Hawthorn propagation

Hawthorn - is a shrub or tree from the Rosaceae family, the height of which can reach 4 m. Many varieties of hawthorn are deciduous multi-stemmed trees, but there are also semi-evergreen species of the plant. Hawthorns reach a height of 3 to 5 m, but in optimal conditions they can grow up to 12 m. Their crown is round, dense, ovoid or spherical, often asymmetrical. The bark is gray or brown, cracked or ribbed, in some species it peels off in small plates. The branches are straight, sinuous or weeping. Young shoots are with felt pubescence or bare, purple-red in color.



The branches of many species are armed with leafless spines from 5 mm to 10 cm long, developing from axillary buds. Asian and European species of hawthorn have small spines or none at all. Rounded, rhombic, elliptical or ovoid leaves of hawthorn with pinnate-incised, entire or lobed blade with serrated, toothed or dissected edges are located on shoots in a spiral. The length of the leaves from 1 to 12 cm, they can be bare or densely pubescent, petiolate or almost sessile.

In autumn, the leaves of many species turn orange, purple or golden, but some species keep their leaves green until they fall.



Hawthorn is usually planted in garden plots to create an impassable hedge, and also as a separate plant to obtain fruits. Planting is done in spring or autumn, and autumn planting, as in the case of other fruit trees, is preferable. Hawthorn loves open sunny areas and heavy fertile soils with good drainage.

The choice of location and method of planting hawthorn depends on the purpose for which you are growing it. If you are interested in the fruit harvest, it is better to plant two or three plants at a distance of about two meters from each other - this way they will be better pollinated. To seal the planting hole, you need to prepare a mixture of peat, sand, humus, the upper fertile layer of soil and very carefully add a little lime to it.

Hawthorn is planted for a hedge in a common trench 50 cm deep and wide. The seedlings are placed in it at a distance of about 50 cm from each other. When choosing a place for a fence, try to avoid even the slightest shading, since the trees will not develop in cramped conditions, and especially in the shade. The best planting material is two-year-old seedlings. For solo planting, a hole is dug about 70 cm deep and wide, into which a layer of broken brick, crushed stone or gravel 15-20 cm thick is placed, and a layer of sand 5 cm thick is poured on top.



The roots of the seedling are carefully straightened, placed in the hole and covered with the prepared soil mixture so that the root collar is 3-5 cm above the surface level. After planting, the seedlings are watered generously, and when the water is absorbed, the trunk area is mulched with a layer of compost, peat or humus at least 5 cm thick, and the shoots of the seedlings are shortened to 10 cm.

Hawthorn can be grown from seeds, and the first shoots appear only after several years. Due to the super-hard shell, the seeds need stratification for 6-12 months. After a day of treatment in a one-percent solution of potassium nitrate, the seeds are sown in a separate bed before winter. The ladder develops very slowly, several tens of centimeters per year, and needs to be grown for 2-3 years.

Thanks to its excellent branching, hawthorn is much easier to grow from layers or by digging up root shoots. Favorite varieties and forms can be grafted.

For hawthorn, biennial plants are considered the preferred option for seedlings. Preparation comes down to the usual soaking for seedlings with an open root system and watering for container plants. The need for pruning depends on the form in which you want to grow hawthorn:

• for a tree-like form, it is better not to prune or slightly shorten the shoots, then remove excess stems;
• to obtain bushes, those species that tend to grow as a tree should be cut to short stumps so that they put out numerous shoots and turn into bushes.

Hawthorn bushes can be planted both in the spring, before the armor swells, and in the fall, from the second half of October until the end of November.

The optimal distance between hawthorn bushes and neighboring plants is from 1 to 2 m, depending on the maximum height of the selected variety and species. Hawthorn is planted in space planting holes with a diameter and depth of about 70 cm. It is better to put a powerful drainage of broken brick, crushed stone, sand at the bottom with a height of about 10-15 cm.

When planting, you should pay attention to the root collar: it should remain at the same level with the ground after the soil has settled.

In fact, hawthorn does not need any care at all. It is so drought-resistant that it can do without any watering at any age.
For abundant flowering and the best harvest, usually carry out maintenance watering with a frequency of about 1 time per month, in a long drought - 2-3 times (1 bucket per bush). In addition to watering, it is appropriate to apply 1-2 additional fertilizers per year. In the spring, use a complete mineral fertilizer or any mature organic matter in a standard amount (50-60 g and 5-6 kg). Repeated feeding can be done before flowering, with green fertilizers or manure infusion.

Do not allow weeds to grow under the bushes. Weeding several times a year with loosening of the soil to a depth of 10 cm can be replaced by simple mulching with any available materials.



All types of hawthorn tolerate pruning and shaping well, they can be contained in height, thickened and given certain contours. To form impenetrable, very dense thorny hedges, hawthorn is cut after planting to the height of stumps of 15-20 cm, and then 1-2 shoots are left annually until a solid wall is formed, intertwining the branches with each other to the desired height, width and density. Damaged dry branches must be removed annually, mandatory for any type. Hawthorn is best pruned before the buds open, and, if necessary, fences can be pruned in July.

Hawthorns rarely get sick. When spreading among apple trees in the garden, rust, powdery mildew, and spotting sometimes fall on the bushes. It is better to cut out damaged shoots with traces of plaque, and before winter or early spring, before the buds open, spray the bushes with a regular solution of Bordeaux mixture or another systemic fungicide. Of the pests, the greatest harm to hawthorn is caused by kidney mites, weevils, apple pollen beetles, scale insects and other insects that affect maples, cherries and apple trees. Autumn and spring treatment with colloidal sulfur or a systemic insecticide quickly solves the problem.

All types and varieties of hawthorn that are zoned and recommended for the Ukrainian climate do not require special preparation for winter. It is enough to slightly increase the mulch in the fall, and for newly planted plants - add dry leaves to a height of about 5-10 cm.