Description and characteristics of viburnum gordovina, rules for planting and care

Black viburnum, or gourdovina, is a lush shrub that bears delicious sweet berries. The plant is used for decorative purposes. This shrub has an unusual appearance. At the moment of ripening, the berries first turn red, and then one by one they acquire a blue-black color. The plant comes from southern Europe, but does well in the middle zone. This is an unpretentious and very resilient shrub that can withstand any weather.

Features of culture

Viburnum gourdovina is from the same Adoxaceae family as viburnum and elderberry. True, it differs from its relatives in a number of morphological characteristics. This is a tall and densely leafy shrub with a lush, rounded crown. The plant has soft, rough casts that change color during the warm season from green to yellow and burgundy. In winter they fall off.

Viburnum pride blooms magnificently in May-June, and after flowering, in place of the flowers, drupes appear, first green, then red, and at the moment of ripening - black. They look first like lingonberries, then like blueberries. The berries ripen gradually. Numerous corymbs contain red and several black berries at the same time throughout the summer. It is this feature that gives viburnum gordovina a special decorative effect.

Viburnum gordovina is used for landscaping the garden area. It is used to form single and group compositions. It adapts perfectly to the climate of the middle zone. Viburnum gourdovina is native to southern Europe and Asia. Jam or compote is prepared from ripe berries. Due to the well-developed root system and the resulting shoots, the plant is recommended to be planted to secure slopes or slopes.

Characteristics of viburnum gordovina

This is a tall and lush shrub, 1.5-4 meters high, 0.5-1.5 meters wide. This plant can be formed into a tree by pruning. Viburnum viburnum has a dense and dense spherical crown. This is a long-lived plant. Over the course of a year, young shoots grow 30 centimeters. In its youth, viburnum grows quickly, but over time its growth slows down. The shoots are initially green, then brown, becoming gray with age.

The leaves of the plant are green, oval, with a sharp tip, soft, slightly rough, pubescent below. Viburnum blooms in May-June. The plant blooms for 2-3 weeks. Viburnum viburnum has small white fragrant flowers, collected in umbrella-shaped inflorescences with a diameter of 10 centimeters. In June, green berries appear in place of flowers. In July the fruits begin to turn red. Drupe berries ripen gradually. In August, several blue-black fruits appear in the corymbs. The berries are fully ripe by early October.

Advantages and disadvantages

Pros of viburnum gordovina:

• used for decorative purposes and to strengthen ravines;
• has edible berries;
• unpretentious, tolerates gas and dust;
• has good frost resistance;
• can grow in a shaded place.

Minuses:

• requires a lot of free space;
• in dense plantings it is often bothered by aphids;
• does not tolerate marshy soils.

The nuances of growing a variety

Viburnum gordovina is exactly the plant that can be planted in a place blown by all the winds. This shrub loves single plantings, but also looks good in group compositions. Thanks to its thick and dense crown, viburnum will create an excellent shield and protect the yard from the wind.

Where does viburnum grow best?

The shrub can be planted near the house, on the lawn in the garden, at the gate, as an extension or as one of the elements of the hedge.The plant is undemanding to the planting site. It will be accepted everywhere and will grow for a long time.

Light requirements

Viburnum pride grows well if planted on the sunny side. True, this plant tolerates shade very well. The main thing is that the place is spacious and well ventilated.

Soil requirements

The shrub loves fertile, carbonate and well-drained soil. The soil can be sandy loam or loamy, but most importantly - light and alkaline. Poor soil is enriched with fertilizers before planting.

For viburnum gordovina, select a moderately dry area that will not be flooded with water during rains or spring melting of snow.

When is the best time to plant the common pride tree?

A shrub purchased in a container in the summer can be planted in the garden at any time. The main thing is that the plant has time to grow and gain strength before the onset of frost. Usually young bushes are planted in the spring. You can plant viburnum in the fall, in September-October. Before wintering, the bush will need to be sprinkled with humus or compost.

Scheme of planting seedlings

Before planting, you need to dig a hole 50x50 centimeters. It is advisable to leave a distance of at least one meter from the neighboring plant. It is advisable to fertilize the soil selected from the pit with humus (half a bucket) and mineral fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium). You can add sand or sawdust for drainage, turf or garden soil. Soil acidity is reduced with lime, soda, and wood ash.

Part of the fertilized soil is poured back into the hole, a bush is placed on top, and its roots are sprinkled with the remaining soil. The root collar is left at ground level or deepened only 5 centimeters. The planted plant is watered abundantly with water (2-3 buckets). The tree trunk soil is mulched with sawdust.

Rules for caring for viburnum

The shrub is undemanding to care.It can do without pruning and watering. Viburnum is frost-resistant, rarely gets sick, and grows in the shade and in the wind. This plant is often used for landscaping city parks and strengthening the slopes of ravines.

Watering and fertilizing shrubs

It is advisable to water viburnum gordovina only during dry periods. The plant does not need watering in the rain; it does not tolerate heavy waterlogging. In dry weather, it is watered 1-2 times a week (2-3 buckets of water). Feed viburnum gordovina three times a season. In early spring, nitrogenous substances are added to the water during irrigation. At the beginning of summer, the bush is fed with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. In late autumn, before wintering, the tree trunk circle is mulched with rotted manure.

Pruning the shoots of the pride

The bush is not touched for the first 2-3 years. Allow the plant to grow and get stronger. Formative and sanitary pruning is carried out in the 4th year in early spring, before the sap begins to flow. The branches are pinched 20-30 centimeters so as to give the growing bush the shape of a ball. For 6-8 years, it is advisable to do anti-aging pruning. Old branches need to be cut to a strong bud, young ones can be left. Every year in early spring, sanitary pruning is done, that is, diseased, dry, broken branches are removed.

Methods of controlling diseases and pests

Viburnum gordovina rarely gets sick. If a shrub grows on poor soils, it is affected by powdery mildew and spots. As a preventive measure, the plant is fed with fertilizers three times a season. In spring, the base of the bush is treated with slaked lime or Bordeaux mixture. At the beginning of summer, the foliage is sprayed with fungicides (Skor, Horus, Ridomil Gold).

Viburnum viburnum must be protected from pests (aphids, scale insects, leaf beetles).As a preventive measure, the tree trunk circle is sprinkled with wood ash and tobacco dust in early spring, and irrigated with insecticide solutions (Aktara, Aktellik). At the beginning of summer, leaves can be sprayed with Karbofos, Chlorophos or other insecticidal agents. Biotlin and Fitoverm help get rid of aphids. Treatment with chemicals can be carried out 2-3 times per season, but no later than 30 days before picking the berries.

Does the shrub need special care in preparation for winter?

Before wintering, the tree trunk circle can be sprinkled with a thick layer of rotted humus. This mulch will insulate the plant in winter and serve as fertilizer in spring. It is not recommended to prune branches before the onset of cold weather. A shrub weakened by pruning may not survive the winter well. There is no need to carry out any more preparatory measures before wintering.

How to propagate viburnum gordovina

There are several ways to propagate this shrub. The easiest way to propagate viburnum gordovina is with the help of shoots, which are formed in sufficient quantities near the bush.

Offspring

Viburnum gordovina produces abundant growth. It can be propagated by root suckers. The young shoot is separated from the mother plant in the spring, the main thing is that it has a well-developed root system. The offspring is transplanted to a permanent place in a prepared hole with fertilized soil and watered with water.

Dividing the bush

You can dig up a young bush and divide it into two sections. The procedure is carried out in early spring or autumn, immediately after leaf fall. Each division should have three renewal buds. The separated parts of the bush are immediately planted in a prepared hole with fertilized soil and watered abundantly.

Seeds

The plant reproduces using seeds.They are planted in open ground immediately after harvesting - in October-November. You can plant the seeds in cups with soil, but first they need to be stratified for 6 months, that is, kept in the cold (preferably outside in the ground). Seedlings that appear under artificial conditions need to be looked after for a whole year, periodically irrigated, and kept in a warm room. The grown sprouts can be transplanted into the garden in May next year.

Cuttings

Pride can be propagated using lignified cuttings. Branches 10 centimeters long with two leaves or buds are cut from the bush in June-July and placed in water, to which a root formation stimulator or a plant with a well-developed root system is added.

When the roots appear, the cuttings are transplanted into containers with soil. Throughout the year, the sprouts are looked after and watered periodically. The next season, closer to summer, the grown plants are transplanted into the garden.

Collection and storage

Ripe viburnum berries can be collected in October. It is advisable to leave the fruits on the branches until the first frost. After frost sets the berries, the taste is sweeter. Collect brushes in dry weather. They are carefully cut with garden shears. The collected berries can be dried, frozen in the freezer, or made into delicious jam. Dry viburnum in brushes, tying them into a bundle and hanging them from some support in a dry and cool pantry.