Altai sea buckthorn: description of the variety, photos, reviews

Altai sea buckthorn is a shrub plant that can be grown in almost any part of the country. The variety is distinguished by its excellent berry taste, high yield and ease of care.

History of selection

The Altai sea buckthorn variety was bred in 1981 by crossing two crops at the M. A. Lisavenko Research Institute.
The ancestors of the bush were fruit and berry crops - this is a form of the Katun ecotype and the sea buckthorn variety Shcherbinka-1. In 1997, the sea buckthorn hybrid passed state tests and received a certificate giving the right to use it in agriculture. Now the variety is included in the State Register of Fruit and Berry Crops.

Description of the berry crop

Sea buckthorn shrub with a plastic crown, which can be easily given the desired shape and volume. This quality allows the plant to be used as a landscape decoration and site decor.

General idea of the variety

The shrub variety grows up to 3–4 meters in height, and the smooth and elastic branches of Altai sea buckthorn form a lush crown. Young shoots of this variety are silver-gray in color, which darken and become brown over the years. The leaf blade of the sea buckthorn bush is small and narrow, up to 6 centimeters long. On the outside it is gray-green, and on the inside it is covered with small scales that have a silvery tint. The flowers are small and white, with a delicate aroma; in spring they appear on the sea buckthorn bush before the foliage.

Berries

Sea buckthorn berries sit firmly on the branch, forming a bright orange cluster. The fruit is oval, weighing from 0.8 to 0.9 grams. The pulp of sea buckthorn berries is fleshy and sweet in taste, and according to expert tasting assessments, this is the only variety that received 5 out of 5 points.

On a note! Calorie content in 100 grams of berries is 82 kcal.

Characteristic

It will be useful for a novice gardener to know the detailed characteristics of the Altai sea buckthorn variety and its advantages over other representatives.

Main advantages

The main advantages of the Altai variety shrub:

the height of the sea buckthorn bush is easily adjusted by pruning;
fruits of the variety are sweet;
frost-resistant crop - up to -45 ⁰WITH;
the bark of mature branches does not crack and remains flexible for many years;
large-fruited representative among other varieties of sea buckthorn;
high yield of berries - up to 15 kilograms per bush;
the variety is practically not susceptible to disease;
unpretentiousness to soil and care;
easy to transport provided care is taken to the root system.

Altai sea buckthorn is a female variety, so pollination occurs through the transfer of pollen from male shrubs. The varieties Alei, Ural and Adam are recommended for this purpose.

Important! For a rich harvest, pollinators for Altai sea buckthorn should be planted in the same row with it or in an adjacent area on the windy side.

Flowering period and ripening time

The beginning of sea buckthorn flowering depends on the climate in which the bush grows. In the middle zone of the country it blooms in mid-May and continues to bloom for two weeks. Full ripening of Altai sea buckthorn berries occurs in the second half of August - early September.

Attention! In dry and hot summers, the period of ripening of the plant’s fruits is shortened, and in cold and rainy summers, on the contrary, it increases.

Yield indicators, fruiting dates

Altai sea buckthorn is a high-yielding variety and in one season is capable of giving its owner from 15 to 16 kilograms of juicy berries per bush.
Berries appear on the plant in the fourth year of life, but sea buckthorn becomes a full-fledged fruit bearer at the age of six. By this point, the bush is already fully formed and directs its forces to ripening the berries and a rich harvest.

Area of application of berries

Berries have a universal property in the food field. They are used for almost any purpose: jam and freezing, making drinks, eating fresh and dried. Sea buckthorn fruits are used in medicine, for decoctions, ointments and creams, and in cosmetology. Thanks to the berry, human skin fights inflammation and aging.

Resistance to diseases and pests

The shrub variety is resistant to bacterial and fungal diseases, which other representatives cannot boast of. The plant is practically not affected by pests. And this factor becomes decisive when choosing Altai sea buckthorn.

Advantages and disadvantages

Before purchasing a variety, you should study the pros and cons of sea buckthorn.

Advantages

Flaws

Frost resistance down to -45 0C.

Plastic, compact crown of the bush.

No thorns on the shoots.

High yield.

Early fruiting.

High appreciation for the taste of the berries.

Does not crumble when ripe.

Wide range of fruit applications.

Resistance to diseases and pests.

Decorativeness of the bush

A moisture-loving plant that needs frequent watering.

The need for pollination.

Freezing during periods of sharp alternation of thaw and frost

Comparison of sea buckthorn varieties Altai sweet and Altai

Options	Altai	Altai sweet
Berry weight	0.8–0.9 g	0.7 g
Taste	Sweet	Sweet
Ripening time	Mid-August – early September. Early autumn variety	Mid and end of September. Mid-autumn variety
Productivity	Up to 15-16 kg	Up to 7-8 kg

Landing rules

Planting and caring for Altai sea buckthorn will not be difficult, as the plant easily adapts to environmental conditions and biological influences.

Recommended timing

Sea buckthorn can be planted in autumn and spring. Experienced gardeners prefer to carry out the planting procedure in the spring, since the time coincides with the beginning of the growing season of the plant. In this case, the bush takes root faster, and also ripens and begins to bear fruit sooner. It is possible to plant berries in autumn, but the process is more labor-intensive.After planting, the young bush must be properly fertilized, covered and, in winters with little snow, constantly covered with snow.

Choosing a suitable location

The Altai variety is distinguished by its demands on the sun and moisture. To plant it, you need a spacious and open plot of land. The ideal place would be where the groundwater flows.

Advice! Despite sea buckthorn's need for moisture, the plant should not be grown in areas with marshy soil and abundant accumulation of melt water.

Soil preparation

The plant is undemanding to soil, but to increase productivity they try to place it on loamy or sandy loam soil.

Selection and preparation of seedlings

When choosing a crop, special attention should be paid to the type of roots. They should be dense and uniform, without tubercles and not injured. After selecting a seedling, the roots are carefully wrapped with a damp cloth, being careful not to damage them, and transported to the selected area. Before planting, remove the leaves from the sea buckthorn seedling and place it in water for 1-2 days to prevent it from drying out.

Advice! To make sea buckthorn grow faster, its roots are dipped into a clay or earthen mixture before planting.

Step by step landing

Compliance with planting rules is the key to a future harvest:

First you need to prepare holes 40–50 centimeters deep and 50–60 centimeters wide.
Organic and mineral fertilizers are added to the dug holes. These can be manure, compost and superphosphate granules.
After preparing the pit, the seedling is lowered into it and the roots are carefully straightened.
Cover the sea buckthorn with earthen mixture.
Water abundantly with 30–40 liters of water.
Finally, mulch the soil of the bush.

Cultivation care

Altai sea buckthorn is unpretentious to environmental conditions.But by observing the minimum requirements, you can double the plant’s yield.

Watering, fertilizing and mulching

During the active growing season, the plant requires abundant watering - 1-2 times a week from 30 to 80 liters, depending on the size of the bush. The rest of the time, small waterings are carried out (20-30 liters). Sea buckthorn loves phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. They are added for active growth, preparation for fruiting and increased yield. The crop also needs regular mulching with turf, this helps retain moisture and protect sea buckthorn from pests.

Trimming

Altai sea buckthorn has a dense crown, which is regularly thinned out. Annual shoots are pruned by 20-30 centimeters, which stimulates the growth of skeletal branches in the future. And every 8-15 years, the bush requires high-quality pruning of three-year-old shoots so that the yield of berries does not fall. Damaged and dry branches are cut out as needed.

Preparing for winter

The sea buckthorn variety is highly frost-resistant. Therefore, measures to warm the crop for the winter are not carried out. The bark of the branches contains tannins, which make it unsuitable for rodents and insects. Thanks to this property, the plant does not need shelter for protection.
To increase future yields and strengthen the tree’s immune system before wintering, in late autumn, you can fertilize the plant with sodium humate, which can be purchased at a specialty store. No other care measures are required.

Collection, processing, storage of crops

The ripening of sea buckthorn berries is completed by the end of summer - beginning of autumn. It is easier to harvest in late fall after the first frost.The berry is already loosely held on the branches, which makes it easier to pick, and acquires a delicious pineapple aroma. You can preserve the harvest in several ways, depending on your needs. Sea buckthorn fruits are dried, boiled and frozen without pre-processing. The berries are stored unprocessed for a whole year, and the jam will not spoil for several years.

Advice! The berries make excellent healthy jam, compote and jam.

Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention

Disease	Description	Signs	Ways to fight	Prevention
Verticillium wilt	Fungal disease	Leaves turn yellow and fall early, fruits wrinkle, and the bark becomes covered with swellings and cracks	There are no control measures; the infected plant is burned so as not to endanger healthy specimens	Sea buckthorn cannot be planted in the place of the affected bush for several years.
Endomycosis	Fungal disease	The appearance of light spots on the fruits, which leads to wilting and weight loss	Treatment of the bush with 3% Nitrafen or 4% Bordeaux mixture	Liming and introducing wood ash into the soil, cleaning weed

Pests	Description	Signs	Ways to fight	Prevention
Green sea buckthorn aphid	A green insect, 2–3 mm in size, that lives at the base of the buds	Leaves begin to turn yellow and curl	Spraying leaves with soap solution	Planting a bush in a sunny and ventilated area
Sea buckthorn fly	White larvae on fruits and foliage	Damaged, eaten berries	Treatment with chlorophos solution	Strengthening the root system with fertilizers
Sea buckthorn moth	Gray butterfly	Kidney abscission	Spraying with Bitoxibacillin solution	Applying root fertilizers and clearing weeds

Conclusion

Altai sea buckthorn will not only help decorate the area, but will also provide a supply of tasty and healthy berries for the whole winter, from which jams, infusions and other products important for health are prepared.

Growing Altai sea buckthorn is not difficult. And minimal care is required for fruit and berry crops.

Reviews

Ekaterina Popova, 43 years old, Moscow

Planting and growing sea buckthorn of the Altai variety in the Moscow region is as easy as shelling pears. No special care instructions are required. One of the rules for success is to plant a male and female plant in the same area and water it abundantly in dry summers. Then in the fall there will be a guaranteed rich harvest of fruits. In addition to beautiful and tasty berries, the shrub tree perfectly decorates the site. And unlike traditional apple and cherry trees on the territory, the compact bush looks gorgeous.

Pavel Ruchkin, Kaliningrad

In 2006, I brought Altai sea buckthorn seedlings from my relatives to my dacha in Kaliningrad. Planting the plant is simple, and caring for it is even simpler. All the bushes began to grow quickly, and already in the fourth year the whole family collected a plentiful and tasty harvest of berries. They are easy to collect; the fruits are large, fleshy and aromatic. Everyone liked them. For convenience and beauty, you need to trim the crown, but during the first years you don’t have to do this. In addition, sea buckthorn of the Altai variety is quite compact in its natural form. I didn’t regret at all that I made myself a useful and beautiful girlfriend.

Sea buckthorn Altai