Harvest and medicinal sea buckthorn in your garden
Sea buckthorn can rightfully be called the most favorite plant among gardeners. It not only possesses high resistance to diseases, pests and weather conditions, but also differs in rapid growth (in relation to branching) and a dense crown, due to which it is often used to create impassable hedges. Moreover, not every shrub can boast of such healthy and edible fruits. They are delicious, have healing properties and are widely used in folk medicine to treat many diseases.
One of the most famous shrub species is the buckthorn buckthorn. It can be found both in the wild and in cultural plantings. The bush is very beautiful in itself, and when sweet and sour fruits begin to ripen, it becomes a real decoration of the site.
Description of the plant
Buckthorn grows sea buckthorn in the form of a low tree or a rather large bush. Under favorable conditions, its height is 5 m, on average, the "growth" of the bush is about 3 m. The spreading dense crown in diameter is equal to the height of the sea buckthorn and actively branches. Young twigs are brown; with age, the bark acquires a beautiful silvery hue. Small narrow leaves have the same ebb, while on the reverse side they have small villi and gray color predominates, and the surface of the plate is light green and smooth.
All shoots of sea buckthorn are covered with thin sharp thorns, which slightly complicates the care of the bush and harvesting, but makes it an excellent protection from uninvited guests.
At the end of March, small yellow-green flowers with a light sweet aroma bloom on the bush, and in August round orange balls (drupes) begin to fill up with juice. Harvesting, with which the bush is simply plastered over, begins only after the first frost - they remove the characteristic astringency from the berries.
Features of growing sea buckthorn
To grow lush bushes, it is necessary to take a sunny place for buckthorn buckthorn, since seedlings develop poorly in the shade and may even die. The plant prefers light sandy soils and dislikes heavy, clayey soil where it will start to ache. But the high humidity of the air has a positive effect on the sea buckthorn, so it can often be found near water bodies among the rocks. When landing in a hole, it is advisable to add compost, in general, the bush does not need frequent fertilization. But for the first few years, young sea buckthorn should be watered regularly and abundantly. Adult specimens tolerate drought and frost well.
Sea buckthorn will bear fruit only if plants of both sexes (both male and female) are planted on the site. It is a dioecious culture.
Shrub care is simple and consists of the following:
- Regular watering of young seedlings.
- Sanitary spring pruning of dry branches.
- Thinning the bush in the fall by pulling out root young shoots.
Sea buckthorn does not need a shaping haircut, since it recovers poorly after it.The bush can be propagated by seeds, root shoots or young twigs.