Red canadian in the middle lane - problems and secrets of growing
The spectacle when the Canadian scarlet blooms is extraordinary and somewhat resembles the elements of paintings by surrealist artists, made in drip technique. Lilac bunches of flowers bloom from dormant buds right on the black-gray trunk and the same color on mature lateral branches that have not yet dressed in young foliage. And, it is true, as if an invisible master of painting splashed the lilac pearls of the morning fog on the tree.
Unfortunately, it is practically impossible to admire a blooming overseas guest from North America in gardens of a temperate climate - the tree is quite thermophilic and freezes at low winter temperatures. Although it recovers well in spring, it does not form flower buds. However, breeders and gardeners-introductors in recent years have made a lot of efforts so that frost-resistant forms and varieties of plants not only survive in 25-degree frosts, but also bloom and bear fruit.
What does the canadian scarlet look like
The leaf blades are oval-cordate, shortly pointed at the apex, slightly pubescent below. The color of the upper side of the leaf is gray-green, the lower one is dull gray. In autumn, the crown blazes with yellow, orange, crimson colors. Fruits are ribbon-like pods hanging directly from the trunk for more than one season.
The pace of development
Among ornamental trees and shrubs, the canadian scarlet is considered one of the slowly developing plants. At the beginning of his life, he builds and strengthens the root system. So, in the first growing season, seedlings do not grow more than 0.4-0.5 m in height, and their roots go deeper to 0.45 m.
Most of the shoots die during the first wintering, but by the beginning of the second growing season young stems grow, reaching 0.8-1 m by the end of summer.The root system of two-year-old trees grows in depth to a level of 1-1.5 m.
Only in the third year of life, the canadian scarlet forms a deep (over 2 m) - and wide (about 6-8 m in circumference) root system, giving, after freezing, a growth of 1.4-1.6 m in height.
There are three types of wood:
- canadensis;
- mexicana;
- texensis.
The latter two are considered more thermophilic and are found only in the southern regions, and the first is successfully cultivated in Ukraine - Kiev and Uzhgorod, the Volga region, Saratov and Voronezh. Cercis canadensis in the Moscow region is also developing well, but gardeners have not yet observed flowering.
The best varieties:
- Forest Pansy - with dark burgundy purple foliage
- Pink Pom Poms - with double pink flowers;
- Ruby Falls - with weeping shoots and dark purple leaves.
Tips for choosing seeds
Russian garden centers and nurseries use seed from Ukraine or North America, and one-two-year seedlings are imported from Poland or Germany. Some of the seeds of Kiev in the conditions of central Russia are not winter-hardy and do not germinate. Only about 30% of them produce seedlings that can withstand severe frost. They bloom by the age of 6-8, but the fruits are rarely set.
Seeds need scarification or treatment with sulfuric acid, otherwise they germinate poorly, and sometimes more than one year. The processed seed gives a germination rate of up to 80%.
Some of the seedlings planted in open ground are lost during growing, so experienced gardeners advise sowing seeds in containers filled with a soil mixture with a high content of sand.
During the transplantation of grown plants to a permanent place in the garden, the root system extracted from the sandy loam soil is less damaged.
Where and how to plant the canadian scarlet in the garden
For seedlings, an open, sunny place, protected from northern winds, is selected in the garden. The requirements for the composition of the soil in the plant are high: the acidity must be neutral, the content of nutrients must be sufficient. The soil on the site is desirable permeable and well loosened.
Like many legumes, canadian scarlet does not withstand transplantation, so it is recommended to plant it immediately in a permanent place.
A hole is dug in proportion to the root system. A soil mixture composed of the selected soil and humus with the addition of complex mineral fertilizers is poured onto the bottom. The roots of the seedling are very carefully straightened in the planting hole and carefully sprinkled with earth. The root collar should be at the same level as in the container. The plant is watered and mulch dry grass to retain moisture.
The subtleties of caring for cercis canadian
Crimson trees are quite vulnerable to droughts, so they need regular moisture in the summer heat. This is especially true for young plantations. Until the age of five, seedlings are fed several times during the growing season, using fertilizers with a predominance of nitrogen in the spring, potassium-phosphorus fertilizers in the fall, and in the summer they add a full range of mineral supplements.
The plant lends itself well to formative pruning, actively grows back and forms a compact crown. After reaching the age of 5-6, a haircut is no longer necessary.
Young seedlings for the winter are carefully covered with spunbond, mulch the near-root space with dry foliage and spruce branches. The winter hardiness of the canadian scarlet introduced in the Moscow region is quite high. Mature specimens can withstand temperature drops to 28-30 degrees below zero.
From pests on cercis canadensis seen aphid... The tree is resistant to diseases, but experienced gardeners advise, as a prophylaxis against anthracnose, to process it before flowering with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid.
The Canadian scarlet is a spectacular tree and deserves a worthy place in Russian gardens and in the adjoining territories.