As a result of breeding work on the crossing of two types of shrubs - common barberry and Thunberg barberry, a decorative variety appeared that incorporated the best qualities of its "parents". This barberry is known to gardeners and landscape designers as the Superba barberry. In some catalogs, the plant passes under the name Ottawa barberry.
Description of Barberry Superba
The dimensions of the Superba are impressive. Its height can reach 4 m. This shrub reaches such impressive dimensions in 7-8 years. At first glance, it may seem that its branches grow vertically. However, having reached a certain height, the branches begin to bow in an arcuate manner to the ground. Barberry Superba is a drooping bush. The stems are flexible, the bark is red-brown.
Barberry Ottawa Superba
The leaves are oval in shape, their sizes rarely exceed 5-6 cm. In spring, barberry releases fragrant flower brushes containing about 10-12 flowers. Fruits, subject to complete ripening, are conditionally edible. Eating unripe berries can lead to poisoning. Closer to autumn, the shrub turns bright orange, red or purple.
Planting a plant
The collection of seeds for planting is carried out exclusively from ripe fruits. After the seeds are separated from the berries, they need to be treated with a weak solution of manganese and dried. Seeds are poured into a container of wet sand, mixed well and placed in the cold until spring. This procedure is called stratification.
Seed planting
Planting seeds is allowed only in well-warmed soil. The beginning or mid-May is the most suitable time for planting barberry seeds in seedlings in individual containers. To achieve germination, it is necessary to place the seed no deeper than 1 cm. In these containers, young seedlings must exist for the whole season until a sufficiently strong root system is formed. If the root system does not have time to form, then the seedlings remain in the seedling containers until next spring.
Planting seedlings in open ground
Since the barberry of Thunberg Superba grows quite large, it is necessary to consider its placement, taking into account future dimensions. Shrub demanding lighting. The place for the plant should be lit as much as possible. This variety of barberry may exist in shaded places, but then it will lose its festive color and will not bear fruit.
Planting barberry in the ground
Landing is carried out in increments of one and a half meters. If it is planned to form a hedge from this shrub, then the seedlings are planted in a checkerboard pattern. In this case, there should be a distance of 70 cm between the seedlings.
Attention! Ottawa Barberry Superba is picky about soil composition. It should be nutritious, breathable and neutral.
Planting seedlings in open ground is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- Weeds and the remains of their roots are removed from the planting site.
- A 40x40 hole is dug.
- At the bottom of the pit is placed drainage, crushed stone, sand.
- A layer of earth is placed on top of the sand layer with lime and nitrogen fertilizers mixed into it.
- A seedling is placed in the pit and sprinkled with the remaining soil. The seedling is watered abundantly.
- The earth around the bush is mulched by bark of conifers or compost.
How to care for Superba barberry
Ottawa's Barberry of Thunberg is not a particularly demanding plant. It can tolerate sudden changes in temperature, prolonged dry periods, exhaust gases. In order for the plant to have a healthy appearance, some care rules will still have to be followed.
Watering
If hot weather without precipitation is established, then the Thunberg Ottawa barberry needs weekly watering. At least 10-15 liters of water should be consumed per bush. Shortly before the onset of autumn frosts, watering should be increased to 20-25 liters.
Top dressing
The first top dressing is required only a year after planting. For this, urea is used (8 liters per 1 m²). 4 years after planting, the bush is fed with nitrogen fertilizers. Potash fertilizers are applied at the end of the season. Fertilizer is applied twice a season - before the start of the growing season and at the end of it.
Pruning
The plant easily tolerates pruning. It can be formative and sanitary. As a rule, pruning of this shrub is carried out shortly before the onset of frost. At the same time, dried branches and branches growing in the wrong direction are removed.
Pruning barberry Superba
Breeding methods
There are several ways to propagate barberry. The easiest way to organize reproduction is layering. To do this, in early spring, you need to dig a young (1-2 year) shoot, securing it with a garden clip to the soil.
Barberry can be propagated by dividing the bush. To do this, remove the plant from the ground and carefully divide it with a sharp garden knife into 2 parts and place it in a nutritious soil mixture. It should be noted that the bush should not be younger than 3 years.
Cuttings are another way to propagate Berberis. Planting material is obtained from a young healthy stem. To do this, cut the stem with a sharp secateurs and cut the cuttings out of it. Leaves above and below are removed. After this, the cuttings are placed for several hours in water, treated with root, and then deepened into the nutrient medium.
Description of Auricoma barberry
Spreading spectacular shrub with strong fast-growing studded stems. The bark is bright brown, dense. Leaves can be red, purple or lilac, large, rounded. Like all barberries, Auricoma blooms in mid-May. Red or orange flowers are collected in a brush. Their full ripening occurs by the end of September.
Diseases and Pests
Aphids and moths are the only insects that can cause significant damage to the Berberis ottawensis shrub. In the fight against these malicious insects, insecticides such as "Alatar", "Spark", "Furanon" will be most effective.
In rare cases, the root system of a shrub can be affected by root rot, which is caused by fungi or bacteria. Since barberry usually demonstrates resistance to garden diseases, plant care should be analyzed and work on bugs should be done.
Attention! If the rot still infects the root system, you need to get rid of the plant as quickly as possible, and disinfect the soil.
Flowering period
The beginning of flowering Superba - the second half of May. Usually its duration is 10-14 days. Small yellow or yellow-orange flowers are collected in a brush. They give off a very pleasant sweet smell.
Winter preparations
Despite the fact that barberry can tolerate even very severe frosts, gardeners still insure the plant from freezing, neatly tying the branches and wrapping the bush with rags. If Superba barberry is grown as a hedge, then before the onset of cold weather the plant is sheared, and the root soil is covered with a thick layer of mulch.
Use in landscape design
Superba is very much loved by gardeners and is widely used in landscape design. The purpose of this spectacular shrub is to drape unsightly corners of the garden, serve as a backdrop for garden compositions, zoning plots. Barberries can be attached to any shape and height. The main thing is to trim it in time, preserving the geometry.
The use of barberry in landscape design
Healing properties
Theoretically, barberry is not considered edible because of the berberine alkaloid contained in its fruits. Nevertheless, its fruits are actively used in pharmacology for the manufacture of choleretic, anti-inflammatory, antitussive drugs.
Barberry Ottawa Superba is a beautiful shrub that does not require special growing skills. Often, landscape designers cultivate this unusual plant, using it everywhere in their projects.
