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Barberry Green Carpet is a small fluffy shrub, often used for landscaping areas. This plant is distinguished by its endurance and unpretentiousness, while having a bright, attractive appearance.
Description of barberry Green Carpet
Barberry Thunberg Green Carpet is a deciduous shrub. It is distinguished by its compact size and low spreading crown. The diameter of an adult plant usually does not exceed 100 cm. The shape of the crown is wide and slightly flattened (it is often compared to a pillow). The color of the bark is yellowish-brown.
Barberry Green Carpet begins to bloom in late spring. Inflorescences are several single flowers collected together. The color of the flowers is red on the outside and deep yellow on the inside. The fruits have an elongated shape and a pink or red tint. The period of ripening of Green Carpet barberry fruits is the beginning of autumn. After the leaves fly off the bush, the berries remain on the branches for a long time, decorating the garden in the winter months.
Also, to the description of the Thunberg Green Carpet barberry, it should be added that this is a perennial plant; the shrub can grow on the site for 45-50 years.
Planting and care
Barberry is a fairly unpretentious shrub - for most varieties, living conditions are completely unimportant. The plant adapts well to environmental conditions and is able to grow and develop anywhere. If you have the opportunity to choose a place to plant Green Carpet barberry, you should give preference to areas open to sunlight, but protected from sharp gusts of wind.
Preparing seedlings and planting area
Beginning amateur gardeners are usually recommended to buy ready-made Green Carpet barberry seedlings. If we are talking about a plant with bare roots, before planting it is recommended to dip the roots of the seedlings in liquid fertilizer for a couple of hours. If the seedling grows in a pot, then 15-20 minutes before planting, water it generously with water so as not to damage the roots when removed.
As for the soil, neutral soil is well suited for Green Carpet barberry. But at the same time, it can adapt well to an alkaline or acidic environment. To improve the quality of acidic soil, it is recommended to pre-fertilize it with lime or wood ash.
It is better to prepare the holes for Green Carpet barberry in advance - 5-10 days before planting.
Landing rules
Experienced gardeners advise following simple rules when planting the Green Carpet barberry variety, which will help the plant quickly adapt to a new location:
- individual seedlings should be located at a distance of 2 m from each other, and when creating a continuous hedge - 50 cm;
- barberries no more than 3 years old are planted in holes measuring 25 by 25 cm, older specimens - in holes measuring 40 by 40 cm;
- planting is carried out in April in order to catch the buds;
- if the soil at the planting site has a heavy, dense structure, it is worth preparing a special soil mixture in advance - superphosphate or sand with soil and humus;
- before planting barberries in holes, it is necessary to prepare drainage from sand or broken bricks;
- barberry seedlings of the Green Carpet variety are placed in the holes, carefully straightening the roots, and sprinkled with soil or ready-made soil mixture on top, and then watered (a bucket of water per plant).
Watering and fertilizing
As for care, the Green Carpet barberry variety is quite unpretentious and undemanding in this regard. The plant does not require abundant watering and does not tolerate waterlogging.
In the first year after planting the Green Carpet barberry bush, you can do without adding additional fertilizers - the nutrition from the soil mixture should be enough for this period. In the future, for fruiting, after flowering has completed, you need to feed Green Carpet with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers and re-apply them at the end of the season.
Trimming
An important stage in caring for Green Carpet barberry bushes is their timely pruning. The first year the plant is allowed to adapt, and starting from the next year it is pruned twice. The first is done at the beginning of summer, and the second at the end. The branches of the plant are pruned by approximately 50%. You should also not forget about sanitary measures - promptly remove dried or too thin shoots.
Green Carpet barberry is pruned using pruning shears or a garden hacksaw. We should not forget about protective gloves, since thorns may be hidden under the barberry foliage.First, excess shoots near the ground are removed, and then the crown is formed.
Preparing for winter
The most important thing for Green Carpet barberry in winter is to protect the roots from frost. To protect the plant, hilling is carried out in the fall to a height of 10-12 cm.
In general, the Green Carpet variety tolerates winter well. If the forecast is for a lot of snow, the bushes can be left uncovered. If there is a high probability of a cold, snowless winter, then you should take care and cover the barberry with spruce branches.
Reproduction
There are several ways to propagate Green Carpet barberry. They are all quite simple and convenient. To choose the right one, you should familiarize yourself with them in more detail:
- Using seeds. Ripe berries are collected, the seeds are removed from them, they are disinfected in a low concentration solution of potassium permanganate and dried. The prepared seeds are planted to a depth of 10 mm in a temporary bed, and in April the sprouts sprout, leaving a distance of 3-4 cm between them. When the seedlings reach 2 years, they are transplanted to a permanent place. It is also possible to plant seeds in spring; in this case, they must be kept in wet sand or coconut substrate for 2-3 months at a temperature of + 2-5 °C.
- Using cuttings. Preparations for breeding begin in early summer. The foliage is removed from the cuttings, leaving only a little at the very top. After this, the cuttings are placed in a container with root solution for several hours to stimulate the development of the root system. The prepared material is planted on a temporary bed. During the first weeks it is very important to ensure that the soil is sufficiently moist. After 2 years, young bushes can be transplanted to a permanent place.
- Using layering. At the beginning of spring, the strongest shoot is selected and placed in a specially prepared groove no more than 10 cm deep, securing it in this position. In this case, the end of the shoot should be above ground level. The area where roots will form can be scratched a little to speed up the process. In the fall, the resulting seedling is transplanted to the planned location.
- By dividing the bush. This method is well suited for low-growing varieties such as Green Carpet. Bushes aged 3-6 years are suitable for propagation. In April, the bushes are completely removed from the ground and, being careful not to damage the root system, are carefully separated into parts using a garden hacksaw. It is recommended to treat the sections with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or charcoal. Parts of the bush are planted in a new place.
Diseases and pests
This variety of barberry is famous for its fairly strong immunity and resistance to many diseases found in ornamental shrubs. However, there are also diseases and pests that can harm the plant.
An important measure of prevention and care for the Green Carpet barberry variety is treatment against aphids and moths. Aphids settle on the lower part of the leaves of the plant and multiply very quickly. As a result, the leaves begin to dry out and fall off, and the shoots become bent. Under such conditions, new buds may not appear on the plant next year. In stores you can purchase special spraying preparations that prevent the appearance of the pest.
A moth eats barberry berries. Fufanon or Decis preparations are very effective in combating it.
Among diseases, powdery mildew, which is caused by a type of fungus, is of greatest danger. It appears as a whitish coating on shoots and leaves in early summer. If you do not pay attention to this sign, the fungus will mature over the season and, having overwintered, will spread even further by spring. Ultimately, this will lead to the death of the bush. Timely use of special fungicides, which can be purchased at garden stores, will help rid the plant of the disease.
Another trouble that can happen to barberry is leaf spotting. The fungus infects the leaves, on which dark spots begin to appear, and over time the shoots die. To avoid disease, it is necessary to spray the bushes with copper oxychloride in the spring and after flowering.
Bacteriosis caused by pseudomanas is common. Otherwise, this disease is also called bacterial cancer. In the photo of Green Carpet barberry you can see that bacteriosis manifests itself as cracks on the shoots.
If such signs appear, damaged branches should be removed immediately to prevent further spread of the disease. Spraying with solutions in this case will not give the desired effect.
Conclusion
Barberry Green Carpet is perfect for decorating a summer cottage or garden plot. Growing and caring for it will not cause much difficulty even for novice gardeners.
