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Among Russian gardeners, shrubs of the Barberry family are becoming increasingly popular for their unpretentiousness to environmental conditions and valuable decorative appearance. Barberry Thunberg Red Rocket is of particular interest even to novice gardeners for its unusual color and narrow, strict shape.
Description of barberry Red Rocket
The thorny deciduous shrub barberry variety Thunberg Red Rocket can be seen in any Russian region. This is facilitated by its resistance to different climatic conditions. The description of Red Rocket barberry allows you to find out what an adult shrub will look like 7-8 years after planting, and the image in the photo will not allow you to confuse it with other varieties:
- an adult bush is tall and reaches a height of about 2 m;
- the crown is not spreading, upright, its width ranges from 0.6 to 1 m;
- the branches are long and thin, densely covered with foliage, growing vertically upward, giving the whole plant a columnar shape;
- the leaves are rounded, slightly elongated, have a rich dark red color in summer, lighten a little in the fall and look light red;
- the flowers are small, bright yellow, collected in small clusters, bloom in May, and when blooming profusely, emit a sweetish aroma that attracts bees;
- the berries ripen at the end of September, have an oblong shape and a bright red color, due to the high content of alkaloids they have a bitter taste, so they are not eaten;
- spines numerous, elastic, up to 1 cm long;
- annual growth averages about 15 cm.
Red Rocket barberry bush grows well in a sunny area. It can also be planted in partial shade, but with a strong lack of sun, the leaves turn green and lose their decorative appeal.
The shrub feels confident on slopes and hills, where there is no stagnation of groundwater. Thanks to its developed root system, this variety of barberry is planted to strengthen slopes and banks.
Barberry Red Rocket in landscape design
Red Rocket barberry found its main use in landscape design. Purple bushes in combination with other varieties of barberries of yellow and light green colors, as well as the contrast of their yellow flowers against the background of red foliage, allow you to create a picturesque composition that attracts all attention.
Good adaptation to urban conditions and the columnar shape of the bushes make it possible to create a hedge of dark red barberry, both in a free-growing style and in a trimmed form.
Landscape designers plant Red Rocket barberry bushes when creating alpine slides and designing mixborders. Single plantings in pots can be changed in location as desired.The photo clearly shows that Red Rocket thunberga barberry is an element of garden composition that allows designers to express their imagination to the maximum.
Planting and caring for Red Rocket barberry
The main conditions for lush and successful growth are the location (it should be sunny) and the composition of the soil - preferably without stagnant water with neutral acidity. Otherwise, caring for barberry includes all the procedures necessary for shrubs:
- watering;
- feeding;
- pruning;
- loosening;
- prevention against pests;
- preparation for winter.
Preparing the seedling and planting site
When buying Red Rocket barberry seedlings in a specialized store, special attention should be paid to the condition of the roots and leaves - they must be healthy. Before planting in the ground, it is recommended to immerse the roots in a bucket of water for several hours.
Seedlings purchased in a container are carefully taken out along with the soil and lightly watered so that the soil and roots are moist when planting.
Before planting, the selected area is dug up to enrich the soil with oxygen and remove weed. If the acidity is very high, then you need to add a solution of lime or wood ash while digging.
Landing rules
When planting alone, it is recommended to place the bushes at a distance of about 1.5 m from each other. Planting a dense hedge will require 4 barberries per 1 linear. m. In the free-growing version of the bushes, when planting a hedge between the seedlings there should be at least 0.5 m.
Landing is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- Dig a hole corresponding to the root system of the seedling (most likely it will be 0.5x0.5x0.5 m in size).
- Lay drainage with a height of 15 to 20 cm.
- Fill halfway with a fertile mixture consisting of: soil from the site, humus, sand in approximately equal proportions.
- Place the seedling in the center.
- Add soil to the site level and tamp lightly.
- Add water.
Mulching with tree bark, dry leaves, and small decorative stones around the tree trunk will allow the soil to retain moisture longer and not dry out in hot weather. To plant a hedge, they dig a trench where all the seedlings are placed.
Watering and fertilizing
The watering regime for Red Rocket barberry depends on the climatic conditions of the place where it grows. This type of shrub is drought-resistant and does not like waterlogging. If the summer is rainy, then the barberry does not need to be watered; natural moisture will be enough. In dry weather, do 1 watering per week. A bucket of water is poured onto the bush.
If the Thunberg Red Rocket barberry is planted according to the rules in a fertile mixture, then the first fertilizing is carried out for the 2nd year and beyond, nitrogen fertilizers are applied once every 3-4 years. Complex fertilizers are applied before each flowering.
Trimming
Young bushes planted for free growth undergo 2 types of pruning: rejuvenating and sanitary.
Sanitary pruning is done every spring after the snow melts, before the leaves begin to open. Remove frozen, dry and diseased shoots.
A rejuvenating haircut is needed when the Red Rocket barberry is 7-8 years old.It is carried out in the fall, removing old branches growing close to the ground, and removing some of the young stems in the crown.
There is one more type of pruning – molding. It is used when growing hedges or to give a bush a certain shape. This pruning is done a couple of years after planting the seedling, when the barberry has faded.
Preparing for winter
The ease of care of the Thunberg Red Rocket barberry variety also includes its winter hardiness. The territory of Russia has different climatic conditions. This must be taken into account when growing barberries. If the winters are not very frosty and snowy, then there is no need to cover the bushes, only very young ones - 2-3 years old.
When severe frost is expected and little snow has fallen, then to preserve the plant, it is better to cover it with spruce branches, peat or straw for the winter.
Reproduction
There are different ways to propagate Red Rocket barberry. Not all of them can be successfully used in the garden. But a novice gardener should know about them. This variety can be propagated:
- cuttings;
- layering;
- dividing the bush;
- seeds.
Layerings and cuttings are most often used, since with this method of propagation the varietal qualities of barberry are preserved. Cuttings can be carried out at any time of the year, except winter. Gardeners consider summer cuttings to be the best. They are green in color and take root faster.
The method of dividing a bush is used for young plantings that are easy to dig up without severely damaging the roots. But the probability of survival of a young shrub is not always 100%.
Propagation by seeds is also possible with proper seed preparation. Seeds can be planted in autumn or spring after 3 months of stratification.This method requires a long time (about 2 years), has poor germination and does not sufficiently preserve the qualities for which this Red Rocket variety is grown.
Diseases and pests
Red Rocket barberry has high resistance against fungal diseases and pests. However, you should know that there are diseases that develop only on bushes of the Barberry family. Also, if the immune system is weakened, even these resistant varieties can become susceptible to certain types of fungal diseases.
Powdery mildew, leaf spotting, wilting and drying of shoots, bacteriosis are caused by various fungal pathogens, against which it is necessary to carry out preventive spraying with special copper- and sulfur-containing fungicides before flowering. If the disease has just appeared, then it should be dealt with immediately. Otherwise, premature leaf fall will begin.
The insect, the barberry aphid, causes the leaves to dry out and wrinkle. Against it, the bush can be sprayed with a solution of laundry soap or tobacco. The flower moth, which eats fruits, is considered dangerous. To combat the caterpillar, the bush is treated with chlorophos or appropriate insecticides.
Conclusion
Barberry Thunberg Red Rocket represents the successful result of the work of breeders. Having many advantages, this variety is practically devoid of disadvantages and gratefully responds to care for it. You can grow this barberry in order to admire the unusual color of the foliage in almost any Russian region.
