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Almost every summer resident dreams of having a tree in his garden that can become the central element, and the plant should have a decorative appearance throughout the year. An excellent option in this case would be weeping rowan. Such a tree can rightfully become the highlight of the garden. This is primarily due to the fact that in spring quite beautiful flowers appear, creating a romantic image. In summer a cascading crown of leaves appears, in autumn the leaves acquire bright colors, fruits appear, and in winter you can admire the beautiful branches of weeping rowan.
These types of trees are perfect when you plan to unusually design an artificial pond on a summer cottage or a Japanese-style garden. In addition, the weeping forms of trees can be used as an attractive background for arranging a flower garden or decorating a romantic alley. This option can also be planted next to a bench to get a kind of beautiful canopy that will protect from direct sunlight in the summer.
Description of weeping rowan
Weeping rowan on a trunk, as a rule, grows in natural conditions: in forest belts, steppes, mountains, as well as on plains, the territory of the eastern and western hemispheres.A distinctive feature of this culture is the fact that it is able to decorate the garden in winter, which is facilitated by shoots of a rich yellow-red hue. In spring, feathery leaves of rich green color and a large number of small snow-white flowers appear on the weeping form of rowan. In autumn, you can see small berries of rich red color and golden foliage on the rowan tree. The fruits begin to appear on the tree in the second half of summer and remain until the first frost.
As practice shows, weeping rowan has an irregular crown shape. The branches are quite thin and long, they hang down to the ground, in addition, they can intertwine with each other. The height of the tree largely depends on the height at which the grafting was carried out. If the rowan grafting process is carried out correctly, then after 5 years the tree can grow to almost 6 m in height, and the crown size can vary from 4 to 6 m.
During the flowering period, small white flowers appear. As a rule, the inflorescence is collected in fairly dense scutes. The flowering period is short and can take from 5 to 7 days. The first fruits appear in the first half of July. The leaf blade is pinnate, simple in appearance. The first leaves can be seen in early spring. Initially, the leaf blade is a rich green color, gradually it becomes orange-red or golden.
Despite the fact that this species is undemanding to the soil, it is worth taking into account the fact that cultivation in a saline area or on land where there is stagnation of water is not allowed. An excellent solution would be to choose an area located in partial shade or illuminated by a large amount of sunlight.If necessary, you can choose a cool and moderately humid place. If the drought continues for quite a long time, the growth of weeping mountain ash is significantly reduced.
Thanks to the work of breeders, it was possible to develop a large number of forms of decorative rowan that have not only a weeping, but also a spreading, pyramidal crown. The foliage is golden or variegated, and the shade of the fruit can be crimson, yellow, or white.
Formation of the red weeping form of rowan
In the process of forming a standard weeping rowan, it is worth taking into account the fact that this process is quite drawn out, as a result of which it will take a lot of time. Thus, the weeping rowan will acquire its final attractive form only after it is about 8-10 years old.
During the formation work, it is recommended to bend the young branches to the ground as carefully as possible, while bending them in the required direction. For these purposes, use a rope and fairly stiff wire. In this case, you will need to bend the wire so that it is directed towards the bend of the branch, after which they are tied with a rope. The rowan branches must be securely fixed in the desired direction, but you should not use excessive zeal. The bark should not be damaged and the branches should not be broken.
The fixing elements are removed only after the inclined branches have become stiff and have taken the required position. If the shaping work was carried out in the fall, then next fall the fixation can be removed.Many experts recommend using rope, since the wire becomes cold in winter, as a result of which it can easily scratch the bark of the rowan tree.
If you plan to grow ordinary weeping rowan, you should take into account the fact that such an unusual shape of branches is not inherited, as a result of which reproduction is possible using grafting.
For propagation, if necessary, you can use seeds or bring a small seedling of weeping rowan from the forest. Cuttings, as a rule, are used for spring grafting and harvested from February to March. The thickness of the cut cutting should be approximately the size of a pencil.
After the planting material has been prepared, it is placed in the refrigerator for about 21 days, first wrapped in moss or damp paper. 24 hours before the planned grafting, it is recommended to place the weeping rowan cuttings in water, having previously updated the cut of the lower part.
It is recommended to carry out vaccination in May, while the temperature should vary from +23°C to +25°C, and the humidity level should be quite high. If necessary, work can be carried out in the summer - in July.
Caring for weeping rowan
After the crop is planted in a permanent place of growth, watering must be plentiful for 14 days - at least 10 liters of water must be spent on each bush. It is recommended to water the crop early in the morning or in the evening a few hours before sunset.
After the soil has been irrigated, the soil is loosened and weeds are removed as necessary.Since moisture can evaporate quite quickly in the summer, it is best to mulch the tree trunk circle. For mulching, peat, sand, pebbles and expanded clay are used - the mulch layer should be approximately 12 cm. In addition, thanks to the mulch layer, the soil practically does not heat up in the summer and does not freeze in the winter.
Complex mineral fertilizers can be used as fertilizing. As practice shows, the greatest efficiency has been recorded with summer fertilizing. If you plan to use phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, then you should understand that they can be used once every 2.5 years. In addition, many experts do not recommend using nitrogen fertilizers often enough. This is primarily due to the fact that a large amount of nitrogen has a negative effect on the winter hardiness of the crop; in addition, weeping rowan takes root quite poorly.
In the first year of life, it is necessary to carry out formative pruning; this work should be carried out before the first buds on the tree bloom. In this case, you will need to remove the shoots that appeared from the young buds on the trunk. It is also worth getting rid of the rootstock shoots that appear below the grafting site, near the roots. It is recommended to use pruning shears for pruning, but you should make sure that no stumps remain after the work. If, after the grafting has been carried out, the weeping rowan begins to bloom, then all flowers should be removed immediately.
Conclusion
Weeping rowan is a rather graceful and delicate crop that will fit perfectly into the design of any plot of land. Thanks to its unusual and at the same time attractive appearance, it has become a favorite among many landscape designers. As practice shows, there should be no difficulties with the care and formation of the crown. If necessary, you can use the advice and recommendations of many experienced specialists or gardeners, as a result of which everyone, even a novice gardener, can grow a weeping form of rowan.
It is important to understand that in order for the weeping rowan to please with its appearance for many years, it is necessary to provide the crop with high-quality care. In addition, the formation of the crown should also be approached as responsibly as possible, otherwise the tree will not be able to become a central figure in the garden, in the worst case, it will die.
