarix leaves are lanceolate, bluish-green, the crown is spreading and very light and delicate.
In total, there are more than 70 plant species, but in Russia, planting and caring for the four-stamen tamarisk and several other varieties are most often considered.
Winter hardiness of Tamarix
In general, the frost resistance of tamarix, or beaded plant, is considered very high. Some species can withstand temperatures down to -50 °C, although in this case the plant will need shelter. Any type of plant can easily tolerate temperatures dropping to -17-20 °C; for this reason, the shrub is actively grown even in the northern regions of the country.
How and when does tamarisk bloom?
The specific timing of flowering depends on the type of shrub. But on average, flowering occurs in April or May. A unique feature of tamarix is the ability to bloom up to 3 times per season; inflorescences on the bush can also bloom in mid-summer and early autumn.
Tamarix inflorescences are long, up to 15 cm in each raceme, and they consist of small flowers of white or soft pink color. The buds, which have not fully blossomed, slightly resemble large beads, hence the second name of tamarix. The blooming beaded flower is a bit like a lilac, but its crown is more openwork and spreading, and the clusters of inflorescences are thinner and longer.
How fast does Tamarix grow?
Bisernik is a shrub with very fast growth, not least of which is due to its popularity in landscape design. Tamarix can grow up to 1 m in a year.The roots of the shrub also grow very quickly; they can reach a meter in length even when the height of the plant itself does not exceed a few centimeters.
Medicinal properties of tamarisk bush
The shrub has not only decorative, but also medicinal properties. Its leaves, bark and flowers contain valuable substances - tannins, tannins, polyphenols and vitamins.
Due to this, Tamarix is used to prepare decoctions, infusions and tinctures with alcohol. Medicines:
- have a diuretic effect;
- help reduce temperature;
- have an astringent effect and help with diarrhea and nausea;
- allow you to quickly stop bleeding and have an analgesic effect;
- relieve inflammation and pain in rheumatic diseases.
It is customary to harvest tamarix medicinal raw materials at the beginning of summer, during the period when the leaves and shoots of the plant contain the maximum amount of valuable substances.
How to propagate tamarix
The beaded bush in a summer cottage looks so attractive that gardeners usually do not limit themselves to just one shrub. You can increase the population of tamarisk using vegetative methods; it is not necessary to buy new seedlings for this.
Seeds
To propagate tamarisk by seeds, it is enough to sow them evenly in a container with prepared soil mixture. There is no need to deepen the seeds or sprinkle them with soil on top.The container is placed on a tray filled with water, and then they wait for the first sprouts to appear; germination usually takes only a few days.
When the sprouts get stronger and reach a height of about 10-15 cm, they can be transferred to a temporary bed, and after 2 years they can be planted in a permanent place.
By layering
A simple and reliable way to propagate beaded flowers on a site is to use cuttings from an adult plant. On the mother bush, select one of the healthy branches located close to the ground, bend it down and dig it into the soil to a depth of about 20 cm.
The cuttings are fixed with wire or staples, and then watered during the warm season in the same way as the main plant. By the fall, the cuttings will give strong, long roots, and then it can be separated and replanted.
How to propagate tamarix from cuttings
Propagating tamarisk by cuttings in the spring is the most popular and reliable way to increase the plant population. As preparations, several half-woody shoots about 10 cm long are cut from an adult mother bush at the very beginning of spring, and the lower cut is made oblique.
- The cuttings are treated with a root-forming solution along the lower cut and kept in water for a day.
- A sufficiently deep container is filled with a light but nutritious mixture consisting of fertile soil and sand mixed in equal quantities. You can also add peat to the soil mixture, which will accelerate the development of shoots.
- After a day, the cuttings are buried in the soil, watered abundantly and the container is covered on top with a glass dome or transparent film.
The container with the cuttings is placed in a warm and well-lit place. It will be possible to understand that the sprouts have taken root successfully by the appearance of young leaves on the cuttings. It will be possible to transplant the cuttings into the ground as early as May, first to a temporary bed, and a year later to a permanent place. With the help of cuttings, tamarix reproduces very well, problems usually do not arise, so even novice gardeners can cope with the task.
Planting and caring for tamarisk shrubs
For healthy development, tamarix needs attention and care. Although the plant is considered quite hardy, it is still very sensitive to light, moisture and nutrient availability.
Recommended timing
Basically, tamarix propagation, planting and care are carried out in early spring - in April or even March. It is necessary to wait until a confident positive temperature is established, and after that the shrub can be planted in the ground in the open air.
Autumn planting of seedlings during the deciduous period is also acceptable. However, there should be 2-3 weeks left before the onset of cold weather, otherwise the young plant simply will not have time to take root in the new place.
Where to plant tamarisk
From a soil point of view, tamarix is quite unpretentious in choosing a site. It grows equally well on light sandy loam soils and on heavy clay and loams.The main condition is that humus and peat must be added to the soil in advance to provide the plant with nutrients.
But the bead plant is very sensitive to the amount of light. The photo of planting and caring for the tamarix shrub shows that it must be planted in the sun; in the shade, the plant refuses to develop and withers. Even light but constant shading from neighboring trees and tall shrubs can negatively affect the health of the beaded plant.
It is important to note that the site for tamarix must be chosen very carefully, taking into account the fact that the shrub will grow in the chosen place constantly. The roots of the shrub are long, but thin and fragile, so Tamarix perceives transplants negatively; it is better not to carry them out unless absolutely necessary.
How to plant tamarisk
To plant beaded plants in the ground, prepare a spacious planting hole at least 60 cm in depth and width.
- Crushed stone, pebbles or broken bricks are poured into the bottom of the pit to act as drainage; the layer thickness should be at least 20 cm.
- Humus mixed with wood ash is placed on top of the drainage system to half the depth of the hole.
- The hole is filled 2/3 full with a soil mixture of fertile soil, sand and peat in a ratio of 2:1:1.
- A bead seedling is lowered into the hole and its roots are carefully straightened, and then the hole is completely filled with earth.
The root collar of the plant should be level with the surface of the earth. Immediately after planting, the beaded plant is watered abundantly and the tree trunk area is mulched with wood chips or other material.
How to care for tamarisk
Planting is only the first stage of tamarisk propagation and cultivation. In order for the shrub to please with beautiful flowering, it is necessary to properly grow and care for the tamarix plant.
Watering and fertilizing schedule
Tamarix is a rather sensitive plant to the amount of moisture. The first days after planting in the ground in the open air, the seedling must be watered generously - but then watering is sharply reduced. A beaded plant that has successfully taken root in a permanent place should receive moisture from natural precipitation; additional watering is carried out only during flowering and during periods of severe summer drought. The plant does not tolerate waterlogging of the soil and, in swampy conditions, begins to suffer from root rot and fungi.
As for fertilizing, in the first year, tamarix is quite sufficient with fertilizers applied to the soil before planting. Next year and every year thereafter, the beaded plant must be supplied with organic fertilizers in early spring and potassium and phosphorus added to the soil during flowering.
How to prune tamarix in spring and autumn
Tamarix grows very quickly, so it needs to be trimmed every year - not only in spring, but also in autumn.
- In the spring, pruning is carried out even before the buds begin to swell, so as not to damage the plant. It is necessary to remove first all weak and damaged branches. You should also prune old shoots with small increments - the branches are shortened “by the ring”, and after just a month the beaded plant produces young, fast-growing shoots.
- Tamarix pruning in the fall is carried out mainly for sanitary purposes. During this process, you can also remove faded inflorescences and thin out the crown - excessive thickening of the branches impairs the access to light and oxygen.
From time to time it is recommended to rejuvenate the beaded plant. This is usually done in early autumn - the bush is pruned almost to the stump, to a strong healthy branch located close to the base of the bush. Radical pruning stimulates the growth of new shoots, and the next year the beaded plant again pleases the eye with a lush openwork crown and abundant flowering.
How to prepare beadwork for winter
Different types of tamarisk show different resistance to cold. Some plants can easily tolerate extremely low temperatures, while others freeze to the level of snow cover. Therefore, it is recommended to cover the beaded plant in any case for the winter.
To protect against cold weather, it is necessary to mulch the soil at the roots of the plant with a dense layer of insulating material. You can also bend and tie the shoots together, secure them in a bent state, and then cover them with spruce branches or special non-fabric material.
Why Tamarix does not bloom and what to do
Tamarix is planted on the site precisely for the sake of beautiful, abundant flowering, but sometimes the bush does not produce flowers at all. The flowering of the beaded plant and its care are closely related, so usually the life cycle of the plant is disrupted due to errors in cultivation.
- Tamarix grows in the shade. With this arrangement, the bush can not only stop flowering, but even die altogether; it needs sunlight.
- The beaded shoots froze during the winter - flowers appear on last year's branches, and if the latter did not survive the winter well, then flowering can not be expected.
- Tamarix does not have enough nutrients; if the soil is too poor, then the shrub simply does not have enough strength to bloom.
- The plant's roots are excessively thick - lack of pruning leads to the fact that the bush receives less air and sunlight, and accordingly, its ability to flower is reduced.
To restore the health of the shrub, it is necessary to correct the mistakes made during cultivation - adjust the lighting and soil moisture in the area with tamarisk, feed the plant, trim off excess branches. With the onset of cold weather, it is necessary to provide protection from frost for young shoots.
Pests and diseases
The ornamental shrub has the highest resistance to diseases and pests. Beadweed is affected by insects only if the infection spreads from neighboring plants. For prevention and treatment, any standard insecticidal solution is suitable - Karbofos, Actellik.
Tamarix can suffer from fungal diseases only if it grows in the shade and on waterlogged soil. To treat rot and any other ailments, you need to remove all affected shoots and treat the bush with Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate. After this, it is better to transplant the tamarix from the problem area into the sun, otherwise the diseases may return again.
Conclusion
Planting and caring for tamarix in open ground requires careful monitoring of the level of lighting and soil moisture. If you do not violate the most basic rules of growing shrubs, tamarix will annually delight you with lush and beautiful inflorescences on long branches.
