Rules for growing holly in the open field

Step-by-step instructions for planting, reproducing and caring for a beautiful holly shrub. The knowledge necessary for novice florists who decide to plant plants with dark green foliage and bright red berries on the site. Details and briefly about the performance of each operation.

A brief description of holly holly

Holly is a perennial with a high degree of winter hardiness. An adult plant can withstand frosts down to –20 ° C.

Here are the main characteristics of the holly in the table:

Reproduction methods

It is difficult to use seed for planting. This is a job for breeders: to take care of the seedlings for two years and only after that plant the shoots in open ground, then each holly seedling will need to be pollinated for the development of dioecious flowers.

Cuttings

We carry out robots in several stages:

1. From one-year-old growths, we cut cuttings, the length of which is up to 120 mm.
2. We remove all leaves from the bottom, to a height of 40-50 mm.
3. Fill the container with the Kornevin solution, place the cuttings in it for 24 hours.
4. After that, pour clean water into the bowl and keep the seedlings in it until the roots form. We change the water every day.
5. After that, we plant the cuttings that have taken root in the school. It is better to do it in partial shade on the site or plant it in seedling pots.
6. In winter, we reliably cover the school from frost and in early spring, after the established heat, we plant the grown bushes in open ground.

Layers

This method is useful if an adult holly bush is already growing on the site. The work is recommended to be performed according to the scheme:

1. Select a strong branch and dig a trench along its length.
2. We tilt and lay the branch cleared of foliage. 2-3 pegs pin it to the ground.
3. We water the prepared trench, cover it with soil.
4. After a while, the roots emerge from the buds and the first shoots appear.
5. In winter, we must cover the seedlings with shields and covering material.
6. Overwintered plants in the spring, 2-3 weeks before planting, we separate the stem with sprouts from the mother bush. Such work causes the rapid growth and development of the root system of daughter flowers.
7. Immediately before planting, remove the pegs and carefully tear off the branch with the seedlings.

It remains only to plant the plants in the prepared holes.

If you do not have the opportunity and time to prepare your own planting material, we go to specialized garden shops or nurseries. When buying, we pay attention to several key points:

• we get seedlings growing in a separate pot;
• when buying planting material with an open root system, we look at the condition of the roots. They should not be lethargic and dry.If the spine breaks when bent, we leave such seedlings in the store. A good bush should have at least 4-5 basic, well-developed roots;
• we evaluate the buds and branches of the bush, they should be flexible and not have damage and abrasions;
• the buds on the branches should not be dry.

Planting site and soil requirements

Holly holly is not picky about the level of illumination, but does not tolerate exposure to direct sunlight, especially in a hot period. Therefore, it is recommended to plant the bushes in partial shade conditions. The moisture level of the soil affects the development of the holly: it likes moist, but not swampy soil.

Holly shrubs do not develop well in heavy soil types and are susceptible to damage at sub-zero temperatures. According to the pH level, we select a site with acidic or slightly acidic soil.

We prepare holes for planting in the fall. To do this, we go deeper into 3 bayonets of the shovel. We fill the bottom with a layer of broken brick or sand for drainage. We mix the same amount of manure, peat and a fertile soil layer, pour it into the hole. The minimum distance between the holes is 2 m. The volume of the hole should be 3 times the size of the root system.

Landing

In the spring, when the heat is stable, we begin preparations for planting. If the holes have not been made in the fall, dig up and fill them with a nutrient mixture according to the previous scheme. We install a one-year-old seedling in the hole, fill in a bucket of water and carefully, so as not to damage the roots, fill the hole with soil. It is advisable to close up a peg for a garter near each bush.

A few tips for holly care

Having familiarized themselves with the simple rules for carrying out agrotechnical measures, every gardener can easily cope with such work.

Moistening, weed control and loosening of the soil

It will be necessary to increase the number of watering during a long drought. In a good season, the frequency of moistening is no more than 1 time per week. But if it's raining well, you don't need to pour water under the bushes. Work is best done at sunrise or sunset. It is allowed to wash off the dust from the foliage and water the entire bush, but not under the sun and not in extreme heat.

Weeds have no place in any garden bed, therefore, loosening the soil after each watering, we remove all weeds from the garden. This work will provide the bushes with good nutrition and will not allow them to take away nutrients. Loosening will provide an unobstructed passage of oxygen to the root system.

Top dressing

In the spring, carefully remove the top layer of soil and fill it with organic fertilizers or simply fill it with ready-made complex solutions. All season we feed holly bushes in 2 weeks using complex fertilizers. It is not recommended to take fresh manure due to the high content of pesticides and nitrogen.

Pruning

To form beautiful, unique hedges, you will need to perform the main shearing of the bushes in the spring and maintain their shape throughout the season. Much depends on your imagination and skill.

Wintering

An adult plant freely tolerates winters with a short-term drop to 20 ° frost. But holly will not be able to withstand prolonged exposure to negative temperatures. Therefore, in regions with harsh winters, plants will need to be covered. To do this, fill the root system with sawdust or peat. You can use fallen leaves from the bushes: pests cannot lay the larvae on them and subsequently damage the shrub.

If it is possible to provide the holly with normal moist and cool conditions for wintering indoors, we transplant the bushes into separate large containers and bring them under the roof in the pre-winter period. To protect one-year-old seedlings, it will be necessary to ensure their protection even in warm climates.

Every gardener is capable of performing simple garden work on growing and caring for holly holly. With a little time and effort, you get beautiful bushes in your hedge. They perfectly tolerate haircuts, allowing you to create sculptural compositions.But even without that, a well-groomed holly will decorate your site with beautiful foliage, flowers and scarlet berries.