Content
- 1 Description and characteristics of silver sucker
- 2 Difference between silver and angustifolia
- 3 How to plant silver eelgrass
- 4 How to care for silver sucker
- 5 How to propagate silver eagles
- 6 The benefits and harms of silver elk berries
- 7 Silver sucker like honey plant
- 8 Silver sucker in the landscape
- 9 Conclusion
- 10 Reviews from gardeners about silver eagles
Silver Elaeagnus (lat. Elaeagnus commutata) is a perennial deciduous shrub or low tree, which is a representative of the genus Elaeagnus and the Elaeaceae family. The culture is unpretentious and decorative, therefore it is in great demand when landscaping parks, squares, and personal plots. It does not require complex care, but some growing features must be taken into account in order for the plant to look impressive for many years.
The culture is valued not only for its decorative, but also for its medicinal properties.
Description and characteristics of silver sucker
The silver sucker, despite its similarity with other members of the family, has its own unique characteristics. To accurately identify it among other plants, you need to know them. It is also worth studying the characteristics of the culture in advance.
Frost resistance
The plant has a high level of frost resistance. It can easily withstand temperatures down to -40 °C. And even if its young shoots freeze in winter, the crown quickly recovers.
Drought resistance of silver oleagin
The shrub belongs to the category of drought-resistant crops. However, in the absence of rain for a long time, it is recommended to water the plant, since in this case its decorative effect is reduced.
Height and diameter of the crown of the silver oleagin
The height of a shrub or tree reaches 4 m. The crown is spreading, its diameter is 3 m. The shoots are covered with red-brown scales and have no needles. The leaves are glossy, ovate, leathery, up to 10 cm long.
The plates are silver in color, and the reverse side is covered with scales
Silver oleagin flowering
The flowering period of the shrub begins in late May or early June. It lasts for 2-3 weeks. The flowers are bell-shaped, consisting of five petals fused at the base.
The buds are yellow inside and silvery on top, like the leaves.
If the autumn is warm and quite humid, then this type of crop blooms again in September, but not as abundantly as in the spring. The fruits appear in August-September. They have a spherical or oval shape, up to 1 cm in size.When ripe, the fruits acquire a lingonberry hue with a silvery tinge.
The bush begins to bear fruit at the age of 7-10 years
What does silver sucker smell like?
The flowers of the plant exude a pleasant honey aroma that attracts pollinating insects. Its intensity remains until the buds completely wither. The aroma intensifies during the midday hours.
Where does the silver elf grow?
Under natural conditions, the culture grows in the northwestern part of the United States. It was introduced to European countries at the beginning of the 19th century, and then spread throughout the world.
The plant prefers loamy soil with a neutral acidity level. But it also grows well on dry sandy and rocky soil.
Growth rate of silver sucker
The growth rate of the crop is slow. Over the course of a year, the plant adds up to 10 cm in height. At the age of fifteen, only a few specimens reach 3.5 m. The lifespan of the silver elk under favorable growing conditions can be 80 years.
Difference between silver and angustifolia
The shrub is often confused with the narrow-leaved species because they have similar foliage shades. However, these two cultures have significant differences and are completely different plants.
Elf angustifolia is a tall shrub or tree, the height of which reaches 7-10 m. As it grows, its trunk bends.
There are thorns on the shoots of the narrow-leaved oleaster
The silver look is compact in size. Its height does not exceed 4 m. Silver elk in most cases grows in the form of a bush with a spreading crown, through which the sun’s rays practically do not penetrate.The shoots of this species are covered with scales, like the previous one, but they are completely free of spines.
Both plants can be used for landscaping. However, silver sucker is more resistant to polluted air.
Flowers bloom after the leaves appear on the bush
How to plant silver eelgrass
You can plant silver elf in a permanent place in spring and autumn. In the first case, the procedure must be carried out before the start of active growing season, and in the second - after its completion. However, when growing silver elk in the Urals and other northern regions, spring planting is preferable, as this will allow the seedling to grow stronger during the season.
For the crop, it is recommended to choose open sunny areas, protected from cold gusts of wind. However, the plant will feel good in partial shade, but in this case the period of flowering and fruiting will occur 10-14 days later.
One-, two- and three-year-old healthy seedlings with a well-developed root system are suitable for planting. Before planting, you need to prepare a hole 60 cm wide and deep. It is recommended to pour a 10 cm thick layer of drainage at the bottom of the hole, and fill the rest of the space with a soil mixture, including turf, sand, humus and leaf soil, in a ratio of 2:1:1:1.
Planting of shrubs should be carried out according to the standard scheme. At the end of the procedure, the root collar of the plant should be flush with the soil surface. It needs to be watered abundantly, and the next day the root circle should be mulched.
It is recommended to plant oleaster at a distance of 3-3.5 m from buildings and tall crops. And if you want to create a hedge, seedlings must be rooted at a distance of 80 cm from each other.
This crop is a close relative of sea buckthorn
How to care for silver sucker
Agricultural technology for growing silver elk does not involve complex actions. To maintain the high decorativeness of the plant, it is enough to adhere to standard care rules.
Watering and fertilizing
It is recommended to water this plant 1-2 times a week in the absence of seasonal rains. Irrigation is carried out in the root circle, soaking the soil to a depth of 10 cm. It is also necessary to periodically loosen the soil at the base of the oleaster and remove weeds as they grow. When the seedling gets stronger and grows, it will no longer need regular watering and weeding.
It is necessary to fertilize the crop twice per season. In the spring, you need to use urea or mullein for feeding, and in mid-July - superphosphate and potassium sulfide.
Pruning and trimming silver eagles
The first time you need to prune the silver oleagin is immediately after planting, shortening its shoots by half. In the second season in the spring, it is recommended to repeat the procedure, and in the third year, reduce the length of the branches by only 1/3.
In the future, the plant does not need a radical pruning. It is enough just to periodically clear the crown of broken and damaged stems to maintain its decorative quality at a high level.
Preparing for winter
When growing silver oleagin in Siberia and the Urals, the plant must be insulated in the first three seasons. To do this, it is necessary to lay a layer of mulch 10 cm thick at its base in late autumn, and wrap the crown with agrofibre in several layers.
Diseases and pests
The silver sucker can be affected by several harmful insects, including leaf beetles and mites. Therefore, if the growth of the shrub slows down, its appearance is dejected, it is recommended to treat the crown with Actellik, Fitoverm, Fufanon.
This crop can also suffer from fungal diseases. Most often, the sucker is affected by brown spotting. In this case, it is recommended to use Bordeaux mixture, carefully spraying the working solution onto the leaves and shoots of the plant. To avoid damage, it is necessary to spray the crown for prevention with the same drug in early spring and late autumn.
How to propagate silver eagles
You can get new sucker seedlings using cuttings and seeds. Each of these reproduction methods has its own characteristics, which you need to become familiar with in order to avoid serious mistakes.
Silver oleaster seeds remain viable for two years
Propagation of silver oleagin by cuttings
It is recommended to cut sucker at the beginning of summer. To do this, you need to cut the tops of one-year shoots with a length of up to 15-20 cm. Then they need to be cleared of the lower leaves, powdered with a root-forming agent and planted in a moist, loose substrate, deepening them to 3-5 cm.
To successfully root cuttings, it is recommended to build a mini-greenhouse on top of them. It needs to be ventilated daily, and also periodically water the shoots, preventing the soil from drying out. If all conditions are met, oleaster cuttings form roots in 30-40 days. You can replant them to a permanent place only next season, when they are strong enough.
Propagation of silver oleaster by seeds
To propagate the shrub by seeds, it is necessary to sow them in open ground in September to a depth of 3 cm.After this, the bed needs to be watered abundantly and covered with dense agrofibre. With the arrival of spring warmth, the seeds germinate. Young silver elk seedlings need to be provided with standard care and growing conditions taking into account the requirements of the crop, and when they become stronger, they need to be moved to a permanent place, but not earlier than the third season.
The benefits and harms of silver elk berries
The fruits of this crop have medicinal properties. This is due to their rich chemical composition, which includes tannins, steroids, ascorbic acid, phenolcarboxylic acids, catechins, flavonoids, carbohydrates, gum, coumarins. Due to the high content of useful substances, oleaster has an astringent, expectorant, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, tonic, and restorative effect.
Folk remedies based on the fruits of the plant are used to treat:
- inflammation of the oral cavity;
- hypertension;
- upper respiratory tract diseases;
- rheumatism;
- colds;
- skin rashes.
Therapy cannot be carried out in case of renal failure, fever, or individual intolerance.
Dried oleaster fruits can be stored for no more than two years.
Are silver elk berries edible?
The fruits of the bush are edible. Their taste is harmonious, reminiscent of sweet lingonberries. However, oleaster fruits are rarely eaten, since they contain a large seed inside, which occupies a significant part of the pulp.
Silver sucker like honey plant
This plant is an excellent honey plant. This is facilitated by lush flowering, an attractive pleasant aroma, and abundant production of nectar at temperatures up to +30 °C. The honey productivity of silver elk reaches up to 200 kg per hectare.The resulting product from the flowers of the plant has an amber hue, an original taste and aroma, and is also distinguished by healing properties.
The advantage of the culture is that its flowering period begins immediately after white acacia and lasts about three weeks. This allows the bees to build up the strength of their colonies and prepare them for the main honey harvest.
Silver sucker in the landscape
The bush is widely used as an element of landscape design. Moreover, it looks impressive as a tapeworm and in group plantings next to dark and red-leaved crops. The sucker is also ideal for creating a hedge, 1.5-2 m high. Moreover, it can be clipped or free-growing.
As you can see in the photo, silver eelgrass is a universal crop in garden design, and it gets along well with other plants. However, when placing it on a site, it is necessary to take into account the diameter of the crown growth in order to allow the crops to fully develop.
The plant tolerates polluted air well, so it can be planted in urban environments
The shrub tolerates transplantation well
Conclusion
Silver oleaster belongs to the category of ornamental crops that will not cause much trouble to the gardener, but at the same time can successfully fit into any landscape design and look impressive. Moreover, the plant is characterized by slow growth, so the formation of its beautiful crown will not require frequent pruning. In addition, having it on your plot, you can enjoy the unique aroma and have fruits that will help in the treatment of many diseases.
Reviews from gardeners about silver eagles
