Content
Thorn is a close “relative” of plum. Gardeners grow it both for the harvest of healthy, relatively good-tasting berries, and for decorating their garden plots. The culture is distinguished by almost extreme endurance, but it still needs to be provided with a minimum of “comfort” and care. Sloe planting is carried out taking into account the “requirements” of the plant for the location; the nuances of agricultural technology are studied in advance.
Landing dates
In principle, sloe can be planted in the ground both in spring and autumn. But it is mainly cultivated by gardeners in central Russia and regions with a more severe climate, and they traditionally prefer the first option, given the fact that early frosts in the fall (in September) in the Urals, Siberia, and the Far East are by no means uncommon.
It is impossible to indicate specific dates for planting a tree in open ground in the spring; you need to focus on local climatic conditions. In central Russia, the probability of return frosts is minimized already at the beginning of May; in other regions you often have to wait another 2-3 weeks.
How to plant sloe
Planting thorns in the ground in spring and autumn is no different from a similar procedure for other fruit trees. The most important thing in the process is to maintain the vertical position of the tree and not to bury the root collar into the ground. It is also important, when filling the hole with earth, to periodically compact it so that there are no air “pockets” left. But you don’t need to be too zealous, otherwise damage to the roots is likely.
It is more convenient to plant any fruit tree in open ground together
Where to plant thorns
Outdoor thorns are able to adapt to a wide range of climates and weather conditions. Therefore, the place for its landing is often chosen “on a residual basis.”
However, only open areas with good lighting are ideal for the tree. He needs a substrate that combines fertility and looseness with a neutral or close to this acid-base reaction. It is desirable to have protection from drafts and strong gusts of wind, and the absence of groundwater close to the surface.
The experience of gardeners shows that the tree successfully takes root on clay, rocky, sandy, and even saline soils. The only thing that the thorn does not suit is muddy or peaty soil, almost indistinguishable from a swamp. In such waterlogged soil in winter, the likelihood of freezing of the root system increases sharply (especially when planting in the fall).
In the shade, thorns bloom very reluctantly, which inevitably affects fruiting
The “habitat” of a tree in open ground must be limited in advance by vertically digging sheets of slate, polycarbonate or metal into the soil to a depth of about 50 cm. Otherwise, the shoots will quickly “spread” throughout the entire area and in the process “strangle” the crops that are more valuable to the gardener.
Land preparation
Sloes are planted in pre-prepared holes with a depth and diameter of 45-60 cm. They need to be dug since last autumn. At the bottom, a layer of drainage material is desirable; on top of it, the hole is filled by about a third with a mixture of high turf with humus (approximately equal parts) and complex fertilizer for fruit trees (80-100 g).
For the winter, it is covered with a sheet of polycarbonate, slate, or other waterproof material so that precipitation does not erode the fertile substrate. The “shelter” is removed only in the spring, 2-3 hours before planting the tree. The soil in the planting hole needs to be loosened well, spilled with water, and raked into a “mound.”
If planting thorns in open ground is planned for the fall, the hole needs to be dug 2-3 weeks before it
Planting scheme
If you plan to cultivate thorns in open ground as a fruit tree, leave 2-3 m between adjacent seedlings. The specific interval depends on the size of the adult plant. As a general rule, the distance between two neighboring trees cannot be less than the sum of the diameters of their crowns.
Also, thorns are often used to form a hedge.In this case, you need to leave 1.2-1.5 m between the seedlings.
How to care for thorns
Thorn is a tree that can grow and bear fruit in open ground, even if the gardener completely abandons it. However, it is impossible to harvest good harvests if you do not study the nuances of agricultural technology in advance and regularly devote a little time and effort to the crop.
Watering
Sloes need regular watering only in the first season after planting in open ground. Until the seedling takes root, the soil is moistened weekly, using 4-5 liters of water for each plant. Then the intervals between waterings are doubled, of course, taking into account the frequency and frequency of natural precipitation.
In the following seasons, a tree in open ground often survives with rain and melt water. It needs to be watered only if hot, dry weather sets in for a long time, spending 25-30 liters of water per tree. The approximate interval between procedures is 10-12 days.
If the autumn is dry and warm, the sloe needs abundant moisture-recharging watering
Top dressing
Sloes in open ground react equally positively to both natural organic matter and folk remedies, and to store-bought mineral and organomineral fertilizers. Three feedings per season are enough for him.
At the beginning of the growing season, to help the tree come out of hibernation, it is watered with a solution of mineral nitrogen fertilizer.In the flowering phase and about a month after the end of fruiting (already in the fall), you need to apply complex fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus.
Complex fertilizers provide thorns in open ground not only with basic macroelements, but also with other substances it needs
Thorn pruning in autumn and spring
The tree is prone to thickening of the crown, so it needs sanitary pruning twice a year. In the spring, they get rid of all broken, dried out, frozen, too thin, deformed, poorly placed branches. In autumn, the basal shoots of the thorn bush are also pruned.
The most suitable crown configuration is cupped. It is formed over 3-4 seasons, in the spring. Its main feature is the absence of a central conductor.
Immediately after planting in open ground, the central shoot of the thorn should be shortened by about a third
The scheme for pruning thorns in the fall is very simple even for beginners. Crown formation is not carried out. You only need to “maintain” the already created configuration.
For the next season, 4-6 shoots are chosen, extending from the central one, located approximately in a circle and more or less at the same height. Other branches are removed to the point of growth. Next, using the same principles, you need to select second- and third-order shoots that grow on skeletal ones. The process of pruning thorns in the spring according to this scheme is clearly presented in numerous videos of gardeners.
Wintering of damsons
Sloes with minimal or no damage to the above-ground parts and roots survive winters with temperatures of about -40 °C. Accordingly, in most of Russia it does not need special shelter in the fall. For successful wintering in the open ground, you only need to clean the tree trunk circle from plant and other debris, renew the layer of mulch, whitewash the tree trunk and carry out moisture-recharging irrigation.
But if weather forecasters predict a particularly harsh winter with little snow, some gardeners prefer to play it safe. Humus or peat is added to the base of the tree trunk, creating a “mound” 20-25 cm high. Before the first fork, it is wrapped in burlap or covering material in 2-3 layers.
Thorn is one of the most cold-resistant fruit trees
How do blackthorns reproduce?
It is possible to propagate blackthorns both vegetatively and generatively. The exception is hybrids bred through selection. Their specimens grown from seeds almost never inherit the characteristics of the “parent”.
Seeds
Thorn seeds extracted from the fruit and cleared of pulp are planted in late autumn or next spring directly in open ground. They show good germination (70-80%), so there is no need to grow blackthorn seedlings at home.
Before planting, you need to soak the thorn seeds in a solution of any biostimulant for 12-24 hours.
Planting in open ground is carried out in November or April. To grow thorns from seed, you need to choose an area with fertile, loose soil, located in partial shade. 2-3 hours before the procedure, the substrate is watered moderately.
Sloe seedlings in open ground develop quite slowly
In the fall, the bed is covered with spruce branches, straw, and covered with 2-3 layers of burlap. Then you need to additionally “insulate” it with snow. In spring, it is enough to cover with black covering material until shoots appear.
In “temporary” beds, seedlings develop over the next two seasons. Blackthorn requires standard care. Then they are transplanted into pre-prepared pits.
Cuttings
Sloe cuttings are harvested at the end of spring or in June, cutting off the tops of shoots about 20 cm long. Before planting, the lower cut should be dipped in a container with a biostimulant solution for 5-6 hours.
For rooting sloe cuttings, both ordinary water and any moisture-intensive substrate are suitable. The “greenhouse effect” and long (8-10 hours) daylight hours will significantly speed up the process.
It takes 2-3 weeks for roots to appear. After about another month, the sloe cuttings can be transplanted into a regular substrate. They are transferred to open ground in the fall of the same year or next spring.
Sloe cuttings must have at least five buds
Root shoots
There will definitely not be a shortage of planting material. Sloes in open ground very actively form basal shoots.The most powerful and developed “offsprings” are located close to the “mother” tree.
They are carefully dug out of the soil in early autumn, cutting the roots with a sharp knife. The “wound” should be sprinkled with powdered chalk and sifted wood ash. New specimens of sloe must be immediately transplanted into pre-prepared holes.
If the process of formation of root shoots is not controlled, several sloe trees quickly turn into thickets
Diseases and pests of blackthorn
The general resistance of the thorn to the negative effects of “external” factors also includes its resistance to diseases and pests. Insects avoid this tree. The only exception is the “omnivorous” aphid.
This is a pest from the piercing-sucking category. Insects “settle” on the tree in large colonies, “occupying” mainly the tops of shoots, young leaves, buds and fruit ovaries. As the juice is sucked out of the tissues, they first turn pale, then become almost transparent and die.
Any broad-spectrum insecticide will help get rid of aphids. You need to thoroughly spray the thorn itself with solutions of the preparations and spill the soil in the circle around the trunk.
Before treatment, you need to pour clean water over the tree with sufficiently strong pressure, washing away aphids from it.
Fungal diseases for sloe in open ground are also a rare occurrence. However, in conditions of high humidity it can still suffer from gray rot. “Wet” gray-brown spots appear on fruits, leaves, and young shoots, gradually becoming covered with a “fluffy” grayish-white coating with small black “grains.” The tissues underneath turn yellow and dry out.
Leaves and thorn fruits affected by gray rot quickly fall off
Any fungicides are used against fungal diseases.Beforehand, all leaves, fruits, and thorn shoots, even slightly affected by gray rot, must be cut off. The tree itself and the soil under it are sprayed with the drug solution twice or thrice with an interval of 12-15 days.
Conclusion
Planting sloe in open ground and cultivating it does not require even minimal experience from the gardener. However, this is a very “controversial” plant. Some summer residents categorically refuse it, given the presence of many thorns and the mediocre taste of the fruit.
