Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is a bushy shrub which belongs to the family of Eleagnaceae. This woody, tortuous-looking shrub has many thorns and a deciduous foliage green and silver. He blooms in April, even before the leaves have formed, and from the age of 3 or 4 years, it produces beautiful orange-yellow drupes grouped along the branches, which bring an ornamental touch to the garden in autumn and winter. But they can also be harvested to be eaten in compotes, juice or syrup. It would be a shame to deprive yourself of it since the fruits of Sea Buckthorn are small berries tasty well provided with vitamins and whose sour taste is much appreciated. Here is how to plant and maintain a Sea Buckthorn.
Plant a Sea Buckthorn
Planting a Sea buckthorn takes place as follows.
- Hydrate the root ball for an hour by immersing the container in a large bucket of water.
- Dig a planting hole twice as large as the root ball, both in diameter and in depth.
- Work the extracted soil to loosen it and remove weeds.
- Place a good shovelful of compost mixed with sand at the bottom of the hole.
- Remove the root ball from the container.
- Untangle the roots without damaging them and remove those that are rotten.
- Install the Sea buckthorn in the center of the hole and take care to spread its roots.
- Fill with loose soil.
- Tamp at the foot.
- Lay a mulch about 4 cm thick.
- Water enough (about fifteen liters of water).
One can opt for planting various sea buckthorns. There are several varieties, for example, self-fertile (Friesdorfer Orange), male (Pollmix), female (To the eye). If you want to grow only one and still be able to enjoy its delicious fruits, you absolutely must opt for a self-fertile variety. The planting of a female specimen obliges to also install a male foot in order to allow the pollination necessary for fruiting.
Growing a Sea Buckthorn
This decorative shrub, which hardly lives more than 80 years, grows about 100 cm per year until reaching 4 or 5 meters in height. He tolerates all types of soil as long as it is well drainedand can therefore be planted indifferently in clayey, very calcareous, sandy and even extremely poor soil.
Preferably offered a very sunny spot, as is the case for the majority of plants with silvery foliage, especially since the shade is not conducive to the fruiting of Sea Buckthorn, nor for its growth. Apart from this single requirement, he resists everything : drought, extreme cold, spray, salinity, winds, and atmospheric pollution seems to have no impact on him.
It is used alone, in a shrub bed or even in a defensive or free hedge. It also finds its place on embankments, unevenness, in gardens with unstable ground because it retains the soil well. The icing on the cake, it offers a lodging of choice many small animals including birds, pollinating insects and others. Planting sea buckthorns therefore makes it possible to combine business with pleasure.
Pruning a Sea Buckthorn
It may be necessary to prune a Sea Buckthorn in order to remove damaged or dead branches. Take advantage of this maintenance pruning to cut off excess suckers. The best time to prune Sea Buckthorn is spring. Note, however, that Sea buckthorn bears fruit even if it has not been pruned.
Maintaining a Sea Buckthorn
The sea buckthorn has no special requirements. It is therefore an easy-going shrub that is suitable for beginner gardeners because it is quite possible to let it grow freely, without giving it any care.
Water
Even if the Sea buckthorn is very easy to live with, it is advisable to make sure to water it from time to time during the first year following its planting. in case of lasting drought or heat wave.
Pests and diseases
Ultra resistant, the Sea buckthorn does not fear much! At most it can be affected by scab due to a mite, but this has no unfortunate consequence for the shrub. On the disease side, there is no need to worry either because the marketed varieties are tough and therefore quite capable of resisting any pathogenic fungi.