Content
Dammer's cotoneaster will become a decoration of any yard. This plant is used in landscaping and is increasingly found in garden and suburban areas. This is not grass, but a special shrub that will decorate not only an even lawn, but also various design objects.
Description of Dammer's cotoneaster
Dammer's cotoneaster is one of the varieties of cotoneaster. It belongs to the Pink family and is an evergreen plant. The wild-growing variety is found in China. It looks like a horizontal type of cotoneaster. Shoots spread along the ground, which allows, with proper pruning, to create a beautiful field or pattern on the site. The width of the growth of one shrub is up to 1.5 meters. The branches do not rise more than 30 cm above the ground. As a result, Dammer's cotoneaster does not have a very high height, and therefore is excellent for decorating and covering the soil.
The leaves of the shrub are leathery and elliptical. The flowers are red in color, and the fruits (which are not suitable for eating) ripen by September. The average size of a cotoneaster leaf is 1.5–2 cm. Above, the color of the leaf is green, and below it has a grayish tint.
The peduncle has 2-3 buds. The result is several white flowers with five petals. Bees gladly pollinate flowers of Dammer major cotoneaster and other varieties. It is an excellent honey plant that attracts insects from long distances.
The cultivated plant has been bred for a little over 100 years, so the culture is not yet as popular as many other varieties. But in Russia, Dammer's cotoneaster eichholz has been grown for about 50 years, since it is inferior in popularity to the horizontal and shiny cotoneaster.
The plant perfectly tolerates unfavorable climatic conditions, therefore it is successfully grown in northern latitudes. Feels uncomfortable in areas with a lot of moisture and high soil moisture.
There are several popular varieties of Dammer cotoneaster, description and photos, which are most often found:
- cotoneaster Major;
- Eicholz;
- cotoneaster Dammer straybs findingling.
In addition, the Dammer Mix cotoneaster is often used as it adorns rocky surfaces and unsightly areas.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
This shrub is distinguished by high rates of drought resistance. The plant is able to do without watering for a long time and does not require regular rain. Therefore, it is successfully used in various climatic conditions and feels comfortable in Central Russia.
Another plus for the Russian climate is that the cotoneaster tolerates frost perfectly. Therefore, there is no need to cover it. An evergreen plant can please the eye all year round. But it is important to understand that for the Far East and Siberia, the frost resistance of Dammer's cotoneaster is not enough, therefore, you will have to use another plant for landscape design.
Disease and pest resistance
As for diseases, they rarely infect such shrubs as Dammer's cotoneaster. If the soil under the plant is too moist, then there is a possibility of infection with such a fungal pathology as fusarium. The disease most often affects the roots and the lower part of the stem. It is not difficult to deal with such a disease - it is enough to remove all infected tissues on which there are obvious traces of a fungal infection.After that, it is imperative to carry out the fungicide treatment.
There are also preventive measures that help not to catch this fungus. First of all, it is required to monitor soil moisture, not get carried away with watering and ensure normal drainage. And also the prevention will be regular loosening of the soil. This will allow the roots of the cotoneaster to receive air better, and the soil will not retain moisture as much.
But pests are very fond of the Dammer horizontal cotoneaster. This plant can infect: spider mites and other species of mites, scale insects, as well as apple aphids. Therefore, it is necessary to closely monitor the first symptoms of the appearance of pests on the plant. It is imperative to treat the cotoneaster several times a year with special pest control agents.
To get rid of pests in the early stages of pest detection, it is enough to use natural solutions, such as:
- decoction of yarrow;
- decoction of tobacco;
- soap-ash solution;
- decoction of marigolds.
But in any case, one-time processing will not do. The owner will need a course that consists of 3-4 treatments carried out at intervals of 6-7 days. Then you need to monitor the plant to understand if the pests have died. If such methods do not help or the stage of the lesion is strong, then strong chemicals will be needed, which are sold in specialized stores. In this case, processing must be carried out according to the instructions.
Dammer's cotoneaster in landscape design
In landscape design, Dammer Stockholm's cotoneaster is used in a very diverse way, since it all depends on the variety and variety. For example, the Dammer Major dwarf cotoneaster spreads low, which allows it to be an excellent soil cover. With the help of such a coating, it gets to hide from prying eyes all kinds of naked glades, ugly areas, as well as compost pits, areas with garbage and those parts that cannot be landscaped.
The Eicholz cotoneaster is suitable for hedges and fences, as well as for creating beautiful curbs. Such a plant will be able to decorate both garden plots and paths on the territory.
If you cut the shrub correctly, then it can often and successfully be used to create hedges and evergreen sculptures.
And also a shrub looks great if you create a bright green spot from it, which will attract the attention of visitors. Since the shrub feels great on loose soils and has a powerful root system, it is justifiably used to decorate slopes and hills. Those who have seen Dammer's cotoneaster at least once in the photo will definitely want to decorate their plot with this plant.
Shrubs are often planted in rock gardens, and on the lower and middle tiers. And also in landscape design, this plant is recommended to be used for ennobling stony soils.
Planting Dammer's cotoneaster
Dammer's cotoneaster in terms of planting and care is an unpretentious plant. Planting is done with seedlings. The procedure is carried out in the spring, but it is also possible in the fall. When planting in autumn, it is important to be in time before frost, preferably during the period of leaf fall.
Dammer's cotoneaster is a sun-loving plant that tolerates the open sun well.
The landing algorithm is as follows:
- A pit 50 cm deep and the same width is required.
- A brick or pebble is laid out at the bottom for drainage.
- A layer of earth is poured onto the drainage. It should consist of peat, humus and sand. If necessary, you can add 200 grams of lime.
- Place the seedling in the prepared hole and bury it.
- The distance between the seedlings is 50 cm.
When planting, the root collar should be flush with the surface. Experts recommend mulching the surface near the shrub with a layer of peat 8 cm. If the shrub is to be used as a hedge, then it must be planted in trenches.
Dammer's horizontal cotoneaster does not tolerate excess moisture, and therefore, when choosing a landing site, it is necessary that the depth of groundwater is at least two meters.
Follow-up care of the cotoneaster
Plant care includes watering, pruning, and feeding. As for watering, the cotoneaster really does not like excess water. Even in dry summers, it should be watered no more than once every two weeks. If there were even light rains, then watering can be done once a month. A bucket of water is poured under each bush - this is enough for the plant.
The basis of care is considered to be the frequent loosening of the earth, as well as weeding the bushes so that they do not intertwine weeds... The cotoneaster is frost-resistant, but in winter, experts recommend pressing the branches that are too high to the ground so that they do not freeze.
In order to form the necessary hedge, the plant needs to be pruned regularly. It is recommended for two-year-old shoots to pinch the growing point, then they will bush. After the pinching procedure, the young branches start growing again, only already creating the desired shape of the bush.
Shoots are pruned after the shrub itself has produced green mass. According to the rules, up to a third of the green mass can be removed from the bush in one pruning. You can form a bush both in height and in the required shape. The shape is most often done using a special wooden frame. The feeding algorithm is simple:
- In spring and autumn, they bring in a bucket of humus per 1 square meter.
- In the spring, 30 grams of mineral fertilizers per bucket of water.
- In summer, superphosphate and potassium are added under the bushes.
Organic fertilizers in the form of manure have a very positive effect on the growth and strength of the cotoneaster.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
The rooting cotoneaster of Dammer is resistant to most diseases. More often it is affected by pests. For example, apple aphid. If it appears, then the shoots will bend and dry out, while the leaves will begin to wrinkle.
The tick is the most dangerous and common pest on the cotoneaster. In order to avoid its appearance, it is enough to process the bush with a solution of makhorka, tobacco or yarrow. In this case, the tick will not attack the plant. If the pest has already attacked the cotoneaster, and there is damage, then insecticides should be used.
Conclusion
Landscaping is popular, and more and more people want to properly and beautifully decorate their plots near the house. As one of the ornamental plants from which evergreen sculptures are formed, as well as hedges and rock gardens - Dammer's cotoneaster. This is a beautiful shrub, the crown width of which reaches one and a half meters. The fruits do not have taste, but they are not poisonous. Therefore, those who have children need not worry. And in the spring, the entire hedge will be covered with white flowers with a pleasant aroma.
