Content
- 1 History of selection
- 2 Description of the viburnum variety Taiga rubies and characteristics
- 3 Reproduction methods
- 4 Growing and care
- 5 Diseases and pests
- 6 Application in landscape design
- 7 Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
- 8 Conclusion
- 9 Reviews with photos about the viburnum variety Taiga rubies
Viburnum Taiga Rubies is a Russian variety developed more than 30 years ago. It has good winter hardiness and immunity, so the crop can be cultivated in most regions of the country. The yield is high and bears fruit continuously for several decades.
History of selection
Viburnum Taiga Rubies is a Russian variety bred in the 80s. XX century on the basis of the Altai Scientific Center for Agrobiotechnologies. The authors are Kalinina I.P., Nikonova O.A. and Zholobova Z.P. The variety passed successful tests, after which in 1997 it was included in the register of breeding achievements of the Russian Federation.
Viburnum Taiga rubies are approved for cultivation in all Russian regions:
- middle lane;
- Volga region;
- Chernozem region;
- southern regions;
- Northwest;
- Ural;
- Western and Eastern Siberia;
- Far East.
Viburnum Taiga rubies are resistant to frost (down to -35 °C) and produce tasty berries for universal use. The culture is used in landscape design.
Description of the viburnum variety Taiga rubies and characteristics
It is a bush of medium height (up to 2.5–3 m). The crown is compact, the branches are gray in color, generally smooth, there are lenticels.The buds are quite large. Viburnum leaves Taiga rubies are small in size, dark green in color (bright red in September), five-lobed. The surface is matte, there is strong pubescence on the inside. The leaves are arranged oppositely. The petioles of the bush are long. The flowers are cream-colored, small, arranged in an umbrella-shaped shield.
Viburnum berries Taiga rubies are medium-sized (average weight 0.5 g, diameter up to 10 mm). The shape is round, the taste is slightly bitter, sweetish, tasting score from 3.5 to 4.5 points out of 5. Ripening begins in mid-September. The color of the berries is dark red, ruby, which is why the variety got its name.
Chemical composition:
- sugar – 9.6%;
- acids – 1.6%;
- vitamin C content – 130 mg per 100g;
- vitamin P content – 670 mg per 100 g.
Fruiting of viburnum Taiga rubies begins in the fourth year of life. Peak yields are 8–11 kg per tree (with industrial cultivation 22.4 kg per hectare). These values do not decrease until the 20th year of the plant’s life, then they begin to decrease.
Reproduction methods
Viburnum Taiga rubies are propagated by cuttings, but not lignified ones, but green ones taken from young shoots. It is advisable to prepare them immediately after flowering, i.e. from late June to early July. At this time they bend well, but do not break. Cuttings are taken from the middle part of the shoot, each of them should be about 10 cm in length.
Instructions for propagating viburnum Taiga rubies:
- Make an oblique bottom cut and a straight top cut.
- Remove all the leaves from the bottom and trim the top in half.
- Place in the Heteroauxin or Kornevin solution overnight.
- Prepare fertile soil (turf soil with humus, peat and sand 2:1:1:1), plant in open ground.
- Cover viburnum seedlings Taiga rubies with film or a bottle, ventilate periodically and water regularly.
- At the end of September or in the first half of October, cover with dry leaves, spruce branches, and straw.
- In April, transplant to a permanent place, preserving the earthen ball.
The first flowers will appear in 2–3 years; active fruiting begins in the fourth season. With proper care, all cuttings take root.
Viburnum Taiga rubies can also be propagated by layering. In April, several lower branches are bent and pinned to the ground, sprinkled with fertile soil. Water periodically during the summer and mulch in the winter. Next spring, they are separated from the mother bush and replanted.
Growing and care
Viburnum variety Taiga rubies can be planted at almost any time (from April to June or from September to October). In this case, it is best to plan planting for the first half of autumn. At this time, the seedling will have time to take root and, with good shelter, will safely survive the first frosts, and in the spring it will immediately begin to grow.
Viburnum Taiga Rubies is unpretentious and tolerates partial shade, but for planting it is better to choose a sunny place on a hill (water accumulates in the lowlands). The optimal soil type is light loam. Although it can be grown in other soils. If the land is not very fertile, a month before planting it is necessary to add humus or compost to a 2 m bucket.2.
Algorithm for planting crops:
- Dig holes 50 cm deep at intervals of 150–200 cm to neighboring plants, a house, a fence.
- Place a layer of small stones on the bottom for drainage (5 cm).
- Fill with fertile soil (surface layer with humus and sand 2:1:1).
- The day before planting, place the viburnum seedling in a solution of a growth stimulator - Epin, Zircon or another product.
- Plant in holes, sprinkle with soil, tamp down a little, deepening the root collar by 3–5 cm.
- Water and mulch (in case of autumn planting).
Viburnum Taiga Rubies is moisture-loving. It is advisable to water young seedlings every week (except when it rains). Mature trees are watered once a month, but in drought - 2 times more often. Viburnum is fed twice per season (starting from the second year):
- in spring they provide nitrogen (50 g per bush), potassium (30 g) and phosphorus (40 g);
- at the end of summer - only phosphorus (20 g) and potassium (15 g).
You can replace individual additives with complex fertilizer. At the same time, at the end of summer and autumn, nitrogen is categorically excluded. Periodically, weeding and loosening of the viburnum tree trunk circle Taiga rubies is carried out. This is especially important after heavy watering or rain.
In the first 3–4 years of life, formative pruning is done. Most often, a tree on a trunk is chosen. The shoot is exposed to a height of 100–120 cm. Every autumn, all old branches are removed, and in the spring, damaged and frostbitten ones are removed. The crown is thinned out as necessary. In the future, the tree will only need sanitary and anti-aging pruning. The first is carried out annually in the spring (before the buds begin to swell), the second - once every 4-5 years.
Despite the fact that viburnum Taiga rubies is a winter-hardy variety and can withstand frosts down to -35 degrees, young seedlings need shelter in all regions except the south. To do this, the soil must be mulched with peat, sawdust, and leaves, creating a layer of 5–7 cm.The seedling itself needs to be wrapped in spruce branches, and if it is not there, then in burlap or agrofibre, securing the material with ropes. In early spring, the cover and mulch are removed.
Diseases and pests
Viburnum Taiga Rubies has good resistance to all common diseases. The bushes are practically not affected by pests. There may be an invasion of aphids, which in advanced cases will lead to a decrease in yield. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to carry out several treatments with folk remedies:
- decoction of marigold flowers, potato tops;
- infusion of garlic cloves, chili pepper;
- a solution of wood ash with laundry soap, baking soda.
To treat viburnum, Taiga Rubies use special insecticides: Biotlin, Inta-Vir, Aktara, Fitoverm, Decis, Konfidor and others.
Application in landscape design
Viburnum Taiga rubies are grown not only for berries, but also for decoration. A beautiful shrub with an elegant crown, bright berries and purple (autumn) leaves that will fit into any garden. It can be planted in an open area, next to the entrance (left and right). If there is a lot of space, you can make a hedge by planting an alley of viburnums at a distance of 2 m from each other.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Viburnum Taiga Rubies is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and good yield.This is a proven variety that can be successfully grown even in regions with short summers and frosty winters.
Pros:
- dessert taste;
- low maintenance requirements;
- frost resistance;
- good immunity;
- can be used in landscape design;
- self-fertility;
- relatively early fruiting (September).
Minuses:
- the crop is affected by aphids;
- average resistance to drought.
Conclusion
Viburnum Taiga rubies produces tasty and aromatic berries, and is also used to decorate the garden. The crown is compact, the leaves are graceful. The bushes look good in single plantings. The berries are used to prepare tinctures, fruit drinks, jams, compotes and other drinks.
Reviews with photos about the viburnum variety Taiga rubies