Content
Pruning barberry is an integral procedure in the process of growing shrubs, including barberry. It tolerates haircuts well because it tends to recover quickly. For some varieties, the annual growth is 30 cm. The attractive bush is used in landscape design, as well as for producing valuable fruits.
Is it possible to prune barberry bushes?
Barberry is a multi-stemmed shrub with thorns. Grows 3-4 meters tall if not limited. Due to numerous lateral branches it grows to the sides. The branches are spreading, so without regular pruning, the area will result in impenetrable thickets.
Another argument for the need for pruning: fruiting and flowering of barberry occurs exclusively on annual shoots. In the shade of strong thickening, berries do not appear. Also, pruning and thinning the bush is the prevention of fungal diseases by improving crown ventilation. Insects have less chance of harming the plant.
When can you prune barberry?
The timing of pruning is not particularly important. The procedure will be equivalent in spring and autumn. However, there are recommendations. Pruning should begin after harvest and before frost occurs.In the spring you need to catch it before new leaves appear. Based on the characteristics of the plant variety being grown, a more suitable period for the pruning procedure is selected. For example, deciduous barberries are pruned in early spring before the buds open. Evergreen varieties of barberry are pruned after flowering.
The type of procedure also affects the timing.
- Sanitary pruning is carried out in March-April or September-October.
- It is better to perform a rejuvenating procedure in the spring.
- Formative pruning is planned for the spring for a single planted bush.
If it is necessary to trim hedges or borders, the procedure will be performed in 2 stages. The first pruning is done in early June, and repeated pruning is done until mid-August.
How to prune barberry
The procedure for pruning barberry depends on the purpose for which this technique is carried out. As a rule, 3 types of pruning are carried out annually: rejuvenating, sanitary, and shaping.
- Purpose of sanitary pruning consists in removing dry, diseased, underdeveloped branches. This event is considered the most important, since it allows you to protect the plant from possible infection by fungi and death from pests. It is recommended to carry out sanitary cleaning of the bush regularly twice a year. It is necessary to thin out the crown, trim old shoots and thin shoots to the base. Young shoots should not be touched; they must develop, be healthy, and long. After all, they influence the quantity and quality of the harvest. You can understand that barberry needs sanitary pruning by performing a visual inspection of the bush.
- Anti-aging pruning barberry production is aimed at solving two problems: increasing the number of berries obtained and improving the decorative properties. In order to obtain a larger harvest, branches that are no longer bearing fruit are removed. The procedure must be transferred to strong branches that grow on the same basis. Anti-aging pruning should only be done on shrubs that are more than 10 years old. It is not recommended to carry out work when the first leaves have already appeared. Usually the rejuvenation process is carried out in the fall, before the first frost. Old shoots are cut off at the very root. Anti-aging pruning gives impetus to the appearance of young shoots.
- Gentle crown formation barberry is accessible even to novice gardeners. In the first 4-5 years, while the bush is forming, you can forget about flowering and, accordingly, about fruits. Formative pruning is performed after the ovaries appear on the bush. For an adult barberry, a rejuvenation procedure is first carried out, and then they begin to shape the bush.
If desired, you can have a curly haircut twice during the summer, as the shoots grow. New shoots that reach 10 cm are halved. It is better to start forming with simple geometric shapes, gradually adding a level of complexity.
Pruning barberry in spring
Barberry branches are pruned, as a rule, in autumn or spring. It is preferable to perform the rejuvenating procedure before wintering the bush, after the dry leaves have fallen. Depending on the type of planting, the following preventive measures are taken:
Trimming type | Type of landing | Work carried out |
Sanitary | Single bush | Remove dry, diseased, broken shoots that have lost their decorative appearance.Thin out the crown of the bush. Branches that have not survived the winter well are pruned. Healthy branches are shortened. |
Border plantings, hedges | ||
Formative | Single bush | Branches that grow close to the ground or protrude to the sides are trimmed. Regulate the number of shoots in the bush. Shorten annual growths by 6-8 cm. |
Rejuvenating | Single bush | Old shoots are shortened to the root. Thin, poorly developing branches are removed if the plant has grown greatly. In young shoots, only 1/3 of the length is left. |
Border plantings, hedges |
Pruning barberry in summer
It is not necessary to adhere to certain deadlines for pruning barberry. If there is a need to remove dry branches or trim the crown, then this can be done in the summer. The main thing is that the procedure is as useful as possible.
Trimming type | Type of landing | Work carried out |
Sanitary | Single bush | If necessary, prune shoots and leaves damaged by parasites. Remove wilted or infected shoots, as well as dry and yellow branches to preserve the decorative characteristics of barberry. |
Border plantings, hedges | ||
Formative | Border plantings, hedges | At the beginning of summer, the height and width are adjusted using templates. Shoots that extend beyond the specified limits are trimmed. After 2 months, the procedure is repeated to maintain shape. |
How to form barberry correctly
The formation of barberry begins in the second year of the bush’s life. In spring, all branches are shortened by 8-10 cm from the ground. This technique allows you to create a more luxuriant crown by autumn. The next season, shoots are cut 5 cm higher than the previous ones.In the case of individual planting, this procedure can be neglected, performing regular sanitary pruning only. When creating hedges, geometric shapes, border plantings, this pruning will be an annual necessity.
To give shape, the shrub is formed gradually. First, 3-4 main, skeletal branches are laid. Over time, the number is increased by adding two more skeletal branches. Thus, due to the different size of the shoots, it is possible to form a pyramidal-shaped barberry.
Features of pruning barberry Thunberg
Thunberg barberry is often planted as an ornamental shrub in Russia. All varieties of this plant are characterized by high frost resistance, unusual leaf color, but most importantly, they are used to decorate the garden. Barberry fruits are inedible.
Dwarf varieties require minimal pruning. Their average annual growth is 3-5 cm. The crown is slightly adjusted to obtain a more spectacular look. Thunberg barberry is used for border plantings. As for pruning procedures, they are intended not only for decorative, but also for sanitary purposes.
- The first pruning of barberry is carried out at the age of 10 years, subsequent ones – annually.
- Considering the thorniness of the plant, it is worth carrying out the work in compliance with personal safety rules. It is advisable to wear long protective gloves. The tools you will need are a sharp garden pruner and a hacksaw.
- Pruning begins by removing the lower branches, which are located near the soil.
- Shorten the shoots to a developed bud.
- Large cuts must be treated with garden varnish.
- The crown is formed by cutting out part of the young growth.
- The cuts are made at an angle as close to the kidney as possible. The surface should be smooth, without burrs or crumpling of the bark.
- The lateral branches are cut directly along the annular bead at the base of the shoot.
- To make barberry more easily tolerate anti-aging pruning, it is carried out in several stages.
- The remains of pruned shoots, dry leaves and other organic debris should be removed from the area where barberry grows. Such cleaning allows you to avoid infections and parasites getting inside the bush.
- When planting, shorten healthy shoots and trim off weak shoots.
- In the fall, after pruning, they are fed with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.
- Low-growing barberry varieties should not be specially shaped. For them, it is enough to trim dry, diseased branches.
Conclusion
Pruning barberry is not only a decorative design of the bush, but also a procedure that maintains the health of the plant at the proper level. Indeed, in heavily thickened crowns there is poor ventilation, which provokes the occurrence of infections and the development of parasites. Of course, pruning requires certain skills. However, there is no need to be afraid of difficulties. With each new season and bush, experience will accumulate.
