Shrub cinquefoil or Kuril tea is an ornamental garden plant. It is a voluminous shrub up to 1.5 meters in size. With adequate care, the culture can live for more than 20 years. This plant is characterized by small leaves and lush flowering. To preserve the decorative appearance, there is a need to prune the cinquefoil bush (Kuril tea).
Why do this
There are several factors that create the need for systematic pruning.These include the following:
- Crown formation. With the help of pruning, it is possible to form a bush. This makes it more lush and dense. In addition, this procedure allows you to use the plant for hedges or other purposes.
- Rejuvenation. Pruning allows you to preserve and improve the decorative properties of the crop. Thanks to the renewal of shoots, growth and flowering processes are improved. The crop needs to be trimmed to a stump. This means that the shoots need to be cut off almost completely, leaving no more than 5-10 centimeters above the ground. This radical procedure is carried out at intervals of 5-7 years.
- Sanitary tasks. By systematically removing dry and damaged shoots, the health of the crop can be maintained.
To carry out the work, it is best to use garden pruning shears. To shape the crown, you may need to use a tape measure to accurately measure the size of the shoots. Haircutting is recommended in spring and autumn. Moreover, each option has its own nuances.
How to choose a period
Cinquefoil shrubs can be cut 1-2 times a year. It is recommended to do this in early spring - before the sap begins to flow. At the same time, a formative procedure is performed that helps maintain the decorative properties of the crop and stimulates the process of its growth. The second time pruning is carried out in the fall. It is important to complete the procedure before frost. At this stage it is worth carrying out sanitary pruning.
In autumn, it is recommended to cut off all fragments that are not productive. In this case, you need to get rid of old and diseased branches. It is also recommended to remove weak, broken and dry fragments that point inward.
It is important to consider that when growing crops in areas with cold climates, autumn pruning is not recommended.Old shoots can trap snow. At the same time, under snow cover the plant can withstand frosts more easily.
Carrying out shaping pruning in the spring allows the shrub variety to give a cushion or spherical shape. In this case, it is necessary to prune last year’s shoots by a third. Those that thicken need to be completely cut down to the ground.
At intervals of 5 years, cinquefoil needs rejuvenation. In this case, it is necessary to completely renew the bush. In this case, it is recommended to cut off the old shoots by a third. Spring haircuts should be carried out from mid-March to mid-April.
The only real difficulty that novice gardeners periodically face is distinguishing living shoots from dry ones. It can be difficult to do this on a plant that has just woken up. In such a situation, it is recommended to wait for the juices to begin to flow and the buds to swell and only then begin pruning.
Features of spring pruning
Of course, spring is considered the most favorable period for pruning this crop. First of all, this applies to the northern regions. A large number of dense shoots, which are left on the crop for the winter, trap a lot of snow. This serves as additional insulation for the culture.
What tools to prepare
The main tool used for pruning plants is a sharp pruner. Before carrying out work, it must be carefully sharpened and, if necessary, lubricated if there are areas with rust. It is important that the pruning shears be quite powerful, since old cinquefoil shoots reach a thickness of 0.8-1.2 meters.
If you plan to use cinquefoil to create a hedge, in addition to pruning shears, you will also need to prepare garden shears.If you need to create an exact shape or a whole hedge, you should additionally use a tape measure. It is recommended to use a fan rake to clear bushes and the soil underneath them. To protect the skin of your hands, it is advisable to use gardening gloves.
Trimming process
At the initial stage of work, it is recommended to remove blackened inflorescences that may be present at the ends of the shoots. You also need to get rid of dry and broken branches. In addition, in the spring it is recommended to remove the tips of frozen branches. This must be done before the first green.
After this, you should pay attention to the oldest shoots and cut out at least a few. This should be done near the very base of the bush. With this procedure it will be possible to slightly rejuvenate the culture.
The last thing to do is to start forming the crown. When performing the procedure for the first time, it is recommended to roughly measure the size and shape. In this case, the cinquefoil can be made spherical, oval and even cubic. Then you need to start shortening all the branches that go beyond the limits.
If the shape of the bush has already been formed earlier, it is enough to trim only the strongly protruding shoots. The remaining branches need to be shortened by a third or a quarter of the length. Sometimes the shape has to be adjusted a little. This happens in case of uneven lighting, if one part of the bushes outgrows another.
For crop pruning to be successful, it is recommended to adhere to the following rules:
- Before starting the procedure, the soil under the plant must be cleared of plant debris. To do this, you should use a fan rake.
- Use the same tool to comb the bushes to get rid of dry and lifeless fragments.
- Do not cut branches by more than half. It is best to remove no more than a third of the length.
- It is recommended to cut off broken and old shoots completely - from the very surface of the soil. In this case, the cuts need to be treated with garden varnish.
- It is recommended to cut weakened plants as close to the surface of the ground as possible. However, with strong cultures you need to do the opposite.
- It is important to make the cuts even, without leaving lacerations or hangnails on the branches.
How to prune in autumn
Autumn is considered a good time to prune the plant. The culture is gradually retiring, but you can still clearly see living and dried shoots on it. In autumn, cinquefoil is pruned to rejuvenate the bush or give it shape. If you complete the procedure before permanent snow falls, the crop will look perfect when spring arrives.
At this time, pruning should be done after the last flowers have withered. This can also be done before the threat of frost or snow. The timing of the procedure varies significantly depending on the region. However, most often it is carried out from late September to early November.
Selecting Tools
To trim cinquefoil in the fall, it is recommended to use the same materials and tools as in the spring.
Step by step process
To ensure a successful procedure, it is recommended to do the following:
- Inspect the plant. Since the leaves have not yet fallen and are green in color, you can immediately see branches that have dried out and withered. They need to be cut to the base or to a viable bud if present.
- Thin out the branches inside the bush and remove excess shoots.
- Partially cut off young shoots to strong shoots. This will help give the plant the desired shape - spherical or square. Thanks to this, in the spring the prunings will be covered with new shoots.
- After completing the procedure, remove all debris around the trunk. It is recommended to get rid of fallen leaves, branches, and grass. You should also loosen the soil to avoid the entry of harmful insects and their larvae, which can damage the roots.
- For prevention, treat the crop with Bordeaux mixture.
There is no need to cover the cinquefoil for the winter. It winters well because it is not afraid of frost. In general, autumn pruning is recommended in fairly warm regions. This is not worth doing in the northern regions.
How to care after
The culture is considered very undemanding to care. However, to preserve its decorative quality, you still need to follow some rules:
- Systematically weed the plantings, loosen the soil in the tree trunk circle, and moisten the plants abundantly during periods of drought.
- In spring, cover the beds with a layer of mulch. For this, it is recommended to use peat or wood shavings.
- For abundant flowering, add a complex mineral preparation intended for flowering crops.
- In hot weather, cinquefoil often drops its flowers. To avoid this, the plant should be sprayed in the evenings with a spray bottle. This allows the plant to breathe and will continue the flowering period.
- If the plant is susceptible to diseases such as ash blight, spot and rust, it is worth using fungicides. To do this, use “Fitosporin” or Bordeaux mixture.
- Of the harmful insects, the plant most often suffers from cutworms. Their larvae can lead to the destruction of an entire crop. To cope with parasites, you can use Fitoverm or Decis.
- Young plants need to be insulated for the winter. It is recommended to use fallen leaves for this.
Pruning shrubby cinquefoil has a number of distinctive features.This procedure can be carried out in spring and autumn. It is important to do this clearly according to the rules. Thanks to this, the plant will maintain its decorative properties and will not suffer from diseases and pests.
