Irga is a berry shrub, but it is not found in every garden. Landing and caring for the game is not particularly difficult, but requires compliance with certain rules. The article discusses the features of planting and growing shrubs, as well as methods of its reproduction.
Spread
Most of all, irga has become popular in Europe and North America. In Canada alone, in recent years, breeders have developed many new varieties of irgi. They have not yet appeared on the territory of Russia, but there are several varieties that are considered the most suitable not only in terms of berry, but also as an ornamental crop.
Kinds
In nature, there are about 25 species of irgi, but only a few varieties are grown, and not all of them produce high-quality berries. Often, shrubs are planted solely to decorate a garden or garden.
Common Irga
The shrub reaches a height of about three meters. It is characterized by a wide crown that forms thin branches. They are initially gray in color, but as they mature, the plants turn brown. Pinkish-white buds bloom within 10 days. At this time, the bush has an unusual appearance.
The irgi species can grow for 15 years, having taken root in one place. The advantages include endurance, resistance to cold, drought and winds. Fruiting occurs 4 years after planting in open ground.
Irga spiky
Ornamental plant - grows like a bush or small tree. In spring, white or pale pink flowers appear on the irga. The advantages of this species include increased resistance to pests and diseases, resistance to frost. The plant is able to withstand even frosts at temperatures of -50 degrees, for which it is especially appreciated by the inhabitants of the north of Russia.
The berries are small, weighing about 5-8 g. As they ripen, the peel changes from a pale green hue to raspberry, then to a dark blue or black color. The plant has a well-developed, superficial root system. The height of the tree does not exceed five meters. Leaves are opaque, ovoid, green. The taste of the fruit is good, sweet, but cloying.
Irga blood red
Blood-red berry is a shrub, the height reaches no more than three meters. Its fruits ripen late and have a flattened shape.
The berries taste mediocre, they are not eaten by birds, due to the minimum content of seeds. The berries weigh no more than 8 g. The pulp of the fruit is light, like the juice. Up to 5 kg of berries are obtained from one shrub.
Irga canadian
This is a six-meter shrub or sapling up to 10-12 meters high. When the leaves open, there are many, which gives the plant splendor, making it silvery. The plant is especially decorative at the time of flowering, completely covered with tassels of white flowers. There are few fruits, but they are tasty and large, contain many acids and sugars.
This species is characterized by good winter hardiness, but in severe winters it can freeze slightly. Disembarkation is carried out in the spring or before winter. An effective method of propagation is considered to be cuttings. It is easy to care for the plant, it practically does not need watering and is easy to decorative haircut.
Irga alder-leaved
In the middle lane, the bush grows in height, reaching 2-4 meters. At the end of May, white flowers form on it, then small berries are tied, the weight of which does not exceed 2 g. In the brush there can be up to 14 berries. The harvest ripens amicably, it is harvested several times. The berries have an excellent taste, contain acids and sugars in equal proportions.
Alder-leaved irga is a moisture-loving plant. It occurs on the banks of rivers, streams, on wet slopes, but will not grow on marshy terrain. The plant is recommended to be planted in spring or autumn. Two methods of propagation are used - from seeds and cuttings. Irga needs regular watering. It endures the winter. Fruiting occurs 5 years after planting.
Irga Lamarca
Irga Lamarca is an ornamental species cultivated in gardens and parks in Europe. It is rare in Russia, although the variety is considered very resistant to cold and pleases with its appearance throughout the season. It grows in oak and birch forests with acidic soils, also on peatlands.
The size of the shrub is high, the leaves, fruits and flowers are large. Leaves 4-9 cm long, oval and copper-purple in color, both in spring and autumn. The flowers are collected in a drooping brush. The berries are dark blue. From one bush get from 5 to 7 kg of berries.
Choosing a place and soil
Irga is a fruitful berry bushes, it needs indirect sunlight. The best harvest is harvested from plants planted on sandy loamy sod-podzolic and loamy fertile soils.
The plant is not afraid of shaded areas and lack of moisture, due to which planting on the territory along the fence is permissible. Irgu is also planted in the same way as other berry bushes such as gooseberries or currants.
In the spring-autumn period, seedlings are inserted 8 cm deeper than they previously grew. This is necessary for the growth of more basal shoots. Many gardeners choose the most convenient way for them - planting irgi as a hedge. So the territory is transformed.
Landing
For planting, it is recommended to give preference to frost-resistant species and varieties characterized by a high yield of delicious berries. If the irgi is an ornamental plant, the yield in this case does not matter. In the first place should be the age of the seedlings. It is believed that one- and biennial plants take root faster.
When choosing a seedling, gardeners pay attention to a healthy root system: there should be no signs of drying and rot. It is equally important to inspect the trunk of the seedling so that it is well developed and there is no damage to the bark.
Nurseries offer closed-root seedlings grown in large containers. For planting, it is better to choose them. Such a plant does not have to waste time to restore the root system damaged during transplantation, it will take root faster and begin to grow. Containers of seedlings have no time limits for planting - it is allowed to carry out planting during the entire growing season.
Irga is a long-lived plant, therefore the place for it is chosen carefully, taking into account the size, as well as the requirements for growing conditions.
The choice of location is based on the following rules:
- The site should be well lit - this will contribute to good productivity.
- The value of soil acidity should not exceed 6.5-7.
- The irgi is planted on soils with a low groundwater table.
- The mechanical composition of the soil should be light (sandy loam or loose loam with a high humus content).
All weeds are removed in the selected area. It is better if the soil in the previous season was kept under “black” steam. It is optimal to sow it with legumes - they improve fertility. Before digging, up to 10 kilos of rotted compost or humus, 40 grams of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are applied per square meter.
Irga is planted in the ground in early spring or late autumn. When planting in spring, make sure that the buds do not swell. During the autumn planting, the tree should already drop the leaves, but so that 3 more weeks are left before the frosts - this is the time required for rooting. Each seedling needs an area of up to 4 squares, because between them the distance should be about two meters. When forming a hedge, the planting of seedlings is carried out at a distance of one meter from each other.
Seedling planting procedure:
- Dig a hole 60x60 cm in size, discarding the upper fertile layer in a separate pile.
- For a hedge, dig a 40x30 cm trench.
- Mix the top layer with a bucket of humus by adding 200 g of potassium salt or 1 kg of ash, as well as 300 g of superphosphate.
- Pour the cooked mixture onto the bottom of the pit with a mound.
- Set the seedling, carefully spreading its roots. If there is damage, they are removed.
- Fill the root system with soil so that the root neck remains just above the level of the pit.
- Pour a bucket of water under the bush, mulch the soil with humus.
If damage to the root system is noticed during planting, it is necessary to shorten the trunk of the seedling by cutting it by 4-5 buds.
Growing features
There are some requirements regarding plant care. The growth and development of plants, as well as productivity, depend on their implementation.
Watering
Irgi shrubs take root well after planting and do not need special care. Plants grow and bear fruit, but with regular and abundant watering, the number of fruits will become noticeably larger. Moist soil protects the roots better and allows the shrub to always be healthy and strong.
Top dressing
When the tree turns 4-5 years old, 300 g of superphosphate, 200 g of potash fertilizers without chlorine, and several buckets of humus are annually introduced into the trunk circle for digging. Be sure to retreat 20-30 cm from the root collar. From spring to mid-summer, irga is fed with liquid organics - 5 l of a 10% solution of chicken droppings for each bush.
It is recommended to apply liquid fertilizers at night after abundant watering or rain, and scatter dry fertilizers around the trunk circle, stepping back 30 cm from the bush, embedding them in the soil, and then watering the area. As it grows, the amount of fertilizer increases.
Pruning
Although the irga tolerates pruning without complications, this procedure is carried out only if necessary. To do this less often, they adhere to some recommendations:
- plant a plant in a well-lit area so that the rays of the sun penetrate into the thick of the bush;
- cut only low varieties of irgi, since tall bushes with full growth will not be able to trim even when using the stairs;
- pruning is done 1-2 years after planting a bush;
- the procedure is carried out in early spring before the start of sap flow.
The first years of growth of irgi leave only a few of the strongest zero shoots from the root growth, the rest are removed. When the shrub has enough trunks, the two oldest are removed annually, and the same amount is left in return from the root growth - this contributes to the annual rejuvenation of the plant without reducing yield indicators.
In young plants, all vertical shoots are shortened by a quarter of last year's growth. In other years, the lateral branches are cut to stimulate the growth of the crown in breadth, otherwise it will be difficult in the future to remove ripe berries from the branches that have grown up. Sections on annual shoots are not necessary to process, but on adult branches it is necessary to process them with garden varieties (but not in cold weather).
In addition to trimming, a sanitary procedure is also carried out to form the crown. To do this, remove the broken, dry and thickening shoots, that is, branches growing inside the bush. Be sure to fight the root shoot. To rejuvenate the old shrub, they cut it, as they say, "under the stump."
Irga in autumn
In the autumn period, after the end of fruiting, sanitary and thinning pruning of the irgi is carried out, if necessary, fertilizer is applied, digging the site and getting rid of fallen leaves. These are all procedures that are carried out for the plant at the end of the growing season. Irga hibernates without shelter, which is facilitated by increased resistance to frost.
Reproduction
There are several ways of breeding iregi. These include cuttings, grafting, growing from seeds, dividing the bush. Irgu is also propagated by layering. Each method has its own characteristics and negative aspects.
Cuttings
Reproduction by green cuttings in irgi is carried out successfully and practically without difficulty. The effectiveness of the method lies in the possibility of rooting 95% of cut shoots. Green cuttings are cut during intensive shoot growth - this is the period from late June to July 10. Cuttings are cut from the top of 5-6 summer branches. The length of the cuttings should be at least 12-15 cm. The lower leaves are removed from them, only two pairs of upper leaves are left.
Next, you need to process the lower cut of the cuttings in the root cultivator and plant obliquely at a distance of 5 cm from each other. Plant the cuttings in greenhouses, where the correct humidity regime is observed - at a level of 70-80%. The stalk takes root in 3-4 weeks. After that, films are removed so that the plant grows in the open. Plants are regularly watered and fertilized. In the spring of next year, plants are transplanted.
Graft
In the first or second summer month, cuttings are cut from 5-year-old shrubs from the upper part of 5-6 year old branches. The length of the cuttings should be no more than 15 cm. The lower leaves are removed from them, leaving several upper ones. Place the cuttings for 12 hours in the root, then rinse the roots in clean water. The plant is ready to be planted in clean soil in a cool greenhouse. This is done at an inclination at a distance of 4 cm. Sprinkle the soil with a layer of sand 10 cm thick on top. It is better that the cuttings are 20 cm below the greenhouse ceiling.
After planting the cuttings, they are carefully watered. In the greenhouse, the temperature is optimally set to 25 degrees. To do this, sometimes remove the top of the greenhouse and ventilate the cuttings. It is important to keep the soil moist. After rooting the cuttings, the film is removed during the day, and after complete strengthening, the plants are no longer covered.
After 20-25 days, the cuttings will have a strong root system, which will allow them to be transplanted to a temporary bed, where they are fertilized with manure diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 8. Caring for cuttings is the same as for adult plants. The next fall, plants are transplanted to a permanent site.
Reproduction by layering
This method requires taking well-developed branches of a one- or two-year-old plant. Layering is desirable in early spring. Near the bush, furrow the soil, where layering is laid. The laid shoots are fixed with metal brackets, and the tops of the shoots are made shorter. After growing green shoots out of the buds (to a height of 10-12 cm), sprinkle them with earth half the height, repeat the procedure after 3 weeks. In the fall, transfer to a permanent place.
Growing from seeds
This method is considered the best for reproduction. But its disadvantage is the duration of the procedure. The seeds are bought in specialized stores or harvested on their own from ripe berries. Seeds must not be dried, mixed with sand or stored in a cold room until sowing. If you pre-prepare the seeds, seedlings will be quick. They are placed between cotton wool soaked in hydrogen peroxide and wrapped in plastic wrap. Store in this way for 4 months.
In spring, the seeds are sown under a film at a distance of 20 cm from each other. Seedlings will appear in 14-20 days. It is allowed to sow seeds in the beds prepared in advance from the fall. So after sowing in open ground, the seeds will sprout in the spring.
Dividing the bush
This method is used only in an extremely rare case, if there is a need to transplant a bush from one site to another. The best time for the procedure is considered early spring, before the buds swell, or autumn, a month before frost.
The bush is removed from the ground, cut off. After removing the old branches, and gently brushing the earth from the roots, divide the rhizome into several parts. Sometimes an ax is used. Each part is checked - it should have a healthy aerial part, consisting of at least two shoots, and also a well-developed root system. It is recommended to remove old roots, trim the rest.Next, parts of the bush are planted in prepared pits.
Diseases, Pests and Prevention
Irga is a plant in which good health is inherent. But sometimes shrubs are exposed to certain diseases and pests:
Name of disease / pest | Symptoms | Methods of struggle |
Tuberculosis | The leaves of the plant turn brown, then dry out and fall off. Then the branches begin to dry; small red tubercles form on them. | Having discovered the symptoms of the disease, diseased branches are cut and burned, and the plant is sprayed with Bordeaux liquid or copper sulphate. For prevention, it is recommended to spray the plant in the spring. |
Phyllostic spotting | The disease is manifested by wilting leaves, brown spots are formed on them. | To combat the disease, leaves are burned, and plants are treated with Bordeaux liquid before flowering and after. |
Gray rot | Spots quickly spreading on the leaves. Then the leaves turn yellow, after which they are covered with fluffy gray mold, and eventually disappear altogether. | Usually, the cause of the disease is excess moisture, therefore, initially eliminate the cause. If this is not possible, it is recommended to transplant the plant to another, less humid place. For treatment and prevention, Bordeaux is used. |
Irgovy family | The pest penetrates the fetus and eats the seeds, after which it pupates there. | Karbofos or Fufanon will help fight the parasite. |
Speckled Moth | It hurts the leaves of the plant, because of which they dry out and fall off. | Get rid of the parasite will help Karbofos, which is sprayed with a berry. |
Harvesting
The ripening of the fruit of the irgi occurs at the same time on the brush, which brings a lot of inconvenience when harvesting, but at the same time gives extraordinary color. Starting from the largest fruits at the base of the inflorescence-brush, they consistently change their hue from red to dark purple.
Harvested several times as the berries ripen. Fruits for fresh consumption are stored for several days at room temperature. When stored in a refrigerator at a temperature of 0 degrees, the shelf life is significantly increased.
This video will tell you how to collect only a ripe harvest of iregi:
Beneficial features
Sugar (glucose and fructose), some organic acids are present in the berry. When the berries ripen, vitamin C accumulates in large quantities in them. Also, the fruits are rich in vitamins A, B, B2, carotene, mineral salts, tannins, trace elements - manganese, copper, iodine, iron, cobalt.
Iringa is used to make homemade wine, candied fruit, jam, jelly, jam, compote, pastille. Berries are allowed to be frozen, canned, dried. The juice can be easily squeezed out a week after picking berries. Often, irgi is used as a substitute for raisins.
The valuable substances that make up the plant make it medicinal. Juice prevents thrombosis. Berries are prescribed for the prevention of ulcers as a fixing agent. Fruits are used to relieve inflammatory processes in the oral cavity, for the treatment of inflamed gums, and for eye diseases. Irgi berries are no less useful for disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.
Irga is a unique plant with many useful properties. With its proper planting, cultivation and care, it will be possible to get a healthy plant, pleasing not only with tasty and juicy berries, but also with an attractive appearance, which allows you to decorate the garden or the area near the house.
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Ukraine. City: Kryvyi Rih
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